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With Rates & Prices on the Rise, Do You Know the True Cost of Waiting?

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A great perspective is this on how to break down the opportunity that exists now for Millennials who are willing and able to purchase a home NOW... Here are a couple other ways to look at the cost of waiting. Let’s say your 30 and your dream house costs $250,000 today, at 4.41% your monthly Mortgage Payment with Interest would be $1,253.38 . But you’re busy, you like your apartment, moving is such a hassle...You decide to wait till the end of next year to buy and all of a sudden, you’re 31, that same house is $270,000 , at 5.7% . Your new payment per month is $1,567.08 . The difference in payment is $313.70 PER MONTH! That’s like taking a $10 bill and tossing it out the window EVERY DAY! Or you could look at it this way: § That’s your morning coffee everyday on the way to work (Average $2) with $12 left for lunch! § There goes Friday Sushi Night! ($80 x 4) § Stressed Out? How about 3 deep tissue massages with tip! § Need a new car? You could get a brand new $2...

Make Your Home Green This St. Patrick’s Day

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You’re ready to make some changes to your home, but you want to be smart with your money and see a positive return on your investment. While most homeowners don’t see that return until they sell their home, you can start seeing the benefits now through conserving energy by making your home green. So in honor of the upcoming green holiday, stop searching for that pot of gold. Get inspired by St. Patrick’s Day to go green to cut your energy costs with the environmentally friendly renovations below. You’ll soon see the savings building up at the end of the rainbow. ·   Use Reclaimed Wood For Flooring Instead of chopping down more green for your floors, reclaim wood that’s already been cut. While prices vary depending on the type of wood and how it was transformed, you can get a unique look and conversational piece that no one else will have. Just think, you could be standing on the Jackson’s old barn or a dismantled ship. ·   Green Your Latrine Install a low-flow...

8 tips to Get the Full Asking Price When Selling Your Home

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Selling your home is a complex process and there are a lot of factors that you will need to consider. Your goal will be to sell your home in a timely manner, while getting the highest price you can. However, many properties sell at a discount because the buyer is able to negotiate a lower price on the property. Although it is impossible to guarantee that you will receive your full asking price when you sell your home, there are things that you can do to increase the likelihood of this happening. You will need to have a strategy that attracts highly motivated buyers and improves competition. Here Are Some Tips To Keep In Mind That Will Help You To Get The Full Asking Price When You Are Selling Your Home: First of all, make sure that you have a reasonable asking price to start with. Research your local real estate market and find out what other buyers paid for homes comparable to yours. Hire a home inspector to perform a full inspection of your home, so that you can fix an...

February Newsletter- what you need to know this month

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National Home Prices Continue to Rise Median home prices are showing strong year-over-year growth. Annual prices reached the highest rate in the past eight years in November, when the national median existing-home price climbed to $196,300. The median time for a home to stay on the market in November was 56 days—a slight drop from October's median of 54 days but a significant improvement over November 2012's...   Read More 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Investing in Real Estate There is money to be made in real estate, but you need to think about real estate investing as the business it is. Here are some common mistakes that beginning investors should avoid.   1. Getting emotionally involved. This is the biggest and most common mistake beginning investors make. Emotions and business do not mix well. In this case, falling in love with a property will almost always ensure that...   Read More What a Home Inspection Can Do for You While giving a new $900,000 home a thor...

10 reasons you will love living in Arizona

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#1 Weather- With over 300 days of sunshine a year….you can’t really go wrong.    I can assure you though, that we are ok braving the heat for 3-4 months out the year and being in the 70-80’s the rest of the rest of the year. #2 Golf- If you are a golf fanatic….I don’t know why you aren’t here already.   Phoenix has over 185 golf courses in just the metro area. 9 months a year of perfect weather…3 months of dirt cheap rounds….no brainer. #3 Natural Wonders- Home of the Grand Canyon…but we don’t stop there.   You are missing out if you don’t go see Kartchner Caverns , Petrified Forest , Lake Havasu , Sedona , Lake Powell , Saguaro National Park , Ciricahua National Monument , and Antelope Canyon , Boyce Thompson Aroretum. #4 Spring Training Games- It’s that time of year...where we just want to lay out in the sun, grab an ice cold beer and hot dog and watch our favorite baseball teams.   We love it…because we get to watch The San Francisco Giants, Cubs,...

What Role does Fannie and Freddie have on lending

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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in the news quite a bit over the past few years, so it’s a good time to do a refresher on who they are and what role they play in the real estate market. Who Are Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac? Fannie Mae is the Federal National Mortgage Association. Freddie Mac is the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. They were originally created to raise homeownership levels and increase the availability of affordable housing. Fannie and Freddie don’t sell mortgages directly to homeowners. They buy mortgages from lenders, so the lenders can use the money to issue new home mortgages. In 2008, due to mismanagement resulting in billions of dollars of losses, Fannie and Freddie were taken over by the government. How Do Fannie And Freddie Impact Real Estate? •             They contributed to the financial crisis and real estate downturn, by loosening underwriting standards, buying and guarantee...

The Pros and Cons of making a biweekly mortgage payment

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Have you ever considered paying off the mortgage on your home in two biweekly payments rather than one monthly payment? It might seem like this wouldn't make a difference, but the truth is that biweekly payments really do add up more quickly.   Since there are 52 weeks in a year you will end up making 26 payments in total – which is equal to 13 months rather than 12. This means that your mortgage will be paid off more quickly and you will save money on interest payments in the long run.  This arrangement might be the best for you when it comes to paying off your mortgage quickly and saving money, but it’s important to consider the possible disadvantages before you make the decision. Cons of a Biweekly Mortgage Payment ·                   Often lenders do not offer biweekly services free of charge. You will be required to pay a registration fee as well as paying biweekly charges. ...