Real Estate

Archive for September, 2010

Home Buying Your Guide

The process of buying a new home can be tricky but this needn’t always be the case.
Firstly you will need to work out how much you can afford to spend on a potential property.
You will need to look into how big a mortgage you can afford whilst still retaining some financial comfort. Any savings you can offset against this will help greatly.

Remember to factor in costs such as; valuation surveys land registry fees and any mortgage and solicitors fee’s you may incur.

Here are 4 factors to consider when beginning your search for the perfect property.

1. Which search method to choose?

The property market to some can be a minefield; there are many search options for you to choose from and a vast array of property for you to peruse.

The traditional methods include trawling through the property pages of your local newspapers and utilising local or national estate agents to find property in your prospective search area. You could have a look around estates in an area you are considering to spot houses for sale and contact the estate agent they are using. Of course this all takes time and these day’s you have the internet on your side. Many private vendors now sell property online effectively cutting out the middleman and saving large amounts of money traditionally paid to the estate agent.

There are many online property shops which allow private vendors to sell property privately for relatively tiny listing fees especially when compared to estate agents fees.

Once you’ve decided on your search method or perhaps a combination you can start your search for your dream property.

2. Deciding on a property

Now you’ve sorted out your finances have a figure in mind and decided on a search method you are ready to begin viewing some property. Before you do you will need to decide what type of property you are looking for. Do you have dreams of buying a renovation project and building it into the house of your dreams or would you simply like to move into a modern house where putting your stamp on it involves merely a few pot’s of paint and some selective furnishings?

You should be aware that the majority of property on the market will fall into three distinct categories; freehold leasehold and common hold. Taking the first of the three freehold; this is a property whereby you will own outright the property and its grounds. With leasehold properties you may have to pay a ground rent as the land on which the property was built does not come in the property deeds. Lastly we have common hold a typical example of this type of property would be a flat that itself is freehold but comes with shared access or ownership of common parts of the building.

3. The offer

After you have viewed several properties and made a decision on one you may now wish to make an offer. You may want to offer the asking price or you may prefer to go in lower if you feel the property does not justify it’s asking price or the market is weak enough to warrant this. Generally it is best to offer the price you think the market in that area demands for that type of house. You should compare other similar property in the same street if possible to get an idea of how much to offer. You should now contact the estate agent or seller to state your offer and await a decision. You may have to increase your offer several times to find a price both parties agree on.
It is important to remember you offer is not legally binding and will usually be subject to a survey.
Once you have an offer accepted you should consider having a survey actioned as once you have completed the final purchase and taken delivery of the keys any repair work you find will be your responsibility.

4. Contract exchange and completion

Once you have agreed on a completion date with the seller and all checks have been carried out to your satisfaction you can ask your solicitor to draw up the final contract.
Once you have signed and exchanged this with the seller you are ready for completion.
I would advise that you ensure the seller has final meter readings taken and informs the utilities companies that you are the new owner to avoid any confusion over bills at a later date.

You should consider at this point arranging some form of home insurance or buildings and contents cover if you have not already been asked to do so by your mortgage provider. A mortgage provider can insist that you have building cover in place before they will release the funds to you.

On the day of completion the mortgage provider will release the funds to you and you can now transfer these into the seller’s bank account. The deeds to the property should be handed over to your solicitor and the key’s to yourself by an agreed time. And this is ultimately as far as I can guide you; all that remains is to wish you many happy years living in the house of your dreams.

About the writer:  Chris Rowlands is a UK based author with experience within the financial sector centering on insurance.

Hey Contractors Make Your Advertisements Stand Out

Go grab your Yellow Pages. Now open it up to the page where your services are advertised.

Are any of the advertisements unique?

Do they all look the same?

I just opened up my Yellow Pages to the Concrete Contractors section. Here’s what I’m seeing:

Flat work Retaining Walls Floors Foundations Driveways Curbs Sidewalks Patios; Commercial Residential; Free Estimate; Licensed amp; Insured

Ho hum. Not compelling. Not unique. Not persuasive.

Nothing tells me that any of these concrete contractors are going to give me any better service than any of the others.

This is why 90 of Yellow Pages customers get three estimates and take the low price.

Now go gather up all of your advertising materials.

I’m not kidding. Go get them.

Got them in hand?

Good.

Read them thoroughly.

Do they all read like bigger versions of a Yellow Pages ad?

I’ll bet your website does also assuming you have one.

99 of contractors make the same advertising mistakes. Don’t be like them. Be different.

* Don’t list your services.
* Don’t list “free estimate”.
* Insert a testimonial or three.
* Offer a free report “How to avoid getting shafted by your concrete contractor.”
* Make a bold statement that grabs their attention.
* Be funny.

Somehow you must show prospects you understand what is important to them and will bend over backwards to meet their needs.

Let’s pretend I am a home owner looking for a concrete contractor to replace my porch. What might I care about?

A fair price.

Quick work in and out in the shortest possible number of days.

Minimal evidence you were ever there.

A porch that lasts for rest of my home ownership.

Knowledge of how to keep the concrete and the base below it in good shape.

And most importantly confidence that I will not regret my choice of concrete contractor.

Now that you are beginning to understand what is wrong with your advertisements let me tell you how to fix them.

Most problems in life have already been solved by someone else. Your challenge is to find those advertising solutions. Fortunately the internet came along and made your research a lot easier.

Get online and start searching for contractors in your trade. Dig deep into their web sites. Print out pages that have captivating text.

Now call several of your best customers and ask them why they selected you. Ask them how they select other contractors. What advertising has grabbed their attention? What has gotten them burned? What will they do the next time they are looking for a contractor?

With all of this information in hand you are ready to write your advertising copy. How about having some fun while doing this? Work is always better when it’s fun.

Grabbed several friends and a couple of businessmen and women you respect from outside the construction industry talk them into joining you for a brainstorming session provide food and drink and get their input.

You will probably end up with far better advertising ideas than you will by hiring a professional marketing agency. You will have a lot more fun save a lot of money and produce better results.

You’ve got to give your prospects a reason to call you and only you. If you have been using “metoo” advertising redo them immediately. You’re losing business everyday you don’t.

About the writer:   Rick and Jennifer Leforce are specialists when it comes to Peoria Arizona Real Estate. Let Rick and Jen inform you about Peoria real estate in sunny Arizona. Contact us anytime or visit us online at www.personalizedhomesearch.com

Great Ways To Improve The Value Of Your Home

These are some great ways to improve the value of your home whether you are selling it or just seeking to infuse some new life into it. Interior renovations do not need to be the daunting “tear out a room” experience that many people think of when renovations are mentioned. There are many smaller and simpler ways to improve the visual impact of your home. And if the time comes that you choose to sell the home you will realize a greater profit if some of the following are observed.

1. Hardwood or Laminate Flooring Both hardwood and laminate flooring is extremely popular right now and looks to be for quite some time. It is much easier to keep clean than carpet and adds thousands to the value of your home.

2. Tile Accents Tiling in rooms like the bathroom and kitchen as opposed to linoleum is not only visually impressive but easier to keep clean. Also tile accents around the fireplace and front door are a great touch. If you don’t have a fireplace add a small “firebox” these are beautiful little all in one fireplaces that simply plug into the wall.

3. Decks Porches Is the old deck a little run down? If so maybe its time for a resurfacing and a coat of paint. Decks and porches are a huge selling feature so they should be in tip top shape. If the deck is wood a good power washing will do wonders for its appearance after that revarnish and seal it to protect the wood.

4. Paint This can apply to both the interior and exterior. If any of the rooms in your home a feeling a little drab why not spice them up with some new paint. Its a good idea to not be too adventurous with the colors if you are planning to sell the home in this case neutral colors are best. On the exterior new paint can make a world of difference. The right paint job can take years off the appearance of a home.

5. Landscaping Landscaping it vital to the appearance of your home. If there age bushes and trees in front of your home are they hiding it too much? Could the gardens use a little TLC? There are few things that can make a home more inviting than a well manicured yard.

6. General Cleanliness This is one of the most important factors in the curb appeal of your home. A cluttered and untidy yard can cause potential buyers to move right past your home if the curb appeal is not up to par. You want people to be drawn into your home to take notice and want to see more.

These things should be of great help in increasing your homes value for sale or just for your own pleasure. Don’t forget that doing these things to your home will only improve the value of your investment in the long run.

About the writer:  M Shane is a member of the REW Writers Team. A collective publication network facilitated by Real Estate Webmasters. Each article is contributed by a member of our real estate community. This particular article was submitted on behalf of Dennis Pease the smart choice for Oregon real estate.