Unbiased Straight Talk on the Pitfalls of Buying a Home
Photo courtesy of Let Ideas Compete’s photostream via Flickr
We were cruising along at the speed of molasses one second and the next I landed back in the saddle with a hard thump. I instinctively grabbed the saddle horn to keep from hitting the ground and with my hands still tightly gripped around it, I quickly slipped my feet back in the stirrups and re-adjusted myself in the saddle.
This tall, muscular, grey speckled horse was Read the rest of this entry
Photo courtesy of Let Ideas Compete’s photostream via Flickr
Now is a good time for first time buyers to buy their first home according to market signals. Are you poised and ready to benefit? If not, get your ducks in a row now because this opportunity won’t last much longer.
With new short sale guidelines finally implemented and the artificially inflated quarterly reports out from the likes of JPMorgan, a unique window of opportunity has opened for some first time home buyers – specifically for those with a credit score of at least 750. For this group, I’d suggest taking a serious look at buying a short sale listing.
A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed Read the rest of this entry
Homebuyer Strategy vs. The Balancing Act of a Lifetime – what’s yours?
Photo courtesy of Pink Sherbet’s photostream via Flickr
Is now a good time to buy a house?
Based on what you’ve heard here, in the news and from other sources – what’s your opinion?
Consider this:
Fannie Mae released the results of a thought-provoking survey this week. Washington Post article “Faith in homeownership drops, Fannie Mae poll shows” provides a comprehensive overview of the results.
“The survey is Fannie Mae’s first attempt to gauge how the foreclosure crisis has affected public attitudes about homeownership.” -The Washington Post
The hopeful news stories we hear peppered amongst all the doom and gloom probably Read the rest of this entry
Photo courtesy of Robbert van der Steeg’s photostream via Flickr
We somberly followed our Realtor through the house. Me with my hands thrust deeply into my jean pockets afraid to touch anything, my husband shaking his head in disgust. We nearly tripped over each other in our rush out the back door and get some fresh air into our lungs. After traipsing through the snow to a few feet away from the house, the three of us made eye contact and unanimously said, “No”. After chatting for a few minutes, we took one last, deep breathe before heading back inside and making a non-stop, fast-paced beeline for the front door. On our way past the owner, we smiled and thanked her while our Realtor hastily explained we were in a rush to make our next appointment on time.
Only one lady lived in the house with her two, full grown Great Pyrenees dogs aka Pyrenean Mountain dogs, each weighing over 100 pounds. A beautiful, majestic breed of dog known for their intelligence and thick water resistant coat.
The basement smelled even worse than the rest of the house, and that’s where the dogs were. We saw piles of dog poop all over the basement floor, probably several weeks worth. Their owner, who had been quietly following us through the house, quickly jumped into explaining why she was letting her dogs use the basement as a big dog outhouse. Something about it being too cold for them to go outside in the snow. We politely listened, nodding our heads while she talked, and continued making our way through the house.
Afterwards, as we jumped into the car, Read the rest of this entry
