HomeRun Homes Rent to Own Homes Blog

My photo

HomeRun Homes is a centralized marketplace which helps people Find or Sell a Rent to Own Home, both Nationwide and Globally to the thriving Rent to Own Market. http://www.lease2buy.com
Showing posts with label contractors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contractors. Show all posts

August 23, 2012

5 Real Estate Investor-Endorsed Tips For Buying a Home

Hi Folks,
   The weekend is here. By a virtual show of hands, how many of you will be house hunting this weekend? For those of you that rose your virtual hand as a "yes" to house-hunting, do you feel anxiety about buying a home? Do you feel like you might not be able to keep up the payments, but you really love the home, and you turn a blind eye to any of it's flaws?

   "Most people only buy a couple homes in their lifetime. This lack of experience leads many home buyers to feel woefully unprepared...", says Justin Pierce, a real estate investor in Northern Virginia. It certainly is a big move for most of us, but as Pierce writes in his story on the Washington Post website, "you’re not getting married. You don’t have to make a lifelong commitment to a home", and adds that you can always move later "if you fall out of love with your home, as long as you buy right."

   Pierce writes that he buys a home "almost every month", and admits that even with his experience, "it’s hard to know whether to pounce on a deal or to walk away", but says that the process doesn’t have to be so complicated "if you keep things in perspective."

   There is a set of rules that he relies on when buying a house, and he says that these same rules can be used by anyone buying a house.Pierce shares his wealth of knowledge here to give us some great tips:

Tip #1: Determine your needs for the next five years:
The number one priority is affordability, says Pierce, who suggests that you consider all the costs (including maintenance and utilities). A great example is any unplanned expenses, such as your cesspool overflowing all over your basement the first week you move it (yes, that's what happened in our home!). The cost for removing the carpet that was just put down 2 days earlier, pumping the cesspool, and putting new carpet down was a $2,000 very unwelcomed surprise!). Pierce muses about the folks who buy "half million dollar McMansions and then fail to maintain them", urging you to "buy the right size home; bigger is not always better".

Tip #2. Get the facts:
Pierce says the the number one rule is "do not overpay for a home", and says that he never buys on future value (and refers to that as an illusion that got many of us in trouble). He suggests being realistic if estimating the cost of repairs the home will need. Conversely, he cautions us not to let a home inspection "scare you away from a good deal", and he provides an example of a friend who had the opportunity to purchase a $650,000 home at a short sale for just $520,000, but walked away after the inspector "found a laundry list of items that needed repairs". Albeit a "scary" looking list, as he called it, it was about $20,000 of work, leaving the remainder as over $100,000 in equity. Remember: "Get the Facts !".

Tip #3. Don’t fall completely in love:
"When I’m remodeling a home for resale and I’m faced with a decision to either improve the home’s insulation or make the home more beautiful, I’m almost always forced to beautify.", says Pierce, who says that people who lack experience will rely on their emotions. He adds that Real Estate agents are well aware of this, and this is why they try to "decorate and stage a home so that people fall in love and forget the facts". He cautions that if you fall prey to your emotions, you can get into "bidding wars and overlook discrepancies that need more attention". The final point he makes on this tip is that "It’s much easier to replace kitchen cabinets some time down the road than it is to reinsulate a home. But people aren’t concerned or willing to pay for what’s behind the walls. They should be."

Tip #4. Get professional help:
Pierce says that "Real estate agents, home inspectors, appraisers, lawyers, surveyors and contractors are all valuable resources but they’re no good if you disregard their advice.", and he says the key here is "to trust but verify. In terms of a Real Estate agent, speak with many different agents and ask for references, until you find one that you are comfortable with. Once you are working with an agent, ask your agent to go over comparable sales with you, and "not just spit out a value", as Pierce says, since this will "help you feel confident about your offer and reduce the risk of complications from a low appraisal."

Tip #5. Don’t be afraid to pull the trigger or walk away:
OK, so you have all of the facts about a house that you are incredibly fond of, and if "the price is fair and affordable then don’t be afraid to seal the deal", says Pierce. On the flip side, if the price is above the market value or the price does not take into account the amount of work it needs, Pierce recommends that you, "remind yourself that there are plenty of other houses to choose from".

   Certainly some great tips here, but sometimes, when in the heat of battle and bidding for a home, it's easy to lose perspective. Pierce aptly sums up what your mindset should be during the process; "Remember a house is just sticks and stones and there are plenty of them out there. You make it a home."

   If you were going to add a "Tip #6", what would it be? Please share it with us here.

Would You Like Our Blog Posts Sent Directly to your E-mail? Here's How:
1. Locate the "Subscribe by E-mail" box on the Right Side of your Screen.
2. Type your E-mail address in the box, and click "Submit"
3. Check Your E-mail and Confirm Your Subscription...it's That Simple !

Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com


TAGS: #RealEstateInvestor #Homebuying #ShortSale #HomeEquity #BiddingWar #Agents #HomeInspectors #Appraisers #Lawyers #Surveyors #Contractors

October 6, 2010

5 Steps to Achieving Your Real Estate Investing Goals

Hi All,

   Hope you're having a great week, thus far.

   Today's Blog post will be "short and sweet, and something you can re-tweet". Well, sorry about that rhyme, but this post will be looked at in one of two ways, depending on the reader...as an informative post, or as something you may look at as common knowledge.

5 Steps to Achieving Your Real Estate Investing Goals

1. Know Your Niche: If you're focusing on a neighborhood or a town, know everything about it. Population, cancer rates, taxes for homes and business, etc. The more you know, the more you will use during negotiations.

2. Contractors are Your friends: The contractors, landscapers, and all other Home Service Professionals (HSPs) can be valuable, since they also know their niche, and you can use their services for renovations and/or upkeep, as well as feed off their knowledge of the area, as well.

3. Reading is Fundamental: Read everything on real estate investing that you can find. You can never learn "too much". It all comes into play during research, negotiations, and making offers. Suggested reading: The E-Book titled, "Will it Work in My Town?" , and the E-Book titled, "Secrets of Rent to Own", and many others from other reputable companies.

4. Partner Up: Make friends with your local Realtors. They always have their finger on the pulse of the local market, since it is their livelihood. They can be invaluable members on your Real Estate Investing "SWAT" team.

5. Attend and Make a Friend: Make sure you check with your local real estate investing club or REIA about the time and date of their next meeting. Once there, you can listen to the speakers (you might even hear ME speaking there ), and make friends with other investors, Realtors, and HSPs in your niche area.

CONTEST:

Here is a contest to help you along, but it will end this Friday (10/8) at 5PM EST:

If you purchase a copy of the E-Book, "Will it Work in My Town?"...you will also receive a FREE copy of the E-Book, "Secrets of Rent to Own".

If you purchase a copy of the E-Book, "Secrets of Rent to Own"...you will also receive a FREE copy of the E-Book, "Will it Work in My Town?".

Once you buy either of these E-Books, then all you need to do is E-mail homebuyer@lease2buy.com with the E-mail address you used to buy the book, and you will receive a copy of the other E-Book by return reply.

Have a Great Day, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !!