Buying a Home in Today's Market

Buying a home in today's market can be tricky.  Without an agent to represent their interest, buyer's really do not know what the market offers.  Sellers hire agents to represent them in a transaction.  Doesn't it make sense that a buyer would do the same thing?

The image to the left is a settlement statement of a buyer Angie worked with for over a year.  She was more than qualified, we just had to find the home that spoke to her.  Through the negotiations, Angie was able to negotiate all of her closing cost, prepaids, and more.  At the end of the transaction, the buyer received her $1000 earnest money back.  She was using a VA loan.

If you are thinking about purchasing a home, take an hour with us.  We

The news has been abuzz in the past few weeks about the historic Robo-Signing Settlement reached between the government and five major lenders. The settlement raises lots of questions. But for distressed homeowners, there is only one:

Can this settlement help me stay in my home?

The answer: Possibly! For many distressed homeowners, however, it is very likely that they have had options all along!

As a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), I am uniquely qualified to help determine your eligibility and answer any questions about the settlement. If you or someone you know has found themselves wondering if the Robo-Signing Settlement may give them hope to escape foreclosure, visit my website http://www.shortsalesagent.info/ for a copy of

 We have been in the real estate industry for many *many* years.  Angie started out as the Training Coordinator for the Hampton Roads MLS and Mike received his license in 2000.

We have seen the market at its highest and at its lowest and now leveling out to be a normal market.

We just wanted to take a moment to do some self promotion =).  Are market time is almost less than the area the home is in.  We help sellers reach their goal of selling quickly.  When we price a home we do extensive research.  Extensive to us means we are taking days to reach a realistic price.  We don't just take a couple of hours and run the neighborhood the home is in.

With that said, take a look at some of the homes we have sold in March/April.  Want to sell

Beginning April 1, 2012 FHA insurance premiums will rise for fourth time since 2010.  Upfront mortgage insurance premiums will be higher by 75 basis points, or 0.75%; and annual mortgage insurance premiums will be higher by 10 basis points per year, or 0.10%.

Buyers should now ask the question of is FHA the cheapest and best way to finance a  home.  Fox Business News posted a great article on March 8, 2012 with this topic. 

The key aspect to any home buyers is the required down payment and the monthly cost.  If you have great credit, conventional loans may be the right choice.  The normal down payment is 10-20%, however there are banks that only require 5% down.  We know of two national banks that have this program.  Going conventional

Earnest money deposit, home inspection, loan application are just some of the checks a home buyer will write during the process of buying a home.  The common question of who to write the check to is often asked.

IN NO CIRCUMSTANCE should the check be made to the real estate agent or loan officer.  It is always made to the company they work for. Payment for the home inspection goes to the home inspector's company (or to the home inspector if they own it). 
If you forget your checkbook, make arrangements with the inspector.  I've had a couple buyers forget their checkbooks and never have I 'spotted' them the money. 

A licensed agent can have a complaint filed against them for co-mingling of funds.  By law, no licensed agent is to recieve a

As licensed Realtors® we always get questions about real estate.  We never mind answering questions, but there are some things to know before asking a Realtor® a question.

1) If you have an agent or  Realtor® we can't answer anything!  It's against the Code of Ethics. No exceptions.

2) If you are a home buyer, why not hire us?  We are full of information and have the resources to reputable lenders, home inspectors, attorneys and title companies. There is no need to 'wing it'.  We only use reputable, established , and experienced professionals. 

3) If you are selling your home and it's currently listed with an agent, please don't ask us why we think it hasn't sold.  See statement #1.  We KNOW why it hasn't sold, we just can't share

#1 Biggest mistake buyers make when buying a used home

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT HOME BUYERS SHOULD KNOW

The most important thing that buyers don't know about buying a home is that the seller pays the real estate commission. What does this mean to you as a buyer? This means that the buyer's agent usually works at no cost to you.  If you are looking for a home, and you call the listing agent to view that home, who do you think the listing agent represents?
The seller! It would be like going into court and having your opponent’s attorney handle all the details. Since the seller pays the commission, if you are looking at listed property without a buyer's agent, you are only cheating yourself.

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE THAT BUYERS MAKE

The

Parkview Condominiums has been the buzz of Greenbrier.  Our most current buyer heard about the homes from her hairdresser.  The buyer before her saw the homes on Realtor.Com.  So, whats with these condos?

How about approximately $40,000 in upgrades included!   That's right, hardwood, recessed lighting, granite in kitchen and bathrooms are just to start.  The kitchen is absolutely gorgeous with top of the line cherry cabinets with crown molding, under cabinet lighting and stainless steel appliances (with fridge!). Yes, that's correct ONE price for everything- zero upgrade cost!

We have a few homes left under $200,000. Two of them have balconies!  Currently, we have 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms left but they are selling fast.  We are here to

There is a whole story to the building of Deep Creek Park in the Deep Creek section of Chesapeake,VA.  Let me sum it up in a few words.

Land left to city with intention it will be  used as a park.  X amount of years later, after many citizens asking "wheres our park?" , it is finally here.

Ok, now that you are all caught up, let me say its looking like a great park.  I went today to walk the trail that runs around the whole park.  Rain spoiled that, so I used my Droid X2 to take some awesome pictures to share.    The park is a great size.  It has athletic fileds that will open in the spring for the softball season.  Softball is a huge sport in Deep Creek.  It probably is everywhere else, but it is a big deal here.

There is also a

I get a little tired of hearing ' location and price sell homes'.  Not really.  You can have a great house at a fabulous price, but if you don't have an experienced agent it won't sell.  When I say experience, I am not talking about how many years they have held a license.  I am speaking about their marketing experience, specifically INTERNET MARKETING experience.

I met with a seller who said we were all the same, the MLS does all the work.  I had to break into the 'oh no he didn't just say that ' mode.  I brought up a list of sites the MLS pushes their data to.  Personally, it means nothing to me.  I am only concerned with Realtor.Com since it is the #1 website for buyers.   I showed him one home that was put there by the MLS, then showed