The most asked question by a potential buyer who thinks they are ready to purchase a home, is "Where do i start?"Your first step should be to meet with a local and trusted mortgage broker, whether you choose a local bank, credit union or mortgage company, choose a name you know and please stay away from internet lenders. GET PREQUAILIFIEDThe first step is to get prequialified. The loan officer can preauailify you at no cost to you, after looking at your financials and credit score they can let you know what programs are available to you, what the costs associated are with purchasing, what the down payment requirement will be for you, what an estimate of your closing costs will be, what an estimate of your monthly payament will be and lastly what sales price range you should look in. WHA... 07/12/2010

One of the newer questions i have been receiving is how can a broker have a sign in front of a property but they have no price or are stating a market value instead of a price?Often times a broker gets assigned a foreclosure listing from the bank and the bank mandates they palce a sign in front of the property immediately.  Before a price can be set though, the occupant needs to be evicted, the house needs to be cleaned, the deed needs to be cleared of any liens and any repairs will be completed to make the house safe and show at its best. An appriasal and usually 1 or 2 bpos are ordered. It usually takes a couple of weeks for this alone as well as the time it took to get the occupant out and place cleaned up. During this 30-60 days there is no asking price however the house can be show... 07/11/2010

Buyers and sellers are always asking if window treatments are included and then what exactly is a window treatment?Window treatments is a term that covers all window coverings, mini blinds, shades, verticles or curtains.For various reason sellers want to leave or take the window treatments with them. they may be grandma's old curtains, or they were a gift or home made or $10,000 custom curtains.The most obvious reason the buyer wants them to remain is when they move in, they would like teh windows to have coverings, they can change them in time, but at least they do not have to go out and buy them and put them up when they are strapped for time and money.ADVICE FOR SELLERS:My advice is as a seller make sure you specify in your listing what will remain, what will not remain or what you m... 07/10/2010

A common question is "Should the appliances be included in the sale?"FROM THE SELLERS POINT OF VIEWWhen selling a home the seller wants to get the best price for their house, they often do not want to include appliances for sentimemntal reasons or are trying to sell them seperarately to get some extra money for the move. In most mortgage requirements that any potential buyer will have, they house is required to have a stove, If the dish washer is built in then most purchase and sales agreements to call for all fixtures, which means items built in or attached to stay which would include the dish washer unless specified otherwise.As a seller you should incklude the dish washer and stove and make the refrigerator, washer and dryer negotiable.FROM THE BUYERS POINT OF VIEW:A buyer is looking... 07/10/2010

THE QUESTION OF THE DAY IS; "Would you present an offer you received verbally to your seller?"I have heard both sides of the argument and feel strongly on how i practice Real Estate. The scenario is either a buyer agent calls you or a buyer calls you directly with an offer on your listing, The hous eis listed at $199,900 and they are offering full price except need 3% back towards closing costs, they want an answer back tonight.What should you do with that call?Do you relay the offer to you seller immediately so you do not lose this potential buyer.I would not call my seller with that offer, i would encourage the buyer broker to write the offer on a purchase and sales agreement, get the buyers signature and a deposit check, they could scan and email it to me or fax it it as well for me ... 07/10/2010

If you are looking to rent to own a home, here are some tips to get you started.It is a good idea as the first step, to get prequailified. Meet with a local and trusted bank or mrotgage company. Stay away from internet lenders. You need to find out how long it will take you to get a mortgage so you know how long of a lease your need. As well as what you will need to do to be quailified by the time that lease is up. You can get prequailified at no cost at most truste dlenders.Then you need to know what price range you will be able to purchase in. you do not want to lease a home out of your price range as you may never be able to purchase it. You may not have the resources to find the properties that are not being offered as lease purchase already. Your next step should be to work with a ... 07/09/2010

Just Listed today... Desired North Manchester area...Bank Owned home, large yard, ready for your paint and flooring to make this a showplace...EASY showings available.... Residential 4010818 Active 3 Stockholm St.Manchester, New Hampshire  03104  L$150,000                Rooms: 6 Bedrooms:3    Baths: 1 Year Built: 1984   Color:  Beige  Taxes:$ 4,541.04 Tax Year: 2009   Garage 1 car  Lot Acre:.21   Apx Fin Above Grd: 1,296  style:  Raised Ranch , Split Entry  Public Rems; -BANK OWNED OPPORTUNITY AWAITS... NORTH END HOME, HARDWOOD FLOORS, FINISHED LOWER LEVEL, READY FOR YOUR PAINT AND NEW FLOORING. PRICED TO SELL... SOLD 'AS IS"Directions:      -north on mammoth rd rom Wellington Rd/Bridge Street intersection and left on Stockholm                      07/09/2010

How to Buy a Manchester New Hampshire Short Sale As a home buyer looking for value in the purchase of real estate you may consider a "short sale" as a viable option.  Buying a Manchester NH short sale is a difficult and most often a frustrating process. To achieve your goal, you must work with qualified professionals and understand the process.  Expert advice can be provided by real estate agents, attorneys, mortgage brokers or bankers and home inspectors.  Visit Manchester NH real estate as resource to obtain city information about schools, demographics, home buying and selling guides as well as a virtual tour of the city. What is a Short Sale? Homeowners in financial distress often consider various options, including a short sale, prior to foreclosure. Their goal is to negotiate futur... 07/08/2010

I know everyone in the Real Estate Industry from Realtors, mortgage people, appraisers, home remodelers, buyers and sellers would all like to see another Tax credit.Could it happen? maybe, Will it happen ? maybe What are the chances: 50/50How do i come up with such nonsense? Well it is not nonsense, it is an opinion and a wish. you see stimulating buyers to purchase homes, stimulates the core of our economy. it is great for everyone. So if the politicians can see through "well politics" and see that it would be good for all, maybe just maybe they will bring it back this fall.I was reading an interesting OP ED about what Obama and dems will have on their agenda... More important what battle to pick next... there is of course the housing crisis, education, jobs, health care, war and debt ... 07/04/2010

i have noticed an increasing and troubling trend of potenetial buyers receiving prequilifications from reputable banks and mortgage companies only to get denied for a mortgage when you get close to closing. I wish they would be more picky giving out prequailifications, if they required more information, check the buyers employemnt history, pull the hard credit, look at their pay stubs, bank statements and tax returns. These worthless prequilification letters give false hope to buyers, false hope to sellers, take houses off the market and tie up a realtors time and spend the buyers money on appraisals and inspections they cant afford to lose. the bottomline is there are buyers that are ready, willing and able to purchase, the banks just are not giving out many loans.  FHA is doing a wond... 07/03/2010

No it is not Aprils fools, there was snow on the top of Mount Washington yesterday. Well before you cancel your July 4th vacation to NH it only snowed on top of the 6288 foot summit which is known for it's weather. With 34 degrees at the summit and a refreshing 72 degrees at the base of the mountain, dont expect the snow to stay around long with 90 degrees coming for the next weeks or so, If you are a lover of weather, nature or just some great views, check out www.mountwashington.org   07/02/2010

One of the most common questions i hear is "When is the right time of the year to buy a home?" Is there a time of the year that is better than another for buying?As far as buying most sources, they will say it is better to buy in the winter when there are less buyers to bid against, there is less competition and therefore you should get a better price for teh home you are looking to buy.The downfall is that there are also less homes to choose from....The Right Answer The right answer is for buying, is whenever YOU are ready. You are ready when you find what suits you and your family, you find what you like and find it at a price that is right for you, in conclusion that makes anytime the right time to buy, as long as it is right for you.Parents with School Age Kids.The largest variable ... 06/30/2010

One of the most common questions form home owners is "When is the right time of the year to sell?" Is there one time of the year that is better than another?The first answer is that there are more buyers looking in the spring and summer, especially in the northern states where cold weather and snow disrupt our selling season. So listing early in the spring will subject your listing to more potential buyers than listing in the late fall or winter.Now there are variables if you live in the south or southwest or even in a winter resort area where the Winter would be your prime season as snowbirds or vacationers come your way.In conclusion in most area's spring and summer are best, you always want to list when there are the most amount of potential buyers. However anytime you need to sell o... 06/30/2010

As a buyer, your goal is to get the a property at the bets price and terms possible. If you can get it under market value your are getting a "a deal" and will be real happy.In a decling economy the first sign of the times is "the low ball offer". By using this term, a low ball offer is when a buyer makes an offer way lower than current market value. FINDING THE RIGHT PROPERTYBefore you can even make an offer, you need to find a property to make an offer on. The first thing you need to do is choose which properties to see then which properties to make an offer on. There are other buyers doing the same thing as you, if you have ever got out bid or lost a property by waiting, you know time means money. DOING YOUR HOMEWORKBy doing some homework you can narrow down which properties to even m... 06/30/2010

In a decling economy the first sign of the times is "the low ball offer". By using this term, a low ball offer is when a buyer makes an offer way lower than current market value. This is often the most emotional thing that can happen to a seller when they receive their first low ball offer, your home is your castle and how dare anyone insult me like this?That is often the first statement that comes out of a sellers month, the next is either come choice words followed by "get out" to the listing agent.EDUCATE THE SELLER REGARDING LOW BALL OFFERSFirst thing is the agent has to submit all offers to the seller no matter how low or crazy.Second rule, dont shoot the messengerThe most important thing and the key to addressing low ball offers is that when you sign the listing agreement with the... 06/30/2010

One of the most common questions when it comes time to looking for a loan is where should i go. Should i go to a large nationwide bank or a small mortgage company.There is no right or wrong answer however there is pros and cons depending on your credit score.Bigger isnt always better, just bigger. You need to assess what you are looking  for, what your needs are and how good or bad your credit is. With excellent credit you can go anywhere. You need to just compare rates, points and what they provide for service. In this case your best bet is to go to a bank or credit union you already bank with. They may have programs with discounts in rate or closing costs for existing customers. If you are buying a bank owned property you will want to ask them if they can assist you with a loan for th... 06/28/2010

I always get asked "What is the biggest obstacle you face selling bank owned homes?". Unfortanately they are not obstacles, but true throwdown battles in most cases. I have created this blog as part of a new informative series of what obstacles buyers and agents face in this new world of REO (Real Estate Owned) homes.A bank owned home is a fantastic opportunity for a buyer to purchase a home at an incredible price, it's title has been cleared, the property cleaned and readied for sale. I will use this forum to address different issues from the agents point of view, buyer agents point of view and how a buyer looks at this strange new world.Today i want to discusss a growing problem. It is with the utilities of a bank owned home. In most cases the bank will not pay to turn on any utilitie... 06/28/2010

Upon reading some recent threads on another site that offers questions and answers, it really got me thinking that what is apparant, is  that a review of "net-iquette" is needed. The bottom line is if you could not say something to someone standing next to you then you should probabily hit the delete key when in online forums. if you are comfortable standing face to face with soemone and telling them what you just typed, then hit the enter key.It is appaling the name calling, attacking and words that are used in an online forum. My Momma always said if you do not have something nice to say, then do not say anything. There are pleaant, proper and polite ways to tell people you disagree with them. there is a polite way to tell them their answer was borderline the dumbest thing you ever he... 06/28/2010

With the increase in foreclosures and short sales has come the increase in vacant homes. With these vacant homes has comne a free for all of sorts. The people trusted to inspect them, appraise them and show them are helping themselves to items lft behind as well as the neighbors, friends and people just driving by. When i get a new listing and it happens to be vacant, the first thing doen is to secure the properties by changing the locks, locking the windows and boarding up any that are broken. The second thing done is to take a picture of the house, rooms, yard and everything in them.The sadest part is i have come back to see workers stuffing their trunks or the neighbor dragging the hose and pool eqipment accross the back yard to all the flowers dug up and nicely planted accross the s... 06/27/2010

The single best way to increase your homes value with the lowest possible cost is to buy a box of trash bags...What.... Well the biggest thing you can do to increase value and desire is to clean up your home, both the inside and outside. While this sounds like common sense to some, to others they may not realize their home could use some sprucing up.THE EXTERIORFirst thing you can do is make sure your yard is free of debris, trash and weeds. Make your your bushes and shrubs are not overgrown, blocking the entryway, your windows or your sidewalk. Avooid parking cars, boats and motorhomes in yoru front yard or viewable from the street.It is the first thing a buyer will see when they pull up. You want it to be appealing rather than an eye sore.THE INTERIOROnce you get to the inside remove ... 06/26/2010