Category Archives: Real estate

Here are 3 Things to Know about Homeowner Association Management

When people buy real estate of any kind, It’s becoming more and more common to live in an area overseen by homeowner association management, also known as the HOA. In fact, it’s become so common that Americans have a one in five chance of buying a home that’s a part of an HOA. If you’ve never lived in an area overseen by homeowner association management services, you might not be sure what to expect, but really there’s nothing to be afraid of. Homeowner association management always works to the good of the community they’re in charge of, and this can take many forms. This article will take a look at a few of the things you should know about homeowner association management and what they do.

  • They Collect Dues and Fees: One thing to know about homeowner association management is that they are in charge of collecting the dues and fees associated with being a member Continue reading →

Here are 4 Things to Consider When Looking for an Apartment to Rent

Finding a new place to live can be an exciting and frustrating process. Looking at available real estate, including homes for sale, can be overwhelming, particularly if your income is limited. If you don’t have the funds to buy a house, you should consider looking at apartments for rent. Renting an apartment can provide a place to live that is just as nice as a house, and may times there are more options to choose from if you’re looking specifically at apartments. If you are looking for an apartment to rent, there are several things you should consider during the process and this article will look at a few of them.

  • Is the Apartment Close to Where You Work?: An important thing to consider when looking for an apartment to rent is how close is your potential new home to where you work? Ideally, you should try to find a good apartment that is relatively close to your place of employment so you can have the shortest commute time possible. Of course this isn’t always feasible e Continue reading →

Exploring The Essential Steps Of Selling Your Home: Part 1

real estateIt’s no secret that moving can be one of the most stressful occasions of a person’s life. However, it can be especially difficult for homeowners, who first must sell their home before relocating. Just like buying a house, the process of selling a home is incredibly complex. Even though 78% of recent buyers found their real estate agent to be a very useful information source, it’s important for homeowners to have some semblance of knowledge before they can even think about adding their home to the real estate listings. Here are some essential steps of the home-selling process.

  • How Much Is My Home Worth? Consider Your Area’s Market
    First, consider the current real estate market in both your geographical area and your specific neighborhood. The real estate market ebbs and flows just like the tides, and understanding the current market is essential to putting your home up for sale at the right time of year and getting as much as you can for it. If you have further doubts, talk to not just one, but multiple industry professionals to develop the most well-rounded and informed sale price.

  • Get An Inspection
    Many homeowners end up waiting too long to get their homes inspected and end up paying the price later — literally. Uninspected homes often get appraised for less because of the serious work that may need to be done on them. Even though buyers will inevitably get the home inspected before sealing the deal, a preemptive inspection can alert homeowners to potential repairs and damages that will affect the sale.

  • Invest In Small, Aesthetic Repairs
    When it’s almost time to put your home on the market, invest in some small but necessary aesthetic updates to increase the value and market visibility of your home. These include giving rooms new coats of paint, pressure washing the outside of the home and porch, cleaning the windows, and replacing lighting. It’s also a good time to invest in small landscaping projects if you have the budget for it. If you’re unsure of other steps that can boost the appeal of your home, take the advice of Eric Tyson, co-author of ‘House Selling for Dummies’: “Maximize your chances of people being excited about your listing when it hits the market.”

Ultimately, taking the time to go through these initial steps will help you sell your home faster and more efficiently. Stay tuned for the next post, where we’ll discuss the next steps to take when selling a house.

Are You Moving This Summer?

New homes in princeton nj

After nearly a week of staying in hotels, you are finally moved into your new custom home.
As luck would have it, the buyers wanted your previous home immediately. That house had a pool in the backyard and the family that was buying wanted to make sure that they were able to enjoy the pool this summer. Fortunately, the buyers were willing to pay a price above what you were asking if you let them take possession immediately.
The one problem was that you were not able to take possession of your new home right away. In fact, none of the new custom homes that you were looking at would have been ready soon enough. Always the mom looking for fun solutions, however, you suggested to your husband that you sell the house, have the movers pack your belongings and store them, and head to the beach. Your logic was that this move was about getting back to the Jersey shore anyway, so why wait? The people buying your home wanted to take advantage of the pool, so why shouldn’t your family take advantage of the Jersey shores?
The scheduling was a little complicated, but it was a way for the family really relax before the major transition of moving into the home, getting the younger kids started in their schools, and sending the older kids back to college. Far from traditional, but it has been the best kind of summer for your family!
Are You Looking at Downsizing to a New Town Home?
Whether you are looking at new custom homes that sit on a large acreage or you are searching for housing for sale in an established housing development, the timing of the move can be complicated. Luxury homes can be especially challenging if you are moving from a far distance. The fact that new custom homes require special installations can, in fact, meant that it is difficult to accurately predict a move in time. Cookie cutter homes can be mass produced with little effort, but new custom homes take time, patience, and attention to detail.
Finding the right home can be a challenge and when you find the one you are looking for, you sometimes have to make adjustments to your schedule. The decision to sell your previous home before your new home is ready, for instance, can require extra planning. Sometimes the builder will have affordable access to temporary housing, but there is really very little you can do if your house is not ready when you are. Staying flexible and making the best of the situation can, however, make the move bearable. With the right kind of planning, in fact, the move can still be fun. Several families find that the chance to stay in a hotel for a few days, or rent an apartment for a few months, means that they can enjoy the new area and get to know the local attractions before they move into their finished custom home.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the moving industry and the process of buying a new home:

  • 92% of people indicate that they use the Internet at some point in their home search.
  • 501,000 homes sold in the U.S. in the year 2015.
  • It may come as no surprise that as many as 52% of home buyers indicate that finding the right property is the most difficult part of buying a home. Taking school districts and work commutes into consideration are just two of the factors that can make finding the right location a challenge.
  • Perhaps finding the right location is also difficult because where a home is located can also determine the proce and resale value of a house. Did you know, for instance, that the value of a home can be affected as much as 20% based on the quality of the school district.
  • 48% of buyers look for homes that have never been lived in, according to Zillow. These buyers indicate they are interested in new homes because they are looking for ?energy-efficiency.?
  • According to the statistics, we are a very mobile society. In fact, 63% of adults have moved to a new community at least once in their lives. Only 37% report that they have never left their hometowns.