8 Online Tools for New Homeowners in Los Angeles to Determine Your Home Value

01/26/201901/26/2019Tagged apartment, bellflower, business, economy, home, house, local records office, los angeles, norwalk, real estateLeave a comment

LOS ANGELES, CA – With such a high demand for homes in Los Angeles residents want to know how much their property is worth. Here are 8 tools that will help you determine your properties worth with ease, says, Local Records Office.

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When it comes time to sell your house, you have one burning question: What is my home worth?

In recent years, a proliferation of online resources has emerged to provide you with an answer before you ever consult a human. But while consumers have access to more information than they could have dreamed of a decade ago, that doesn’t mean you can expect a computer to deliver the final word on your home’s value – though it can give you some helpful hints.

“I don’t believe there are any accurate instant numbers,” says David Eraker, CEO and co-founder of Surefield, a new brokerage in Seattle that has a free Pricepoint tool that provides estimates of home values, so far just in Washington state. “I think the first thing you should do is take it with a grain of salt. You could probably talk to three or four different real estate agents, and they would probably give you different numbers as well.”

The variation in the data is a good reminder that any estimate of home value, whether provided by a human or a computer, is just that – an estimate. Computers and humans may disagree, for example, about which recently sold homes are truly comparable. Plus, when it comes time to do the deal, the negotiation skills of buyers and sellers (or their agents) may come into play.

Estimates Are Just That, Estimates

“Opinions of value, there are a lot of them,” says Stan Humphries, chief analytics officer for Zillow, which pioneered the practice of estimating and publishing home values in 2017 with the “Zestimate.” “If you were to sell the same house 100 different times with different buyers and sellers, it would close at a different price.”

That means if you are looking at estimates for your home’s value, you have to consider what kind of data went into that estimate. If your home is unique compared to others in the neighborhood, for example, the choice of “comps,” or comparable homes, would be a challenge to find. Your estimate may also be less accurate than if you live in a neighborhood where all the homes are similar. If there have been lots of recent home sales in your area, there is going to be more data to work with than if there are fewer sales, and therefore you’ll get a more accurate estimate.

“The more the house is an outlier, the more difficult it is for anyone to price it, whether it’s a human or a computer,” says Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, which has launched its own automated estimate tool. “The hardest things we had to deal with was which homes are comparable and which aren’t.”

Different Tools Just Different Data

All the online tools take advantage of publicly available data, which they then run through computer models to derive estimates of value. Exactly which data is used is proprietary, as are the formulas used to crunch it, but among the data sources are public records and the multiple listing services used by real estate agents. Exactly what data is available also affects the accuracy of the estimate, and that amount of data varies by municipality and sometimes by home.

To get a value using an AVM, you feed a lot of data into a computer, which crunches the numbers according to directions (or models) you give it and arrives at a home value estimate. Different companies use different data in different ways, which accounts for some of the variations in online home values. Obviously, the accuracy of the data itself affects the outcome. There are also factors a computer can’t see, such as whether your kitchen has ugly wallpaper.

“The thing about homes is they’re not commodities,” says Nela Richardson, chief economist for Redfin. “Every home is different.” Plus, there is the factor of the unknown. “We don’t always know if there’s a big hole in the floor or if someone spilled red nail polish on the bathroom floor,” she says.

Zillow allows consumers who register for a free account to correct or add data about their homes, and the company’s Price This Home tool lets consumers receive a private estimate in which they control which comps are used. Surefield also has tools that allow homeowners and homebuyers to refine estimates based on their knowledge of the neighborhood and the listed comps. Redfin shows the comps and public records data about the home that was used, and you can email if you believe the information is inaccurate.

Estimates Aren’t Just the Big Number

Zillow covers about 100 million homes in 450 markets. Humphries says the national margin of error for home values is 7.9 percent, but the rate varies by location. That’s partly because the type and accuracy of data vary, but also because home values are easier to estimate in an area with more sales and in areas with a larger volume of homes. “You’re dealing with less data than you’d like to have,” Humphries says of some areas. Parts of New York state, for example, don’t list square footage in public records.

He points out that real estate agents doing comparative market analysis have an error rate of 5.5 to 6 percent, and it’s rare that a home sells for the exact asking price. “No one’s error rate is zero. They’re all opinions of value,” Humphries says.

Glenn says Redfin’s estimates have a median error rate of 1.96 percent for homes on the market and 6.23 percent for homes not on the market, but the service so far covers only about 40 million homes in 35 major metro areas, which are often easier to value than homes in less dense areas.

We also found some calculators that provide estimates at several bank sites, with information drawn from databases used by appraisers. ForSaleByOwner.com has its own tool, called Pricing Scout.

The representatives of all the companies stress that their numbers are merely estimates, based on the available data, plus a number of assumptions about comparable sales. While all the services throw out a number for the home’s estimated value, most provide a range of values, which sometimes gets overlooked by consumers who focus on the number in big type.

While the various online AVM services spit out a single number that is an estimate of the value of your home, Richardson and Humphries point out that the number comes with a few caveats. Zillow provides a range of values for an estimated sales price, as well as publishing the error rate for a given municipality. Redfin shows you the comps it used to reach its final number.

For example, two-bedroom, two-bathroom home in suburban Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a Zestimate of $153,306 also notes that the home is likely to sell for between $146,000 and $161,000. Homes like it in the area have sold for $138,000 to $163,000, Zillow reports. The median error rate in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area is 8.7 percent, with 31.8 percent of homes sold at a price within 5 percent of the Zestimate, 55.3 percent within 10 percent and 79.8 percent within 20 percent.

If we take Zillow up on its option to remove three of 10 comparable home sales because of location and up to another three because of the condition, the estimated value rises to $161,211. Zillow also offers users an option to correct facts about their homes, including the size, type of heating or cooling system and the number of bedrooms and baths.

“There are some things that aren’t explicitly in the data that our models aren’t able to discern,” Humphries says. “A lot of consumers don’t focus on that value range, and they should. The wider that range is, the less certain we are. … From day one, we’ve said these are all opinions.”

Not all services use the same “facts”

One reason the companies arrive at different estimates is that they aren’t all using the same facts. With our house above, Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com calculated the home’s value based on a size of 1,155 square feet, the number from the tax assessor’s records. But Trulia used 972 square feet, which is the size of the house without the garage. (Trulia does not provide an automated estimate unless you agree to be contacted by a real estate agent.)

While garages and unfinished basements usually aren’t included as part of a home’s square footage, Florida tax officials and real estate agents traditionally include half the square footage of the garage when they compute the taxable value, and that is the number that usually appears in the MLS.

Redfin, using the same home facts as Zillow did, estimated the home’s value at $163,001. Redfin showed the comparable sales upon which it based its value, making it possible for someone who knows the home to realize the comps were substantially remodeled while the subject home was not.

Realtor.com estimated the home’s value much lower at $142,689, but there are no details about how the tool arrived at that figure.

Economists who work with the data remind consumers that the estimates are just that, estimates and that the actual sales price is likely to depend upon many factors, including the condition of the home, the motivation of buyer and seller, and the supply and demand at the time the home is offered for sale.

“This is the starting point of a conversation that you’re going to have with your family and your real estate agent,” Richardson says. “It’s not just this black box that gives you a number. It’s important to note that this is not a be-all, end-all. It’s just the beginning of a complicated process.”

“We think of our estimate as the beginning of a conversation, not the end,” Kelman says. “Many times the asking price of a home is the result of a fairly tense conversation between the owner of the home and the agent who is trying to sell it.”

8 Online Home Value Estimating Tools

Here are seven online tools you can use to help you estimate the value of your home:

Zillow: This is the pioneer of the home value estimating tool, and the company continues to refine how it arrives at its Zestimates.

Redfin: This new tool shows you photos and listing information for the exact comps used to arrive at the value of your home.

ForSaleByOwner.com : This site’s Pricing Scout tool gives you the average of regression analysis and comparative market analysis to estimate the worth of your home. It also shows recent sales of comparable properties on a map. You have to register to use it.

Chase: This tool allows you to change the information about the house to arrive at a more precise estimate, plus provides information on recently sold homes and neighborhood trends. You can also use it to estimate the value of improvements you’re considering.

Bank of America: This tool shows comparable neighboring sales on a map. It provides only a range of values, not a single number.

Surefield: This site lets you narrow or widen the range of comparable homes, plus exclude specific comps from the list.

Eppraisal.com: This site uses data from public records and lists homes sold recently nearby.

Putting the Tools to the Test

We tested homes we know in South Florida, Los Angeles and Kansas City, Missouri, plus a random home in Seattle, using the available home value estimators. Not all the online tools had the same data for the same home.

These Were Our Results:

A two-bedroom, one bath home in a trendy historic urban neighborhood in Miami where homes vary considerably in size, age, and condition.

Zillow: $670,860
Chase: $501,000
Redfin: $470,578
com : $459,750
Bank of America: $434,000 to $486,000
com: $420,743

A two-bedroom, two-bath home in a 1970s tract home neighborhood in suburban Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Redfin: $462,237
Zillow: $451,716
com: $446,774
Bank of America: $433,800 to $460,200
Chase: $436,000
com: $425,500

A two-bedroom, one-bath home in a trendy neighborhood of 1930s bungalows in Los Angeles:

Redfin: $961,513
Zillow: $876,004
com: 869,585
Bank of America: $709,300 to $1,020,700
com : $765,500
Chase: $785,000

A five-bedroom, three-bath home with a water view in Seattle:

Zillow: $963,818
Redfin: $894,306
com: $870,663
Surefield: $852,390
Chase: $833,000
Bank of America: $823,400 to $966,600
com : $778,500

A one-bedroom, one-bath house on a double lot in Kansas City, Missouri, where the houses vary in size and condition:

com : $222,750
Zillow: $214,984
Chase: $205,000
Bank of America: $96,700 to $217,300
com: $81,790
Redfin: Not available

Why the Online Value of Your Home Could be Wrong

Here are six reasons the automated valuation of your home could be off:

The facts in the public record or the MLS are wrong. With our Fort Lauderdale home above, the companies all took the square footage of the Fort Lauderdale home from the public record, but they didn’t all use the same figure. A difference in the number of bedrooms or bathrooms might create an even larger variation in valuation. “If there’s a discrepancy … it’s usually because the facts themselves are not up to date,” Humphries says. Homeowners can claim their homes and correct facts on Zillow.

Your home is not like others in your neighborhood. Whether a real estate agent, an appraiser or a computer is evaluating your home, it’s harder to arrive at an accurate value if there are no comparable homes. “Houses that are very unusual are harder to value, not surprisingly than homes that are not,” Humphries says. “The Playboy Mansion and the White House are very difficult to value.” Homes that are different from others in the neighborhood or have unique features are harder to value because there are fewer or no comparable properties with which to compare them.

Few homes in your neighborhood have sold in the last six months. The more homes that sell, the more MLS data and the more sale prices the computers have to calculate the value. With few sales, there is less information to draw from.

Your home has not been on the market in recent decades. There is significantly more information about a home in an MLS listing than there is in the tax records. Once a home has been listed, the services add that data. As homes are sold, the models can adjust for whether the home sold for more or less than asking price or the AVM price.

Public records in your jurisdiction omit key information. The nation’s approximately 3,100 counties don’t all record the same information about homes. In Suffolk County, New York, for example, few records include the home’s square footage, Humphries says. “There is a wide variance in the quality of the data we obtain,” Humphries says. “Without square footage, it becomes very challenging to value the home.”

The market is changing rapidly. Home valuations are based on past sales. If the market is significantly hotter or colder than it was six months ago, those past sales are less an indicator of current values.

Consider These Architectural Home Designs in Pekin, Illinois to Brighten Up Your Next Home

04/16/201804/16/2018Tagged chicago, home, homeowner, il, illinois, local records office, localrecordsoffice, pekin, pekin il, springfield, technology1 Comment

LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE – While you may be either building a completely new home or searching for your next home, it is one of the most exciting times and is important to start looking for your ideal home design. As we are growing out of modern architecture, you may be wondering if building a ‘fad’ for your newer structure really worth it? Tiny houses have been the big craze for many families looking to downsize and still be able to access an adequate amount of surrounding land, but will it still be a popular choice for potential homeowners in 20 to 30 years?

Either way, looking into styles of homes that fits both you and your family needs and wants is your main objective. And here are the few ideal architectural home designs that are both popular and offer significant features with each having its own unique style. This can be overwhelming, as there are many different housing designs, so I put this list in alphabetical order, in case you already know what design you are looking for.

Acadian

These house plans share the ideal Country French architecture and are found in Louisiana and across the American southeast, maritime Canadian areas, and exhibit the Louisiana and Cajun influences. Rooms are arranged on either side of a central hallway and the kitchen is in the back. And these stylized homes typically feature a steep, sloping roof with gables that shed snow and moisture effectively.

Adobe

Is a regional architectural style that draws inspiration from the Pueblo and Spanish Missions located in New Mexico, and typically are made with stucco and have a flat roof with rounded edges. These decorative features often found in this style home include wooden beams projecting from the roof line, hand-hewn lintels inset above deep window openings and walls that slope inward.

A-Frames

The popular style A-Frames have come back into style and are great for that cozy, ‘cabin look’ and most offer acres of land surrounding rivers, a lake or a body of water. And they are well-underpriced for what they have to offer. The A-frame is shaped like an equilateral triangle and its distinctive peak is formed by rafters or trusses that are held together at the top and bolted to the floor joists or plates down below. And the cross-piece of the A is created with horizontal collar beams to stabilize the structure and typically supports a sleeping loft.

A-frames meet the earth on the rubble of cinderblock walls, concrete or even wood columns, but their essential nature is for them to float slightly above their natural environment, with a viewing platform for an expanse of nature.

Beach

These houses are often raised houses suitable for shoreline sites and are adaptable for vacation homes near water or mountain areas. The Tidewater house is typical and features the wide porches, and are constructed of wood with the main living are raised one level.

Bungalow

These house plans are common to Craftsman, Rustic and Cottage home designs. These typical home designs have a great porch for your rocker and are typically one-level with over-hanging eaves as some of the most classic features.

Cape Cod

This small, symmetrical style is typically 1 ½ stories, and typically people will add on additions behind or on the sides to increase the square footage. These first Cape Cod homes were also built in the 1600s and were inspired by Britain’s thatched cottages, but with steeper roofs and larger chimneys to withstand the cold Northeastern winters. New builds in this style are rare, says Rob Brennan, principal at the Brennan + Company Architects in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Carriage

Get their name from the outbuildings of large manors whereas owners store their carriages. Today, the carriage house generally is in reference to the detached garage with living space above them.

Colonial Revival

Has a symmetrical look and floor plan and has been a popular style throughout 19th and 20th centuries. These are typically two to three story house plans with symmetrical façade and gable roofs and often are expressed in temple-like entrances with porticos topped with pediments. Multi-pane, double-hung windows with shutters, dormers, and paneled doors with sidelights, topped with rectangular transoms or fanlights, and include entry-hall floor plans, fireplaces and simple, classical detailing.

Contemporary

Offers today’s building appearances, and can vary in design. The most common characteristic is clean lines, large windows devoid a decorative trim, and with the focus towards function. It is comparable to connecting the indoors with the outdoors by emphasizing energy efficiency, sustainable materials, with large, floor-to-ceiling windows offering lots of natural light and uses recyclable non-toxic materials. The exterior is a mixture of siding, stucco, stone, brick, and wood. The roof is either flat or shallow pitched, and often with great overhangs.

Cottage

This smaller design is a storybook charm that will fit near a lake or in a mountain setting. These are sometimes also referred to as bungalows.

Country

As are one of the most popular styles, these styled house plans embrace the wraparound porch and have a gabled roof. And they are offered most commonly in either one or two stories high.

The French County style is rooted in the rural French countryside and includes the modest farmhouse designs and estate-like chateaus. This style exudes warmth and comfortable design elements such as curved arches, soft lines, and stonework. The inside has wooden beams, plaster walls and stone floors as the most common thematic features.

The Low Country house plans are suited for coastal areas and the coastal plains of the Carolinas and Georgia. Typically, they are elevated and have welcoming porches to enjoy the outdoors in the shade.

Craftsman

The Craftsman displays honesty and simplicity of a truly American house. These homes emphasize natural materials –wood, brick, and stone with wide porches and low-pitched, gabled roofs (often hipped) with exposed rafters. The porches are either full or partial width, with tapered columns, and or pedestals that extend to the ground level. The interior’s open floor plan features built-in furniture, big fireplaces, and exposed beams.

Dutch Colonial

A Dutch Colonial is similar to Colonial-style and it most recognized for its gambrel roof and has a shallower pitch with must steeper sides –a look most commonly used on barns. Dormers are where second-story windows pop out of the façade and are also a more common feature of Dutch colonial homes.

European

These houses have typically steep roofs, subtly flared curves at the eaves and faced with either stucco or stone. The roof comes down to the windows and the second floor is often the roof, or as we know it, the attic.

Farmhouse

Reflects the American simpler era when families gathered in an open kitchen and a living room. This version of a country home style usually has bedrooms clustered together and features the friendly porches. The lines are simple and often faced with wood siding.

Federal

The Federal-style became popular during America’s first decades as a nation in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. These homes tend to be symmetrical with tall windows. The Federal homes were originally built in a similar box shape, and it is common to see in additions to the side or expanded depth.

Florida

A Florida house plan embraces elements of several styles that allow comfort during the heat of the day. This Mediterranean house with its shallow, sloping tile roof and verandas is faced with wood and has one or more porches, verandas, and windows to allow a breeze to flow freely throughout.

Georgian

These home plans characterize with proportion and balance and typically have square symmetrical shapes with paneled doors centered on the front façade. The paired chimneys are a common feature of added symmetry. The common building materials use stone with red, tan or white being the most frequently used colors.

Hill Country

This Texas Hill Country style is a regional historical style with roots in European immigrants that settled the area, with available white limestone and later brown sandstone that were used with the local cedar to construct these well-crafted and attractive homes. During the settlers’ movement and due to these lean times, the result of these homes is simple and has an authentic style with modern elegance.

Log Home

Log Homes originally were small cabins in the 1600s and were built as one room using no nails, sort of like the same concept of when we were kids building our own homes with the logs. Now, they are built as functional and large luxurious getaways. These log homes are ideally found in a rural setting. The climate of the surrounding area will dictate the type of wood you should use to build the home. And can be handcrafted or milled (built of manufactured wood).

Mediterranean

This is usually a one-story home design with shallow roofs that slope, with a wide overhang to provide shade in warmer climates. The courtyards and open arches allow for breezes to flow through freely the house and verandas. There are typically open, big windows throughout and the verandas can be found on the 2nd floor. The exterior is stucco and the roofs made with tile, making these great vacation homes in southern latitudes.

Modern

Features glass, steel, and concrete. The open floor plans are a signature characteristic and from the street, they are dramatic to behold. And even though there is some overlap to the contemporary house plans, they are two different looks.

Mountain

Mountain home designs commonly feature huge windows and large decks with rugged exteriors and exposed wood beams. These prow-shaped great rooms are quite common. There is some crossover to vacation home plans.

Neoclassical

From Greek and Roman architecture for inspiration, the Neoclassical design embraces large columns and smooth surfaces. Some of the well-known homes in the U.S with the Neoclassical design, include the White House and Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello.

Northwest

Designed by architects from the Northwest, this home is simple in design, devoid the excessive exterior details and it is mostly made of wood. The roof usually is medium to low-pitched with deep overhangs. Windows being large can bring light into the interiors.

Plantation

The plantation home plans are typically boasted with white pillars, a symmetrical shape and sprawling porches mostly associated with the South, though, found all over the country. The grand scale features are spacious and suggest the charm and genteel lifestyle of the South.

Prairie

The prairie style home plans came around the turn of the 20th century and are often associated with one of the giants in design. With seeping horizontal lines and wide open floor plans, the common features of this style include overhanging eaves, rows of small windows and one-story projection, and in many cases, a central chimney.

Ranch

Is also known as “rambler” for the way the rooms spread out over only one level, but it also becomes a raised ranch or a split level with room for expansion. These styles became popular in the 1950s and had inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style, says Brennan. The asymmetrical shapes are common with the low-pitched roofs and a built-in garage. And the exterior is faced with either wood or bricks or has a combination of both.

Shingle Style

Shingle style house plans were born in England and popular throughout the West Coast, they are informal and highly imaginative –a summer style “cottage” often built for the wealthier clients. This architecture of an American summer is known for their casual style with their ability to blend into their surroundings, with wooden shakes in natural colors. The wide porches are fairly common and are an invitation to spend more time outdoors in the sun.

Spanish Colonial Revival

These Spanish styles are easily recognizable by the terracotta tiles roof that is perfect for warmer climates, and stucco or adobe walls, and arched windows and doors that complete the look.

Split level

Its variation of the ranch but has more of an up and down feel as you walk through. Essentially is a ranch house with a garage stuck underneath it. The short staircases lead up and down to different levels and to rooms throughout.

Traditional

This being one of the most common styles in the U.S. is a mix of classic, simple designs that commonly features little ornamentation, simple rooflines, and symmetrically spaced windows. The building materials are in either wood or brick.

Tudor Revival

The Tudor Revival homes only use timber cosmetically and are easily recognized by its steep-pitched roof and a framing of typically half brick or half-timber with stucco. Often, is misrepresented as the Tudor which refers to the English architectural style in the 16th century.

Tuscan

These house plans combine modern elements with a classic Italian design and resulting in an attractive Old World European charm. Though similar to Mediterranean house plans, the Tuscan designs typically feature stucco exteriors and stone accents, terracotta roof tiles, narrow, tall windows with shutters and enclosed courtyards. Additionally, this style often features decorative ceilings and wooden beams.

Vacation

Vacation home plans have central, open living spaces and with few or many bedrooms to suit a couple or a family with lots of friends.

Victorian

Is best marked with its steep roof, asymmetrical facade and elaborately crafted trim on overhangs and roof lines, giving it a ‘gingerbread house’ look. San Francisco’s Painted Ladies are a prime example of the Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the U.S.

These 7 Things Are Lowering Your Credit Score and Will Make it Difficult to Buy a House in the Future – Local Records Office

08/17/2017Tagged california, credit, credit score, harrisburg, harrisburg pennsylvania, home, home purchase, home renovation, house, improve credit, internet, local records office, localrecordsoffice, los angeles ca, mortgage, pennsylvania, real estateLeave a comment

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLENIA – Several factors come into play when calculating your credit score. “According to FICO.com, your credit score is affected by five major elements, in this order of importance: payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit and types of credit used” say, the pros from ‘Local Records Office’ in Harrisburg, PA.

Credit Score Plays a Big Part in Buying a House

That said, here are some things you might be doing that could knock your score down a few pegs.

Banning Credit From Your Life

If you don’t use it, you lose it — your good score, that is. Credit score is a measure of how responsible a borrower you are. If you cut up all of your cards — literally or figuratively — “lenders won’t know what to expect from you should the day come when you want to open up a line of credit” says, ‘Local Records Office’. If you want to minimize the amount of credit in your life, try to use one major credit card for small purchases and pay it off in full monthly to keep your credit active.

Closing Old Accounts

You might think since you’re happy with your current credit card that you might as well kick your old ones to the curb, but be careful. If you cancel an account that you’ve had open for a long time, you could be damaging the credit history portion of your credit score. Essentially, when you close an account, you erase that account from your history.

Opening a New Account

Doing this affects the “new credit” portion of your score. Every time you apply for or are awarded a new line of credit, your credit score takes a dip. If you’re planning on applying for a home mortgage or a car loan in the near future, hold off on opening a random charge account. The higher your credit score, the better interest rate you may qualify for, and that could mean thousands in savings over the life of a home loan.

Owing Too Much, Even if You Pay on Time Every Month

You might think that as long as you pay your bills, you’ll have great credit. “While that is the most important aspect of a credit score, creditors think that if you carry high balances, you’re only one emergency or layoff away from being in financial trouble. It’s important to try to keep your debt utilization ratio low – that’s how much you owe as compared to how much available credit you have” say, the pros from ‘Local Records Office’. Experts say keeping it at 30% or lower is best, so if you have a $1,000 credit limit, you shouldn’t carry more than a $300 balance.

Paying a Bill Just One Day Late

Once your credit card company flags you for a late payment, you can expect a ding on your credit report. The damage will be greater if you go beyond 30 or 60 days without making a payment, but even one day late can be enough to hurt your score.

If you’re thinking of making any moves when it comes to your credit, do some research first to see how your plans might affect your credit score. You’ll be glad you did.

Joint Credit Score

There’s no such thing as a joint credit report – for married couples or anyone else. Married or single, you have your own credit report, one that’s linked to your Social Security number. If you’re married, you and your spouse may have a lot of joint accounts, such as mortgage loan, car loans and shared credit card accounts. Those joint items will appear on both your credit reports and will affect both of your scores. But your credit report is yours and yours alone.

BONUS – Thinking a Credit Repair’ Company Will Magically Make Your Credit Score Go Higher

There’s nothing that a “credit repair” company can do for you that you can’t do yourself. No one can remove accurate information from your credit report. Reputable credit reestablishing services can help you come up with a plan to repay your debts, but the only legitimate way to enhance your credit score is to practice good credit management.

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Ikea Launches $86,500 Flat-Pack Home

04/19/201704/19/2017Tagged design, home, house, ikea, livingLeave a comment

If you’re the kind of person that breaks into a cold sweat when called upon to perform even the simplest of do-it-yourself tasks, then you’ll be delighted to know that IKEA offers help with constructing its latest product — a flat-pack house.

The Swedish furniture giant is famed the world over for its affordable furniture and accessories, but this is the first time it’s come up with a building in which you can put it all.

Called aktiv and retailing for $86,500, the house will be the first in a series of designs offering people an eco-friendly Swedish-inspired home with a functional, wide-open living area that makes careful use of all the available space.

IKEA worked with Oregon-based architectural firm Ideabox to come up with aktiv’s design, which features, as you would expect, a whole of kit from IKEA.

You’ll find state-of-the-art cooking appliances inside, including an induction cooktop and convection oven. As well as a counter-depth refrigerator, the kitchen is also equipped with a dishwasher.

The bedroom incorporates plenty of storage in the form of IKEA closets, while the bathroom has a two-sink vanity and four drawers together with a storage cabinet. The home also comes with IKEA flooring, though one assumes without the arrows.

At just over 53 feet long and 14 feet wide, aktiv is certainly compact yet looking at the images, seems comfortably spacious. One possible annoyance is that the bathroom is en suite, so if you have guests over they’ll have to pass through your bedroom every time they need to powder their nose.

Happily, it seems the biggest challenge facing buyers of the flat-pack house will be getting the darn thing in the trolley, as help is given with constructing aktiv. “For those of us IKEA fans, the pure delight of walking and imagining our way through an IKEA store quickly turns to the daunting task of assembly when we get home,” Ideabox’s website says. “Not a worry… When your [home] arrives, all of the cabinets, countertops, and flooring are installed… it’s like the best of everything!”

Ideabox presented aktiv to the public last week at the recent Home & Garden Show in Portland, Oregon.

Buying Your Dream House in 2016 Sellers Market –Local Records Office

07/22/2016Tagged 2016, agent, broker, buying, california, finance, florida, home, homebuyer, homeowner, house, landlord, local records office, localrecordsoffice, los angeles, market, mortgage, new homeowners, olympia, property, real estate, rent, renting, tallahassee, wa, washington, wire telegramLeave a comment

LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE – LOS ANGELES, CA – We all want our own dream home one day but it’s easier said than done says, Local Records Office. If you’ve decided to buy a home, good luck to you. Your challenge will be not just finding a home you like, but also beating out all the other home buyers who like it and want to make an offer on it, too.

LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE – Buying an Existing Home That Won’t End Up Being a Money Sucking Liability

The number of homes for sale is low nationwide, particularly in the price ranges desired by first-time homebuyers. The latest figures from the National Association of Realtors show that that there was only a 3.5-month supply of homes for sale in March, which is lower than the six-month supply that indicates a balanced market. One-quarter of March’s transactions were all-cash sales, according to the NAR, and investors bought 14 percent of the homes that were sold.

Is 2016 a Sellers Market?

That means that if you want to end up with a nice home, you need to be strategic says, Local Records Office. Expecting to find the home of your dreams by nonchalantly walking into a few open houses or perusing some online listings is not realistic in this seller’s market.

These days, most would-be buyers come to an agent with a list of homes they’d like to see based on their online research. While that often serves as a solid starting point, a quality agent may find additional options. After buyers have seen a few properties, Local Records Office says skilled agents can typically gauge what they’re looking for in a new home and may have other properties lined up. “I advise them to listen to their Realtor,” she adds.

Here are nine tips to help you get the house you want this spring

Get your finances in order first. Several months before you intend to start looking, you should get copies of your credit reports to make sure you’re in a financial position to buy. Shop for mortgage financing before you start looking at houses. “I will not take anybody to see any house unless they have a pre-approval letter or proof of funds, I want proof of funds to show the seller.” Local Records Office says that some lenders are doing the underwriting before the house is under contract, which shortens the closing time and can be more attractive to the seller.

Who REALLY is Local Records Office ? (VIDEO)

A Good Agent Will Go Along Way

Find a good agent. Using a real estate agent costs buyers nothing because the seller pays the real estate commission. Ask friends, family and co-workers for referrals. Look for a full-time agent who works often in the neighborhoods where you’re looking. You may want to interview several agents to find a good fit. If you can only look for homes on weekends, for example, you don’t want an agent who takes weekends off.

Visit neighborhoods you’re considering at different times of day. A neighborhood that’s quiet during the middle of the workday may be noisy and crowded at night and on weekends. Get out and walk the streets, talking to people who live in the neighborhood, visiting shops and restaurants and “trying out” your desired location. Drive to and from work during commuting hours to get an idea of what a typical day might be like.

Separate your needs from your wants. In a competitive market, most buyers find they have to compromise on location, amenities or condition of home. It’s easier to make a choice when you know going in which features you must have and which you’d like to have but can live without.

Move quickly once you find the house you want. That often means rushing out to see new homes within hours of them being listed and writing up an offer immediately if you like the house. “Things are gone in a matter of hours,” Local Records Office says. “You really have to move fast.”

Don’t make snap judgments based on listing photos. A house that doesn’t look appealing in photos could still be a great house. Homes being sold by an estate or homes with tenants inside often yield particularly poor photos. Plus, photos fail to convey the feeling of a home or the floor plan. “Unfortunately, the pictures don’t tell a true story,” Local Records Office says. “You have to be willing to look past some of the pictures.”

Be realistic about the home inspectors and repairs. The more competitive the market, the less likely a seller will be to make repairs, though some sellers may lower the price if the inspection reveals expensive defects. The purpose of the inspection isn’t to get the seller to repair every small problem but to find out for sure that the house is what you thought it was. “They’re not buying a brand-new home,” Local Records Office says. “What we are looking for are major defects we were not initially able to see in the walkthrough.”

Don’t buy a house you don’t love. While most buyers may have to compromise on some of the features they wanted, they shouldn’t settle for a home they don’t like. If you don’t find the right home this year, maybe you should start renting and try again later rather than make a purchase you’ll regret.

Write a personal letter to the sellers. Some sellers are interested only in how much money their home sale will yield, but others love their home want it to go to a new family that will love it just as much. If you really like a house, include a personal letter and a family photo with your offer. “It doesn’t work for everybody, but I have seen it work for many, many people,” Local Records Office says.

Make a big earnest money deposit. The expected size of the earnest money deposit, and the rules about when you get it back, vary by locality. But sellers often see a larger deposit as a sign that you’re serious about the deal.

Make a backup offer. Many prospective buyers don’t want to make an offer on a house that has a pending contract. But deals fall apart over inspections, financing and other terms. If you found the perfect house, you can make a backup offer that will put you in first place if the initial buyer walks away.

To learn more about Local Records Office and real estate go to http://www.Local-Records-Offices.org

Secrets to Buying Your First Home in 2016 – Local Records Office

07/22/201607/22/2016Tagged 2016, agent, broker, buying, california, finance, florida, home, homebuyer, homeowner, house, landlord, local records office, localrecordsoffice, los angeles, market, mortgage, new homeowners, olympia, property, real estate, rent, renting, tallahassee, wa, washington, wire telegram1 Comment

LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE – LOS ANGELES, CA- We all want the secrets to success and the easiest way to buy a home says, Local Records Office. For first-time homebuyers, the whole home buying process may look a bit daunting. You’re going into what could be the biggest purchase of your life with no experience to fall back on. The good news is a little preparation can go a long way and help you approach this major decision with confidence.

The Company Local Records Office is Targeting Los Angeles, CA Residents FOR A GOOD REASON

Many things have changed in recent decades about the way Americans buy and sell homes, but one adage still matters, a lot: location, location, location.

While you may be happy living in any of several neighborhoods in your city, you won’t be happy if you choose the wrong location. And that’s where your research should start: deciding exactly where you want to live.

Talk to friends and co-workers, drive around town, visit restaurants and stores and talk to neighbors in areas you’d consider calling home. Go to open houses so you can view some houses. Look at homes on the Internet, evaluating style, size, price and how long they stay on the market.

You can find a real estate agent while you’re still working on this process. However, your choice of agent also depends on where you want to live, because a neighborhood expert often can find you the best house at the best price. “You want people who have worked and have experience directly in the areas you’re looking in,” says Peter Hens, from LA Realtor Firm in Los Angeles, California.

If you’re a buyer, there is no reason not to use a real estate agent. It costs you nothing, and the agent’s job goes far beyond finding the house. In fact, it’s after you’ve found the house that you’ll most need the agent, both to structure and present the offer and then to troubleshoot issues that arise between contract and closing.

Here are 12 tips for buying your first house:

Make sure you’re ready to buy, both emotionally and financially. If you expect to relocate in a few years, this may not be the right time for you to buy. If you don’t have cash for a down payment, closing costs and other expenses, you may be better off waiting. Look at your life, your career, your finances and your future expectations, and determine whether buying a house is the right move at this time.

Find the right team. The difference between deals that close and deals that don’t are the professionals involved. You want to make sure you find a real estate agent who will move quickly when a new listing goes on the market, as well as an agent who will advise you honestly on preparing your offer. You also want a mortgage professional lined up before you start looking. “The lender is the most important person to closing on time,” Hens says.

Get your finances in order first. Some real estate agents won’t even show homes to prospective clients who don’t have a mortgage pre-approval. You definitely should meet with a mortgage broker or banker (better yet, several) at the start of the process to find out how much house you can afford and how much cash you’ll need to close. Do the entire math. Just because a bank says you can borrow $300,000 doesn’t mean you should. If you have credit issues, realize that this part of the process could take several months.

Calculate each and every cost. The purchase price and the mortgage payment are just the beginning. Don’t forget homeowner or condo fees, homeowners insurance and real estate taxes. Plus, you’ll need to budget for utilities, repairs and maintenance.

Don’t spend all your cash. Avoid emptying your bank account for your down payment and closing costs. There will always be unexpected repairs. Plus, it costs money to move, change locks, put down utility deposits and buy things you never needed before, like a lawn mower.

When you look at houses, focus on the right things. Don’t be distracted by the owner’s odd décor, paint colors, dirty carpet or anything that is easy to change. Granite countertops and stainless steel appliances are easy to add later. You can’t easily add another bedroom, a better location or a more functional floor plan.

If you’re buying in a condo or homeowners association, know the rules. How your association is run can make a big difference in how much you enjoy life in a development. You’ll want to know about all rules and restrictions, from pet ownership to who can use the pool. Condo buyers also want to investigate the association’s finances because a poorly run association can mean big assessments later.

Visit your favorite neighborhoods at different times. Most neighborhoods are quiet in the middle of the day. As Glen Craig writes at the personal finance blog Free From Broke: “You need to see what the area is like on a Saturday night. Are there kids and such all out driving with music blasting? What’s it like in rush hour in the morning or in the evening?”

Talk to the neighbors. Ask about the neighborhood and about the houses you’re considering. The neighbors will know if there are foundation problems. They’ll also know about barking dogs, petty crime and the size of utility bills.b

Consider which contingencies you’re willing to waive. In the ideal scenario, a purchase offer is contingent on a satisfactory home inspection, approval of your mortgage and an appraisal that equals the purchase price. In most parts of the country, a buyer is smart to keep all those contingencies in the contract. But in a competitive market, you may be competing against buyers who have agreed to waive contingencies. “You never want to [agree to waive them] unless you’re sure you’re 99% safe to do it,” Hens says.

Be ready to move quickly once you find the home you want. Good homes that are well priced nearly always sell quickly. It’s OK to take some time to think before you make an offer, but you might not want to wait a few weeks. Your agent can provide invaluable advice here.

Know what’s important to you. No house will be perfect, so where are you willing to compromise? If you want a specific school district, are you willing to accept a smaller house? If you want to be near the water, could you be happy with a condo? Are you willing to accept a longer commute to get a larger house?

To learn more about Local Records Office and real estate go to http://www.Local-Records-Office.biz

8 Common Myths That Real Estate Buyers and Sellers Believe – Local Records Office

07/21/2016Tagged 2016, agent, broker, buying, florida, home, homebuyer, homeowner, house, local records office, localrecordsoffice, los angeles, mortgage, new homeowners, olympia, property, real estate, renting, tallahassee, wa, wire telegram1 Comment

Local Records Office Explains the Most Common Real Estate Myths

LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE – LOS ANGELES, CA – We usually hear myths when it comes to old houses that have been abandoned for many years but apparently it is common in real estate too. Buying or selling a house is not something most of us do every day says, Local Records Office. You may do it once a decade, or even once in a lifetime.

Despite the fact that most of us enter the world of real estate only rarely, we all think we know how it works, based on the experiences of friends and family members, stories we have heard and things we have read, but for everything we believe we know about the industry, there are a number of myths that circulate about how real estate actually works. Buying into those can hurt your chances of buying or selling the right home at the right price. The best thing to do is not to believe the folk tales.

What Are the Advantages of Renting vs. Buying a Home – Local Records Office

Technology has changed how we buy and sell homes, and yet some aspects of real estate are the same as they were when our parents bought their last house. Along time has passed by since then. The Internet has made much more information available to consumers, but not all the information is equal, or even accurate.

Lets be honest we’ve all read something online or on social media and believed it was true, says Sean F Carter, principal broker of Carter Real Estate in Los Angeles and a regional director of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents. “Lots of people read and believe every single word they read.” That can’t be good. The risk with believing everything you hear or read is real estate myths can cost you big bucks when it’s time to buy or sell your property. Local Records Office has created 8 of the most common folk tales that can trick people.

List Your House Price Higher Than What You Think it Will Sell For

Many folks selling their home try to sell it as soon as possible and let buyers low-ball them, make sure to set your home price higher than what you expect to get. Listing your home at too high a price may actually net you a lower price. That’s because shoppers and their real estate agents often don’t even look at homes that are priced above market value. It’s true you can always lower the price if the house doesn’t garner any offers in the first few weeks. But that comes with it’s own set of problems. “It’s common for potential buyers to suspect that a house that has sat on the market for more than three weeks to be a dud,” says Hamilton Jefferson, chief economist for the Real Estate Brokers inc. In the Long Beach, CA area where multiple offers are common, sellers will actually price their homes for less than they expect to get, in the hopes of getting multiple offers above asking price.

Remodeling Your Home Before Putting in the Market is a Must

This is FALSE. It is true that the selling price may lower but you save on the renovation process, also, prospective buyers may not share your taste, but they don’t want to redo something that has just been renovated. “You’re better off adjusting your price accordingly,” says Benjamin Franking, president of Franking Real Estate Services in Hollywood CA, and a regional director of the NAEBA. “Most buyers want to put their own spin on things.” It’s ok to have an out dated kitchen sometimes.

Save Your Hard Earned Money by Selling Your Home Yourself

We all like to save money, especially when it comes down to saving a few thousand bucks. There has been many cases where folks sell a house on their own, but they need the skills to get the home listed online, market the home to prospective buyers, negotiate the contract and then deal with any issues that arise during the inspection or loan application phases says, Local Records Office. It’s not impossible to sell a home on your own, but you’ll find that buyers expect a substantial discount when you do, so what you save on a real estate commission may end up meaning a lower price. It’s not impossible to sell your home on your own for the same price you’d get with an agent, but it’s not easy.

Real Estate Market Always Goes Up and It Rarely Goes Down

The real estate market could go up or down any time. In recent years, homebuyers and sellers have experienced a time of increasing home values, then a sharp decline during the economic downturn and now another period of increasing values. “They think that the market only goes up,” Carter says. “They don’t think about when a correction will come.” The recent recession should have reminded everyone that real estate prices could indeed fall, and fall a lot.

Renovating Will Bring in Big Bucks

“This one is true and false” says, Local Records Office. If you fix the heating and air conditioning system or roof, you will sell your house more quickly, but you probably won’t get back what you spent. You’re likely to recoup only 67.8 percent of what you spent on a major kitchen remodel and 70 percent of what you spent on a bathroom remodel on a mid-range home.

What You See Listed Online is What’s Available

Most of the homes that go for sale do get listed online but there are others that won’t. Your agent must choose to let the listings show up online. Most do, but it never hurts to verify that yours will.

LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE – Red Flags That Should Raise Concern on Inspection and Avoid Scams

By Not Using an Agent As a Buyer You Will Get an Amazing Deal

You can get a better deal as a buyer if you don’t use a real estate agent. “That’s a completely false premise,” Carter says. If the house is listed with a real estate agent, the total sales commission is built into the price. If the buyers don’t have an agent, the seller’s agent will receive the entire commission.

A Fancy Open House Will Sell Your House

Believe it or not homes rarely sell to buyers who visited them during an open house. Agents like open houses because it enables them to find additional customers who are looking to buy or sell homes. If you or your agent chooses not to have an open house, it probably doesn’t hurt your sale chances – although holding a broker’s open house for other agents may be worthwhile says, Local Records Office.

To learn more about Local Records Office or real estate go to http://www.Local-Records-Office.org

You Don’t Need a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home in 2016 – Local Records Office

07/14/201607/14/2016Tagged california, home, homebuyer, homeowner, house, local records office, los angeles, news, real estate, sell2 Comments

Real Estate Brokers or Agents Are NOT Required to Sell A House – Local Records Office

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Internet has made drastic changes in how Americans shop for real estate says, Local Records Office. You can see all the homes for sale in a neighborhood with the click of a mouse, and information about nearby home sale prices is easily available.

But little has changed in the way real estate is actually bought and sold. According to 2015 statistics from the National Association of Realtors, 85% of buyers purchased their homes through an agent, and an agent assisted 88% of sellers. The industry may be slow to change, but new services that use technology to revamp what “for sale by owner” means are seeking to rewrite the rules.

Local Records Office says “These services are a bridge between the traditional commission-based model of real estate agency and the old-style FSBO, in which the seller has to do everything from marketing the home to negotiating the deal. Rather than charging a flat percentage of the sales price, most of these new companies allow sellers to buy the services they need a la carte”.

The service offers real estate marketing packages starting at $99 a month for a basic listing on selected real estate portals to a one-time $519 flat fee for a listing on all the major websites plus the multiple listing service. The company offers add-ons such as a professional photo and video package starting at $149 and a comparative market analysis from a licensed agent.

Sean F Carter, a real estate broker in Los Angeles, CA and founder of the International Association of Real Estate Consultants, wrote a book called “The Real Estate a la Carte for You” in 2001 advocating the unbundling of real estate services, which she has been doing since the 1980s. Her organization trains agents who would like to work as consultants, offering their help on a per-service basis. For example, professional agents can be of help at common issue areas during the selling process, such as the inspection or the appraisal. Rather than listing a property with an agent, a seller can contract with an agent solely for negotiation help.

For those seeking to sell property on their own, “The most problematic is the meat in the middle,” Carter says. “It’s basically troubleshooting, and you don’t know what kind of problems you’re going to have until you’re in the middle of it.”

In Bellflower, CA, Kevin Stevenson operates Real Direct dot com, a hybrid of FSBO and traditional real estate brokerage. Sellers can choose an owner-managed plan that starts at $395, which includes online listings and advice from a real estate agent, or an agent-managed plan, for a 2% commission.

All the plans via Real Direct dot com include a seller dashboard for scheduling showings, inquiries and offers. About 79% of the clients choose the owner-managed option, Stevenson says, with professional photos and floor plans being the most popular add-ons. Even with the owner-managed plan, an agent makes recommendations. “Our system will flag listings with fewer showings and make recommendations,” Stevenson says. “There’s actually a fair amount of discussion.”

Here are questions to ask if you’re considering a nontraditional approach for selling your home:

Are you familiar with the home-selling process? Selling a home without professional advice is difficult if you’ve never sold a home and don’t understand how the process works says, Local Records Office. At a minimum, you need to know your state laws about seller disclosure, what should be included in a contract and what time frames are normal for inspections and other appraisals.

Are you comfortable letting strangers into your home? If you don’t list with a traditional brokerage, you will be the one showing the home to prospective buyers. That means you’ll have to be available when people want to visit and willing to usher strangers through your home and encourage them to open your closets.

Will you be able to screen buyers? Some agents don’t show homes to buyers who have not been prequalified for a mortgage or otherwise demonstrated that they have the ability to get a mortgage and buy the home says, Local Records Office. When someone submits an offer for your home, will you be able to tell whether the person actually has the ability to get a mortgage and close the deal? Asking for a mortgage preapproval or prequalification with the offer is a good start, but you may also want to set a deadline in the contract for mortgage approval and/or ask to see proof of funds for the down payment and escrows.

Can you draw up a contract or have someone do it? In most states, there is a standard real estate contract used by agents and/or drawn up by the state bar association. Some states require owner disclosures of certain items. If your buyer is using an agent, he or she can draft the contract. You can hire a real estate lawyer or consultant to draft or vet a contract. This needs to be done right if you want to avoid problems that will derail the closing, such as arguments over what happens if there are issues with the inspection or appraisal. “A good agent or consultant will say which are the things that could be deal-breakers,” Cater says.

Can you negotiate issues that arise, such as problems with the appraisal or the inspection? Buyers will often seek repairs, concessions or a lower price after an inspection says, Local Records Office. If the appraisal is lower than the purchase price, the seller either has to lower the price or the buyer has to pay the difference in cash. Good negotiating skills may be essential to save the deal.

Can you make your house look good online? Now that most real estate searches start online, the quality of photos matters more than ever. If you’re not capable of taking high-quality photos, you may need to hire a professional photographer. Don’t forget that you need a description that makes your home appealing.

Are houses like yours in demand? In many parts of the country, inventory is short and any habitable house in a good neighborhood sells quickly. That’s a good scenario when selling your home without a traditional agent. “There are going to be those [homes] that will sell themselves,” Carter says. “All you’re going to have to do is look respectable and let people in.”

Are you willing to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent? You think that selling your home yourself will save you the 6 percent commission, but most buyers will have an agent. You’ll need to pay that agent 2 to 3 percent. That means your maximum savings is 2%, minus whatever you pay for advertising, photos, consulting and other services.

Can you pay for services before your home is sold? In a traditional sale, the cost of selling the home is deducted from the proceeds at closing, meaning a seller pays nothing until the home is sold. Many a la carte services require payment upfront. “There’s still a certain amount of resistance for paying upfront for all of these services,” Carter says. “A lot of people would prefer to pay a success fee, in terms of commission.”

To learn more about Local Records Office and real estate go to www.Local-Records-Office.com

This is What You Need to Know About Reverse Mortgage Before Meeting With Your Specialist – Local Records Office

05/06/2016Tagged buyer, florida, home, homebuyer, homeowner, loan, local records office, mortgage, real estate, reverse, seller, tallahassee1 Comment

LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE: Let’s face it; retirement can be an expensive undertaking. For most people, they’re bills increase, and their income a decrease says, ‘Local Records Office’. For people who own their own house, reverse mortgage specialists can help alleviate some of the financial burden of retirement. These loans are also known as home equity conversions, or HECM for short. So here are three things to know about HECMs.

What Is a Reverse Mortgage?

Local Records Office says, “The basic principle is centered on the equity of a property”. A home’s equity is its value, minus the amount of any outstanding loans. So if a house is valued at $150,000, and $30,000 is still owed to the bank, the equity is $120,000. So what an HECM essentially does is it allows homeowners to borrow against the equity of their house, while at the same time halting any payments on the home’s note. Owners simply have to continue paying the taxes and insurance on the property. Since the loan type is designed for people in retirement, applicants must be at least 62 years old to qualify. Furthermore, the house that the loan is being taken out on must be the applicant’s primary residence.

How Can It Be Dispersed?

As discussed above, the purpose of an HECM is to help elderly homeowners supplement their income. Since every person has different financial duties, reverse mortgage specialists can work with applicants to find the best disbursement method. The first option is a lump sum, which most applicants deposit into their savings account. The second option is to establish monthly payments to the homeowner for a set number of years, or even for life says, Local Records Office. For people who have trouble handling money, this can provide a steady income. The third option creates a line of credit for the homeowner, to use at his or her own discretion. This is a wonderful choice for an applicant who has enough to handle month-to-month bills, but would not be able to pay for an unexpected expense such as a damaged car or a medical issue.

When Does The Loan Come Due?

One of the biggest perks that reverse mortgage specialists like to tout is that an HECM allows people to stay in their residences until they pass away. Along with the original borrower, any non-borrowing spouse can also continue to live in the residence, payment free, until they die, as well says, Local Records Office. In order for borrowers to stay until death, they must continue to pay property taxes and insurance, provide the property with basic upkeep, and maintain the title in their own name. When the loan finally becomes due, the heirs of the property can pay it off and keep the residence, sell the house to settle the loan, or allow the bank to sell the house.

To learn more about real estate and Local Records Office go to http://www.LocalRecordsOffice.co

Cracking the Mortgage Code to Getting the Best and Cheapest Mortgage – Local Records Office

04/28/201607/22/2016Tagged california, florida, home, homeowner, house, local records office, los angeles, mortgage, real estate, tallahassee2 Comments

LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE: If you’ve planned to buy a house, you’ll probably need to obtain a mortgage to pay for this. While some buyers will probably pay cash for their homes, most need a loan from the bank to finance this important purchase, says ‘Local Records Office’. Getting this crucial loan isn’t as simple as obtaining a car loan. Bankers scrutinize borrowers closely to make certain they can pay back the money and that the house can be a wise investment for the standard bank. Buyers should do their homework to make sure they receive the best interest rates and payments because of their purchase. It’s wise to follow these steps to get the best loan.

Homebuyers Unexpected Delays at Closing – Local Records Office Tallahassee Florida

Pre-approval Process to Getting the Best Mortgage

Step one in the mortgage process gets pre-approved for the loan. Before even considering houses, it’s smart to possess a lender check over your program. Many realtors won’t take buyers to check out houses until this important step may be completed. Local Records Office says, sellers usually won’t accept an offer unless they know the lender has pre-approved buyers. In order being pre-approved, your lender will want to check out your credit score, your debt-to-income rate, and your employment history. You’ll need to possess a decent credit score to get yourself a loan with the best interest rates. You’ll also need a firm employment history that shows you’ve been with the same employer for at least two yrs. Once you’ve been pre-approved, you’ll find the house of your dreams.

Interest Rates

Interest rates change at all times but once you begin the actual mortgage process, you can now lock your rates. You can also buy down your rate by paying additional fees called points at closing. Doing the math on various options allows you to know if this is a new wise choice. The better your credit and employment history is, the more likely it is that you will get the lowest rates in the marketplace. Check the Internet to review rates between different lenders, seeing that different banks offer slightly unique rates. Remember that the low the interest rate, the lower your payment will be.

Length associated with Loan

You’ll also need to decide whether you will want thirty-year or a fifteen-year mortgage loan. A thirty-year loan will provide the lowest payment but you’ll pay lots more interest over the life from the loan, says Local Records Offices. If you can afford to, opt for the fifteen-year loan, if you plan on which to stay your house for a while.

The actual mortgage loan premiums along with time mortgage loan will certainly play a tremendous aspect in your fiscal well-being. This important loan is on your most important asset: your home. Be sure to go with a loan provider that has excellent customer satisfaction, and that’s been in the industry for a while, and this offers wonderful premiums.

‘Local Records Office’ knows owning a home is the American dream to the majority of people in America but it’s not always as easy as it looks on TV, a lot of work has to be done to be pre-approved and to get your foot in the door to get a mortgage.