Archive for July, 2010
Steps To Become A Home Owner
A home is a shelter. It is where you live love relax and entertain friends raise families and work. Most people dream of owning a home. Here are tips of how to make owning a home a reality.
There are two things you need to know:
You need to understand everything that is involved in the home buying process.
You need to know that you are the most important person in the entire process.
Get your financial in order. Know exactly how much mortgage payment you can afford and feel comfortable with. And shop for home accordingly. Have your preapproval letter for a mortgage loan. Have a down payment 20 of purchase price closing costs plan to pay around 3 of your mortgage and anticipate the new costs that will come with home ownership such as property taxes home owner insurance utility bills community and home maintenance fees in order.
Partner with a real estate agent. The internet may give you endless amounts of information but a good agent can line up properties to view answer many of your questions and make connection for you in your new community and help with lining up a home inspection company to inspect the home you plan to buy and even help you find a mortgage company if you do not know of one.
Fine tune your “must haves”. Prepare a checklist of what is important to you and look for it. Don’t be guided by emotion. Take time to think analyze and review your checklist and notes and compare it against your needs wants and budget.
How is the condition of the property? It would be a good idea to have a professional property inspector check the home you are planning to purchase and inspect it completely for termite damage electric and plumbing problems or structural defects. This is very important to find out before making a purchase and can save you thousands of dollars in later repair and renovation bills.
If your home has defects will you be able to meet the financial challenges and live with the mess and inconvenience while the home is being brought up to your expectation? It is best to inspect before purchase so you will not have unforeseen problems and expenses later.
Size and configuration: Does the home have enough bedrooms and bathrooms to be adequate for the number of people that will be living there? Is one bathroom adequate and if not what are the real cost and troubles of adding a second one? Is the kitchen area large enough and equipped with good working appliances? Does the home have a carport or garage to park your vehicle safely?
Comfort: Does the house have central heating and aircondition system? Depending on the region of the world you are looking at a home may need to have a heating and or air conditioning system to make it comfortable to live in. If the home is equipped with heat and air systems it would be good to check the year of manufacture and brand of the equipment and check for proper functioning.
Resale potential: On average people move to a new home every seven years how easy would it be to find a ready and able buyer for this house? Not only do you want to look at the home and land you are thinking or purchasing you should look at the surrounding area such as the neighbors and their homes and the local community.
Make sure there are no noticeable problems with neighbors and their homes. Your new home may be beautiful and in perfect shape but if the neighbors have a rundown home or there is crime in the community then your resale value will fall dramatically. Check out the local community for conveniences such as how far is it to go to the grocery store and if you have children where is the school located. These are just a few of the many things you should look at and consider before purchase of a new home.
Features: Do you really want a swimming pool? Swimming pools can add value and beauty to a home if properly designed and constructed but be prepared for the maintenance involved to keep the pool clean and then expense to keep it up and running such as acid and chlorine and your increased electric bill.
Once you make an offer to purchase your new home make it contingent on the findings of a professional home inspection. If any major defects surface you will want to have the leverage to renegotiate or back out of the deal completely.
About the writer: Jim Scherrer has owned property in Puerto Vallarta Mexico for 25 years and resided there for the past eleven years. The mission of his series of 50 articles pertaining to retirement in Puerto Vallarta is to reveal the recent changes that have occurred in Vallarta while dispelling the misconceptions about living conditions in Mexico. For the full series of articles regarding travel to and retirement in Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links please visit us at Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Buyers Agents
Stapleton: One Of The Best Places To Be In Denver Colorado
One of the best choices to live in Denver is the new neighborhood of Stapleton where everything is within easy reach including good schools shops restaurants cafes entertainment and offices.
Stapleton has miles of trails acres of parks and real neighborhoods full of homes in all shapes colors and sizes. In fact Stapletons developers have set aside nearly 30 percent of the areas 4700 acres to parks recreation facilities and open space. The nucleus of Stapletons parks and open spaces is the 80 acre Central Park which is currently Denvers third largest park. In addition to the parks within Stapleton extensive bike and trail system will link the community to the adjacent 17000acre Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge which is located to Stapletons north.
Most of Stapletons architecture is inspired by great old Denver neighborhoods like Washington Park and Cherry Creek. Stapleton is prime commercial real estate and residential real estate coexisting in perfect harmony with shops dining and the great outdoors near every home. Even if Stapleton is built near downtown Denver it has features that define suburban living like garages in the back porches in front and sidewalks made for walking. It is like combining the advantages of the close proximity and convenience of urban living with the space provided by suburban neighborhoods.
Despite mimicking the traditional older neighborhoods Stapleton has the advantages of constructing a new community with a vision of conservation preservation and sustainability. Every new home is Energy Star certified as of mid2006. That means lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower utility bills. In addition to energy efficient homes all your needs are close by that driving far would be avoided. This is especially important due to the high gasoline prices that are driving people from suburbia today. In fact walking and cycling are the preferred modes of transportation around Stapleton.
The construction of Stapleton adhered to the concept of green building and recycling. In order to build bridges and bike paths the developers used the old runway concrete dubbed Staplestone in order to further this concept of green building and recycling. In addition leftover framing materials are turned into mulch. In order to reduce the environmental impact of the community recycled water will be used to irrigate major park areas.
Stapleton is like a typical suburb today with people barbequing strolling or relaxing on their front porches. There are also intriguing public art thoughtful landscaping charming parks with playgrounds and expansive greenways braided with streams and bike paths. However the main selling point is that whenever you feel the need for more urban experience and essentials you know that you are just a quick walk away from the quintessential Denver shopping and dining experience. In fact downtown Denver is just a 10 minute drive away from Stapleton.
There are also shops and commercial districts inside the Stapleton community and a Farmers Market where you will find much of what you need. Stapleton is the perfect mix of Urban Neighborhood and Mother Nature that makes being outside your home as comfortable as being inside.
About the writer: Matthew Stanton writes an article about Stapleton and how one can make the best out of their stay in this area. Simply visit this website at Stapleton
Selling Your Home For Sale By Owner–forms Disclosures And What It Takes To Succeed!
Selling a home on your own can be exciting. It can also be terrifying. So don’t under estimate the importance of key factors that could make the difference between your real estate experience being a dream or a nightmare. To masterfully execute a successful home sale it is important to do three things: 1. Deliver the appropriate forms and property disclosures to the Buyer 2. Give your home maximum exposure and 3. Communicate effectively when you receive an offer and especially once a transaction is in escrow. This will help to keep the transaction moving forward. Neglecting any of these three critical areas can cause your home sale to stallor worse self destruct.
Providing the Necessary Forms and Disclosures
Often Buyers interested in purchasing a home from a For Sale By Owner FSBO will rely upon the Seller to provide the purchase contract. It is always a good idea for a Seller to have Purchase Contracts and other forms onhand when placing a home on the market. Also be aware that in real property transactions a Seller must complete all of the necessary property disclosures prior to consummating the transaction. What disclosures are necessary will vary from state to state however it is the Seller’s legal obligation to disclose any known defects about the property. For most states a Seller should be able to find a list of the required disclosures by visiting the state’s real estate commission website. To get a full picture of what disclosures you will need to make take into account that your city and/or county may have disclosure requirements of their own. At your open house consider creating and displaying a binder which contains all of your home’s disclosures for Buyers to review. While disclosing information is important to a successful sale so is getting your home in front of Buyers.
Giving Your Home Maximum Exposure
Exposure is critical to a successful home sale particularly in today’s competitive real estate market. While signs and newspapers are great according to the 2006 Internet Versus Traditional Buyer Survey produced by the California Association of Realtors California homebuyers searching for a home on the internet rose to 70 in 2006. So if you are trying to determine where to focus your marketing efforts realize that the internet is a good place to start. Also important in terms of marketing your home to Buyers is knowing your competition. If you are selling your home on your own it is important that you take time to visit open houses in your area in addition to holding your own open houses. When Buyers stop by ask them what their thoughts are about the other homes they have visited and use the answers they give as a springboard to highlight your home’s key features. Doing this will give you an opportunity to practice communicating with Buyers.
Communicating and Negotiating with Potential Buyers
As a FSBO you will find that negotiating with Buyers is more a matter of diplomacy than anything else. Remember today’s market is not the market in which to play hardball and the key sticking point with Buyers will almost always be the price of your home. Most people choose to sell their home on their own in an effort to avoid having to pay a commission however according to the National Association of Realtors in 2006 homes sold “For Sale By Owner” sold for 32 less than homes sold by a licensed real estate professional. One of the main challenges that FSBOs face is negotiating with Buyers. Often Buyers specifically select a FSBO property in an effort to “get a deal” just as Sellers are hoping to pocket more money by not using a real estate agent and therefore not paying a commission. Know this ahead of time and think about the ways in which you can respond to any “below market offers” you may receive. Also maintain a general attitude of cooperation by being willing to demonstrate flexibility and an overall desire for a winwin situation for both Buyer and Seller.
About the writer: Kerri Demski provides outstanding client counseling and service through the challenging process of buying and selling Calgary real estate. For more info on homes in Calgary contact Kerri today or visit online at www.ehomescalgary.com