Archive for February, 2009
Before you start looking for your home do a little research for the mortgage you will apply for. Obtaining a favorable mortgage will affect your finances for years to come. Most people owning homes learn it is their largest investment. You should protect this investment by obtaining a low interest rate mortgage. Other factors affecting the cost of the mortgage are pre-payment penalties, points, mortgage insurance premiums, sales commissions and overcharges for legal and other origination fees. Here are some tips to help make the decisions easier.
Finding the right mortgage takes some research. There are different types of mortgages such as VA, FHA RHS and conventional financing. Qualifying for these different types of financing does require asking questions. Finding the answers will help find the right loan for your house purchase.
There are many mortgage types and these guidelines will help. First, mortgages can be government or conventional. Each category has differing down payment requirements. You may find a three percent down payment for an FHA loan but a one half percent mortgage insurance premium is included in the loan amount. Veterans may be eligible for a no down payment government guaranteed loan. Conventional loans are widely available and vary in terms and mortgage insurance requirements.
The first question you must find an answer for is “How much mortgage payment can I afford”? Arriving at this amount is determined by the interest rate, length of time the mortgage is for and other fees charged for the origination of the mortgage.
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Selling a home is stressful. Being forced to sell your house fast can multiply those feelings. If you are being forced to sell your home because of foreclosure, bankruptcy or a nasty divorce, your house may feel more like a financial burden. The constant financial worry can cause you to feel completely overwhelmed making it harder to concentrate on the things that can help you sell your house fast.
Contacting a real estate investment company can save the day. There are also companies who specialize in selling short sales. Research them carefully because of the amount of scams out there when doing short sales. If you are being bombarded with calls from your lender because you are about to lose your home to foreclosure, investors can immediately remove much of the anxiety you are experiencing by taking over the communication with your lender. This can save your credit rating and allow you to move forward. It’s good to know that real estate investment companies can offer an alternative in real estate when you need to sell your house fast.
In todays market with inventory at peak levels, your home must be in excellent showing condition just to get traffic to see it. In preparing your home for selling curb appeal remains a significantly important issue. If the grass is not cut, and very discolored, or the trees haven’t been trimmed it takes away the very important first memorable impressions your potential buyers have.
In some cases you might have to repaint the exterior part of the house to make it look brand new. Repaint the interior rooms and have the rugs cleaned or replaced if necessary. Check and fix any plumbing, air conditioning or electrical issues. Check the windows and roof for any possible leaks. Once these items are all done you are ready to sell your home.
To reduce your stress hire a well qualified Realtor. Doing it by your self in a market like this will just add more and more stress from not knowing the correct price to list your house for or knowing how to market it correctly to get the showings you need to sell it. The average length of time to sell a house in this market is approximately 180-360 days. If your home is not priced correctly you will not get the showings to sell it.
With short sales and foreclosures at all time highs the competition is extreme. Don’t wait till you are behind on mortgage payments to list your home, or if you purchased another home and need to sell the one you are living in, start selling your old home way before the other home is complete. Follow these simple tips and you will reduce and eliminate some of the stress of selling a home is this very tough Real Estate Market.
Remember the average length of time to sell a home in this current buyers Real Estate Market is between 180-360 days. If your selling a home in the million dollar range that time frame increases to 12- 24 months.
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If you ask anyone who has ever tried to sell their home themselves they’ll tell you that from the moment the “For Sale by Owner” sign goes up, the phone begins to ring. Unfortunately, many of those calls will not be from prospective buyers, but rather from real estate agents looking to obtain your listing. Obviously the idea of not having to pay a commission to a real estate agent is attractive to any home seller. But because of all the issues involved in the process, selling a home on one’s own can be challenging as many home sellers will attest to.
The key is to be properly prepared. If you are not, your home could remain on the market longer than you expect because you are not attracting and getting offers from qualified buyers. This can be a point where many homeowners become frustrated and consider giving up their dream of selling their home themselves. However, there are sellers who accomplish selling their own homes, very well. You can be one of them.
This industry report has been especially prepared to assist home sellers, such as yourself, understand the elements involved so you, on your own, can sell your home quickly and for the most amount of profit. To help you prepare, here are 10 inside tips that you should be aware of before you make the decision as to whether or not this is the right approach for you.
1. Price it Right
Correctly setting your asking price is critical. Setting your price too high can be as costly as setting it too low. Home prices are determined by fluctuations in the marketplace not by your emotional attachment or by what you feel your home is worth. In order to establish a realistic price for your home, objectively compare the price, features and condition of all similar homes in both your neighborhood and other similar ones which have sold in recent months. It is also important for you to be familiar with the terms of each potential sale. Terms are often as important as price in today’s market. Carefully budget your selling costs and prepare a net proceeds sheet to calculate your best estimate of what you will take away from your home sale. Prospective buyers may also request this kind of analysis of buying costs.
2. Prepare Your Home for Sale
First impression is crucial. Make sure your home makes a positive statement by carefully inspecting all details and viewing it through the objective eyes of a buyer. Don’t gloss over needed repairs and fix-ups, as your prospective buyers won’t. Your job is to ensure that your home stands out favorably from the competition.
3. Prepare Yourself With All Necessary Legal Documentation
Not surprisingly, there are many important legal contracts and documents which you must assemble, complete and understand. A partial checklist of forms that you will require for prospective buyers and for legal documentation is as follows:
Mortgage Payoff
Loan Application
Deposit Receipt
Property Profile Fact Sheet
Buyer’s Cost Sheet
Closing & Settlement
Personal Property
Exclusion List
Property Survey
Sellers Statement /Plot Plan of Representation
4. Market Your Home Effectively
Beyond the sign you will put on your lawn, you should find effective ways to spread the word about your home. Local buyers can be reached through the newspaper, but this is only a small part of the market you are after. Be sure you include the many buyers who could already be working with a Realtor®. To locate them, target as many top agents as possible in your market to see if the criteria of their buyers matches that of your home’s. Because out-of-town buyers are also an important target, you should create a strategy to reach these people as well. Above all, you should be very service minded and make it easy for pre-qualified buyers to view your home. Ensure that there is always someone available to answer the phone, pick up messages promptly, and be ready to give qualified prospects a tour of your home as soon as possible.
5. Remain Objective During a Showing of Your Home
Keep emotion out of the sale of your home, and the best way to do this during a showing is to remain physically in the background. If a prospective buyer says something negative about your home, it is better to counter-balance this point of view by illustrating the positives rather than becoming defensive.
6. Pre-Qualify Your Prospects
Don’t waste your time entertaining buyers who could never afford your home. Research their financial steadiness with respect to job security, salary, debts, liabilities and credit standing.
7. Negotiate Effectively & Knowledgeably
There will be many details to resolve before a sale can be considered final: price, terms, inspections, possession date, buyer concerns and objections. Make sure you fully understand the contract you have drawn up so you can in turn explain details and ramifications to the buyer and make any amendments to the sale that are necessary. The contract you use should be thoroughly examined by your real estate attorney. Some real estate brokers may be willing to help you do this. While this is going on, manage the buyer’s interest in your home so that it doesn’t wane during negotiations.
8 . Know Your Buyer
Your objective during negotiations is to control the pace and set the duration. Try to determine what your buyer’s motivation is. Does he or she need to move quickly? Do they have enough money to pay your asking price? Knowing this information will give you the advantage in the negotiation because you will know up front, what you will need to do in order to get what you want.
9. Don’t Move Out Before You Sell
Studies have shown that it is more difficult to sell a home that is vacant. It looks forlorn, forgotten, simply not appealing. It could even cost you money. If you move, you’re also telling buyers that you have a new home and are motivated to sell fast which can, of course, give them an advantage at the negotiating table.
10. Know Why You’re Selling and Keep it to Yourself
The flip side of “understanding your buyer” is to “understand yourself”. Your reasons for selling will affect everything from your list price to how much time and money you will invest in getting your home ready for sale. Your motivation will help you determine what is more important to you: the money you walk away with, the length of time your property is on the market, or both. Different goals will dictate different strategies. As someone who wants to sell without a real estate agent in an effort to save the commission, it is likely that money is one of your primary considerations. Whatever your reasons, however, it is very important to keep them to yourself so as not to place yourself at a disadvantage at the negotiation table. When asked, simply say your housing needs have changed.
How to Assess Your Net Gain
To analyze whether or not you will end up ahead by choosing to sell on your own, consider the fact that most buyers do use a real estate agent because it doesn’t cost them anything for this service (i.e. the seller pays the agent’s fee). Be cautious as buyers, investors and speculators who seek out For Sale by Owners are typically those in search of a bargain. The low-ball offers from these types of buyers will often net you much lower in the long run. What you will have to judge for yourself is the following:
Be as prepared as possible with your marketing, negotiations, evaluations, showings and all legalities.
Consider what it will cost you to effectively market your home and assemble all necessary materials from the “for sale” sign to any contracts.
What price will a buyer offer you as a For Sale by Owner minus the costs identified in point 2 above. Is this net price higher than the price an experienced agent could net for you minus his/her commission?
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