Sep 19, 2013 | Home Buyer Tips
When you are buying a new home, it is important to take into consideration the four-legged residents that will be living there, as well as the two-legged ones. What things should you keep in mind if you are house hunting and you own a pet?
Layout Of The House
When you are looking at the house layout, think about how it will accommodate your pet. If you have an old dog that can’t climb stairs very well, look for a home that is mostly one level.
Cats like to have little alcoves and quiet spaces where they can hide away. Think about where you would put the kitty litter box or the food bowls so that they would be practical and would not get in the way.
Be sure to also look at the yard. Is it fenced, so that you can let your dog outside to run around? Is there an outside hose that you can use for bathing your pet?
Is there room for a dog house? You might also want to avoid a house near a busy road, in case your pet escapes and runs into traffic.
Pet Friendly Neighborhood
Take a look around the rest of the neighborhood. Do you see that many other people have dogs and cats? Are there a lot of friendly people out walking their dogs? Is there a vet, a pet shop and a dog park nearby?
When they see your dog or cat, do people smile and say hello? A neighborhood full of pet-friendly people is a great place for you and your furry friend to live, because you will feel welcomed. You might even make some new friends to go on walks with!
City Ordinances
It is a good idea to know about the local city ordinances when it comes to cleaning up after your pet. In many places, failing to scoop up your dog’s droppings when taking him for a walk can lead to a very expensive fine! This is a mistake that you don’t want to make when you move into a new home.
Clarify The Rules For Unusual Pets
Most people have dogs and cats, but if your animal companions are a little less common, you might need to check the rules. If you own a goat, chicken, donkey, sheep or any other farm animal as a domestic pet, check with the proper officials about the zoning regulations and ordinances in the area you are buying your home.
These are just a few things to consider on behalf of your pet when you are buying a home. For more real estate advice, contact your real estate professional.
Sep 17, 2013 | Home Buyer Tips
Most of the time when buying a property, there are a few obvious factors that you will consider – such as the location, the number of bedrooms, the accessibility to schools or your workplace, the need for repairs and any interior features. However, there are a few things that might not have crossed your mind during your house hunting but are still quite important.
Water Quality
Most home buyers don’t even think about the water quality at the property until they get to the inspection stage. However, if you find out that the home has hard water this will dull your clothes when you wash them and irritate your skin.
Hard water will also create calcium deposits within your showers and faucets and even inside your washing machine and dishwasher. Have the water tested so you know its quality and can look into options for a water purification system.
Cell Phone Reception
When looking at a house, don’t forget to pull out your cell phone and check to make sure that you get good reception. There are a number of “dead zones” throughout the country and you don’t want to buy a house where you can’t make a phone call on your cell.
If you have found your dream house but it has poor phone coverage, there is the option to buy a wireless cell phone signal booster.
Lead, Asbestos And Other Health Risks
When buying homes that are older, make sure that you have the home thoroughly inspected for any health risks such as lead paint or asbestos insulation.
These materials were commonly used several decades ago, before anyone realised how toxic they really are. If you find any toxic substances you can have them removed safely or look for a healthier home.
Slope Of The Land
Take a walk around the property and look at the land around the house. Is it flat, or does the earth dip or slope in one corner of the property? Keep in mind that when it rains, water will flow to the lowest point on the property.
If the house is at the bottom of a slope you might have issues with dampness collecting around the foundations. This can be corrected only with serious landscaping, so it’s much easier to buy a house on higher ground.
These are just a few factors to consider that you might not have thought of when buying a house. For more real estate tips on property, contact your real estate professional.
Sep 13, 2013 | Home Buyer Tips
When people are buying a home, one of the things that they sometimes forget to consider is the need to be able to accommodate guests. You likely have out of state relatives or friends who might come and visit you and you will probably want to be able to give them a place to sleep so that they don’t have to pay for a hotel.
You will also probably want to have your parents or your relatives stay over on special occasions such as Christmas. You might even need to host guests for long periods of time, such as if an aging parent needs to move in with you or you need to give a struggling friend some support while they get back on their feet.
Having a home that is well suited to having guests stay will make being a host a lot easier. Having someone sleep on a fold out couch in your living room can be inconvenient for both you and your guest, so what should you look for in a home so that hosting someone will be comfortable?
- If you have a small home, you might not have room for an extra guest bedroom that is only used occasionally. Instead, choose a home with a multi-purpose room that can be used as a home office, a storage space or a hobby room as well as a guest bedroom.
- You could use clever storage solutions and a Murphy bed or futon to make the transition into guest bedroom when your friends and relatives arrive. Another option is to choose a home with a finished attic, which can easily be turned into a great small bedroom for guests.
- Does the house have enough bathrooms for everyone? Waiting for the bathroom while someone else has a shower can get annoying really quickly when there are extra people in the house. A guest bedroom with its own ensuite is ideal.
- Have at least two or more “chill out” spaces so that everyone doesn’t have to enjoy the same activity. If some of your family members are watching a movie but a couple others want to have a quiet chat or play a board game, make sure that there is another spot where they can sit. It doesn’t have to be huge, just another set of chairs or a sofa somewhere.
- For the guest room, choose a bedroom that is furthest away from the rest of the main traffic areas in the home. This means that if you wake up earlier or get in later than your guests, you can cook or go about your daily chores without making a lot of noise right outside their door.
- Make sure that the dining area is big enough to accommodate a larger table to seat your extra guests.
These are just a few things to consider when choosing a home that will make hosting guests easy. For more info about buying a home, contact your trusted real estate professional.
Sep 12, 2013 | Home Buyer Tips
So you are looking at buying a home, but you are wondering whether or not it is worth it to pay a little extra for a home with one more bedroom.
It’s a tough decision to make, especially when balancing other factors such as location and the other features of the home. However, having one more bedroom than you think you need could end up being a good thing for a number of reasons.
Expanding Family
Perhaps you only planned on having two children, but a third one might come along as an unplanned surprise… will you have enough room for everyone?
One of your children’s friends might have a bad home situation and need a place to crash for a while. One of your elderly parents might need to live with you for a while.
There are many situations when the family living under your roof might expand, (even if it’s just having guests over the weekend) so make sure that you have the space to accommodate.
A Home Office
If you are working from home or have your own business, a private space in the home to work can be worth its weight in gold. It’s really difficult to be productive when you are trying to work at the kitchen table with the rest of the family buzzing around you, so turn your extra bedroom into a home office.
Rental Income
An extra bedroom might be a great source of income, especially if it can be turned into a basement or attic suite. As long as you don’t mind the responsibility of being a landlord, you could rent out the room to a tenant and let their rent help you cover the mortgage payment.
Resale Value
Buying a slightly larger house with one more bedroom means that the home will be easier to sell in the future. This is especially true if all of the other homes in the area have similar amounts of bedrooms.
These are just a few reasons why an extra room can really come in handy. If you want to know more about home buying, you can contact me your trusted real estate professional.
Sep 3, 2013 | Home Buyer Tips
What happens if you find the dream property that you want to buy before you have made the sale on your old property? Ideally you would have sold your current home before you buy your new property.
However, sometimes the transition doesn’t work out that way. You don’t want to give up the purchase if you have found a bargain on your dream home, so is it possible to buy the property before you have closed on your current residence?
The answer is yes, it is possible. You will need to use a financing option that will allow you to secure your next home before you have sold your existing property.
Getting A Bridge Loan
One option is a bridge loan. This is designed to wrap your payments for your current home and your future home into one loan, which can last usually between six and twelve months.
This type of loan usually involves a small fee and you will also be responsible for the closing cost on the mortgage on your next home.
Borrowing From Your 401K
Another option that might work is to borrow from your 401K, if your company allows it. In this situation, you will be able to borrow the money and then repay it right away when you sell your home. Of course, make sure you find out the rules on this first so that you are not at risk of incurring any penalties with the IRS.
Taking Out A Personal Loan
Another possible option is to take out a personal unsecured loan. Keep in mind, these types of loans usually have high interst rates and they will only last for a few years. Also, you will need to include the payments that you are making on that loan when you are qualifying for a mortgage on your next home.
Advantages To Buying Before Selling
One thing to keep in mind is that if you buy a new home before selling your old one, you will save yourself from a period of transition when you are between homes. Also, you will only need to hire a moving company once and you won’t have to put anything into storage, which will save you money.
For more information on how to make the best transition into your new home, speak with your trusted real estate professional today.
Aug 13, 2013 | Home Buyer Tips
The old real estate cliche’ about “location, location, location” is true, as the area of the city where your home is located will have an impact on its future value as well as your lifestyle.
So what factors should you consider when you are choosing which neighborhoods to house hunt within?
Proximity to Your Daily Needs
If you work downtown, living out in the suburbs means that you will be adding time for a commute onto your day.
While this might be worth the cheaper prices for properties out of the town center, it is something to consider when making your decision.
You will also need to consider whether the house is near shopping centers, schools, doctors, dentists and other services that you will need regularly.
Planned Developments
When you are choosing a neighborhood to buy in, do some research into what developments are planned in the future for that part of town.
For example, you might be able to get a cheap price on a home that is out of the way, but a new proposed highway leading straight into the town center that will be built in the next five years could increase property values considerably.
Overall Atmosphere
Take a walk around the neighborhood where you are considering buying and get a sense of the overall atmosphere. Are there a lot of families living there? Are there green places to relax? Are people friendly and saying hello to you?
You want to live in a place where you feel welcome and comfortable.
Property Values
Different neighborhoods will have a range of house prices and you will want to look for something with the right balance of value.
Some areas of town will be very expensive but very nice; other areas will have cheap house prices but might not be as pleasant to live in. Take the time to find the neighborhood that is in the middle, where you will find the right house, and neighborhood, at a good price.
These are just a few of the factors to consider so that you can choose the right neighborhood to buy in.
For more information about buying a Worcester County area home, feel free to contact your trusted real estate professional today.
