home: Why Use a Realtor® in Columbus, GA? - 10/21/13 05:37 AM
As the economy continues to improve and more buyers commit to joining (or rejoining) the ranks of our area’s homeowners, access to reliable advice can be a vital difference-maker. If you have never worked with a Realtor® in Columbus, GA before, it’s important to understand the benefits they bring to the table — benefits that cause 84% of successful home buyers to state that they would work with their Realtor again in the future.
Understanding Your Buying Power A Columbus, GA Realtor is trained to help clients determine just how much house they can comfortably afford, avoiding a later ‘too much … (0 comments)

home: First Time Home Buyer Tips - 10/21/13 05:33 AM
The price tag that goes with buying a home is hefty enough to give anyone pause. After the fact, anyone – perhaps especially Columbus, GA area first-time homebuyers — can come away
 wondering if they have could have nailed down a better deal. Preventing any such nagging doubt is easy to do: it just takes a little forethought and preparation. Here are a few tips to bear in mind when buying a home.
After you have submitted an offer, be mentally prepared to respond in case a counteroffer follows. Along with the improvement in the Columbus, GA market, we’ve seen a rise … (0 comments)

home: First Time Home Buyers: Prepare Now! - 04/02/13 02:01 AM
It can happen when you least expect it: an opportunity unexpectedly opens up – and you suddenly realize that the time to become a homeowner is here! It may happen when the landlord of the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area home you have been renting suddenly decides it’s time to sell. Or, during a search for a rental, you happen upon a new Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area listing that’s such a bargain you’d be crazy not to snap it up!
For Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area first-time buyers, unexpected opportunities like these may be the first time they seriously entertain … (1 comments)

home: A Homes Value Checklist For Buyers - 04/02/13 01:42 AM
When you search through the latest listings of Columbus, GA – Phenix City, AL area homes, you first find those that fit your top-line needs. Then you winnow down that list. Some of the candidates will seem more appealing than others; and some will seem to be over- or underpriced.
Before making a final judgment on which homes bear a closer look, the most successful homebuyers also factor in qualities that may not be at the top of their own personal priorities list, yet which make a difference to the majority of homebuyers. In other words, they keep in mind the … (1 comments)

home: 7 Things No One Tells First Time Homebuyers - 04/02/13 01:09 AM
First time homebuyers in the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area are told a lot of things —
“Save your money,” their parents advise.
“Location, location, location!” their friend’s friend cautions.
 
Reasonable advice, for certain. But there some important elements of the home buying process which a typical Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area first time homebuyer doesn’t usually hear. I’ve listed some of the most important ones, in no particular order:
1.  Mortgage rates you see advertised aren’t usually what you get
The banner ads are everywhere online: “3.2% rates!” “No money down!” But the truth is, mortgage rates vary greatly. The … (1 comments)

home: When a kitchen shines, Realtors beam! - 04/02/13 12:27 AM
Keeping control of your kitchen is one of the most basic actions you can take to help your real estate agent sell your home. The execution can be simple when it’s approached systematically. 
Especially during the winter months, kitchen control can seem an all but unmanageable task. Days are shorter; kids or pets may be cooped up inside; and everyone tracks winter through the kitchen all day long. But Spring is here! To help you keep your kitchen looking great (and your Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area real estate agent beaming), some simple preparation is needed. That, plus sticking to a … (0 comments)

home: Buying a Columbus, GA Bank Owned Home? - 01/09/13 08:55 AM
In our Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area market “Bank-Owned Homes” are usually described as “Foreclosures”. Even though the terms are used interchangeably here and in other places, there is a difference. The difference between a “Foreclosure” and a “Bank-Owned Home” may be technical, but important to understand.  Foreclosures are properties that are auctioned off in a court process. A bank-owned home, on the other hand, is one that has reverted to the mortgage issuer: a bank.
A foreclosure can change hands with the bang of the auctioneer’s gavel: it’s a cash-in-hand situation, carrying all of the excitement (and risk) of any … (0 comments)

home: Getting a Mortgage - Understanding the GFE - 01/09/13 08:43 AM
When you plan on getting a mortgage in the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area anytime this year, you’re fairly certain to run into something known as the GFE. It’s the acronym for ‘Good Faith Estimate’-- and despite the reassuring name, the federal government decided they had better make it mandatory. 
The GFE has a new format dictated by the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act which requires lenders to provide an estimate of the charges and fees due at closing. Lenders have three days to make it available.
The GFE looks like a bill. It features a list of fees and … (0 comments)

home: Online home searches guide not decide! - 11/08/12 11:56 PM
We take it for granted at this point, but digitized listings have to be the greatest of all the advances technology has brought to real estate. For both prospective Columbus, GA area home buyers and sellers, the ease and efficiency that has resulted puts past practices back there with horses and buggies. 
There are some unintended side effects, too (isn't it always so?)
The way the search features work, future home owners find themselves thinking objectively much sooner than they used to. In order to narrow down any search, prospects have to decide which features are important right off the bat. Is … (0 comments)

home: Finding a Columbus GA Realtor - 11/08/12 11:51 PM
When you want to sell your house, you want it to bring in top dollar. That means you want to find a Realtor® in the Columbus GA area who has the characteristics of a top performer. He or she may or may not have last month's highest sales volume, may or may not have page after page of onscreen MLS listings. However, there are characteristics you can look for that are bound to point to the best candidate to represent your home in your neighborhood.
1) Understanding You: the Client
I agree with Realtor Magazine:
"One of the strongest ways to increase likability … (0 comments)