Category Archives: Home Buying

Younger vs Older Buyer Trends

Here’s what a recent survey revealed about the differences between younger and older home buyers:

Younger Buyers
•Typically bought homes built around 1986
•Bought a home within 10 miles of previous residence
•More likely to purchase in urban or central city
•Bought because they desire to own their own home
•Chose neighborhood for convenience to jobs, better affordability and quality schools
•Made more concessions regarding home purchase
•Found the home they purchased through the internet

Older Buyers
•Typically Bought homes built around 1996
•Moved longer distances, more than 20 miles
•More likely to move out of state or region
•Bought a home to be closer to family and friends
•Chose neighborhood for health care facilities and to be closer to family and friends
•Generally did not make any concessions on their home purchase
•Learned about the home they purchased through their real estate agent

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Advantages of Using a REALTOR®

All real estate licenses are not the same. Only real estate licenses who are members of the National Association of REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR “®” logo on their business cards or other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate.
 
Here are some reasons why you should consider using a REALTOR®:

1. Your REALTOR® can help you determine your buying power.

2. Your REALTOR® has many resources to assist you in your home search.

3. Your REALTOR® can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property. Agents who are REALTORS® have access to a variety of informational resources.

4. Your REALTOR® can help you negotiate. There are a number of negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs.

5. Your REALTOR® provides due diligence during the evaluation of the property.

6. Your REALTOR® can help you in understanding the different financing options and identifying qualified lenders.

When buying or selling real estate, look for an agent who proudly displays the REALTOR “®” logo.

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Avoid These During the Mortgage Process

1. Make large undocumented bank deposits
2. Fail to disclose you are on probation, disability or maternity leave with your employer
3. Close credit accounts with a zero balance
4. Co-sign a loan for anyone else
5. Change your job status from full to part time
6. Spend your down payment or closing cost money
7. Apply for new loans or credit
8. Stop paying your bills on time
9. Get married or divorced
10. Quit your job

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Should I Get a Home Inspection?

There are many good reasons why both a buyer and a seller should get a home inspection. The buyer wants to know if there are any problems with the property that might prevent them from purchasing it. The seller needs to find out if there are any issues that should be fixed prior to placing their home on the market.

Here are some of the more common problems discovered by home inspectors:

Roofing – Many roofs are found to be beyond there normal life expectancy. Most lenders require that a roof have at least three to five years of life remaining, so many times a new roof will be required in order to meet this standard. More minor issues could be popped nail heads or flashing issues around a chimney or in a valley.

Ceiling damage – Most ceiling damage is caused by water. Either rain water that’s leaked through the roof, or a plumbing leak. The source of the leak will need to be determined and fixed prior to repairing and/or painting the ceiling.

Electrical – The most dangerous problems discovered at home inspections can be attributed to electrical issues. Many of the problems found are overloaded circuits, connections not in junction boxes, improper grounding, and no GFI’s to name a few.

Drainage – Improper drainage around a house often leads to water intrusion into the basement area, which can cause wood rot, mold, mildew, fungi and the like.

Wood rot – This is caused by wood being exposed to water for extended periods of time. The wood will eventually loose its supporting strength, and it will need to be replaced.

Fireplaces – Many of the issues with fireplaces and chimneys have to do with firebox deterioration, damper doors not opening and closing properly, improper venting, and masonry cracks. 

Plumbing – The majority of the plumbing issues are usually fairly minor in nature. Many times it’s leaking faucets, toilets, and drain lines. Another common problem is too much water pressure, which is caused by a faulty pressure reducing valve.

Water heaters – Most water heater problems found are improper electrical connections, pop off valve lines not properly routed, and the water temperature set too high.

Mold & Radon – These can be two of the biggest deal killers. You’ll need to hire a professional to test for these items to determine if there is a problem. Once you have the results you can then decide if any action is needed, and what the costs would be to correct it.

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Why Choose a LeadingRE Firm?

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a network of over 500 of the very best real estate firms that are located in over 40 countries. These firms have 4,000 offices with 120,000 sales associates. In 2012 these firms had sales of $272 billion dollars representing over one million transactions, which placed Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® #1 in sales volume in the United States.

Sales volume numbers for 2012 were as follows:
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® – $272 billion
Coldwell Banker – $200 billion
Re/Max – $188 billion
Prudential – $126 billion
Keller Williams – $119 billion
Century 21 – $107 billion
Sotheby’s $53 billion
Real Living – $37 billion
ERA – $23 billion
Realty Executives – $17 billion
Better Homes & Gardens – $11 billion

Firms affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® can offer sellers global exposure of their home in addition to strong marketing expertise at the local level. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has the resources to market your property to the highest possible number of potential buyers. With 120,000 talented associates around the world, they expose your property to buyers on six continents ensuring more eyes are on your property. In addition they receive inbound clients from other affiliates around the globe who are interested in purchasing a home.

If you are looking for the best real estate firm to sell your home, then you need to consider a firm that’s affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

Source: Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®

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Views on Housing Vary by Age Group

Younger Americans are more likely to think owning a home is attainable but not necessarily a good investment, while older Americans believe the opposite, according to a Country Financial Security Index survey.

Here’s a breakdown on the survey results:

Think owning a home is attainable for a typical middle-income family by age group 
18-29 / 49%
30-39 / 50%
40-49 / 45%
50-64 / 43%
65 and over / 36%

Think buying a home is the best investment families can make by age group –
18-29 / 37%
30-39 / 37%
40-49 / 44%
50-64 / 48%
65 and over / 51%

Source: Council of Residential Specialists

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VA Loans Post Record Year in 2013

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced that the number of loans it guaranteed reached a record high in 2013.

The VA guaranteed almost 630,000 mortgage loans in 2013 according to Mike Frueh, the director of the VA’s Loan Guaranty Program.

An overall tight lending environment is making VA loans more attractive to current and past service members.

VA loans do not require a downpayment. Roughly 90 percent of all VA loans for home purchases are made with no money. These loans do not require private mortgage insurance to be purchased, as with most other high loan to value mortgages.

States that have seen the largest increase in VA loans within the past year are Arizona (up 40 percent in 2013 over 2012), Ohio (30 percent) and Connecticut (30 percent).

Sources: The New York Times and REALTOR®Mag

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Tips for Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent

Buying real estate is complex, and it’s important for you to select an agent who is competent, honest and knowledgeable, and will represent  your best interests throughout the entire process of either buying or selling a property.

Here are some key areas to look for when selecting an agent:

Experience
Ideally you want an agent who works in the business on a full time basis, and closes at least five to ten sales per year. The more closings an agent has under their belt, the better prepared they will be to help you through the many twists and turns of a real estate transaction.

Time to work with you
You want an agent that will spend the time with you that will be needed. If an agent seems too busy, maybe you should look for one that’s less busy.

Location
Generally you will be better served if you pick an agent that has sold a number of properties within your neighborhood. They will be most familiar with the property values and issues unique to your neighborhood. Additionally they will often have a pool of prospective buyers that are interested in the area.

Help you protect yourself
You want to pick an agent that will help you to make smart decisions. This agent should be well-versed enough to advise you on a number of issues, such as, financing, negotiations, inspections, closing and etc. 

Someone you feel comfortable with
The working relationship between you and your agent will be one that will usually last several months from beginning to end, so make sure you feel comfortable with who you choose. 

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Real Estate Search Links for Monroe & Rhea

These links will give you access to the most current property listings from the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors MLS system. The information is updated on a daily basis, so check back often.

Monroe County
http://idx.diversesolutions.com/link/308224 

Rhea County
http://idx.diversesolutions.com/link/308238

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