Low mortgage rates have made buying a home more affordable and turned rentals into an attractive option for investors. Throughout the downturn in the housing market, average investors, sometimes pooling their money, have bought foreclosures at a sharp discount and turned them into rentals. Many homeowners also have purchased [...]
What is the best price for a piece of real estate? Mortgage lenders, appraisers, and real estate brokers use what is called the "fair market value" (FMV). FMV has been defined as "the price that a buyer is willing to pay and the seller is willing to accept, when both [...]
Here are some positive possibilities: • In a home that the temporary slowdown in real estate made it possible for you to own… with its value climbing and your equity growing rapidly. • Living in a larger home with amenities you never expected to have… yours because you acted when [...]
Whether you’re ready to settle into your first home or looking to buy your fifth; are moving cross-country or cross-town, it’s smart to identify which attributes of a new home are most important to you. Be sure to sit down with your real estate agent and discuss your needs and [...]
Those that choose to sell their own homes often hope to avoid the commission paid to real estate agents. While those familiar with the housing market and process of selling a home may enjoy a successful sale, plenty of inexperienced home sellers have encountered nothing but headaches. Besides limiting the [...]
Looking at today’s market, I’m so happy about the opportunities that first-time homebuyers are seeing and embracing. One of my colleagues is a young man in his 30s, and recently bought his first home. For years, he counted himself out of the home buying equation, or thought that if he [...]
Homeowners are commonly advised to consider energy-efficient improvements before selling a home, but the ever-evolving field of environmental technology makes it tough to stay on top of the most beneficial – and practical – green energy developments. While it might impress the neighbors to convert a standard home into an [...]
