Posts with tag 'Buying a house'

Real estate markets across the country are red hot. It is not uncommon for sellers to receive numerous offers within days of listing their property. Time and time again, our REALTORS® have seen homes sell for well above their listing price. If you have your eye on the perfect property for your next home, we recommend taking the time to get prepared before you jump into the pool of buyers eager to get their hands on your dream home.

• Preapproval
  Start by getting preapproved for a loan. This is more rigorous than a prequalification process and shows you precisely where you stand and how much the lender will loan for your purchase. There are multiple advantages to this when searching for Mansfield or Ashland homes for sale. It helps narrow down your search to only those properties within your price range. This speeds up the process considerably. It also shows you how high you can go if a bidding war breaks out. Equally important, when multiple offers are submitted, sellers are more likely to accept offers from preapproved buyers than those who are merely pre-qualified.
  
  In fact, be prepared to pay more than the listing price. This is especially true for well-maintained homes in desirable locations. It's not unheard of for homes to sell for 100-110% or more of the asking price. As you search, factor this into your calculations and search for homes that are 95% or less of your preapproval.

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At Haring Realty, our REALTORS® know that some aspects of the home-buying process can be confusing.

Even buyers who have been through it all before don't know everything. And it can be even more worrisome for first-time buyers, who wonder about all the things they aren't familiar with yet. That can put a damper on the fun of looking at Mansfield or Ashland homes for sale.

One subject comes up again and again: Financing. Where to find a mortgage and how to get the best deal.

Choosing the best mortgage for you can save you thousands of dollars across the life of your mortgage. But buyers often go into the process knowing little about one of the most important factors that can influence your mortgage terms: your FICO score.

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Our REALTORS® at Haring Realty strive to make homebuying easier. When looking at Mansfield and Ashland homes for sale, clients often have lots of questions. It's no surprise concerns around financing are common. That's not just true for first-time homebuyers, either: Whether they're buying a first place or a place to retire, everyone wants the best deal.

But the process of getting a mortgage can be complex. It's easy to get confused, which is one reason why the right real estate pro is such a valuable ally. One question that often doesn't get asked – because buyers don't have all the information at first – is this: "How does pre-approval affect my home search?"

Pre-approval can have a positive impact on your finances and the whole buying process.

Here's what to know.

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Have you been thinking of downsizing? You are not alone. Statistics show that almost half of baby boomers are considering downsizing. Many people who downsizing have been thinking about moving out of their large home to a smaller home, condo or apartment for some time. Common factors in making this decision may be a recent retirement, children moving out of the home, financial issues, divorce or inability to continue to care for a larger home and/or yard. I am one of those people. Having had this experience myself, I wanted to write this blog which, I hope, will help you as you downsize.

1. Emotional
   Downsizing brings up a lot of emotions. You will be looking at physical items which will bring up g...

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Real estate agents have experience and knowledge that can make buying a home easier and help you avoid costly mistakes. They can help you with many aspects of the home buying process, including several you may not have thought of.

The following are just a few of the things our REALTORS® can help you with when you're looking at Mansfield homes for sale:

• Spotting problems you may not notice
  Real estate agents have looked at enough homes to be able to spot problems that you may not notice. For example, he or she may be able to see signs of insect issues, problems with the roof, or leaks in the home. These may be expensive problems to fix, and if your real estate agent notices them, you may end up saving a lot of money or avoiding a headache.

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