Even if the seller wants the buyer to provide a credit report, the criteria that a seller has in terms of the buyer’s qualifications are going to be much more flexible when compared with a traditional lender. This is something that may fall in your favor. Of course, it is all going to depend on the individual seller and what they are willing to accept on this front. 

Purchasers may find that they are able to select from a range of different payment options if the seller is willing to offer them. Examples include balloon payments, less-than-interest payments, interest-only loans, and fixed-rate amortization. There are no hard and fast rules, as it all comes down to what is right for both the buyer and the seller. You may even be able to make a mix or match of payments based on what the seller is happy with. Interest rates may remain constant or they could adjust periodically, depending on the needs of the borrower and the discretion of the seller. Ultimately, there is going to be much more flexibility because you are dealing with an individual person rather than an institution. However, there are quicker and simpler options, such as sell my house for cash solutions.

You may also be able to negotiate the down payment. If the seller demands a bigger down payment than what the buyer is able to offer, the seller may be willing to allow the buyer to make lump-sum payments on a periodic basis toward the down payment. Closing costs are often lower as well. The reason for this is because you do not have an institutional lender, which means there are no discount or loan points, nor will there be any fees for administration, processing, or origination, which is something that conventional lenders will tend to charge. In addition to this, because you will not be waiting on a lender for financing, this can mean that you are able to close the sale of the property a lot quicker as well.

Why would a seller consider a purchase money mortgage?

You now know why buyers may be interested in purchase money mortgages but are there any benefits for the seller? A seller could be tempted by a purchase money mortgage because it may give them the ability to list their price at a higher rate. You may also find that you are able to pay lower taxes if you make an installment sale. 

In addition to this, sellers receive spendable income in the form of the payments they receive from the buyer, which will boost their monthly cash flow. Furthermore, you could potentially carry a higher interest rate with this sort of investment when compared with others. Of course, this all depends on the way that you structure the purchase money mortgage and the terms you are willing to accept. 

Selling a property in Costa Rica can be a nerve-wracking task, especially for first-time sellers. But that shouldn’t stop you from selling your home. With the right strategy in place, you can sell your property quickly.

Are you too a first-time seller and don’t know where to start? Fear not! Here we will discuss some of the steps to take before selling your property. So, let’s get started:

1. Improve Your Curb Appeal

First of all, you need to make some repairs to your home to enhance its overall appearance. The key here is to attract buyers. But how will you do that?

Let’s say, you are a buyer. Would you ever purchase a home that is full of mess and has cracked walls? Of course, NO! You might have heard this phrase thousands of times – “First Impression Is The Last Impression.” The same applies to your property. If you are successful in winning the buyer’s attention in one go, then selling a property won’t be difficult for you.

However, improving the curb appeal doesn’t mean spending thousands of dollars on renovating. Instead, make some small repairs so that it doesn’t overwhelm the buyers. For example, if you have cracked walls in your home, you can seek professional help from experts to fix them.

When making repairs, don’t overlook the exterior of your property. After all, your exteriors are the first thing that a buyer will notice first.

2. Inform Your Society

If you live in a gated society, it is wise to inform the governing body to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC). Since all the amenities would have to be transferred to the new buyer, a NOC is a compulsory document to get from society.

Besides NOC, here are some other documents you need to sell your property:

● Title documents, including previous sale deeds

● Sanctioned plan

● Encumbrance certificate

● Sale agreement

● Letter of allotment, if applicable.

These are the important legal documents that are required to proceed with the property’s sale.

3. Get The Property’s Valuation Done

Once you have decided to sell your property, it is wise to get the property’s valuation done by hiring a real estate agent or an agency. However, you can also do some research on your own and check the prevalent per sq ft rate in Costa Rica.

While researching on your own is great, consulting a real estate agent in your area can be a better option. He will help you quote the right price for your property, as per the market trends.

4. List Your Property

One of the best ways to sell your property faster is by listing it on a reputable Costa rica real estate website. We live in an online world where most people prefer to research properties for sale on the internet. Because online property forums have massive reach, you can maximize your chances of receiving queries from genuine buyers. Today, the process of buying and selling properties has become much easier than ever, thanks to modern technologies.

However, the process of listing your property is much simpler. Simply, visit the website and fill in all the details about your property, such as property type, property location, property size, name, address, etc. The listing website service providers will also promote your property on social media and network with other brokerages so that your listing reaches a broader audience.

When you get an inquiry regarding the property, don’t make the buyers wait for hours to get a response from you. Instead, consider addressing their queries and try to respond at least within an hour.

5. Consider Staging

The staging process plays a crucial role in maximizing the full potential of your property. It refers to rearranging the furniture so that it looks attractive and maximizes the use of space.

While staging is not a DIY task, hiring a home stager can be a better option. They may suggest you buy or rent some household items, or they can effectively re-organize your belongings.

6. Depersonalize Your Property

Depersonalization of a house refers to removing personal items to make it easier for buyers to envision their new life in your property. Depersonalization of the home can also help you declutter your space while packing your family photos, furniture, home decor, etc.

In most cases, a buyer may consider how much it will cost to repaint the rooms or kitchen to reflect their style and personality. When you depersonalize your property in Costa Rica, it can help buyers emotionally connect with your home. You may love your home decor, but it may turn off the buyer and they won’t be able to imagine themselves in your property. So, when planning to sell your home, removing your taste from your home can be a wise move.

If the space is neat, the transition might be easier. Besides, less clutter makes the home look more spacious.

7. Cooperate With Home Inspection

Now get ready for the home inspector. Ask your agent to provide you with a home inspection checklist, so you’ll know what repairs should be done in your house. Also, don’t overlook your basement and attic. Don’t forget to declutter your garage, and make sure there’s a clear path for the inspector to get through.

8. Skip Unnecessary Home Improvements

Remember, not all upgrades are worth an investment. For example, if you think that extending a room size can increase the value of your money, then you are mistaken.

So, only go for the upgrades that appeal to the broadest base of buyers. Don’t spend your hard-earned money on unnecessary upgrades which won’t generate higher ROI.

Summing Up

Indeed, selling a property is not an easy task. But it doesn’t have to be. When you have the right strategy in place, you can easily streamline the process.

However, to make your home sell faster, always rely on the advice of a real estate firm in Costa Rica. The agents are well-experienced and give you the best advice.

To sum it up, follow the tips mentioned above to sell your property at the best price possible.

A home can be more than just bricks and mortar. Often it contains a number of memories, especially if you have lived there for many years. However, the time may come when you want to move elsewhere. If this is the case, you may need to think about the ways that you can prepare your house for the market. Although you might gain a buyer now, by looking for little things to tweak you might make it easier to sell or even be able to increase your asking price. To make things a little easier on yourself, you might want to consider gaining support from Compass Realty. Compass is a real estate brokerage firm that, among other things, offers a concierge service to sellers. When you utilize a service such as this, any renovations and cleaning can be carried out without you needing to pay immediately. With no minimum reserve price required for sale, this could help to bump up your house price.

Then, once a sale has been guaranteed, money may be deducted to carry out the work that has taken place. This means that, if you have already moved elsewhere, you don’t necessarily need to keep returning to your former home to check on work and arrange to meet contractors.

Having too many items within your home may make it look cramped. For properties with small rooms, or little natural light, this could actually be off-putting to potential buyers. Therefore, it can sometimes be a good idea to declutter your rooms before taking pictures for your advert or allowing people to view your home.

To accomplish this quickly, you may simply want to pack items away and sort them later. However, if time is on your side, this could be a good opportunity for you to go through your possessions and figure out what to keep, donate to charity, or simply throw away. An added benefit can be that, by completing this fully, you might have less to transport to your new home.

While you might have thought about design changes you can make, you may also want to ensure that your home is clean prior to viewings. Something as simple as cleaning the windows could improve any offers you receive. Giving both the inside and outside panes a thorough clean before pictures are taken, and viewers arrive, can help to make your house look more presentable.

You may also want to ensure that other types of cleaning, such as vacuuming, mopping, and properly cleaning any bathrooms, have been undertaken as well. If you don’t have the time to do this or want to make sure it is done to a high standard, you might want to consider having a professional cleaning company undertake this work on your behalf.

Preparing your home for sale can involve both large and small changes. By putting in this effort, you may be able to improve people’s perceptions of your property and get the sale you desire.

If you are in the middle of sorting out a house move then there are many things you need to think about and sort out before you can list your home on the market. You may be moving due to work or relocating to a different area. Whatever your reason, this article will help you make sure that everything is done and your home is looking amazing for potential buyers coming to look around. 

Where You Are Moving To

One of the first things you need to consider is where you are moving to. You don’t want to leave this step to the last minute, just in case your home sells quickly and you have nowhere to move to. You need to make sure you are shopping around the areas you have shortlisted and find a home that suits you and your family’s needs. 

When you are looking at your chosen areas be sure to check if there are doctors, shops, and schools nearby. The last thing you want to be doing is traveling long distances for these things. It might also be a good idea to check out the neighborhood ratings, including crime rates, this will give you a general idea of how safe it is to live there. 

Pre-Sale Inspection 

Something that will save quite a bit of time when it comes to selling your home is a pre-sale inspection report. This is something that is carried out by a local contractor and gives you a list of things that need to be sorted or repaired before you sell your home. If this is left till later during the sale process it can slow things down if unexpected repairs crop up. Things that often come up in the inspections are faulty or blocked HVAC systems, water stains, leaky faucets, and broken appliances. If you fix these now then your house sale should go through as smoothly as possible. 

Repairs

This brings us to the next step when it comes to listing your home on the market. Once you have your pre-inspection report to hand it is important you start working through the repairs as soon as possible. You might also have your own list to work through that has been building up during the time you have lived there. If this is the case, then think about creating a new list with repairs in order of importance. 

For example, your inspection report may have found that you have some issues with your plumbing or a leak that you didn’t know about. If this is the case then think about contacting an emergency plumbing service to sort this out before it gets significantly worse. If you sort out all your repairs before buyers take a look around then you are more likely to receive offers on your property. 

Clearing The Junk

Next, it is important to make your home presentable and tidy. If potential buyers look around and see that your home is a mess and full of clutter then this could put them off from buying it. A couple of reasons to declutter your home are that buyers need to be able to envision their belongings filling the space in your home. If you have a lot of items lying around then they won’t be able to do this. Another reason is that if you clear out the stuff you don’t need and that is hogging your storage and shelves then this will give the illusion of more available space. Buyers love storage and lots of space to play with so you need to show off how much your home has. 

Thorough Deep Clean

Once you have carried out all the repairs and decluttered your home it is time to give it a thorough deep clean. This is your chance to get rid of years worth of dirt and grime that has been missed during the weekly cleans. This is completely normal as dust, dirt, and debris travel around your home, especially if you have hardwood flooring. Areas to focus on include all nooks and corners in your home, this is usually where you will find the dust gathering. It is also worth paying close attention to the edges around the bathroom and kitchen as these are prone to black mold spots. 

Once you have cleaned all rooms it is time to focus on the flooring. If you have hardwood flooring then you should sweep this, mop it, and then steam it to ensure everything is gone. If you have carpets then it can be a little more tricky. You should think about hoovering these and then using a carpet shampooer to get rid of ground-in dirt. 

Curb Appeal

So, once you have sorted the interior it is time to head outside. Here you will find the exterior of your property and the garden. Take some time to look at this as if you were buying your property. You might notice little things that need to be sorted such as the windows being a little grimy. If this is the case then a quick bucket of water and a sponge will sort this. Make sure that your garden doesn’t look a mess, ensure that the grass and any weeds are taken care of. 

Remember, the exterior and garden is the first thing that potential buyers will see when they turn up at your property. You don’t want to turn them off before they have even had the chance to look inside. 

List Your Home

Finally, it is time to do your research and list your home on the market. You will need to find out what homes in the local area are selling for, once you have done this then you will know the price to list yours for. You will also need to find a suitable realtor to handle your property if this is the route you are choosing to go down. You can of course sell your home privately but it is much easier to use a realtor. 

We hope this helps you get your home ready for sale and you get a great price for it once it is sold. 

Are you planning to invest in the Australian real estate market? Buying a home is perhaps the best decision to make. It’s a dream come true for many people and will save you the stress of paying monthly rent. This isn’t as easy as many believe, though! The process can be daunting and requires proper planning. Check out steps to guide you;

1. Determine whether you’re ready

Everyone wants to own a home, but this goes beyond this. Before you start searching for a home, ask yourself this question. Am I ready? To get the best response, examine your finances and set a budget for the purchase. Also, assess your job to determine if you have the proper job security to make this a reality. With high job security, you’ll have a higher chance of getting mortgage financing to buy the best properties in Wallan, Australia.

2. Evaluate your finances

Buying a home is a major investment, and you need adequate finances for a successful purchase. You’ll likely want to borrow money from the bank and should know that a mortgage is a significant responsibility. Find out how much you can afford, and check your credit score. Lenders prefer loaning investors with a good credit score. If you have bad credit, this may not be an appropriate time to apply for funding. Also, consider parting with a significant deposit amount to get better mortgage rates.

3. Consider the cost of buying the home.

The Australian property market has experienced a price spike in the last few years. But, you can still get a property with the best rates. The cost of the home will vary depending on the location and amenities, and it’s wise to engage a financial advisor. The expert will help you determine the total cost of acquiring the home.

Examples of expected costs include;

· Deposit amount- you need a deposit amount of about 20%. It’s advisable to give a higher deposit amount to lower the loan interest rates.

· Stamp duty- This depends on the state, and you can use a stamp duty calculator for a specific quote.

· Legal and conveyancing fees

· Finance and insurance costs

· Building& pest inspections

· Mortgage repayments, utilities, moving costs, council rates, etc.

4. Get a financier.

You’ll come across many lenders, and it’s advisable to shop around to locate the right one for your needs. Understand the terms of agreement and examine details like; the loan term, interest rate, and If you can redraw funds. If you lack a saved deposit, use a renting history as proof of saving.

What of loan pre-approval? Get this before you begin searching for a home. Doing this helps you to know the price range. Therefore, furnish the lender with updated documents like; credit reports, savings, income, and investments to get loan pre-approval.

5. Choose the neighborhood& type of property.

List down all the must-have fetuses you desired in your new home. Also, think of the location and the amenities like access to schools, shops, transport, etc. Lastly, choose a type of home to match your needs and ensure it’s located in a friendly community.

Final thoughts

Buying a home in Australia is fun way of exploring the stunning city. Hire a realtor to help you locate a home in a good neighborhood. Also, budget right and find a financier offering the best rates.

They say moving to a new house is your chance at starting a new life. It’s why the moving process should be as stress-free as possible. You wouldn’t want to begin a new life in your new home all stressed out from the move.  If you’ve never moved before, there could be a lot of things you haven’t even thought about, from car shipping to moving your pets.

The key to a successful, stress-free move is preparation and lots of it. You need to accomplish many things, from packing your belongings to hiring movers and auto transport companies. Below are a few tips you may follow to achieve a stress-free move.

1. Begin Planning ASAP

Planning your move as early as possible is crucial for a stress-free move. Transferring to another place is a decision you don’t make overnight. You have already finalized your decision to move at least several months before the moving date. You should have enough time to plan your move.

Write down all the things you need to do as part of the move and rank them based on priority. Create a checklist using this ranking with the highest priority activities on top of the list. You can make the traditional pen and paper checklist or use a mobile app or online tool.

When prioritizing tasks, ensure that you give time-sensitive ones an utmost priority. Your new home should be ready before your moving day. You don’t want to arrive there with workers still finishing up and utilities yet to be installed. Scheduling the disconnection of utilities at your old house should also be done before the move, so you won’t need to return.

2. Make Your Bookings in Advance

Another high-priority task on your plate is booking your service providers. Start looking for moving companies and car shippers as soon as you’ve set your moving day. Meet with several

companies to compare multiple price quotes. Be sure to work only with reputable companies and consider the price and the quality of their services.

Booking your service providers early lets you get the date you want and the best deal available. If you fail to book early, there’s a chance that you’d have to reschedule everything, especially during peak season. Do everything you can to avoid this scenario.

Another thing you need to book in advance is the utility installation at your new house. Finish all construction work before moving in. Be sure to complete all utility installations a few days earlier. You may need to go there to see that everything’s on schedule.

3. Get Moving Insurance

The basic premise of moving is transporting your belongings from your old place to your new home safely and securely. Thus, one of the biggest sources of stress from moving is getting your things lost, stolen, or damaged.

Regardless of how reputable your moving company is, there’s always the possibility of the unexpected happening. You can address these threats by getting moving insurance. With moving insurance, you’ll have the peace of mind that your belongings, particularly valuable items, are protected.

4. Update Your Information and Secure Your Documents

Part of moving to another city or state is doing paperwork. You need to update your address on important documents like vehicle registration and driver’s license. You don’t want to move and not be able to drive your car in your new city because you forgot to update your information.

Aside from updates, you also need to secure your important documents before moving. Request for copies of your medical and dental records from your current health providers so you can hand

them over to your new providers. You can also request your children’s school to forward their records to their new school.

5. Don’t Drive Your Car, Ship It

Don’t stress yourself out by driving your car for hundreds of miles across state lines. Transport it using a car shipping company while you comfortably fly to your new place. Remove all your personal belongings from the vehicle before dropping it off for shipping. The insurance does not cover valuables inside the car.

6. Pack Intelligently

You can start packing as soon as you finish planning. Make sure you have more than enough packing materials before you begin. Sort out items you won’t be using before the move, such as collectibles, decors, and seasonal clothing.

Don’t just randomly pack your belongings. Organize them by room, category, and size. Disassemble large items so they don’t take up too much space. Use large boxes for lighter items and small boxes for heavier stuff to help movers carry them more easily.

Remember to mark these boxes with your name so they don’t end up misplaced or mixed with other people’s belongings if the mover uses a single large truck for multiple clients.

Conclusion

Start your new life in another place stress-free by making the proper preparations for your move. Start early, pack efficiently, and secure everything you need to make the moving process an enjoyable one.

Buying your first home is an exciting milestone! There’s plenty of work to be done, however, to ensure you’re making the best purchase decision and did the best you could to get the right home at the right price – especially in Hamilton’s super-competitive market.

One of the most important decisions you can make is partnering with the right professionals. Do your research and find Hamilton real estate lawyers, realtors and home inspectors that are experienced and trustworthy as you’ll be relying on their expertise to help you navigate the biggest financial transaction of your life.

Following these other tips can also help guide you on your way to happy home ownership.

Look Into Government Incentives for First-Time Home Buyers

If you haven’t lived in your own home or one owned by your current spouse or common-law partner, in the past four years, you may be eligible for the Home Buyers’ Plan(HBP) and/or the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive (HBI). Some of the details include:

· Under the HBP, up to $35,000 can be transferred from your RRSP account and applied towards a down payment on your first home (up to $70,000 per couple). The funds have to be in your RRSP for at least 90 days prior and you’re required to pay at least 1/15 back every year until the funds have been fully repaid (i.e., the account has to be repaid within 15 years).

· A First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit of $5,000 can be used on your tax return which works out to about a $750 federal tax break.

· The HBI allows for a 5% or 10% reduction in monthly mortgage payments for first-time homebuyers of newly constructed homes; a 5% reduction for first-time homebuyers on purchases of existing homes; and a 5% reduction for new or existing mobile or manufactured homes. There are a few requirements in order to qualify and the money has to be repaid, visit the site for full details.

Provincial and municipal incentives for first-time home buyers under the HBI also include:

· First-time homebuyers in Ontario may also have a Land Transfer Tax Rebate available to them. It’s a $4,000 refund for first-time home buyers as re-imbursement of the Land Transfer Tax. If you live in Toronto, you may be eligible for a rebate of up to $4,475 of the LTT.

There are always conditions with receiving these incentives so make sure you read and understand the rules well before applying.

Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Before You Start Looking for a Home

It’s important to have completed a thorough budget that accounts for all of your closing costs, property taxes, repairs and maintenance, bills, an emergency fund, etc. and to know exactly how much you have and how much you need when applying for a mortgage. That budget will help protect from getting in over your head and buying a home you can’t afford.

Don’t Do Anything that Can Cause Your Mortgage to Fall Through

After you’ve filed your mortgage application, don’t make big purchases like appliances or a car on credit, apply for other loans or credit cards or change jobs before you’ve bought a home. Doing any of these things may no longer make you eligible for the mortgage you applied for.

Most individuals don’t think their houses serve as great investment vehicles. Unless it is one of the properties you’re planning to fix and flip or rent out, you may think home is merely a place to live.

The reality is that your house is a great investment in different ways. You will be investing a lot of cash into it, and its value may increase with the economy. Plus, compared to renting, houses, especially spacious family townhomes in Victoria’s Tarneit, can help to build your wealth.

However, remember that while buying a home can be a valuable investment, it’s essential to be aware of potential risks like investment fraud. If you suspect any fraudulent activities, consider seeking legal advice and file disputes through FINRA to protect your investment.

While the return is not as big as you may see in other investment vehicles, the following are great reasons you need to invest in a home:

1. Cut Rent Out of the Budget

Among the greatest benefits of owning a house is saving cash on rent each month. When paying rent each month, that cash is lost to you forever. But when you put that cash into your mortgage loan, you will be actually building net worth.

Recent statistics indicate that if you factor in rent, the ROI in your house is around 10% every year. This rate is the same as what you earn in the stock market.

2. Appreciation

Apart from the pride of owning a home, appreciation is one of the major reasons for investing in a home. While values in real estate go in a cycle, housing values have appreciated consistently.

The House Price Index normally narrows down to changes by metropolitan area and region, and you may track how the value of your home has increased with time.

3. Guaranteed Privacy

The worst experience in owning an apartment is lack of privacy. Most apartments are constructed with windows, which other tenants and managers may easily spy upon residents and look in.

Some apartments also have a shared laundry room, which is inconvenient. In others, the walls make it possible for your neighbors to listen to your conversation.

But regardless of the cost, townhomes or homes will guarantee you privacy. Your door will always get locked since you are the only one locking it.

Most importantly, there will be no managers or landlords with the key to your home to let themselves inside anytime they want to.

4. Stable Housing Costs

Buying a house comes with many upfront expenses, including closing costs and down payments. Even when the costs of homeowners insurance and property taxes increase with time, housing payments will still be stable every year.

Meanwhile, renters will be dealing with the potential price increase each time they get new apartments or renew their leases.

5. Builds Equity

Every mortgage payment decreases the principal balance. The more you make payment, the more you build equity.

Owning a house is among the greatest contributing factors to net worth. In fact, experts say that homeownership is the most common way houses can build long-term wealth, as it serves as a forced savings account.

Concluding Remarks!

Buying a home needs a significant amount of money, which makes it more important to take extra measures to at least save yourself from great losses and ascertain more profit on the investment.

If planned well, the unique challenges and diverse nature of investing in homes can result in good results through capital appreciation, equity build-up, and net worth.

The real estate market can be complicated, and trends are always changing. A house may be expensive today. But next month the price may go down. So it would be best not to sell or buy one on your own, especially if you’ve never purchased or sold a property before.

Professional help is a must for real estate properties, and real estate agents like Royal Lepage are your best bet for this. Unfortunately, not all real estate agents have the same knowledge, and the last thing you need is someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. So, below are five things you should know before hiring a real estate agent.

Do They Have Extensive Knowledge of the Local Market?

Whether you are selling or buying a house, you want to ensure that you get a fair price. That is why you should sign up for Finlay Brewer or someone who knows the state of the real estate market so they can give some insights and advice on how much you should be paying or listing your property.

For example, if you are looking to buy a property in Ottawa, you would want a real estate agent like Jane Scott, who has extensive knowledge of the local market in Ottawa. If you want an investment property, your real estate agent should know what rents go for in the area. And if you do a fix and flip, they should know how to assess the value of a property in disarray and how much you can earn by fixing it.

Do They Have Solid References?

One of the best ways to tell if a real estate agent is great at their job is to ask people they have worked with about how their experience was. You can try asking neighbors or your friends. Maybe they can recommend someone who has the perfect knowledge of what you want to get out of a property.

If you are new to the area, make sure that your agent can provide you with a long list of satisfied clients. If it’s okay, try asking about their phone numbers or social media accounts so you can ask them personally what their experience was.

What Is Their Expertise? Different real estate agents can have varying expertise. For example, if you want to sell your property, opt for a listing agent. If you’re looking to purchase a property, hire a buyer’s agent. This becomes more important when you want to buy a property as an investment. You want to ensure that you are earning money, not wasting, and the right agent can give you solid advice.

Do They Have Reasonable Fees?

Real estate agents have the option of setting their fees, which, if you are a seller, you’ll need to pay. But typically, they will charge you with a commission somewhere between the 5% to 6% range. If they charge higher, you need to ask what you are getting. So you can make the most of your money. Better yet, try to negotiate so the rates go down. Real estate agents can be flexible, especially if you are selling a house that can fetch a high price in the market. The lower the commission, the more money you will keep from your property sale. If you’re looking to ‘sell my house fast‘, it might be best to use a company that buys your home for cash which has no hidden commission fee as well!

Do They Have Favorable Terms In Their Contract?

Other than fees, it would be best to see and analyze the contract you are getting into too. Agents with a reasonable contract length should be what you aim for, meaning 180 days or less, depending on the market trend of your area.

Committing to a long contract can lead to you being unhappy if the agent you choose doesn’t have the expertise of moving your property quickly off the market.

The best real estate agent knows the difference between a difficult home search or sale from a smooth one.

Conclusion

Buying or selling a house requires you to have knowledge of the real estate market and what are current trends of it. Sure, you can do it on your own. But if you want to ensure you can make the most out of a property, hiring a real estate agent is your best bet. But don’t just hire anyone. Use the tips above before choosing your real estate agent.

Are you in the hunt for a house? Booking viewings and scoping out new areas to live is an exciting process, but it’s important not to get too carried away by your emotions. Unless you’re downsizing, a new home is likely to be the biggest purchase of your life – and overlooking flaws could come back to bite you later down the line.

Read five key factors to assess before buying a property.

Value

The competitive nature of the current UK housing market has been widely publicised, with one-third of homes going for above the asking price in 2021. But you wouldn’t throw thousands of pounds away in other areas of life – so why do it now?

Viewing multiple types and sizes of properties in different areas will help you get a feel for what represents value and what feels like a stretch. Bear in mind that if you do pay over the asking price, your mortgage provider may ask you to find the extra funds.

Potential improvements

Another way to determine value is to assess what room there is for you to make improvements. Converting a cellar could help you get up to 30% more should you sell in future, while loft and garage conversions can also add significant value. Or is there scope to extend? Improving a property’s heating and energy efficiency is another good opportunity. Combi boilers are an efficient and space-saving option if the existing system is outdated.

Necessary repairs

While you might be prepared to overlook certain faults to secure the property of your dreams, you’ll need to factor in repairs to your moving costs. Issues like damp and structural damage will need taking care of right away – and they might not come cheap.

Ordering a survey after having an offer accepted will help uncover issues that your untrained eye might not pick up – or that the seller doesn’t immediately disclose. Its within your rights to pull out if you don’t like what you find.

Nearby amenities

You can almost always improve a property – but you can’t change the area it’s in. Location is one of the most significant factors behind property value, so if a house seems like a bargain, the surrounding area could well be dragging it down.

Take a walk or drive around and assess what amenities are nearby, like shops, cafes and gyms. You can also find free information on local crime rates and school ratings.

Lifespan

A house might be perfect for your needs right now – but what about in two-, five- or ten-years’ time? Consider whether you might outgrow a property before you intend to based on its room sizes and number of rooms.

Home offices are becoming increasingly essential, for example, so think about your professional needs as well as any future family plans.

Buying a house could be one of the best things you ever do. Assess these five factors to give yourself extra confidence in your decision.