With COVID and social distancing keeping people apart, buying a home unseen in person has become a real challenge. Digital tools and online presentations of homes for sale have ramped up in response, making it possible to see properties with both static images/photos and with “360 degree” views or interactive walkthroughs. However, these are not real-time images of the home itself. They are professionally-developed representations of a property, and a lot of software work goes into making those images marketing ready.
Category Archives: Real Estate
Top 8 Things New Homeowners Need
Moving into your first home is an exciting experience, but it can also be overwhelming. To manage the move properly, you need a wide variety of tools you may never have considered before. You may not realize you should have purchased a certain item until you need it.
Buying a Home Where Someone Passed Away
A key factor that often drives the sale of new homes versus existing ones tends to be cultural. Rather than being financially-driven or associated with location factors, many homebuyers will steer clear of existing homes where someone has passed away. The primary fear tends to be concerns about a leftover spiritual residual in the home that could affect the new homeowners. Despite the abundance of TV shows about ghost-chasers and similar, the stigma of a dead person’s home has been around for centuries and is still alive and well today.
Why Green Homes Are Gold In Your Pocket
If you’re selling a home today, you know that it’s a seller’s market in many areas throughout the country. What you may not know, though, is that there are still things you can do to make your home even more desirable. From adding SMART home features to properly staging a home, there are plenty of things you can do to drive up the price and create a frenzy of bidding activity for your home. One of those things is to add green features to your home.
Stimulus Checks And Your New Mortgage
Most of the focus on stimulus checks has been on “when” they will arrive, but if you are in the market for a new home (and mortgage) you should know how that payment will impact your financing. Part of the latest Covid 19 relief package includes payments and protections for existing borrowers and renters, but what about those who are looking to buy? According to the IRS, here are a few things to know about how your stimulus impacts your upcoming mortgage.
Boosting Your Credit Score To Qualify For Better Rates
The better your credit score, the better the mortgage interest rate for which you should qualify. That can mean thousands of dollars saved over the life of the mortgage. If your credit score needs improving, get started prior to your search for a new home.
Buying in a Sellers Market
Home buying is often made possible or unreachable due to the local and national economy. Fortunately, what goes up, must come down. So, for buyers who can wait, economic changes in supply and demand can create opportunities. These shifts in real estate are known as buyer’s markets and seller’s markets.
VA vs FHA vs USDA What’s the Difference?
You may have more options than you think when it comes to securing a mortgage for your new home. While many buyers opt for conventional financing, another option or program might be a better choice for you, depending on your personal and financial situation. Learning more about FHA, USDA, and VA loans ensures you get the best possible deal for your mortgage and that you secure the loan that you need for your new home. Here’s what you need to know about these useful mortgage options.
Looking at Home Mortgage Refinancing in 2021
In 2019 many people expected that the home lending market was going to eventually grow more expensive. Instead, 2020 spent its entire 12 months becoming more affordable when it came to financing a personal home, moving in the opposite direction of what was expected. Not only did the loan cost drop break previous records, but it also presented an additional opportunity for homeowners to reposition and take advantage of lower borrowing costs again.
NAHB: Home Builder Confidence Ticks Up in April
The national reading for home builder confidence rose one point to an index reading of 83 in April; the National Association of Home Builders predicted a reading of 84. Component readings for April’s national index readings were mixed. Builder confidence in current market conditions for single-family homes rose one point to 88. Builder confidence in market conditions for single-family homes in the next six months fell two points to 81 but homebuilder confidence in buyer traffic in new home developments rose two points to an index reading of 75.