It is an alluring thought. Purchasing a home for next to nothing, especially compared to other home prices for the same size and type of home, and work on fixing it up. Not only are you going to get a lower purchase price, but you can make the home look the way you want it to. It sounds like a great plan but for the first-time home buyer, fixer uppers can be worrisome. It is always best to work closely with your real estate agent and other trusted experts before you make this decision. Consider some of the factors that may be risks to consider.

The Risk of the Unknown

The biggest reason many experts stay away from the fixer upper even when they are seasoned investors is that there is the risk of the unknown. A home that is in bad shape, such as…

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Is now the time to purchase a home? Buying a home is a big decision in every situation, no matter the time or the area. The key thing to remember is that buying a home now is a personal decision, one you have to make based on whether your individual circumstances are in the right place right now, including your budget and financials. Yet, when you look at the mortgage industry as a whole, you may notice some instances in which there are big reasons to make now the time you buy a home.

#1: Interest Rates Are Low

Compared to just a few years ago, interest rates are low right now. When buying a home, this is one of those factors you simply do not want to pass up on. Lower interest rates mean you'll pay less to buy a home, even by thousands of dollars.

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There are few things that give you more of a sinking feeling in your stomach than realizing that you just bought the wrong house.  To keep yourself from ever having to experience this sinking feeling firsthand, you need to be aware of the warning signs that tell you to think twice before buying a particular new house.  These are the warning signs that every homebuyer should know and look for when they are buying a house.warning_signs_400

Fleeing Neighbors

Are there a lot of homes for sale on the street or in the neighborhood where you are thinking of buying a house?  If so, you want to ask yourself why.  It is a common mistake to focus only on the home that you are thinking of buying, but you should take the time to check out the surrounding area.  If a lot of the…

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buyers__sellers_sign_400It's not unusual for home buyers to have cold feet when buying a home.  In fact, it happens all the time.  The trick is to just get over it.  Of course, getting over it could mean working through the feelings and buying a home or realizing that your cold feet are trying to tell you something and buying a different one.

Consult Your List Of Needs And Wants

The first step to getting over cold feet is consulting your list of needs and wants when it comes to your future home.  If you don't have this list, then take your time compiling it now.  When you have this list in front of you, you can check it to see how close the home that you are thinking of buying fits its criteria.  If it looks good on paper, then move on to the next step.

Consider Your Home…

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curb-appeal_350You want to make the best first impression possible when selling a home, because that impression could make or break the entire deal.  The first impression is made when the potential buyer first sees the house, thus the outside of the house must be dressed to impress.  Here's how you can do that and why it is so important.

It's All About The Outside

It really is all about the outside.  Every potential buyer will decide what tone the viewing of the home for sale will take when they first lay eyes on the exterior of the home.  People know that if you don't take good care of the outside of the house, then you probably don't take good care of the inside of the house either.   

Make It Look New

Do whatever it takes to make your home look like new.  A…

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images_239_01The best strategy for selling a house is to focus on the important details and let the minor ones fall into place on their own.  You do need to have a strategy because without it you are flying blind and leaving the progress of your home selling efforts to chance.  Take this strategy and follow it to the letter.  You will see why it is the best.

Pick A Deadline

Pick a deadline for when you want to have your home sold.  This will force you to decide if you are in a rush or if you can afford to have the home sitting on the market month after month.  How quickly you want to sell your home will affect how you sell it, so get clear on when you want your deadline to be.

Decide On Your Acceptable Price Range

Your acceptable price range will be…

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check_out_prices_400It's true that selling a home is possible in any housing market.  Don't believe the naysayers who claim that it isn't possible because they are often the ones who either don't know what to do to sell a home, or who aren't willing to do it.  Let them tell you that you can't sell your home in this market right up until the day that you do.

Price It To Sell

Pricing your home to sell in the current housing market is imperative.  To do this, you need to know what the current real estate market is doing in your area, but you don't want to ask your friends, watch the news, or read a few isolated articles to figure out what it is doing.  Instead, you will want to locate those homes in your area that are comparable to yours and find out what their stories…

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Your goal is to purchase a home and, in doing so, you know you need the largest down payment you can. Most lenders now require some level of a down payment. This could be between three percent, if you are getting an FHA loan, up to 20 percent or more, for a conventional loan. Saving that amount of money can seem challenging, but a few tips can help you to do just that.

#1: Go to a Cash Flow System

Don't use your credit cards. Realize you spend more when you use credit, both in terms of buying more freely and in paying interest. Moving to a cash only system, where you buy what you need to only with cash on hand, can help you to save significantly.

#2:  Make It Automatic

Don't trust yourself to transfer a set dollar amount from each paycheck into…

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Choosing a real estate agent can be just as important as choosing a home to buy. After all, this person, you hope, is going to help you to find the home that's right for your needs. Don't overlook the process of choosing a professional you can count on. These tips will help.

  1. Choose a professional with local experience. This is by far the most important component. You want someone that knows the area well and that can give you frank, honest advice about any property available in the area.
  2. Choose an agent that will tell you no. You want to ensure you are working with a real estate agent that is willing to provide you with accurate information, not just information you want to hear. Be upfront with the agent about this before agreeing to work with him…

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Questions & Answers With Broker Jennifer Dollar...

Keeping your agents motivated is key to maximizing your business; in the following interview, Jen Dollar, Broker/Owner of Realty Executives Orlando in Central Florida and Seminole, lets us know what it takes to stay on top.

Dollar_Jen

Years in real estate: 10
Number of offices: 3
Number of agents: Over 100
Region served: Seminole and Orange counties
Best advice for creating work/life balance: Hire a great assistant. You can’t do it all and if you try to, you’re going to fail. Focus on what you’re good at.

Why did you choose the Realty Executives International franchise?
We interviewed pretty much all of the major franchise companies and we found that Realty Executives Intl. gave us the flexibility to run…

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