Whether you are a bachelor who would like to have his own place, a newly wed couple who are looking for a house to raise a family, or a retiree who is looking for that place of solace where you can sit back and see the day goes by, scouting for a real estate could…
DetailsLet’s start of with the question “Am I going to pay too much?” The first thing you’re going to want to ask your agent is comparable sales. This should defiantly be your first question. When buying a home you’re going to want the price that fits you best. Your agent should give you plenty of…
DetailsYour First Step Toward Buying a Home When preparing to buy a home, the first thing many homebuyers do is look at “homes for sale” ads in newspapers, magazines and listings on the internet. Some potential buyers read “how-to” articles like this one. The next thing you should do – before you call on an…
DetailsWhen you first begin looking for a home, many buyers ask “can’t we do this on our own”? Do we really need to use a Real Estate Buyer’s Agent?” The answer is yes; you “can” do it on your own. There is no law that prevents you, as an individual, from buying property without professional…
DetailsWHAT IS THE SOLUTION? Don’t walk into the transaction confused or misinformed! Often, buyers and sellers believe that have something that they don’t actually have. This mistake in expectation can cause substantial problems in real property transactions. Therefore, know where you stand before deciding on a particular realtor: Before working with a real estate agent,…
DetailsHow Much House Can You Afford? Calculating Your Monthly Income When a loan officer prequalifies you, he works backwards to figure your maximum mortgage amount. You can do the same thing. The first step is to determine your monthly income. It isn’t quite as easy as it sounds. Lenders only count income they can document…
DetailsDebt-to-Income Ratios To determine your maximum mortgage amount, lenders use guidelines called debt-to-income ratios. This is simply the percentage of your monthly gross income (before taxes) that is used to pay your monthly debts. Because there are two calculations, there is a “front” ratio and a “back” ratio and they are generally written in the…
DetailsYes, the results of Tuesday’s election were quite a surprise. But from my perspective as a housing economist, not much has changed. Remember, about half of voters got what they wanted. As for those miserably dissatisfied folks who say they’ll move way up north, we’ve seen strong interest from American home buyers looking to buy…
DetailsAn increasing number of homeowners are installing solar panels to save money. Better for the environment and capable of generating around half the electricity needed to run an average home, solar panels have obvious benefits. But when buying or selling a home, solar panels can add some complexity to the transaction. As a buyer or…
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