MORE HOUSE. MORE YOU.
A BLOG ABOUT BUILDING, DESIGNING, DECORATING AND LIVING IN YOUR DREAM HOME
Recommended Readings
7 STEPS YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE BUYING A HOME
G. M. Filisko, an attorney and award-winning author, is a lawyer. She is a frequent contributor to publications such as Bankrate, REALTOR Magazine and American Bar Association Journal. Her specialties include real estate, personal finances, and legal topics. Do your research before you buy. This will make you feel happier about your new home. Many potential home buyers feel a little intimidated by the prospect of having to sign a large mortgage they will be paying for the rest of their lives. It's best to feel confident that you are purchasing the best home possible at the best price and with the best financing. These seven steps will guide you in making smart purchases about your largest purchase. 1. DECIDE HOW MUCH HOME PERSONAL YOU CAN AFFORD A home that costs two to three times your income is usually affordable. You should consider all costs that homeowners must pay, including [...]
WHY NEW HOME IS COST VARIES WHEN COMPARING THE SQUARE FOOTAGE
It's exciting to build a home. You will finally be able live in the house of your dreams, with all the features and comforts you desire. Now you're ready to start getting bids. That's when you run into an unexpected, seemingly-unexplainable puzzle: The cost-per-square-foot conundrum. This is why it's so mysterious. It's simply the fact that it doesn't make sense to compare the cost of building two new homes based on square footage. A 1800-square-foot house might cost $100 per square foot. However, a house of the same size could cost between 10-20% more or less per square foot. Although they look identical, why is their final cost so different? It is possible to break down the answer into three parts. The first is the question of square footage. The second concern is that of materials. The last consideration is buyer personality and needs. SQUARE FOOTAGE - NOT ALL SQUARE [...]
ALLOWANCE VS. UP-FRONT HOMEPRICE
WHY YOU SHOULD ABIDE FROM BUILDER ALLOWANCE AT ALL CHARGES Charlotte McCourt, 11, could teach new home builders how to use allowance pricing. Charlotte McCourt, a New Jersey Girl Scout is serious about honesty, particularly when it comes to customer service. She wrote in a letter, "I would love to tell you about cookies themselves, for some descriptions, I'm afraid use false advertising." . . "I love being open with my clients." Charlotte rated each cookie from 1-10. She said, "Savannah Smiles taste like sweet lemon wedges. They have the perfect balance of sweet and tart." This cookie is a 7 because of its delicious taste." She ended her remarks with the Toffeetastic. It received a 1 because it was "a bleak, flavorless and gluten-free wasteland". It's as tasteless as dirt. Her candid pitch for selling cookies went viral and she was rewarded with record-breaking sales. Truth in advertising is [...]
KEEP YOUR HOME AVAILABLE FOR SALE
Once you have found a buyer, all that is required to close the deal is to avoid these five traps. Finding a buyer is only the first step in the home-selling process. Be careful in the coming weeks, as if you make any of these common selling mistakes, your deal might not close. First Mistake: Ignore contingencies Do what your contract calls for. You shouldn't make the sale conditional on repairs. Buyers won't notice if you do cheap fixes. Second Mistake: Don't bother fixing things that break A seller doesn't want buyers to notice that the home isn’t in the same state it was when they offered. Sellers must repair any damage to a house that is about to be bought. The furnace should be repaired by a qualified professional. If you fail to maintain your home, buyers will lose faith in your integrity and home's condition and may decide [...]
BUILDING A NEW HOME VS BUYING AN EXISTING HOME
My nephew and his wife contacted me recently to ask my opinion on whether or not it was better to purchase an existing house or build. It was a great question and got me thinking about the best way to answer it. I asked them whether they had ever looked at houses, and if so, which one was more appealing to make an offer. They had seen a lot of houses, but none seemed to be in their price range. Although they liked one house they saw, they realized it had an 11-year-old roof and would require a new roof soon. They wanted to know how much a new roof would cost. I didn't know the exact size, pitch, or other details so I made a guess at $12,000 to $15,000 depending upon a few things that I would need to know. They hit the nail on its head with [...]
