The Risks And The Rewards Of Buying Homes In An ‘As-Is’ Condition

When considering buying a home in an "as-is" condition, the buyer takes all the risk of anything needed to bring the property back up to current building codes and make it ready for occupation or re-sale. There can be bargains in as-is properties if you know how to hunt for one.  How To Find As-Is Bargain Properties To find these properties, look for those that sell at auction for tax liens or other reasons for governmental asset-seizure. The might be distressed as-is properties that are foreclosures, short-sales, or estate sales. A popular home-flipping strategy is to buy an as-is property at…
Read More

How Growing, Multi-Generational Families Impact Home Design And Financing

There has been a surge in families who have multiple generations living together. In many cultures, children take care of their parents as they age. This is done in an effort to repay the parents for raising them during their childhood. At the same time, when there are multiple generations living together in the same home, there are some changes in both home design and financing. Financing a Multi-Generation Home Anyone who is looking to finance a multigeneration home will need to detail their financing plan to the mortgage lender. The lender always wants to know how the loan is…
Read More

3 Traps First-Time Homebuyers Fall Into — And How To Avoid Them

When someone purchases their first home, this is a significant step. There are a number of issues that people need to think about because purchasing a home is typically someone's most significant investment. With this in mind, there are three common traps that first-time homebuyers often fall into. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these traps as well. Looking At Homes Before Applying For A Mortgage Perhaps the biggest mistake that people make is that they look for homes before they apply for a mortgage. Without a successful mortgage application, it will be difficult to find a home at all.…
Read More

How Much Do I Need To Start Investing In Real Estate?

It is important for everyone to diversify their investments and one of the assets that people often look toward is real estate. In a healthy market, real estate should appreciate in value. It is often less risky than investing in individual stocks and can provide a much higher return on investment than a typical bank savings account or even a money market account. On the other hand, people often think that they require a large amount of money to even think about investing in real estate. This is not always the case. Buying Property Outright One of the most straightforward…
Read More

5 Essential Tips For Painting A House

When someone makes the decision to purchase a home, they often want to add their own personal touch, style, and flair to the home. One of the ways to do this is to paint the home. Of course, painting a home is a significant investment in terms of both time and money. It is important for everyone to keep a few tips in mind to make sure this process goes smoothly. Pressure Wash The Walls Ahead Of Time The first step is to make sure the walls are pressure washed first. Anything that is present on the walls when the…
Read More

How Much Money To Budget For Home Maintenance

Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibilities. One of these involves home maintenance. Sometimes, people are surprised by the size and frequency of home maintenance costs. In order to reduce the stress that comes with home maintenance, it is important to plan ahead of time. This means budgeting for the inevitable costs that come with home maintenance. There are a few systems that people can use to estimate their home maintenance costs. The Percentage System One of the most common systems that people use is the percentage system. In general, the amount of money that people spend on…
Read More