Home Buying

132 Things REALTORS Do For Buyers!

132 Things REALTORS Do For Buyers

1. Give you access to my MLS listing database of homes & condos for sale
2. Provide information on neighborhoods, neighborhood amenities, schools, points of interest
3. Provide demographic information on Towns and neighborhoods
4. Give an overview of the current real estate market conditions
5. Explain past real estate market performance and projections
6. Explain my credentials, accomplishments as a Realtor
7. Provide you with references from past clients
8. Explain city real estate development plans
9. Discuss renting vs. buying
10. Discuss pros and cons of property types: condo, single family, multi-family, investment
11. Show how neighborhood values can change quickly from block-to-block
12. Explain your legal options of working with a Realtor
13. Explain that the Seller's Agent...

Our 2023 Home Trend Predictions

Home Trend Predictions

1. Goodbye gray, Hello earth-tones!

 

35 Home Design Trends on the Rise in 2023- Homework Remodels- Steve Shinn

 “The big news is that beige is back,” says interior designer and color expert Jennifer Ott. “But it has different undertones than those from ’90s beige. It’s less yellow and instead has pink or green undertones.” At the end of 2022, we started noticing a lot of grey paint being replaced by white or green. We are going to see even more deep earth tone colors, mixed with...

Working with a Buyer's Agent

   Why would I work with a buyer's agent?

     Buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you will make in your lifetime (except for the people lining up for a spot aboard Space X), so you should treat it that way. You need someone who experiences the industry daily to represent your interests in such a large transaction. Regardless of how many times you have bought and sold a home, the real estate market is changing every day. Time and time again there will be hiccups. When these hiccups arise, you will want someone in your corner and only your corner. Time, money & stress can all be saved by using a Realtor when you buy a home!

     Often, we have buyers call in asking to schedule a showing with the listing agent of a home. It is typically not...

CAN I GET A MORTGAGE WITH BAD CREDIT?

CAN I GET A MORTGAGE WITH BAD CREDIT?

If you have bad credit and want to obtain a mortgage to buy a new home, you may feel as though it's impossible since lenders tightened their eligibility rules. There are plenty of so-called “options” available on the Internet for bad credit loans, but you must be very careful to watch out for scams.

Mortgage laws have changed in recent years but, the following general guidelines apply:

• Your credit report must have fewer than two 30-day-late payments in the past two years. 

• Bankruptcies must be at least two years ago, with excellent credit history since then.

• Foreclosures must be at least three years ago, with excellent credit history since then.

If you have a few minor negative marks on your credit, you might be better off simply waiting a few months for those to clear (while continuing to make all your payments on time, of course). Alternatively, you may ask a...

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A MORTGAGE?

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A MORTGAGE?

As you begin shopping for a new home, one question will weigh heavily on your mind: “How long will it take to get a mortgage?” For an extremely tiny minority of home buyers, it will take a few days to apply for a mortgage, get approved, and finalize the contract on a new home.

For the vast majority of home buyers getting a mortgage may take four to six weeks or even longer, if there are negative marks on your credit report or small debts you'd like to pay off before applying for a home loan. It can be very hard to be patient with the process.

Applying for a mortgage may seem mysterious (and even dangerous!), but the process is usually straightforward. Here's what generally happens, in the simplest terms possible.

First Step: Apply for a New Home Loan 

First, you'll talk to a mortgage loan officer...

Top 10 Credit Don'ts

THINGS NOT TO DO DURING THE LOAN PROCESS

1.       Don’t Do Anything That Will Cause A Red Flag To Be Raised By The Scoring System. This may include adding new accounts, co-signing on a loan, changing your name or address with the bureaus. Generally, the less new activity on your reports during the loan process, the better.

 

2.       Don’t Apply For New Credit Of Any Kind. Including those “You have been pre-approved “credit card invitations that you receive in the mail or online. Every time that you have your credit pulled by a potential creditor you could lose points from your credit score. Depending on the elements in your current credit report, you could lose anywhere from one to twenty points for one hard inquiry. For lender inquiries as of Jan. 2007, any indicial inquiries count as one incident through a duration of 45 days....

Seven Steps for First Time Home Buyers

SEVEN STEPS FOR FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS

 

Home buying is exciting and the joy one feels walking into their first home is incomparable. First time homebuyers need to follow certain steps to get on the pathway to homeownership. Following these steps will make your dream of becoming a homeowner in Louisville, Kentucky (or surrounding area) a smooth process.

 

1               Get Pre-Approved? The first step is to talk to a lender.  If you are serious about buying a house, get pre-approved instead of just pre-qualified, that will show buyers that you are serious.  Your lender should be able to tell you what you need to do, give you advice on your credit score, and explain all the details. If you do not understand, feel...