Here’s our one-stop shop for everything you need to know about acquiring a home you’ll love. Browse our articles for valuable information on buying an existing home, finding new construction, or building your dream house.
One of the first choices homeowners face when building from the ground up is choosing the location of their new house. How exactly do you go about picking a lot on which to build? Let’s examine the process of lot selection, whether you’re building a custom home or a tract home. Tract homes. When you… Read more »
You’ve been shopping for a home and believe you’ve found it, the home of your dreams. It’s the perfect size, the style of architecture you love and a place to raise your family. Then you find out it’s in a flood zone. What does that mean in terms of risk, insurance and resale? Should you… Read more »
Being your own general contractor is a pretty tall order, even for small projects, so before jumping in feet first, let’s look at what it involves and decide if you think you’re up to the task. What’s your experience? The first thing to consider is how much experience you have in the construction trades. If… Read more »
When buying a home and applying for a mortgage, a good credit score is critical. A home can be purchased with less than stellar credit, but often at interest rates and terms that aren’t to your advantage. Improving a damaged credit score is something that takes time, patience and must be addressed long before making… Read more »
Thanks to the internet, finding crime statistics is easier than ever. That’s good news for wary homebuyers who want to make sure they’re moving to a relatively safe area. It’s also a comfort to current homeowners who want to keep tabs on what’s going on in their neighborhood. Here’s a quick primer on how to… Read more »
Brick, stone, stucco, vinyl — the choices can be overwhelming when building a home from the ground up. What type of look are you trying to achieve? And does that aesthetic appeal meet your budget and hold up to the weather conditions in your neck of the woods? Here are some things to consider before… Read more »
DIY projects are in vogue. And why not? People like to save a buck or two by doing a full range of work themselves. But sometimes, DIY is not worth the effort or the savings. Purchasing a home is an activity that is best navigated with a professional leading the helm. Using a real estate… Read more »
The mortgage approval process is rigorous. Since the housing bubble burst in 2008, federal regulators have ratcheted up their standards. Here’s a list of the do’s and don’ts to be approved. Do this. Brace yourself to comply with the documentation process, which is extensive. Always be truthful on your mortgage application. If a mortgage lender… Read more »
After weeks of home shopping, you’ve found a house and signed a contract to purchase. Then the inspector finds problems that need repair — expensive repairs. How should you handle them? You thought negotiating the selling price was all there was to the haggling. Now you have to make decisions on who covers repair costs…. Read more »
When building a new home, you must first decide if you want to hire a custom builder or a tract home builder. There are a lot of variables to consider, so let’s dig in. Tract builder. The tract home builder, also known as a production builder, is often a regional or national company that builds… Read more »
Despite the mortgage-lending reforms that followed the 2008 economic crash, it’s your job as a consumer to be on guard against questionable lenders — especially if you have damaged credit and shaky finances. Here’s how to protect yourself. Know what you can afford. The first step toward protecting yourself is to be armed with knowledge… Read more »
When hunting for the perfect home for your family, more comes into play than a fantastic floorplan and your favorite restaurants nearby. If you have children, or plan to, school assignments are of major importance. Lots of choices. In some neighborhoods, particularly in metropolitan areas, parents may have their pick of public, private, magnet and… Read more »
While ownership of historic homes can be appealing, it’s definitely not for everyone. Historic homes have their own set of challenges and responsibilities. Here’s a look at the joys and frustrations of owning a piece of history. What qualifies as historic? Historic homes are recognized by an agency or organization such as the U.S. Department… Read more »
If you buy a home built before 1978, there’s a possibility asbestos may lurk in the building materials. Houses built from the 1800s through the early 1950s used asbestos extensively before the material was phased out. Should you be concerned? What is it and why is it dangerous? Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that… Read more »
Homeowners in a rural setting typically pump their water from wells and remove their household waste with a septic system. While pumping water is an easy concept to grasp, many potential home buyers have little knowledge about septic systems, how they work and what it takes to maintain one. Here’s a primer. Waste water. In… Read more »
What exactly is a lease-purchase option and how does it work? It’s a different breed of real estate transaction with pros and cons for both buyers and sellers. How a lease-purchase option works. Lease-purchase or “rent to own” deals are more prevalent in a soft real estate market or so-called buyer’s’ market, meaning sellers outnumber… Read more »
Homes built before 1990 are considered “older” by today’s standards, and those built before 1920 are considered vintage or “heritage.” Owning an older home brings a whole set of challenges not found with newer homes, one of them being the use of environmentally dangerous building materials. Most environmental issues fall under the jurisdiction of the… Read more »
It’s important to shop for the perfect place to call home, but don’t forget to shop around for the best financing, too. The quality of the terms of your mortgage can mean a difference of tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. Here are a few tips on finding the best… Read more »
While the majority of homeowners in America live in subdivisions, some prospective homeowners dream of wide open spaces and a quiet natural setting. So what does it take to build in a rural area as compared to a subdivision? Here are some key differences. Buying the land. In many small towns and rural communities, real… Read more »
As a home buyer, you’ve come a long way. Your offer was accepted, the home has been inspected, the financing is complete, and you are about to close. There’s just one more crucial step: the final walk through. Here’s why it’s important. Timing. Shortly after you signed the sales contract you should have had the… Read more »
