You can ask any homeowner-buying and owning a home is expensive. Mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities, and other bills quickly add up. If you want to buy a home but don’t have a large down payment saved, odds are you’ve discovered something called private mortgage insurance (PMI). PMI is an extra monthly payment that you make (on top of...

If you want to buy your dream house in the near future, you likely will need to put together a competitive offer to purchase. That way, you can boost the likelihood of receiving an immediate "Yes" from a property seller after you submit your homebuying proposal. Ultimately, it helps to know what differentiates a competitive homebuying proposal from a...

If you intend to purchase a house soon, it helps to prepare for the home buying journey. In fact, if you identify potential issues before you start your quest to find your dream home, you could avoid them during your property search. Now, let's take a look at three common issues that plague homebuyers, along with tips to address...

Buying or selling a house is one of the most significant financial transactions because in most cases, it involves spending a considerable amount of money. Getting the best possible deal is important to make sure that you are getting value for your money and not overspending unnecessarily. To negotiate a better arrangement when purchasing a house, you need...

Before you make the final decision to buy any property, one of the best steps to take is to request a home inspection to be done by an experienced home inspector. You probably don't know how to ascertain the quality of the foundation or the condition the electrical wiring is, so having a home inspector conduct a visit...

Once you’ve made up your mind that you want to buy a house, either to decrease your rent or increase your income, the next hurdle will be choosing the right property. You will find no shortage of glossy brochures or recommendations from all sides telling you why this flat or that house is best for you. So, which...

For those who want to enjoy a seamless homebuying experience, it helps to prepare accordingly. That way, you will be ready to identify and address any hurdles that come your way during the homebuying journey. Ultimately, there are lots of things you can do to avoid a complex homebuying journey, such as: 1. Establish Homebuying Criteria If you enter...

If a seller approves your offer to purchase his or her house, conducting a home inspection likely will be the next step of the property buying cycle. Although you may have the option to forgo a house inspection, you should not avoid this evaluation. Because if you forgo a home inspection, you may wind up purchasing a house that...

First-time homebuyers often gravitate to newly-built homes, and for good reason. In a new build, the buyer often gets to choose finishes, fixtures, and flooring. Newer homes have higher energy-efficiency standards and meet up-to-date codes. Most of all, no one else lived there before you. It’s all virgin territory. Advantages of new buildsSome new builds offer even more...

Enjoying a seamless home buying journey may seem virtually impossible, particularly for a first-time property buyer. Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to boost the likelihood of quickly and easily finding your dream house, such as: 1. Hone Your Home Search Consider where you want to reside and the features you want to find in your...

Unmarried couples often find themselves surprised at the additional steps it takes to buy a home compared to their wedded friends. This guide will help you prepare for buying a home together as an unmarried couple: Banks will assess you differently than they would a married couple. Whereas they look at a married couple as a single financial unit,...

When you think of your real estate budget, you should know that the more you spend on a home, the more overhead costs you’ll face. You’ll need to pay for things like real estate agent fees, attorneys fees, and other closing costs. The more you pay for a house, the higher all of these fees will be since they...