Sep 17, 2015 | Home Buyer Tips
With mortgage bubbles and real estate issues still in recent memory, one might feel that their best option is to buy their next home using cash instead of borrowing the necessary funds. In today’s article we’ll explore the pros and cons of paying cash for that next house or condo.
The Pros Include A Feeling of Complete Ownership
There’s a feeling of pride and joy that comes with owning a home outright. There are several other reasons for paying cash instead of signing on the dotted line and getting and being strapped to a 30-year mortgage. Perhaps the best reason is having 100 percent equity in the home.
The cash will be there to borrow in case of an emergency. Having cash on hand is great if a water pipe bursts or there’s a huge car repair bill. In addition, instead of paying a monthly mortgage, that money could be used to start a college fund, to grow savings or to invest.
And, credit problems wouldn’t be an issue since there wouldn’t be a need to check credit history in the first place. The homeowner may be able to negotiate a better price, which may result in a likelihood of a smoother sale, and attract more prospective buyers.
The Not So Great Reasons To Pay With Cash
Buying a home is one of the largest financial investments a person will make in his or her lifetime.
However, buying a home outright most likely means that a significant percentage of cash will be tied up in the house. Less cash will be on hand for savings, college funds, and emergencies like a plumbing malfunction or an expensive car repair.
While paying in cash may result in a mortgage life, if the property value drops for whatever reason, there’s no purchase protection. For instance, if the market value of a $100,000 home loses 10 percent that will be a loss of $10,000. Take this example and apply it to a mortgage down payment. If the market value falls, there’ll be a loss of $10,000, but the bank would take a loss for the remainder of the property value.
Also, when paying with cash, there is no third party property evaluation to ensure the buyer isn’t overpaying for the home. Banks will send a professional to provide a property evaluation check to verify the correct home value.
Buying a home is a significant personal decision. In today’s tough economy, homeowners are finding ways of cutting back on expenses. Owning a home outright, without the stress of mortgage payments can be extremely liberating. Sit down with a professional real estate agent today before making the decision to use cash to pay for a home.
Sep 16, 2015 | Home Mortgage Tips
It’s amazing that in a year with extremely low mortgage rates being reported around the country, closing costs are up by as much as 6% from the previous year. Part of the reason for this is that the stricter regulations on loans have increased the costs to banks, and they always find a way to pass on new costs to the consumer.
Understanding Third-Party Closing Costs
When closing on a mortgage the borrower will notice a long list of additional fees that they are expected to pay for. These can range from insignificant into the thousands of dollars depending on the state and the deal. When looking at these fees you will notice that some are third-party fees.
This is not out of the ordinary and you are not being taken advantage of. These costs are for services rendered by outside companies at the request of the mortgage lender to make sure everything is in order with the property.
Closing Costs You Can Expect To Pay
Anybody going through the mortgage process for the first time should expect to see several odd sounding terms on the bill. The first is ‘origination’ or ‘processing’ which is the primary fee the lender charges for creating the mortgage.
Other fees include discount points, flood certification, title insurance, credit report and appraisal. These are all necessary for buying a home and should be expected to appear when closing.
The Trick Behind Zero-Closing Cost Mortgages
With closing fees adding up it may seem like a good idea to opt for a mortgage that has absolutely no closing costs if it’s offered. While no money will be required up front, it adds up in the long run.
This is because the lender is making a deal. They agree to pay all the closing costs for the borrower in exchange for a slightly higher interest rate, which will pay out for them over the course of the mortgage.
The amount you can expect to pay really depends on the cost of living and real estate market where you’re buying.
Sep 15, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
Selling a home is more than real estate listings and making the home appealing to potential buyers. One factor to take into account when buying a home is its location, meaning the community surrounds the home.
For sellers as well as buyers, it’s important to highlight the benefits of living in a particular community. After all, neighborhoods will have an enormous impact on the future buyer’s living experience.
It’s All About Walkable Neighborhoods
According to a Portland, Oregon-based company, City Observatory, there’s a growing demand for homes located in walkable neighborhoods. A decades-long love affair with commuting from suburban areas to work in the city has greatly lost its appeal.
Also, the growing demand for walkable neighborhoods is fueled by people desiring convenient access good schools as well as to entertainment options like movies, restaurants, and shopping. There’s also an appeal for easy access through reliable public transportation.
This trend has been around for a while now. In 2013, the National Association of Realtors found that 57 percent of study participants wanted smaller homes and shorter work commutes.
Fifty-five percent of participants said they would gladly get a small house with a small yard if it meant easy access to stores, schools, and restaurants. Plus, a walkable neighborhood also significantly increases property values. So play up the nearby community benefits that would entice potential buyers.
Great Neighborhood Amenities
Other favorable community amenities bicycle paths and libraries, parks. These are great bonuses for neighborhoods to attract fitness-minded individuals and promote a family-friendly atmosphere for buyers with kids. Speaking of kids, living in an excellent school district usually yields higher home values.
According to a survey conducted by the Demand Institute, almost half of participants wanted a pet-friendly neighborhood. In fact, this factor ranked higher than easy access to public transportation and even public schooling.
Neighborhood Safety
Safety is a top concern for most homebuyers. Although, there’s little one can do to quell neighborhood violence there are things an owner can do to make their home safer. They may want to consider studying security features on homes in their neighborhoods and adopt what they can, within reason.
What Potential Home Buyers Don’t Want In A Neighborhood
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), fewer home buyers were least impressed with communities with golf courses, a high population, gated communities, and mixed-use communities.
Homeowners, when listing a home, seek the help of a trusted real estate agent experienced in listing the best features of both the home and the community surrounding it.
Sep 15, 2015 | Home Buyer Tips
It is common for those who are interested in buying real estate in the near future to tune into news stories about the real estate market, and many may have heard that there is speculation about a real estate bubble that may pop soon. While this gloomy outlook on the real estate market can strike fear in some hearts and may deter a purchase until a later date, the fact is that this is an excellent time to purchase property. In fact, there are three good reasons why potential buyers may want to start moving forward with their buying plans soon.
Low Interest Rates
Most who have plans to purchase real estate will need to apply for a mortgage loan to complete their transaction, and today’s low interest rates are highly competitive. Low interest rates make the cost of borrowing money to purchase real estate lower, and this means that the mortgage payment that may be locked in may be lower. There is some speculation that interest rates will rise in the coming weeks or months, and this means that now may be a great time to take advantage of lower interest rates.
Great Deals Available
More than that, there are some great real estate deals available for buyers to take advantage of. Real estate values in many areas have rebounded in recent years, but some areas are still off historic highs. In addition, there may be foreclosures, short sales and other types of transactions that can result in buyers saving money on their property purchase.
The Benefits Of Home Ownership
Another benefit associated with making a purchase now is that home buyers can start enjoying the financial benefits of home ownership sooner. These benefits include the ability to build equity through debt reduction and value appreciation as well as tax benefits associated with owning property. These are benefits that can have a true impact on a person’s financial situation, and it may be financialy advantageous to have access to these benefits sooner rather than later.
There will always be speculation about what the real estate market may do in the coming weeks, months and years, but it is impossible to accurately determine how the market may act. With this in mind, it may be best for buyers to take advantage of currently great market conditions rather than attempt to time the market in the future. Home buyers can get more information about market conditions by speaking with their trusted real estate professional.
Sep 14, 2015 | Uncategorized
You may have seen this statement in the remarks section of property descriptions and 
purchase and sale agreement: “This property is being sold subject to 24 CFR 206.125”. REO sellers are required by HUD to comply with this regulation upon the acquisition and resale of the property. The regulation pertains to properties that were subject to a reverse mortgage. Reverse mortgages are sometimes known as Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM). Reverse mortgages are available to qualified borrowers over 62 years of age often the properties were transferred back to the lender due the death of the owner rather than as a result of a financial or fraudulent situation. It is likely that property is currently an REO because of the drop in in the value of homes since the peak of the market when some lenders were aggressively marketing reverse mortgages. The expectation at that time was that values would continue to increase. These REOs typically don’t have any owner occupant or NSP buyer restrictions when they come on the market. There are a couple of things to note with them. They generally will not sell the property for less than the asking price which is usually an as-is appraised value established by an FHA roster Appraiser. They are sold As-Is at the time of closing with no repair reimbursements or allowances. They won’t pay for home warranties. Home inspections and the connections of utilities for inspections will be at the buyer’s expense. Also the seller will not contribute to buyer’s closing costs. They should be viewed as soon as they come on the market because some of them are very good values and end up having multiple offers on them.
