Category Archives: Home Buyers

House hunting with teens: What to put on your “must-have” list

family-sitting-on-front-steps

Working with families as a professional organizer, I’ve learned that needs are different for a family with teens. With little ones, you want a bedroom close by your own room and a big yard where they can run and play. With older kids, your shopping list becomes an interesting combination. You want and need space to be together and interact. And at the same time, your teen needs space to be alone and to grow.

Here are some different factors to consider if you’re house hunting with teens or soon-to-be teens.

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Quiz: How to tell if a real estate agent is right for you

Puzzle pieces

Hiring the wrong real estate agent could significantly impact your experience as a buyer or a seller. The right real estate agent will not only have a great resume and be genuinely committed to helping you meet your needs, but he/she will “click” with you too.

“Real estate is a people business. You have to like and understand people if you want to succeed in real estate,” says Matt Williams, Broker/Owner of Realty Executives Williams Sykes Realty.

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How Much Personal Information Do You Need to Reveal When Buying a Home?

Close up of domestic personal files in expanding pocket folders

During the home buying process, you’ll be working with a range of professionals, including a real estate agent, loan officer, home inspector, appraiser, and a lawyer or representative from a title company. And while you may need to divulge some very personal information, like your annual income and debt history, not all of these people need to know the intricate details of your life.

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HOW TO WORK WITH THE HOA WHEN BUYING OR SELLING A HOME

Typical upscale modern suburb aerial in the eastern United States.

Prospective buyers often have strong feelings about whether their next home must or must not include a homeowners’ association (HOA). However, the majority of people who live in managed subdivisions and developments are happy with their associations. According to the Community Associations Institute (CAI), 64% of Americans who reside in community associations rate their experience positively.

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USING GOOGLE MAPS TO FINE TUNE YOUR HOME HUNT

USING GOOGLE MAPS TO HUNT FOR YOUR NEXT HOMEAccording to comScore, Google Maps is one of the top 10 smartphone apps in the country. Globally, approximately one billion people use Google Maps to perform one billion searches every day. It’s a popular and useful tool, but how can you use it in your search for a new home?

Explore the neighborhood

Go for a virtual walk around your target suburb with Street View. This feature allows you to take a virtual tour of the city streets, even letting you to step into local businesses like restaurants and stores that have indoor maps available.

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MOVING DURING THE SUMMER WITH KIDS

MOVING DURING THE SUMMER WITH KIDS

Approximately 17 to 20 million people are expected to move this summer, and according to U-Haul, the majority of Americans move between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

“People feel more comfortable with the idea of moving house during these three to four months because of the favorable weather conditions, the summer holidays, and various other seasonal factors that seem to promise a safe, comfortable, and efficient relocation,” says relocation professional Ethan Greenfield.

If you’re planning on relocating your family during peak moving season, start planning as early as possible in order to ensure that the process goes smoothly.

Here are some tips to help make your move stress-free:

Have a moving checklist

Your moving checklist should cover all aspects of the move, from filling out a USPS change of address and notifying all relevant parties of your move, to unpacking and organizing your home on arrival. Break your tasks down into manageable phases starting several weeks out.

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