9 Steps to Take Before Buying Your First Home

by Autumn Hutton

Are you planning the purchase of your first home? Buying a house is a major decision because the house will soon become one of your main financial assets. Plus, you’ll be making mortgage payments for at least ten years. Take these steps before you buy: 1. Ask yourself if you’re financially stable. Have you had your job for at least five years? Do you have a reliable income? 2. Are you ready to make monthly mortgage payments for at least ten years? Are there any other major...

Why you should wait to buy that car until after your home purchase?

by Nick Galiano

  Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is a major step in buying a home. When done properly, it’s like having cash in your hands so you can negotiate effectively with a seller to buy a home.   It’s easily one of the most important things you can do to buy the home of your dreams.   But its name gives you a hint as to how fragile this financing instrument can be.   You see, it’s a “pre” approval, which means you’re not completely...

Why you should make a list of the top 20 features you love about your home when selling?

by Nick Galiano

  Who knows your home better than you do?   The short answer is nobody.   And because of that, you should take the time to make a list of the top 20 features you love about your home before you put it on the market.   You see, if you like those things about your house, then so will someone else. And, to help your agent sell your home faster and for more money, it will help if you point out the things you dig about your home that potential buyers might like...

How to Sell Your Home Fast and for the Most Amount of Money

by Nick Galiano

  How to Sell Your Home Fast and for the Most Amount of Money     The market has been moving at a pretty good clip over the last several years and it appears that things are going to stay that way for a while.   According to the Case Shiller Home Price Index across the United States have increased 33% over the last 5 years.   Despite all of the amazing things happening in virtually every market across the country, including ours, one thing still rings...

How to beat other buyers to hot, new listings (Before they even know about them)

by Nick Galiano

    Buyers want three things when they’re making a purchase:   Selection: Have the largest number of options from which to choose Price: Get a smoking hot deal on what I want to buy Ease of doing business: Don’t make it hard for me to buy it   It doesn’t matter if you’re buying shoes, a toaster or a house, all three of them matter and they usually matter in that order.   And when it comes to buying a home,...

When is the Best Season of the Year to Buy to get the Best Deal

by Nick Galiano

    Since the market meltdown in 2008, the US housing market has rebounded dramatically. In fact, even if you purchased a property at the lowest point of the market crash and held onto it until today, your home would have appreciated by roughly 25 percent. What’s even better news is that It’s expected that the housing market will continue to climb in the future due to the changes that were made in the lending market coming out of the mortgage debacle.  Plus,...

How to Find Bank Foreclosures and Distressed Sales

by Nick Galiano

      Everyone wants a hot deal.   For those who have the ability/desire to work with a home that is, in most cases, less than perfect, foreclosures and distressed sales represent some of the hottest deals out there   If you want to locate distressed properties, the first thing you have to understand is that no one will usually advertise their home as a “distressed property” unless they are absolutely desperate to unload their home.   Homeowners,...

How much should you offer on the home you fell in love with?

by Nick Galiano

    You’ve spent the last few months looking for a home and now, the only thing that stands between you and having the right to negotiate full ownership of the home of you fell in love with is preparing an offer that will be acceptable to the seller.   The purchase and sales agreement iis the first formal communication that leads to the final deal and eventually a closing when it’s time for you to take ownership of the property.   The total agreement...

How much money will go into your pocket after your home is sold?

by Nick Galiano

  It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep that matters. This holds especially true when it comes to the sale of your home.   The sales price you see at the top of the closing paperwork is rarely, if ever, the amount of money that ends up in your pocket as the seller.   There are often a variety of costs and fees associated with getting a home sold, so it’s important that you understand exactly what you’re going to walk away with before you...

Why Get Pre-approved? Structuring Your Offer to Get the Best Deal

by Nick Galiano

    Buying a home is a dream come true, but the process of getting an offer prepared and accepted can be a nightmare if you don’t know what you’re doing.   There are over 80 variables that need to be managed properly when buying a home and mishandling just one of them could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenses.   Making a home purchase is expensive enough that you don’t need to part ways with any more of your hard-earned...