Home > Blogs > Jeana Cowie > Paramus Real Estate Agent area specialist Call Jeana for all your Bergen County Real Estate 201-982-2200

July 2015 Real Estate Newsletter

By Jeana Cowie

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Real Estate Limited

July 01, 2015 12:29 PM

July 2015 Real Estate Newsletter presented by Jeana Cowie of RE/MAX Real Estate Limited

Jeana Cowie is your Bergen County real estate agent

Call Jeana Cowie, your Bergen County REALTOR© C# 201-982-2200

Jeana Cowie, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES

July 2015

Over 600+ Homes SOLD. Paramus Real Estate Agent Specialist. Selling Bergen County Real Estate for 20+ years.
Call Jeana Cowie today at cell 201-982-2200

Consider Total Costs When Mortgage Rates Rise

Price is only one cost related to buying a home. Unless you are paying all cash for your home, you'll need a mortgage loan. Rates are going up, and the terms of your mortgage loan will impact how much your home costs on a monthly basis as well as how much you pay in interest over the life of the loan.
There are a number of things that impact the interest rate including the kind of loan you are getting such as FHA, jumbo or conventional, whether your rate is fixed or adjustable, how good your credit scores are, and how much money you are putting down so that the lender

Mortgage Rates

U.S. averages as of June 25, 2015:

30 yr. fixed:   4.02%
15 yr. fixed:   3.21%
1 yr. adj:        2.50%

View current rates

can lend you less money.
The best way to lower the borrowing costs of your loan is to have your credit in pristine condition.Lenders are requiring credit scores of at least 700 to obtain

CONTINUED >>>

Wondering What Your Bergen County Home Is Worth in Today's Market?

Call me for a free, no obligation market analysis 201-982-2200. Thinking of buying a Bergen County home? Call or email me today Email: jmcowie@optonline.net

Eight No-skip Steps
To Buying a Home

There are eight major steps you will take when you buy a home and each one is as important in its own way as the last.

Make your wish list -- Decide where you want to live and how many bedrooms and baths you'll need. Consider lifestyle -- condominiums offer shared amenities, with little responsibility. Single-family homes offer more space and privacy, but they also require more exterior and yard maintenance. Consider buying a fixer-upper for a reduced cost so you can remodel it to suit your needs.

Get preapproved -- You can prequalify yourself on the internet, but it takes a lender looking at your personal financial information to get prequalified. Your income, credit scores, revolving debts, obligations such as child support as well as the type of loan you choose will influence how much home you can buy. Other factors such as the down payment, interest rate and terms (30-year fixed or an adjustable rate) will determine what you can afford in monthly payments.

Hire a real estate professional -- Armed with a sensible price range, you're ready to hire a real estate expert to help you find the right home. Your real estate professional should be expert in the area where you want to live and familiar with

CONTINUED >>>

The Critical First Two Weeks of Marketing Your Home For Sale

     Brokers share their listings with other brokers in the multiple listing service (MLS) under certain rules of cooperation and compensation. One of the rules of cooperation is that each broker and agent make a new listings available to other MLS members within 24 or 48 hours of signing the listing agreement with the seller.
      This is to give you, the seller, the greatest chance of selling your home during the first two weeks of marketing. This critical two-week period is your best opportunity to sell your home.
      Several key events happen quickly:

Your home will be entered into the MLS showing system with your showing instructions, so that other agents can bring their buyers to see your home. While your listing is being prepared for marketing, your agent will contact his or her buyers and inform colleagues of the new listing.

Other data such as mapping, satellite image, neighborhood information, tax roll data, school information and other data will be added to your listing so that buyers can get the full picture of what it's like to live in your home.

Your agent will either take photos, or schedule a videographer to help market your home with photos and video. This enables buyers to walk through your home and property virtually, so they can choose or eliminate your home when deciding which home to buy.

Your agent may create virtual or printed "feature" sheets that showcase your home's features to advantage, so buyers can remember it was your home

CONTINUED >>>

Thinking of selling?

Call Jeana today for a free market analysis cell 201-982-2200

How To Remove 4 Common Carpet Stains The Eco-Friendly Way

If your home has carpet, you've probably struggled with cleaning a stain or two. It's possible you've filled your shopping cart with an array of conventional carpet cleaners that promise to remove persistent carpet stains. Unfortunately, many over-the-counter carpet cleaners contain toxic chemicals such as phthalates, pesticides, formaldehyde and other ingredients that aren't necessarily safe for humans or the environment.
These cleaners can also build up in the carpet fibers or carpet padding if not rinsed properly—and most homeowners don't have the capability to rinse their carpet as effectively as a commercial carpet cleaner might. Some cleaners can

CONTINUED >>>

Daily News and Advice

Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.

More Articles