Tag Archives: home

buying, commitment, Communication, education, Inspiration, organizing, planning, selling, tips, wifi

Face it! We are up to our eyeballs in the digital age.

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Face it! We are up to our eyeballs in the digital age, and your house needs to be become part of the adventure. Everyone is looking for “Hey Google” this, “Alexa” that “Cortana” help, or “Siri” that. This trend is one that will not go away. It is here to stay.

google nest mini 2
google nest mini 2

Many older homes are not fully wired for internet or any other digital gadget that the world of communication is throwing our way. Sure, some of them come with the alarm system, wired smoke alarm, or internet accessibility in every room, but for today’s buyer that may no longer be enough.

 

Rewiring the home properly for internet could be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking and the price will vary depending on how large your home is, such as a two story and the type of foundation. That is why many of the internet providers just string your internet/TV service wire on the outside of the house and not through the walls, ceiling, or crawlspace/basement. It would be better to have someone do it properly for you prior to scheduling your cable and/or internet service.

We chose to have our house rewired properly. If the cable provider wants to make any cable upgrades, they must come down the wall like all the others. We only have one main entry point from the outside of the house and on the inside the wiring will remain the same. That means if the interior wiring also needs upgraded, the installers will have to make a trip into the attic.

Smart OutletAlso, changing out some of your electrical outlets for outlets with USB charging connectors is a low-cost way to add to your device charging stations.

 

Another reasonably priced gadget to install is the keyless entry door locks. These upgrades are convenient and will also prevent you from being locked out of you home. The lower priced units do not have wify access, but the more expensive one do. When you would like to open your house remotely you would have to get the internet enabled keyless entry units and the price will vary depending on the brand and features you are looking for.

keyless entry lock
keyless entry lock

In this day and age you have all kinds of toys you can add to your home that are Wi-Fi enabled and fun to play with. Lights, heating/cooling, ceiling fans, vacuum cleaners, appliances, faucets. They sky is the limit.

 

The bottom line is you might have to be prepared that today’s buyer is at least looking for some smart-home tech that is included in the deal: smart thermostats, smart smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, smart home security cameras, and smart locks.

buying, commitment, Communication, education, Inspiration, planning, Team work, tips

Stop trying to buy a home you can’t afford!

Just because your best friend just bought a home does not mean that you are financially ready to purchase one yourself. 

You do not know their full true financial situation and unless you have set down and written down all your own expenses and income, you do not know if you can afford buying a home yourself. Just because you think you can make a certain house payment does not mean you can.  

Moving Day
So, before you start looking for your dream home you need to look at your personal financial information.

Yes, I understand you want to move out of your apartment or parents’ house and finally have your own house, but you first need to look at your own financial plan before purchasing your brick and mortar home. So, before you start looking for your dream home you need to look at your personal financial information. 

What are my bills? This includes your monthly expenses like utilities, rent, insurance, credit cards, food, gas, clothing, automotive repair and maintenance expenses, and any other monthly expense you have. When you need to pay child support or have judgments you are paying on, you need to include them. Garnishments will show up on your paycheck as deductions. 

What is my income? Pull up at the minimum 3 months of current and consecutive paychecks. This will give you a good average of your income situation. 

Have you looked at your current credit report? I don’t mean looking at your credit score. I mean looking at the things that are listed in your credit report. Every time you are late with any form of payment it is being reported to the credit reporting agencies.  

Financial Situation
After looking at your entire financial situation, you can then determine if you can afford a mortgage payment of no more than 25% of your monthly take home pay.

After looking at your entire financial situation, you can then determine if you can afford a mortgage payment of no more than 25% of your monthly take home pay. That mortgage payment needs to include the insurance and taxes on the home you are planning on purchasing. If the proposed payment of a house you are considering causes you to need a 30 Year mortgage, you may need to consider the size of  home you will purchase, or you need to pay off some of the current expenses you may have. 

Why should anyone try to acquire a 15-year mortgage for your home purchase? Very simple. You should be able to own your home free and clear and not have a mortgage payment for the rest of your life. 

buying, commitment, education, planning, selling, tips

Buying a home in a changed environment

Our world has changed at lightning speed, and that goes also for the real estate world as well. What you need to consider is that many sellers, since the time that covid-19 began, are a little reluctant and very nervous to let buyers into their home. Some of them have gone so far as to pull their home off the market and wait until a later time to sell their home. 

Due to this, may sellers have decided to do virtual showings. This will reduce the amount of physical buyer visits to a home, and a seller will feel more comfortable in keeping or putting their home on the market for buyers to enjoy. 

I totally understand there are buyers who are still would like to see the home in person. Nothing beats the “scratch and sniff” test. When a seller agrees to show a home to a buyer through an in-person-visit a buyer needs to be prepared for some possible restrictions the seller puts on the buyer and their agent. 

Some sellers have asked to show the home only to adults over the age of 18, or only buyers who have been given a fully approved pre-approval letter and they have viewed the seller’s disclosure statement. Buyers also have been asked to take their shoes off during a showing, to wear booties over their feet or shoes, to wear gloves during the showing, and to sanitize their hands prior to entering the home. Also be prepared that the sellers asked the REALTOR for you not to open any drawers, touch light switches, or doorknobs.  

In our high-tech world, many sellers have installed interior and exterior cameras to be certain a buyer and their agent do what they have instructed them to do. 

Any buyer who does gets upset about the seller restrictions needs to understand that you don’t know the seller’s current situation and the sellers also had been instructed to thoroughly clean and disinfect their home and any high touch surface before a buyer enters their home.  

buying, education, planning, tips

Potential Meth Lab Homes now complicate the buying process even more

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Buying a home sometimes can be a roller coaster ride. You now have to watch out for meth labs when buying any home. Not only the production, but also casual smoking of tenants or seller will contaminate the house, Continue reading Potential Meth Lab Homes now complicate the buying process even more →

buying, commitment, Communication, Inspiration, selling, Team work, tips

Settles Report for 9/1/2014 to 9/8/2014

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Last week we did not publish the Settles Report. We questioned some of the reported numbers that where subsequently corrected, but too late for us to publish the report during that week.

Continue reading Settles Report for 9/1/2014 to 9/8/2014 →

commitment, Communication, Inspiration, planning, tips

Student loans are affecting home buyers

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budgetEver since the mortgage rule changes that went into effect in 2009, a small but ever growing title wave has been building. Individuals who lost their jobs during the downtrend of the market and decided to go back to school to earn a different degree, or updating their personal education, to put them into a better position for a better paying job. They are not only facing an ever tighter job market but also have put themselves financially behind the 8 ball when it comes to being able to qualify for a mortgage.

Continue reading Student loans are affecting home buyers →