FHA Update
The Expanding American Homeownership Act, H.R. 1852, know as FHA reform, was approved by the U. S. House Financial Services Committee on May 3, 2007. The bill now awaits a vote by the full House of Representatives and by the Senate. It will enable the FHA to reach more prospective borrowers and allow millions more [...]
Beware of Unscrupulous Contractors
This irritating phenomenon is nothing new, but it seems to be on the increase … I’m sure some of your clients have experienced it, whether they know it or not.It goes something like this: I phone my 12- month warranty company, or just an HVAC contractor, because my furnace is not lighting. After a cursory [...]
Before Looking at Homes, Get a Pre-Approval Letter
Before writing an offer, we will need a pre-approval letter from a lender. Basically, it says that you are pre-qualified for a mortgage. I suggest you get one for as close to the actual loan amount as possible. When we negotiate we do not necessarily want a seller to know the max amount that [...]
Should A First Time Home Buyer Buy A Foreclosure?
What a coincidence twice in one day, I had two first time home buyers ask me about buying foreclosures.
Dear Steve,
Do you have an opinion on foreclosures? Obviously, the no warranty (disclosure) part is disturbing, but in your experience, is a pre-purchase inspection typically enough to make it worthwhile?
Also, I don’t know anything about [...]
Avoiding Real Estate Foreclosure
Many markets are seeing a rise in delinquencies and foreclosures. If you’ve missed payments on your mortgage or are worried about future payments, it’s easy to feel like you’re all on your own. With your house on the line, you may be tempted to hide and merely hope for the best. However, if you face [...]
When Buying or Selling a home,
think like a buyer’s agent
It’s really just that simple. Look at your home like a professional would. If you can sell the pros, you can sell anyone. A professional real estate agent looks at more than 30 homes per week, so they should catch the important issues.
How an experienced buyer’s agent looks at a home:
1) Curb appeal, are there [...]
Wondering what the home down the street sold for?
We can let you know by email.
If you are considering selling your Johnson County home, you are probably wondering what other homes in the area are selling for.
There might be one home in particular that you’d like to know the sale price on, or you might be interested in all the homes that have sold [...]
What does the Title Company do?
There are a couple of standard answers to this question. Title companies close on home purchases or the refinance of loans. Or, title companies insure title to my property. Most consumers do not have the slightest idea how to go about choosing a good title company. They rely on the expertise of their lender or [...]
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