Saint Clair Homes

Fooled into satisfaction by the fact that they can make a larger down payment on a new home with funds received from the sale of their “old”, some sellers fail to address negatives on their credit reports and thereby suffer such consequences as higher interest rates and additional costs associated with obtaining their new home loan.

When Jack and Jill Smith moved into their new house, the first thing they decided to do was renovate the outdated bathroom. “The tub and tiles were avocado green,” Jill complained. “It was straight out of the 70s.” But soon, they’d completely transformed their bathroom, complete with bright track lighting and a Jacuzzi tub. “I love the bathroom now—it’s so luxurious and relaxing. It was definitely worth both the time and the money,” Jill said.

This is a frequently asked question, When is the right time to sell my home? Well, most people prefer the spring or summer months to move so this is when the real estate market is brewing, but the market can start heating up as early as February. This is especially true of families with children because they’d prefer to move during the summer vacation and get settled into their new home before the new school year begins. The market usually stays active through the fall, But when November comes things slow down pretty quickly and stay that way through January.

Selling a home on a busy street presents many challenges. Accentuating the positives and making sure it has the best curb appeal possible are just a couple of things you can do to obtain the best offers. The great thing about selling a home on a busy street is that a lot more people will see it! Make sure your Realtor uses a new, clean sign that is easily visible. For more tips see the original article

Mold is everywhere. It exists as spores in the air that float about and attach themselves to anything that helps them travel into our homes. It is only when they end up in a moist and damp environment, that they grow into that stuff that we recognize as mold. Most of us are “immune” to mold however, there are some that have a higher sensitivity to mold. When purchasing a home, be sure to ask during your inspection about the presence of mold. For more details about mold go to the original article

The term short sale refers to a situation where the “sale price” of a home is less than what’s owed on the home. Many sellers will negotiate this option instead of facing a foreclosure. The catch with a short sale however, is any offer must be approved by a third party (usually the bank that holds the mortgage). In order for a bank to accept an offer the can be no “profit” going to the sellers. The sellers are seeking forgiveness on the outstanding portion of their mortgage, not a capital gain. Short sales can be a long and tricky process.

This is a series of articles that covers everything that you need to know to buy a house:

1) Establishing your real estate goals.

2) The Loan Process

3) Searching...

4) The Tour & 5) Selection

6) The Contract

7) Negotiations

This is a series of articles going in depth about escrow.

1) Escrow Basics

2) Escrow: What is a Closing Statement?

3) What About Cancellations?

4) Property Taxes

There are many benefits to home ownership. The big one that everyone wants to take advantage of comes at tax time. There are many other benefits as well, including freedom to do what you like as far as decorating and vacuuming in the middle of the night. No longer will you have to put up with the noisy people that live above you. However, prior to purchasing a home, there are some things you might want to consider.

Read more at: http://www.realestateabc.com/homeguide/home-ownership-benefit.htm

Buying a Bank Owned property is not always the “steal” that everyone thinks it is. The bank rarely will do any repairs and will always put the words “as is” in their contract. Most of the responsibility for the property, (sometimes including back taxes, water bills, and now possibly past utility bills) falls on the purchaser.

To read more about purchasing REO properties, go to: http://www.realestateabc.com/homeguide/reo.htm