Before starting your home search and committing to any realtor, it is wise for you to research all the ones in your local area to find the best option for you. Buyers in the Washington, DC area have several options with realtors. Although it is routine for sellers to sign a listing agreement with a [...]
There is a difference between getting Pre-Qualified & Pre-Approved. A Pre-Approval is a document from the lender that confirms to the borrower a loan up to a certain amount based on a completed loan application, credit check, and possibly tax returns and employment verification. This Pre-Approval goes much further with a seller when submitted with [...]
Buying at auctions can be extremely rewarding to home buyers. You can often get a great deal, buying real estate for pennies on the dollars. But there are some drawbacks and pitfalls. For starters, to buy at a real estate auction, you often have to come with cash in hand. At a minimum, you need [...]
Idaho is a beautiful state. According to Wikipedia, it is the seventh least densely populated state. That should make it fairly attractive to someone who wants a rural lifestyle and perhaps wants to buy a lot of land. Even living in the city in Idaho has some advantages. You never see the largest cities in [...]
With so many homes on the market today to choose from, it is very easy to find a home that fits your needs exactly. But, what if something has gone wrong during the buying stage and you are unsure about buying the home after all. Where do you stand and what are your options? It [...]
The past few years have been an absolute nightmare on many people’s finances and investments. Literally thousands of people lost their homes through foreclosure. And, as everyone knows, a foreclosure is a huge black mark on your credit scores. But, it is not as bad as it seems in today’s market. Some lenders are realizing [...]
Open houses are excellent ways to be able to visit several houses as well as locations to see if anything piques your interest. It is much easier to visit open houses than it is sometimes to make appointments with home owners for a certain time on a certain day. But, what is it that you [...]
So you think you’re ready to jump into home ownership. That’s good. I’ll always encourage people to take a look in that direction. But before you do, ask yourself these 16 questions. Is my income steady? You’ll need at least a year of proof of income, but I recommend that you have had the same [...]
The housing crisis have caused many homes to be available on the market in the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia areas. There are homes available in just about any price range. It is just a matter of taking the time to look for what you like and visiting a lender to get funding in place [...]
Good credit scores play a bigger and bigger role in buying a home in today’s market. Most lenders will want credit scores of at least 680 and higher before approving someone for a loan. The score 680 is still considered a high risk to lenders even though most people would love to have a credit [...]
When you decide to purchase a home, a lot of people think alright, I have the money for a down payment, my credit score is good, so let’s buy a house. It can be that simple but…… There are other things involved in buying a home that most people do not consider. This is points, [...]
You will hear many people say you don’t have to worry about a home inspection when buying a home. They are wrong. You do have to worry. A home inspection should be one of the top priorities on your agenda when purchasing a home. It’s also important to not let a home inspection expire. There [...]
First time home buyers can often become a little confused by the terminology used. One term that actually causes real concern is when an agent tells them their home is being sent to escrow. Of course, the home is not actually going anywhere – in fact, I am sure there are some real estate agents [...]
Police checks – we often request these when it comes to employment, but what about buying a home? When I say police check, I am not referring to the current owners, I am referring to the home itself. Now I know a home won’t have a criminal record, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have [...]
If you watch data that is regularly published on the topic of real estate, there are several trends that keep reoccurring. These trends include theories that real estate prices have still not hit rock bottom, that interest rates will soon start to creep up, and that some areas are doing far better than others. That [...]
Ground rent is a philosophy that dates back to early settlement days. It is still a major part of people’s lives in Maryland, particularly in the Baltimore area. The principle is very simple – many years ago, land owners rented out tracts of land for people to build houses on. People owned their homes, but [...]
How much do you know about the home buying process? According to Zillow, home buyers are not very knowledgeable about the home buying processes. Many respondents were totally wrong in their assumptions, so how would you have done in the quiz? Here are some of the areas that home buyers erred. Around 42% of respondents [...]
Home prices are low, interest rates are low, mortgages are getting harder, but you’ve got a great credit history – sound familiar at all? There are many people who are looking at this scenario and deciding that now is the right time for them to buy. My questions is simple – is it really the [...]
You’ve found the home you really like. The price is right, the location is right, and the neighborhood seems to be okay. What would you say if told you they were planning an affordable housing project in the neighborhood? Would it put you off buying? That is the fear that some home owners and Councillors [...]
Baltimore MD is about to go through a huge crackdown on Homestead Tax misuse, and part of that process includes a change to the way the program is implemented. In the past, all a home owner needed to do was indicate in the land records that they were going to reside in the home. From [...]
It’s hard to sell a home in the current market so sellers are loathe to spend too much money. One area that is worth looking at is a pre-listing home inspection. I know some sellers will question this wisdom, especially since a buyer will request a home inspection as part of the settlement process. Therein [...]
If you are about to buy a home in Maryland, or if you already live in Maryland, then you may be interested in a special event to be held in Baltimore MD later this month. The Fuel Fund of Maryland in partnership with The Loading Dock and Direct Energy is celebrating National Weatherization Day with [...]
There is one sad reality that is seriously affecting the real estate market right now, and that’s a mortgage that’s borderline underwater. Home buyers are often finding homes they really like, making offers, and then finding out a seller won’t budge any further on price. While buyers are often complaining about these sellers, the bottom [...]
While there has been a lot of talk about how tight mortgages are at present, sometimes the facts are lost in the war of words related to affordability. Yes, mortgages are tight, however, if you are willing to buy a home in the right area, and you qualify for an FHA-backed loan, then buying a [...]
When buying a home, there are several contingencies that come in contracts as standard. These include a home appraisal, a home inspection, and a title search. Home buyers can ask for a variety of contingencies above and beyond these, and it’s up to the seller to either agree or disagree. In most cases, the costs [...]
You’ve found a home you like and you’ve instructed your buyers real estate agent to make an offer. Later that day the sellers agent comes back with a counter offer. That’s quick, you think. Should you now respond just as quickly, or should you delay awhile and play the psychology game? It’s an interesting question [...]
You find a home, you agree on a sales price, and everything runs smoothly. So smoothly that eight weeks after putting in an offer, you’re actually moving in – time to celebrate. Of course, those celebrations will sour terribly if, in six months time, you receive a letter stating your local taxes are two years [...]
The area that includes Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia is proving to be one of the most searched regions in the U.S. – certainly when judged by price. Washington D.C. leads the way with the most popular property searches being in the $450,000 median. Maryland was seventh with a median price of around $290,000 and [...]
Is buying a cheap home a good move? It really does depend on who you are and what you can do. There are very cheap homes in Baltimore MD, and we’re talking about homes for less than $10,000, that are becoming very popular. According to the Baltimore Sun, more than 10% of homes sold in [...]
A recent report has shown that stocks of brand new homes are at all time lows at present, with developers struggling to sell new housing stock. It begs the question for home buyers – should you buy a brand new home, perhaps even off the plan before it has been built, or should you aim [...]
