| |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
What to Look for in a Home
Searching for just the right home can be very exciting. You may plan ahead for the number of bedrooms and bathrooms that you want. Or imagine preparing for dinner parties in a sun-filled kitchen. Although these things are important, there is more to a good home purchase than the rooms it contains. Following are just a few suggestions to consider. Take some time to make a list and determine which additional priorities are important to you. Survey the neighborhood during many different times of the day and days of the week. Are you comfortable with the noise, activity levels, traffic volume, etc.? If you have, or plan to have children, check with the local school board about the neighborhood schools. What is the student/teacher ratio? How are the test scores? How involved are the parents? What programs are available for students? What credentials and how much experience do teachers bring to the task? Is the foundation of your new home sound? Is it well built? Are the existing appliances sound or will they need to be replaced? Are the home's major systems such as electricity, plumbing, heating/air, and roofing in good condition? Is the home energy efficient? How much major and/or cosmetic work will be required? What will your commute look like? If possible, do a trial run during rush hour. What is the crime rate? What permits have been issued for new projects and/or construction in your new neighborhood? Will you be expected to pay homeowner association fees? Are you comfortable with the covenants set forth? Does the neighborhood provide sufficient recreational opportunities? Will you be moving into a home or joining a community? Is the local grocer clean and well-stocked? Enlist the help of a good real estate agent, reputable home inspectors and others to help find a home with more than just a pretty face. Beyond Mortgage Payments Owning a home involves far more than keeping current with your mortgage payments. There are a number of costs associated with home ownership that extend far beyond the basics (i.e. principal, interest, taxes and insurance). Assuming responsibility for these costs can be a big financial adjustment. This is particularly true if, as a renter, you are accustomed to responding only to fixed expenses (i.e. rent) without much concern for variable expenses (i.e. broken pipes and new water heaters). Well, now you are the landlord and it is up to you to handle the mortgage, in addition to all of the variable expenses of home ownership. Routine and emergency maintenance issues are an inevitable part of homeownership. The dishwasher will need to be replaced, the roof may begin to leak, or the furnace will give out. You can minimize the financial fallout by planning ahead and budgeting in anticipation of these expenses. Recommendations vary, but you would do well to save an amount equal to at least 2% of the cost of your home for annual upkeep and maintenance. Set aside funds toward this amount each month. In this way you will eliminate the scramble and panic of getting the funds together to get that tree off of your roof. In addition to maintenance and upkeep, there may be other costs you will need to absorb. These include water, sewer and sanitation expense; homeowner's insurance, and property taxes. It is important to understand the full cost of home ownership before you sign on the dotted line. You can build confidence in your ability to handle these new expenses by making a trial run. Do your best to estimate the total cost of home ownership. Use that information to make a budget. Before you sign on the dotted line, live within that new budget and see how well you manage. You may find that you have adequate financial resources, that's great. If you find that you are a bit short, you may need to make some adjustments. Being proactive now may help you avoid foreclosure in the future. Nicole Soltau is the President and Founder of CreditUnionRate.com
MORE RESOURCES: This RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Prepare Yourself for Owning a Dual Purpose Second Home If you are thinking about buying a second home, you are not alone. A 1995 survey by the American Resort Development Association found that 60 percent of households surveyed feel they have a likely chance of purchasing a recreational property in the next ten years, a figure that rose 30% from the survey in 1990. What Homeowners Should Know to Stop Foreclosure- Speaking Your Lenders Language Financial literacy is the means of empowering consumers to make informed financial decisions through exposure to accurate and timely information. In no other area is the void of accurate information more evident that in the area of foreclosure. Canal Front Homes in Venice A bit about VeniceVenice, Florida was named by an early explorer who thought the beautiful, clean canals that snake through the coastal community starkly resembled the canals of the historic city of Venice, Italy. In the 2000 census, Venice, Florida had a population of 17,764 people and that number has continued to increase over the last five years. What Does It Take To Be A Donald Trump in Real Estate? Since you are a business oriented person, you might be thinking: "oh, great, here it comes another fad that sounds to good to be true and I don't have time for this now." Well, the fact is, like gravity you do not have to believe in Feng Shui for it to work. Will a 1031 Property Exchange Solve Your Problems? If your problem is listed below, a 1031 exchange may or may not be your solution.1. Property in Northern Spain If you're looking for the 'real' Spain where the culture, customs and the traditional Spanish lifestyle have been preserved - a Spain long ago lost and forgotten along the Costa del Sol - consider Northern Spain.Northern Spain has always been a popular holiday destination for southern Spanish tourists, but until relatively recently it was largely unexplored and undiscovered by foreign tourists and those expatriates seeking a new home overseas. How to Calculate Real Estate Rehab Profits If you are investing in real estate you will face a variety of challenges. First you have to find the right property. Selling Investment Houses: Props & Profits New Marketing and Design Psychology ideas help you stage homes for sale to motivate buyers and generate top dollar. Instead of leaving investment houses vacant, my husband and I add a few props to increase our profits. Boston Real Estate - Choosing the Right Boston Real Estate Agent As a successful Boston real estate agent, it always puzzled me how and why some people choose particular Boston real estate agents to sell their homes. For most of us, a real estate purchase is the single largest investment we will ever make in our lives. Four Reasons To Offer Seller Financing An example of seller financing: Years ago I bought a rental property, and nine months later sold it for 15% more, without fixing or improving a thing. The easy terms are what sold it. What Should You Do If Your Home Isn't Selling? It can be very frustrating to put your home on the market, expecting a fast sale, only to find that after six months you're still waiting for an offer. What can you do?First, determine if it's a result of timing. Ten Steps for Becoming a Successful Real Estate Investor The secret to success in real estate investment is finding bargain properties that you can "flip" quickly for a profit. Here are a few ideas for becoming a successful investor:1) Obtain sound advice from investors who are already successful. Yes But, How Do I Evaluate Buying Undeveloped Land And Get Into The Business? These real questions on buying undeveloped land are answered by a US Master Builder and myself after receiving them from readers of my e-book, "Residential Development Made Easy."Question 1. Budgeting Your Log Home: Where Do You Start? The Log home industry has matured these last many years, but there is still a lot of confusion about how much a log home costs. Naturally, everyone wants to know the cost of the log package; however, the budgeting only starts here. Selling by Owner Tips Do strangers scare or intimidate you? If you're planning to try to sell your home yourself, you'll have to get used to it. You'll also be opening yourself up to potentially dangerous situations and legal liabilities. The Value of Foreclosed Property The discount on a foreclosed property is not as great if the state allows deficiency judgments by lenders against borrowers. In contrast, the discount is larger if the property is being sold in a state that requires foreclosures to proceed through the judicial system. Buy FHA HUD Homes FHA HUD homes are those dwellings that have been acquired by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD oversees the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which offers federal insurance on home mortgages. Boom or Bust For those looking to invest in the real estate market?keep your eyes on the headlines. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Selling Houses: Design Psychology and Interior Colors Interior colors are vitally important to selling your home quickly, and for more money. But you must always take your target market and selling season into account, using Design Psychology techniques, when choosing the colors for the inside of your home. Should You Allow Buyer To Rent During Closing? It's not uncommon for an investor to sell a house and have the buyer request the right to rent and occupy the property while the closing is being completed.You're a bad guy if you refuse and often in hot water of you agree.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 TIGER MEDIA |