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It's not fair! 29% of all sales made in June and July 2011 were cash. How does a buyer who needs a mortgage compete with a cash buyer? You've been looking for a home for months after thinking about it for years. You've found the home you want and meets your family's needs. You write a contract but before it's even presented to the seller, another offer comes in. With all the homes on the market, you'd think you wouldn't have to deal with multiple offers but you'd be surprised how many times it does happen. There are some proven strategies that can minimize the advantage of an all-cash buyer. Get pre-approved and submit the letter from the lender with the offer Move fast to minimize competing with other offers Submit larger than normal earnest money to show your sincerity Be flexible about closing and possession Avoid unnecessary contingencies in the contract Write a letter emotionalizing why you want the home
It's not fair! 29% of all sales made in June and July 2011 were cash. How does a buyer who needs a mortgage compete with a cash buyer?
You've been looking for a home for months after thinking about it for years. You've found the home you want and meets your family's needs. You write a contract but before it's even presented to the seller, another offer comes in. With all the homes on the market, you'd think you wouldn't have to deal with multiple offers but you'd be surprised how many times it does happen.
There are some proven strategies that can minimize the advantage of an all-cash buyer.
"The significant problems you face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking you were at when you created them." Albert Einstein
The housing market has definitely caused significant problems for some people but is also providing some amazing opportunities for others. Agents aren't like retailers who wake up one day realizing they have the wrong merchandise on the shelves.
Everyone needs a place to live and whether you rent or buy, you pay for the house you occupy. While the home for sale remains the same, the methods that produce results have to change.
Listing agents are diametrically opposed to the objectives of buyer's agents. This is not to say that there cannot be a win-win situation but each agentis trying to negotiate the best price and best terms for their client.
Financing can make listings more marketable and structure a transaction to provide the buyer with the cheapest cost of housing. Personal experience is a great teacher but a very expensive way to learn. An expert, like a Residential Finance Consultant can provide information and tools to make better decisions to be able to profit in the current market.
Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and toxic. It's called the "silent killer" in homes because some victims are not even aware that the deadly condition exists. Homeowners must be concerned about unmaintained furnaces, water heaters and appliances that can produce the deadly gas. Other sources could include leaking chimneys, unvented kerosene or gas space heaters and even exhaust from cars operating in an attached garage. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests the following to reduce exposure in the home: Keep gas appliances properly adjusted Install and use an exhaust fan vented to the outdoors over gas stoves Open flues when fireplaces are in use Do not idle car inside garage Have a trained professional inspect, clean and tune-up central heating systems annually There can be many symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning that can resemble other types of poisoning. Headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and feelings of weakness or fatigue are a few of the most common symptoms. Lower levels of exposure may be mistaken for the flu. Roughly half the states have laws regarding carbon monoxide detectors in homes. Regardless of the requirements, what person would want to put their family, guests or themselves at risk for something so deadly? The devices can be purchased for as little as $20 and plugged into the wall like a night light.
Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and toxic. It's called the "silent killer" in homes because some victims are not even aware that the deadly condition exists.
Homeowners must be concerned about unmaintained furnaces, water heaters and appliances that can produce the deadly gas. Other sources could include leaking chimneys, unvented kerosene or gas space heaters and even exhaust from cars operating in an attached garage.
The Environmental Protection Agency suggests the following to reduce exposure in the home:
If you had a 3.5% mortgage on your current home and were buying another home, transferring your low interest rate mortgage would be ideal. Unfortunately, lenders don't allow that. When buying a home today, it would be smart to think about selling it in the future. To have a good home with unique features makes it marketable. To have attractive financing that could be assumed would add to the salability. Consider getting a FHA or VA loan to purchase your home. The present advantages are that these loans are priced competitively and a little easier to qualify for than conventional loans. The future advantage is that FHA and VA loans are assumable at the original note rate for qualifying buyers. There's more to sell than the home itself when you have an assumable loan. The mortgage payment could lower the cost of housing significantly. A buyer may easily be willing to pay more for the home due to the attractive financing, especially if it helps their equity grow faster.
If you had a 3.5% mortgage on your current home and were buying another home, transferring your low interest rate mortgage would be ideal. Unfortunately, lenders don't allow that.
When buying a home today, it would be smart to think about selling it in the future. To have a good home with unique features makes it marketable. To have attractive financing that could be assumed would add to the salability.
Consider getting a FHA or VA loan to purchase your home. The present advantages are that these loans are priced competitively and a little easier to qualify for than conventional loans. The future advantage is that FHA and VA loans are assumable at the original note rate for qualifying buyers.
There's more to sell than the home itself when you have an assumable loan. The mortgage payment could lower the cost of housing significantly. A buyer may easily be willing to pay more for the home due to the attractive financing, especially if it helps their equity grow faster.
To say the investment market is unsettling is an obvious understatement. The market is down 8% in the last ten days and the news doesn't give much hope that things are going to get better in the near term.
Preservation of capital is probably today's most important investment consideration and making a profit would be a bonus. Of all the conventional investment alternatives like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, gold, commodities, CDs and annuities, housing is the best asset class in America.
Homes have had a 30% to 40% price correction in the past four years. Mortgage rates are at near all-time low rates with 30 year terms available for investors. Rents have increased significantly over the past two years while vacancy rates have decreased. People will always need a place to live.
Five year certificates of deposits earn a little over 2% but rental properties are yielding eight to ten times more than that. Income properties are tangible assets that have benefitted dramatically in inflationary times. Cash assets can be devastated by inflation and diversifying into income properties can provide real protection.
Single family homes offer investors the opportunity to borrow large loan-to-value mortgages at fixed rates for long terms on appreciating assets with tax advantages and reasonable control. Investing in rentals can provide stability, safety and a higher rate of return.
It is the mantra of people who missed a great deal. It's the theme song of the procrastinator. It's the refrain that reminds us of the one that got away.
Some people are still beating themselves up because they didn't recognize the housing bubble was really going to burst. It is impossible to change the past but will they see the signs of the next housing trend?
In the past four years, prices have adjusted with 30% corrections nationally and much more in areas with high percentages of foreclosures. New homes are almost non-existent. Interest rates are slightly above record lows. Consumer goods are skyrocketing; our budget deficit and national debt are staggering and escalating inflation appears certain.
"Forget stocks. Don't bet on gold. After four years of plunging home prices, the most attractive asset class in America is housing." states Shawn Tully, Senior Editor at-Large for Fortune magazine in a March 28, 2011 article.
"If I would have known that this was the best buyer's market ever, I could have taken advantage of the prices and interest rates; I should have fixed my cost of housing for years to come." Don't catch yourself saying this. You owe it to yourself and your family to get firsthand information to see what your options really are.
I Want a Bigger/Nicer Home but...
There are homeowners that would like to have a larger/nicer home but are patiently waiting for the market to improve. A frequently heard objection is that they can't sell their home for what it is currently worth. Buying up in a down market is actually advantageous because while you might get less for the home you're selling, you're also getting the larger home for less. For instance, if you had to sell a $200,000 home for a 10% discount, you might feel that you left $20,000 on the table. However, buying a $300,000 for the same 10% discount would put you $10,000 ahead on the sale and purchase. The other obvious matter is that when the mortgage rates increase while you're waiting for the market to improve, it dramatically increases your cost of housing with higher payments. The cost of housing is affected by price and mortgage rates. To accurately evaluate your current options, you need facts and assessment tools that will provide you the information to make an informed decision.
There are homeowners that would like to have a larger/nicer home but are patiently waiting for the market to improve. A frequently heard objection is that they can't sell their home for what it is currently worth.
Buying up in a down market is actually advantageous because while you might get less for the home you're selling, you're also getting the larger home for less. For instance, if you had to sell a $200,000 home for a 10% discount, you might feel that you left $20,000 on the table. However, buying a $300,000 for the same 10% discount would put you $10,000 ahead on the sale and purchase.
The other obvious matter is that when the mortgage rates increase while you're waiting for the market to improve, it dramatically increases your cost of housing with higher payments. The cost of housing is affected by price and mortgage rates.
To accurately evaluate your current options, you need facts and assessment tools that will provide you the information to make an informed decision.
Targeting the Mortgage Interest Deduction
"I Do" Want a Home
Forget Macy's and Crate & Barrel. Set up your bridal registry at the bank and use the funds for the FHA down payment on a home. This could be perfect for people getting married who already have their household items and really need help getting into a home.
FHA has had this little known program that allows cash gifts since 1996. Sellers, builders, real estate agents or anyone with a financial interest are restricted from making a gift contribution. It's not difficult to set up and it's available with any FHA lender.
Gift registries are commonplace and really benefit both the giver and recipient. Etiquette websites like Emily Post state that alternative registries are acceptable. Couples are now suggesting to friends and family that they want help with their honeymoon, education or furnishing a home.
Interestingly, this program is not limited to people intending to be married. It is available for other situations where gifts are typically received by individuals. Other occasions could include graduation from college or graduate school.
In almost every state in the U.S., buyers have the option of being represented by their real estate agent. This relationship creates responsibilities that require the agent put their client's interests above their own.
The duties a buyer or seller can expect to receive among others are honesty, accountability, full disclosure, representation and reasonable skill and care. In a nutshell, the agent who represents you is working in your best interest.
It's a special relationship that doesn't exist with most of the other professionals involved in a real estate transaction. Mortgage and title officers are limited to their duties of honesty, accountability and specific requirements under the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act.
This special relationship with your real estate agent makes it advantageous to have them coordinate your efforts with the other professionals in the home buying process. Since most buyers' and sellers' transactions are infrequent, the agent can bring valuable experiences to the transaction.
A Residential Finance Consultant is trained and has special tools to help you make better decisions when you buy or sell and in between. Our goal is to help you improve and maintain the investment in your home so we can earn the right to be your lifelong real estate professional.
