Spring is the prime time for listing your home on the market because it’s the top time of year that folks go looking for a new home. That said, real estate spring fever also means more competition for buyers, and it can be tough to find ways to make your home stand out, without breaking the bank in the process. Check out these five handy, low-cost ways to give your home the edge in any competitive market this spring.
When you’re on the lookout for the right new home to buy for yourself and your family, there are so many elements to take into account space-wise, not the least of which is budget. As you surf real estate listings online and in-person, factor in these four crucial variables to make sure you’re getting the space you need, as well as the most bang for your buck.
more “How Much Home Do You Actually Need? Here’s How to Figure It Out”
If you’re buying your first home, timing is not necessarily going to be an issue. After all, you will continue to live in your apartment, your parents’ home, or wherever you hang your hat until your new home is available – and then you’ll move right in. However, if you already own a home and are buying a new one, things are a little trickier. You probably need to sell your old home before you can buy a new one, but if you sell before you buy, where are you going to put all your stuff in the interim?
There has to be some way to time things so that you can move into your new house before you have to move out of your old one, without having to pay to put all of your possessions into storage. Fortunately, people do this all the time. Here are some tips for timing your home sale and home purchase.
To begin, there are basically two ways to time your sale and purchase; you can buy, then sell, or sell then buy.
more “Timing Your Sale and Purchase So You Don’t End up in Storage”
We use social media for just about everything these days. We use it to connect with friends, to find out what events are happening around town, and, most importantly for some, to get advice on what we should buy. Peer review sites are some of the hottest sites on social media, where you can find out whether or not something meets its claims straight from the horse’s mouth.
People frequently follow the accounts of their favorite brands on Instagram or Twitter, to see what promotions they might be running, what new products are coming out, or even to see how clever their tweets are. So why not use social media to pick a mortgage lender?
more “Using Social Media to Pick Your First Mortgage Lender”
Sometimes all the steps involved in buying a home, including finding the right mortgage lender, working with your broker, ensuring your home needs are met at your budget and more, can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time going through the process. So where is a person supposed to figure all of this stuff out?
As you might have guessed, this is where a little homebuyer education can come in handy. Accredited courses can not only set your mind at ease before and while you search for the right home, but they can also ease the pressure on your wallet. Here are five reasons why home buying classes can benefit your home buying experience.
So you’re contemplating moving this winter. Maybe you’re a first-time homebuyer, or maybe you’re just looking for a change. Maybe you’re starting a family, or getting that dog you’ve always wanted and having a backyard has suddenly become a priority.
Whatever the reason for your search, the fact that it’s winter shouldn’t deter you from forging ahead into the market. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually many advantages to buying a home in the winter months. Read on to learn just a few, before making this critical decision for you and your family.
more “Should I Be House-Shopping in Winter? Yes, And Here’s Why”
The decision about when to buy a home may always be a tricky one, no matter what housing market or city you find yourself in. Many people would prefer to buy than rent because they want to start building equity in their home investment right away. But this may not be the best financial decision in the long run because of changing market prices and interest rates.
Paying rent for a year and then getting a much lower interest rate on your mortgage could result in a net positive to your bank account over the life of your loan, for example. So with all this in mind, why is next year – 2020 – the right time for you to buy a home? Read on to find out the answer to this all-important question.
more “5 Reasons Why 2020 Is the Right Time for You to Buy a Home”
Unless you are one of those people who may be fortunate enough to be able to buy a home in cash, you’re going to need a mortgage loan. And in order to get a mortgage loan, you need credit. But not just any credit – you need good credit.
So just how good does one’s credit rating have to be in order to secure a mortgage that won’t lead to problems down the road? Before you go out seeking mortgage lenders, you should know just how good your credit is going to need to be before you can get a mortgage loan to buy a house. Read on for details!
With home values dropping in the market, sellers are doing everything they can to spruce up their properties to woo potential buyers and hike up asking prices – including paying up to $100,000 or more for home staging services. Beneath all the visual glamor, however, shoddy work can show itself if you know how to look – and hear, smell, touch, and taste.
more “See Past the Staging—What to Really Look For When Buying a House”
The conventional wisdom states that the only season in which you should go shopping for a new home is the summer. While it may be true that summer is the nicest season to go around the neighborhood looking at real estate, buying in the summer can actually cost you. There are several reasons for this that we’ll get into in a minute.
But first consider that summer is peak season for the real estate industry. Your real estate agent is at their busiest during the summer, and you are far less likely to get individual, personalized attention from them. That makes sense – after all, they are trying to juggle multiple clients and show scores of properties. For that reason alone it can pay to wait for the dog days of summer to pass before you go looking at homes. Here are some more good reasons why autumn may be the best season for home buying.
