How to get qualified to purchase a home for no money down
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

Even with all the insanity that happened during the mortgage meltdown and all the changes that resulted in how money would now be lent to buyers, there are still some amazingly affordable loan programs out there. Included among them, believe it or not, are no-money-down options for buying a home. Here are some of the best programs that are out there today and how you need to get qualified to purchase a home using them to buy a home for no money...
Read MoreHow to get the home with the furniture included
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

So you like the dining room table in the house you want to buy, but your agent tells you it’s not included with the sale. What do you do? In short, you ask for it. Well, you negotiate it as part of your offer to purchase the home from the seller. To effectively get the home you want with the furniture included, you should identify in advance any furniture that you are interested in buying and let the seller (or your agent) know...
Read MoreHow to handle a multiple offer situation
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

Over the last five years, properly priced homes have been fetching multiple offers on a consistent basis. It is, without a doubt, a seller’s market. But as exciting as having a bidding war on your property is, it can also provide for some confusion and even anxiety in figuring out what to do with all those offers. Your natural instinct might be to choose the one that lets walk away with the most amount of money, but there are many...
Read MoreHow to sell a home that didn't sell
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

The housing market is faring much better than it was a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean every home sells for top dollar or for that matter, sells at all. So, if your "for sale" sign has been sitting on your front lawn a lot longer than you expected, you might be wondering how to sell your home that didn’t sell when you thought it would. As a best practice, it ideal to consult your real estate agent, assuming that...
Read MoreHow to Sell Your Home Fast and for the Most Amount of Money
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

How to Sell Your Home Fast and for the Most Amount of Money The market has been moving at a pretty good clip over the last several years and it appears that things are going to stay that way for a while. According to the Case Shiller Home Price Index across the United States have increased 33% over the last 5 years. Despite all of the amazing things happening in virtually every market across the country, including ours, one thing still rings...
Read MoreIf your home inspection report comes back bad, now what?
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

One of the biggest deal killers for any real estate transaction is the home inspection. It strikes fear into the hearts of sellers and buyers...even though virtually everything about a home can be repaired or replaced. The good news is that if you have a great real estate agent and a competent home inspector, you can usually handle a failed inspection report properly without having to panic in the process. The key thing to remember is that when the home inspection report...
Read More10 questions you must ask an agent before you list your home
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

Currently, there are over 1.3 million Realtors in the United States alone. The number of people that have joined the real estate sales force over the last 10 years is staggering. No two agents are the same and less than 10% of the total number of Realtors to 90% of the business. In addition to that, not all agents are created equally. Many of them don’t get you the best results for your specific needs. In 2017 — one of the hottest markets in recent history...
Read MoreHow much money will go into your pocket after your home is sold?
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep that matters. This holds especially true when it comes to the sale of your home. The sales price you see at the top of the closing paperwork is rarely, if ever, the amount of money that ends up in your pocket as the seller. There are often a variety of costs and fees associated with getting a home sold, so it’s important that you understand exactly what you’re going to walk away with before you...
Read MoreHow much should you offer on the home you fell in love with?
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

You’ve spent the last few months looking for a home and now, the only thing that stands between you and having the right to negotiate full ownership of the home of you fell in love with is preparing an offer that will be acceptable to the seller. The purchase and sales agreement iis the first formal communication that leads to the final deal and eventually a closing when it’s time for you to take ownership of the property. The total agreement...
Read MoreHow much you should put down to purchase your new home?
by Aprill & Mitchell Smith

Historically, home buyers seek to put down 20% when they purchase a home. However, according to a recent survey by The National Association of Realtors (NAR), the actual national average is much closer to 10%. When it comes to first-time homebuyers, the average down payment is at 4% as per the same survey. While down payment requirements vary based on the lender you choose to work with, the amount required will usually depend on your credit score and your...
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