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3 Factors to Take Into Consideration Before Jumping Into Housing Market
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Backup offers give sellers a Plan B
Every seller's dream is to receive offers from more than one buyer. Although multiple offers were scarce last year, in some markets and price ranges listings that are priced right are receiving multiple offers, particularly in the low-end foreclosure markets.
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Mini-Apartments Catching on Among Renters
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Final walkthrough a buyer's best friend
Imagine this. You move into your new home for the first time after closing and, although you transferred the utilities into your name, the lights don't turn on. There isn't a single light bulb left in the house, the yard is overgrown, and the leaky faucets the sellers were to have fixed still leak.
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7 Tips to Negotiate Your Way to a Mortgage Loan Modification
]RISMEDIA, May 2, 2009-For some small business owners, trouble on the home front (as in home mortgage front) threatens already precarious business conditions. Home mortgages that once seemed a good source of money for the business now could result in the need to layoff workers or even close. Homeowners with trouble making mortgage payments often hear that their best bet is to contact their lender about a loan modification, but they should be well prepared when they do so.
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Tell us what you love about living in California
What’s not to love about living in California--eternal sunshine, miles of gorgeous beaches, majestic mountains, and beautiful stretches of desert – this state has something for everyone. With so much to offer, it’s no wonder everyone would like to own a piece of California.
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Multiple offers making a comeback
In the current home sale market, it might seem ludicrous to make an offer on a listing if it means competing with another buyer. However, multiple offers are on the rise in some markets. But, it doesn't always mean that you need to pay a lot more than the asking price.
Sellers are ever hopeful of receiving multiple offers. These days, this is usually an unrealistic expectation. That is, unless the listing is a prime property in a high-demand neighborhood where few homes are being offered for sale.
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Fixing to sell: Don't go overboard
Fixer-uppers with upside potential were in high demand when the market was appreciating at a fast pace. Once depreciation took over, speculators disappeared until 2009, when low-end foreclosure properties in some areas became hot properties -- particularly if they were selling at a 50 percent discount from the peak in summer 2006.
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Tax time over, but many credits still available
If you’re a homeowner, it’s a given that you claim the mortgage interest deduction on your tax returns. If you are a green-minded homeowner, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit if you purchase or have purchased (keep those receipts) an energy-efficient product or a renewable energy system for your home.
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2010: year of the turnaround?
A spurt in home sales in 2009, aided by low interest rates and the first-time homebuyer tax credit, has led some economists to forecast a turnaround in the housing market this year. Other forecasters feel this is too optimistic a projection.
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Buyers, get into negotiating position
Bridging the price gap between home buyers and sellers can be a challenge in today's market. Sellers, many of whom have a hard time accepting that their home has lost value, often expect to sell for more than buyers are willing to pay.
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The art of counteroffers
Negotiation is back in style. It's not uncommon for buyers and sellers to have many rounds of counteroffering back and forth before they arrive at a contract that is completely agreeable to all involved. When this is accomplished, the contract is ratified.
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Find property problems before you buy
To avoid a bad experience that could end up in a legal battle with the sellers over property problems, make sure your purchase agreement includes an inspection contingency.
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Three ways to reduce capital gains tax
DEAR BENNY: I was told by a prominent accountant that there is a loophole in the law that states that you can be exempt from paying capital gains (if you are in a home less than the two-year period) if there are "unforeseen circumstances" involved. Are you aware of this? Can you doublecheck to make sure? This accountant is well trusted by a lot of businesspeople! At the time I was going through an "unforeseen" divorce. –Patricia
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Staging tips that sell
Home prices have fallen and many homeowners are mortgaged to the hilt. This makes it difficult for some sellers to justify spending a penny to get their home ready for the market.
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How can you buy the house you're renting?
Rent-to-own arrangements can help people make the transition from tenant to homeowner, but how to go about it? In a sagging market, a lease-option offers the most flexibility.
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Playing the real estate waiting game
Buyers often are reluctant to make an offer to buy a home they find early on in their search. After looking for months and not finding anything comparable, some buyers regret not having moved quickly on a listing even though they saw it early on.
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Six ways to boost curb appeal
If you're thinking of listing your home this spring, now is the time to be thinking about one of the most important elements of real estate marketing: Curb appeal. It's your one and only chance to make a first impression on a potential buyer, so make it a good one! Here are some suggestions to make your home stand out from the rest:
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A Golden Opportunity: 203k Program Helps First-Time Buyers Turn Dreams into
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Consumer Mortgage Audit Center Reveals the 5 Most Common Mortgage Violation
Consumer Mortgage Audit Center Reveals the 5 Most Common Mortgage Violations
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A Home Improvement Project that Saves Big Money on Taxes
- Wouldn't it be nice if adding style, curb appeal and energy efficiency to your home actually saved you money? In 2009 and 2010, it can. Thanks to the new 2009 stimulus legislation, American homeowners can earn up to a $1,500 tax credit for buying qualifying insulated garage doors.
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Pay attention to home inspection
For just about anyone, a home is the single-most expensive and single-most complex thing that you'll ever own. So when making that purchase, you certainly want to do everything possible to be an informed buyer and to protect yourself and your investment.
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Simple Letter Could Prevent Home Foreclosure
Want to try to reduce your monthly mortgage payments and avoid foreclosure? Real estate experts say a simple letter may help d
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Loan modification “blackmail”
DEAR BENNY: My wife and I received from our lender a repayment agreement for our original mortgage. This was a result of the bank initiating a foreclosure sale, which was temporarily suspended because we agreed to enter the Home Affordable Modification Program.
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Pricing to sell in today's market
Putting yourself in the right mindset to sell is essential. It's the most difficult aspect of selling for most sellers. Your home is worth what a buyer is willing to pay, which may not be what you think it is worth.
Detaching yourself emotionally from your home is difficult. Clearing out years of clutter, depersonalizing your home by removing personal memorabilia, and staging your home for sale can help you step back and view the home as a commodity that needs to be sold rather than as your personal sanctuary.
Putting your home on the market at a price that reflects what you want and not what the market will bear can cost you time and money as it sits on the market unsold.
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Homeowner's insurance hang-ups
After paying out huge settlements to clean up mold damage, homeowner insurers pulled back from issuing new policies on homes where a water damage claim had been made within the last five years.
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Facing foreclosure: When must I move out?
DEAR BENNY: I am one of the unfortunate who has to deal with eventual foreclosure. Can you tell me how long I can remain in my home until legally having to vacate? –Constance
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