Home Buying
Finding A Good Home Inspector
Finding a Good Home Inspector requires some time and due diligence. Q: What is best way to select home an inspector? What criteria should I use to select a good inspector? I want to make sure the house I buy …
Buying Foreclosed Homes And Getting to Closing
You might have succeeded in buying a foreclosed home, you’ll need to get the bank’s attention to get tot he closing table. Q: I am buying a foreclosed home from a bank in Georgia. I am paying cash for the …
Working With A Multiple Listing Service (MLS) To Buy A Home
Can you know something about buying a home before others find out if you get access to the multiple listing service information before others get that information? Q: A friend of mine gave me some real estate advice and told …
Good Timing And Good Offer Gets The House
With good timing and a good offer, you should succeed in negotiating with a seller. Our friends received an offer for their house while they were away on vacation. The initial offer came in about 12 percent below their asking …
Home Buying Has Risks
Home buying has risks even when buying a condominium with a homeowners association. Q: I’m in the process of purchasing a condominium and there’s a wooden deck near the porch with drainage under it. The Homeowners Association (HOA) says that …
Refinance Your Home or Buy a New House
Given a choice in this housing market, buying a new house may be a better long term option than refinancing your home into a lower rate mortgage. Q: My husband and I have approximately $140,000 left on our mortgage with …
Short Sale vs. Foreclosure Process
The choice might be to buy a home during a short sale, while in foreclosure or once the bank owns the home as an REO; each of these has its pros and cons in the home buying process. Q: I …
Buying a Foreclosed Or Short Sale Home
Buying a foreclosed or short sale home when you are downsizing. Q: We would like to down-size and are looking at a community with a lot of short-sales and foreclosures. Is there anyway to lessen the expected protracted period of …
Terminating Purchase Contract For Home
Once signed, it may not be easy to terminate a contract for a home. Q: My friend and I are in the final stages of buying a house. The property is going to be in her name only but some …
Money For Closing and Closing Costs
You need money for your closing and the closing costs and you usually have to send that money to the closing via a bank wire transfer. Q: I am buying my first home and I’m wondering how I actually pay …
