Summer 2008: A Good Time to Invest?

A recent article on Newsweek.com by Daniel McGinn highlights the opportunities for first time home buyers in the summer months.

The numbers and data from Realtors.org for Spring 2008 are not terribly optomistic for a sudden housing boom, but if you are a first-time home buyer, now might be the time for you to look at a real estate opportunity.  With home prices already down about 10%, this could be the time to step into home ownership.

There is no realistic way to know when the housing market will hit bottom - to find the lowest price possible for a buyer, so Mr. McGinn recommends, “Better to find a house where you’ll be happy for at least five years, I tell advice seekers, and take satisfaction in building equity, saving money on taxes and no longer delivering profits to your landlord. If values fall even more in 2009, as many expect, so what? You don’t plan on selling anytime soon.”

Ideally, the dropping home prices will attract more renters to be buyers - attracted to the idea that a house can be bought at a great price.

The peak home buying season opens as a prime time for all buyers.  A potential home buyer can find lots of  advice, tips and ideas on the internet, in books, but best of all, from a local real estate agent.  A local professional Realtor is most familiar with the local area where you are looking, and he or she will be the most beneficial in finding the right home for you and your family in a great neighborhood at a great price.

How Much House Can You Afford?

Really, this decision is not complicated … your lender decides how much you can borrow, and you decide what you can afford beyond the mortgage.

Lenders have regulations to follow when approving a mortgage loan, and they make qualification decisions based on averages and formulas.  Beyond the numbers, they generally won’t consider your lifestyle and spending habits.  So, you may want to leave a little room for the unexpected.  A new home will cost you more than the mortgage - you have to keep in mind furnishings, landscaping, maintenance and repairs.

Historically, banks and credit unions use a ratio called 28/36 to decide how much you are allowed to borrow. With tis ratio, your housing payment can’t be more than 28 percent of your gross monthly income, and your total debt load (including car payments, student loans, and credit card payments) can’t be more than 26 percent.

In the past, some lenders have stretched these ratios to as high as 50 percent. You are urged to proceed carefully before stretching your budget quite so much.

Deciding how much you can afford should involve some careful attention to how your finances will change in the upcoming years. In the long run, your own peace of mind and security will matter most.

8 Questions to Ask Your Real Estate Agent

Finding a solid, professional agent may mean going beyond qualifications or certifications.  These questions are offered as a starting point for you when interviewing potential Realtor professionals for buying or selling your home:

1. Why did you become a real estate agent?
2. Why should I work with you?
3. What do you do better than other agents?
4. What process will you use to help me find the home specific to my wants and needs?
5. What commonly goes wrong in transactions and how do you handle them?
6. What are some mistakes that you think people make when buying their first home?
7. What other professionals do you suggest we work with when buying a house?
8. Can you provide me with references or testimonials from past clients?

Mandeville Louisiana Real Estate - Your Agent Can Work Twice as Hard

Gregg Tepper’s North Shore real estate team has been built from many professional real estate agents in Louisiana to help them deliver results. With a team of Realtors working to sell your home or searching for the perfect home to buy, they greatly enhance the quality of service.

They have created a unique inner-office structure to improve the speed, efficiency and capabilities of every service.

You see their team selling homes Slidell, Abita Springs, Covington, Mandeville Louisiana real estate - throughout the North Shore!

Gregg Tepper - Home Selling System
800 N. Causeway Blvd.
Mandeville, LA

Makita Power Tools for Home Improvements

Buying a new home or readying your house to sell, working on a home improvement project, power tools are your friend.  They can save you a lot of time and a lot of money helping you to get the project done quickly.  But most men and a lot of women will agree that power tools are just plain fun!

So, what are the different tools used for? Which ones do you need?

We offer a quick and easy tool list that can help you find the power tool you need:

Hammer Drill

Also known as:

• “rotary hammer”
• “roto-hammer”

A hammer drill is a rotary drill with a hammer-like movement. This hammering action is short, rapid action that breaks up brittle material. It also provides quick drilling with a lot less effort.

There are some similar tools with less power called “hammer drills.”

Units with more power are generally called “rotary hammers.” These are larger and provide stronger impact.

Some of the newer designed models allow the hammer and rotation to be used separately or in combination. So … hammer mode, drill mode, or both.

Hammer mode has a function similar to a jackhammer which is best used for drilling holes in masonry or stone but also for drilling holes in concrete. Click to see an example of a Makita hammer drill. 

Angle Grinder

An angle grinder, a handheld power tool, is used primarily for grinding, cutting and polishing. These can be powered by 3 different power sources:

• electric motor,
• petrol engine
• or compressed air.

A geared head is run at a right-angle which has an abrasive disc. This disc can be replaced when it wears out.

Angle grinders usually have an adjustable guard and a side-handle for operating with two hands. Click to see an example of a Makita Angle Grinder.

Circular Saw

A circular saw is a rotating metal disc with saw teeth mounted on the machine responsible for powering the spinning. This is great for cutting wood or most any other material. They can be hand-held but most recommend that they should be mounted on a table.

Most of these are designed to cut wood, but you can buy special blades to cut masonry, plastics or metal. You should be aware that there are circular saws designed especially for particular materials. Click to see examples of Makita Circular Saws

Chop Saw

A chop saw is simply a lightweight circular saw on a pivoting arm and supported by a metal base. Chop saws are considered the best saw to get very exact, square cuts.

Compound miter saws have been developed due to the limited cutting capacity of the chop saw. A compound miter saw is essentially a chop saw that can make bevel cuts as well as miter cuts. Click to see an example of a Makita chop saw

Polisher

A polisher is used to buff surfaces. It is fast and powerful for clear coat finishes and fantastic for ultraslow polishing.

There are some models that can convert from polisher to sander quickly. This power tool helps to get polishing or sanding done quickly and easily. Click to see an example of a Makita polisher

Chainsaw

A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable, motorized saw. Most commonly, it is used in home improvement projects to fell trees and remove overgrown branches.

It’s interesting to note that there are chainsaws that have been specially designed as tools for use in chainsaw art. Click to see an example of a Makita chainsaw

New Orleans Realtor Team - The Latour Team

Today’s New Orleans real estate market is alive and well! With a shortage of housing available, and with many homeowners rebuilding, newcomers to the New Orleans area are looking for their dream home in New Orleans but also in Kenner, Metairie, places north of the lake.

New Orleans realtor team, The Latour Team, partnered with Keller Williams Realty, Inc., can help you sell your home quickly. Looking at Kenner homes, Metairie homes or surrounding areas, Tammy and Al Latour will find you the right home for you and your family.

Tammy and Al Latour have lived in Southeast Louisiana their entire adult lives, so they know all of the New Orleans greater metro area. No matter what you’re looking for, they know how and where to find. This New Orleans realtor team will strive to find you the best deal your money can buy.

The Latour Team stands ready to help you with all of your New Orleans area real estate needs!

The Latour Team
4725 Veterans Boulevard
Metairie, LA 70006

Asheville NC and Hendersonville NC Real Estate with Preferred

Preferred Real Estate Center of Hendersonville first opened their doors in 1988 with a different way of doing things, which was an innovation of the time.

Preferred has a business structure that is based on partnership which each owner has a share in the operating responsibility. Each partner offers his or her own strength and talent to the team. This fosters a creative team environment with cooperation and respect. It is the cooperation and respect that shows in every transaction, large or small.

Years later, they are leaders in Asheville, NC, real estate and Hendersonville, NC, real estate. and in the Western North Carolina region.

PREFERRED REAL ESTATE CENTER OF HENDERSONVILLE
227 Seventh Avenue East
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Real Estate Agents for Buying and Selling Your Next Home

Real estate agents are professionals - licensed and experienced in buying and selling property. The largest financial transactions most people will make is probably buying or selling a house. With guidance from a local real estate professional, you can avoid common costly mistakes.

A professional Realtor will …

* advise how to make your home more marketable which can help sell for top dollar

* explain all seller and buyer responsibilities and ensure your understanding of the process

* represent your interests to buyers/sellers and their agent

* provide you relevant information from the MLS database to help set a competitive sales price for your house or to guide a competitive offer for buying

* help you evaluate offers to decide if they are valuable or help you make an offer as a buyer

* advertise your property in various ways and in different media outlets

* host open house events to more easily show your home to prospective buyers

* add your property into the MLS database to allow all agents to have access to the information on your property

* navigate the sales process and bring your attention to items in your best interest

To find a quality agent in your area, you should ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. And you should interview at least three agents to find one with whom you are most comfortable.