6 must-do's before buying a home

This is an excellent checklist for all first-time homebuyers as well as experienced home buyers.
http://tinyurl.com/4qk6h52

 

Related articles

• Preparing to buy: Do's and don'ts for your home purchase (hsh.com)

30 year Mortgage rates are rising

Check out this article from the National Association of Relators about the 30 year mortgage rates going up.

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010091001?OpenDocument

Related articles by Zemanta

• Mortgage Rates Edge up; Housing Market Still Slow (abcnews.go.com)
• Real Estate News: 30-Year Mortgage Rate Rises (blogs.wsj.com)
• 30-year mortgage rate inches up to 4.35%, off decades-low (usatoday.com)
• 30-Year Mortgage Rises, First Time Since June (online.wsj.com)

Should you shop around before choosing a mortgage?

Think for a moment about all the big ticket items you've ever purchased. Sure, there are a few high dollar purchases you made without too much thought, but for most of them, you did your homework. You shopped and compared before you made your final decision.

So why should it be any different with probably the biggest item you'll ever buy? Your home mortgage. You DO have to think of it that way. You're not just purchasing a home; you're purchasing a home mortgage, so you can purchase that home. So why not shop around for the best home mortgage you can find? Why settle for what your bank offers?

Stay tuned. Over the coming days and weeks, I'll be giving you tips on what you should look for when shopping for that home mortgage, and why to look for them.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Jennifer Openshaw: Four ways to lower your mortgage rate (marketwatch.com)
• How to Shop for an Online Mortgage? (globalthoughtz.com)
• US Real Estate: Mortgage Applications Jump [Kenneth Bargers] (ecademy.com)

Top 10 Home Features Buyers Want

We would like to share with you what we, and Paul Cardis of Avid Ratings, have discovered to be the top 10 features that home buyers want.

1. Large kitchens with islands, preferably with upgraded counters such as; granite, corian, or tile, and a back-splash.

2. Green thinking such as; energy efficient appliances, solar pool heaters, super insulation, dual-zone AC, and hi-efficient windows.

3. 1st Floor Home Offices.

4. More Feng Shui oriented homes.

5. Ceiling fans.

6. 1st floor master bedroom with French doors, a Roman tub and/or an over sized shower with a seating area.

7. Screened-in outdoor living Space.

8. Stone and Brick exteriors, instead of siding and stucco.

9. Community walking paths and playgrounds.

10. Two or three car garages.