According to the 2018 Profile of Buyers and Sellers, 52% of buyers want help to find the right home to purchase. Physically locating the home is certainly part of what buyers want from their agent but finding the right home at the right price and terms is also crucial. 87% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker. Slightly more than half of buyers were referred to their real...
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Heating and air-conditioning are frequently referred to as the "comfort systems." If one has gone out in the dead of winter or the heat of summer, lack of comfort becomes a primary concern. Regular maintenance with a HVAC checklist is something that homeowners can do themselves to ensure that the units operate properly. Periodically Change your filter every 90 days; every 30 days if you have shedding...
Your income tax is probably filed for last year by now and you've been through your expenses for the year. Money spent on repairs to your home is not deductible but being aware of how much you spent last year may help you make a decision that could save you money this year. Sellers, often, provide a home warranty to buyers to give them peace of mind by limiting some of the out-of-pocket money spent on...
There are an increasing number of real estate companies, termed iBuyers, like Open Door, Offerpad, Zillow, Knock and others that market a service that has an appeal to homeowners. The pitch for these quick cash offer companies will include some variation of "let us buy your home in days without the normal hassles of listing." This approach attempts to provide an alternative to selling a home in a normal...
The FNMA HomeStyle conventional mortgage allows a buyer to purchase a home that needs renovations and include them in the financing. This facilitates the purchase of the home and the renovations in one loan rather than getting a separate second mortgage or home equity line of credit. The combination of these loans should save closing costs as well as interest rates which would typically be higher on a...
Periodically, you need to rid yourself of things that are taking up you time and space to make room for more of what you like and want. There's a frequently quoted suggestion that if you haven't used something for two years, maybe it isn't essential in your life. If you have books you'll never read again, give them to someone who will. If you have a deviled egg plate that hasn't been used since the year...
If you're at an age where you need to be taking Required Minimum Distributions (age 70.5) from your IRA, a qualified charitable contribution and some planning may allow you to lower your overall tax liability. Let's say that a couple's 2019 itemized deductions include $8,000 in property taxes, $4,400 in interest and $20,000 in charitable contributions. That would total $32,400 which exceeds the 2019...
In the time that it takes to write one check, you can set it up with your bank and never have to do it again. You won't have to write checks, envelopes or buy stamps anymore. You'll save time, money and benefit in other ways too. Never be late ... avoid late fees and protect your credit Schedule additional principal contributions monthly to save interest, build equity and shorten the mortgage term. An...
Checklists work because they contain the important things that need to be done. They provide a reminder about things we know and realize but may have slipped our minds as well as inform us about things we didn't consider. Periodic attention to these areas can protect the investment in your home. Change HVAC filters regularly. Consider purchasing a supply of the correct sizes needed online and they'll...
Single family homes offer the investor an opportunity to borrow large loan-to-value loans at fixed interest rates for long terms. Lenders will loan 75-80% of the purchase price at 5.5% to 6.5% interest rate for thirty years. Compare that with other popular investment alternatives like precious metals, commodities, stocks, and mutual funds and it will be hard to find financing available at all. There may...