northwest indiana: Search Northwest Indiana Homes for Sale - 03/29/07 03:08 AM
Search the entire Multiple Listing Service for Lake, Porte, Laporte, Newton and Jasper Counties in Northwest Indiana at no cost.
Search Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hebron, Hammond, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station, Leroy, Lowell, Merrillville, Munster, New Chicago, Schererville, Schneider, Shelby, St. John, Whiting, Winfield, Beverly Shores, Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Kouts, Michigan City, Ogden Dunes, Portage, Valparaiso, Westville, Wheeler, LaPorte, Long Beach Indiana homes for sale. 
 
 
http://www.willemsrealtors.com/search.php
 
 
(0 comments)

northwest indiana: Creative Financing - 03/28/07 08:06 AM
6 Creative Ways to Afford a HomeIf your income and savings are making homebuying a challenge, consider these options. 1. Investigate local, state, and national downpayment assistance programs. These programs give loans or grants to cover all or part of your required downpayment. National programs include the Nehemiah program,http://www.getdownpayment.com/ and the American Dream downpayment fund from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr02-014.cfm2. Get the seller to provide financing. In some cases, sellers may be willing to finance all or part of the purchase price of the home and let you repay them gradually, just as you do with a … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana Renter - 03/28/07 07:59 AM
Steps to Prepare for Home Ownership 1. Decide how much home you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between 2 and 3 times your gross income. 2. Determine if you have enough downpayment to qualify for a mortgage. Ideally, you should have 20 percent of the purchase price as a downpayment 3. Consider other sources of help with a downpayment. For example, if you have an IRA account, you can use money you've saved for buying your first home without paying a penalty for early withdrawal. Also check with your state and local government on … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana Mortgage - 03/28/07 07:55 AM
How Big a Mortgage Can I Afford?Not only does owning a home give you a haven for yourself and your family, it makes great financial sense, too. This calculation assumes a 28 percent income tax bracket. If your bracket is higher, your savings will be too. Rent: _________________________Multiplier: X 1.32Mortgage payment:__________________Because of tax deductions, you can make a mortgage payment-including taxes and insurance-that is approximately one-third larger than your current rent payment and end up with the same amount of income. http://www.willemsrealtors.com/ … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana Condo Information - 03/28/07 07:52 AM
The Pros and Cons of CondosCondominiums and townhouse offer an affordable option to single-family homes in most areas. But consider these facts before you buy.Storage. Some condos have storage lockers, but usually there are no attics or basements to hold extra belongs. Outdoor space. Yards and outdoor areas are usually smaller in condos, so if you like to garden or entertain outdoors, this may not be a good fit. However, if you hate yard work, this may be perfect option for you. Amenities. Many condo properties have swimming pools, fitness centers, and other facilities that would be very expensive in a … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Indiana Home Buyers: 5 Factors that Decide Your Credit Score - 03/07/07 01:07 PM
Scores range between 200 and 800. Scores above 620 are considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage. These factors will affect your score.Your Payment History. Whether you paid credit card obligations on timeHow Much You Owe. Owing a great deal of money on numerous accounts can indicate that you are overextended.The Length of Your Credit History. In general the longer the better.How Much New Credit You Have. New credit, either installment payments or new credit cards, are considered more risky, even if you pay promptly.The Types of Credit You Use. Generally, it's desirable to have more than one type of credit-installment loans, … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana First Time Home Buyers - 03/07/07 01:03 PM
What to Keep From Your ClosingThe Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) statement. This form, sometimes called a HUD 1 statement, itemizes all the costs associated with the closing. You'll need for income tax purposes and when you sell the home. The Truth in Lending Statement summarizes the terms of your mortgage loan. The mortgage and the note (two pieces of paper) spell out the legal terms of your mortgage obligation and the agreed-upon repayment terms. The deed transfers ownership of the property to you. Affidavits swearing to various statements by either party. For example, the sellers will often sign an … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana Real Estate: Title Insurance 101 - 03/07/07 12:54 PM
1. It protects your ownership right to your home both from fraudulent claims against your ownership and from mistakes made in earlier sales, such a mistake in the spelling of a person's name or an inaccurate description of the property.2. It's a one-time cost usually based on the price of the property.3. It's usually paid for by the sellers.4. There are both lender title policies, which protect the lender, and owner title policies, which protect you. The lender will probably require a lender policy. 5. Discounts on premiums are sometimes available if the home has been bought within only a few … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana For Sale By Owner: How to Price It Right - 03/06/07 08:19 AM
· Consider comparables. What have other homes in your neighborhood sold for recently? How do they compare to yours in terms of size, upkeep, and amenities?· Consider competition. How many other houses are for sale in your area? Are you competing against new homes?· Consider your contingencies. Do you have special concerns that would affect the price you'll receive? For example, do you want to be able to move in four months? · Get an appraisal. For a few hundred dollars, a qualified appraiser can give you an estimate of your home's value. Be sure to ask for a market-value appraisal. … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana FSBO's: Is Your Buyer Qualified? - 03/06/07 08:16 AM
Unless the buyer who makes an offer on your home has the resources to qualify for a mortgage, you may not really have a sale. If possible, try to determine a buyer's financial status before signing the contract. Ask:1. If the buyer has been prequalified or preapproved (better) for a mortgage. Such buyers will be in a much better position to obtain a mortgage promptly. 2. Does the buyer have enough money to make a downpayment and cover closing costs? Ideally, a buyer should have 20 percent of the home's price as a downpayment and between 2 and 7 percent of … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana For Sale By Owners: 5 Forms You’ll Need to Sell Your Home - 03/06/07 08:13 AM
1. Property Disclosure Form: This form requires you to reveal all known defects to your property.  2. Sales Contract: The agreement between you and the seller on terms and conditions of sale. Again, check with your state real estate department to see if there is a required form. 3. Sales Contract Contingency Clauses: In addition to the contract, you may need to add one or more attachments to the contract to address special contingencies-such as the buyer's need to sell a home before purchasing yours. 4. Possession Agreements: Unless you're planning on moving out and the buyer moving in on the day of … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana Sellers: Service Providers You May Need When You Sell - 03/06/07 08:05 AM
1. Real Estate Attorney2. Appraiser3. Home Inspector4. Mortgage Loan Officer5. Environmental Specialist6. Lead Paint Inspector7. Radon Inspector8. Tax Advisor9. Sanitary Systems Expert10. Occupancy Permit Inspector11. Zoning Inspector12. Survey Company13. Flood Plain Inspector14. Termite Inspector15. Title Company16. Insurance Consultant17. Moving Company
http://www.willemsrealtors.com/
 
Serving Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hebron, Hammond, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station, Leroy, Lowell, Merrillville, Munster, New Chicago, Schererville, Schneider, Shelby, St. John, Whiting, Winfield, Beverly Shores, Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Kouts, Michigan City, Ogden Dunes, Portage, Valparaiso, Westville, Wheeler, LaPorte, Long Beach in Northwest Indiana Real Estate Market
(0 comments)

northwest indiana: Open House Tips for Northwest Indiana FSBOs - 03/06/07 08:00 AM
Advertise your open house. Ideally you should advertise both the weekend before and the weekend of the open house. Check with the local paper to see when their ad closing deadlines are.Create a property summary sheet. This sheet gives prospective buyers an overview of your home. Include dimensions for each room, copies of a property survey, summaries of utility costs and property taxes, and a list of when capital items such as roofs and furnace were added.Develop a sign-in form for prospects' addresses. You'll ideally want both phone numbers and e-mail addresses to follow up with prospective buyers.Put up signs. One … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: 10 Questions to Ask a Northwest Indiana Home Inspector - 03/04/07 05:33 AM
10 Questions to Ask a Home Inspector1. What are your qualifications? Are you a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors or National Associaton of Home Inspectors?2. Do you have a current license? Inspectors are not required to be licensed in every state.3. How many inspections of properties such as this do you do each year?4. Do you have a list of past clients I can contact?5. Do you carry professional errors and omission insurance? May I have a copy of the policy?6. Do you provide any guarantees of your work?7. What specifically will the inspection cover?8. What type of … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana Homeowners...Does Moving Up Make Sense? - 03/01/07 01:06 AM
The answers to these questions will help you decide:1. How much equity do you have in your home? Look at your annual mortgage statement or call your lender to find out. Usually, you don't build up much equity in the first few years of paying a mortgage, but if you've owned your home for a number of years, you may have significant unrealized gains.2. Has your income increased enough to cover the extra mortgage costs and the costs of moving? 3. Is the neighborhood still a good one for your needs? For example, if you've had children, the quality of the … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana Real Estate: Credit 101 - 02/27/07 10:37 PM
Credit scores, along with your overall income and debt, are a big factor in determining if you'll qualify for a loan and what loan terms you'll be able to qualify for. 1. Check for and correct errors in your credit report. Mistakes happen, and you could be paying for someone else's poor financial management. 2. Pay down credit card bills. If possible, pay off the entire balance every month. However, transferring credit card debt from one card to another could lower your score.3. Don't charge your credit cards to the maximum limit.4. Wait 12 months after credit difficulties to apply for … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: If you're an Illinois Realtor with seller clients turned buyers that are moving to NW Indiana, we need to talk. - 02/27/07 08:09 AM
Attention Chicagoland and Suburban Illinois Realtors. My Schererville, Indiana office is 27 Miles SE of Downtown Chicago. We serve all of Northwest Indiana...Lake/Porter/Laporte Counties. If you're an Illinois Realtor with seller clients turned buyers that are moving to NW Indiana, we need to talk. Why not help your client find the right Indiana Buyer  Agent? Simply register your client on our signed Referral Agreement, we take care of the Northwest Indiana house hunting and you earn a referral fee at closing. Contact me for details. http://www.willemsrealtors.com/ … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Tax Benefits of Home Ownership in Northwest Indiana - 02/24/07 11:58 PM
Tax Benefits of Home OwnershipThe tax deductions you can take for mortgage interest and property taxes greatly increase the financial benefits of home ownership. Here's how it works. Assume: $9,877 = Mortgage interest paid (a loan of $150,000 for 30 years, at 7 percent, using year-five interest) $2,700 = Property taxes (at 1.5 percent on $180,000 assessed value______$12,577 = Total deduction $3,521.56 = Amount you have lowered your federal income tax (at 28 percent tax rate) (12,577 X .28 = $3,521.56) Note that mortgage interest may not be deductible on loans over $1.1 million. In addition, deductions are decreased when total … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: 5 Northwest Indiana Property Tax Questions You Need to Ask - 02/24/07 11:47 PM
5 Property Tax Questions You Need to AskWhat is the assessed value of the property? Note that assessed value is generally less than market value. Ask to see a recent copy of the seller's tax bill to help you determine this information. How often are properties reassessed and when was the last reassessment done? Generally taxes jump most significantly when a property is reassessed. Will the sale of the property trigger a tax increase? Often the assessed value of the property may increase based on the amount you pay for the property. And in some areas, such as California, taxes may … (0 comments)

northwest indiana: Northwest Indiana Garage Sale Tips 101 - 02/24/07 11:34 PM
Use a yard sale to reduce the clutter in your home and get rid of items you don't want to move. 1. Check with your city government to see if you need a permit or license.2. See if neighbors want to participate and have a "block" sale to attract more visitors.3. Advertise. Put an ad in free classified papers, put up signs and balloons at major intersections and in stores near your home. 4. Price items ahead and attach prices with removable stickers. Remember, yard sales are supposed to be bargains, so don't try to sell anything of significant value this … (0 comments)

 

Suzanne Willems

Saint John, IN

More about me…

Willems Realtors

Address: 27 West Joliet Street, Schererville, In, 46375

Office: (219) 322-4024

Mobile: (219) 730-8273

Serving Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, East Chicago, Gary, Griffith, Hebron, Hammond, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station, Leroy, Lowell, Merrillville, Munster, New Chicago, Schererville, Schneider, Shelby, St. John, Whiting, Winfield, Beverly Shores, Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Kouts, Michigan City, Ogden Dunes, Portage, Valparaiso, Westville, Wheeler, LaPorte, Long Beach in Northwest Indiana Real Estate Market


Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog