Buying or selling a home can involve many different steps before the sale closes. Things can go wrong along the way, so it is always advisable to be as fully informed as possible. We have gathered industry professionals’ best real estate articles to ensure you are fully informed.

Whether you are considering investing in property or selling your home, we look at the best real estate articles for July.

Paying Off Your Mortgage Early

While you can stick to your mortgage payment schedule, paying off your home loan early offers some advantages. One obvious advantage of paying off your mortgage sooner is the money you save in interest payments to the lender. And without mortgage payments, you will have more disposable income each month, which you could use to invest for your retirement.

But despite these advantages, Bill Gassett outlines some reasons to keep paying the mortgage you might not have considered.

If you pay it off early, it will mean more of your finances are tied to your home and could mean you miss more profitable opportunities. Without a mortgage, it could mean fewer deductions on your tax return and other negative tax implications.

Before you decide to pay off your mortgage, there are many things to consider. Bill also offers advice on paying your mortgage faster and what to look out for before you do.

Best Real Estate Articles July 2023

Septic Tank Dos and Don’ts

If you are considering a home with a septic tank system, the potential hazards, maintenance requirements, and costs could be a concern.

Bill Gassett explores the things you need to know before buying a home with a septic tank so that you can avoid potential pitfalls. Bill recommends regularly maintaining the septic tank to prevent blockages, odors, and an overflowing system.

If the tank isn’t functioning correctly, it could cause contamination of the groundwater and other bodies of water. This could harm the environment and the people living in the area.

Bill looks at what you must do and what you should avoid when relying on a septic tank. If you follow these suggestions and have the system regularly maintained, living in a home with a septic tank need not be more of a concern or expensive.

When is a Condo Non-Warrantable?

If you are buying a condo, you could find it is non-warrantable. But what is a non-warrantable condo, and how will it affect your purchase?

If the condo isn’t warrantable, you might find you have fewer mortgage options, and with those available, require you to pay more interest on a home loan. Luke Skar explains what a non-warrantable condo is and what can be done to make it warrantable.

A warrantable condo must meet the minimum standards of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. If the condo development is warrantable, conforming loans can be used. This means a conventional loan can be used to buy the home.

If the condo you want to buy isn’t in a warrantable project, you will want to find out about this early. Luke goes through many of the requirements Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac set for a conventional loan and the requirements for government-backed programs from the FHA, VA, and USDA.

Avoiding Real Estate Investing Mistakes

You might be attracted by the potential profits of investing in real estate, but when you begin your investment journey, there are many potential hazards ahead of you.

Karen L Highland reviews the ten most important things to remember when buying an investment property. While she focuses on Maryland, these tips offer benefits to investors everywhere.

As a first-time investor, it is easy to overspend when purchasing and renovating your first investment property, but this reduces your profit. To succeed as an investor, Karen suggests taking your business seriously by researching market values, planning, conducting due diligence, and always keeping your return on investment in mind.

Buying Your First Investment Property

Taking your first step into the world of investment property will be daunting. You need to find a suitable home and make sure you have financing. But how do you choose the right home and financing? These are just two factors you’ll need to know about when investing in property.

Alyssa Salander addresses things you might not have considered but need to know before investing in real estate. Do you have your budget, and what is your strategy when investing? Your long-term goals should be clear, and you must be realistic about what you can afford to pay monthly.

There are many expenses when buying an investment property, but ongoing costs shouldn’t be ignored either. You might want to hire a property manager, and regular maintenance will be required to stay ahead of more serious issues.

Do You Need to Pay Private Mortgage Insurance?

When buying your first home, you might be surprised by the need to pay mortgage insurance. Lenders use mortgage insurance to protect them should the borrower default, but this is at the expense of the homebuyer. If you don’t have a 20% down payment, these premiums will be added to your monthly mortgage payments.

While you might want to reduce your monthly outgoings as much as possible, Kevin Vitali discusses PMI and its advantages to buyers. Though there are benefits, Kevin also covers how to reduce and remove your insurance premiums as soon as possible.

When buying a home with less than 20% down, paying private mortgage insurance is something you often can’t avoid. There are some options, like a VA loan or lender-paid mortgage insurance, discussed in the article that could be another option.

Should You Agree to a Contract Extension?

Things can go wrong during a home transaction, which might lead to the request for a contract extension. But if there has been a delay in buying the home, should you agree to an extension of the contract?

This can happen when the buyer or seller cannot meet their responsibilities in the time given. This can lead to the request to extend the contract to keep the purchase alive.

But what could be the consequences of agreeing to a contract extension? Michelle Gibson sets out what you need to consider if a contract extension has been requested in a transaction you are involved in. While you might want to agree to a request like this, there are some potential downsides you need to be aware of before you decide.

Selling a Home With Solar Panels

Solar panels are increasingly popular, reducing energy costs and environmental impact. But when it is time to sell your home, will your investment in solar make it easier to sell?

According to the article from Joe Boylan, most buyers consider heating and cooling costs important, though, at the same time, most don’t understand the benefits of solar panels. This offers an opportunity to educate your potential buyers about the financial benefits offered to homes with this feature.

How easy it will be to sell your home will depend on whether you own the panels and if there is a lease or shared ownership agreement. If the panels are leased, the terms and conditions of the agreement will need to be followed when selling the home. This could mean more complications during the transaction, and Spring Homes delve into the potential hurdles you could face.

Do You Need a Permit?

When you are planning on making improvements to your home, do you need a permit? While you might find a contractor that doesn’t care too much about whether you have a permit, this could cause problems for you later on.

But if you don’t have the required permits, you could face fines or be forced to remove the improvement. If your home doesn’t have the necessary permits, it will affect the value when you sell it. So before you begin a construction project to improve your home, you must know what permits you will need.

If you are planning an improvement, Paul Sian could provide timely advice to help you better understand the requirements needed to stay on the right side of the building codes. Different building departments have different rules you must follow when making improvements.

You must contact your local building department to ensure you know what is required. Paul advises obtaining a permit to prevent future issues, even if a contractor is willing to work without one.

Don’t Sell Your Home in August

The time of year you choose to list your home could considerably affect how easy it is to find a buyer. While you might expect August to be a good month to sell, you might be better off waiting until September.

Conor MacEvilly sets out why it might be better to delay listing your home. While the market might peak in May, it can begin to drop in June. Though you might not expect it, house prices can decrease in August, making selling your home less profitable. But when we reach September, average prices can get a boost.

When listing your home, Conor looks at data for the Seattle area that shows September could be better than August. There are typically fewer homes for sale in August, with an uptick in September suggesting more demand. If you want to get the best price for your home, holding off one month could make a difference.

Firing Your Real Estate Agent

Your real estate agent will guide you through the transaction and look out for your best interests. But if your Realtor isn’t meeting your expectations, you might need to end the relationship.

Firing your real estate agent isn’t something you will want to do, but it could be necessary when your finances and future happiness are on the line.

So how do you fire your real estate agent? The SD House Guys have a post on their website that correctly breaks down the steps to end the relationship with your Realtor.

If you have signed an agreement with your real estate agent, you might be legally required to continue to work with them for a certain amount of time. The SD House Guys provide some suggestions to help you move on to another agent without having legal issues with the previous one.

How to Find FHA-Approved Condos

If you have your heart set on buying a condo and using FHA financing, you must determine whether the community has been approved. In his helpful article, Eric Jeanette explains what you need to know about FHA condo approvals.

He also gives readers an idea of some popular lenders who give FHA loans for condos. While spot approval is possible with FHA financing, knowing that a community is approved gives buyers more confidence in their purchase.

Final Thoughts

July has seen many interesting articles to advise buyers, sellers, and new investors through a real estate transaction. There’s also advice for homeowners considering paying off their mortgage early or planning improvements. This could be valuable information that could help you avoid a costly mistake.

PREVIOUS REAL ESTATE ROUNDUPS

Look at some of the excellent advice from previous real estate roundups.

Luke Skar About the author: the above roundup of the best articles from March 2023 was written by Luke Skar. Luke is a 19+ year veteran of the mortgage industry. He strives to stay updated with the latest changes and trends in mortgage lending and real estate.

Through his mortgage blog, websites, and social media accounts, he aims to help the community with as much factual knowledge as possible that benefits all parties in real estate transactions.