As the Dog Days of Summer set in, you might be looking for some real estate content to enjoy while you beat the heat in your air conditioned office. This real estate content is just as hot as the temperatures, so keep a cool beverage nearby! Enjoy some great information found on Google + this month, for buyers, sellers, investors and fellow agents.
11 Things To Consider When Purchasing Waterfront Property
If you’re fully entrenched in the vacation state of mind, you may be wondering about the ins and outs of buying a waterfront property as a second home. Waterfront homes are highly coveted, as Sharon Paxon points out, with unique considerations that would-be buyers need to investigate.
There are many features that must be researched to make an intelligent purchase, including an understanding of the shoreline, requirements for flood insurance, and knowing whether improvements are allowed or not. And probably the most important aspect of a waterfront home is the fact that water isn’t private. Make sure you know what all these issues will mean to your particular property. Read 11 great tips to understand when purchasing waterfront property to get a head start.
How Buying A Vacation Home Can Be a Good Investment
Is it a good time to consider buying a vacation home? Owning a vacation home is not only a great way to insure you get some relaxation in your life, it’s a great way to add to your real estate investment portfolio…two birds, one stone! Joy Bender has written an excellent article highlighting the value of owning a second home, both the intrinsic value and the investment value.
As Bill points out, buying a vacation home is similar in many ways to buying a primary residence. The same things matter: location, location, location, as well as keeping an eye on your budget, and understanding the hidden costs of buying. Additionally, there are issues that differ from the experience of buying your full time home.
You’ll want to consider if you will rent it out, and if there is an HOA that permits that. You’ll want to consider what is unique to living in that particular area, whether there are any special restrictions, and what life is like during all the seasons of the year.
Buying a vacation property as a second home can be a great investment, both for your well-being and for your wallet. With all the issues to consider in a vacation home purchase, the most important tip of all is to use a local, experienced real estate agent. They will be your best source to navigate all the ins and outs of making a great second home purchase.
Selling Your Home 101 | Mistakes to Avoid
Isn’t it nice to have some sage advice before you set out on a journey? Selling a home is a journey, with some very important preparations to make it a success. Some of the worst mistakes in selling a home are made at the outset of the journey.
Michelle Gibson has put together five important tips to help home sellers avoid those most common mistakes that will hinder their home sale. Sellers can be miles ahead of their competition if they get off to a great start, learning about these mistakes to avoid when selling a house as a “new listing”.
Buying AND Selling a Home – Which Comes First
If you are ready to buy your next home, do you buy first or sell first? In many markets around the country, we’re seeing a seller’s market, which is what you often get when the inventory is tight. This can create a unique dilemma for homeowners who want to sell their home AND buy another.
Which comes first, buying the new house or selling your existing home? Bob Gordon goes through several scenarios with clients who have approached the same situation differently. It’s a great demonstration of the fact the even though we as agents can give general advice, the right course of action really depends on the individual circumstance…including credit issues, equity involved, cash and loan products available, just to name a few.
Bottom line – work with an experienced agent and lender who can help you figure out what works for YOU.
House Painting – Colors that Help Sell a Home Faster
Did you know that your paint color choices can help sell your house faster? John Cunningham explains how color choice can affect the buyer’s decision and how it can serve as a powerful tool for attracting prospective buyers.
From a pop of color on the front door, to the right shade of “greige” on the exterior, color choice can add tremendously to your curb appeal. Interior colors can work to appeal to a buyer’s imagination.
Bedrooms, dining rooms and living rooms can appear larger and more inviting when the right color is used. Check out John’s advice before you order up that neon green at the store!
Four Common Staging Mistakes
…and how to avoid them. Speaking of how paint colors affect buyers, staging a home also has an effect on would-be buyers. It is an important part of marketing a home. When a buyer is touring several homes in a short amount of time, the wise seller will want to stand out from the herd by making a great first impression.
Staging your home to make a “wow” impression will give you a leg up on the competition.
However, staging isn’t something that is haphazard; there’s a science to it. The idea is to make your home appealing to the most likely buyers. Unfortunately, there are common mistakes that people make in home staging. Fortunately, Karen Highland has the fixes in her latest blog post.
Saving For a Down payment on a House
To many people today, saving enough for a down payment on a house seems like a daunting task. In this super practical guide, Luke Skar shares several ideas that are easy-to-do methods of saving that won’t drastically curb your lifestyle.
Saving pennies and dollars here and there adds up to big savings over time. Understanding the power of interest and getting it to work for you adds another layer of saving to your plan.
Probably the best part of these disciplines is the good financial habits that they instill. Check out these tips to help you cut the time needed when saving for a down payment to buy a home.
Four Things that Can Sap Your Savings
Following the above advice for saving for a down payment, here’s a great companion article about things that can sap your savings and your wealth, by Paul Sian. Understanding cash flow and wealth, credit and savings are all part of the financial literacy that one needs to be a homeowner without being “house poor”.
Learning these basic lessons will help you not only get out of debt, but help you get ahead. Curbing your spending and trimming expenses you don’t necessarily need will help you increase real wealth.
The Pros and Cons of Buying an Older Home
Older homes can be so charming! But then again, newer homes are often lower maintenance and …there’s just that new home smell! Abraham Walker goes over the pros and cons of buying an older home in his latest blog post.
Older homes, which often boasts superior craftsmanship and attention to detail, will often keep their value, ensuring a good return on investment. But, as Abraham points out, they can also require more from the homeowner when it comes to the costs of maintenance and updates.
If you decided to purchase an old house, make sure you do your due diligence, research on what to do and hire a professional real estate agent to guide you along the way. This informative article is a great place to start!
Waiving the Home Inspection is a Bad Idea!
When buyers are faced with a hot sellers market, as they are in many areas around the country today, they find that the competition is high. Unfortunately, some buyers consider foregoing the home inspection, thinking they will present a better offer than the competition. Kevin Vitali points out many reasons why waiving your home inspection is a BAD idea.
Among several reasons to have a home inspection, Kevin points out that the common thread is risk. By waiving the right to have a home inspection, the buyer is taking all the risk.
The home inspection is the important step to educate the buyer on all aspects of the home…and it serves to allow the home buyer to back out of the deal if they find something that they just can’t live with. Check out this important advice and learn some great ideas to strengthen your offer without sacrificing what is your right, the home inspection.
Previous Google Plus Real Estate Round-Ups
If you enjoy reading helpful real estate articles, have a look at some of the above Google Plus re-caps.
About the author: Karen Highland, along with her husband Chris Highland, have been real estate agents in Frederick Maryland for 26 years. Chris is the Broker with eXp Realty Maryland. Karen is an agent and an avid blogger, and enjoys building collaborative relationships with other bloggers.
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