buying a home: 5 Star testimonial from a buyer cleint
- 07/08/25 08:37 AM
While waiting for my client to conduct the final walkthrough before settlement I noticed this large blue heron flying through the neighborhood. I always seem to see Blue Herons, and consider them my Spirit Animal, where ever I go and this reminded me. Those with the Blue Heron spirit animal in the Native American tradition possess innate wisdom and strength that helps them maneuver and co-create their own situations and achievements in life. Exceptional Support Every Step of the Way!
I had a great experience working with Nick. He was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and always responsive — even while on vacation! His … (13 comments)
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buying a home: What happens to my earnest money deposit?
- 02/13/25 11:47 AM
When you buy a home it is common to make a deposit with your offer. This is called an earnest money deposit and it shows the sellers you are serious about buying their home.
The amount varies by locality, in our area there are often two deposits, one with the agreement of sale, the offer, and a second after the inspection contingencies are completed. The total deposit used to amount to 10% of the purchase price, but with the rise in home prices 5% is more common nowadays.
Sometimes if a quick settlement is offered there may only be one deposit. In Pennsylvania … (14 comments)
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buying a home: Why it matters where you live!
- 01/30/25 12:56 PM
There are many things to consider when buying a home and deciding on your "Must Haves and Deal Breakers". But before you consider these it is important to consider where you want to live and this post is going to consider why that is important.
Most buyers have their list and they know in the current low inventory market they need to be flexible. And while there may be certain things driving where they want to live there are also a host of intangibles which they may not have considered deeply enough.
A young family looking for a home may want to live … (17 comments)
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buying a home: How do I know if this is the right time to jump in?
- 01/13/25 12:12 PM
There are lots of things to consider when buying a home, for the first time or if this is a resale and move up or down.
Market Conditions Interest Rates Buyer's market or Seller's Market Family dynamics Job demand People often ask me, is this the right time to buy? My answer is usually along the following lines:
Why are you thinking of moving?
The answer to that question is really the answer to whether this is the right time to buy or move. If you have situations that require a move then this is the right time. Maybe a divorce, or a … (17 comments)
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buying a home: What if you have no credit or bad credit?
- 01/03/25 11:47 AM
Many people want to buy a home, but the thought that they have bad credit or when younger or new to the country no credit makes them believe they cannot purchase a home. The answer is that there are many options for low credit score buyers, and secondly that it may take some time, but it is not hard to improve or create a credit score.
You also should know the score you find online, via Credit Karma or your credit card company or bank is not the score used to offer you a loan. There are multiple different scoring models, so … (24 comments)
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buying a home: How do I choose a neighborhood?
- 12/18/24 07:33 AM
One of the questions many buyers have when moving from one area of the country to another is how do I choose a neighborhood? Having moved to the Philadelphia area from London, England I can totally understand this quandary.
There are lots of different things that go into this decision, most of them personal to you. When I meet with clients for the first time I always ask them to tell me about their lives and the way they live them. What do they like doing? Depending on their answers we can formulate a plan for finding them a house.
So, let's consider … (15 comments)
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buying a home: How long does the home-buying process take?
- 11/19/24 08:02 AM
This is a common question from first time buyers and repeat buyers as well depending on how long it has been since they bought a home. Well the answer is, it depends. As you can see in the image above a seesaw which is balanced. Well the housing market is rarely in such equilibrium, it is usually one thing or another, a seller market or a buyers market and this can impact the length of the process.
So, let's start at the beginning, many buyers start looking on line before they actually want or need to move. They look to see what … (14 comments)
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buying a home: First time buyers ask How much do I need for a down payment?
- 11/05/24 08:24 AM
For a long time when buying a home people needed and put down about 20% of the cost of the home as a down payment. But, as prices rose lenders came up with different products and means to avoid having to put 20% down.
Today, there are still some programs that require no down payment, especially for Veterans and those using a USDA loan. Then there are FHA loans and even conventional loans that require as little as 3.5% as a down payment.
These lower limits make it far more manageable for buyers to afford a home. Plus for first time buyers there … (18 comments)
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buying a home: What are the upfront costs of buying a home?
- 10/21/24 01:30 PM
If this is your first time buying a home this might be a question you have. In fact some clients who are first time buyers asked me this last week. So let's get into what things need to be paid for when buying a home.
There are multiple costs when buying a home, from down payment, closing costs, home inspections, insurance and property taxes. So let's break these down.
Down Payment
People often believe they need 20% as a down payment, this simply is not true. Some loans Veteran and USDA loans can have no down payment at all. There are also an assortment … (15 comments)
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buying a home: 53 word story challenge - Buying a home!
- 08/12/24 01:20 PM
Patricia Feager, ABR,CRS,GRI,MRP wrote last week about a course she had taken where the lecturer introduced them to the 53 word story. In the comments I mentioned I would have to attempt that, thinking to my self that it did not sound that hard. Well I think the last laugh is with Patricia. It reminded me of when Twitter first launched and you were limited to the number of characters.
The 53 words do not include the title.
Buying a home!
Buying a home is an emotional experience. It requires stamina, grit and determination.
I not only represent you I educate you to make … (20 comments)
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buying a home: Giving you the confidence to make the right decisions!
- 05/09/24 09:14 AM
People buying and selling homes on the Main Line and in Chester County have a choice of agents to use. There are many different reasons why people work with one specific agent. It may be via a recommendation, or a referral from family and friends. They may have found reviews online. Ultimately, you need to like the person you are going to be working with and trust them. So why choose Nick Vandekar? Below I offer up some reasons and follow this up with some past client testimonials.
Concierge Real Estate Services
I make buying and selling Real Estate An Amazing Experience
Full Time … (22 comments)
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buying a home: Sometimes you just have to be patient.
- 03/09/24 01:00 PM
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
A long, long time ago, it feels that way at least, I dug some holes in our yard and planted several tulip bulbs around our front walkway. Tulips need to be exposed to the cold and have to overwinter in the ground, preferably planted in the fall.
“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.”― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die
Well, then you have to wait, and wait, through the end … (36 comments)
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buying a home: What is love?
- 02/14/24 12:12 PM
Yes, here we are on Valentine's Day again, it feels a little like Groundhog Day, it just keeps coming round and round. But, have you ever really considered what is love?
Love is an emotion, sure, but we use the word loosely. We love our parents, our lover, our spouse, our kids, our grandkids, our pets, our cars, our home, our favorite food, our favorite book or movie, even our jobs.
Do we love them all in the same way? Certainly not, but we use the same word, love.
Certain songs move us, that we say, I love this song. Here is a Youtube … (21 comments)
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buying a home: Why a buyer consultation is even more important today
- 02/08/24 07:21 AM
Real estate is changing, it may not be obvious to everyone, but not only has the market changed the last few years with less inventory and rising home prices as well as rising interest rates but the rash of lawsuits is causing agents and brokers to examine how they do business.
Whilst you would never list a home without a listing contract, many agents have worked with buyers without a buyer representation contract. The plethora of lead sites, Zillow, Realtor etc., have caused many agents to turn up at homes to open the door to people they have never met and do … (12 comments)
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buying a home: Simplify your real estate journey with the tools used by the pros!
- 04/05/23 11:21 AM
The Best Listing Info
Nestfully listings come straight from the MLS, the ultimate source for fresh and accurate listing data. (It’s where agents get their information!)
Search Your Way
Customize a search using tons of available filters to make it simple to find your dream home.
Explore the Market
View listing and sales stats to help you make the most informed choices!
Find Out How Much Your Home Is Worth
Sellers, don’t sell yourself short! Get a data-driven estimate of your home’s value on Nestfully.
Welcome to the Open Marketplace
The MLS champions fair and equal access to housing for everyone. Nestfully opens the door to that marketplace and invites … (11 comments)
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buying a home: Who makes the decisions during as real estate transaction?
- 02/14/23 08:32 AM
Many people it seems are confused who actually makes the decisions during a real estate transaction, this includes clients and other agents. It definitely is not the tomb warrior in the picture above as wise as he looks.
Many, many times I have clients ask me what I would do, or what they should do? This includes how much to offer, when to make an offer, what to do as a result of a home inspection etc.
There are many decisions the client makes during a real estate transaction. I educate my clients throughout the process, asking questions to make sure they understand … (5 comments)
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buying a home: 7 Things most likely to happen when buying a home!
- 02/01/23 09:03 AM
Here are 7 things most likely to happen when buying a home and what not to do!
As much as you want to let all your friends and family know about the purchase of your new home on Facebook and every other social media site - Do not post anything before settlement.
The property might not appraise at what you are purchasing it for. With rapidly rising prices due to very low inventory appraisers who only look backwards in time for their supporting comparable values might not keep up with the market. So be prepared.
You will become irritated by all the demands for … (11 comments)
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buying a home: What it means to own a home?
- 01/04/23 06:56 AM
What does it mean to own a home?
Owning a home is far more than just being responsible for a mortgage and taxes and maintenance. Yes, it is all those things too, but what does it mean to own your own home?
Well, I cannot answer for you, but I want to suggest what it has meant for me over the years. I bought my first home when I was 22 years old, newly married and living in England. At that time and maybe today, mortgage rates floated in England, they were tied to an index rate from the Bank of England and … (19 comments)
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buying a home: Is an ARM right for you when buying a home?
- 10/06/22 07:53 AM
Buying a home over the last few years has been extremely challenging. With low inventory, rapidly rising prices, multiple offers, etc. it is amazing anyone was able to not only find a home but able to get an offer accepted.
Right now things are improving, inventory is increasing slowly, prices are levelling off slightly, and buyers are able to make offers again that include inspections and or other contingencies as well.
But, we still have a major hurdle right now. Rising interest rates.So what are buyers to do when interest rates have increased from 2.7% this time last year to approaching 7% for … (16 comments)
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buying a home: Slow but steady!
- 09/21/22 11:08 AM
With COVID we all gained new skills, or improved on ones we were already using. I am becoming quite adept at making video tours of listings. I always do them for my own listings, not that they sell the house, but it helps to differentiate me from other agents. Facebook open houses can be fun as well, I had one client host an open house on Facebook when we were all but shut down for in person showings. She did a great job and we had several people on line watching.
Well, recently I have a relocation client who lives out of … (19 comments)
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While waiting for my client to conduct the final walkthrough before settlement I noticed this large blue heron flying through the neighborhood. I always seem to see Blue Herons, and consider them my Spirit Animal, where ever I go and this reminded me. Those with the Blue Heron spirit animal in the Native American tradition possess innate wisdom and strength that helps them maneuver and co-create their own situations and achievements in life. Exceptional Support Every Step of the Way!
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