Buying a home is often the biggest single purchase you’ll ever make. But it isn’t just choosing a home to buy that’s complicated. You’ve got to think through neighborhood issues, size issues, and cost issues. Buying a home can also include legal issues, construction or building concerns, and have serious tax implications. Financing your home purchase is another big topic of interest for most home buyers. From this topic page, you’ll be able to find articles and videos that help you understand how to balance what you want in a home with what you can afford to spend. You’ll also be able to refine your search about buying a home by using the topic cloud on the right navigation.
Synthetic Stucco Finish Affects Home Buying Decision
By Ilyce Glink| 2005-01-28T00:00:00-06:00 January 28th, 2005|
When you're buying a home you want to make sure that the home has as few problems as possible. If the home has a hard exterior coating it could be synthetic stucco, which is known for having water damage problems. How can you tell if a home is covered in synthetic stucco? Synthetic stucco feels quite different than conventional hard-coat stucco and it is also a more recent covering so knowing the age of the home may help. You can also knock on the door of the home you're interested in and find out whether it's covered in synthetic stucco, also known as EIFS.
Agreeing To Agree: Buying A Home Proves Stressful For Many Couples
By Ilyce Glink| 2005-01-24T00:00:00-06:00 January 24th, 2005|
Brokers say buying a home is often one of the most stressful things married couples do together. Buying a home together can put your marriage or friendship to the test. But brokers say there are ways to quell home-buying squabbles in your marriege without calling in a referee.
The Bottom Line For Home Buyers Is Still Buyer Beware
By Ilyce Glink| 2005-01-16T00:00:00-06:00 January 16th, 2005|
A buyer should do everything in his or her power to make sure that the property is sound and the deed valid. Why? Because at the end of the day, it's the buyer's money that's been plunked down on the bottom line.
Buying A Home: Getting The Most Out Of A Property Showing
By Ilyce Glink| 2005-01-14T00:00:00-06:00 January 14th, 2005|
When in the market to buy a home, be as objective as possible when going to a showing of the property. When you're looking to buy a home, you will want to react to the lovely artwork or perfectly awful carpet – but the idea is to react intellectually rather than emotionally when you're at a showing of the property. When buying a home, make sure everything you want in real estate property is there, and make sure to ask all the questions you want answered at the showing.
Buying A Home: Potential Home Buyers Should Create Wish And Reality Lists
By Ilyce Glink| 2005-01-14T00:00:00-06:00 January 14th, 2005|
Once you've decided to buy a home what do you do next? Potential home buyers should make two lists: A wish list and a reality list. With both lists in hand, potential home buyers should narrow down what they really want when buying a home and what they can do with out or add later.
Clarifying Pre-Approval Versus Pre-Qualification
By Ilyce Glink| 2005-01-14T00:00:00-06:00 January 14th, 2005|
A reader helps to clarify the issue of pre-approval letters versus pre-qualification. Ilyce continues to hear about sellers in some areas of the country who have been requiring buyers to submit copies of their credit reports and credit scores along with their offer to purchase.
Earnest Money Seals The Down Payment
By Ilyce Glink| 2005-01-10T00:00:00-06:00 January 10th, 2005|
Want to show the seller you're seriously interested in buying his or her home? Brokers say the best way to get that message across is to attach a large check - part of the earnest money - to your offer for purchase. Appropriately named, earnest money demonstrates the buyer's level of commitment to closing the deal and purchasing the home.
Buying A Home: Condominium, Townhouse, Or Single Family Home
By Ilyce Glink| 2005-01-04T00:00:00-06:00 January 4th, 2005|
There are several options to consider when deciding what type of home to buy: a condominium, townhouse or single family home. There are different reasons for why home buyer chooses a condominium, townhouse or single family home. Condominiums, townhouses, and single family homes have different responsibilities attached. Condos and townhouses have associations to raise money for various building maintenance while the homeowner assumes all responsibility for maintenance.
Choosing A Cell Phone Plan
By Ilyce Glink| 2004-12-19T00:00:00-06:00 December 19th, 2004|
Buying a cell phone and choosing a cell phone plan is as complex as ever. Ilyce Glink gives a few useful tips on how to choose from the many cell phone plans that are available and how to get the best cell phone deal.
Self-Employed Home-Buying Challenges
By Ilyce Glink| 2004-12-17T00:00:00-06:00 December 17th, 2004|
Buying a home for the first time is tough if you are self-employed and haven't been so for more than two years. A no-doc loan is a possibility for self-employed home buyers, but comes with significantly higher interest rates than conventional loans. Another option for self-employed home buyers is to find a seller who will take back an 80 percent mortgage until the home buyers have the tax returns to qualify for a refinance.