>Your dog or cat can pose a problem when your property is listed for sale.
Some people have allergies or irrational fears of certain animals, so it is a good idea to put dogs or cats outside or confine them to one area when your house is being shown.
Baking bread, brewing coffee, fresh flowers and even drying laundry can enhance the mood and feel of a property.
Ventillate the house and use aromatic oil burners or pot pourri to eliminate unwanted smells.
Avoid frying or cooking strongly flavoured foods before a prospective buyer’s visit.
>Interest rates fluctuate as changes occur in the general economy.
If you purchased your home when interest rates were higher, you may want to consider re-financing your loan at a lower rate.
You will have to apply for the new mortgage and have your current income eligibility assessed.
Depending on how long you have had your present loan, a current appraisal may be required.
The biggest factor in your decision should be the length of time you plan to remain in your home.
If you will be there for only a year or two, it may not pay to re-finance.
If you will be in your home longer, re-financing could provide you with lower mortgage payments.
We can help you work out the numbers and can refer you to reputable lenders.
>Many lenders help prospective buyers get pre-approval for a mortgage loan before they begin a serious house-hunting effort.
Give our Mortgage specialists all of the information about your assets, income, and debts so they can tell you how much money you will be able to get under the available loan options.
Our specialists will do a credit check and work with the lender to straighten out any problems with your credit rating.
Pre-approval from a lender can make you more attractive to the seller when you find the home you want.
Occasionally multiple offers come in on a house, and you find yourself competing with other buyers.
In that case, it is helpful if you have included a letter from the lender with your offer stating that you have an approved loan and are, indeed, qualified to buy.
This will also save you time by eliminating from consideration any homes that you would not be able to afford.
>Now that you have found the perfect home and negotiated the price and terms with the sellers, you come to the most difficult part of the transaction–finding the perfect mortgage.
You should do some comparison shopping among lenders.
We can refer you to several reputable lending institutions which should be able to complete the loan process before your proposed financial approval date.
We will take your application and have you sign all the necessary papers to authorise credit and employment verifications.
We also supply periodic progress reports to make sure that all of the details are taken care of.
Such reports will help to ensure that any potential problems are discovered and addressed before they can threaten the transaction.
>Most standard sales agreements require that a property be inspected before the closing and treated for insect infestation, if necessary.
It is a good idea to check for insect problems as soon as you sign a listing agreement, so that they don’t become an issue of contention in the sale.
Some insects may physically damage the house and may reduce its chances of selling .
Constantly having to push back spider webs while touring the house or an army of ants could seriously undermine a prospective buyer’s ability to fully appreciate your house.
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When you decide it is time to move, it is important to engage your children in the process.
Depending on the reason for the move and the distance, moving can cause some concerns for children that parents may not pick up on right away.
It often means going to a new school, leaving favourite playmates, and a lot of uncertainty about what the new neighborhood will be like.
Things will go a lot easier if your children support your efforts to get your current home sold. It is important to engage the children in keeping their toys and clothes picked up.
Teenagers may be especially touchy about strangers invading their space, and may resist keeping their room in “showing” condition.
It is also important for the family to stay out of the way when the house is being shown. How can you get the whole family involved in the sale?
Include everyone in the discussions about the move and invite the children to participate in house-hunting trips.
We aim to be comfortable with children and can remain sensitive to your children’s needs and concerns.
Categories: apartments, baby, buying, child, Children, development, estate agents, flats, Hampstead estate agents, houses, housing, london, mortgage, property, school, selling, teenagers, West End, West Hampstead
>The final closing date is usually an important item in the negotiation of the purchase agreement on a home.
This is the day when the buyers get their ownership papers and the sellers get their money.
It is important to remember that contracts pinpoint a specific date but can be delayed due to factors beyond the buyer’s control.
The date will usually be set as soon as the title search and lender’s paper work can be completed, however, anything can upset the closing schedule.
Something in the buyers credit history may have to be cleared up or monies are not transfered on time.
These situations rarely cause the transaction to fall apart, but they can wreak havoc with your moving schedule.
We will keep you up to date on the progress of your completion in order to avoid delays and minimise any inconvenience.
>If you are considering buying a home in a planned community, be sure that you understand the owners’ association rules.
These covenants usually cover a wide range of subjects, including exterior paint, parking or where you can walk your dog, and sometimes even the kind of shrubs or flowers you may plant.
Such restrictions are attractive to many home owners because they don’t have to worry about their neighbors doing things that they find offensive.
If you are an individualist, however, and don’t want community interference in your lifestyle, such restrictions could cramp your lifestyle.
Be sure that you read and understand the rules and regulations governing a planned community before you make an offer on a property
>When you have decided on a mortgage lender, you begin the loan process by filling out a loan application.
Have a record of all of your current bank accounts, including the name and address of bank(s), type of account(s), and approximate balance(s).
Be prepared to provide details about outstanding loans or credit accounts, such as student or car loans and major credit card accounts.
You will also need information about your assets, stocks, bonds, and life insurance policies.
If you foresee any credit problems, we can advise on how to keep them from interfering with approval of the mortgage.
We can usually give you a prompt opinion about your chances for obtaining a mortgage.
>It is a well-known axiom that location is one of the most important elements in the value of a property.
Let’s take that one step further. A good investment buy would be a sound property in a “so-so” area that will increase in value in the future.
Buying into an area that is strongly on the comeback is one way to shorten the odds for success. Trend is everything.
The trick is not to get in so early that you are one of the earliest pioneers, but early enough that there is still plenty of appreciation left.
Being a pioneer is fine if you are a gambler with a lot of patience. It is safer to buy into an area after the restoration trend is unmistakably established.
A neighbourhood that is a good candidate for restoration must have an intrinsic location advantage, such as being in a school district that has high test scores or in a good walk-to-work location.
It must also have good basic properties. Can we help you find a winner?
