home buying: What Should I Expect When I Tour A Home For Sale?
- 01/02/15 04:57 AM
What Should I Expect When I Tour A Home For Sale?
We'd say, expect the unexpected! We'd love to say every home will look EXACTLY like the online pictures or be the perfect model home, but that's not always the case and why nothing beats an in-person visit (or failing that, having us Skype stream the home to you!).
Here's what you will typically find when you visit a home for sale:
It'll be similar to the pictures online, but there may be some differences. For instance the sellers may have moved out by now, or decided the terra cotta paint … (42 comments)
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home buying: Choosing Your Real Estate Agent Shouldn't Be Charity Work
- 12/16/14 10:29 PM
Choosing Your Real Estate Agent Shouldn't Be Charity Work
We hear it time and again: We have to use our relative (or friend or church member) as our agent because they need help with their business! But should choosing your agent be an act of charity?
And while we appreciate the feeling of obligation, we have to say this is a time where logic needs to trump emotion. A home sale or purchase is just too big a financial obligation to risk on loyalty alone. The wrong choice could alter the course of your life for years to come, so do … (19 comments)
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home buying: Do You Know Your Open House Miranda Rights?
- 12/15/14 02:26 AM
Do You Know Your Open House Miranda Rights?
That house you've been watching is holding an Open House this weekend. But before you gas up the car and head over to scope out the home, there are a couple of things you need to consider.
Who Does The Open House agent work for?
A) The Seller
B) The Buyer
C) None of the above
Answer: NOT B, but A and/or C. If it's the listing agent for the home, their job is to work FOR the seller: SELL THE HOME is their job. Their job is to sell you THAT home … (68 comments)
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home buying: The Law Of Diminishing Returns Applies To Home Buying Too!
- 11/26/14 04:05 AM
The Law of Diminishing Returns Applies To Home Buying Too!
That home you're looking at is SWEEEEET! EVERYTHING you wanted and more! Yep, bells, whistles, the WHOLE SHEBANG!!! But it should come with a warning label: THIS HOUSE IS NOT LIKE THE OTHERS!
We watched a movie recently and (excuse the language) one of the best lines was "Real estate is a fickle bitch!". We broke out laughing because we know it's true! Home values go up, they go down, sometimes without much apparent justification. A dollar spent is usually not a dollar returned, and never is that more true than … (52 comments)
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home buying: Home Buying: At The Intersection Of Love & Logic
- 07/19/14 02:39 AM
Home Buying: At The Intersection Of Love & Logic
Buying a home is a mix of many things. Both simple and complex. Finding that match of Needs & Wants that works with the finances.
That home that's more than just "good enough", but one that says HOME to you. A place you can imagine easily, not struggle to see how it could work for your life.
It often starts early, cruising the internet, looking at home after home. No, no, no, no, maybe, YES! Maybe this one is THE one?
Calling your agent to see the home, anxious to find out … (19 comments)
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home buying: What "As Is" REALLY Means When Buying A Mason Ohio Home
- 04/15/14 10:33 PM
What "As Is" REALLY Means When Buying A Mason Ohio Home
As a home buyer you've probably seen the phrase "As Is" and wondered exactly what that means. Most commonly you'll see As Is associated with a foreclosed or short sale home. Owners without enough money to pay the mortgage are generally NOT willing to spend dollars to make repairs. And banks? Don't get us started....
But if you decide to buy one of these As Is offered homes, does that mean you're "stuck" proceeding with the purchase no matter what?
We'll caveat this with pay CLOSE attention to the contract … (25 comments)
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home buying: Buying A Resale Home Isn't A La Carte!
- 03/27/14 11:01 PM
Buying A Resale Home Isn't A La Carte!
It's not unusual for us to encounter buyers who like a home, but perhaps don't love every feature about a home. If you're working with a builder you can specify EXACTLY what you want in a new construction home, and if your wallet is thick enough, there's a builder that can give it to you. But again, it's going to cost you!
Resale homes? That's entirely different. They are what they are. Beauty and the beast. You seek a balance of finding all your critical MUST HAVES against some "I'd rather nots". It's … (47 comments)
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home buying: Consider ALL The Seasons When Buying Your Warren County Home!
- 01/21/14 09:06 PM
Consider ALL The Seasons When Buying Your Warren County Home!
it's always easy to see the NOW when buying a Warren County home, but you need to consider the pros and cons of ALL seasons when buying a home. Things that aren't apparent now might make a HUGE difference in your ability to enjoy your home later!
Right now it's REALLY cold, there's snow on the ground, so the Winter hazards are apparent. How much sidewalk do you have to clear? How long is that driveway? Shovel or snowblower? Are there hills on your commute that you'll have trouble negotiating?
Spring … (16 comments)
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home buying: The Shoe's On The Other Foot When Car Shopping
- 07/24/13 10:55 PM
The Shoe's On The Other Foot When Car Shopping
228,000. While that might look like the average price of a home in our Warren County market, that number isn't in dollars, but miles. After 12 years, it's time to retire the old Ford and move on.
So we've been car shopping, and some of the similarities with buying a home are striking. The same pain points that home buyers may feel are hitting us right now as we try to finalize our car selection. Things like:
Advertising inaccuracies. The internet posting says 5 miles. A call to the dealership determines … (42 comments)
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home buying: What Should I Expect In A Warren County Ohio Foreclosed Home For Sale?
- 07/05/13 01:10 AM
What Should I Expect In A Warren County Ohio Foreclosed Home For Sale?
We hear it often from buyers of Warren County homes. "I want to get a good deal on a foreclosure!". And while true that sometimes a Warren County foreclosure home for sale may come at a good price, that deal may come at a price.
Here's some things you need to understand if the idea of buying a Warren County foreclosure has caught your attention:
Your home selection will be severely limited. Fortunately Warren County Ohio hasn't gotten hammered to the degree of some areas of the country, … (29 comments)
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home buying: We Advise, You Decide!
- 03/24/13 10:26 AM
We Advise, You Decide!
Between us, we've got two decades of real estate experience. The School of Hard Knocks, Real Estate Division can be a tough taskmaster!
What we've learned is to our home buyer's and seller's advantage. We can head off problems, smooth difficulties, but it's also in recognizing our role in the transaction that can really benefit our clients.
Ultimately, we provide the best possible advice we can, but YOU make the final decision. We'll give you the pros and cons of a particular home, of a particular offer. We'll advise why THAT home is riskier than THIS home, … (15 comments)
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home buying: Finding Invisible Houses, Your Local REALTOR'S Specialty!
- 01/21/13 01:49 AM
Finding Invisible Houses, Your Local REALTOR'S Specialty! Did you know that not every home in MLS is easily found? While you may find plenty of sites to cruise the housing inventory, there's no guarantee of those sites being complete & accurate. And sometimes it's not just a matter of knowing where to search, but HOW to search! Map search? General criteria? Address? City? School district? There are many ways to search, and your choice might lead to missing your dream home.
As REALTORS® working and living in Warren County, we make a point of finding out what is going on in our … (18 comments)
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home buying: The Wrong Floor Plan Is Like Thanksgiving Without Turkey!
- 11/18/12 11:45 PM
The Wrong Floor Plan Is Like Thanksgiving Without Turkey!
Four bedrooms. Two car garage. Two baths. Basement. Two stories. 2500 square feet of "living" space give or take a 1000! Pretty typical home for our area.
So what makes the difference? The ability to actually LIVE in that home. To actually be able to make use of all that space that you're paying for, right? Yesterday was a full afternoon and part of the evening showing homes that fit the criteria above.
We saw some GREAT values & features, except for one key thing. They lacked the ability to actually make full … (32 comments)
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home buying: Is Your Mason Buyer's Agent Costing You The Home You Want?
- 10/13/12 11:15 PM
Is Your Mason Buyer's Agent Costing You The Home You Want? We see it all the time. A buyer likes a home, but they're just not sure about the price. They've been listening to the national news, reading the papers and the magazine, poking around on Zillow and they've been told by all their friends that they should be able to get a steal! It's a buyer's market, right? So why is this home that I love priced as high as it is? It's GOT to be overpriced, right? And this is the moment your Mason buyer's agent can cost you … (25 comments)
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home buying: Sayonara Short Sale!
- 09/18/12 12:03 AM
Sayonara Short Sale! We waited patiently for you. We never wanted to say goodbye. Okay, maybe the wait wasn't entirely patient. It got tougher and tougher to stay patient as the weeks and months rolled by.
But when we first visited the short sale home, the driveway was covered in ice, and it was uphill. We crunched through the frozen grass to keep from needing a 911 call. The insides were still filled with the owner's stuff, and there was no foreclosure sale yet scheduled.We'd been looking for homes for awhile, even offered on a couple. But the $80k and less … (52 comments)
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home buying: Rainy Days Are Perfect For Showing Houses!
- 04/14/12 04:47 AM
Rainy Days Are Perfect For Showing Houses! Rain has been falling off and on all day, the sky is rumbling and grumbling. Now your first thought might be "That's terrible conditions for viewing homes!". And it might seem that way at first glance. I can't say I enjoy getting stormed on, having to skip water puddles.....sort of gave that up about 40 years ago! But if you're thinking about buying homes, especially those As Is foreclosed homes with no property disclosures provided, there's probably NOT a better time to see them than right after a good gully washer! A good rain … (46 comments)
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home buying: Buying A Home Is Like Getting Married! You Don't Want 2nd Choice!
- 07/26/11 01:54 AM
Buying A Home Is Like Getting Married! You Don't Want 2nd Choice!
Buying a home is like getting married! You hunt for the right one, sorting through the competition until you find JUST RIGHT! And hopefully Just Right doesn't already have a ring (contract) on it! Just like searching for a mate, there's a few things you need to do! You need to get your financial ducks in a row, get that preapproval letter so that you can act when the time is right! Have an idea of your Must Haves and Nice Tos. Get to know the family (neighborhood)! Find … (22 comments)
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