The Agent’s Commission

There is typically a commission that is payable to real estate agents who are working for you to sell your home. The amount varies between different areas, and is often negotiable beforehand. When you first go into see a real estate agent and agree to put out a listing with them; you will typically agree on the amount of commission that they will receive. [Read more]

What Is An Open Listing?

You may have heard the term open listing used by people selling their homes. Open listings are used by people who wish to sell their homes, and do not want to exclusively work with one single real estate agent. With an open listing, the property seller can advertise their property with any agent that they want to, as well as how many they want to. [Read more]

Making Your House Anonymous

If you are considering selling your home, you will need to make your house as anonymous as possible. This is not to say that you should clear out all your furniture and belongings; but instead to give the house a nice but open look. When potential buyers come to view your home, they will want to imagine it as their future home. This can often be made difficult if the property is cluttered with somebody else’s memorabilia and photographs. [Read more]

Buying A Condo?

Buying a condominium can be a great alternative to buying a house, but you should be aware of what living in a community involves. There are a number of things that you may wish to research before settling on a particular place, and there are a variety of ways to do this. One of the first things that you can do is to look at the recent board meeting minutes to find out whether the community has any particular problems or issues. Although you may wonder what this has to do with you; you will typically be a part of the association once you have bought a condo, and thus any problems will affect you too. [Read more]

The Value Of Your Home

The value of your home is everything, and regardless of the ongoing recession and having no plans to sell in the immediate future; you should try to stay on top of property maintenance and well-being. You never know when you may get a new job offer, decide to relocate or find a new home; so keeping on top of your current property is always important.

Increasing the value of your house is important regardless of whether you are planning on moving or not. There are a lot of ways that you can increase the property value without having to spend a fortune on it. Neighbourhood conformity is important, so you should not attempt to build something that will stick out like a sore thumb. This typically decreases the value of your property immediately. [Read more]

Banks And Foreclosure

Many people, who are struggling to keep on top of their monthly mortgage payments, believe that foreclosure is inevitable. There are however several options these days for home owners struggling to keep on top of their debts. Although there is a common belief that banks want to foreclose on properties, this is simply not true. Banks and lenders want to avoid foreclosure as much as property owners, as they stand to lose just as much. [Read more]

Fixed Rate Mortgages

Only a couple of years ago, it was easy to obtain a mortgage at a good rate with only a minimal deposit. Today however, the real estate market has changed drastically, and it is not quite as easy to get a loan. There is however still some great rates on the market, as long as you are able to put down a larger deposit on your home. To get one of the best mortgage deals, you should be able to put down a deposit of up to forty percent, although good rates are still available for those who can pay around twenty percent upfront. [Read more]

Todays’ Sellers

New studies have shown that home owners who are hoping to sell their properties have been opting to use different means to sell. Home staging is now a thing of the past, and sellers are no longer working to make their homes appear cosy and sweet-smelling for the viewers. Instead they are attracting potential buyers by offering lower taxes, and various options for renting-to buy. [Read more]

Lease Agreement

Have you got a property that you are considering renting out to someone in order to get some extra money flow? A lease agreement is vital between the landlord and the tenants, and will ensure that both parties are in agreement to certain terms of the leasehold. The agreement should be discussed prior to signing to ensure that everyone is clear about their specific roles, and that there will be no conflicting issues arising at a later date. A lease agreement will ensure equanimity between both parties, and is a great start to a long and lasting relationship. [Read more]