If you’re purchasing a newly constructed home, the blue tape walk-through is an integral part of the buying process. Blue tape walk-throughs can be stressful if you go in blind. So you’ll want to have a plan of action to ensure you get everything you need from the builder of your new home by the
Buying a House
Buying a home is hardly ever a simple real estate transaction. The process can be intimidating and sometimes involves lengthy negotiations before a buyer and seller reach an agreement. The path to an agreement is often paved with offers and counteroffers. As a buyer, you get to make the first offer. But you must be
Functioning, modern appliances can add a tremendous amount of value to your home. The sum value of all appliances can be worth several thousand dollars. So, getting the appliances included with your home purchase can have a tremendous impact on the home’s “true” value. As you’d probably expect, whether appliances come with the house will
Mortgage rates and inflation are two crucial pieces of our economy and have a significant impact on each other. As a reminder, inflation is the increase in the prices of goods and services, which reduces the purchasing power of money as a result. On September 21, 2022, the federal reserve increased interest rates for the
Think of the lifelong memories you’ll create with friends and family on a lakefront property with a scenic body of water in the background. The memories will be priceless, but the waterfront property will have a price – and the price will be hefty. Whether it’s your long-awaited primary residence, a vacation home for weekend
Owning a home is a significant goal for many Americans. The New York Times reported this year that nearly three-quarters of Americans consider homeownership a high measure of achievement – a higher percentage than graduating from college, building a career or raising a family. The survey also noted that renters often cite affordability and other
When it comes to down payments – size can matter. The size of your down payment can impact many aspects of your home buying journey: the loans you’re eligible for, your interest rate, your monthly mortgage payments, your closing costs and how much you’ll need to pay upfront at closing. But does the size of
If you want to sell your home, costs associated with closing will probably end up being roughly 10% of the home’s sale price. Between real estate agent commissions, attorney fees, transfer tax and escrow fees, home sellers have to pay up before they get paid. Homebuyers also have to fork over thousands of dollars in
Most people who buy a house expect the seller to leave behind the oven and refrigerator, but sometimes, a seller can pass along much more than an appliance. If you’re thinking about purchasing a home with tenants, you may be looking at a turnkey investment opportunity. But there are other things you need to take
Buying your first home is an exciting milestone, but it can be intimidating. There are so many decisions to make. You have to decide where you want to live, how much you want to spend and what type of home you want (think: a condo or single-family home). But here’s a question you may not
Building a home can be a lengthy, expensive and risky process. And if something were to go wrong during the construction process, the developer might be on the hook for quite a bit of money. Anyone interested in building a home wants to protect their initial investment. One of the best ways to keep these
When you’re ready to buy a home, there are many questions you’ll need to answer. One of them is how you’ll pay for your upcoming purchase. For most aspiring home buyers, there are two popular ways to buy a home: with a mortgage or cash. Homes are expensive, and most of us can’t afford to
When most people think of buying a house, they picture browsing real estate listings online and touring a seller’s home with a real estate agent. However, there is another option: purchasing a home through an auction. Real estate auctions are becoming more popular due in part to the current housing market. They may seem intimidating,
Owning a home comes with risks, which is exactly why we buy homeowners insurance. But standard homeowners insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. So what happens if you want to buy a home in a flood zone? A flood zone is an area with an increased risk of flooding. Keep reading to learn more about
Life is all about weighing your options and making choices, especially when it comes to how to spend your hard-earned money. The cost of renting a home increased by 12.3% from July 2021 to July 2022. And the median price to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the U.S. now stands at $1,450.[1] [2] Renting can
More and more couples are buying homes together before marriage. And a few interesting stats can help explain the growing trend. Over the past 20 years, the number of unmarried couples living together has skyrocketed from 6 million to 17 million – which is about 7% of the adult population.[1] Married couples make up fewer
Imagine a perfectly sized home — a place that’s both cozy and chic, minimalist yet welcoming. A place that fits your needs perfectly, without any wasted space. That’s the dream of many home buyers considering a switch to tiny living The tiny house movement is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people recognize the
You’ve finally found your dream home and are getting ready to close in a couple of weeks. You’ve done your research on homeowners insurance, called the insurance company and received a preliminary quote. But before they’re willing to issue the policy, they’re requiring you to submit a 4-point inspection. A 4-point inspection is used to
Home buyers today are navigating one of the most competitive real estate markets in history. With home values rising over 17% year over year,[1] home buyers have learned they need to come in with their best offer if they want a chance at winning a home. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as making an offer
Just like laws vary by country and state, certain houses can be subject to specific rules that owners must abide by. Broadly speaking, a deed restriction is a limitation on what you can do with your property. Some common examples of deed restrictions include prohibiting the use of your home for conducting business activities or
There’s something special about buying something custom-made for you and a home is no exception. A new construction house gives you the freedom to design your own home to your particular specifications. Just don’t forget that new construction homes come at a premium and that you’ll have to endure a lot of planning and waiting.
One of the most important components of the home buying or selling process is getting the home appraised. In fact, many lenders will require an appraisal before a deal can be closed. With an appraisal, an unbiased third party will have the opportunity to take a close look at the home and determine a fair
If you’re shopping for a home, you may already know the differences between single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums and maybe even cooperatives. But you may have paused when you encountered a different kind of real estate known as a planned unit development (PUD). In this article, we’ll explain what a PUD is and its purpose. We’ll
There are many possible paths to becoming a homeowner. In some cases, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer, you might consider a “rent to own” program, often referred to as a lease purchase agreement. Depending on your current financial and personal situation, a lease purchase agreement might help you eventually buy a home that
Did you know that termites don’t sleep? Or that a bedbug infestation can linger even after all your belongings are removed from the home? When you’re in the throes of buying a home, the last things you want to think about are the creepy crawlies that could be just out of sight. Many home buyers
Getting divorced can be a challenging process. Even when the split with your spouse is completely amicable, divorce represents a new chapter in your life that – from a financial, social and emotional perspective – can be difficult to prepare for. One of the hardest questions to answer following a divorce is, “Who gets to
If, like more and more Americans, you’ve embraced working from home, you may be wondering if you can write off your home office on your taxes. The answer depends on a lot of factors, including how you use your home for work, whether you have a dedicated space for your home office and whether you
Whether you’re looking to buy a house, rent an apartment or invest in commercial property, the best way to peruse the market is through a real estate app. Thanks to technology, house hunting is now literally at your fingertips, and it’s easier than ever to buy a house online. All that’s standing between you and
Chain of title is the history of ownership of any real property. Each time a property is sold or transferred from one owner to the next, the title, or ownership, of that property is transferred. The record of all those transfers establishes a chain of title. The concept of chain of title is also used
If you thought buying your first home felt like one of the biggest financial moves of your life, you may have even more to think about if you buy a second home. In particular, you may be wondering: What are the fundamental differences between second homes and primary residences? Why can’t they both be primary