Ready to buy that ski cabin or lake house? Renting it out while you’re not using it is a great way to make it happen – but not so fast. Lender rules may not allow it, so here’s what you need to know. Loan types and their rules The first step to financing your vacation home is understanding
Dream of owning a vacation home but find the idea of buying one too intimidating? It’s actually easier than you may think. Here’s a guide to help you analyze your options. 1. Match housing choices to your lifestyle Many people assume they must own a primary residence before owning a vacation home, but that’s not necessarily true. What’s
Bill Loden, president of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), has been inspecting homes for the past 20 years. But he says some home headaches simply don’t reveal themselves during a standard inspection – and some are outside an inspector’s scope. “There are things homeowners think we can do, but we can’t,” he explained. “And honestly,
You’re excited because you just found the perfect home. The neighborhood is great, the house is charming and the price is right. But if you’re a first-time home buyer, you might find out that the price is pretty far from perfect. If you’re shopping for your first home, prepare for additional – and often unexpected – home-buying
All-cash buyers are active in many markets, and they can strike fear in new home buyers. The cash buyer can perform and close quickly and provide sellers with a sense of comfort. But, does this mean a solid buyer putting down 20 percent or more shouldn’t attempt to compete with the cash buyer? Absolutely not.
Tax assessed value This figure varies throughout the U.S. since it is determined by the taxing authority of the city, county, or state where you live. Sometimes it is the same as the market assessed value and other times counties will multiply the market value by an assessment ratio to get the tax assessed value,
Chances are you’ve considered buying a home – maybe you even attended a couple of open houses and ran the numbers. But once you get serious, there are a few points you need to consider before signing a contract and heading to your closing. Buying a home takes more time and research than, say, buying a tablet or
In 15 years of real estate, I can honestly say that I’ve seen it all. Toilet seats up in listing photos, shag carpet covered with dog hair, bedrooms doubling as marijuana growing centers, and avocado green appliances from the ’70s. Sellers aren’t required to get their homes in their best condition before showing them – let alone
Searching for a home and engaging with a real estate agent today is not the same as it was a generation ago. The space (both physical and virtual) between the buyer and the real estate agent was much larger, and coming together was slower and more methodical. If a buyer saw a For Sale sign
Any buyer shopping for a home today, in any market and at any price point, is likely to come across new construction homes for sale. The sellers are both large national builders and smaller local developers. Some homes are for sale as a part of a subdivision, while others are one-off homes. But is a