Yearly Archives: 2016
House Poor?
Realtors usually don’t deliver the best news. Everybody who wants to buy a house, wants to buy the best house in the best neighborhood for the best price. That usually involves someone maxing out the payment they can afford. You may be tempted to stretch your budget and buy that larger home with the bigger yard, but remember: The more you spend on housing, …
Auction Properties Aren’t For Regular Buyers
Ever thought about getting a property via auction? Well it isn’t impossible, but it is very hard for regular buyers. Auctions take place at local government courthouses and other locations chosen by auction companies, such as hotel conference rooms. Homes are also auctioned online. Foreclosure auctions are held by bank-hired trustees. Tax lien auctions are conducted by local sheriffs. There are two types of …
Is It Worth It?
Now, we are required to have insurance for our home if we secure a loan from a bank, we are required to have auto insurance if we finance a car, but there are several forms of insurance that are not mandatory. Earthquake insurance is one such type of insurance. If you live in South Dakota, it may not ever cross your mind, but when …
Reverse Mortgage Information
I remember when I got into real estate, the market was very normal in Southern California. The Inland Empire was an affordable place to live so there were a lot of commuters as well as local economy workers. I first heard the term “Short Sale” in 2007 and I had no idea what it was. I learned quickly and it became very common. Another …
Curb Appeal Fixes
There are a lot of ways to spruce up your home. There are a lot of ways to improve your curb appeal. In big business, offering ways to make your house look more aesthetically pleasing is a certain money-maker. Who pays though? Well, we do. It is not secret that updating, upgrading, and “prettying up” your house is usually very expensive. Get a quote …
Radon: A Disclosure Disclosed
Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that is formed from the natural breakdown of uranium in the earth. Though you can’t see it or smell it, radon can enter your home through cracks in your foundation, well water, building materials and other sources, where it can contaminate the air you breathe. Scary enough because radon is actually radioactive, it’s also carcinogenic; radon exposure is …
There Are More Empty Homes Than There Are Homeless Peo...
I ran into an interesting fact and it seems like a simple solution, of course it isn’t. The numbers are staggering but some states are making a difference. Millions of Americans are homeless, and yet they’re outnumbered by vacant homes and government-owned buildings. A growing number of activists are calling for these empty spaces to be filled with the humans living on America’s streets. …
How Much House Can I Afford?
One of the big questions when you are going to buy a house, is can I afford it? Well, I should say can I afford the house I really want. There has to be a guideline. Mortgage companies have rules they follow to see how much house you can afford. It isn’t hard to calculate so here are those rules. Maybe this will help …
Haunted? How to Know.
Ok, yes, this is a real estate blog, but after doing some research, I found out that a main reason some people won’t buy a home that is a lot older is the haunting factor. Coming from a guy that doesn’t believe in that sort of thing, it sound preposterous. I would move into the Amityville house if the price and location suited me. …
Don’t Get Scammed by Shady Contractors
I recently read a statistic that was crazy to me. The statistic was pretty general but included something we should all be aware of. The statistic said that older Americans lose over $36 billion annually to a range of financial exploitation schemes, including home improvement scams. While home repairs are a standard part of homeownership, they can open the door to scam artists seeking …