Just as other professionals understand your specific needs, your Buyer’s Agent understands your real estate needs and concerns, keeping the lines of communication open at all times.  Your Buyer’s Agent will save you tons of time by providing you the necessary details on homes before you set up a time to view them.   By listening to your wants and concerns, your agent will narrow down your home search to save time and money.

Another advantage of signing a Buyer’s Agency Agreement is you will have a professional real estate agent working to find the right property for you.  It is virtually impossible to find the home that meets your exact needs, get the contract negotiated and close the transaction without the help on an experienced agent.  You won’t have to spend endless evenings and weekends driving around looking for homes or trying to search websites by yourself; when you view homes with your Buyer’s Agent, you will already know the homes meet your criteria and the properties that are within your price range.

Entering into a Buyer’s Agency Agreement has countless advantages.  When you sign the agreement, you are simply agreeing to “hire” a personal representative who, by law, must represent your best interests to the best of their ability.  Unlike the services of your accountant, doctor or mechanic, all of this personal service is generally available at absolutely NO COST to you, as the seller is responsible for paying your agent’s commission.  You get professional service without having to pay one red cent!

What A Realtor® Can Do For You

• save you endless amounts of time, money, and frustration.
• knows the local housing market inside and out and can help you avoid the “wild goose chase.”
• can help you with any property, even if it’s listed elsewhere or if it is being sold directly by the owner.
• knows the best lenders in the area and can help you understand the importance of being pre approved for a mortgage.
• is an excellent source for both general/specific info in regards to the community such as schools, churches, shopping, and transportation—plus tips on pricing and home inspections.
• is experienced at presenting your offer to the seller and can help you through the process of negotiating the best price.

The best thing about using a Realtor® is all this help normally doesn’t cost you a penny, as the seller normally pays the commission to the agent.  It’s a win-win situation.

Scout out the Neighborhood

• Talk to people who live there.
• Drive through the entire area at different times of the day, during the week, as well as on weekends.
• Look carefully at how well other homes in the neighborhood are being maintained. Are they painted? Are the yards well manicured? Are vehicles in good condition?

Neighborhood Factors to Consider

• Look for things such as access to major thoroughfares, highways, and shopping.
• Listen for noise created by commerce, roads, railways, public areas, schools, etc.
• Smell the air for nearby industry or agriculture.
• Check with local civic, police, fire, and school officials to find information about the area.
• Research environmental topics such as soil and water quality, as well as floodplain implications.
• Study traffic patterns around the area at different times of the day and measure drive time from the area to work.
• Is the neighborhood near parks, places of religious worship, recreation centers, shopping, theaters, restaurants,
• public transportation, schools, etc.?
• Does the neighborhood have a Homeowner’s Association?

No Major Purchases

Don’t damage your debt to income ratio by making a major purchase before closing.   If you decide you can’t live without that brand new Porsche, you might have to put owning a home on the back burner.  The bank could easily determine that your expensive car payment would hinder your ability to pay your mortgage.  Wait until after you close on the house to do some spending.

Don’t Change Jobs

Don’t change jobs if you don’t have to; lenders like to see consistency, not constant job hopping.   If you are miserable with your current position, consider switching to a different job within the same field or tough it out until you close on your home and then start putting out resumes.

Leave Your Emotions At The Door

Never let your emotions guide you; stay practical and realistic during the home buying process.   Some sellers are willing to fix problems with the home and others may refuse; don’t let that refusal close the door on your dream home.  In addition, don’t let your love of a home blind you to costly repairs down the road; you don’t want a money pit further down the road.

Keep The Relationship All Business

You don’t want to get too personal with the seller of your future home.  After all, this is a business transaction, so it should be treated as such.  If you get into too many personal discussions, you might say something that could be taken the wrong way by the seller.   You might have been joking about the ugly shag carpet in the guest bedroom, but the seller might have taken that as offensive.   In the end, it could affect the outcome of the sale; you should be friendly, but professional.

Trust Your Real Estate Agent

Your real estate agent is there to help you through the entire process.  It’s their job to keep up with the daily details of the deal, including the lender, the seller, and the seller’s agent.   Don’t try to do it all by yourself; your agent is trained to handle these tough situations and will make sure you get the best possible deal.

Keeping the lines of communication open and avoiding these common mistakes will ensure the transaction runs smoothly and you get the new home you’ve been dreaming of.

Often when you pick up a magazine, perhaps while waiting at the doctor’s office, something in the home decorating section will catch your eye. Relaying home improvement tips and techniques, this magazine is offering you free home decorating ideas. Another great source of information regarding home décor and decorating is a catalog from major stores such as Sears, JCPenney or Ikea. Browsing catalogs such as these you’ll find many free home decorating ideas.

A trip to your local furniture store department store is sure to provide free home decorating ideas as well. Many stores have displays which are regularly changed to share new and trendy home décor. You don’t even have to go inside to get some great ideas; window shopping can allow you to pick up the new trends in home decor as you pass them on the street.

Don’t forget the Internet! There are hundreds of sites on the Internet related to home decorating with thousands of free home decorating ideas. There are sites which explain in depth the various home decorating designs and offer ideas to help you achieve these styles in your own home. Some sites offer step-by-step instructions for do-it-yourself home decorating and renovating projects. These free home decorating ideas are your chance to create rooms and spaces similar to those decorated by professional interior designers. With the aid of these free home decorating ideas, you’ll be equipped to transform your home into something you had only dreamed of before.

Decorating a home or space is a very exciting activity. While it does require a lot of planning, the results are definitely worth it; sitting back and enjoying your finished work is a delight. You may feel so great about your accomplishment that you’ll be eager to take on another room of your house. When you’re ready to begin your home decorating or renovation project, you’ll have the added confidence knowing there are thousands of free home decorating ideas to help you out.

Home warranties are obtainable for most any property, including mobile homes, condos, townhomes and manufactured homes. They can be purchased by either the buyer or the seller; some sellers will include a home warranty policy to make purchasing their home more attractive. Including a warranty with the sale of your property is an excellent idea, especially if the home is older and the systems/appliances are aging. Since the policy can be purchased at closing, the seller doesn’t have to come up with the premium out of pocket; the fees are taken out of the closing costs. Plus, depending on the terms of the sale, the cost of the policy can be split between the buyer and the seller.

Home warranty policies are generally effective for one year and are renewable. However, you can expect to pay a little more for coverage each year, as the items covered continue to age. Policy costs vary according to the list of things covered, but an average cost would be between $350-$500/year. When there is a service call, you can expect to pay a small co-payment between $50-$75 when the repair person responds to make a repair. Home warranties only cover normal wear and tear on the included items in the contract. For example, if your microwave oven catches fire and damage your kitchen cabinets, your home warranty would cover the cost of the microwave; your home owners insurance would pay to fix the cabinets.

When trying to decide whether or not you need a home warranty, think about this: the older your home you are buying, the more you will benefit from a home warranty policy. Most systems and appliances covered under a home warranty can be expected to last at least 5 years. Therefore, a warranty may not be necessary for newer homes. As the components of your home age, the need for a home warranty policy becomes more critical. It’s obviously more attractive to pay $400 or $500 in policy premiums than fork out several thousands of dollars for a new HVAC system or even several hundred for a new stove. The policy easily pays for itself if a major home system has to be repaired or even one major appliance has to be replaced.

If you own investment property, definitely look into a home warranty. Unlike the appliances and systems in your own home, you have little, if any, control over the frequency and manner in which these things are used by your tenants. Chances are that you will have to replace or repair items and systems more frequently in your rental property than in your own home. As a landlord, your home warranty policy may very well save you money, but just as importantly, it can buy you peace of mind.

You set up appointments with three Realtors who you have found either through referrals or who have been marketing themselves as an expert in your area.   When the agents arrive for their listing consultation, they have a CMA (Competitive Market Analysis) that provides accurate data of what homes have sold for in your neighborhood, as well as their recommendation of your listing price.

The first two agents CMA’s are lower than what you expected, even though they had current market data to back up their recommended listing price; you’re holding strong that your house is worth more. The third agent presents you everything you want to hear and has the price you were expecting. A majority of sellers will pick agent number three because they want the most money for their home and feel that agent ‘is right on the money’.

This is called ‘buying a listing’.   The agent wants the listing, so they tell the seller what they want to hear, knowing very well the house will not sell for that price.   This type of agent will be calling you in a few weeks saying you haven’t had any showings and will suggest lowering your price.  The problem is the longer your house is on the market, the less likely it is to sell for the asking price.

If you are going to sell your house, sell it for what the market value is at that exact moment.  You don’t set the price and neither does your Realtor.  The market sets the price and if you don’t listen, chances are you won’t get the best value for your property.

You want buyers to view your house as a home; a place where they can create memories and build their life. To do this, you must stage your house properly to allow potential buyers to see themselves living there.

It might be tough selling your house, but by starting with a simple mindset shift, the selling process go much smoother.

The good news is there are possible solutions to this problem. Here are two of the most common ways to avoid or stop foreclosure all together.

Short Sales

The lender agrees to discount your loan balance due to an economic hardship; you then sell your home for less than the outstanding balance of the loan and give the proceeds to the bank. A great option to avoid the costly and nasty foreclosure process.

Refinancing Your Home

This seems like a no-brainer, but most people don’t think about it when they are in the middle of possible foreclosure. By refinancing your current loan, you may pay more in the long run to keep your house, but the ability to lower your monthly payments and catch up on your mortgage is a much better option than destroying your credit and purchasing power with a foreclosure.

These are just two ways to avoid mortgage foreclosure; contact your real estate agent to find the option that is best for you. You owe it to yourself to stay out of foreclosure process.

Time is not on your side when it comes to listing your home for sale.   The longer a home sits on the market, the less likely it is to sell for the original asking price.   By listing your home at a price that is competitive with other homes in your area, you are going to generate more buyer interest and receive an offer that is either at or close to your asking price.

Consult with your real estate agent to discuss the plan of action for selling and pricing your home. Your agent will have up-to-date market data that will allow you to set the right price and get your house sold quickly and for the best possible amount.