Posts with tag 'First-time Buyers'
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10
Does Your New House Need a Home Warranty?
If you're out looking for Excelsior homes for sale, there's a good chance that, at some point, you'll be offered a home warranty. Maybe the seller of your new home will offer to buy one to sweeten the deal, or maybe you've started receiving offers for home warranties in the mail. Either way, you probably have two very important questions: What is a home warranty, and do I need one?
Home Warranties vs. Homeowners Insurance
Purchasing homeowners insurance has been common practice for a long time, but home warranties have also become increasingly popular in recent years. And while the two may sound similar, there are some crucial differences.
- Homeowners insurance works like any other kind of insurance, offering financial protection for you if your home is damaged in any number of ways. The specifics depend on the details of your policy, but it's typical for homeowners insurance to cover theft, vandalism, and fire damage, as well as certain natural disasters. Damage from wind and hail are usually covered, but flood damage and earthquake damage often require a separate policy.
23
Buy a House: Power of a Personalized Offer Letter
The time has come: You're ready to make an offer on a house. This property isn't just any old house either. It's the space you believe could be a comfortable home for you and your family for years to come. You know that you've only got one chance to make a great first impression, and it's important that your offer letter helps you seal the deal.
Professional Offer Letter Dos & Don'ts
Purchasing a home is one of the largest financial decisions of your life. Submitting an offer is a big step to making this dream a reality. If you want to stand out in this competitive market, you may consider submitting a personalized offer letter to increase your chances of making a great impression and connecting with the seller in a positive, unique, and memorable way. Here are a few important dos and don'ts to remember as you draft your letter.
- DO Keep the Letter Personal
There's nothing like a personalized letter, whether it's an offer letter for a house or a thank you letter after closing. Instead of typing a letter and emailing it, consider purchasing good stationery and writing the letter by hand.
26
First-Time Buyers: Is Your Home Maintenance Budget Realistic?
There's a lot to do when you decide to start looking at Excelsior homes for sale. And many of those things involve money—saving for the down payment, investigating your credit situation, and establishing a budget. Sometimes people are so focused on what they have to do to get into a home, they forget to plan adequately for the maintenance costs. Even if you're buying a newly built home, there will still be maintenance costs, so being prepared is essential.
It can be hard for first-time buyers to know what home maintenance really costs. You've likely lived in an apartment or rental home where you can call the building supervisor or landlord and get something fixed. And apartments are notorious for applying "quick fixes" so the same problem in your own home may require more work than you might think. Here are a few examples of things that can catch first-time homebuyers by surprise.
- New locks. Thinking about skipping changing the locks when you move in? You have no idea how many people the previous owner may have given keys to. Saving a few bucks isn't worth compromising your personal safety.
10
7 things to Look for During a Final Walk-Through
Your offer has been accepted, your finances are in order, and you're eagerly anticipating signing the final documents to officially own your dream home! Before the contracts are finalized, however, you'll need to perform one final walk-through of the property to ensure everything is in acceptable condition.
Even though the appraiser and inspector have already completed their assessments, it's still important that you give the interior and exterior of your soon-to-be home one last thorough examination. Here are seven things that we believe should be on your final walk-through checklist.
- Inspect the grounds.
Let's face it — with so much to inspect throughout the interior of the house, a detailed inspection of the exterior may fall to the wayside. However, it's important that you confirm that the condition of the yard is the same as you first saw it. Walk the grounds to make sure that exterior lighting, sprinkler equipment, foliage, and other items have not been removed. At the same time, you can also see if recent weather like rain or strong winds has damaged the exterior.
24
How to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Loan
For many people, the financial side of home buying isn't quite as exciting as starting to look at houses. Many first-time buyers are anxious to get started, but before you head out to view Excelsior homes for sale in person, make sure to get a pre-approval letter from a reputable lender. You'll be glad you did!
Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval
Pre-qualification isn't a thorough process. Often you don't even have to speak to a lender directly. Plug in a few bits of information about your income, expenses and what you think your credit score might be and you're done. It can be useful to get an idea of where you stand financially and what kind of monthly payment you can make.