Posted On: January 5th, 2018 5:13PM
Click here on this link to read about the 8 unwritten etiquette rules every home seller should know
Posted On: January 5th, 2018 5:10PM
Moving from a small town or suburb to a large city can be an intimidating proposition. Here are a few tips to help make your move as painless as possible.
Research before you move. It’s important to understand the culture you’re joining. Do research online and find out about school systems, neighborhoods, parking, weather, public transportation, and laws that are native to that area. If you can, visit a city before moving and connect with someone who’s lived there before.
Have a plan. There are a lot of steps to go through before you start packing the moving truck. Find housing before you leave, or at least know where you’ll stay while you look for a home. Never sign a lease on an apartment that you haven’t seen. If you can’t get there, find a friend or an employer to check for you. Have a job waiting for you, or if that’s not possible, know what you’ll do for money in the first few weeks of living there. Try to line up things like driver’s licenses, car insurance, renter’s insurance, and parking passes ahead of time as well.
Get involved. Meeting people in a big city can be daunting. Don’t expect the neighbors to knock your door down with a casserole when you arrive: city life is often too noisy and hectic. Take the initiative. If there are things you liked to do in your town, find ways to do those things in the city. Try new things. Volunteer. Big cities offer so many opportunities to engage other people, so find what you like.
Mind your wallet. City life is expensive. Everything costs more: food, insurance, clothes, rent. There are also a lot more ways to get ripped off, whether legally or criminally. Be careful how you spend, and know where your money is going.
Posted On: January 5th, 2018 4:28PM
As the events of the last few years in the real estate industry show, people forget about the tremendous financial responsibility of purchasing a home at their peril. Here are a few tips for dealing with the dollar signs so that you can take down that “for sale” sign on your new home.
Get pre-approved. Sub-primes may be history, but you’ll probably still be shown homes you can’t actually afford. By getting pre-approved as a buyer, you can save yourself the grief of looking at houses you can't afford. You can also put yourself in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house. Unlike pre-qualification, which is based on a cursory review of your finances, pre-approval from a lender is based on your actual income, debt and credit history. By doing a thorough analysis of your actual spending power, you’ll be less likely to get in over your head.
Choose your mortgage carefully. Used to be the emphasis when it came to mortgages was on paying them off as soon as possible. Today, the debt the average person will accumulate due to credit cards, student loans, etc. means it’s better to opt for the 30-year mortgage instead of the 15-year. This way, you have a lower monthly payment, with the option of paying an additional principal when money is good. Additionally, when picking a mortgage, you usually have the option of paying additional points (a portion of the interest that you pay at closing) in exchange for a lower interest rate. If you plan to stay in the house for a long time—and given the current real estate market, you should—taking the points will save you money.
Do your homework before bidding. Before you make an offer on a home, do some research on the sales trends of similar homes in the neighborhood with sites like Zillow. Consider especially sales of similar homes in the last three months. For instance, if homes have recently sold for 5 percent less than the asking price, your opening bid should probably be about 8 to 10 percent lower than what the seller is asking.
Posted On: January 5th, 2018 4:27PM
Most of us have trouble understanding the impact some actions may have on our credit scores. According to a recent survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and VantageScore Solutions, these are the facts that tripped up consumers the most:
If you're worried about your credit score and how it could be impacting your finances, just follow these basic guidelines: make all loan payments consistently and on time, check your credit reports on a regular basis to make sure all of the information is accurate, and keep credit card balances low.
Posted On: January 5th, 2018 4:25PM
High-Tech Options for Homeowners |
Powered by convenience, More and more homeowners are adding high-tech features to their homes for the latest in contemporary living. Which features are the most coveted? Here are three of the most popular trends. |
Enhanced security. Traditional home security systems often come with lots of sensors and an external monitoring service. With these systems, not only do you have to make sure to arm and disarm your security features, you often have to pay a costly monthly bill to your provider. With new technology options, homeowners can take control of their own security. Most new security systems come with wireless cameras that can be accessed by the homeowner on their desktop or smartphone - from anywhere in the world!. It's an improvement that offers added peace of mind for a fraction of the lifetime cost. Lighten up. LED lights are another great way for homeowners to add convenience and energy-saving technology to their home. Not only are these new bulbs extremely efficient, many companies have even created lighting control systems that allow a homeowner to control their lights directly from a smartphone. Now there's no need to argue about who left the light on or whose turn it is to get up to turn it off. Control the kitchen. A number of appliance manufacturers have joined the wireless trend by providing apps that allow for wireless control. Need to get dinner started, but you're stuck in traffic? Why not start and pre-heat the oven right from your car! Another recently announced technology can even check the contents of the refrigerator while the homeowner is still at the grocery store. |