Archive for March, 2009
Selling Your Home When You Have Kids
Putting Your Home on the Market When You Have Kids When selling your home, having the property look its best has got to be your top priority. Attempting to do so when you have active children in your house can be a hard job in the first place, not to mention maintaining it that way [...]
What Is The Best Free Sitemap Generator? Xenu’s Link Sleuth
I would have to say my favorite tool to use for generating a sitemap is Xenu’s Link Sleuth. The program is extremely fast and I have used it with success on medium size sites. I was able to run a 500,000 page sitemap on an older computer with 4 gigs of ram/memory. Exporting (out of [...]
Where Can I Get A Free Credit Report?
The best place to get a free credit report is www.annualcreditreport.com. It won’t ding your credit score and you will get the info that all 3 bureaus have on you… You can also call Annual Credit Report if your not able to get your credit report online. There number is: (877) 322-8228 Here are the [...]
Free Tax Help This Saturday – March 21, 2008
The IRS is helping low income taxpapers ($42,000 or less) file their returns this saturday. It’s going on nationwide and being called the “Super Saturday” event. More info on the IRS Web Site In these difficult economic times, the Internal Revenue Service and hundreds of its community partners want to go the extra mile to [...]
17 Tips for Packing Like a Pro
1. Plan ahead by organizing and budgeting. Develop a master “to do” list so you won’t forget something critical on moving day, and create an estimate of moving costs. (A moving calculator is available at REALTOR.com) 2. Sort and get rid of things you no longer want or need. Have a garage sale, donate to [...]
Closing Documents You Should Keep
On closing day, expect to sign a lot of documents and walk away with a big stack of papers. Here’s a list of the most important documents you should file away for future reference. HUD-1 settlement statement. Itemizes all the costs — commissions, loan fees, points, and hazard insurance —associated with the closing. You’ll need [...]
Moving With Pets
Moving to a new home can be stressful on your pets, but there are many things you can do to make the process as painless as possible. Experts at The Pet Realty Network in Naples, Fla., offer these helpful tips for easing the transition and keeping pets safe during the move. 1. Update your pet’s [...]
Common Closing Costs for Buyers
You’ll likely be responsible for a variety of fees and expenses that you and the seller will have to pay at the time of closing. Your lender must provide a good-faith estimate of all settlement costs. The title company or other entity conducting the closing will tell you the required amount for: Down payment Loan [...]
What Not to Overlook on a Final Walk-through
It’s guaranteed to be hectic right before closing, but you should always make time for a final walk-through. Your goal is to make sure that your home is in the same condition you expected it would be. Ideally, the sellers already have moved out. This is your last chance to check that appliances are in [...]
What’s a Home Warranty?
A home warranty is a service contract, normally for one year, which helps protect home owners against the cost of unexpected covered repairs or replacement on their major systems and appliances that break down due to normal wear and tear. Coverage is for systems and appliances in good working order at the start of the [...]
5 Things to Know About Title Insurance
Title insurance protects the holder from any losses sustained from defects in the title. It’s required by most mortgage lenders. Here are five other things you should know about title insurance. 1. It protects your ownership right to your home, both from fraudulent claims against your ownership and from mistakes made in earlier sales, such [...]
Tips for Lowering Homeowner’s Insurance Costs
1. Review the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) report on the property you’re interested in buying. CLUE reports detail the property’s claims history for the most recent five years, which insurers may use to deny coverage. Make the sale contingent on a home inspection to ensure that problems identified in the CLUE report have been [...]
5 Things to Know About Homeowner’s Insurance
1. Know about exclusions to coverage. For example, most insurance policies do not cover flood or earthquake damage as a standard item. These types of coverage must be bought separately. 2. Know about dollar limitations on claims. Even if you are covered for a risk, there may be a limit on how much the insurer [...]
What a Home Inspection Should Cover
Home inspections will vary depending on the type of property you are purchasing. A large historic home, for example, will require a more specialized inspection than a small condominium. However, the following are the basic elements that a home inspector will check. You can also use this list to help you evaluate properties you might [...]
10 Questions to Ask Home Inspectors
Before you make your final buying or selling decision, you should have the home inspected by a professional. An inspection can alert you to potential problems with a property and allow you to make an informed decision. Ask these questions to prospective home inspectors: 1. Will your inspection meet recognized standards? Ask whether the inspection [...]
Pros and Cons of Going Condo
Condominiums and townhouses offer an affordable option to single-family homes in many markets, and they’re ideal for those who appreciate a maintenance-free lifestyle. But before you buy, make sure you do your legwork. These are some of the important elements to consider: Storage. Some condos have storage lockers, but usually there are no attics or [...]
Tips for Buying in a Tight Market
Increase your chances of getting your dream house in a competitive housing market, and lower your chances of losing out to another buyer. 1. Get prequalified for a mortgage. You’ll be able to make a firm commitment to buy and your offer will be more desirable to the seller. 2. Stay in close contact with [...]
Tips for Finding the Perfect Neighborhood
Your neighborhood has a big impact on your lifestyle. Follow these steps to find the perfect community to call home. Is it close to your favorite spots? Make a list of the activities — movies, health club, church, etc. — you engage in regularly and stores you visit frequently. See how far you would have [...]
Your Property Wish List
What does your future home look like? Where is it located? As you hunt down your dream home, consult this list to evaluate properties and keep your priorities top of mind. Neighborhoods What neighborhoods do you prefer? Schools What school systems do you want to be near? Transportation How close must the home be to [...]
10 Questions to Ask the Condo Board
Before you buy, contact the condo board with the following questions. In the process, you’ll learn how responsive — and organized — its members are. You’ll also be alerted to potential problems with the property. 1. What percentage of units is owner-occupied? What percentage is tenant-occupied? Generally, the higher the percentage of owner-occupied units, the [...]
5 Property Tax Questions You Need to Ask
1. What is the assessed value of the property? Note that assessed value is generally less than market value. Ask to see a recent copy of the seller’s tax bill to help you determine this information. 2. How often are properties reassessed, and when was the last reassessment done? In general, taxes jump most significantly [...]
How High Tech is Your Home?
If the latest technology or entertainment options are important in your new home, add the following questions to your buyer’s checklist. 1. Are there enough jacks in every room for cable TV and high-speed Internet hookups? 2. Are there ample telephone extensions or jacks? 3. Is the home pre-wired for home theater or multiroom audio [...]
Making an Offer on a Short Sale? What You Need to Know
Are you looking to buy a new home? Are you thinking that now’s a great time to find bargains? Before you make an offer, it pays to know a little about the seller’s situation. If a home is being sold for below what the current seller owes on the property—and the seller does not have [...]
Moving Checklist for Sellers
Provide the post office with your forwarding address two to four weeks ahead of the move. Notify your credit card companies, magazine subscriptions, and bank of your change of address. Create a list of friends, relatives, and business colleagues who need to be notified about your move. Arrange to disconnect utilities and have them connected [...]
10 Tips for Moving With Pets
Moving to a new home can be stressful on your pets, but there are many things you can do to make the process as painless as possible. Experts at The Pet Realty Network in Naples, Fla., offer these helpful tips for easing the transition and keeping pets safe during the move. 1. Update your pet’s [...]
What to Leave for the New Home Owners
Owner’s manuals and warranties for appliances left in the house. Garage door opener. Extra sets of house keys. A list of local service providers — the best dry cleaner, yard service, plumber, etc. Code to the security alarm and phone number of the monitoring service if not discontinued. As a courtesy, you could provide numbers [...]
Understanding Capital Gains in Real Estate
When you sell a stock, you owe taxes on your gain — the difference between what you paid for the stock and what you sold it for. The same holds true when selling a home (or a second home), but there are some special considerations. How to Calculate Gain In real estate, capital gains are [...]
Tips for Pricing Your Home
Consider comparables. What have other homes in your neighborhood sold for recently? How do they compare to yours in terms of size, upkeep, and amenities? Consider competition. How many other houses are for sale in your area? Are you competing against new homes? Consider your contingencies. Do you have special concerns that would affect the [...]
Is Your Buyer Qualified?
Unless the buyer who makes an offer on your home has the resources to qualify for a mortgage, you may not really have a sale. If possible, try to determine a buyer’s financial status before signing the contract. Ask the following: 1. Has the buyer been prequalified or preapproved (even better) for a mortgage? Such [...]
How to Prepare for the Open House
Advertise your open house. Ideally you should advertise both the weekend before and the weekend of the open house. Check with the local paper to see when their ad closing deadlines are. Create a property summary sheet. This sheet gives prospective buyers an overview of your home. Include dimensions for each room, copies of a [...]
