Blogs

4 Steps to Take When Preparing to Buy a Home 

by jvanhoepen | November 22, 2011

Interest rates are at record lows, and many homeowners have priced their homes to sell. Many buyers who waited for rock-bottom prices know that now is the time to buy. Whether you want to buy a home before the end of the year or wait until 2012, there are some things you can do now to prepare

1. Find out how much home you can afford. Before you do anything else, find out how much home you can afford. To do this, look online for a quality mortgage calculator. Mortgage calculators show you how much home you can afford based on your income, an average interest rate, and the length of the loan.

Real Estate Agents - How Real Estate Agents Help the Buyer and Seller 

by jvanhoepen | November 21, 2011

Real Estate Agents help a buyer to connect with a seller and do it while looking out for your best interests. Many real estate agents will also help tenants to find landlords and take care of the rental property for the landlords. They do this by bringing together the two parties and earn a commission for the service that they provide.

When brokering a sale they will charge a commission just for the seller, but when doing rentals they will normally charge both parties that take part in the transaction. The way that they will calculate their fee is by taking a certain percentage of the price the property sells for or as part of the rent. When wanting to sell a property, a person will give details about the property to the real estate agent and often times leave the keys with them so they will be able to show it to interested parties.

Selling Tips 

by jvanhoepen | November 21, 2011

Selling a condo, or any big ticket item for that matter, has become more daunting within the current economic environment. Over-construction, tougher loan restrictions and general economic uncertainty are just some of the obstacles facing sellers these days. In a time when most are liquidating assets and hoarding what cash they can, how can you still get a good return for your condo? While each unit represents its own unique set of accolades and challenges, here is some universally sound advice when it comes time to sell.