How Much House Can I Afford?
One of the first steps when you are thinking of buying a home is determining your budget. It’s a big let down when you look at houses in a price range way over your budget. It is generally recommended that you look at houses within your price range so that your eyes aren’t bigger than your wallet. One way to do this, is to let your agent connect you to a trusted lender. Most agents have relationships with lenders they rely on. But we get it…you may not be ready to give over W2s and have your credit run. Especially if you are just starting to look, you may just want some basic guidelines to figure out how much house you can afford.
Here are the main factors:
1. Income. While this may be obvious, your income will have a big impact on what you have the ability to purchase. One thing to consider is whether you are an employee, contract worker, or self-employed. Lenders will...
Skip the Zestimate!
Perhaps you saw the news. Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Seattle based real estate media company, Zillow, sold a home. Maybe that part is not newsworthy, but this part is: he sold it for 40% less than the Zestimate displayed on the site.
There are several sites that us an AVM (automated valuation model). However, the following is true: these models are not sufficient when an accurate assessment of value is needed. The particular instances I’m referring to are buying a home and selling a home.
You see, these models pull publicly available data, crunch them together and spit out a number. But the model doesn’t account for several things. I know firsthand that an addition done to my house has not been reflected in Zillow’s pricing efforts. But other things, such as lot irregularity, condition/age of mechanical components,...
You’ve inherited a home now what?
Inheriting a home comes with a lot of responsibilities and decision making by the heir(s). If you have a loved one that has passed on and you’ve inherited their home or are the executor of the estate, below is a guideline to help you through the process before you decide whether or not to sell or keep the home.
Making sure the home is secure and re-keying is extremely important. (it’s almost impossible to know who may have a key). Notify the local police department that the property is now vacant. Speak with trusted neighbors and ask them to keep an eye on the property.
- Set up lights with timers to make the home appear to be occupied.
- Make sure mail is forwarded or regularly picked up and no leaflets are left at the door/porch.
- Continue making mortgage payments, property...
