What drives up my home insurance costs? Why is my insurance premiums so high? If you’re a new homeowner, this must be one of the many questions that have crossed your mind since you embarked on this new journey. Well, the location, construction, condition, and certain features of your home all play a significant part in how much your homeowner’s insurance costs will be. For buyers who are still...
2018
In simplest terms, a mortgage is a long-term loan designed to help borrowers purchase a house. It allows individuals to become homeowners without making a large down payment and thus, fulfilling The American Dream. Once you become a homeowner, a mortgage represents one of your life's biggest financial commitments. So it's important to understand the structure of your payments — what percentage...
Congratulations, you’re about to purchase your first home! We’re guessing you’ve already gone through the mortgage pre-approval phase, and now it’s time to do the exciting part: house hunting! While you can shop with confidence because of the pre-approval letter provided by your lender, you should also be aware of the importance of having enough cash for an earnest money...
Once you finally decide to place an offer on a house, you have to be ready for what comes next. In a slow market, your offer has a high chance of getting accepted given that there is little to no competition. But in a hot market where bidding wars are won by people offering to pay all cash or significantly above the list price, and promising hefty down payments—you may have to come to terms...
Another complicated thing about selling a home is the issue of what you and your real estate agent need to disclose. You really want to sell your house and at the best possible price. But on the other hand, you don’t want to be a sneaky seller and feel like you are deceiving anyone. It can be quite confusing because you have to find the right balance between the two. It can also be quite scary to...
As a renter, there’s nothing more valuable than maintaining a good relationship with your landlord or property manager. One way you can keep a positive connection is by being honest and upfront right from the start. However, one surefire way to form a negative relationship is to lie or hide things from them. And because you will usually be found out anyway, you’ll have to deal with the consequences...
Like moths attracted to flames, potential buyers can get riveted to a home with an excellent curb appeal. Buyers who will be drawn to your home’s appearance will definitely want to discover more of what lies behind your front door. Fortunately, maximizing your home’s curb appeal doesn’t necessarily mean spending thousands of dollars on big improvements and upgrades. The trick is in knowing what...
Tempting as it may seem, jacking up the listing price of your home to leave room for negotiations is a dangerous risk that a lot of sellers regret taking.If you are really serious about selling your home, it is best to take pricing seriously by listing your home at its fair market value. Otherwise, you may end up sabotaging your chances on a good deal.Here are the top 6 reasons why you shouldn’t be in...
When looking for homes online, home buyers might chance upon a property with a “contingent offer” status. This means that an offer has been made and accepted, but the sale is still conditional while both parties work on meeting certain criteria.These criteria, or contingencies, are actions that must be met for a contract to become binding. Both the seller and the buyer must both agree to these...
Buyer’s remorse (the feeling of regret after making a huge purchase) is a common sentiment that a lot of people understand and sympathize with, given that the average person makes huge purchases more often than he/she gets to sell anything of substantial value.This is why the seller counterpart of this feeling is quite unheard of, because it isn’t something that happens very often. In fact, home...