No Place Like Home

When you’re shopping for a home, it’s easy to get distracted by the shiny fixtures and fancy appliances. But there’s something far more important and not always easy to pinpoint that you should be looking out for: signs of good home design.

So how can you tell if a house is well-designed? A well-designed home makes you feel good when you walk in. It’s well-lit, with lots of natural light and glimpses of nature viewed through ample windows and doors. Where a poorly designed home might feel cramped and cluttered—despite the best efforts of the homeowner—a well-designed home has a place for everything.

Rooms flow naturally into one another, in a way that makes sense for the way the homeowners live.

Experts call this good “flow,” and they know it when they see it. But to the average homebuyer, it can be a tough thing to spot at first glance. And poor flow is an expensive—sometimes near-impossible—thing to fix.

Look for the following giveaways next time you’re touring homes.

The homebuying process is also complicated, so depending on whatever real estate curveballs come hurtling your way, your agent will likely become your shoulder to cry on, shrink, perhaps even your 24/7 hotline when you discover an email at 3 a.m. that your mortgage approval fell through.

In fact, a new survey from Century 21 finds that a majority of homebuyers and sellers say they value and confide in their agents more than they do a therapist, and even feel they know them better than their own neighbors.

Surprised?  Find out more HERE.

Is your Realtor asking for proof of funds? What is proof of funds in real estate anyway? When you’re buying a house, a proof of funds letter is a document that proves that a home buyer has enough liquid cash to purchase a home. It’s essential paperwork that all home sellers will want to see, so home buyers shouldn’t feel prepared to make an offer without one.

Basically all buyers need to provide a proof of funds letter. Even if you’re getting a mortgage to finance your home purchase, you’ll still need enough money for a down payment (ideally 20% of the price of the house) and closing costs (an additional 3% to 4% of the home’s price).

Read more HERE.

What happens when the seller leaves behind more than a few cardboard boxes and cleaning supplies? Having to deal with a refrigerator full of rotting food, a piano, or pricey sports equipment is not easy—especially when you’re in the process of moving your own stuff in.

You might be staring at piles of junk and wondering how the heck you’re supposed to contend with it all. Who owns all that stuff? Are you allowed to just get rid of it? And, what could you have done to avoid getting this mess in the first place?

Find out HERE.