Going on multiple tours in one day? Don't leave the house without printing and sharing this House Hunting Checklist with your clients so they can easily note what loved and disliked about the properties they saw. For best practice, prior to giving this to your clients, write the property address and MLS number down for them so at the end of the day you know exactly which home they are referencing. Don't forget a clip board and a pen! Thanks to websites like Houzz and Pinterest and TV networks like HGTV and DIY, it's easier than ever to keep up with home decorating trends and find inspiration for improving your own home. Here are five of the top current interior design trends.
Unless you built a custom home, you probably have a long list of things you'd like to improve in your current home. Browsing online listings might get you in the mood to upgrade to a new home, or you might be thinking about renovating your current home after binging on HGTV. The answer to renovation vs. relocation depends greatly on what you're trying to fix.
Thinking about a new kitchen? If you're dreaming of a chef's kitchen with new appliances and beautiful cabinets, renovating your own kitchen gives you incredible ROI and is less costly than moving. You'll increase the value of your own home if you ever decide to sell, and there's a great sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a custom renovation. Need more space? If you're running low on bedrooms, there may not be a lot of options. Converting an existing room to a bedroom doesn't create any new space. If you're in a condo, an addition is probably impossible. And additions can be expensive even if it's a possibility. Moving is usually the best option. If the neighborhood isn't ideal You may have seen some potential for your neighborhood when you first moved there, but perhaps it still isn't welcoming the shops and restaurants you expected. If that's the case, consider moving. There's no sense in waiting years for the neighborhood to improve, especially if you can move to a house in the same price range in a more preferred part of the city. There's no more important time to work on your credit score than when you're about to apply for a mortgage. Improving your credit can save you a ton of money-we're talking about thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. Here are the actions you can take that will have a notable impact on your score.
Pay down your credit card balances Credit utilization is one of the biggest factors in determining your credit score. Your credit utilization should at least be less than 30 percent of your limit, and it's even better if you can get it below 15 percent. This rule applies to both individual cards and your overall credit limit. It may even be worthwhile to use some of the cash funds you were planning to use for a down payment to pay off credit card balances. Do no harm While you certainly want to improve your score if possible, at the very least you'll want to keep it steady. Avoid opening new lines of credit if you're applying for a mortgage in the very near future. This will cause a hard inquiry to show up on your credit report. Take care of negative items It's good practice to check your credit report for negative items a few times a year-you can get one free report from each of the three major bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) per year. If you find any negative items (collections, late payments, etc.), write a letter to the original creditor. Explain the circumstances that led to the negative item, and request that it be removed from your report. It can be surprisingly effective, and removing a negative item will improve your credit score in a hurry. You can find some good templates for a request letter online. No matter how much time you spend on researching and educating yourself about your home purchase, it's hard to cover every detail. Here are a few tips for avoiding rookie mistakes with your first home purchase.
Not all home improvement projects are created equal. Some renovations may cost a lot but not add significant value to your home. This list goes in the opposite direction: Here are some inexpensive home improvement projects that will not only increase your enjoyment of your home, but will also increase the home's value.
With low inventory in many markets throughout the country, many homeowners are afraid to sell their homes because they're concerned that they may not be able to find a new one. This can be a real problem, but if you are seeking to sell-whether to upgrade or find a new neighborhood-there are a few ways to combat the low inventory.
Look to buy first In most markets it is a real mistake to put your home up for sale before you start looking for your new property. Identify the geographic area where you are interested in buying. Even if you don't see anything on Zillow, it doesn't mean you can't or won't find the right home. Think outside the box Be proactive! Keep in mind that there are probably many people like you who want to make a move but are afraid as well. Have your real estate agent send a letter to the neighborhoods in the geographic areas where you want to live. The letter should be heartfelt and personal while announcing that you are ready to buy a home in that neighborhood. You could find a home to buy that may not even be currently listed or for sale. Protect yourself legally Each state varies in how the purchase process is conducted. Talk to your real estate professional about adding a clause in the purchase contract for the home you are selling that will enable you to not sell the home if you cannot find a suitable home to buy. IMPORTANT Changes to
Toronto LTT APPROVED - Effective March 1, 2017 City of Toronto Council has approved changes to the Toronto Land Transfer Tax that mean additional Toronto Land Transfer Tax costs for some home buyers with a closing date on or after March 1, 2017, when it will be harmonized with the provincial LTT. ... The following changes to the Toronto Land Transfer Tax were considered and approved by Toronto City Council on February 15, 2017. The changes are effective AS OF MARCH 1, 2017, for real estate transactions closing on or after this date: 1. Added an additional LTT of 0.5% of the value of a residential or non-residential property from $250,000 to $400,000 (an additional $750) 2. Added an additional LTT of 0.5% of the value of a residential property above $2 million 3. Added an additional LTT of 0.5% of the value above $400,000 of a non-residential property 4. Increasing the maximum allowed First-Time Home Buyer Rebate to $4,475, up from $3,725 5. Amended the first-time home buyer rebate program eligibility rules to restrict rebate eligibility to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada |
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