Renting to own, also called a lease option or lease purchase, can be perfect for those who want to own their own home, but simply can’t get financing or are unable to come up with a down payment.  A portion of the monthly rent is applied against the price of the home.  Often, homeowners have covered their down payment within a year of renting the property.  In that case, they may be able to go ahead and get permanent financing […]

In a perfect world, you’d put a bid out on your dream house, the seller would accept, and everything would be great.  Even if you and the seller had to go back and forth a bit, you’d still end up with a great house.  But more and more, especially when it’s a seller’s market, people end up in bidding wars with other potential buyers.  What can you do if you get caught up fighting for a property?  Here are a […]

When shopping for a house, you may come across a few properties that your Realtor tells you have contingency offers on them.  What does that mean?  Basically, it means that a buyer has made an offer on the property and the seller has accepted it, but before everything is finalized and the sale actually takes place, certain criteria have to be met. Contingencies are generally to allow the prospective purchaser to get their home sold, the buyers mortgage hasn’t officially […]

You’ve found a great realtor. You’ve fixed all those little nagging issues you’ve put off for months. You’ve even done some great lawn maintenance and put on a new coat of paint. But for some reason, your house is still sitting on the market. It’s just not moving. Why? There can be a number of reasons. While the ones listed here may be common issues, they by no means will apply to every seller or every situation. Your realtor can […]

First time homebuyers are often distracted by things like ugly wallpaper, dark lighting, and a backyard that’s more dirt than grass.  Often, these things make people walk away from a house that may otherwise be absolutely perfect.  That’s why many realtors stress that it’s important to see beyond the décor and look at the structure itself.  A good house may be hidden behind some ugly colors, but it’s still a good house.  You can always repair and change things that […]

You’ve found your dream home.  You’ve made an offer and it has been accepted.  Now you’re just a few days out from the closing.  Then the call comes in.  For whatever reason, your financing didn’t go through.  Now it looks like the house you’ve always wanted is lost!  What can you do if your financing falls through at the last minute? First of all, do everything you can to make sure you’re never in this position.  This is one of […]

While some first time home buyers are couples who have chosen not to marry, and others are not able to legally marry, still others have just gotten married and haven’t started a family yet, there are many families with one or more children who are looking to purchase a house.  These families will have slightly different priorities than families without children.  If you’re in the market for a house and have children, you’ll need to keep these things in mind: […]

When you set out to buy a house, you might want to see every home you come across.  However, that’s not really practical.  Even with a realtor helping you, you may still end up with a huge list of houses you want to take a look at.  Some people start out looking at one or two homes, but by the time they settle on one, they’ve been inside dozens. The problem really only comes when you’ve found two or three […]

If you’re looking for a new home, especially if you’re a first-time homebuyer, you may not know exactly what you want.  Buying a home in a huge investment, though, and once purchased, it’s not like you can simply return it or trade it in like a used car.  Selling a house takes a good amount of effort, time, and even money, so you need to make certain the house you buy meets your needs.  Many first-time homebuyers end up selling […]

Looking at a house involves a lot more than just looking.  Any great realtor will tell you that you need to do more than a cursory once-over of a home before you buy it.  In fact, many will tell you that you need to look at a house at least a few times before signing on the bottom line.  If you’ve never bought a home before, though, you might not know what all you need to look for.  While a […]