Real Estate Tips
Insulting Price Reductions in Real Estate
If you’ve ever bought a house or sold one, you’ve likely come across the conventional buying etiquette that says not to make a super low-ball offer. Sure, you can underbid for a home, but if you offer something too low, ... Read More »
Stale Listings and Price Reductions
If you’ve been scouring real estate listings for a while now, you’ve probably paid close attention to how long a particular property has been listed. And if you haven’t, you should probably take note. Every little nugget you can take ... Read More »
Two Standard Sales That Aren’t So Standard
These days, real estate agents love to mention that a particular listing is a “standard sale,” meaning it’s not in foreclosure or in a short sale situation. While this is generally a good thing, largely because non-standard sales can be ... Read More »
What is a Pocket Listing?
Here’s a hint. It’s not a really small house you can put in your pocket. But it is somewhat hidden, which explains the name “pocket listing.” Put simply, a pocket listing, also known as a “pocket deal,” is a house ... Read More »
Is Buying a Flip House a Smart Move?
Should I Buy a Flipped House? If you’re in the market to buy a new home, you’ve probably encountered one or two “flip homes” along the way. When I say flip homes, I mean homes that were purchased fairly recently, ... Read More »
How to Buy Real Estate with No Money Down
Real estate Q&A: “How to buy real estate with no money down?” It used to be easy to buy real estate without putting a penny down. Back in 2006, 100% financing was the norm and you were a fool to ... Read More »
Why Homes Aren’t Selling
Home sales have been softer than analysts have predicted, and it’s really no surprise. Prices aren’t really that attractive, even with all the home price declines; affordability is only historically high because mortgage rates are at record low levels. That’s ... Read More »
Don’t Buy the Most Expensive House on the Block
Buying a home isn’t easy. There are a number of things that can and will go wrong, from the financing falling through, to the appraisal coming in low, to seeing your offer on that dream house get trumped by another ... Read More »
Who Qualifies as a First Time Home Buyer?
Real Estate Q&A: “Who qualifies as a first time home buyer?” With all the fuss about the first-time home buyer tax credit, you’re probably wondering if you’re eligible. Well, the tax credit can only be used towards the purchase of ... Read More »
When Will Home Prices Rise?
There’s been a ton of talk about home price declines over the past couple years, but now a bit of optimism is starting to shine through, at least in select markets. So, when will home prices rise, and why? SmartMoney.com ... Read More »