Saint Clair Homes

New homes are better than older homes: are they? Buying a new construction home may not be as easy and smooth as you think.

Things to look for

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When Jack and Jill Smith moved into their new house, the first thing they decided to do was renovate the outdated bathroom.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.

Hooray! You made it through the searching, negotiations and paperwork. You’re not off the hook yet. Now it’s time to actually move. This step starts with packing up all of your belongings, which you’ve probably already done. Next is the decision of moving on your own with help of friends and family, or using a moving company.

Finally the day has arrived! This is when all of the documents that have been prepared up to this point are put into the final documents. During this step you and your real estate agent have the opportunity to review these documents and make sure that they are as you thought they would be. This is the time to catch any mistakes and to make any corrections that you see fit. Many times your real estate agent will receive these and go over them, letting you know if they are correct or if there’s anything that needs your attention.

Now that you have an accepted purchase agreement and the inspection satisfactory; it’s time for the escrow step. The escrow process is handled by a neutral third party, known as an escrow company. Their job is to carry out the terms of the contract as it is written, and to ensure that all of the monies are distributed properly. (This actually where you will see your “earnest” money again)