Helpful Real Estate Advice For Buyers and Sellers
September is here and another Autumn season is upon us. To celebrate the changing of seasons we have compiled a list of articles from top real estate agents and mortgage lenders. These tips are divided among buying tips and selling tips to help people regardless of their current real estate needs. Without further ado, let’s dive into the first topic!
Home Buying Advice
Keeping up with Homeowner’s Association
Many neighborhoods now have Homeowner’s Associations. These groups provide a framework for the area in order to portray a particular image for the neighborhood. While these groups are independent of each other, they share some common rules. This in-depth article from Bill Gassett highlights some of the more typical homeowner’s association rules. It also provides some advice for handling issues if you find yourself on the wrong side of the rules.
Top Benefits of Buying a Home with USDA Loan
USDA loans are quite unique in the modern era. They are a true no down payment loan, similar to a VA mortgage. For many potential home buyers, this type of mortgage can be a great way to buy a home and save thousands of dollars on the down payment. Explained in this article are some of the other attractive features and most importantly, the benefits of the USDA loan.
Providing Documents for Pre-Approval
Most real estate agents and mortgage lenders agree that it is wise on the part of a potential homebuyer to get a pre-approval for a mortgage before home shopping. It just makes the whole process a lot easier. In order to get that pre-approval letter from the lender, the buyer will need to offer some documentation that shows their yearly income and tallies their assets for any necessary down payment or closing costs. Paul Sian offers a good overview of the common pre-approval items that will be needed for both self-employed buyers and W2 earners.
There are many mortgage terms buyers and sellers should be familiar with in a real estate transaction. By not understanding critical lingo you could make a mistake you’ll regret.
Choosing an Eco-Friendly Home
As technology makes more advancements, homes are becoming more environmentally friendly. These homes present a unique set of advantages not found in other types of construction. Danny Margagliano explains more about environmentally friendly homes and why they are more sustainable in the long run.
Should You Use a Real Estate Agent?
Thanks to the internet, a wealth of information is available to almost every person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This access to data has spawned legions of do-it-yourselfers in every industry. However, reading an article online or watching one video about a topic does not make you an expert. To address this point, Glenn Shelhamer explains why people still need a real estate agent and specifically how an agent can help first time home buyers.
The Basics of Construction Loans
There is nothing like building a new house and being the first owner of a home. However, construction loans can be complicated for people that are new to home buying. Joe Boylan highlights some of the differences between the major types of construction loans as well as things that a buyer will need in order to qualify for the loan. The article also points out items that the builder will need to prepare for the lender in order to make the whole process easier.
Pros and Cons of Paying off a Mortgage Early
Getting a home mortgage is a major financial commitment. Regardless of the homebuyer’s age or career choice, the commitment to buying a home will likely be one of their largest purchases. After buying the home, there are some solid arguments for and against paying off your mortgage earlier than the original purchase term. The major advantages and disadvantages are laid out by Sharon Paxson in this article and provides a lot of good information.
Home Selling Advice
Getting Rid of Clutter When it is Time to Sell
Most people have more stuff than they need. This becomes painfully apparent when it is time to sell a home. People often look around and say, “what are we going to do with all of this clutter that we don’t use”? Kevin Vitali has some great decluttering suggestions for not only selling things but recycling and donating stuff in order to avoid moving things that are no longer of use in your life.
All About Closing Costs and Who Pays What
When you purchased your home you most likely remember the long list of closing costs that were your responsibility as the buyer. You may be surprised to learn that some closing costs are the responsibility of the seller. In this detailed article Michelle Gibson provides a list of who pays what closing costs.
Making the Most of a Garage
Real estate agents will point out that after location, the most important aspect of a home is the usable square feet. Whether it is squeezing some usable area in the attic or making the most of a basement, square footage is a premium commodity in any home. These garage renovations and organization tips from Eileen Anderson are an ingenious way to get more use of your home.
Best Reasons to Stage a Home for Selling
When it comes to selling a home, most people feel like their place is in great shape and finding a buyer should not be a problem. In fact, many sellers balk at the idea of staging their home. Why should they go through the extra work? Jeff Nelson goes through some common seller objections to home staging and compelling stats to show that it not only can help sell the home faster, but it can also help sell for more money.
Landscape Ideas to Improve Curb Appeal
Real estate agents usually begin an assessment of a home by telling the sellers to work on the curb appeal. A home that is attractive and inviting from the road makes will provide good photos and encourage more people to investigate the home. While there are lots of ways to improve the curb appeal, these detailed tips from John Cunningham focus on the yard. By paying attention to these items, the majority of homeowners can greatly improve the curb appeal of their property.
Summing It Up
Whether you are in need of some specific advice about buying a home or need some profitable tips that will assist you in selling a property, the items referenced above represent information from top performing agents and lenders all across the country. We hope this collection of articles are beneficial to you in your real estate needs in the near future.
Previous Best Real Estate Articles
Have a look at some of the prior months issues of the best real estate articles found online. Each month the best of the best real estate articles are collected to help buyers and sellers make informed decisions.
About the author: This article was written by Luke Skar who is a 17+ year veteran to the mortgage industry. He strives to stay up to date with the latest changes and trends in mortgage lending as well as real estate.
Through his mortgage blog, websites and social media accounts, his goal is to help the community with as much factual knowledge as possible that helps all parties in real estate transactions.
No Comment