Posts with tag 'For Buyers'

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.

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The holidays are a busy time of year, with many people spending time attending parties, buying gifts, and decorating. Not as many are thinking about looking at Excelsior homes for sale this time of year, but it's actually an excellent time to buy a home. This is especially true if you live in a colder climate like Minnesota.

The following are some reasons why it's a great time to put a new home on your holiday wish list:

• Motivated sellers
  Since there are fewer potential buyers looking for homes over the holidays, sellers are often more motivated. They know that it's not necessarily the best season for selling their home, so it may have been on the market for a while. The seller may also be motivated by a job change or another time-sensitive event. This means they may be willing to lower the purchase price or make other concessions like paying for a home warranty.

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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.

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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.

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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.

1. 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.

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