realtor advice on buying: Valuable Lessons for First-Time Homebuyers - 01/13/17 08:05 AM
Buying a home can be a particularly stressful, and time-consuming process. Buyers may learn through experience some valuable lessons for buying a home. Here are 5 useful tips for first-time homebuyers to consider when entering the real estate market. 
 
#1 Get your documents in order
To apply for a home mortgage, you will need income and tax documents. Typically, lenders will ask you for 2 recent pay stubs, 2 previous years’ W-2s, tax returns, and the past 2 months of bank statements. Having these documents in hand will save you a lot of time when buying a home.
 
#2 Watch the market 
Stay up-to-date with … (3 comments)

realtor advice on buying: 5 Steps Toward Buying A Home - 12/28/16 10:43 AM
 
Buying a home can be a particularly stressful, painstaking process, especially for first-time home buyers. To prepare you for the real estate market, follow these 5 steps toward buying a home.
#1 Save Years In Advance
Down payment requirements depend on the loan program, ranging anywhere from 3% to 20% of the home value. Zero down payment loans are also available from the USDA or VA for those who qualify. Most buyers should expect to put a large sum of money down to buy a home, so it’s important to plan on saving years in advance. 
In addition to the down payment, is the … (1 comments)

realtor advice on buying: State of Distressed Properties in 2012 - 01/09/12 03:53 AM
State of Distressed Properties in 2012
Predictions are always hard to make and distressed sales are no different. Factors like home values, employment, and consumer confidence will all be determinants of the rising or falling housing market. That is the only thing that is certain.
“Foreclosures aren’t going away right now,” says Andy Firoved, CEO of CounselorDirect, a technology company that specializes in automating processes for various government foreclosure-prevention programs. “We’re going to have a certain level. The question is, how many?”  
These are the predictions made by Firoved:
#1-Government home ownership assistance programs will get more effective.
The … (2 comments)

realtor advice on buying: Distressed Sales: A Little Explination - 12/08/11 09:54 AM
Many people call me to inquire about bank owned properties. . . 
Their belief is that a bank owned property is the best deal.  In many cases, this is true.  But this article will help to better educate you on distressed properties.  In my opinion, a distressed property is any property that is selling below current market value (often significantly below market) due to a number of factors:
1. Distressed properties may come from a number of sources including bank owned foreclosures, short sales or a traditional listing (meaning no third party, such as a bank, yet involved) with an extremely motivated seller. 
2. … (2 comments)