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 [...]
The real estate market is getting better but slowly. The year 2012 will be better in some ways such as lower interest rates and a lot of homes to choose from. But, the lenders are pretty tight when it comes to new mortgages. So, what do you need to buy your next home in 2012. [...]
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 [...]
Everyone believes their property is worth more than others may think. This is because you pay for it, you live in it and it is worth a lot to you. But, these factors aside, do you really know what it is worth if you decide to sell it? Or, if you are looking to buy [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
What’s the worst thing that can happen to a home seller? In most cases, it’s a low appraisal value. Having a signature on a contract for a home sale is only half the battle. The home has to pass the inspection process, and it has to pass the appraisal process. Both provide quick and easy [...]
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 [...]
Home buyers, particularly first time home buyers, often have very unrealistic expectations of both the processes, and the home they are about to buy. Buying a home is not like renting a home, and it’s certainly not like buying a pair of shoes. Buying a home actually involves a lot of complex legal processes, most [...]
I know they are tough words, yet they are words that are often repeated in the legal world. They say if you represent yourself in court, you have a fool for a client, and that could also be true when it comes to real estate. Attorney’s and real estate agents are often called in to clean [...]
As a home seller, one of the most important parts of the sales process is agreeing to a price and getting that contract signed. Unfortunately, that contract is only as good as the conditions attached to it, and in today’s market, contingencies leave a lot of holes for buyers who get cold feet. The key [...]
You would think that buying a home was no different to buying any other big ticket item. They say that a home is the biggest item that most people will buy and it probably is, yet you can spend two or three times the price of a home on a new sports car and get [...]
Do home buyers really need a buyers real estate agent? A common question asked and while those who are onto their third or fourth home may succeed without an agent, first time home buyers really should at least discuss their plans with an independent agent. Buying a home is actually a fairly complex business for [...]
There are a lot of properties on the market at present that are being sold “as is.” These homes range from bank-owned stock to HUD home and, in some cases, privately owned homes that are run down. While these homes are generally very cheap when compared to other homes in those areas, that word ‘cheap’ [...]
Foreclosed properties are popular options for home buyers, particularly first home buyers. The homes are generally cheaper than the average for that neighborhood and there are often attractive terms attached to the sale of a foreclosed property. Lenders don’t want these homes on their books – their investment is in the lending of money, not [...]
Once a home buyer and seller agree on a price, they are contractually bound to complete the sale. Buying a home is a huge investment and most of us lack the skills required to determine of a home is sound, the title is free, and the home pest and chemical free. For this reason, home [...]
If you are planning to sell your home in the next twelve to eighteen months, then you may want to consider some of the government programs that are available. They are not free, but they may help you to sell your home when the time is right – more importantly, they may help you save [...]
Home buyers often feel that the search for a home and making an offer is fairly stressful time. I have bad news for you – you haven’t seen anything yet. Once an offer has been accepted, everything goes into overdrive. You may think that 6-8 weeks is a long time to wait for settlement, but [...]
If you go and buy a car for cash, the process is fairly easy. You hand over your cash and they hand over the keys. Sure, through a dealer there may be a few more papers to sign, and if you’re getting a car loan, more papers again. It’s still not a comparison to buying [...]
Buying a home can be one of the most stressful experiences that anyone can go through. It can also be a walk in the park with hardly any stress at all. There are several areas where things can go wrong. The home appraisal may not meet your offer, making a mortgage difficult; the home inspection [...]
Finding a home and negotiating a price is a stressful period for most people. However, that isn’t the end of the stress by a long way. Before you settle, there are a number of contingencies that need to be meet, the most important two being an appraisal and a home inspection. If you are entering [...]
Buying a home is not an easy process. Simply finding the home you want to buy is difficult enough. Negotiating a sales price, then moving through the buying process all involves special care and an attention to detail. Miss one item and it could cost you thousands of dollars. For a buyer, having their own [...]
If you are selling your home and you are aware of certain issues with your home, should you disclose them? This question becomes even more important if a buyers home inspection misses them. Does the fact you know about these issues make you liable at a later date, especially if someone is injured or killed [...]
When selling a home, you need to modify your thought processes. Once the home is on the market, it’s no longer your home. From this point on, you are trying to do everything possible to make it someone else’s home – and the little things can count. Selling a home today is difficult, especially if [...]
Buying a home is not a simple process. You cannot walk up to a seller, make an offer and exchange the keys for cash. At times we wish it was that simple. However, from the time you make an offer to the time you get the keys in your hot little hand could be as [...]
A contingency is something that has to be done before another act can proceed. When buying a home, for instance, you have a home inspection contingency as a right – it’s also a form of protection for the buyer. The sales process cannot proceed until the home inspection has been done and the report acted [...]
That title may be a bit of a mouthful but there is no denying the concept behind it. When buying a home, getting an inspection done and acting on the report quickly is a must. In the past, sellers were fairly honest. What you saw was what you got. There was little in the way [...]
A recent letter to the editor makes several salient points when it comes to home inspections by anyone buying real estate. When is “as is” really “as is”. Technically, as is should be taken to mean just that. However, there is a difference between faults that are readily visible and faults that are hidden from [...]
Did you know that home inspections come with a time limit? They do and if you’re a buyer and you fail to complete the process within the allotted time, you lose all rights under the inspection process. This can be a rather costly mistake to make and gives the seller a huge break. Home inspections [...]
