Question by __HELLO__: Buying house with 100% down. Do I need an attorney? Where can I find checklist?
How do I make sure title is clear? How much does it cost? Anything else I have to keep in mind? I have no knowledge about buying a house.

Best answer:

Answer by john_stolworthy
I bought my home with cash. I would highly recommend hiring a lawyer. He or she can handle all the little details that most normal people don’t think about. Make sure you go to town hall and make sure the taxes are up to date, also. You can also get a realtor, preferably a ‘buyers agent’, to sort through the paperwork. A lawyer works ‘by the hour’. A realtor on a percentage of the sale price (or most do.)

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Question by CaseBasket: Buying First Home-What are steps after we put deposit down?
We are buying a first home. We put a deposit down. House is selling for 0,000. We are offering about 315,000 based on condition. We’re not worried about this notion of insulting the seller, as we just figure we’ll negotiate like reasonable humans.
Agent says to quickly get inspection and lawyer but prior to a purchase price being accepted? Shouldn’t I wait till we have a mutual price before shelling out 0 for a home inspector?

Best answer:

Answer by Just a Suggestion
Buy and read, then re-read this book:

Tips and Traps When Buying a Home.

http://www.amazon.com/Tips-Traps-When-Buying-Home/dp/0071418296/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203842554&sr=8-1

What do you think? Answer below!

USAA Redefines Car Buying with Launch of Auto CircleTM: Find, Finance, Insure on Mobile App
SAN ANTONIO, August 4, 2010: Buying a car? USAA has an app for that. “Think of Home Circle as an all-access pass for our members. Through this program they can now tap into the same comprehensive listing information available to real estate agents”
Read more on The Auto Channel

Nursing home rat stole £50k to pay for drug habit
A nursing home worker stole £50,000 from elderly residents to fund his cocaine habit. Jaspal Sandhar, 25, also spent the cash on hiring flash cars, buying designer clothes and gambling at casinos. All his three victims lived at The Willows Nursing Home in Higher Broughton, Salford, which is owned by one of Sandhar’s relatives.
Read more on Salford Advertiser

Buying Your First House? Be on HGTV! [My First Place]
For those Austinites who are currently looking for their first home, you can have that process documented forever! And then broadcast to millions of people on HGTV! We first mentioned this a few months ago , but HGTV’s My First Place is still looking for Austinites — and their realtors — who are just beginning the search for their first home. The break down of the show is basically this: you …
Read more on Austinist

A House Buying Checklist

A house buying checklist will keep you from forgetting something important, and help make the whole process a little less chaotic. It is perhaps best to put together your own list according to your own needs. Here are some of the items you will want to include.

___ Prepare to buy a house. Figure out the monthly payment you can afford, but also how much you want to afford, if you have other major goals. Take a look at your credit report. Take actions to improve your credit score. List what you want or need in a home, prioritizing each item it in case you can’t get everything.

___ Narrow the search to an area you like. Consider what you need to be comfortable. You can use online resources to investigate towns, and to check on crime rates. You can also read various local newspapers online to get a “feel” for a town. If you already know the town you’ll be moving to, start driving around to see which neighborhoods you like.

___ Get preapproved for a mortgage loan. Gather pay stubs, recent bank statements, tax returns, w-2 forms, and proof of other income. Visit several lenders. Have a list of questions about your loan options, and take notes. Get copies of any pre-approval letters. You can submit these with your offers, so the seller knows you are able to follow through.

___ Start shopping for a house. Look at online listings, in newspapers, and in real estate guides. Locate a real estate agent that’s active in the neighborhoods you like, and one who sells the types of houses you’re looking for. You may want to consider using a buyer’s agent. Be very clear about what you’re looking for. If an agent repeatedly shows you homes that don’t fit your criteria, find a new agent to help you.

___ Go see those homes. Have a good list of questions as part of your house buying checklist. Does the house have what you need? Does it feel good when you walk through it? Do you like the neighborhood? What problems does it have? A photo or written description will help you remember the home after looking at others. Carry and use a home inspection checklist, so you can take notes to pass along to a professional home inspector.

___ The decision. It may be best to look at six or more homes before writing an offer. Does this home have what you need? How does it compare to others you have seen? What is the appraised value, or at least the value indicated by the tax assessor. Why is the seller selling? Have there been other offers, and what happened with them (ask the agent)?

___ The offer. Don’t reveal your thoughts on possible negotiations to the agent. Make out your earnest money check to an escrow agent, or the real estate broker if they have an escrow account. Specify what stays with the home, and who will pay for each closing cost. Have contingencies in the offer for any necessary inspections.

___ Closing the purchase. Get inspections done as soon as you can after the offer is accepted. Watch the deadlines for any other contingencies in the offer. Make sure you have a written loan commitment from a lender. Set a closing date. Buy insurance for the house. Get a copy of the closing statement before closing. Have a cashiers check ready for the closing.

___ Moving. When the closing date is certain, transfer utilities to your name. Change your address at the post office. Pack. Hire a mover or arrange for a u-haul. Transfer your prescriptions if you are moving out of town. Register the kids in their new schools.

___ A final item on your house buying checklist: check out everything thoroughly when you arrive at your new home. Generally (and specifically in most contracts) it should be in the same or better condition as the day you made your offer.

Stimulus Spurs Inflation – Protect Yourself By Buying A Home

“Buying a home is more advantageous today than ever before,” encouraged my next door neighbor who was also a real estate agent. My first thought was yeah right! With the market in such a depressed state you are just desperate to make a sale. That was 1982. He was both right and wrong. He was right because the little 3 bedroom, 1 bath house I bought in 1982 for 0,000 is now worth 0,000 even at today’s recession prices. That is an incredible increase of 350%. But he was also wrong. Are you wondering why? He was wrong because this current economic crisis has created an environment that may never be duplicated in another 100 years. Here is what I mean. Have you been watching the news? Are you reading today’s headlines? Our government is injecting trillions into what will hopefully end the recession and result in a national recovery. The economic stimulus bill is designed to guard against depression. Many Americans are asking this question. Where is the money for economic recovery coming from? Money for the stimulus package comes from you and me in different ways. The federal government has to borrow the money from its citizens by selling debt in the form of US Treasuries and Bonds. In addition local and state governments raise taxes and charge higher fees. But when the government borrows money by going into debt, inflation is triggered. When state and local governments increase fees such as sales tax, or gas tax, the cost of living rises. Inflation means that the cost of items we enjoy, use and need every day will become more expensive. Rents which are susceptible to inflation will not get more affordable. So how do we protect ourselves from what is inevitable? One way is by buying a home and locking in monthly house payments at current mortgage interest rates. Right now renting may seem cheaper than buying a home but over time rents are going to increase partly because of demand and partly because the dollar is going to be worth less. We are already seeing an increase in rental demand due to mortgage foreclosures. The decrease in the value of the dollar will come later. Here in lies a big mistake that many people are going to make. Thinking short term. Renting versus buying a home seems like a better deal right now. But if you want to protect yourself and your family from the effects of inflation, you want to start thinking long term instead. This is the point. Even if the rate of inflation remains fairly tame, rents are still going to rise. In addition current mortgage interest rates are not going to remain at historical lows forever. The Federal Reserve will have to manipulate interest rates higher in order to starve the coming inflation. Because the price of buying a home has hit near bottom, real estate prices too will rise. In another 5 years, the value of houses will have increased and the low daily mortgage rates we enjoy today will follow. Do you want to make sure your family is protected from the coming inflation? Even better, don’t you want to take advantage of it? The best way is by buying a home. Here is my prediction. There will never be a better opportunity during your lifetime for buying a home than right now.

Buying foreclosure homes are considered a safe and profitable option in the property circles. Homebuyers have a good opportunity to buy foreclosure homes because there are thousands of homes being foreclosed every month. The fluctuating prices of properties may rise historically, but the interest rates and price of foreclosure homes are always low. This provides an unprecedented buying opportunity for the homeowners and sophisticated investors.

Why should you refer to foreclosure home listings?

There are several benefits of purchasing bank owned foreclosure homes, but one of the key aspects of these homes is the price. When you buy foreclosure homes, you are actually paying for a property that’s 20 to 50 percent below the market price. When closing the deal, the property will have equity. This key aspect is looked upon by real estate investors and that’s why buying foreclosure properties is profitable.

Types of Foreclosed Homes

There are two basic types of foreclosure homes: pre-foreclosure homes and REO (Real Estate Owned) foreclosures. Pre-foreclosed homes are those evicted through public notice and then sold in public auctions to interested buyers through bidding. However, there are certain homes that are not sold. These homes are sold by banks by posting advertisements or through a real estate broker. Buying REO homes is the safest, easiest and the most profitable option since there are no hassles of taxes or property titles. Homebuyers and investors always check foreclosure home listings to get the best REO foreclosure homes in their country.

Benefits of Buying Foreclosure Homes

There are a number of benefits of buying bank owned foreclosure homes:

When you buy foreclosure homes, you save money. More savings means more profits and of course a clever investment.

You need not pay back taxes for your bank foreclosure homes. Moreover, you acquire the property title policy without any hassles.

In case of bank-owned foreclosure homes, the bank is responsible for any tax clearance or any other hassles. You just have to ‘move in’, that’s it!

However, you must always make sure to check foreclosure home listings before getting the right quotes of REO homes.

The real estate industry is reshaping a new market as a result of the real estate bubble burst and the sub-prime mortgage problem.  We are now witness to the emergence of a new phenomenon called a foreclosures home.

Investors and homeowners who can pass the stringent requirements of financial institutions may consider investing on a foreclosures home.  There are a lot of properties that are on the FHA foreclosure listings we can consider as “best buys.”  Another thing to watch out for is the impending occurrence of a second wave of foreclosures; this time in the prime property sector.

Best Practices When Buying Foreclosures Home

Buyers can follow either of three routes in buying foreclosures home.  One option would be to transact directly from the homeowners before the real property is foreclosed by the mortgage lender.  This approach is referred to as pre-foreclosures.

Another approach is through auction. Prospective home buyers are required to bid the highest to purchase a foreclosures home.

The third one involves direct transaction with the real estate company.

Buying Through Pre-Foreclosure

Pre-foreclosures can be an attractive approach under the following circumstances.  Prospective home buyers must have the available equity to close out the deal with the present owner of the real estate property.  You should also have access to complete information appertaining to the property; particularly the title, the mortgage structure and liens.

The owner of the home gives up his rights to the property by signing a deed in your favor.  You are in effect assuming the mortgage along with the rights to the real estate property.  You also have to pay all back payments or mortgage payments that are over due.

The auction approach may vary depending on the state where auctions of a foreclosures home are held.  It is essential to note at this point that this approach carries the heaviest risk.  This method, however, may also yield the greatest benefits to the winning bidder, as he stands to gain as much as 40% out of the transaction.

The downside of this approach is that buyers will not be able to do a thorough inspection of the property prior to the auction.  Winning bidders also have to pay in cash.  In some instances, you may also encounter problems with former owners of the property refusing to vacate the house.  In addition, you may also compete with real estate investors who are out to cash in on the purchase through resale as well.

Buying directly from the real estate company entails lesser risks when it comes to the actual condition of what you are buying.  You are afforded ample time to inspect the property.  You can also demand for a clean title and also add a stipulation in the contract that it is subject to getting a mortgage.  Brokers usually handle the sale of foreclosures home in behalf of the banks.  This approach is the safest amongst the three approaches, however, the downside would refer to lesser gains from the purchase of the foreclosures home.

Selecting the right method in buying foreclosures home would depend on the goals and circumstances of the buyer.

Buying foreclosure properties can really be a nightmare. While foreclosed properties are usually one of the most profitable investments you can make, if not done properly you can lose big time. You have to know how to compare the price to the market in your area. Without having that skill, you might as well just toss your money into the wind and see who catches it.

If the foreclosed property you are looking at is selling at auction, you also have to know the rules of that auction. Every auction has its own set of rules and if you are not careful, some auctions may even seem to work backwards to you. When investing a lot of money to buy a foreclosure property, the last thing you want to do is spend it before you know what you are doing. Every state, county, and city has their set of rules regarding these auction properties so be sure to get the facts before you ever go to an auction. Do not ever take it for granted that what works in one district will work in the next because that is just not true.

There are a number of other risks that you need to be aware of when buying foreclosure properties as well. Be sure that you do a lot of reading and learning about the many different things to avoid in this type of investment. There is gold in real estate and the more you learn about extracting that gold the more you will make when buying foreclosure properties.

The best investors, property flippers, and landlords spend many years studying the housing market. They learn the regional market, the rules for buying foreclosed properties, and most importantly, they learn what to avoid when buying foreclosure properties. To be as successful as them, you only have to learn what they know and do it too.

There is no question that the abundance of foreclosed properties has presented a unique opportunity for anyone interested in making money in the current real estate market. If you educate yourself, you can learn about buying foreclosure properties, so that you can purchase and flip for a quick profit. Of course there is much that you should know before you venture out and start looking for foreclosed homes on the market. That’s where we come in.

A new course is being released soon that is designed to train anyone how to take advantage of this lucrative opportunity. The course is designed by a well known real estate investor, Charrissa Cawley, and will equip you with all the knowledge and skills you need in order for you to become a successful property investor in your own right.

CLICK HERE to get more information and sign up to be one of the first to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Many people prefer buying a new home because of the numerous benefits that come with the home. When considering buying a new home, it is important to be aware of the many advantages a new home offers. The following is a list of the reasons why people are choosing new homes:

Reasonable Mortgages: With today’s low interest rates and competitive housing prices, it is a great time to purchase a new home.

Quick and Smooth Sale: When you buy a new home, you can complete the purchase within two weeks of the house being completed. There is less red tape because everything is new.

You Know the Homebuilder: Homebuilders take great pride in their work. They know that building a poorly constructed home can ruin their business. They strive to build the best homes. If you have questions, you will be able to talk directly to the company that built the home.

First Residents: When you move in everything is clean and new. You will not have to spend hours cleaning grease stains, tobacco stains, and other dirt. There will not be any damaged walls or scratched surfaces. You will also not have to paint

Community Orientated: New homes tend to reflect community spirit. This includes location and extras such as patio decks, porches, and a pleasing backyard. The homes are usually close to schools and parks

Energy Efficient: New homes can use up to 50% less energy than homes built in the early 1980’s.A new home will be more energy efficient, have better quality insulation, and have a more efficient heating system. New homes are built to meet modern regulations.

Mobility: New homes are built to meet mobility standards making access easier for people with mobility problems.

High Quality Construction: Progressive technology has resulted in homes that are stronger and more solid. Such items as roofing shingles and windows are a better quality and last longer.

Low Maintenance: New homes will not require updating or modernizing. Modern materials used in the construction of new homes results in a home that does not need updating. The only maintenance you will have to do is cleaning.

Security and Safety: Many new homes are equipped with wiring for security lights and alarm systems. They will also have high quality locks for windows and doors. New homes are also built to meet modern safety standards. This includes the newest smoke alarms and fire resistant materials.

Greener: New homes will produce less carbon dioxide and are equipped with water efficient fittings. These homes are often constructed on previously developed land so forests were not cut down.

Budget Efficiently: With a new home, you know what your housing costs will be so you can make a budget.

Warranty Protection: New homes will often come with NHBC Buildmark Warranties. For eight years, the home is covered for any drainage and structural defects. Your builder will explain how the warranty works.

Modern Rooms: Many new homes will have added features such as walk-in closets. They will also be fitted for modern appliances

When you move into a new home, the chance of any unexpected problems popping up is greatly reduced. With a new home, you know who built it and how it was constructed. You will be able to choose your own interior design and select certain designs such as cabinetry and layout. You also know exactly how to operate and maintain your home’s systems and equipment. If you have any questions, the homebuilder will have the answers. You basically get a brand new home that easy to maintain, healthy, and comfortable. You are your family will have less worries allowing more to create wonderful memories.

When it comes to buying foreclosures, every investor needs to be aware of certain aspects that can either make or break their bargain. The appeal of a foreclosed property is often found in the hidden potential that a home is thought to possess, but the fact that it can be purchased at a price that is often far less than the current market value is an equally attractive incentive to most buyers. While foreclosed properties can and often do produce a profitable return for investors, it’s important to keep the following in mind when perusing properties:

- Not every foreclosure is open to inspection. This means that you may or may not be able to view or evaluate the property, and could be required to make a decision based on nothing more than a visual and any information provided in the foreclosure listing.

- If a foreclosed property is open to inspection, it will be up to potential buyers to hire an inspector for the purpose of evaluating any necessary repairs or improvements. This will aid investors in the decision as to how much money they wish to pay for a property by giving them an indication of the work and cash needed to restore it.

- If you plan on buying foreclosures while they are still inhabited, either by the previous owners or renters, you will be responsible for removing them. In some cases, eviction may even be necessary.

- Buying foreclosures means purchasing a property ‘as is’ with no guarantee as to its condition.

- Investors who plan on buying foreclosures from HUD are permitted to enter the bidding process if no person(s) wish to bid as an owner-occupant. The initial phase of a HUD foreclosure auction is open only to those who wish to live in the home.

- Each state handles the process of buying foreclosures differently, but nearly every one offers a redemption period that would allow the former owner to regain control of the property by catching up on payments and interest. Buying foreclosures means that you need to be aware of local laws and how they may affect the ownership of a property.

- If you require financing, it’s important to check with a lender to arrange for a mortgage before placing a bid on a foreclosure. In at least one respect, buying foreclosures is similar to the purchase of other real estate in that the failure to complete the transaction may result in the loss of any earnest money provided.

- Prior to buying foreclosures, or any other type of real estate investment, do your homework. Homes built before 1978 may contain lead paint, which is why it’s important to learn as much as possible about the home’s age and condition, along with other potentially concerning aspects of real estate before signing on the dotted line.

- Successfully buying foreclosures as an investor means knowing the current market value for comparable properties in the area. If you plan to restore the home, you will need to figure in the cost of repairs and calculate a reasonable selling price in order to determine a feasible profit.

- Investors considering buying foreclosures can find local listings through realtors, lenders, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and various other public auctions.

The information contained in this article is designed to be used for reference purposes only. It should not be used as, in place of or in conjunction with professional legal, financial and/or investment advice regarding buying foreclosures. For additional information, consult an attorney who specializes in real estate and/or financial matters.