Mortgage Payments Behind on your Austin, Texas House? Stop Foreclosure with a Fast Home Sale!

January 2, 2010

According to ABC news, more than 2.3 million American homeowners faced foreclosure proceedings last year, which was an 81 percent increase from 2007. And as of March 2009, about 5 million are currently in default, or at least one month behind, on their mortgage.

So does it have to be all “Doom and Gloom” or are there REAL solutions for homeowners facing this stress? The truth of the matter is there are several solutions to this problem, but it is very common for homeowners to not be aware of all their options. Foreclosure is NOT the only possible outcome. Neither is listing with a Realtor to try to sell fast. Neither is trying to get refinanced.

So if payments are behind on your Austin Texas home, what are your options?

In times like these, most homeowners believe they only have 4 options:

But WAIT! There’s a 5th option! = Sell your Austin Texas house to us! We are THE fast Austin Texas Home-Buyers, RedBuysHouses.com. We’re a local, professional real estate investment group that buy houses all over Austin, TX in any area, condition or price range (even no equity) and in virtually any situation.

We can pay all cash and close fast! We don’t care if the house needs repairs because we buy houses in “as-is” condition (so we won’t beat you up about making repairs before closing like other buyers do!). We buy houses in Austin, Texas and the surrounding areas such as Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Lakeway, Buda, Kyle and more. We specialize in finding several CREATIVE solutions to real estate problems that others won’t touch. The fastest way to see if your Austin Texas house qualifies for our “Quick House Purchase Program” is to complete our confidential “Seller Questionnaire” and we will contact you within 24-28 hours.

So, if your payments are behind, the last thing you’d want to do is NOTHING!…Sadly, when times are tough, many homeowners don’t know what to do. Many, many houses have been foreclosed on in recent months because homeowners are not aware of the many alternatives to foreclosure or because:

So, if your payments are behind, the last thing you’d want to do is NOTHING! Call us today for a free, risk-free consultation to learn what your options are: Local 512-945-6006, and please leave message if a representative cannot be reached. We may even be able to help you find a solution to stay in your home at a payment you can afford!

We Buy Austin Texas Houses Fast (and we want to buy yours)! If you have an unwanted house you need to sell quickly for any reason whatsoever, call locally 512-945-6006 or visit Red Buys Houses for more information, to receive a free consultation, or to get an offer on your house fast.

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Is Buying a House a Good Investment?

December 25, 2009

Intended Audience

Individuals looking to purchase a home for personal use or as an investment. As well, looking into conventional wisdom’s statement that buying a house is one of the best investments someone can make.

Summary Points to Take Away

Analysis

Conventional wisdom states that buying a house is one of the smartest and best investments an individual can make. This article is geared towards challenging this conclusion to see whether this statement rears any truth to it.

Why a House is a Good Investment?

Forced Savings Plan

Most individuals claim that the purchase of their personal home was the best investment they’ve ever made, which is true in most cases because it is the only investment they’ve ever made. The general public struggles with saving for retirement; thus, purchasing a house assists in that problem as it forces individuals to continuously pay down the mortgage (or lose the house in a foreclosure to the bank); therefore, allows the storing of equity for the owners. This built up equity (i.e. market value of home minus remaining mortgage) can be borrowed against during their retirement years or they can downgrad into a less expensive house in order to provide some retirement funds to the owner. If individuals take a disciplined approach to saving, then the benefit of being forced to save in order to pay for a house diminishes

Leverage

Typical real estate purchase require only a 5% deposit, while the remaining amount can be borrowed through bank debt. Few alternative investments outside of real estate can the acquirer obtain such significant leverage, which can enhance investment returns.

Example, suppose that you purchased a home for $200k, for which you made a 5% deposit down ($10k). During the next few years the house appreciates in value and you sell it for $220k (10% higher than the level you purchased it). Though the return on the house is only 10%, the return to the investor based on invested funds sunk into the home ($10k) is 200% ($20k earned over $10k investment) –  that is the power of leverage. On the negative side, more debt means higher fixed monthly mortgage payments; thus, higher risk of being able to make the monthly mortgage payments. As long as cash flow is not a concern and the mortgage payments can be met – investments should be leveraged to maximize returns to the investor. Could you imagine walking into a bank and asking for $100k to invest in equities while only putting 5% down – likely to never happen, this is a major benefit of real estate ownership.

Inflation Resistant

Real estate holds its value during inflationary periods; thus, acts as a hedge against the investors other assets that aren’t protective against inflation (ex. Currency). The asset will continue to hold its buying power (store of value), which is difficult to get outside of investing in precious metals. The reason real estate holds its value is there is the same number of houses that the increased monetary supply of dollars are chasing; thus, it’ll take more dollars to purchase the houses as the supply of houses stays stagnate while the demand rises (due to the increase in the number of dollars in everyone’s hands). This can become critical given the current economic times and numerous expansions of monetary supply across many nations, which will have the aftermath affect of higher inflation.

Capital Gain is Tax FreeIn Canada, every home owner is provided with a capital gain exemption on amounts earned in excess of cost for their principal residence. Only one piece of real estate can be claimed as the principal residence per individual. For example, if you owned a home and a cottage, only one of those houses upon selling could take advantage of the principal residence exemption. No other asset class has such advantageous tax reduction characteristics. Unfortunately this is a onetime event; thus, those holding numerous pieces of real estate can only apply it to one property.

Allows for Control over the Asset

Real estate is typically an investment an individual has control over (assuming you’re the majority owner – which is typically the case) by the means of the owner has the ability to increase the value of the asset, which may not be the case in most other investment opportunities. When purchasing real estate, owners can make capital improvements to the home (ex. Finished basement, new porch, etc.), which will increase the value of the property (capital appreciation) as compared to purchasing stocks or mutual funds as assets where the owner can’t take action to increase the value of those assets (unless they’re a significant owner, greater than 20% – which is typically unlikely). The ability to control an asset adds value to the owner through what is known as a control premium, as a real estate asset may be more valuable in the hands of some individuals over others.

Why a House is a Bad Investment

Lack of Diversification

Average individual thinks the stock market is very risky while investing in real estate is more of a certainty. Purchasing equities allows the owner to conveniently hedge their risk amongst various companies in numerous industries, countries, etc. The purchase of real estate doesn’t provide the ability to diversify risk away as easily unless an investor plans on owning numerous pieces of different types of properties (ex. residential, commercial, resorts, etc) across various markets (North America, Europe, etc) – which is probably very unlikely for the average investor. Purchasing real estate prevents the diversification of risk because it’s dependent on the economic, migration, and regulation trends of the local area.

For example, assume you purchased a home in Oshawa, Ontario – which is a town extremely reliant on the large manufacturing facility of General Motors (GM). Should GM cut back on production or move their facility housing prices would fall sharply as it is the biggest employer in the area; thus, demand from individuals will decline as unemployment rises and real incomes fall. With a decline in demand and supply staying stagnate (as you typically can’t “un-build” a house once it’s constructed) the price will have to shift towards in order to align demand with supply.

Real estate doesn’t allow the investor to diversify away the specific risks in the local area as compared to purchasing equities, which allows the investor to spread risk amongst investments that perform differently during different points along the business cycle. Most individuals when purchasing real estate have all their eggs in one basket.

Maintenance Costs

Transaction and maintenance costs are significantly higher for real estate investments than stocks, mutual funds, etc. When purchasing stocks costs are typically broker commissions ($20 per transaction if using an online discount broker), while when purchasing a home it is typically 2% commission on the transaction value, significantly higher than purchasing equities.

Once you purchase shares, no further cash is required from the investor unlike real estate, which requires constant annual expenditures that continue to increase the investors cash committed towards the property, such as property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance and repairs of the asset, etc. These are costs that real estate investors or home purchasers don’t factor into their expected return, but play a significant role as the payment of property taxes (etc.) doesn’t contribute to the value of the property for eventual sale in the hopes of capital appreciation.

Historical Lower Returns Compared to Equities

During any 20 year period throughout history, no other asset class has outperformed equities, which includes real estate. This is from the perspective of asset vs. asset without consideration of leverage and how that may enhance returns (as discussed earlier). While it is true that over the long run real estate prices go up in value, this is typically due to inflation incurred. Recent spikes in housing prices seen in the past 10 to 15 years has been due to changing demographics, specifically the baby boomer generation (who makes up largest segment of the population in North America) go through life stages at the same time (same goes for starting a family and purchasing a home and real estate investment property). The result was a large influx in demand without a corresponding increase in supply as construction requires lead time; thus, leading to rising real estate prices.

Will this high demand continue? That’s where the argument lies. Likely there will be softness felt in overall real estate demand as baby boomers already have their homes and they’re likely to either stay put, move to retirement homes or downgrade into a smaller place in order to obtain some retirement income. Immigration will continue into North America that will prop up demand, but likely not the extent to fulfill the whole in demand left by the baby boomer generation; therefore, the future appreciation in real estate properties is likely to flatten out.

Can’t Take Advantage of Available Opportunities

The purchase of a home or real estate property requires the individual to tie up a significant portion of their net worth into the property (in a lot of cases, all of it). Having all your net worth in real estate is a risky strategy as you’ll be severely impacted by movements in real estate prices as compared to having your cash tied up into several asset classes; thus, less vulnerable to swings in any one asset class. Similar to the discussion had under the “diversification” section of this article.

With the majority of an investors net worth tied up in a real estate property, there isn’t available cash to take advantage of other opportunities that come along; thus, significant opportunity costs are involved in venturing into real estate. This should be considered before purchasing an expensive personal home or making a real estate investment.

Limited Scope

Real estate is a local good, unlike gold for example – which can be bought and sold throughout the year for the same market price. An individual looking to buy a personal home or make a real estate investment doesn’t have access to all available properties as there are physical limitations to contend with. It comes down to wanting to live where you grew up or currently work or not wanting to buy a rental property far from your home in order to reduce logistical issues. For example, if you live in Toronto, Ontario and are looking to make an investment in a rental property, you’re unlikely to consider properties in Paris, France though the opportunities may be better than those surrounding Toronto due to language and logistic issues. Equities (and etc.) are globally traded and available; thus, users can take advantage of opportunities around the world; thus, their scope is not limited to the local area of their current surroundings like real estate is.

Additional Points to consider if you’re purchasing a Home for Personal Use.

Doesn’t Provide Any Cash Flow

An asset typically provides you with cash flow, i.e. puts cash in your pocket. When purchasing a home, cash only flows out (property taxes, repairs, etc.); some would argue that if it appreciates in value then it is an asset. In this instance it is only an asset when converted into cash and if that is the case, where will you live? Likely end up buying a new house, which has also gone up in value similar to your house.  This makes it difficult to realize the value of your personal home appreciation, which acts more like a liability than an asset since it takes cash out of your pocket instead of putting some in there.

Tax Deductibility of Interest

Interest expense paid due to bank loans taken to finance investment properties is deductable against income because the investor is pursuing income and tax legislation allows deduction of any expenses incurred in the pursuit of income. This is not the case for a mortgage taken out to purchase a house for personal use as the individual is not in the pursuit of income; thus, interest expense is paid with after tax dollars, with no tax shelter provided. If those funds had been borrowed to invest in equities or mutual funds, the interest would be deductable because again that would count towards the theme of pursuing income.

Can Get Personal Joy Out of It

Unlike equities and other alternative investments, the investor can’t personally use or get joy out of it as compared to purchasing a home, which the individual can live in and enjoy during the investment process. An investor who purchases shares in General Motors (GM) can’t exactly borrow and test drive cars whenever they please simply because they’re a part owner. This is a qualitative benefit that is difficult to quantify, but should be considered.

Where to go from here?

The main reason to purchase a house is to have somewhere to live and enjoy their life, don’t think of it as an investment. Buying a home isn’t a bad decision; it is the investor’s perception that may be tainted because it is important to realize that there are many arguments against a home as an investment to be considered. Don’t buy real estate property with the mindset that an individual can’t lose and that there is no better investment opportunity than to purchase a home, etc. Beware of conventional wisdom that states there is no better investment than purchasing a house.

THANKS,

SIMON GIANNAKIS

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Sell House Fast

December 22, 2009

Tampa, Florida, December 17, 2007 – Online property auction site FastHomesolutions.com is reporting a record number of foreign investors visiting its web site in search of real estate bargains, especially in the Sunbelt area of the United States. The current weakness of the dollar against foreign currencies is a key contributor to the trend, which works to the advantage of lenders anxious to sell their REO (real estate owned) inventories of defaulted properties to foreign investors.

“It’s a huge opportunity for REO asset managers,” said Jim Case, CEO of Fast Home Solutions, which recently launched its online property auction website at www.FastHomesolutions.com. “We’re seeing investors from all over, especially France, Germany and Belgium, as well as from the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. They are eager to buy U.S. homes, villas, properties now, while their own currencies are strong against our dollar.”

The British pound is particularly strong, currently trading at over two to one against the dollar. “This trend means that private investors and investment groups are highly motivated to buy,” Case said. “There will be more millionaires coming out of this downswing than ever before.” Foreign investors often use a group strategy when they acquire properties, pooling buying power and distributing risk. They buy multiple properties in targeted areas, then hire local property managers to oversee them and keep them rented. “Canadians are very active right now, especially in the Sunbelt areas like Florida,” Case explained. “Likewise, people from the UK are very familiar with Florida as a vacation spot, so when they see bargains on our website, they are quick to seize the opportunity to purchase.”

This is good news for loan servicers and loss mitigation professionals charged with disposing of owned real estate. The online auction concept, while not new, is experiencing a surge of popularity because of the ease with which properties can be vetted by potential buyers, whether for investment or owner occupancy. “Asset managers are getting slammed right now by the sheer volume of properties they must sell,” observed Case. “Online auctions are the best way to get properties in front of the most people, but REO people are so busy at the moment, it is difficult to consider new methods.” Fast Home Solutions approach to attract REO listings is to avoid the negatives buyers and sellers have seen in the past with online auctions. “Buyers hate paying premiums to buy properties online, so we’ve eliminated them,” said Case. “At the same time, investors want research on areas and values, as well as finding local property managers, so we’re adding content to make those available at minimal or no cost,” he added.

The “Half-back” Phenomenon

Further complicating things for REO asset managers desiring sell property in Sunbelt areas is the increase of people leaving places like Florida for financially more hospitable climes. Their properties are competing with REO sales for buyer attention, and keeping prices low. These are people who have been whipsawed by rising insurance rates caused by the hurricanes and sinkholes of recent years, as well as increased property taxes. Rather than moving all the way back up north, they are going half way, to places like Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, hence the term “half-back.” “These neighboring states have much more attractive scenarios for these sellers,” explains Jim Case. “And they still don’t have to put up with harsh winters.” With these additional properties cluttering up the inventory, REO sellers are finding their work cut out for them.

This new wave of foreign investors may be the key to keeping the market moving, said Case. “We send out over a million opt-in emails to investors every week and I can tell you that the demand for property listings is getting stronger every day,” he said. “The dollar’s weakness right now may work out to be a blessing for the REO asset managers, especially since these foreign investors like to buy more than one.”

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Getting Pre-qualified to Buy Own House

December 22, 2009

Buying a house without mortgage is not possible in today’s real estate sector. You might be having big money but there is always some shortage of funds with the prices of properties rising every day. This is what the mortgage loan is for. But every so often the entire process of loan sanction is so time consuming that by the time you really get the money in your hand your dream house that you planned to buy is already sold.

You can easily stay away from any circumstances like this by getting pre-qualified for the loan sanction. It is a very easy process and will always ensure that you never lose any deal due to lack of finance. Generally one has to run from one bank to another to get the mortgage loan sanction while wasting the precious time. Also there are lots of formalities involved in the entire procedure which will again take time. During this you may lose the house to another buyer.

Getting pre-qualified to purchase of a property is very easy and you do not even have to go to the bank. You can do it by on the phone from home or even do it online. All you require is speak to a knowledgeable loan officer. They will inquire about your financial position, your income and your previous loans. Based on information you gave them they will tell you the fairly accurate amount that you can get as mortgage loan from the bank.

They will also want to know about any short sale or foreclosure property dealings in the past. Your credit report will also be accessed. They will mostly check your repay options and then declare the fairly accurate amount that you can get. Most of the banks give you oral affirmation of the same after which you can start the process of applying for loan. But this will help you only to make a rough estimation of your budget for purchasing property.

Some of the bank even give you pre-qualified letter with which you will be able to close deals faster and also along with other papers it will help in speed processing of the loan.

But you must bear in mind that the pre-qualified letter is unlike pre-approval letter. While pre-qualified letter is mostly based on verbal information given by you the pre-approval letter is based on formalities like your salary slips, credit report and tax records. Pre-qualified letter you have to apply for the loan while in pre-approval letter the loan is already approved and you are just waiting for the fund release.

Getting pre-qualified is an advantage for the first time buyers because they now know the quantity they can invest in the property. Also for every buyer this is a great help as they can easily save time on any purchase. Moreover here you must keep in mind that getting pre-qualified is the initial step towards loan approval. Once you get pre-approved it is going to influence your credit report.

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Sell and Rent Back Homes Quickly

December 21, 2009

It is of little surprise that recent interest rate rises have taken its toll on house prices across the UK. The number of new mortgage approvals in the UK fell to a 12-month low in April, Bank of England figures show. Mortgage approvals totalled 107,000 in April, down from 111,000 in March and the third monthly decline in a row. In a further indication of weakening buyer demand mortgage lending rose by £8.9bn, much less than expected and the weakest rise since September.

“The Bank of England will be comforted by today’s news which shows its monetary tightening is taking effect,” said Thushani Gajasinghe, an economist at the Centre for Economic and Business Research.

“With a further quarter-point rate increase possible in the third quarter, consumer lending may cool further.”

But now, after a fourth quarter-point interest rate rise in just nine months – and another seemingly on the horizon – are the bears among the property commentators finally about to be proved right?

So what does this all mean for the property market at the moment?

It would seem to reconfirm that we are essentially in a flat market still, except London who are experiencing double digit growth still. All this may change off course if interest rates rise any further, as those with the largest mortgages will be hit the hardest. This could mean a transition in the market as people downsize to cheaper properties creating a demand for first time buyer properties. It all boils down to the old fashioned fundamentals of affordability.

Property indices suggest growth had already started to cool off in the months preceding last week’s base rate rise.

Research from Nationwide, for example, showed that average house price growth between February and April fell to just 2 per cent – the lowest three-monthly increase since last August, when the recent cycle of rate rises began.

Prime locations such as London are also more immune to interest rate rises because of a high level of cash buyers and overseas investors. But other areas – such as the north-west and the East Midlands – are more vulnerable. Although wages have also increased, homeowners are having to set aside a higher proportion of income to cover their mortgage.

If you are having difficulties with servicing your mortgage debt, Sell Your Home Quick are happy to provide advice on getting your payments back on track. And we will endeavour to help those unfortunate to have repossession orders up until the last few days of eviction. We will also rent the property back for a desired period of time at a rent you can afford.

James is the founder of Sell And Rent Back. The site is to help those who wish sell their house quickly, professionally and with minimum hassle. Sell House Quick,Nottingham

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Buying a House: Get Your Finances in Order

December 13, 2009

When you want to buy a house, the most important step is to get your finances in order.
This should be done before anything else, as it will provide you with a general idea of what you can afford for a down payment and most importantly, it will give you a better sense of how much home you can afford. There are a few steps that you can take to make sure that you fully understand your financial situation and to make repairs in areas that need it.
First and foremost, a budget needs to be set. Many people create budgets and end up not following them because they are not realistic.
To prepare a realistic budget, gather receipts for six months and then total them up to see where you are spending money. It is easy to budget for things such as rent and car payments but there are always unexpected items, such as car repairs or illnesses that have bills attached to them and it is essential that these items be included for a realistic financial picture.
Along with creating a budget, make sure you know exactly what you are spending money on. By looking over expenses for one month, there are probably many items that don’t need to be purchased. Lottery tickets, daily cups of coffee, and other small items can really add up quickly and can be a great money saver if they are eliminated from the expenses.
And of course, you need to get rid of as much debt as possible. Most lenders will be more open to give a loan to people who have debt less than 36 percent of their total income. The mortgage will be included in this figure and the mortgage alone will generally be 26 to 28 percent. This only leaves 10 percent for other loans such as car loans, outstanding credit card debt, and any other type of debt.
Of course, the only way you can reduce debt is to pay it off. To do this, you may need some extra income. A second part-time job may be necessary to do this. Even if you don’t have that much debt, extra income will come in handy when it comes time to make a down payment.
Usually lenders will only ask for a 5 percent down payment. However, the more you put down, the less the mortgage payments will be and you may end up with a lower interest rate. Aiming for a 20 percent down payment will generally serve you best in the end.
Make a house fund part of your monthly expenses. Sometimes putting away whatever you have left at the end of the month will often be an amount of zero. Decide on a number and stick to it.
It’s also important that you have the same job for at least two years before applying for a mortgage. Any time less than two years is viewed as high risk by lending companies and you may end up with higher monthly payments or interest rates.
And lastly, make sure you have good credit history. Eliminate bad history by paying off debt and if you have no credit, get a credit card and make the payments on time. This will help when lending companies are considering giving you a loan.

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Buy A House In Grand Rapids

December 7, 2009

There are many properties currently available for sale in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Whether you are an investor, a first time buyer, or are looking to move to a new home, you can benefit from finding a great deal when you buy a house in the Grand Rapids area.

So where do you start? First, you need to understand that there are many ways to find homes for sale in Grand Rapids, and you can find good deals many different ways also. There are foreclosures, short sales, auctions, probate sales, bankruptcy sales, motivated sellers due to divorce or job loss, and many different other situations. All of these can lead to a great opportunity to buy a house in Grand Rapids below market value. There are several ways to go about finding these types of properties.

One of the most basic ways is to work with a real estate agent that can search out foreclosures for you. There is a lot of competition when a hot property becomes available, so you will want to be ready to move fast. Another way you can find properties is by marketing directly to distressed seller. Upcoming foreclosures become public record, and you can use that list to contact the property owner. My company does this on a weekly basis, and we turn up many great property deals.

For sale by owners are also a way to potentially find a great house to buy in Grand Rapids. This can be a time consuming process, but the payoff can be huge when you find the right motivated seller. Just remember during your property search to pay attention to the numbers. Your goal is to get a great price so you will have a good amount of equity in the home. Whether you are a 1st time buyer, or an investor, this equity is what will make you money in the future.

There are also services that search for properties in Grand Rapids that can be purchased below market value. Sign up to for a free Grand Rapids property update to see these houses before they even get listed. This is a great way to get the best prices without taking all your time searching for properties.

Now is a good time to buy a house in the Grand Rapids area, don’t wait until prices go back up!

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5 Tips You Should Know Before Buying A House

December 6, 2009

Too often potential home buyers will spend more time telling everyone what type of house they plan to buy and in what area, but not enough time researching their personal finances, the cost to buy, the location or the real estate market. They will visit a realtor’s office with no real plan other than what type of house they want and information about where they work. Before, wasting valuable time and money, prepare yourself before you walk into anyone’s office by doing the following:
1. Know your personal finances and contributions to your home purchase. Make copies of your last four weeks of pay stubs, bank statements, and references. If you know that you may leave your job, possibly be laid off or the company may be closing, you may want to reconsider buying a house. However, if none of this applies to you, consider how much you have in savings and investments and make copies of these statements as well. Also, research first time home buying programs that offer down payment assistance.
2. Know what is on your credit reports from all three agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union). Pull your credit reports and make copies, this way you can prevent lowering your score with too many inquiries from lenders. Begin to pay off unpaid balances, dispute any charges that you haven’t made and pay off credit cards.
3. Know what you want. Make a list of features in a house you must-have, would like and not want. Decide on a location and research on how the equity has increased in your area. Consider the price range you can afford. Ask yourself what mortgage payment would you like to make on the house? Some banks offer a free online calculator at their websites to determine home affordability.
4. Know a mortgage broker instead of a mortgage lender & get pre-approved. The broker will work with many different mortgage companies, while the lender will just represent one. He or she will verify that you can indeed purchase a home loan in a specific price range. To obtain a pre-approval, a lender evaluates your credit history, and calculates your housing and debt ratios. You should expect to verify your income, length of employment and source of down payment.
5. Know a Real Estate Agent. In most states, a real estate agent must disclose which party he or she works for. When you contact an agent, verify that the agent can work as a buyer’s agent. They should not disclose confidential information about you to the seller’s agent. Ask the agent about his or her services if you. Also, request a blank copy of the buyer agency contract and study it. Don’t let anyone pressure you into signing an agreement that doesn’t feel right.
A good agent will walk you through the process and return your calls quickly.

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Tips for Saving Money While Buying a House

December 4, 2009

In today’s economic scenario every nation is facing recession and it has become a little difficult to cope up with the financial conditions. Therefore taking even the small effective steps will help in saving some extra money. Home is the basic necessity and buying a house looks like a huge task nowadays. Therefore you must do some proper planning before taking a house. This will not only help you to buy an affordable house with all amenities but also help in saving some extra money. Some of the factors to be kept in mind while buying a house are:

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Buying a Condo May Be Smarter Than Buying a House

December 4, 2009

Many people don’t realize that there is a big difference between buying a condo and buying a house. Depending on your home owner style, you may prefer to buy one or the other, but the fact is, going with a condo may actually be the better idea.
When you buy a house, you are purchasing not only the actual home, you are also purchasing the land it sits on. You are responsible for the upkeep of the house, its exterior and yard, if any. This can get rather expensive, and, in general, houses are more expensive to buy than condos. While you can customize the exterior of a house fairly easily and usually without complaints, you have to decide if this is important enough to take on the responsibility of a house.
Condos, on the other hand, are homes that share common land and walls. Though there are now instances of detached condos, the majority are still built in rows, somewhat like townhouses, with a common wall between them. When you buy a condo, you are purchasing the interior and will become part of a homeowner’s association. The homeowners are jointly responsible for the property, requiring you to pay a monthly fee for upkeep and maintenance.
It’s important to read the legal documents carefully because there are a lot of rules that go along with joint ownership of the condo complex. Each homeowner’s association will have different rules and the paperwork can get pretty lengthy. There may be regulations against changing the exterior appearance of your home, even by planting flowers. If you don’t do well with such strict guidelines, you’d be better off looking for a place that has looser ones.
That being said, there are some distinct advantages to purchasing a condo, over buying a house. For busy home owners, not having to actually deal with the upkeep and looks of their home can be a very good thing. In some cases, utilities such as water, gas and electricity are included in the monthly homeowner’s fee, meaning a big savings in the long run.
In addition, condos tend to be cheaper to buy, in part because of the monthly fee requirement and in part because they are smaller than a regular house. Still, a condo is an excellent choice, particularly for young, single people or young couples who are looking for something comfortable that requires minimal upkeep. This can be an excellent way to start out your life in your own home. You have the benefits of home ownership, without all the responsibilities that go along with owning property. Security and living stability, but the maintenance is taken care of.
Condos are not right for everyone, but they can be a good choice for anyone looking to own a place without having to take care of it much. Just be sure to look carefully at the documents before signing anything and you’ll be fine.

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