Homes & Loans

Homes & Loans

This introduces our blog post category of Homes & Loans

Under this category of Homes & Loans, we post for home buyers, home sellers, and homeowners related to home buying, home selling, and homeownership.

For Buyers:

1. Is it a good idea to use a buyer’s agent?
2. Interviewing an agent.
3. How do you find a good realtor?
4. How do you find the best real estate agent in your purchase area?
5. Understanding loan types (FHA, VA, etc)
6. Identifying loans for first-time buyers.
7. Why you should hire a home inspector
8. Should you buy, anyway? Why not rent instead?
9. Tax deductions available to homeowners.
10. Understanding property taxes.
11. Understanding current and historical real estate market values.
12. Market appreciation rates by property type.
13. Understanding credit scores and how they affect the home loan.
14. Credit repair.
15. Benefits of the loan pre-approval.
16. Documentation for a loan application.
17. Understanding neighborhoods.
18. Affordability issues.
19. The buying process and its timelines.
20. Homes for young people.
21. Homes for retired people.
22. Pros and cons of property types (single-family home, townhome, condo).
23. Buying a new construction home.
24. Understanding homeowner associations.
25. Understanding the escrow process.
26. Understanding title insurance.
27. Understanding the difference between a mortgage and a deed of trust.
28. Buyer FAQs.

For sellers:

1. For sale by owner (FSBO). Is selling by owner a good idea?
2. Finding a listing agent
3. Negotiating listing agent fees.
4. Hiring a listing agent.
5. Listing agent’s marketing plan.
6. What online presence will your home have – floor plans, images, etc?
7. Making sure potential buyers know good things about the neighborhood (places to eat, places to visit, places to shop, police stations, fire stations, etc)
8. Pricing your home.
9. Selling furnished or unfurnished.
10. Understanding the CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) in determining the price.
11. Understanding current market conditions.
12. What’s the best time to sell your home? Buying and selling seasons.
13. How to prepare your home for sale.
14. Upgrade costs that can recover on resale.
15. Inexpensive upgrades.
16. How to stage your home for sale.
17. Creating curb appeal.
18. Dealing with open houses.
19. Dealing with potential buyers touring your home.
20. Getting ready for the appraisal.
21. Why you should get your own home inspection.
22. Preparing for the buyer’s inspection.
23. Negotiating offers after the buyer’s inspection.
24. Should you “carry back” a loan?
25. Seller FAQs.

For homeowners:

1. Refinancing the home.
2. Home improvement loans.
3. Home improvement costs.
4. Reverse mortgages.
5. Renting your home out.
6. Finding renters.
7. Rental agents.
8. Management agents.
9. Evictions.