28Jul 2016 by admin No Comments

What Do Real Estate Pros Look for When It’s Their Turn to Buy?

Buying
What you really need to know about buying — from the people who house hunt for a living. One house you’re looking at has the wraparound porch you’ve fantasized about, but it’s on a high-traffic street. The condo you like has a doorman in the lobby (finally you can become an Amazon Prime member!), but it has no dedicated parking. What to choose? It’s not every day that you buy a home and make decisions about the next three, five, or 10 years of your life. Since you can’t exactly take a home on a test drive, how do you decide? That got us to thinking about real estate pros. When they’ve seen practically everything on the market, how do they choose? Four pros who’ve seen it all share their…
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19Jul 2016 by admin No Comments
Dealing with Financing

Dealing with Financing

Buying
As the events of the last few years in the real estate industry show, people forget about the tremendous financial responsibility of purchasing a home at their peril. Here are a few tips for dealing with the dollar signs so that you can take down that “for sale” sign on your new home. Get pre-approved. Sub-primes may be history, but you’ll probably still be shown homes you can’t actually afford. By getting pre-approved as a buyer, you can save yourself the grief of looking at houses you can't afford. You can also put yourself in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house. Unlike pre-qualification, which is based on a cursory review of your finances, pre-approval from a lender is based on your…
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19Jul 2016 by admin No Comments
5 Tips for Buying a Home

5 Tips for Buying a Home

Buying
Looking to buy a home? Here are five essential tips for making the process as smooth as possible. Get your finances in order. Start by getting a full picture of your credit. Obtain copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you find. Next, find a suitable lender and get pre-approved for a loan. This will put you in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house. Find a house you can afford. As with engagement rings, there’s a general rule of thumb when it comes to buying a home: two-and-a-half times your annual salary. There are also a number of tools and calculators online that can help you understand how your income, debt, and expenses…
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06Jul 2016 by admin No Comments
Preparing to Sell

Preparing to Sell

Selling
Selling your home is more than hiring a realtor to stick a sign out front. There are a lot of preparations you should make to ensure you get the best offer possible in the shortest time. Repair. Just because you’ve gotten used to the cracks in the walls and the rattles in the radiators doesn’t mean a buyer will too. If you have hardwood floors that need refinishing, be sure to get it done—hardwood is a huge selling point. Buyers like to snoop around, so be sure to fix any sticky doors or drawers as well. Finally, don’t forget to address any issues with the exterior—fences, shingles, sidewalks, etc. After all, without curb appeal, some buyers may never get to see the inside. Neutralize. You want buyers to see themselves in…
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06Jul 2016 by admin No Comments

5 Ways You Didn’t Know You Could Save for a Down Payment

Buying
One of the biggest misconceptions of homebuying? The 20% down payment. Here’s how to buy a home with a lot less down. Buying your first home conjures up all kinds of warm and fuzzy emotions: pride, joy, contentment. But before you get to the good stuff, you’ve got to cobble together a down payment, a daunting sum if you follow the textbook advice to squirrel away 20% of a home’s cost. Here are five creative ways to build your down payment nest egg faster than you may have ever imagined. 1. Crowdsource Your Dream Home You may have heard of people using sites like Kickstarter to fund creative projects like short films and concert tours. Well, who says you can’t crowdsource your first home? Forget the traditional registry, the fine…
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18Jun 2016 by admin No Comments
SOLD: Charming Two Story

SOLD: Charming Two Story

Austin Area, Solds
Charming two-story home with a picture-perfect view from an inviting front porch. The foyer leads past the formal dining and powder room into the open kitchen and living areas. Here’s an upgrade that DRHorton is no longer offering in their new constructions: Black granite countertops! With white cabinets and subway tile backsplash, you have the foundation of any color palette you heart desires! Another included upgrade: Dark wood floors throughout the main floor. A study nook and seating area provide added living space upstairs and divide the spaces between the master and secondary bedrooms to offer some privacy. Laundry becomes an easy task in the upstairs utility room. Convenient alley access to the attached two-car garage. Roses will be in full bloom next spring, and will fragrance the small side yard. This house offers the opportunity to own a…
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