Why landscaping can make your home sell faster and for more money

by Lynn Taylor

      Plain and simple, the quality of your landscaping determines whether or not your home feels inviting from the outside.   Curb appeal is what people call it and it’s a key ingredient in the decision to buy a home to more than 71 percent of homebuyers. As you know, landscaping plays a huge role in the curb appeal that you present to prospective buyers for your home. The first impression is key: if buyers don’t like what your home looks like from...

How to sell a home that didn't sell

by Lynn Taylor

        The housing market is faring much better than it was a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean every home sells for top dollar or for that matter, sells at all.   So, if your "for sale" sign has been sitting on your front lawn a lot longer than you expected, you might be wondering how to sell your home that didn’t sell when you thought it would.   As a best practice, it ideal to consult your real estate agent, assuming that...

When is the best time of the year to sell?

by Lynn Taylor

    You want to sell your home, maximize the amount you sell it for and get it sold in a reasonable amount of time. While there’s no horrible time of the year to sell your home, there are better times of the year to put it on the market to get the best results for yourself. We’ve done the research and the results are in. Here’s the best time of the year to sell. And the winner is… Life happens and sometimes, you just don’t have a say...

Why Get Pre-approved? Structuring Your Offer to Get the Best Deal

by Lynn Taylor

    Buying a home is a dream come true, but the process of getting an offer prepared and accepted can be a nightmare if you don’t know what you’re doing.   There are over 80 variables that need to be managed properly when buying a home and mishandling just one of them could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenses.   Making a home purchase is expensive enough that you don’t need to part ways with any more of your hard-earned...

How to beat other buyers to hot, new listings (Before they even know about them)

by Lynn Taylor

    Buyers want three things when they’re making a purchase:   Selection: Have the largest number of options from which to choose Price: Get a smoking hot deal on what I want to buy Ease of doing business: Don’t make it hard for me to buy it   It doesn’t matter if you’re buying shoes, a toaster or a house, all three of them matter and they usually matter in that order.   And when it comes to buying a home,...

How to Find Bank Foreclosures and Distressed Sales

by Lynn Taylor

      Everyone wants a hot deal.   For those who have the ability/desire to work with a home that is, in most cases, less than perfect, foreclosures and distressed sales represent some of the hottest deals out there   If you want to locate distressed properties, the first thing you have to understand is that no one will usually advertise their home as a “distressed property” unless they are absolutely desperate to unload their home.   Homeowners,...

What will be your payment on your new home?

by Lynn Taylor

    Buying a new home can be overwhelming. Between understanding the financial aspects of your loan and all the paperwork required to buy your home, things can get a little crazy. One of the biggest parts of getting a new home is figuring out the terms and conditions of your mortgage. Two of the biggest areas that impact your loan are credit and your down payment. In this post, we’ll cover both and also explain how to determine the down payment on your new home. Understanding...

What is your debt to income ratio...why should you care?

by Lynn Taylor

      Any time you have more income and less debt, you’re in good shape in life. That said, there is an ideal ratio between your debt and income in order to qualify for a good mortgage.   When your debt to income ratio is on the high side, you run the risk of not getting a good loan (or not getting a loan at all) if your income were to take a hit during right before or during the loan funding process.   Conversely, having no debt can work against...

Why you should wait to buy that car until after your home purchase?

by Lynn Taylor

    Getting preapproved for a mortgage is a major step in buying a home. When done properly, it’s like having cash in your hands so you can negotiate effectively with a seller to buy a home.   It’s easily one of the most important things you can do in order to buy the home of your dreams.   But its name gives you a hint as to how fragile this financing instrument can be.   You see, it’s a “pre” approval, which means you’re...

If your home inspection report comes back bad, now what?

by Lynn Taylor

    One of the biggest deal killers for any real estate transaction is the home inspection. It strikes fear into the hearts of sellers and buyers...even though virtually everything about a home can be repaired or replaced. The good news is that if you have a great real estate agent and a competent home inspector, you can usually handle a failed inspection report properly without having to panic in the process. The key thing to remember is that when the home inspection report...