real estate: Common Misconceptions About House Flipping
- 09/25/18 04:44 PM
Reality TV shows have energized everyday people to dive into the real estate market and make money flipping houses. The dramatic presentation and profitable end results make the industry seem like a sure thing. But house-flipping, like any industry, has its share of challenges.
Television often props up ratings by showing industry pros overcoming adversity and getting a big win. But reality, unlike Reality TV, is filled by behind-the-scenes unknown obstacles. While house-flipping has emerged as a viable niche profession, these are some of the common misconceptions entrepreneurs may want to consider before wading into the business.
Perfect Properties Are Available
On television, the … (0 comments)
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real estate: Mistakes Seasoned Home Buyers Often Make
- 09/14/18 10:21 AM
It’s not uncommon today to move several times during adulthood, whether across town or across the country. Seasoned home buyers have been through the real estate process, often more than once. However, even if the home purchase has become routine, there are mistakes that can be avoided.
Stuck In The Past
The real estate market doesn’t stand still. It cycles and shifts, which is why it’s often recommended to rely on a real estate professional for an understanding of the current market. Home buyers with property purchased ten years ago, likely won’t have the same experience buying today. Don’t get stuck in the … (1 comments)
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real estate: Real Estate Remains A Strong Wealth Management Investment
- 09/13/18 11:45 AM
A young long-haul trucker driver once took an elder’s advice and invested all of his money into real estate. Even though he was seldom at home to enjoy the fruits of his labor, he hired a property management company to handle the properties. The advice that stuck with the driver was simple. “They’re not making any more of it, land that is.”
In terms of growing personal wealth, the real estate market may fluctuate, interest rates change, and the GDP can bounce like a ball. But, land is permanent. That may seem like a simplistic view of wealth management. Maybe it is. … (0 comments)
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real estate: Top Real Estate Predictions You Should Know About
- 07/27/18 11:27 AM
Whether you are a homeowner looking to get the maximum return on investment, a buyer interested in fair market value or an industry insider grappling with the moving parts of the real estate industry, these are some trends and predictions you should know about.
Lower Home Supply Causing Significant Value Growth
Indicators point to a U.S. economy that has settled into a nice growth period. Unemployment rates have touched some record lows, wages appear to be on the rise and Millennials are entering high earning and home-buying years. Couple these factors with the fact that last year’s tax reform laws will likely put … (0 comments)
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real estate: Tips For Home Buying In The Digital Age
- 05/16/18 06:22 AM
The digital age has changed the way buyers browse for and purchase goods and services, including real estate. While home buyers still can check out property listings via a print newspaper or by driving through desired neighborhoods in hopes of finding a “for sale” sign, digital sources offer more options and can make the home buying process easier.
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) states in their 2017 Report: Real Estate in a Digital Age, that 44-percent of home buyers look online when beginning their search.
Social Media As Sources For Home Buyers
According to the Pew Research Center, 68-percent or two-thirds of U.S. … (0 comments)
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real estate: The Vegetable Garden: A Fun, Health-conscious Project for the Family
- 04/13/18 08:26 AM
Whether you are hunting for a project that will pry the kids away from their phones or you just want a head start on the spring, few home projects are as rewarding as a vegetable garden.
Invest a few hours in planting today, some maintenance throughout the year and soon you’ll be enjoying some delicious, home-grown veggies. Ready? Let’s get started!
Selecting The Right Spot For Your Garden
The first decision you will need to make is where your garden will live. If you are new to gardening, you can start with a small patch of land in the corner of your backyard. The … (0 comments)
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real estate: Buying a New Home in a Hot Real Estate Market? 4 Tips to Be Successful
- 01/11/18 11:23 AM
Are you in the market for a new house? In a buyer’s market, finding and closing on a beautiful home can seem very easy. However, if you are shopping when the market is hot, you may end up fighting bidding wars and losing your dream home to a competing buyer. Let’s take a look at four tips that you will need to be successful when house hunting in a hot local real estate market.
Tip #1: Do Your Research Ahead Of Time
It should go without saying that in a hot market you will need to move quickly. Making an effort to do … (2 comments)
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real estate: Are You Ready for Home Ownership? Find Out With These 4 Questions
- 11/24/17 08:13 AM
Have you been dreaming about a larger, roomier or more luxurious living space? Or perhaps just want to experience the joy of owning your own home and building your net worth instead of renting? Let’s explore a few questions that can help to answer whether or not you’re ready for a new lifestyle as a homeowner.
Can You Realistically Afford To Buy A Home?
The first consideration to make is a financial one: can you afford it? Buying in a home is a significant financial investment. In most cases you’ll need to manage monthly mortgage payments for many years. The good news: owning … (0 comments)
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real estate: Three Reasons Why Your First Home Should Be a Spacious One
- 10/13/17 12:00 PM
Buying a home for the first time? One of the key considerations you’ll need to make is just how much ‘house’ you want to buy. While going minimal might seem like a good idea to save on costs, having a smaller living space can end up cramping your lifestyle in many ways. Let’s take a look at three great reasons why your first home should be roomy, spacious and luxurious.
You Might End Up With More Family Than You Think
Have you considered whether or not you want to have a family? Whether you’re a single young professional or part of a newlywed … (2 comments)
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real estate: Four Mistakes to Avoid When Making an Offer for Your Dream Home
- 10/05/17 05:30 AM
You’ve scoured the new home listings, been to all the open houses and have finally found the home of your dreams. It is now time to draft an offer and begin the negotiation process. Below we’ll share four mistakes that you will want to avoid when making an offer on your dream home.
Mistake #1 – Not Working With A Professional
The first mistake that home buyers make is trying to buy a home without using the services of a real estate professional. Buying a home is a significant financial transaction and one where the seller and their agent are working hard to … (1 comments)
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real estate: What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 27, 2017
- 02/27/17 06:14 AM
Last week’s readings on new and existing home sales provided further evidence of strengthening housing markets. Both categories of home sales exceeded December’s readings. Consumer sentiment was lower in February than for January and average rates were mixed with fixed rates higher and the rate for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages lower. Consumer sentiment lower in February.
New and Previously–owned Home Sales Higher in January
Home sales volume rose in January regardless of obstacles including higher mortgage rates and rising home prices. The National Association of Realtors® reported more sales of pre-owned homes in January. 5.69 million homes were sold on a seasonally-adjusted annual … (1 comments)
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real estate: Worried About Future Mortgage Rate Increases? ‘Stress Test’ Finances
- 02/10/17 06:46 AM
When it comes to real estate, there are always going to be upswings in the market that will have an impact on your mortgage payment and overall financial health. However, with a fluctuating market here to stay, you may be wondering how you can guard your biggest investment and your finances against rate increases. If you’re concerned about rates on the rise, here are a few tips to test out you’re fiscal well-being.
Calculate Your Debt-To-Income Ratio
It’s beneficial to determine your DTI ratio prior to purchasing a home, but since debt and housing costs are always fluctuating, calculating this number again can … (1 comments)
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real estate: 3 DIY Kitchen Upgrades That Will Boost Your Home Selling Price With Just A Few Hours Work
- 05/19/14 04:06 AM
Homeowners who want to increase the appeal of their residence before putting it up for sale can, within a few hours and with a little elbow grease, perform some do-it-yourself (DIY) kitchen upgrades that are sure to pique the interest of would-be buyers.
Many people either have or are in the process of listing their home, so it makes sense to do as much as possible to attract the interest of prospective purchasers.
It need not cost a proverbial arm and a leg to boost the selling price of a home. Here are three DIY kitchen upgrades that will help homeowners … (0 comments)
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real estate: How Do Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Impact Real Estate?
- 01/22/14 10:38 PM
How Do Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Impact Real Estate?
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in the news quite a bit over the past few years, so it's a good time to do a refresher on who they are and what role they play in the real estate market.
Who Are Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac?
Fannie Mae is the Federal National Mortgage Association. Freddie Mac is the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. They were originally created to raise homeownership levels and increase the availability of affordable housing.
Fannie and Freddie don't sell mortgages directly to homeowners. They … (2 comments)
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real estate: Builder Confidence Up Since Government Shutdown
- 12/18/13 01:06 AM
Builder Confidence Up Since Government Shutdown
According to the National Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Homebuilders Market Index for December, builder confidence recovered in with a reading of 58. This surpassed both expectations of 56 and last month’s reading of 54.
Analysts noted that builder confidence has steadied after the government shutdown. December’s reading was the highest in four months. Dave Crowe, NAHB chief economist, said that his organization was expecting a “gradual improvement in the housing recovery” in 2014.
Any reading above 50 indicates that more builders are confident about overall housing market conditions than not.
Builder Confidence – … (1 comments)
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real estate: Fed Meeting Minutes - Hope Of A Stronger Economy With New Measures
- 10/30/13 11:20 PM
Fed Meeting Minutes - Hope Of A Stronger Economy With New Measures
The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee released its customary after-meeting statement on Wednesday. In the context of meeting its dual mandate of stabilizing pricing and achieving maximum employment.
The FOMC statement indicated that although the economy has improved in areas including household spending and labor market conditions, the national unemployment rate remains high and the housing market recovery has slowed.
Fed Says Fiscal Policy Restraining Economic Growth
The FOMC statement said that current fiscal policy and ”retrenchment” is restraining economic growth as evidenced by failure to achieve benchmarks set … (1 comments)
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real estate: Nail The Final Walkthrough Before Closing
- 10/15/13 12:08 AM
Nail The Final Walkthrough Before Closing By the time you get to the final walkthrough on your property, the home buying process is almost complete. However, it is still important to pay close attention to this final step, as it will be crucial in the success of your home purchase.
The final walkthrough is your last opportunity to ensure that everything in the home is in working order and that there are no potential problems waiting for you when you take over ownership of the property.
While conducting a final walkthrough of the property, give yourself enough time to look carefully … (0 comments)
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real estate: RealtyTrac Foreclosure Report Shows 28% Decrease From May 2012
- 06/18/13 12:31 AM
RealtyTrac Foreclosure Report Shows 28% Decrease From May 2012
Foreclosure actions increased by 2.0 percent in May from April's 75 month low point for foreclosure activity according to RealtyTrac's U.S. Foreclosure Market Report released June 11. However, the good news is that May 2013 foreclosure filings were still 28 percent below May 2012 filings.
RealtyTrac reports that approximately one in 885 homes were in some stage of foreclosure in May. This does not mean that 1 in 885 homes was lost to foreclosure, but it does indicate that documents related to some phase of foreclosure (Notice of Default, Notice of … (1 comments)
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real estate: What Does The Future Hold For The Security System In Your Home?
- 06/07/13 01:07 AM
What Does The Future Hold For The Security System In Your Home?
Imagine walking into your home and turning off the alarm, locking your doors, opening the windows and starting your coffee maker, all with a few taps of your finger on your smart phone?
What if you had a home security camera that you could monitor from anywhere and a motion sensor that would send you an email when your kids come home from school? What if you could open your blinds or unlock your home for a visitor, even from halfway around the world?
The technology that powers … (0 comments)
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real estate: Know Your Real Estate Disclosure Laws Before You Sell Your Home
- 05/14/13 01:19 AM
Know Your Real Estate Disclosure Laws Before You Sell Your Home
When deciding to sell a piece of Collegeville real estate, there are certain things you must disclose about the property to the buyer before the sale can go through.
Disclosure laws are put in place to protect the buyer from unknowingly purchasing defective property. Not disclosing certain information about the property can jeopardize the sale, or worse, invite a lawsuit.
This has become more of an issue lately as some sellers are tempted to gloss over deficiencies in the home they are selling in order to try to get … (1 comments)
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Reality TV shows have energized everyday people to dive into the real estate market and make money flipping houses. The dramatic presentation and profitable end results make the industry seem like a sure thing. But house-flipping, like any industry, has its share of challenges.
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