buyer tips: What You Should Know Before Buying a Home - 10/26/10 08:24 AM
What You Should Know Before Buying a Home RISMEDIA,
There are so many things to understand as you embark on purchasing a home, especially if it's your first purchase. Learn the basics as you get started and understand everything you need to know as it relates to financing. Here are 10 tips about financing: 1. Before you start looking for a home, get pre-qualified for a loan. Banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers make home loans; mortgage brokers process them. The lenders will take an application, process the loan documents, and see the loan through to the funding stage. 2. If … (1 comments)

buyer tips: 4 Things First-Time Home Buyers Need to Know about Home Inspections - 05/07/10 10:53 AM
4 Things First-Time Home Buyers Need to Know about Home Inspections
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RISMEDIA, April 21, 2010— A professional home inspection can not only provide a great education about the home’s systems, but also be a crucial tool in negotiating the most equitable price on the home, according to HouseMaster, one of the first and largest home inspection franchisors in North America.
“Our experience and research shows that approximately 40% of resale homes have at least one defect that can cost a home buyer a minimum of $500 to repair,” said Kathleen Kuhn, President of … (3 comments)

buyer tips: Buyers Who Wait May Lose a Lot - 03/05/10 10:09 AM
Buyers Who Wait May Lose a Lot
Potential home buyers who delay have a lot to lose. First-time home buyer and move-up tax credits worth $8,000 and $6,500, respectively, expire April 30. Buyers who qualify get a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes or a cash payment if they don’t pay enough taxes to cover the credit. Other factors that should spur buyers: Low mortgage rates. If the Federal Reserve stops buying mortgage-backed securities at the end of March, 30-year rates will almost certainly rise to more than 6 percent. Rising prices. About 30 percent of markets are already experiencing price increases. Prices … (1 comments)

buyer tips: A Little Help for High Winter Bills - 12/01/09 09:45 AM
Timely help for high winter bills Try these seasonal solutions Cold weather. Dark days. Holiday celebrations. Houseguests. These are just a few of the things that can trigger higher energy bills this time of year. But we have some low-cost and no-cost ways to fight back — without sacrificing comfort or holiday cheer.
Heating Likely your biggest energy cost during winter.
Set heat to 68 degrees (60 degrees at bedtime or when you’re away). Check furnace filters every few months and clean or replace as needed. Hot water Holiday houseguests and parties mean more showers, dishes and laundry.
Set your water … (0 comments)

buyer tips: Choose When to Claim your $8000 Tax Credit - 04/04/09 09:36 AM
This article courtesy RISMEDIA
First-Time Home Buyer? Choose When to Claim Your Tax Credit
RISMEDIA, April 4, 2009-With the deadline for filing federal tax returns fast approaching, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has made information available for qualified home buyers about how and when to claim the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit.
The basic eligibility requirements for the credit are: the home must have been purchased on or after Jan. 1 and before Dec. 1, 2009; the buyer may not have owned a home in the three years prior to the purchase; and the buyer must have a … (0 comments)

buyer tips: 5 Reasons to Buy your Vacation Home Now - 04/04/09 09:34 AM
This article courtesy of RISMEDIA
5 Reasons to Buy Your Vacation Home Now
By Christine Karpinski
RISMEDIA, April 4, 2009-You'd love to buy a vacation home, but (let's be honest) the recession and the not-so-dim memory of the housing bubble have you a bit skittish. If only you could see what the future holds. But since a reliable crystal ball has yet to be invented, you must resort to less mystical indicators.
According to Christine Karpinski, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) 2009 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey suggests that the iron is sizzling hot-and if you're going to strike, … (0 comments)

buyer tips: Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Home Now - 02/17/09 05:31 PM
 Low Interest RatesMortgage rates have returned to near-record lows, reducing monthly payments substantially Competitive pricesPrices are attractive in today's slower markets and will rise again when the housing cycle turns up. An Improving Mortgage marketLenders are making loans to borrowers with good credit, and Congress and the White House are pursuing ways to make loans more available to first-time buyers and buyers in high-cost markets. Great SelectionIt's easy to find the perfect home you're looking for at a price you can afford. Energy EfficiencyToday many homes are designed to save you money on your monthly utility bills, and increasingly incorporate exciting … (1 comments)

buyer tips: Tips for Investing During a Downturn - 12/04/08 03:19 PM
Tips for Investing During a Downturn Don't wait for the market to turn to get you own piece of the real estate investment pie. By Mariwyn Evans | December 2008
Join these savvy real estate professionals who have parlayed large for-sale inventories and more affordable home prices into a personal buying opportunity-and in the process helped ensure a prosperous future.
 Why is it a great time to buy residential property for your personal investment portfolio? For all the reasons you've been telling buyers-lots of inventory, low mortgage rates, and motivated sellers. In addition, circumstances that make it harder for some buyers … (2 comments)

buyer tips: Tax Credits for Home Improvements? - 11/20/08 11:10 AM
What energy-efficiency home improvements qualify for energy tax credits?
If you're considering making any energy-efficiency improvements to your home or shopping for a new appliance, it pays to look into state and federal energy tax credits. A tax credit reduces your tax bill, making it a little easier to fit energy improvements into your budget.
These credits are offered to encourage more people to adopt energy-efficient technology, which saves energy, helps the environment and increases our energy independence.
State Oregon Residential Energy Tax Credits are available for a wide variety of measures, including:
Clothes washers Dishwashers Refrigerators Certain heating/cooling systems, including … (7 comments)

buyer tips: Buy...with Selling in Mind! - 11/19/08 03:33 PM
If you're looking around and are having some thoughts on the home buying process, this might help you get started. 
What does Buying with Selling in mind mean?                
Well most buyers will sell their home within 5-10 years of purchasing it. Due to various reasons, such as expanding families, job transfers, trading up, and other factors. Keep an eye out for features that will fetch top-dollar in any housing market. These are a couple of features to look for:
Look to the view: Homes with an unencumbered view of nature or city lights sell higher than comparable homes without a … (5 comments)

buyer tips: 10 Ways to Prepare for Homeownership - 11/08/08 03:38 AM
10 Ways to Prepare for Homeownership
•1.      Decide what you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income.
•2.      Develop your home wish list. Then, prioritize the features on your list.
•3.      Select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you'd like to live in, taking into account items such as schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety.
•4.      Start saving. Do you have enough money saved to qualify for a mortgage and cover your down payment? Ideally, you should have 20% … (1 comments)

buyer tips: Down Payment Article - 11/08/08 03:16 AM
Down Payments
The chief advantage of a down payment today is simply the ability to qualify for a loan, since only a handful of so-called "zero down" loan programs still exist. Yet down payments have other benefits, too.
The more money you put down to buy a home, the smaller your monthly payments will be. A buyer's down payment becomes a homeowner's instant equity when the purchase closes, and that equity can be borrowed against with a home equity loan or line of credit. Guidelines to qualify for these loans have become much stricter, however, and many first-time homeowners are "surprised … (0 comments)

buyer tips: 10 Real Estate Myths Debunked - 10/29/08 01:02 PM
This is a helpful article I found viz Rismedia!
RISMEDIA, Oct. 29, 2008-With mortgage meltdowns, plummeting home prices and soaring foreclosure rates constantly in the news, it's no wonder people are wary of the housing market these days. But contrary to popular belief, things are not as dismal as they seem, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors. Yun debunks 10 commonly held beliefs about the current housing market, and FrontDoor.com offers 10 related tips.
1. Peak-to-trough home price declines to date have been about 20%. Wrong. Measurements of home price declines can be skewed depending … (1 comments)

buyer tips: Some fun Oregon tidbits! - 10/04/08 05:11 PM
Total population for Oregon? Think you can guess? (this is based on 2006 figures)....
3,700,758!!!!! To put into perspective....the population of California (for 2006) was 36,553,215!
1,833,458 of the Oregonians were male, while 1,867,300 were female! (that's right boys....we're building our team!)
The median age was 37.6, with the majority being between the age group of 18 and over (pre-retirement)
The total housing units? 1,586,600! (that seems like a bit of potential...huh folks?)
The housing occupancy was 1,449,662, with 136,938 that were vacant!
The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5, while the rental vacancy rate was 5.6
Some other facts that I … (1 comments)

buyer tips: Why work with a REALTOR®? - 10/03/08 04:39 PM
So I have this on my personal brochures and have received a lot of positive feedback from people saying it had items in it they would not have thought of in the first place. So I share with you all!

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buyer tips: Preparing your home to sell in the Country - 08/30/08 05:51 AM
 A Few Simple Tips to Help Prepare your Home to Sell in the Country
You might feel a little anxious about putting your home on the market during these times. You probably see all of the homes listed for sale in your area, and think, "how can my home sell if those aren't?" The difference is making your home the Diamond out of all the comparable properties in your area. If you are motivated, and want to sell your home, with a few tender touches and some repairs, you might surprise yourself.
A lot of homes are not selling because … (8 comments)

buyer tips: A Quick Buyer Guide! - 08/07/08 05:42 PM
 
This is a list to help Buyers get a rough idea of how things will go.
 
 
Buyer's Check-List
 
 
You Can Help
With your understanding of the purchasing process, your transaction can go a lot smoother. This guideline has proven invaluable to purchasers and is worth your special attention.
 
Qualifying
For your benefit, it is essential that I ask questions to understand your needs, wants, and ability to purchase. It is at this time I would assist you in contacting a lending institution to get a Pre-Qualification.
 
Showing Process
Please feel free to inspect … (1 comments)