Dressing a House for Success - STAGING A HOME
By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com Guide
Home Staging is More Than Decorating
Home staging is about illusions. It's how David Copperfield would sell a house. It's beyond decorating and cleaning. It's about perfecting the art of creating moods. Staging makes your house look bigger, brighter, cleaner, warmer, more loving and, best of ...
The Wrong Short Sale House Might Not Ever Close
Qualify the listing agent and the seller before writing an offer on that short sale house.
When you spot a short sale house that interests you, take your hand off the mouse and step away from the computer. Before you get all excited over the prospect of buying that short sale house, pick up the phone and call your real estate agent. Your ...
How Do I Sell My Home?
By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com
The bulk of mail I receive from readers asks for tips on selling a home. Many have had their home on the market for months without a showing. Some home sellers have had dozens of buyer previews but not one purchase offer.
In buyer's markets, it is especially important to pull out all the stops and make your home stand out among ...
It's not uncommon for a first-time home buyer to say to me, "Gosh, just last week I called you about buying a home and now I'm in escrow! How did this happen so fast?"
The answer is it didn't. First-time home buyers start the search long before most even realize it.
Here's what you can expect from your home shopping experience.
Benefits for a First-Time Home Buyer
You should buy ...
10 steps to 'short sale' buying
There are too few active buyers in the real-estate market these days – but every one of them seems to be looking to buy a foreclosure or a short sale. Here's a primer on short sales and the steps you will need to take to purchase one.
By Bobbi Dempsey of Bankrate.com
Foreclosure is a fairly well-understood process, but as "short sale" signs sprout ...
Agent Duties - What a Real Estate Agent Can or Cannot Do for You
It's Against the Law to Violate the Fair Housing Act
To understand a real estate agent's scope of duties and what an agent and can and cannot do for you, look first to federal and state regulations. Here are a few of the entities that govern or affect a real estate agent's actions:
Federal Fair Housing Act
State ...
Facts About Residential Real Estate Appraisals
Appraisals are an Important Part of Your Home Buying Transaction
A real estate appraisal helps to establish a property's market value–the likely sales price it would bring if offered in an open and competitive real estate market.
Your lender will require an appraisal when you ask to use a home or other real estate as security for a loan, because ...
This Month in Real Estate - February
Home Buying Purchase Contract Contingencies
By Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com Guide
Contingencies Allow Cancellation
Back in the old days, when Barry Manilow was cool -- OK, he was never cool, I just made that up -- but a long time ago, agents used to call contingencies weasel clauses. That's because a contingency would let buyers weasel out of a contract. That is, to cancel a contract ...
Home Buyers Who Walk Away from Closing Escrow
Walking away from closing happens more often in buyer's markets than in seller's markets. That's because in buyer's markets, when prices are soft, some buyers become frightened when they should be jumping for joy. Many are afraid of further declines in the market and don't feel comfortable because all their friends aren't buying.
The ...