first time home buyer: SPOOK-TACULAR News for First-Time Home Buyers! - 10/31/12 03:49 AM
Does buying your first home in the Greater Rochester Area seem downright SCARY?
Does the thought of applying for a mortgage make you SQUEAMISH? Does the prospect of searching for the perfect home make you QUAKE IN YOUR BOOTS? Does the potential of having the deal on your dream home fall through cause a SHIVER TO RUN DOWN YOUR SPINE? Give me a call! I specialize in helping first-time home buyers feel more comfortable about the home buying process. I'd love to sit down with you for a first-time home buyer consultation to explain the entire home buying process and how I … (0 comments)

first time home buyer: How is the Rochester Real Estate Market Doing? Let's Take a Look! - 10/23/09 03:06 AM
If you watch the national news, you're probably bombarded with information about the real estate market. One anchor says the market is still lagging, while another says we're on the rebound. One says the tax credit has been a huge success, while another says it's just a drain on our national resources. Who do you believe??
Personally, I don't put much stock in the national headlines. If you remember one thing after reading this blog entry, remember this: real estate is local! The market in Rochester is different from the markets in Syracuse and Buffalo, and it's certainlydifferent from the market … (0 comments)

first time home buyer: First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Winding Down. Don't Miss Your Chance!! - 07/30/09 04:05 AM
If you've been reading my blog, you've heard me sing the praises of the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit. You purchase a home, and the government gives you back 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000. How can you go wrong??
I have good news and bad news on this front. The good news is that you can still take advantage of this free money!
The bad news is that time is winding down on the tax credit, so you need to act quickly!
How long do you have? Buyers need to be closed on their new homes by … (0 comments)

first time home buyer: Tax Credits: Old vs. New! - 03/05/09 05:44 AM
At the Home Buying Seminar I held this past Tuesday, several of the attendees had questions about the new $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. I purposely added it to my presentation this time because it seems to have caught everyone's attention! Although it's not too complex, there are still some restrictions and guidelines.
That's why I wanted to share this fantastic chart I received this morning from a mortgage professional I work with. The items highlighted in mauve represent the major changes between the old $7,500 tax credit and the new credit.

I hope this helps! This credit really represents … (0 comments)

first time home buyer: Buy Now, or Try to Time the Market? - 02/18/09 08:02 AM
I answered a question on Trulia Voices last night that inspired me to write this blog post. It's a question that I hear in various forms on a regular basis. The question was from a prospective first-time buyer in the Rochester area who was wondering if she should buy now or wait a few months. She had heard that things were only going to get worse for sellers in our area and thought waiting might be the way to go. In other words...
She was considering trying to "time the market".
First of all, I applaud her for asking her question … (2 comments)

first time home buyer: Steps to Homeownership: Finding Your Dream Home! - 12/14/08 09:21 AM
This is the second of a series of posts aimed at educating first-time homebuyers in the Rochester area about the home buying process. I've worked with many first-time buyers who are interested in becoming homeowners but have no clue where to begin. This series will explain the steps to homeownership, as well as giving first-time buyers tips to help the process go as smoothly as possible!
If you missed it, take a look at my post on the first step of the home buying process, Establishing Financing.



Step 2: Find the Right Home
The first step in finding the home of your dreams … (0 comments)

first time home buyer: Steps to Homeownership: Establishing Financing! - 11/30/08 09:35 AM
This is the first of a series of posts aimed at educating first-time homebuyers in the Rochester area about the home buying process. I've worked with many first-time buyers who are interested in becoming homeowners but have no clue where to begin. This series will explain the steps to homeownership, as well as giving first-time buyers tips to help the process go as smoothly as possible!
 
Step 1: Establish Financing
It's important to speak with a mortgage professional before you begin seriously looking at homes. They will look at a number of factors and issue you a pre-approval letter.
Some … (0 comments)

first time home buyer: Home Buying Seminar to be Held in Fairport! - 10/01/08 10:13 AM
I'm excited to announce that Tracy Martinez from Five Star Bank, Marty Sample from M&M Home Inspections, and I will be presenting a FREE Home Buying Seminar on Monday, November 10th at 7 p.m. at the Perinton Community Center, located at 1350 Turk Hill Road, Fairport, NY.

The seminar is focused on educating first-time buyers about everything that is involved in the purchase of a home and how to best prepare for their home search.
Here are just a few of the included topics:
The mortgage process Finding the right home Submitting a purchase offer The role of the attorneys The importance of home … (0 comments)

first time home buyer: Next Rochester-Area Home Buying Seminar Announced! - 10/01/08 08:37 AM
I'm excited to announce that Tracy Martinez from Five Star Bank, Marty Sample from M&M Home Inspections, and I will be presenting a FREE Home Buying Seminar on Monday, November 10th at 7 p.m. at the Perinton Community Center, located at 1350 Turk Hill Road, Fairport, NY.

The seminar is focused on educating first-time buyers about everything that is involved in the purchase of a home and how to best prepare for their home search.
Here are just a few of the included topics:
The mortgage process Finding the right home Submitting a purchase offer The role of the attorneys The importance of home … (0 comments)

first time home buyer: First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit - 09/11/08 08:00 AM
Since I tend to work with a large number of first-time home buyers, I have gotten quite a few questions about the first-time home buyer tax credit enacted in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. I thought it would be useful to address it here.
Firstly, I want to direct anyone who is interested to visit the National Association of Home Builders' First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit page. They have a fantastic overview of both the credit and the entire recovery act.
I'll also summarize it myself. In a nutshell, the tax credit provides first-time buyers with an interest-free … (0 comments)