Why Every Homeowner Should Have Home Warranty Insurance
January 17th, 2010 by adminProtecting your home doesn’t have to end at homeowners insurance. Purchasing a home warranty is another smart way to guarantee that in the case of an emergency, you won’t be caught off guard. Home warranty insurance plans are available for both new and existing homes and can be purchased from insurance providers. These plans provide guaranteed replacement or repair of certain household items.
What’s the difference between home warranty insurance and homeowners insurance?
Distinguishing between homeowners and home warranty insurance can be confusing, but here’s the easiest way to tell the two apart:
* Home warranty insurance- Provides coverage for repair and the replacement of household items but not the home itself.
* Homeowners insurance-Provides coverage for the contents and the house itself in the event of damage or theft, but not its contents.
Do I need both?
After reviewing the difference between homeowners insurance and home warranty insurance, having both is strongly recommended since they both provide different types of coverage. While having homeowners insurance is a must, some of the benefits of having home warranty coverage also make it a very desirable option.
The benefits of home warranty insurance include:
* Providing an additional selling point to potential buyers and renters of your home-People like to feel confident when spending their money on large purchases. Having a home insurance warranty can help put the minds of potential buyers or renters at ease and seal the deal.
* Avoiding spending money out-of-pocket for expensive repairs or to purchase new appliances
Why You Should Hire a Realtor
January 6th, 2010 by adminUnless you have experience in real estate you likely are unaware of the differences between a real estate agent and a Realtor
What Should I Expect When Applying For a Loan Modification?
December 9th, 2009 by adminThe first loan modification that I did was for myself in 2007 and I have been assisting homeowners ever since with this sometimes frustrating process. You absolutely can successfully get a loan modification on your own and anyone who tells you differently has an eye on your wallet. That said, it will be very frustrating, even all-consuming, to try to complete this process on your own.
The lender is willing to work with you and the government even has free loan counseling but your best advocate is someone working on your behalf, not the lenders or for some non-profit. I don’t mean pay a large upfront fee, don’t do that. I suggest hiring a real estate attorney with a small upfront retainer that only charges for success and not submissions.
A good starting point in Illinois is through the free online evaluation at illinoismortgagemods.com If you hire a third party to represent you then you should expect the lender to recognize the third party agreement within 48 hours. The lender should also acknowledge receipt of a full loan modification submission with 48 hours of your providing the third party all the requested documentation. You should contact your lender directly even after hiring a representative (Trust but Verify) and make sure the rep has established a relationship on your behalf and has submitted a FULL MODIFICATION PACKAGE promptly.
Be very alarmed if your representative suggests intentionally getting further delinquent on your mortgage when you can in fact pay. The Making Home Affordable program can provide payment relief for borrowers that have NEVER been late. Lastly, these modifications no longer take that long so 2-4 weeks is now a reasonable response time, if your rep is telling you something different then your file is just sitting in the pile.
The clock is ticking on this 75 Billion dollar government subsidy so don’t wait to apply and get impatient if nothing seems to be happening. This program will end sooner than you think and many homeowners that continue to make their agreed payments are plenty jealous to see others get bailed out while they are on the hook. If you think you might qualify for the generous program then at least do the fee online evaluation. This is the opposite of a normal refinance. In this program- Bad credit is good, low income is better than high income, delinquency is better than timely payments so now you will qualify if you would normally be turned down.
What Interest Rate Should I Get With a Mortgage Modification?
November 23rd, 2009 by adminIt could be as low as 2% on a 40 year amortization. Your modified payment will depend primarily on your Current Income. Therefore, lower income means lower rates. Interestingly, the traditional risk variables that would ordinarily determine your interest rate when applying for a loan are turned on their head with the Making Home Affordable (MHA) loan modification program.
Can you imagine going back a couple years and having a banker say to you, “We could give you a lower rate if you were delinquent or even if you just made less money but it appears that you can afford to pay more than your neighbor so that’s what we are going to charge”. Homeowners that are interested in benefitting from MHA shouldn’t put off applying for the home-equivalent of “Cash-for-Clunkers”.
The auto industries 3 Billion dollar bucket of money is almost gone and mortgage servicers have really gotten their act together on participating in MHA so even the much larger 75 billion dollar bucket will tap out.
There are gotchas within MHA guidelines just like there were with Cash-for-Clunkers but qualifying candidates should come out of it with a payment at 31% of their gross income even if that means a 6 month delinquent borrower gets reset as low as 2% on a 40 year amortization! If you want to see if you may qualify for a MHA loan modification then contact your mortgage servicer, a real estate attorney or use the free online evaluation at: www.illinoismortgagemods.com
Should You Sell Your Home on Craigslist?
November 12th, 2009 by adminCraigslist is an Internet phenomenon that brings millions of people to its local pages to peruse the latest deals. For the enterprising home seller, listing their home on Craigslist may mean that they get more potential buyers looking at the property. It certainly doesn’t hurt, but sellers beware, Craigslist isn’t a miracle working home selling device. Without the aid of a professional agent, your home may just join the rest of the discarded listings.
The problem with sites that claim that you can sell your home through Craigslist “without the help of an agent!” is that they don’t take into consideration the many details that are involved with real estate transactions. It may be easy to find a buyer for your property via Craigslist, but negotiating a home sale is a different situation. Many home buyers are not equipped to deal with the minutiae of a home sale while they’re trying to juggle a job, family and other commitments. Also, an agent has more contacts in the real estate world than the average mortal and can connect a seller with a buyer very quickly using them.
Will Craigslist supplant the MLS? It’s not likely. Craigslist has only a limited search capability ? number of beds & baths and specific keyword searches. The keywords aren’t that useful for finding one’s dream home, either. Also, one has to wade through incorrectly classified ads and ads that are purposefully placed in the “real estate” category to get leads for buyers. Craigslist’s search parameters are not to be compared to the MLS’ more comprehensive searches and filters.
Craigslist is, admittedly, wildly popular and many people use it. Should you? As a part of a campaign that involves the MLS and other advertising, Craigslist can be very effective. Good photos, a comprehensive description and a link to the MLS or agent’s page are a must. The Craigslist post should contain words to the effect of “For more information, go to this link…” If there are fancy things like virtual walkthroughs on the agent’s page, those should be mentioned as well.
Craigslist is a great place for selling your old furniture and other belongings, but as the sole medium of advertising a home for sale, it falls short. It’s best used in conjunction with the services of a competent agent as an additional form of advertising instead of the only advertising. Good pictures and clear copy can help people searching for their perfect home narrow it down to yours.
Home Mortgage Approval Process Completion: What You Should Know
October 21st, 2009 by adminThe first step you have to take in order to get a home mortgage is filling out the application at your loaner of choice and the procedure of financing the purchase of the house you have ever dreamed of can take up to several months. The methods to fill out the formal request are numerous and can be done in the office of the loaner, on the World Wide Web and even by e-mail. It is important to maintain record of the application to allow the application to be followed up upon by the home purchaser and this is done with no consideration of the method used to fill this application.
What are the elements of a home mortgage application? There are several different aspects of the home mortgage application which are to be answered at the moment of application. Here they are:
Financial Resource Information
All financial information including net worth, financial position, liabilities, debt and the credit score of the borrower enter the home mortgage approval process. This will include the financial worthiness of the applicant based on the association of all of this information.
Employment Information
Professional position information reporting how long the employee has been a part of the company, the income earned through a yearly or monthly basis and job security will also be carefully studied at this time.
Funds Information
Amount which is being provided to ensure the purchase of the home are carefully studied in the home mortgage approval process. These financial report may include down payment for the home mortgage funded from revenues, savings and other investment accounts.
Property Value Information
The monetary worth of the properties which are being studied – compared to the purchase price of the house is an additional point of the home mortgage approval process. It is an important aspect of the home mortgage approval process as it will enable the loaner to calculate the future value of the house.
Once the application has been estimated by the bank, the lending institution will generally come up with a number based on the amount of the earnings combined with the credit rating and worthiness to repay the debt for the entire amount which the borrower is approved for. This number will make the potential homeowner able to shop for potential houses within the budget or price range which is determined by their affordability.
How much can you afford for a home mortgage?
Banks always recommend spending an amount that does not exceed twenty five to thirty percent of the revenue on housing costs ? these percentages are often taken into account when the home mortgage enters the approval forces.
Aside from the cost of the monthly payment, several different factors are considered in the home mortgage approval process. Many fees about which you did not worry as a tenant, increase the expenditure of the owner. Fees associated with homeowners associations or condominium fees plus city and property taxes, public service costs and other remodeling or repairs. It is critical for the future homeowner to become aware that ownership can cost more than the monthly payment ? the approval procedure can shed light on this matter for many future homeowners.
A lot of homeowners seek pre-approval as it can adjust the funds and facilitate the process of researching a home. Pre-approval can cut down the time that it takes to get the agreement of the lending company and simply accelerate the entire procedure. It is advised that all consumers become pre-approved with their banking institution to have a less arduous home mortgage application process
Home Mortgage Approval Procedure Completion: What You Should Know
October 19th, 2009 by adminThe first step you take in order to get a home mortgage is filling in the application at the loaner you prefer to deal with and the process of financing the purchase of the home you have ever dreamed of can take up to several months. There are a lot of different ways to complete the formal request including in the office of the banking institution, on the World Wide Web and even by electronic mail. Regardless of the way used to fill the application it is essential to maintain record of the application to allow the application to be followed up upon by the borrower.
What does a home mortgage application contain? There are different elements of the home mortgage application which are to be filled at the moment of application. Here they are:
Financial Resource Information
All financial information including net worth, assets, liabilities, debt and the credit rating of the borrower enter the home mortgage approval process. Basically, the financial worthiness of the applicant will be determined by the combination of all this information.
Employment Information
Professional situation information reporting how long the employee has been a part of the company, the income earned through a yearly or monthly basis and employment stability will also be analyzed at this time.
Funds Information
Funds which are being provided to guarantee the acquisition of the house are carefully studied in the home mortgage approval process. The aspects analyzed include the first deposit for the home mortgage funded from wages, financial resources and other investment accounts.
Property Value Information
An additional step of the home mortgage approval process is that the financial institution will study the value of properties and compare them to the purchase price of the house. It is an influential element of the home mortgage approval process as the future monetary worth of the home will be calculated by the loaner.
Once the application has been appraised by the bank, the bank will generally come up with a number based on the amount of the salaries combined with the credit history and worthiness to repay the debt for the total amount which the home buyer is approved for. This number will make the home buyer able to look for potential homes within the budget or price range that is determined by their affordability.
How much can you afford for a home mortgage?
Actually lending institutions recommend to spend no more than two and a half times – these quantities are often taken into account when the home mortgage enters the approval forces.
Aside from the cost of the monthly payment, a lot of other points are considered in the home mortgage approval process. Many expenses about which you did not worry before being homeowner, increase the expenditure of the owner. Fees associated with property taxes, homeowners insurance in addition to higher bills for public services that will come with ownership of the property. It is essential for the future homeowner to become aware that ownership can cost more than the monthly payment – the approval procedure can shed light on this issue for a lot of potential homeowners.
A lot of homeowners seek pre-approval as it can adjust the finances and accelerate the process of hunting for a home. Pre-approval can cut down the time that it takes to have the agreement of the lending company and simply quicken the entire procedure. It is advised that all consumers become pre-approved with their loaner to make the home mortgage application process more easy.
Should I Sell my Home to a Professional Home Buyer? -We Buy Houses Fast in Charleston South Carolina
October 4th, 2009 by adminDue to the current down market, more and more people are looking for alternate, non-traditional ways to sell their home. The days of sticking a FSBO (For Sale By Owner) sign in the yard or simply listing it with the realtor that your friend at work used, just isn’t having much effect these days. Depending on your selling situation, selling your home to a professional home buyer can be the right selling decision. As with other home selling options, selling your home to a real estate investor has benefits.
Working with an experienced investor can really simplify and expedite the process. Some of the great benefits of selling your house to a professional property buyer are: you are able to sell your house fast, “as is” on the date or your choice, you do not have to pay large real estate commissions to a Realtor, you do not have to spend your time, energy and money updating and making repairs and you only have to have one showing. There are many other benefits that an honest, experienced and well trained Charleston real estate investor can provide, such as knowing exactly how to handle problem properties or situations where Low Country folks are taking the brunt of the current economy on the chin and are facing many of the more and more common financial problems like foreclosure that need short sales in order to sell their over leveraged home and avoid foreclosure.
I would recommend selling your house to a local real estate investor if you are in any of the following selling situations:
I am behind on monthly mortgage payments I need to sell my home fast I am moving out of state or out of my local area and can’t afford two mortgage payments I have been transferred by my job I am going through a Divorce and need to sell my house My home is 100% financed and I do not have enough equity to list my home with a Realtor I need to Stop Foreclosure and avoid ruining my credit I am currently in Bankruptcy Someone in our family has health problems and can not work, therefore we can not pay our bills I am tired of being a Landlord and do not want to deal with tenants anymore My home needs lots of repairs and I do not have the time or money to fix it up My home is in pre-forclosure I want to cash out of my investment property My home has been on the market with a realtor for many months and my listing agreement is now expired, I want to sell my house fast, now We recently inherited a property and want to sell it quickly and want someone familiar with an estate sale and the probate process I own my house free and clear and am willing to wait for the market to turn around but would consider taking payments for my equity if I can get my asking price now
As you can see there are many reasons why you should consider selling your home to a local home buyer, and these are not all of them. Simply put, listing your home with a Realtor or trying to sell your home FSBO cost you money and time, it also does not get you offers within just a few hours/days. If you do not have time, do not have money, or simply do not want to deal with the hassles of selling your home, then sell it to a real estate investor. You may be happily surprised by the offer you get.
Before calling some random number on the side of the road off one of those “We Buy Houses” signs, it is important to make sure you know who you are dealing with. Unfortunately, there are a few unethical investors, like in any business, and currently the real estate market is a prime target. Thanks to the Internet it is relatively easy to locate information about a legItimate business. South Carolina business owners are required to register with the South Carolina Secretary of State and you can see if they the business you are calling has bypassed even that basic requirement. The Attorney General’s office handles consumer complaints, as does the Better Business Bureau. Realtors and brokers are licensed through the Real Estate Commission. These agencies can help to ensure you are working with a licensed, legitimate, complaint-free business or real estate investor.
Charleston Home Buyers, LLC is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau, a registered LLC with the South Carolina Secretary of State, and an active member of the Charleston Real Estate Investors Association. “We pride ourselves on our integrity and conduct business under strict ethical principles. We say what we mean and do what we say!” Many references and testimonials are available upon request and some of which are posted on our website. We buy houses in Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley County and work with a group of nationwide investors. We currently are looking to buy more real estate in Summerville, Goose Creek, North Charleston, Ladson, Hanahan, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Mt. Pleasant, Downtown and all other area in the tri-county area.
If you need to sell your house quick, submit your property information via the “Sell My House” form at our website today for a Free, Confidential, No-obligation offer or call our toll free 24 hour recorded message at 888-52-BUYER (888-522-8937) for more information about selling your home to a professional house buyer. You can also always call us direct 843-72-BUYER (843-722-8937), however it is usually better to take 5 minutes to fill out our property information form first so that we can save you time by having the information already and do some research so that we can get an offer to you right away.
Here’s what some of our sellers have had to say:
“I had been trying unsuccessfully to sell my house for 9 months with a realtor…tired of having the house perfect… we closed the following week” Frank P. – North Charleston
“In less than a week
