Tips To Home Buyers on Your First Viewing Schedule

So, you're about to embark on what many Americans dream about, buying your first home! The first step in choosing that perfect home is your visual inspection, in other words, taking time to look at the intricacies of the home. dallas homes for sale

Trivia Fact: did you know 49% of homeowners experience a problem with the houses they've bought simply because they didn't spend enough time researching or checking out the property? You don't have to become a statistic if you follow a few simple rules:

Do a background search on the property, including the area surrounding it. This will save you time from viewing a property that will not meet your requirements for a neighborhood, or location.

Bring a camera and take photos of the homes, carefully taking a close-up shot of the home and other things that you may have liked or disliked about the home. Takes notes on the back of the San Antonio MLS sheet for that specific home in order to prevent confusion later.
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Don't be afraid to ask about the fixtures, attachments, HOA association dues, noise level, average utility bills, etc. If the homeowner is home, take advantage and ask questions, after all, they know the property very well.

Real Estate agents are only human - you can not expect to see all the houses you want in a short span of time. There are only so many hours in a day so you must prepare yourself to view a set number of homes, and keep your expectations realistic. Also, be open with your Real Estate agent if they offer free transportation, or would rather meet up somewhere in between. dallas homes for sale

Be on time. REALTORS® schedule appointments for the homes they will be showing, and it is important to stay on time as many homeowners have to make arrangements to leave the property.

Schedule second showings with your REALTOR® of your top pics and take your time getting to know the property before an offer is presented and perhaps drive by at different times to get a feel of the neighborhood. Take your own measurements for furniture placement and appliances as well, and if you have children, don't forget to check school boundaries and capping issues.

US NEW HOME SALES FALL IN DEC FOR 2ND MONTH IN A ROW

Sales of newly built US single-family homes fell unexpectedly in December, data showed on Wednesday, the latest indication that the government-led housing recovery might be losing some steam. The Commerce Department said sales fell 7.6% to a 342,000 unit annual rate from an upwardly revised 370,000 units in November. It was the second straight month that new home sales declined. US stock indexes fell on the data, while government bond prices held at higher levels. "This isn't good news. It should put some pressure on the market, especially coming after the disappointing outlooks we saw," said Dan Cook, senior market analyst at IG Markets in Chicago. New home sales for the whole of 2009 fell 22.9% to a record low 374,000 units, the department said.
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The data came as the Federal Reserve deliberated on monetary policy. The US central bank is expected to leave overnight lending rates near zero. At its meeting in December, the Fed announced it would end purchases of agency mortgage-backed securities in March.
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The program has depressed mortgage rates, contributing to the housing market's healing in recent months. But the housing market recovery is showing some signs of fatigue after a surge in sales as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of a popular tax credit, which had been scheduled to expire in November. It has since been expanded and extended until June this year and while analysts expect home sales to pick up as a result, they reckon the pace will not be as strong as witnessed with the initial tax credit. Courtesy:- ET dt:- 28-jan-2010 For more information regarding apartment in mumbai, bedroom apartments, buy property in india, commercial complex in india, commercial real estate, commercial space in mumbai, dealers, flats for sale, indian real estate investment, investment options in real estate, luxurious flats, malls, office space, office space in mumbai, online real estate, penthouses mumbai, plots, property consultants, property in mumbai, property india, property investment, real estate company, real estate developer, real estate mumbai, real estate in india, real estate investment strategies, real estate market, real estate news, real estate portals, realtors, realty, residence, residential real estate, sell property, shop, villas, Residential Apartment.
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Stockton Foreclosures for Sale

To be successful today, investors have to be smart and cautious. Let us face it. Foreclosure investing is a business that

comes with a lot of risks. In order to avoid committing costly mistakes when buying Stockton foreclosures for sale, you

should make sure that you have all the facts needed in order to make an informed decision.
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Weigh Benefits Over Risks

Part of every buyer's strategy should include weighing the potential dangers against the benefits. In this case, there are a

lot of things to check before you are sure that you can handle any unexpected surprises.

For instance, the foreclosure home should be inspected by a professional inspector from roof to the foundation. Most of

these homes are abandoned and require rehabilitation. The cost for doing the renovation should be anticipated and calculated

in order to see if they could fit your budget. Always make room for emergency repair work since not all damage can be seen

initially. dallas homes for sale

In relation, you must prepare your finances accordingly. If you are planning on paying cash for one of these Stockton

foreclosures for sale, keep in mind that most sellers might give you additional incentive or discount. Take advantage of

such offers. On the other hand, if you are getting financing, be sure to be pre-approved for a mortgage loan and submit a

copy of the pre-approval letter when you make an offer. For certain, the seller will appreciate this.

Another risk to be addressed involves the title or deed. There are instances when a secondary lien is attached to the

Stockton foreclosures for sale and the new home owner has to deal with the inconvenience that it brings.
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The Benefits

Of course, any investor would tell you that investing in repossessed properties can be considered to be lucrative. Among the

benefits include instant equity, great potential and savings. And since it is a buyer's market out there, you can further

enjoy the other perks that sellers offer to attract buyers. Considering these, it is not surprising that a lot of investors

take a chance with these Stockton foreclosures for sale.
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Homeowners Catch-22 -- To Sell and Buy or Vice Versa

Homeowners usually find themselves in a quandary when determining which must come first. Do they have to sell their current home before they can go for an upgrade? Or can they just go ahead with the purchase even if the old home has not yet been disposed?

For first time owners, the situation is simple. They can just purchase their dream home once they get their mortgage application pre-approved. If you are renting, the situation is not complicated. Once you have figured out how you can get your equity out of the rented home, you can proceed to purchase your home. Unfortunately, the situation is not as simple for homeowners, especially the first time sellers. dallas homes for sale

There are certain variables that you have to consider when making the decision. The first thing that you must consider is your personal circumstances. You must also determine how much of a risk you can afford to take. You have to look at the market conditions. Are you in a buyers market or a sellers market? Can you be able to get a bridge financing? What type of home are you planning to purchase? Is it a resale home or a brand new home? You must weigh a lot of things so that you don't end up holding an empty bag at the end of the day.

As a general rule, it is better for you to buy first when you are in a sellers market since it is easier to dispose of your current home than buy a new one. You definitely don't want to end up without a place to stay because you failed to buy a home before you vacated your old home. You must negotiate with your bank for a bridge financing for the home that you are planning to purchase. This is your safety net in case you are not able to dispose of your current home before you close the new purchase.

On the other hand, you must sell your current home first before you make the buy if you are in a buyers market since it is easier to buy a new home than to sell your old home. By then, you will be able to know your budget range and take advantage of the declining prices of real estate properties. In some cases, you may even elect to wait it out until home prices bottoms out. dallas homes for sale

The situation becomes simple if you are going to sell your current home and purchase a pre-sale. You only have to consider the delivery date of the developer and you will have to close the deal within 30 days from said date. This gives you more time to work on a good deal with your prospective buyer. In most cases, you have about three to five months to work out a deal with your buyer before you close the deal with the developer.

You can also add a clause in your agreement with the seller that will make the purchase dependent on the sale of your home. This special clause in the agreement will normally run for one to two months, depending on the prevailing conditions in the market. Under this arrangement, the seller can still offer the property to other interested buyers within the period covered by the time clause. If he receives an offer that is acceptable to him, you will then have to meet the subject clauses within 24 to 48 hours or give up your right to purchase the home. It is under this situation that bridge financing is very essential. dallas homes for sale

Pay Less Real Estate Commission

Yes, you can pay less real estate commission on the sale of your home. Regardless of which state you live in, all real estate commissions are negotiable. Real estate agents prefer you to pay the "standard" fee of 7%, but times are different.

This latest recession/depression has put a big hurt on real estate agents and brokers. With home sales down many agents are not selling as much as they used to. Life on easy street has changed for many of them.

How much does an agent make on a sale?

A typical listing agent will split the real estate commission 50% with the selling agent. So, on a $200,000 home the "standard" commission of 7% would be $14,000. So, your listing agent gets half, or $7,000. Now the listing agent doesn't get to keep this full amount unless they're also the broker. Often, the agent and broker will split 50/50, or each getting $3,500. Many agents will sell one house a week. That's $182,000 a year! Now, if they both list and sell your house they make double. Not bad for a little bit of work, huh? dallas homes for sale

How do you find an agent that will negotiate?

First, look for agents at smaller real estate companies, or even better yet, independent owner/brokers. They're much more likely to reduce their fees. Also, agents at the bigger real estate companies will be under more pressure from their brokers not reduce their commissions.

Start making a list from the internet or yellow pages of all the local real estate agents in the area. Then get on the phone and ask them a few questions, such as:

"How long have you been selling real estate?" "How many houses do you sell a year?" "What is the average length of time it takes you to sell a home in my neighborhood?"

By asking these questions, you're letting the agent know that you're qualifying them over the phone, and that you're in charge. dallas homes for sale

Next, ask if their real estate commission is negotiable. If they respond with a "no", thank them for their time and move on to the next call. Don't waste your time or theirs arguing.

If their response is a "yes" or a "maybe", let them know you'll be conducting face-to-face interviews in the next week. Get their cell phone number, so you'll be able to reach them easily.

When you've finished your list set up appointments with the ones you feel most comfortable with. Give them your address, so they can present a marketing plan for your property. Also, let them know you expect them to submit their best offer as far as a commission is concerned.

When you meet with the agents do not sign a contract or make a commitment on the spot. Many agents will try to "close the sale" and walk away with a listing. Tell them you haven't finished interviewing all the agents and you'll get back to them. Be honest with them if someone else is offering a lower commission rate.

It's ok to go back and forth negotiating with agents on a commission rate. They're used to negotiating, just not with their inflated commissions! dallas homes for sale

Choose the agent who you feel has a reasonable real estate commission, and one who will do the best job of selling your property for the most money. Good luck!

How Choosing the Right Category can affect the Success of Your Article

The internet, as an information superhighway, has a wealth of information that people use every day. This being the case, it would be great to know how to find what you are looking for using categories.
By utilizing different categories, it would be easier to search for the right information you need. When you use the services of online stores such as eBay and Amazon, there are various categories available to help you find the products you're looking for. When you go to business directories, companies and organizations listed there are also classified into categories. When you submit to article submission directories, you also need to specify the category where your writeup should be listed.
A category refers to a group or subject that includes a list of more specific topics. The subjects that fall under the main category can be considered sub-categories.
Let's take an example. Business can be one major category. Under this, the list can include printing, car washing, hair salon, dry cleaning, catering, internet marketing, real estate and so on. Under internet marketing, you can have more sub-categories which can include ecommerce, article writing, network marketing, online advertising, blogs and so on.
If you're involved in a particular business and want to advertise or promote your products and services online, you need to choose the right category. Additionally, if you aim to promote yourself as an expert in a particular field, you should submit articles in the appropriate category to ensure that your write-ups get read by your target audience. If you choose the wrong category, your article may even get rejected by the editors and won't get published online at all.
For example, the family category has often been wrongly associated with articles that are supposed to be covered under home, health and even pets. Sometimes, articles related to travel and family trips are wrongly included in the holiday category which is actually meant for celebrations and other festivals (particular on US directories). dallas real estate
Take a few moments before you decide on what category your article or business should be included. Doing so will ensure your article is approved and published quickly and your business will easily be found online, under the correct search terms.

LOSS MITIGATION PART 1 BANKS OVERWHELMED

Before the spring of 2009, there was no standard set of rules for loan modifications in the United States or in Phoenix, Arizona. Each lender in Phoenix, AZ had its own rules as to how they wanted to handle loan modifications. In most situations, the loss mitigation through loan modification process heavily favored the banks. Their main concern was to find a way to recover the money that a home owner was behind in payments. Generally, the banks would either increase the monthly payment or extend the term of the payments so that those late payments would just be paid off at the end of a loan. Usually, when the loss mitigation through loan modification process called for increased payments, the foreclosure of a property was only delayed by a few months, because there was no way that they could make a higher payment. A new program, announced in the spring of 2009 by the Obama administration has changed the loss mitigation through loan modification process. The guidelines for loss mitigation through loan modification have changed. This program mandated that mortgage payments be reduced to just thirty one percent of the home owner's income. For many Americans, this meant that they could once again afford to pay their mortgage payments. The loss mitigation through loan modification process, appeared to be a great helping hand. However, the program only covers mortgages through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA, but it is widely thought that most other lenders will choose to follow the guidelines for loss mitigation through loan modification as laid out by the Obama Administration. The Making Home Affordable Modification Program has placed the focus right on loss mitigation through loan modification. Many in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure didn't even know what loan modification was. Since the program's inception, there have been scores of people flooding into banks to request loss mitigation through loan modification. With all of these people facing the time crunch to avoid foreclosure, this has placed the burden of a national housing crisis squarely on the backs of the Loss Mitigation Department at your bank and every bank. Before the housing crisis and the crash of the dallas real estate market, foreclosures were not very common. Most lenders and mortgage providers kept a staff of just a few people to handle loss mitigation. Foreclosures were not very common and loan modifications were even less common. However, the times have certainly changed. Banks and lenders have increased the size of their loss mitigation departments exponentially. This has meant thousands of people needed to be trained to work with loan modifications and all of the other tasks that fall to the loss mitigation department at a lending institution. There are horror stories abound regarding customers having to hound and hassle Loss Mitigation Departments to get their paperwork pushed through to avoid foreclosure. Loss Mitigation Departments are currently still understaffed, under experienced, and overworked. Read Part 2 of our Loss Mitigation Report to Find a Better Solution to avoiding foreclosure. dallas real estate