zero-point-mortgage

Here’s What You Can Expect in Refinancing

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 10:18:43 GMT

Here’s a quick overview of the Refi Process, from app to close:

The Application
After we determine that a refinance will be beneficial for you, we start the application. Much like your original mortgage application, this one collects general information and asks for documentation of your income and assets.
Processing
Next, we’ll gather property information with an appraisal, title reports and proof of property insurance. We’ll also request a credit report and verify your income and assets.
Underwriting & Approval
The underwriter makes sure all loan guidelines are met or exceeded by verifying the information we’ve provided. A long checklist of factors must be satisfied during this stage. Additional documentation may be requested or “conditions” may be placed on the approval. Ultimately, the underwriter is held responsible for the decision made on a loan and must assure that anyone else picking up the file would come to the same conclusion.
Closing/Funding
After any conditions placed on the approval have been satisfied, your loan is cleared for “docs” or closing. Your closing package will be compiled, a preliminary HUD-1 settlement form will be approved, and then your closing will be scheduled and completed. On loans for primary residences, a three-day rescission or waiting period must transpire between closing and the funding of the new loan. After the rescission, your old loan will be paid off and your new loan will start.

Every property and situation is unique. Many small steps may occur within the four categories, and even a small issue could temporarily derail the process. Things may have changed since you originally financed your home, and the documentation needed today may be more extensive than it was then. Please realize lenders must take steps to satisfy guidelines that are designed to protect you and everyone else along the way. Things may not always seem to make sense, yet going with the flow will always be easier in the end.

If you have questions about the refinancing process, please don’t hesitate to call. We are here to help!

Do I Need A Rental Property Management Company?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 08:45:27 GMT

Do I Need A Rental Property Management Company?

Whether you still thinking of getting into the rental property business or you’re just closing on your 50 ^th investment property, you still have several decisions to make relating to how you will manage all your investments. This is usually among the biggest, toughest decisions a landlord is faced with whether they should hire a property management company. Most landlords are seen managing their investment properties all by themselves or by the help of a single employee, known as a resident manager.

If you have more than one investment property in different locations with multiple units in each, there is a good chance you need a property management company to help you do the job. A perfect solution in this case should be a property management company. They can handle any number of properties with multiple units at any location. This is a cost-effective way of managing your investment properties as a landlord.

Duties of a Property Management Company

Most investors get to be hesitant in hiring a property management company as most of them still don’t understand what it takes to hire a property management. They think doing it all by themselves would save more and they won’t get to pay some management fee. Some think they need a management company after they must have achieved a certain number of rental units. It is always advisable to have a property management company hired even before closing on the property purchase.

Property management companies have the ability to deal directly with tenants and prospects, they market your property on very popular platforms where getting tenants shouldn’t be a problem. Working with investment companies saves you more time to deal with your daily activities and work. They market your property, collect rent, handle repairs and maintenance issues, quickly responding to tenant complaints and needs and sometimes pursue evictions.

More to that, a good management company brings its experience to your property that give you the peace of mind while knowing you have your investment in good hands. Some investors won’t like the responsibility of being an employer, you should be happy to know a property management company is an independent contractor, so you don’t get to be an employer.

Any questions? We are here to help, so contact us today!

Reverse Mortgage Independent Counseling

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:58:38 GMT

Reverse Mortgage Independent Counseling

A very important and required step in the reverse mortgage process is independent counseling. Prior to application, all reverse mortgage applicants must receive independent counseling. This is a step that is in place for your protection and is required by law.

Once you have decided that you would like to move forward with a reverse mortgage, the next step is to schedule independent counseling with an approved counselor. The approved counselors will be approved by HUD and our independent of any reverse mortgage company.

The purpose of the counseling session is to protect you and make sure fully understand the entire reverse mortgage process. You will have the opportunity to learn from the counselor and ask questions. Once you have completed the counseling session, you will receive a counseling certificate showing you have completed your counseling. You will present this to me in the application process.

Below I have listed the 4 national counseling agencies that are approved by HUD. We will also provide you with a list of at least 5 local agencies as well. As we mentioned earlier, the counseling is required through a HUD approved agency before an application can be taken. There may be a charge from some counseling agencies. Some agencies will charge customers directly at the time the counseling is done and some agencies will accept deferred payment. Those that accept deferred payment can be paid from the proceeds of the reverse mortgage loan. The maximum charge that is allowed for reverse mortgage counseling is $125.

CreditAbility: 1-800-251-2227

National Foundation for Credit Counseling: 1-866-698-6322

Money Management International: 1-877-908-2227

National Council on Aging: 1-800-510-0301

If you have any question regarding independent counseling or anything else related to the reverse mortgage process. Don’t hesitate to call me! I look forward to the next time we speak.

Here’s How My Clients Beat the Clock By Preparing Ahead

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 10:18:43 GMT

Important Read: Here’s How My Clients Beat the Clock By Preparing Ahead

Do you remember the story: The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf?

I have to admit – sometimes I feel as if some of my clients view me as the little boy from the story when I’m repeatedly and passionately asking them to prepare early for the mortgage process ahead.

I’m sending this email to explain how this preparation can make a tremendous difference. Please read on.

If you haven’t done so already – please begin compiling documentation we’re going to need once you’ve found your dream home. For a specific list of what I’ll need, please contact us. Thank you!

Partial List of Starter Documents:

Copies of last two years tax returns
Copies of two most recent paycheck stubs (or easy, quick access to future pay stubs)
Copies of bank and brokerage statements for the last two months

Why Bother Digging Up Documents Now – I Haven’t Even Found My Home Yet?

Because, in the mortgage business Time Equals Money. I’ll explain what I mean below.

What Does It Mean To “Lock” Your Loan?
When it’s officially “go time”, you and I are going to “lock” your loan program with the lender. In turn, the lender is setting aside the funds allocated to your home mortgage. Lenders take these “loan locks” very seriously – as it helps them manage supply and demand.

Generally speaking – the shorter a time period you lock up a lender’s funds, the more preferential the pricing that lender will offer in return. This is huge.

What Do I Mean By the Statement Above?
Typically lenders offer “lock periods” of 30, 60 or sometimes even 90 days. By locking your loan, you benefit from knowing that if mortgage rates rise in the future, your terms will remain unchanged by the lender. As a result of this commitment the lender makes to you, they provide financial incentive for you to choose a shorter lock period than a long lock period. Does this make sense so far? If you are interested in learning more about how Time Equals Money in the mortgage business, I’m happy to educate you – just give me a call!

So, What Is My Ultimate Point In All This?
Today, you and I are not sure if it is going to be prudent to choose a short, medium or long “lock period”. However, if we ultimately determine that a short lock period is best for your situation – it will be critical that we don’t lose even a single day while the clock is running.

Do not make the same mistake so many home buyers have made in the past. When and if I ever tell you that a wolf is coming – I really mean it! By getting your mortgage ducks in a row now, we’ll be in optimal shape for a smooth and cost-saving mortgage process later.

Thanks for reading this! And for allowing me to be of service.

Here’s One Critical Question Every Home Buyer Should Ask

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 10:18:43 GMT

Here’s One Critical Question Every Home Buyer Should Ask

Realistically speaking – how long do you plan on living in the home you’re hoping to purchase?

More times than not, my clients tell me they’re planning on living in their home forever. However, most real estate professionals I’ve spoken to on this topic suggest that the typical family’s home needs change approximately every five to seven years. This statistic might surprise you – it certainly surprised me!

But it brings to light a highly critical point:

If you are reasonably certain you’ll be in your home less than 10 years, we ought to look at a wider range of mortgage program options. For example, we may want to compare the costs between a 10-year adjustable rate mortgage and the tried-and-true 30-year fixed mortgage.

Of course, this analysis requires us to balance risk with reward – and turn over a few extra stones. But if you’d do both of us a big favor, I’d like to ask that you give this question considerable thought as we continue down the path of home ownership together.

As always, thanks for the opportunity to serve you. Please don’t hesitate to reply to this email if you have any questions or if I can be of any help!

Here Is One Question Everyone Should Ask Before Refinancing

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 08:59:33 GMT

Here is One Question Everyone Should Ask Before Refinancing

Realistically speaking – how long do you plan on living in the home you’re hoping to purchase?

But it brings to light a highly critical point:

As always, thanks for the opportunity to serve you. Please don’t hesitate to reply to this email if you have any questions or if I can be of any help!

Frequently Asked Questions About Reverse Mortgages

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 08:59:07 GMT

Frequently Asked Questions about Reverse Mortgages

In the reverse mortgage process it is very common for questions to arise that are similar in nature from one customer to another. Below I have listed some of the frequently asked questions that we receive and some factual responses for your information.

What do I need to qualify for a reverse mortgage?
Be 62 years of age or older
Own your home. Customers with existing mortgages also may qualify
Live in your home as your primary residence.
How much money do I qualify for with a reverse mortgage?
The dollar amount each customer qualifies for depends on a variety of factors. Your age, current market rates, the value of your home, the type of reverse mortgage loan you choose, and the FHA lending limits in your area all come into play.
How is a reverse mortgage loan different from a traditional mortgage loan?
With a traditional mortgage loan you make monthly payments based on the amount you borrow and with a reverse mortgage you don’t need to make monthly payments on the loan as long as you stay in the home. With a reverse mortgage your balance increases each time a draw is made and the interest on the loan is added to the balance. You repay the balance when you sell or move from your home.
What kind of interest rates are available?
Reverse mortgage loans are available in both fixed rates and variable rates.
What are the fees on a reverse mortgage loan?
The fees on a reverse mortgage loan typically include closing costs, a mortgage insurance premium, and an origination fee.
Does the bank take title or own my home if I get a reverse mortgage?
The answer to both is NO. You retain ownership of your home. You are required to pay the taxes and insurance on your home and maintain your home to FHA standards.
What will I owe when the loan is due?
When the loan is due, the loan balance is required to be repaid, including interest and fees. Most commonly, the home is sold to pay off the outstanding balance of the loan.

If you happen to have any additional questions that weren’t addressed, please feel free to give us a call! I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Jumbo Loans Are Here!

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 08:58:09 GMT

Jumbo Loans Are Here!

Have you taken advantage of the great rates available on Temporary High Balance or Agency Jumbo loans? If not, you may need to do so sooner rather than later.

With these loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are authorized to purchase mortgages that are up to 125% of certain high-cost areas’ median home values, not to exceed a preset limit. Implemented as part of the 2008 stimulus package, these loan offerings were intended as a temporary measure. They have already been extended once, and limits have been reduced.

How much longer they will remain available is not certain yet, but there’s already talk of their ending very soon.

Because Fannie and Freddie are government sponsored, the rates they offer are likely lower than private entities could afford. With Washington’s current political climate, however, there is talk of the need for private market lenders to step in to provide financing over the normal conventional limits.
As long as your tax dollars are still providing for the existence of these loans, you may want to take full advantage of the lower rates they offer.

The opportunity is here now for purchasing, refinancing, consolidating debts, paying for college, or making home improvements, but the clock is ticking.

The current maximum loan amounts vary by area…

I’ll be happy to speak with you to assess the possible benefits and applicability for your personal situation.

How Can You Buy And Remodel With One Loan?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 08:57:47 GMT

How can you buy and remodel with one loan?

Most mortgage loan programs require a property to be in sound condition with no structural defects or required repairs.

Not the 203k. It’s made for homes needing anything from a light spruce up to major repairs, improvements or new additions.

Combine Purchase and Improvements
The 203k loan covers your purchase price and the cost of improvements. The proposed work must be supported by a “value upon completion” appraisal. You can save by financing renovation costs into the original mortgage rather than racking up credit card bills or dipping into reserve savings later.
Create the Perfect House
If you’re having trouble finding the right house in the right location, the 203k is the perfect solution. Just take a well-located home, add your own personalization and improvements, and make it “just right.”
Determine Your Eligibility
As with the regular FHA program, credit requirements vary yet can be more flexible than with conventional financing. There are no income limits or first time buyer status requirements.
Minimize Out of Pocket Costs
The 203k can be obtained with as little as a 3.5% down payment. Gifts can be used, sellers can contribute toward closing or costs can be rolled into the loan amount right along with your pre-paid taxes and insurance.

Applying for the 203k requires more work than other loans, but given all the advantages, it is a great option to consider.

If you want to learn more or already think a 203k is right for you, reach out, and we’ll work together to get you started today.

The Return Of The HELOC?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 08:57:24 GMT

Home Equity Line of Credit

Once upon a time, HELOCs were promoted as a great way to shop for life’s luxuries. New cars, vacations, furniture—you name it, and a HELOC could likely help you buy it.

Then home values started falling. New HELOCs became scarce, and many homeowners who had already accessed their homes’ equity found their situations had changed. In some cases, credit lines were cut back or closed with little if any warning. Where borrowers found themselves with total loan balances higher than the values of their homes, HELOCs became an impediment to refinancing.

Yet HELOCs are not inherently bad!

When used wisely, a line of credit can be a valuable financial tool, potentially allowing tax-advantaged access to the funds invested in your home.

HELOCs may cut the cost of purchasing needed things you might otherwise finance with consumer debt.
HELOCs might also be useful when established as a reserve and used only if an emergency or significant opportunity occurs. In this manner, a HELOC can provide for comfort and safety without any ongoing cost. That’s a deal that’s pretty tough to beat.

Reach out if you would like to learn more about how a HELOC may work for you.

*Always consult with your tax professional for advice specific to your situation.

Please Review Your Credit Report

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 08:55:33 GMT

Please Review Your Credit Report

Have you ever reviewed – in granular detail – your credit report? Here are a few tips that can help make sure you’re in prime position for mortgage approval – and receive the best terms and conditions possible:

Avoid The “Free Credit Score” Traps:
Even though you likely see a myriad of advertisements for “Free Credit Scores” on television and the Internet, there is only one official website where you are entitled to receive a free copy of your credit report every 12 months. That website is http://www.annualcreditreport.com . On that site, and only that site, can you receive your credit report from the three major repositories (Experian, Equifax and Transunion). Note – this site also gives you the opportunity to pay for your credit score (as opposed to credit report). For this exercise, you don’t need to know your credit score so I suggest you pass on purchasing your credit score.

Once You Have Your Credit Reports In Hand:

Check the first section of each credit report to make sure your Personal Information is accurate and up to date. This information includes your address, employer and other contact information. If you find that any of this information is inaccurate, please let me know and I’ll guide you on how to get this corrected.
The second area you should review is called “Negative or Potentially Negative Items” and usually follows your personal information. Here’s where you’ll find (if any) late payments, collection accounts, bankruptcies, foreclosures and short sales. Obviously, the less items reported in this section, the better. However, if you do in fact find erroneously reported negative items, it’s a great idea to attack those corrections right away.
The remainder of your credit report features a line-by-line detail of each credit account you have and its current status. Important information in this area includes:
How long the account has been open: Longevity of your credit relationships matters. In other words, a Visa card account in good standing for 10+ years will more positively impact your credit score than a newly opened Visa account.
Open balances: This is an important area to review. I recommend you pay particular attention to your balances versus your credit limits on each open account. The key here is to make sure your balances aren’t approaching credit limits – as this will negatively impact your score.
Status of Account: Accounts should have status listed such as “Current”, “Late” (and how delinquent), “Closed” (by creditor and/or by consumer), etc. This is also worthy of double-checking for accuracy’s sake.

I hope you find these pointers helpful. That being said, if after reading this you still feel you need some help, please feel free to give me a call. My team and I are always happy to serve. Thanks again and I promise to be in touch soon.

What Kind Of Mortgage Do You Need?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 08:55:05 GMT

What Kind of Mortgage Do You Need?

That can actually depend on the location of the home you are interested in purchasing! Not everyone qualifies for every type of mortgage. An experienced mortgage banker would be your best resource to determine what type of mortgage might be the best fit for you.

There are Conventional Loans, USDA, FHA, VA, FHA 203K…and more!

One requires you purchase a home in a rural area…

One is for veterans…

Some require little to no money down…

One actually even gives you money to fix up a home!

Let me take the confusion out of the different types of mortgages and hone in on the one that is perfect for you.

Give me a call or email me. I’m always happy to help!

To Your Porch… AND BEYOND!

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 08:54:37 GMT

To your porch… AND BEYOND! More Tips for a Successful Showing:

Welcome visitors with an inviting porch
Even if you have only a tiny stoop, make it say “welcome home” with a clean doormat, potted plants in bloom or seasonal décor and — if you have room — one or two pieces of neat porch furniture. Keep your porch lights on in the evenings, in case potential buyers drive by. Illuminating the front walk with solar lights is a nice extra touch, especially if you will be showing the house during the evening.
Boost curb appeal
This is something you always hear, and with very good reason. Many people thinking of touring your home will do a quick drive-by first, often deciding on the spot if it is even worth a look inside. Make sure your home is ready to lure in onlookers with these tips:
Power wash siding and walkways
Hang easy-to-read house numbers
Plant blooming flowers and fresh greenery or decorate seasonally (not too over-the-top)
Mow lawn, and reseed or add fresh sod as needed
Wash front windows
Re-paint or stain the porch floor as needed

Your real estate agent has a wealth of information. If you are unsure about how to boost your curb appeal, just ask! They will guide you in the right direction.

If you need guidance regarding mortgage financing, give me a call! I am always available to assist you.

What Is A Home Inspection? Is It Required?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 31 May 2021 08:53:54 GMT

What is a Home Inspection? Is it Required?

If you are house hunting, you may have heard the term “home inspection”. Spending a little money for a home inspection could save you a lot of money down the road!

Is it required? No, but it could save you money in the long run.

Think of it like a test drive of a car you are considering buying. Most people would not purchase a car based on appearance alone. Don’t you want to take a look under the hood and give it a spin first?

Not a bad idea to do the same for a home you are putting an offer in on. It’s one of (if not the) biggest purchase you’ll ever make.

Unlike an appraisal, you select the inspector you want to hire! I can recommend someone if you are not sure who to hire.

Let me know if you have further questions about home inspections! I’m here to help!

House-Hunting? Here Are Some “Don’t” Tips That May Be Helpful

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 24 May 2021 08:53:22 GMT

Are you house-hunting? Here are some “don’t” tips that may be helpful:

Here are some home shopping tips that may be useful to you:

Stick with one REALTOR!
Your real estate agent is the perfect person to show you homes. You’ve already established a relationship with your agent; who better to help you on your journey of finding a new home?
Don’t just pick up the phone, call the number on the sign, and go by yourself
Let your real estate agent do their job! If you drive by an interesting property your agent hasn’t mentioned to you, call your agent with the property address and let them research the asking price and property details for you.
Don’t plan something for two hours after you are scheduled to tour a home
You don’t want to rush; you want to linger if necessary. Plus, if you find a home you really like, you might spend more time there. If you factor in drive time, it can easily take three hours to see seven houses. If you find one you want to immediately write an offer on, it could take another hour or so.
Don’t bring a triple Venti mocha frap with you on your buyer’s tours!
This may sound like an unusual tip; but you don’t want to be using everyone’s bathroom, especially if people still live in the house! Vacant houses are the best ones for pit stops, but because everyone knows that, they are also the most likely to have nothing in the way of toilet paper except a cardboard roll with a couple of spots of paper still stuck to the glue. You’ll thank me for this one!

Reach out with any questions, and we’d love to hear from you!

Check Your Credit!

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 17 May 2021 08:52:53 GMT

Check Your Credit!

Did you know that you can check your credit report by going to AnnualCreditReport.com ? This site is an initiative mandating that the 3 major credit reporting agencies allow consumers free access to their credit report once every 12 months. I accentuate the word “free” here because there are several other websites with similar names which are not free at all…

I highly recommend that you take advantage of AnnualCreditReport.com every year as one additional step in protecting yourself from identity theft and to make sure your credit is in good order for the next time you need a mortgage.

As always, if you have any questions about anything, or just want to say “Hi”, I’m always here to serve you!

Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 10 May 2021 08:52:23 GMT

Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction

Your home is MUCH more than a place to store your things or keep you dry when it’s raining outside. It is also a very important component in your overall financial foundation. I just want you to know that I understand this, and am dedicated to helping you find the right mortgage solution. Not just for today – but also for the long haul.

Here a Top Financial Advantage to Home Ownership:

The Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction: Perhaps the most powerful financial incentive for owning (versus renting) is the home owner’s ability to deduct certain expenses (such as mortgage interest) from their taxable income. You may wonder:

“What impact will this have on my financial foundation?”

I’d be happy to walk you through some of the answers to that question. As you can imagine, numerous factors are involved and one size often does not fit all. Please be sure to message me if you’d like to set some time aside to analyze your situation.

Forced Savings – Equity

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 03 May 2021 08:51:46 GMT

Forced Savings – Equity

Your home is MUCH more than a place to store your things or keep you dry when it’s raining outside. It is also a very important component in your overall financial foundation. I just want you to know that I understand this and am dedicated to helping you find the right mortgage solution. Not just for today – but also for the long haul.

Here is a Top Financial Advantage to Home Ownership:

Forced Savings – Equity: If you’re like me, you love any opportunity to build equity in something of value over time. That’s why I believe you’re going to enjoy chipping away at your loan’s principal balance with each monthly payment. Depending on the program you select, you might only see small momentum at first. But over time the percentage you’re contributing toward the equity in your home will continue to grow – as will your feeling of self-worth and satisfaction. To see a specific example of how this momentum will build for you, please be sure to ask me for an

To see a specific example of how this momentum will build for you, please be sure to ask me for an amortization schedule for the loan scenarios we analyze together! Please reach out with any questions!

Long Term Potential For Appreciation

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 08:51:07 GMT

Long Term Potential For Appreciation

Your home is MUCH more than a place to store your things or keep you dry when it’s raining outside. It is also a very important component in your overall financial foundation. I just want you to know that I understand this and am dedicated to helping you find the right mortgage solution. Not just for today – but also for the long haul.

Here is a Top Financial Advantage to Home Ownership:

Long-Term Potential for Appreciation: Let me be clear – there are no guarantees the home you buy will appreciate in value – especially in the short term. In fact, sometimes real estate can actually drop in value. However, if you research the past 75 years of our country’s history, you’ll find that over time real estate purchased properly shows an increase for long-term appreciation.

That being said, I always recommend my clients buy a house because they’re going to love spending half their time (or more) there – not because they think one house will appreciate more than another. After all, how does one put a price tag on happiness?

I sincerely appreciate you allowing me this opportunity to help educate you on the home buying process. Please reach out with any questions!

Have You Stopped By An Open House?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 08:50:32 GMT

Have you stopped by an Open House?

Want to know how to tour several homes for sale in one day, without an appointment?

Typically, every Saturday and Sunday your area Realtors Association will be hosting open houses throughout your community.

Open houses are a great opportunity to walk through homes that you may potentially be interested in but not quite sure about.

Once you tour the home, if it seems to be worth a second look, you can then schedule a full showing with you real estate agent at a later date.

I hope this has been helpful to you! Reach out if there’s anything I can do for you! I’m here to help!

A Guide For Distressed Sellers

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 08:50:07 GMT

A Guide For Distressed Sellers

Completing a real estate home sale without the proper help is known as one of the toughest transactions in the world. The process can be more complicated when the property in question is facing foreclosure or has some liens attached to it. Whether by the knowledge of the homeowner or by the actions of an unhappy creditor or contractor, there’s always the possibility of the owner losing his/her ownership to the property with the existence of various liens put in place to secure payment.

People normally have the notion that homes with liens cannot be sold, we consider this idea to be very wrong and misleading. If you own a home with liens, whether tax or nuisance liens and would like to sell and move, there are still available options to be explored, follow the steps listed below for tops tips on how to get it sold:

Evaluate the Lien: Determine the different types of liens and judgments on your property. Each lien has a different procedure to handle while some cannot be negotiated. Most of them can be settle if handled the right way.
Find a qualified buyer: It can be a challenging decision to find someone with the ability to buy a home with a lien attached to it. Lien is considered to be a major problem for most buyers and real estate agents as everything is needed to be paid in full. If the creditor in particular is found difficult to handle, they may get tired and run out of patience. You need to find someone who understands your desire to sell your house as is and as well can handle the lien.
Work with an expert: Hire the service of an experienced investor brings about a great difference in the outcome. An investor or a title company can take you through by controlling what you tell a creditor when selling liens. It’s preferable not to make the lien holder aware of you releasing the lien as it gives them the upper hand.

Any questions? We are here to help you, so give us a call!

A Guide To Homeowners Tax Deduction

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 08:49:37 GMT

A Guide To Homeowners Tax Deduction

Buying a home comes with a great feeling as the buyer starts a new chapter in life. Some buyers will see it as they’ve arrived but do not forget, homeownership is a huge financial responsibility and sometimes the biggest for some people will ever have. Apart from mortgage payments, you’ll need to run insurance, maintenance cost, property taxes, and others. The federal government clearly understands homeownership, and the tax law has created several ways a home ownership costs can cut your taxes.

Some home expenses can be deductible if handled the right way and if you itemize deductions. You should consider using schedule A for your itemization to claim your mortgage interest deduction and your mortgage must be secured by your first or second home. The said home to be qualified for tax deduction could be a house, boat or trailer, so far as you can cook in it, sleep in it and use it as a toilet.

Handling the property tax deduction:

Find your tax record: You can get this from your local taxing authority that will provide a copy of your home’s tax bill and you should as well consider scrutinizing registration paperwork on your car, boat, RV or other movable assets. Those might come with some property taxes and the portion based on the vehicle’s value is likely deductible.
Exclude unwanted stuff: A property tax can only be deducted if it’s assessed uniformly at a rate of similar properties in the neighborhood. This proceeds will be used to help the community not pay for your special services. There are sometimes assessments made by the county for improvements, such assessments are not deductible as they’re not classified as taxes.
Use schedule A when filing your return: This where you figure your deduction. This implies you’ll have to itemize your taxes instead of using the standard deduction. Itemizing will often take more time to do your taxes and you might just end up having a lower tax bill.
Make property tax deduction on yearly basis: There are two available ways you can pay your taxes, either you set aside a standard budget for monthly payments in an escrow account when the mortgage is paid or you just write a check once or twice when the bill comes. Don’t be fooled by the first system, taxes are only deductible when using the second system.

Keep in mind that you should contact your tax accountant before taking any actions. Any questions? We are here to help, so contact us today!

Advantages Of Title Insurance

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 08:48:36 GMT

Advantages Of Title Insurance

Most homebuyers or owners come with a common question: “Do I need title insurance?”

The answer you’ll get from any real estate expert is a loud “yes”. Some might still be lost and wondering what exactly is title insurance. A title is simply an individual’s legal right to ownership and possession of a particular property. The title insurance was created as a policy to help homeowners or lenders protect their right to ownership against possible claims. To most homeowners, they will rank their real estate properties as the largest asset they’ve ever achieved and can’t in any way be encouraging to see your largest asset fall into the hands of someone over some fake claims. Every homeowner would go extra miles for the protection of their properties and the title insurance should be your first and major move to make.

Not just important for homeowners, lenders equally require the protection of title insurance to be sure of their investment. If your home purchase is financed, most lenders would require a lender’s title insurance policy. This policy type only protects the lender on the extent of their outstanding balance on the loan. They need a title insurance policy to ensure the protection of their investment.

Having to understand the difference between title insurance and a title search will assist in knowing more on the benefits of a title insurance policy. Title search is only required before settlement while title insurance provides protection after settlement. Title insurance can open up some issues left covered by the title “search”, some of which include; forged deeds or releases, instruments created or fabricated under an expired or fabricated attorney, deeds by minors, deeds delivered after the death with or without the consent of the grantor or grantee, undiscovered easements fraud in execution and many others. The homebuyers under title insurance are known to stay with a clear head knowing that they’re free from all these claims if they happen to arise soon after they close on their purchase.

Other advantages of title insurance include:

Protection from some costs, attorney’s fees and other expenses for defending you over any matter insured by the title insurance policy.
Provides protection for as long as you and your heirs claim ownership of the property.
Protection against certain covered risks without exceeding the insurance amount, some of which includes defect in title caused by:
Fraud or forgery
Unpaid mortgage and other liens
Restriction of access to the land
Easements or rights of way, limiting use of the property
Unmarketable title

Any questions? We are here to help, so contact us today!

Common Housing Styles

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 08:49:01 GMT

Common Hosing Styles

What style home do you love? There are so many considerations that need to be investigated to make sure you’re home search is filled with home styles that you want. Below are a few common housing styles that you may encounter during your home search:

Modern: Modern architecture began in the 20 ^th century and become the dominant style after the second world war. Modern architecture became improved due to the historical art movement of modernism and was a denial of the old traditional architectures. There became advances and experimentation in construction technology using materials like glass, steels, and reinforced concrete thereby pushing this architectural trend upward. Some characteristics of modern architecture include a boxy and geometric with a flat roof and are having a dramatic and curbside appearance. The majority of modern materials are made of glass, steel, and concrete. Also, the use of solid white walls is a very popular feature of today modern houses. Open floor plans are very common.

Cape Cod Home: This form of architectural designs emerged during the 17 ^th century in New England and has gone through periods of revival. This style was copied from the half-timbered houses England houses with a parlor and a hall. This format was adapted by settlers in their homes to make it suitable for the stormy and cold northeast winters and made use of the local materials.

Some characteristics of cape cod homes could be seen in their way of construction whereby they are generally 1.5 stories with a moderate steep pitched roof with gables and often having a large chimney which are generally at the center of the house. Style-wise, cape cod homes are typically covered in clapboard.

Ranch: tThis is typically a single-story home with a long horizontal trail. Often credited to California architects, this post-war style celebrated the abundance of cheap land and extensive suburbs. They are characterized by a less-formal lifestyle and encouraged open free-flowing floor plans. They are mostly one-story but could also be a raised ranch which is a two-story adaptation with a finished basement.

Some other forms of architecture or housing styles you’ll find are Craftsman, Cottage homes, Pueblo Revival, Spanish homes and others.

Questions? We are here to help, so contact us today!

Buying Rental Property

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 08:48:02 GMT

Buying Rental Property

Taking the step towards buying your first rental property is a major investment and can as well be a lucrative one. A primary objective of dealing in real estate is mainly to acquire wealth and one of the fastest ways to build your income in real estate is producing top rental properties. What makes a rental property considered ‘top’?

It doesn’t necessarily need to be a money pumping machine and it doesn’t need to be a “no money down” deal either, though all of these would make it better. A simple definition of a perfect investment property is one that brings multiple returns on every dollar spent on it. Every investor would need every single penny to work overtime, producing revenues as much as possible while continuously paying off debts associated with the property. When you purchase investment properties with such goals in mind, you basically have no limit to how far you can grow your net worth and personal income.

Investment properties can be a perfect investment option if you learn to purchase the right property for your investment while taking into consideration every precaution needed. Take your time, do your research for favorable properties in your desired neighborhood and read some top tips provided from the real estate industry to guide you through the process of buying your rental property.

Here are tips to guide you through the process:

Use leverage to buy your investment property: It is advisable for potential real estate investors to understand the mortgage market. If you go for the right mortgage option, it could help your purchase be more affordable and reduce uncertainty about the property’s cash flow. Putting to use your mortgage leverage can save some cash so you can later do some required repairs. More to that, a mortgage can be seen as a double edge sword since there will be associated financing cost.
Be aware of short-term rental restrictions: With more of short-term rental companies such as Airbnb and VRBO, most cities have implemented short-term rental restrictions. You may have other restrictions from your HOA or your condo association and some might not allow short-term rentals of under 30 days. Read your HOA agreement and be aware of every law that is implemented before buying an investment property to be sure it can be used as a short-term
Screen your tenants: Use background checks, credit score checks, and landlord-tenant records to screen your tenants. If they have been in landlord-tenant court or have a bad credit score, think twice before making a decision.
First, invest in single-family homes: For a start, you must be looking for the simplest way of becoming a real estate investor, single-family homes should be your best option. The maintenance is way easier than the multi-family or commercial properties. With just a single tenant, you won’t have much work on you and the experience can get you equipped to go big and handle the multi-family homes.

Any questions? We are here to help, so contact us today!

Deciding On An Offer Price

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 08:46:32 GMT

Deciding On An Offer Price

Home buyers are sometimes faced with tough decisions including how or what they should offer for their home. One thing that gets homebuyers nervous is the shortage of real estate information on the web which only makes the offer price decision tougher. The most valued part of a home purchase is making and dealing with offers and its seen as the most nerve-racking. Taking this decision would be much easier for someone a clear understanding and value of the property he/she is about to pay for.

Some buyers think the decision can be made by doing some fancy math or by running spreadsheets. You need an offer that creates a great value for you and also has a high possibility of being successful for the property. A great deal cannot be done by a low and boring offer and can lead to losing the property. This as well applies to sellers who would set the list price for their property just to get more buyers knocking at their doors.

As a buyer or seller, there is an appealing list of steps which is a must for you to make the most out of your offer price;

The (CMA) Comparative Market Analysis: The CMA is known to be the most reliable and widely used mathematical system for estimating or calculating your property’s true value which works similar to comparison shopping. A CMA works by condensing the necessary characteristics of your property some of which are bathrooms, bedrooms, lot square footage. The CMA takes this information and do a comparison with neighboring properties currently on the market or had just been sold. Your realtor can help to sort things out for you.
Market Trends: Studying the local market around your property will help get a great value for your potential home to be. You do this from a similar approach which is seen as the first step to be taken in order to best determine a purchase price for the property. From this point, considering the trends that affect your local real estate market either in your city or neighborhood will highly assist to further narrow the offer price.
Specific Facts About The Property And The Seller: Some homebuyers are fond of getting information from their realtors like the length of time each property they come across has been on the market. (DOM) Number of Days on the Market this system would help you know the average number a property has spent on the market with the use of your CMA. If the home you have plans of offering on has been longer than a couple of weeks on market beyond your area’s DOM, the sellers are known to have a higher motivational level and today’s sellers have been educated to understand the fact that the list price might just be too much. Whether you find yourself buying a seller’s or buyer’s market, a DOM that’s longer than the average one signifies that the property can be bought for much less than the normal price.
Factors That Affects Property Value: Apart from the characteristics that the property possess, you as well need to take into consideration any others that actas an enhancement or a fall on the property’s value. Some factors to consider are:
Is the property found in a school catchment neighborhood?
Are there any chances of planned infrastructures to further better make services better or create pollution and traffic noise?
Check for nearby transport services, are they to be expended by the local authority or to be reduced?
Is the home located in a flood zone or potential to be attacked by a natural disaster?

Any questions? We are here to help, so contact us today!

Online Home Value Tools VS Appraisals

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 08:45:56 GMT

Online Home Value Tools VS Appraisals

The need for accurate and unbiased property value arises as it is the most important in terms of credit risk management. Before a lender approves a loan application for a homebuyer, an accurate property value will be required to determine the loan amount, the loan-to-value ratio that helps to decide the degree of homeowner equity which is a key determinant of borrower credit risk. An independent appraisal is generally required for home buyers added to a home sales price and used to calculate the principal collateral.

Home buyers are becoming more confused with the rising need of their home value to be approved for financing. Home buyers are still contemplating between a home appraisal and the Automated Valuation Model, they find difficulties in knowing which is better and more accurate than the other to get an unbiased value for their property.

Although some may think that lender-required appraisals are biased because they are ordered through the lender, there is no bias. Typically, an appraisal is ordered through an automated service and the lender does not have direct communication with the appraiser at all. That is to remove any bias that may have been formed.

Automated Valuation Tools are helpful when your start your inital home search, but an official appraisal is always the way to go to make sure the house you are buying is worth the price you are paying.

Before Buying A Home

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 08:44:44 GMT

Before Buying A Home

You’ve made the decision to buy a house! How do you go about financing? Buying a home is one of life’s most important and exciting decisions, and it could still be the most challenging most especially if you have no idea on how to handle the mortgage process. Having a clear understanding of how a home loan works and being prepared for the process before approaching the buying will have you save much with the best experience.

To help and educate you on the home loan process, I’ve put together some basic items to help explain the home loan process for your better understanding.

Being pre-approved: Contact us today to start your pre-approval process! This will include checking your credit, your financial documents, and making sure you are comfortable with potential monthly payments.
Know your credit score: We will check your credit during the pre-approval process, but knowing it ahead of time certainly helps! Being aware of your credit score in advance gives you the chance to make it better if need be. Activities, like paying off debts and scrapping unused credit cards, will help increase your credit score.
Monthly mortgage payment: Having constant funds for a monthly mortgage payment is a must. This helps you know what home standard you can comfortably afford. You can base your budget on your usual monthly spending habits.
Get used to the world of real estate: Before going in for more details, potential home buyers should consider familiarizing themselves with common loan, terminology, and I would suggest you start by having a clear understanding of some basics.

Important Real Estate Terms

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 08:44:09 GMT

Important Real Estate Terms

As you are buying a home, you’re bound to come across a few uncommon terms that keep coming up when dealing with real estate financing. I’ll go over some of those terms that may come up when dealing with real estate financing.

Interest: A charge paid for borrowing money.
APR (Annual Percentage Rate): The cost of credit expressed as an annual rate. It must be calculated by using a formula set by federal law and disclosed to the borrower to aid in comparing different credit plans.
Points: This is a form of prepaid interest where one point is worth 1% of the loan. A borrower might be offered points by the lender to discount the loan interest.
Clauses: Clauses are known to include in mortgages these days which create some additional rules for loans.
Mortgage: The term of agreement with your financial institution

CLICK HERE for the full list of our mortgage glossary of terms.

Ways To Make Your Home Safer

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 08:41:55 GMT

Ways To Make Your Home Safer

Homes should be a safe haven where we seek refuge after a busy and tiring day at work. Your home should be a place where the safety of you and your loved ones is guaranteed. We’ve all heard how we should lock our doors, shut our windows, activate burglar alarm when going out or when going to bed at night, and in the morning before opening the front door, we should look through the peephole. All these are very common and yet we still experience home accidents and burglaries every day in our neighborhoods. Now the question is, which step should we take to increase the safety of our homes?

Most people are known to worry about night time security but a research has proven that a greater percentage of burglaries and home accidents actually take place during the day as people are known to be at schools, work or running errands. It is very necessary to take precautions at all times, don’t just wait for night times to come before you start turning on alarms and locking doors. You need to take certain precautions to ensure the safety of your home whenever you go out.

When it comes to the protection and safety of your family and belongings, you can’t be left behind with the several possible ways by which you can protect your home from burglary. I will provide a guide below that will include key prevention steps that should be taken both outside and inside your home to prevent some common home accidents.

Install a good lighting system indoors and outdoors: This should be the first and most important step to be taken and it is most needed at night and during winters when there is not enough daylight. Some areas that should be taken into consideration are the foyers, stairs and outdoors. You can go further by installing motion sensor lighting most especially at entrances.

Endeavor to solve electrical problems immediately: Never take the risk of living a pending electrical problem in your home at any point in time. Always try as much as possible to attend to the slightest fluctuation, make it a principal rule of switching off every appliance after use. Electrical problems should be taken note of as they can lead to other home accidents, like the failure of smoke and burglar alarms and can even lead to the burning down of your home.

Switch on TVs to make burglars think your home is occupied: Like I said above, most burglaries are proven to occur by the day when homeowners are out for work and other duties. Burglars don’t want to risk the chance of getting an encounter with someone and the day time is the most favorable moment for this act. Dark homes in the evenings are also burglar friendly. By turning on TVs, radios, and timers while away can help keep burglars busy thinking you’re at the watch. There is a fake TV designed for this purpose as it simulate lights and colors of a shining TV and it cost less than $50.

Examine doors and windows for potential weaknesses: A significant percentage of burglars are known to access homes through open doors or windows. You should pay high attention to your front door as its the main way in and out of your home, the door should be made of a hardwood or steel. For not more than $100, you can afford a doorway reinforcement kit that fortifies the weak points of your front door.

Reach out with any questions! We are happy to help!

What Is The Best Time To Sell Your Home

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 08:40:13 GMT

What Is The Best Time To Sell Your Home

Many people ask if there is a perfect time to sell their house? Of course, so many factors go into this decision: It could be that you are expecting a baby, you have accepted a new job, or you’re just wanting to relocate, among so many other things. Below are some factors you need to investigate before selling a home.

Your finances: In most cases, personal finances act as the most driving factor behind selling a home. If you have lived in your home for a long period of time, you may have equity that can serve as a down payment when looking for a new home, to pay for other big expenses, or to supplement your retirement. In addition, it is good for an individual to know if he/she has enough for the cost related to the home.
Life changes: It is often very difficult and often not possible to plan for life biggest changes. A problem may arise that will make you sell your home quickly and move away. Some examples of such situations might trigger such a move, a new job, placing your kids in better school, help need by your aging parents etc. there are other ways to ease the prosses of selling since selling on a short timeline is stressful.
Upgrading or downsizing: Your home may not be suitable for your liking or maybe your family has grown, so you need a house with more bedrooms, the decision to sell your house could be prompted. In a real sense, it will require some time for you to think before taking a decision. Take a walk around the house and take note of the spaces you used and how they meet your needs. Moving to a lower cost home could free up some money for traveling, or maybe your kids have grown up to college-age who may want to come back home, so downsizing carries its own cost.
Seasonal changes in real estate: Everything being equal, aside from personal factors, it is sometimes best to sell your home during the peak months to benefit from higher prices. The calendar can serve as a guide to you when you are on the verge of selling your house. According to the realtors, home sales tend to pick in February, increase much higher during springs and at the peak in the summer. Endeavor to make findings and familiarize yourself with the present drift in your local market. In addition, make a seasoned real estate agent understand how your local real estate market is being impacted by a change in seasonality.
Other market factors: Aside from seasonality, there are also some other factors to be considered and the most important is the inventory of houses for sale in your area. Low inventory implies that it could be the best time to sell, since buyers may scramble for any property available therefore making them willing to pay top dollar for your home.

We are here to help you! Reach out with any questions.

What To Do When You Outgrow Your Home

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 08:39:00 GMT

What To Do When You Outgrow Your Home

To most homeowners, there comes a time when you feel your current home can’t contain you and your family. The first home you bought feels either too small or just not good for you anymore. Careers change, families grow, and other unexpected life events can come your way and make you realize that your current home is running out of rooms. Your situation when purchasing your current home might have changed and it’s no longer comfortable or it might just not be compatible with your new needs. Whatever the case is, you may currently be outgrowing your home and would need to upsize for more space and for family satisfaction.

What should you do next from here? Make a move to your second and bigger home or improve the one you already have? We’ve done some research and discovered some personal and professional insight from top home financial specialists who faced the problem of outgrowing their homes and what they did in response.

Other signs you might be needing a new home are listed below:

You have a better financial shape: In the case of a job promotion or an inheritance can cause you to wantto move to a bigger home or a more desirable neighborhood. An improved finance gives you the chance to upsize and live comfortably.

Not enough room to entertain:You have a bigger family and more friends, you find dinner parties logistically challenging, you think of how everyone can get a space around the table. Small parties are as well a challenge for you. Admit it: it’s time to spread your wings and get a bigger place.

Longer commute:You finally got a promotion or a new job, but you have a challenge of a longer commute to your job. As you get a better career, you might find your home inconvenient in terms of location. You might consider getting a new home closer to the officefor a better work life.

What to do in such conditions

If you find yourself in any of the above conditions, it could be time to make a change. But before deciding to get an upgrade, it’s best to know what exactly you’re going for. Study the various home loans to know which of them is suitable for you and what size of home you can afford. First of all think of your relocation costs, can you afford the service of a moving company to make it easier for you or you would just do it yourself?

Go out and make the difference, look for a suitable neighborhood. Take your kids into consideration and the available schools in your desired location. Think of the neighborhood safety, the crime rate, andothers to make sure you don’t get to regret your option of moving. And finally and most importantly, go house hunting! Search for a perfect home that meetsyour needs and was absent in your previous home.

Why Multifamily Real Estate Is A Great Investment

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 08:38:31 GMT

Why Multifamily Real Estate Is A Great Investment

Which investment option is best for your hard earned money? Single or multifamily properties? The multifamily real estate investment comes with many different key benefits and it is most recommended to have a clear knowledge of the offered benefits so you can make informed investment decisions. Multifamily real estate doesn’t just play a key role in providing necessary, affordable housing for people across the world, it is also seen as one of the best housing solutions for people of different stages all through their lives.

I will discuss below the different benefits of investing in multifamily real estate properties.

Ease of management: What could be worse than owning 4 different single-family homes spread out across the city and you have to manage all 4 homes? Now think of having all 4 residential homes under one roof. You may need more than one manager to take care of all 4 units across the city which brings additional cost while just one manager is needed for the one building with all property units.

Expensive but the same type of financing: We can finance up to 4-unit homes the same way as we finance single family homes!

Takes less time to grow a portfolio: The multifamily real estate property investment is known to have more advantages for investors with the aim of building a relatively large portfolio of rental units. Owning a 4 unit multifamily building is considered a lot easier and takes less time than trying to purchase 4 different single-family homes.

Always on demand: In the U.S. housing market, multifamily properties plays vital role in providing essential housing solutions for those renting out of necessity rather than choice. More to that, a majority of immigrants moving into both the U.S and Canada often fall short of funding to secure a homeownership and for this, they have to rent for over 10 years on average before being able to make a home purchase.

We would love to help you, so please reach out with any questions!

A Handy Checklist To Print And Use While Looking At Homes

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 08:37:56 GMT

A handy checklist to print and use while looking at homes

Did you know that you can use the same real estate agent to view different homes?

Most people are under the assumption they should call the number listed on the “for sale” sign if they are interested in viewing that particular home.

This is not the case at all! In fact, you are better off using the same real estate agent throughout your entire home shopping process so your agent can become familiar with your likes, dislikes, wants and needs. Any real estate agent can show you any home listed by any agent, even if it’s not their listing.

Here is a handy checklist you can print and use as view potential homes:

https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/CHECKLIST-EN.PDF

As always, contact me should you have any questions!

I Need A Title Company?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 08:37:27 GMT

I Need A Title Company?

Title companies are known to play a good number of key roles in a real estate transaction. A title company has a general role of acting as the agent of the insurance company, the buyer, the seller, and other parties involved in the transaction such as mortgage lenders. A title company is there to ensure whether the title to a real estate property is legitimate in order to issue title insurance for the property. The title insurance is there for the protection of the lender and/or the owner of the property from claims or lawsuits against the property resulting from dispute over the title.

Every potential home buyer should clearly understand the functions of a title company. Like I said before, a title company determines the validity of a property’s title so the buyer can be confident of the ownership once he/she makes the purchase of the property, how is that possible? The title company will carry out a title research on the property, this is a thorough examination of every record attached to the property to ensure that the buyer of the property is 100% sure of ownership. This gives a legal assurance and no one can claim full or partial ownership of the property.

During the title search, the title company takes into consideration any outstanding mortgages, judgments, liens and unpaid taxes associated with the property and any other restrictions, leases, easements or related issues that could impact ownership. Title companies sometimes would consider a property survey, this is used to determine the true boundaries of the plot of land containing the home. This is as well to determine whether there are any violations on the property by neighbors or any easement that could impact ownership.

Before title insurance is provided by a title company, an abstract title is provided in the form of a short summary including what they found during the title search. Most often, this is the history of property ownership. The title company will then offer a title opinion letter, this is normally a legal document including the validity of the property title.

Once the property title is found to be valid, the title company will issue a title insurance policy, this policy protects lenders or buyers against legal fees or claims that may arise from a dispute over ownership of the property.

We are here to help you through everything! Reach out to us today to get started on your home purchase!

Avoiding Mortgage Stress

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 08:36:55 GMT

Avoiding Mortgage Stress

Homeowners that are struggling to make their mortgage payments hold an amazing amount of stress. This stress is as a result of borrowers finding difficulties in the payment of their loans. This is often caused by a series of factors such as a higher standard of living costs, living above your means, or unforseen factors with income. We want you to avoid mortgage stress! Here are a few ways in which an individual will avoid mortgage stress:

Live within your means
This is the best advice a homeowner needs to consider. Remeber, the little things matter! Going out to eat, subscriptions, and credit card debt add up! All of this on top of a large mortgage payment increase your stress to the max. Limit your spending and ensure you don’t engage in needless purchases for they can accumulate and leave you in a tough spot.
Get a home you can afford for
Just because you can qualify for a home that maxes out your budget, doesn’t mean it’s benifical for your financial and emotional health. So remember to always choose a house that will fit within your budget so you can avoid high mortgage stress.
Create an emergency fund
Prepare for the future! There’s no way to predict your financial future, so create an emergency fund to help reduce any stress that might come in times of financial hardship. Putting in an emergency fund is a good way of confronting the unseen life challenges.

We are here to help you, and are happy to help walk you through the homebuying process to make sure you are in a great mortgage situation! As always, reach out with any questions!

Why Hire A Real Estate Agent?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 08:36:25 GMT

Why Hire A Real Estate Agent?

Considering the availability of information on the web, you may be wondering the need of hiring a real estate agent. Below are some of the key reasons for hiring a professional real estate agent:

Hire a specialist
The act of hiring a specialist goes a long way! Have you ever tried to do a plumbing project on your own? It’s hard, and unforseen things may arise. The same goes for real estate. Hiring a professional ensures that the process goes smooth with or without issues that may come up throughout the process. They also understand that market to help guide you into the best possible situation.
Understanding the local market
Most agents are bent on equipping themselves with useful information on the ins and outs of particular neighborhoods. They do this to aid them to easily compare prices while they present their evidence to you.
Information for Market Conditions
Most real estate agents reveal market situations, which governs the buying and or selling process. This information is vital upon financial decision-making process, and could save you thousands.
Professional Networking
Most agents have a team or other professionals who provide services that will warrant you to either buy or sell. They want your deal to go smooth, and may recommend 3rd parties that they’ve worked with in the past to make sure you are taken care of.
Skills of Negotiation
Top producing agents are masters of negotiations simply because of their ability to stay clear emotionally to deals. This is largely due to their skill set. Agents are not only charged with delivering offers to sellers and buyers but are rather highly skilled professionals charged with presenting their client’s terms with confidentiality of information against competitors.
What Next After Closing The Sale
Your real estate agent is your advocate on anything to do with your home. After you close, you can always contact them for advice on anything that may come up throughout your home life.

We are always here to help you! Please reach out with any questions that may come up!

Buying A Condo 101

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 08:35:50 GMT

Buying A Condo 101

Purchasing a condo is not the same as buying a home for a single family. Considering most instances, condominiums offer a wide range of services such as fitness centers, tennis courts, and pools. People are typically drawn to condos due to its low maintenance costs as well as the lifestyle of living in a condominium community. The following points should be considered before you start your condo search:

Determine Whether a Condo is the “Right Fit”
Ask yourself this question: “should I buy a condo?” That is, evaluating the pro’s and cons is a necessity because there are some pretty big differences between condos and single family homes.
Hire a Real Estate Agent Who Has Experience
Unlike buying a single family, multi-family, or vacant land, buying a condo is a very different process. So make sure you are working with a real estate agent who understands what needs to get done to avoid any mishaps.
Obtain Financing
As it is the case with buying a family home, make sure you contact us to get pre-approved before you start your search. We will walk you through any questions you have.
Enquire What the Condo Includes
Knowing the features of the condo is very important. Some condo’s include parking, snow removal, landscaping, security, pool, events, etc… Make sure you know what you will be paying for!
Examine the Association Rules
Considering the close proximity of most condos, community rules and regulations are necessary. With this issue, many associations are equipped with regulations for peace to reign in the community.

We are here to help you! Please reach out with any questions.

Refinancing 101

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:35:06 GMT

Most Common Reasons for Refinancing Your Home:

You have a fixed-rate mortgage with a high interest rate, and are looking to get a lower interest rate
You have an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) and are looking to get a fixed rate
You have two mortgages and would like to consolidate them into one
You have a long-term loan and would like a shorter-term loan so you can pay it off and build equity more quickly
You have a short-term loan and would like a longer-term loan so as to reduce your monthly payments
You want to move from an interest-only mortgage to a loan that pays down the principal
You want some extra cash to make a purchase or to pay off other debt

Common Refinancing Options That Can Meet Your Needs:

Cash-Out or Cash Back Refinance
This plan allows you to refinance your mortgage for more than you currently owe. The difference and the equity is converted into cash for the homeowner.
Lower Fixed-Rate Loan
If you currently have a high fixed-rate mortgage and the rates have dropped due to market conditions, then you may want to refinance to a low fixed-rate loan. Also, if you have an ARM, you might consider this option in order to get the security of a fixed rate. Even if your adjustable rate is low now, it is not guaranteed to remain that way; but if you get a low fixed-rate loan, then you lock that low rate in for the life of the loan. This option is a good choice if you are not planning on moving within the next five years.
Shorter-Term Loan
If your main goal is to quickly build up equity and to pay off your mortgage sooner, then the shorter-term loan is probably your best choice. A lot of times, if you refinance to this type of loan, your monthly payments will be higher, but you will pay substantially less interest and your mortgage will be paid off sooner. Also, you would benefit from a larger tax deduction on interest if you move from a 30-year fixed to a 15-year fixed loan. There are some cases, however, in which you may be able to refinance to a shorter-term loan without raising your monthly payment -if you’ve had your current mortgage for enough years.
Longer-Term Loan
If your current monthly payments are higher than is comfortable for your financial situation, then you might want to consider refinancing to a longer-term loan. This will result in a decrease in your monthly payments, since you will have more time to repay the loan. Examining your current mortgage and knowing how you would like to improve it are the first steps you need to take when starting the refinancing process. Once you know this, you can choose the option that will best help you achieve your goals.

We are here to help! Please reach out with any questions.

Home Energy Conservation

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 08:34:26 GMT

Home Energy Conservation

Energy consumption varies from area to area due to the vast difference in their environmental condition. However, reducing this consumption is one feature homeowners should do to help save on their bills. Below are some ways which homeowners can use to save money per bill:

About 90% of the energy consumed by incandescent light bulbs is given up as heat hence to minimize this loss, remember to turn off the light when you don’t intend to use it! Replacing your lights with LED’s is a great way to help save on costs!
Unplug things when they are not in use.
When buying your appliances, it’s always important to buy those of good energy rating and efficiency, which reduces energy consumption.
Another important energy consuming factor in the house is laundry. Using cold water will help reduce energy costs.
Check your shower head! There are some amazing shower heads that reduce the amount of water you use drastically.
Get a programmable thermostat and water heater. This is to regulate the amount of heat needed in the case of the thermostat and to turn off your water heating system especially at night when they are not in use in the case of a water heater.
Set all your electronic gadgets (computers) to sleep when they are not in use.

We are here to help! Please reach out with any questions!

Understanding Your Credit

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:33:55 GMT

Understanding Your Credit

Many people have never seen their Credit Report! Not knowing what your credit report says about your finances may cost you more when trying to obtain a mortgage. Even those who pay everything on time might have an unaddressed credit issue that is hurting their credit! It is very common for incorrect information to be reported on your Credit Report and it is important to identify any issues and correct them before you apply for a mortgage.

Many of you have seen “Free Services” advertised on T.V., The Internet, and through the Radio. When you see an offer for a “Free Credit Report”, it’s typically not free and generally gives you a little information to get you to sign up for their services!

However, under federal law, you have the right to obtain a free and secure Credit Report at www.annualcreditreport.com . The top three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are required by law to provide you with a free annual credit report, once a year.

Credit problems? Fixing credit reporting issues , such as incorrect collections showing up, late payments showing up when paid on time, active accounts that are closed, can be fixed. The key is to identify any issues and work toward having them corrected. If you want to take action, the first step would be to call the bureaus at:

Equifax- 1-800-685-1111 or go to www.equifax.com
Experian- 1-888-397-3742 or go to www.experian.com
TransUnion- 1-800-916-8800 or go to www.transunion.com

We are always here to help! Reach out with any questions.

Relocating?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:33:23 GMT

Relocating?

The relocation home-buying process can be quite the struggle if not correctly structured. If you take time in the planning you can be sure to escape most setbacks. Here are common hiccups that many people encounter in their relocation process which you can prepare ahead of time to avoid:

Selecting the cheapest moving company

Have you heard the saying, “You get what you pay for”? Unfortunately, that is true in most cases of movers. Your belongings shouldn’t be entrusted to just any moving company without proper investigation of how qualified they are. We recommend that you check online reviews and/or ask friends who they have used. Make sure your choice of moving company is the best in town so as to be sure of the service you will receive. Sometimes taking extra time to make sure you have the right company goes a long way!

Not hiring a moving company

Moving everything yourself is certainly cheaper; we get it! Depending on how large your move is, sometimes you can handle it all yourself. Often, just hiring a company saves you A LOT of headache and stress in the long run. I’ve heard that hiring a moving company is often “some of the best money I’ve ever spent”, so it’s worth it to consider!

Letting your mover know specific details about your site

Remember the mover is not living with our or does not work at the same company with you so in order to make the moving process goes smoothly without accidents ensure that you provide them with detailed information of the site you are getting to or the one you moving away from.

Planning for movement without a checklist

Make a checklist of items to be moved by the mover! Leaving without preparing a checklist of all the items to be moved can be frustrating if certain items aren’t at your new location. Always be safe and make a list.

We are here to help! Please reach out with any questions!

How Much Is My Home Worth?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:32:55 GMT

How Much Is My Home Worth?

Coming up with the best price for your property in relation to what the market value of the property is always a difficult task. In order to reach the best market value for your home, you need to carefully consider that acquiring buyers is your ultimate goal, and silting through a lot of information will help you have a good approximation of your property’s market worth. With the following points, you will be able to bring an acceptable price for your home:

Contact your local tax assessment office

Contacting your local tax assessment office is a great starting point because they typically keep records of recently-sold properties in your area. Check if they can provide you with a list of all details on each property, including the selling price, data of sales, square footage, number of beds and baths, etc… This information will enable you to know what similar homes in your area have sold for, which is a good indication of how you could price your home. From there, you can find similar homes to yours and price yours based on the comparisons.

Communicate with a local estate agent

Realtors have a lot of experience and are always aware of most recent sales in your locality. Mention your plan on selling your home as it will draw their attention in sharing a lot of information with you. As a potential client, a Realtor will feed you with necessary information on the property selling price, data of sales, four-sided footage and also the number of bedchambers and baths. We’d love to introduce you to a local Realtor, so reach out if you’re searching!

While we do home financing when you buy a home, real estate agents are experts in selling homes. We’d love to connect you with a trusted agent that we know will do a great job for you! Reach out with any questions!

Financing Options For Real Estate Investing

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 08:32:21 GMT

Financing Options For Real Estate Investing

If you ever thought of or have interest in real estate investment, you’re reading the right post! We work with real estate investors and would love to learn about your unique situation to see what we can do to help fund your investment. Below are a few options that may work for your situation:

Homestyle Renovation Loan

This loan type aim at financing an owner-occupied property that has one to four units. The owner lives in one of the units and could rent out the other units to be cash-positive from the start. The beauty behind the Homestyle Reno loan is that you can add renovation costs into the loan, which reduces your up-front costs on the property. Your monthly payment is higher, but you are able to get a renovated investment home with little down.

203k Renovation Loan

The 203k Renovation Loan is very similar to the HomeStyle Renovation in terms that it allows for a 1-4 unit primary-residence renovation and purchase in one loan. There are pros and cons to both the 203k and the HomeStyle, so we will guide you through the best program for your specific scenario.

Cash Out Refinance

Depending on how much equity you have in your current properties, a cash-out refinance could be a great investment tool for you to use! The big advantage of a cash-out refinance is that you are essentially paying cash for your new investment, which means that there is no lending limitation on your new investment purchase.

In the end, we are going to help guide you into the best possible mortgage for your unique situation. Reach out to us today to get started and see what your options are!

You Need What!?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 08:31:46 GMT

You Need What!?

When you apply for a mortgage loan, we are going to need to review your financial picture. We do this to help understand your goals, to make sure you can qualify for a mortgage, what you can afford, and what price range we recommend you search for. Everyone’s financial situation is different, so the items we need to review may differ from case to case, but here is a solid list to get you started:

Past 2 years of Tax Returns
Past 2 years of W2s or 1099s
Past 2 months of Bank Statements
Past 30 days of Paystubs
2 Forms of ID

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have the documents above, as every loan profile is different and we can still work with you if you don’t fit that exact scenario above.

We are here to help, so please reach out!

Projects That May Increase The Value Of Your Home

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 08:31:14 GMT

Projects That May Increase The Value Of Your Home

Home improvement helps increase the value of your home! But not just everything you do helps with the value, so you should really consult with a licensed Realtor who will help guide you through the home improvement process. Contact us today if you’d like to recommendation on who you should contact for help! In the meantime, here are some common home improvement items:

Clean Your House!

First impressions mean a lot when you’re selling your home. Take personal precautions to ensure that the interior of your home sparkles from its floors to its ceilings by taking time to spruce up your space. Select all personal pieces and pile them neatly. Wipe away all the cob-webs inside and out the house, clean up the counters and the baseboards. A thorough cleaning of your home is the cheapest and easiest way of increasing your home value while waiting for a buyer.

Paint the interior and replace your carpet with wood floors

Homes with hardwood floors and new coat paint will go extreme miles in safeguarding and staging your home for sale. Hardwood flooring typically converts to a substantial return on your initial investment cost. Also, a fresh coat of paint provides a clean view with an updated look. It is important to stick to neutral colors as it will appeal to most people.

Think green with your yard work

Maintaining and improving your yard also benefits your home on its value. Green grass and raking leaves off the yard go a long way to curb appeal! You might want to consider planting flowers, bushes or trees to help your curb appeal as well.

Update kitchen appliances

Modern kitchen appliances typically provide a great return when selling your home. Of course, you should always consult with a real estate expert before you make any changes!

Refreshing your bathrooms

Check out if there is a poor drainage or leaky faucets in your bathroom. Upgrade the bathroom knobs and pulls, re-grouting your shower and or even installing a tile backsplash should increase the value of your home. Make sure you clean your bathrooms regularly so they’re clean for home showings.

We are here to help you! Reach out to us today to start your home buying or refinancing process!

Checklist Before You Purchase A Home

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 08:30:43 GMT

Checklist Before You Purchase A Home

There is a lot of things to do before you actually begin your home purchase process. We are here to help, and although this is not even close to an exhaustive list, it is a great start of action items to begin:

Review your credit report and score

We can help you with this when you contact us. We’ll make sure that you can qualify for a mortgage based on your credit, and we’ll guide you through any items that you may want to do before you actually begin your pre-approval process. We are not credit repair experts, so we may recommend you talk to a credit specialist.

Save for down payment

Although every mortgage scenario is different and there are certainly no or low down mortgage options, it’s always best to start saving. We will make sure to walk you through the different mortgage options and help you decide what mortgage program and down payment option is best for you and your needs.

Create a healthy saving account

Home maintenance expenses are one of the negatives of home ownership. It’s smart to have a savings account that will help you during a necessary home maintenance repair that you may not be able to avoid.

Get pre-approved

Contact us today to start with your mortgage pre-approval process. We will walk you through all your questions and help navigate through different mortgage options you have to help you get the right mortgage for your unique situation.

We are here to help, so reach out to us today!

PreQualification Vs PreApproval

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 08:30:10 GMT

PreQualification Vs PreApproval

You’re going to hear both the terms PreQualification and PreApproval, but they don’t mean the same thing! Before the home search begins with your real estate agent, a pre-approval mortgage letter is vital. The pre-approval means the mortgage lender has looked into your credit report as well as verify your income, bank statements, tax returns. The mortgage pre-approval letter indicates that chances for getting a mortgage approved are very high as long as your situation doesn’t change. But a Pre-Approval is not the same as a Pre-Qualification. Read below to see the differences:

Mortgage Pre-Qualification

Going through a mortgage Pre-Qualification is not very strenuous. The loan officer won’t check any documents from you and will base the pre-qualification off what you tell them verbally. The loan officer typically won’t check your credit either. Overall, a Pre-Qualification letter does not really mean much as everything could change. You are going to want a full Pre-Approval to make sure that you are qualified and that you understand and know all of the numbers before you begin the process.

Mortgage Pre-Approval

As the name implies, it lets everyone (yourself, your agent, the sellers, and the seller’s agent) knows how serious you are as far as buying a home is concerned. While a prequalification is merely a conversation between the loan officer and a loan officer, a mortgage approval is very in-depth. The loan officer will review your credit report, as well as all of your financial documents. Some files are sent to a manual underwriter to review your file. This is all done to make sure that you are secure with your mortgage financing to make sure that nothing falls through during your home buying process.

We would love to help you through the home buying process! Reach out to get started!

Why You Need Great Real Estate Photos

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 08:29:41 GMT

Why You Need Great Real Estate Photos

‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ is a very popular quote which often pops up especially when describing the importance of home listing images. This saying goes to be very true in many aspects of our daily lives particularly when advertising your home. In the real estate market today, many agents, as well as sellers, make use of quality images of their properties all with the one goal of creating a positive image of the property in the mind of the actual and potential customers. Try making sure your pictures speaks volumes while grabbing all the attention of potential buyers especially while they browse over the internet for real estate adverts. Below are some of the reasons why listing photos matters.

Without truly being at the home, a potential buyer or tenant will want to experience being in the house. This is simply because they want to know if the home a good fit for them and their family.
The availability of a huge online audience means more people can be reached in little or no time. All you need are high-quality photos posted online and you will get a lot more attention and reach more potential renters or buyers than others.
Beautiful images of your property tell buyers that you taking good care of your home or investment. Tenants will most likely want an opportunity to occupy such homes because your listing images demonstrate the great care you show toward your property as well as your care for tenants.
As we live in this new technological world, where everything is circled around the internet with purchased items from grocery stores and supermarkets are delivered a stress-free at the comfort of your home. People want to see what they consider buying for the coming years. Without photos, your listings will disappear in the crowd while buying or renting your home becomes very difficult.

We are here to help you! Reach out to us today!

Let The Kids Play A Role Too!

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 08:29:07 GMT

Let The Kids Play A Role Too!

Do you have children that can lend a hand? Here are a few ideas on how you can get them involved:

Morning clean-up, evening clean-up
Set aside time in the morning and evening to do light dusting, vacuuming, as well as put things away where they belong. Start the dishwasher and the laundry, doing a load each day so it doesn’t pile up. This way, when someone wants to see the house in an hour, you don’t have to go crazy loading your car with eight laundry baskets of dirty clothes, or spend time scrubbing the bathroom floors.
Laundry Basket Game & Assign “Out the Door Tasks”
Someone wants to see the house in an hour but the kids just got home from practice, shedding items as they walked through the house! That’s OK. Make it a game and have the kids put all the toys and other items that are “out” into laundry baskets and take the baskets with you when you leave for the showing. Older children can help with sweeping, turning on lights and younger kids can close toilet lids, do last minute dusting, and help pull loaded laundry baskets to the car as you are all rushing out the door.

Arrange with your real estate agent to have 30 minutes to an hour’s notice before a showing! Then have a written plan!

Who is in charge of what during the 30 – 60 minutes?

Little Susie picks up toys and puts them in the toybox.
Johnny gathers all the dirty laundry he can find and tosses it into the empty dryer.

Do “Someone’s Coming” Drills with the kids. Practice the drill.

Make it fun!

You could come up with a little song that you all sing as you are cleaning the house for a showing.

Let us know if we can help you with your home buying, selling or refinancing!

What In The World Is A Rate Lock?

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 08:27:41 GMT

What in the world is a rate lock?

One of the major decisions we will make together is when to “lock” your loan. This isn’t something you have to worry about right now but I thought I would take a few seconds to explain how this works. Once you find a home and have an accepted offer, you’ll have the option to “lock in” an interest rate.

So, what does “lock” mean?

I often use the “Gasoline” analogy to describe the interest rate locking process. Locking your interest rate is a lot like getting gas at the pump. One day you drive by the gas station and gas is $3.00 per gallon. You’re not on empty so you drive right on by instead of filling up. Three days later you drive by the same gas station and now gas is $3.30 per gallon. What happened? As you may know, the price of oil is constantly changing depending on economic conditions, the stock market and the rules of supply and demand. You’re upset that it shot up so you take a chance and drive right on by again. Two days later you drive by the same gas station and now gas is $3.05 per gallon. You pull over, fill up your tank and give yourself a high five for not settling for the higher price.

Mortgage rates are very similar to gasonline.

As the stock market changes from positives to negatives the interest rates that lenders offer can rise or fall accordingly. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about your interest rate changing every month because before you finalize your mortgage, you’ll be able to “lock” in an interest rate for the life of the loan. Unless of course you choose a variable interest rate, then your rate could change at specified intervals. If you’re considering an adjustable interest rate be sure to talk to me about it so you completely understand the risks involved.

Once you’ve got an accepted offer we can discuss your options on locking in an interest rate. Until then, happy home hunting!

Sweeten The Pot!

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 08:26:56 GMT

Sweeten The Pot!

Are you having any interest in your home? Before you think about a price reduction, you may want to consult with your real estate agent about sweetening the deal a little for potential buyers.

Some people offer to pay closing costs. We’ve all heard about closing cost credits, but those are almost so common now that buyers expect them – they don’t really distinguish your house from any of the other homes on the market anymore.

What can distinguish your home is leaving behind some of your personal property, ideally items that are above and beyond what the average homebuyer in your home’s price range would be able to afford. That may be stainless steel kitchen appliances or a plasma screen TV, or it might be a golf cart if your home is on a golf course.

It’s one more thing you won’t have to move and may be just the ticket for selling your home! With that said, understand that if you offer up too many items it could affect your buyers ability to borrow all of the money needed to buy your home. There are limits in what you can leave behind but this should get you thinking about something to could make a difference!

Get Out Your Cleaning Supplies!

admin@lingows.com (Lingows Admin) — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 08:25:52 GMT

Get Out Your Cleaning Supplies!

Scrub a dub! Check out these house listing tips!

Keep your house sparkling clean
From shining floors and gleaming windows to clean counters and scrubbed grout, every surface should sparkle. This is the easiest (well, maybe not easiest, but certainly the cheapest) way to help your home put its best foot forward. You may want to hire pros to do some of the really tough stuff, especially if you have a large house. Don’t skimp — this step is key!
Clear away all clutter
If you are serious about staging your home, all clutter must go. It’s not easy, and it may even require utilizing offsite storage (or a nice relative’s garage) temporarily, but it is well worth the trouble. Clean and clear surfaces, floors, cupboards and closets equal more space in the eyes of potential buyers, so store anything unnecessary or unsightly.
Strike a balance between clean and lived-in
You’ve cleared the clutter, but now it’s time to judiciously bring back a few elements that will really make your home appealing. Think vases of cut flowers, a basket of fresh produce on the kitchen counter or a bowl of lemons beside the sink.
Take a good look at your floors
At the bare minimum, give all floors a thorough cleaning (and steam clean carpets), but consider having wood floors refinished if they are in poor shape.

If you are in the market to purchase a new home, give me a call. I’m only a call, tweet, Facebook message or email away!