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Showing posts with the label first-time

Can you tour homes without a real estate agent?

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When you speak to an agent at an open house, call an agent for more information about a house, or ask an agent to show you a home, you might be opening a can of worms for yourself if you don't intend to buy a home through any of these agents.  Don't make the mistake of leading an agent on, even unintentionally, because it can come back to bite you. The real estate agent and brokerage who have a home listed for sale represent the seller and that person's best interests.  The listing agent is contractually obligated to report to the seller all activity & material facts they learn about the local market and potential buyers.   Learn about the easiest, fastest way to tour a home quickly without having to find or commit to an agent.    While all  licensed real estate agent   agents have an ethical responsibility to be truthful and not mislead anyone they also aren't necessarily able to advocate for someone they are not representing.  ...

Get these powerful real estate ALERTS

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Just want to share a few quick  ALERT  tips which can make your home search much more powerful. All you have to do is login to  HomeScout   and the red arrows highlighted in the screenshots below will help you unlock  these  powerful features. Make sure to refine & save your Search Criteria and then enable New Listing and Open House notifications.  Refine & Save Click on "Filters" to refine the price range, area and home features you are interested in. Click "Save" to create unlimited custom searches. Get Notified Once you have saved a custom search, choose the  alerts  you wish to receive, including New Listing and Open House notifications. Open Houses A feature to use while driving around on weekends is to click the Open House button which reveals dates & times of upcoming open houses. If you are using Zillow, Realtor.com or anot...

Six features first-timers should know about FHA

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Because they are government-backed, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) home loans have attractive interest rates and less stringent qualifications. Loan applicants must meet credit-score and down-payment requirements, and show proof of employment and a steady income. An appraisal of the home by an FHA-approved appraiser is also required.  Following are five features of FHA loans first-time homebuyers should consider while weighing their financing options. More flexible credit guidelines give more purchase power  Low Down Payment - as little as 3.5% down on single family residence, 2-4 units and FHA approved condominiums  100% gift allowable for down payment  Lower credit requirements. 580 minimum FICO credit score.  Competitive market rates  No income restrictions  Limited tradelines needed  Higher debt-to-income ratios approval  Shorter waiting period for major credit events like bankruptcy FHA loans are Transferable to p...