Low Cost Property

It costs less than you may think for tearing down a house.

While it’s often sad to witness the demise of a long-standing structure, sometimes tearing down a house is the only solution that makes sense. So, how do you determine whether a home has outlived its useful life and is a candidate for demolition? Savvy home buyers follow a three-step process:

Your first step is to check with city planners to find out if the home qualifies, because not every structure can be legally removed, especially those entrenched in historical urban neighborhoods. Second, get bids from three to five licensed contractors. When I wanted to tear down my old 10 x 12 storage shed, for example, the bids I received stretched from a reasonable number to ten times as much. The third step

. . . read more about Tearing Down a House.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub, click below:

• Sellers Who Pay to Close Escrow
• 12 Ways to Find Down Payments
• Did Someone Die Your House?

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Tearing Down a House originally appeared on About.com Home Buying / Selling on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 05:00:08.

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Real estate is among the industries who are stepping up with their online marketing. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), about 84% of home buyers and sellers maximize the internet as a marketing strategy. Those who are relying on realty magazines and books and television for selling and hunting homes are decreasing in numbers.

The federal tax credit for home buyers was extended and expanded late last year. Qualified first-time buyers may be eligible to receive a tax credit of up to $8,000 on homes purchased before April 30, 2010. Repeat buyers may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $6,500.  So as you are probably starting [...]

Looking at homes is the fun part when you’re a buyer.

Heck, it’s fun to look at homes even if you’re not a buyer. I love previewing homes and try to do it on a regular basis.

But not all buyers have oodles of time to spend house hunting. Most start their home searches online. They scroll through endless inventory, click on virtual tours, examine every photograph, and some even zoom in on the Google map feature to check out the street scene, neighboring homes and the types of trees in the yard.

By the time buyers are ready to view homes in person, they have a pretty good idea of the type of home they want. I respect my buyers’ time and try to save them the hassle of trekking through unsuitable homes by looking at homes for them. If your agent has the time, why not ask your agent if it’s possible?

. . . read more about looking at homes.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub, click below:

• Finding the Right Home
• Open House Etiquette for Buyers
• Why Hire an Agent?

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Agents Can Save Home Buyers Time by Looking at Homes in Advance originally appeared on About.com Home Buying / Selling on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 05:00:54.

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Home buyers get so excited after buying a home that they can hardly wait for the home closing.

Some buyers think the seller should hand them the keys and let them move in that weekend, but that’s not really how it happens. Buyers have to wait. They have to wait for the appraisal, for the lender to approve their loan and, more importantly, they have to wait for the inspections to be completed, all of which takes time.

Any little hiccup in the process can delay the home closing as well. It’s frustrating for some home buyers because no matter how proactive your agent or loan officer may be, there are unforeseen circumstances that can crop up, often a few days before a scheduled closing.

So, how you can predict what can go wrong and fix it before it happens? An experienced agent can help you work through the process of home closing and, nine times out of ten, the home will close on time

. . . read more about home closing.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub, click below:

• Dealing With Low Appraisals
• Why Pending Sales Fall Apart
• Final Walk-Through Inspections

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Technorati tag: home closing

The Wait for a Home Closing originally appeared on About.com Home Buying / Selling on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 05:00:36.

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