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Your Savings and Down Payment Your First Step Toward Buying a Home
When preparing to buy a home, the first thing many Homebuyers do is look at "homes for sale" ads in newspapers, magazines and listings on the internet. Some potential buyers read "how-to" articles like this one. The next thing you should do - before you call on an ad, before you talk to a Realtor, before you shop for interest rates - is look at your savings.
Why?
Because determining how much money you have available for down payment and closing costs affects almost every aspect of buying a home - including how you write your purchase offer, the loan programs you qualify for, and shopping for interest rates.
Mortgage Programs
If you only have enough available for a minimum down payment, your choices of loan program will be limited to only a few types of mortgages. If someone is giving you a gift for all or part of the down payment, your options are also limited. If you have enough for the down payment, but need the lender or seller to cover all or part of your closing costs, this further limits your options. If you borrow all or a portion of the down payment from your 401K or retirement plan, different loan programs have different rules on how you qualify.
Of course, if you have enough for a large down payment, then you have lots of choices.
Your loan choices include such varied programs as conventional fixed rate loans, adjustable rate mortgages, buydowns, VA, FHA, graduated payment mortgages and all the varieties of each.
Shopping Rates
A very important reason you need to have at least some idea of your down payment is for shopping interest rates. Some loan programs charge a slightly higher interest rate for minimal down payments. Plus, the interest rates for different loan programs are not the same. For example, conventional, VA, and FHA all offer fixed rate loans. However, the rates vary from one program to another.
If you shop lenders by phone, the loan officer will be able to tell which programs fit and quote you rates accordingly. However, if you are shopping on the internet, you have to have some idea of your loan program on your own.
Writing Your Offer
Another reason you need to have a clue about your down payment is because it affects how you write your offer to purchase a home. Not only are you required to put your down payment information in the offer, but different loan programs have different rules which also affect how you write your offer. This is especially important when dealing with FHA and VA loans.
If you are asking the seller to pay all or part of your closing costs, you have to be certain your loan program allows what you are asking. For smaller down payments, lenders allow the seller to pay less closing costs than for larger down payments. Some loan programs will allow a seller to pay certain types of costs, but not others.
Finally, your down payment also affects your ability to qualify for a loan. When you make a small down payment, lenders are fairly strict about having you conform to their underwriting guidelines. For larger down payments, they will tend to make allowances or exceptions to the rules.
Conclusion
As you can see, the down payment affects every choice you make when you buy a home. Although you should look at ads, familiarize yourself with neighborhoods, learn about prices, and read as much as you can - when you get ready to take action - the first thing you should do is figure out how much money you have available for the purchase.
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Real Estate, Houses , Homes, Cottages, Lake Huron Waterfront Property, Waterfront Property on Inland Lakes,Land, Tawas, East Tawas, Tawas City, AuGres, Oscoda Michigan
TO SEARCH LISTINGS
GO to www.all-northern-michigan.com
WELCOME TO NORTHEASTERN LOWER MICHIGAN!
Best Choice Realty, Inc. means this sincerely and knows that once you visit NORTHEASTERN LOWER MICHIGAN you, too, will feel the same way we do about the abundance of nature and beauty to be found in NORTHEASTERN LOWER MICHIGAN!
Iosco County, Arenac County and Ogemaw County are just an hours drive north of Saginaw, but offer a full range of recreational activities for those seeking an escape from city life. The Huron National Forest offers excellent hunting and the AuSable River has great fishing. Near Hale, Sand Lake Heights and the surrounding areas there are hiking, snowmobile and cross country ski trails and many all sports lakes for swimming, water skiing and fishing. And, of course, Au Gres is on the shore of Saginaw Bay and Tawas, East Tawas and Oscoda are on the shores of Lake Huron. So come up to Iosco County, Arenac County and Ogemaw County, check out the real estate available here and enjoy life!
Best Choice Realty, Inc. maintains an outstanding reputation in the real estate profession and we can assure you that YOU and YOUR needs are our #1 priority. Our real estate office and associates are members of real estate multi-list services (RMLS) covering Iosco County, Arenac County, Ogemaw County and Alcona County.
Our high quality staff of professional Real Estate Consultants have been trained to make your real estate move go as smoothly as possible. Each real estate associate is kept up to date with the real estate market and the changes in the real estate industry by ongoing real estate training and informational meetings. We're proud to have real estate agents that go the " extra mile " to provide you with the utmost in professional real estate service. We are locally owned and staffed by individual real estate agents who have spent years living and working in this area. We know the area and we know the real estate market.
We are a full service real estate company offering sellers agency, buyers agency, broker price opinions and real estate consulting. We have residential, commercial, resort, lakefront, acreage, hunting land and recreational properties available. If you are considering a move, or just have a question concerning real estate, don't hesitate to contact us. We personally guarantee the highest level of professional service...
Sincerely,
Michael D. Fournier
President/Associate Broker
BUYERS: "LOYALTY PAYS OFF"
Some buyers like to leave their name with three or four sales people. Although it may seem to be to the buyer's advantage to have a number of real estate agents to work with, it is usually a very ineffective approach. The assumption is that many real estate agents will produce more results than working exclusively with one. THIS IS NOT TRUE! YOU NEED THE TOTAL COMMITMENT OF ONE REAL ESTATE AGENT. My advice to you is to find a Realtor whom you feel will get the results you need. Tell this real estate agent that you will work exclusively with him or her ( SIGNING A BUYERS AGENCY CONTRACT IS RECOMMENDED ) as long as you see the effort required to get the job done. In this way, you will have a dedicated real estate agent who will take on the personal responsibility of handling all the details of your home purchase.
REAL ESTATE AGENTS are paid on a straight commission basis. They don't receive a salary. They are not on an expense account. They don't get paid unless they SELL YOU SOMETHING. This is why working with more than one agent is not a good idea. None of the real estate agents know if their efforts will result in any income. If a agent knows that you will be loyal to them that is all the motivation needed to provide, a real estate agent, dedicated to getting the job done right.
PRICING YOUR HOME TO SELL
Get a comparative market analysis.
EXPIRED
Out of range. Up to 35% of all homes put on the market never sell. The prices at which these homes expired represent the overpriced range. IF YOU PRICE HERE, THEN YOUR LISTING WILL ALSO EXPIRE!
CURRENTLY FOR SALE
Represents the upper end of the market. These are asking prices only. They have not been attained in the real estate market. Examine the number of days on the market and if it has been a long time, the homes(s) is/are priced to high.
SOLDS: - TRUE MARKET VALUE.
NEVER SELECT A REAL ESTATE AGENT BASED ON THE PRICE THAT THEY TELL YOU!
A real estate agent has no control over the price the market will allow. SELECT YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT FIRST based on competence of the real estate agent, company and services provided. Don't encourage or allow the real estate agents to " bid the price up", by telling you what they think you want to hear, to get the listing. True professional real estate agents will give you candid feed back and factual information, based on "SOLD PROPERTIES", so you can price within the "MARKET".
BENEFITS TO PROPER PRICING
1. FASTER SALE
2. LESS INCONVENIENCE
3. EXPOSURE TO MORE PROSPECTS
4. BETTER RESPONSE FROM ADVERTISING AND DRIVE BY CALLS
5. INCREASED SALESPERSON RESPONSE
6. ATTRACTS HIGHER OFFERS
7. MEANS MORE MONEY TO SELLERS
REASONS SELLERS USE WHEN OVERPRICING
1. WE'VE MADE IMPROVEMENTS: Improvements should be made for enjoyment, not for sale. You cannot add an item to a home, select it to your style, use it, then expect a buyer to pay the original cost.
2. WE NEED THE MONEY: An owners need for money does not increase the value of the home.
3. BUYING IN A HIGHER REAL ESTATE MARKET: Real estate values are location specific. High real estate values in the destination market/home do not increase the value of your existing home.
4. WE PAID THIS MUCH: Chances are you paid market value. It's not that the price was too high, but sometimes the market experiences subsequent changes. The real estate market is effected by interest rates, the economy and supply and demand.
PRINCIPLES OF VALUATION
1. COST - The amount actually paid for a property plus any capital improvements made since the purchase.... 2. PRICE - The stated amount an owner is willing to accept for a property.... 3. VALUE - The amount a single buyer is willing to pay given a certain set of circumstances.... 4. MARKET VALUE - The amount many buyers would pay a reasonable, willing, seller. It is based on the history of similar real estate recently sold in the area.
Office is Locally Owned and Operated.
1106 Bay Drive, Tawas City, Michigan 48763 - 1-866-585-5980
FULL SERVICE NORTHERN MICHIGAN REAL ESTATE COMPANY, RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE, RESORT REAL ESTATE,WATERFRONT PROPERTY, INLAND LAKEFRONT PROPERTY, LAKE HURON PROPERTY, COTTAGES, HOMES, HOUSES, ACERAGE, COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, NORTHERN MICHIGAN PROPERTY, INVESTMENT PROPERTY, BUYERS AGENCY, SELLERS AGENCY
Marketing Areas: TAWAS, SAND LAKE HEIGHTS, OSCODA, GREENBUSH, HARRISVILLE, HALE, AUGRES, EAST TAWAS, TAWAS CITY, ROSE CITY, WEST BRANCH, NATIONAL CITY, WHITTEMORE
Marketing Zip-codes: 48763, 48748, 48730, 48750, 48703, 48654, 48738, 48661, 48739, 48740, 48770
Tawas Michigan Real Estate, Tawas City Michigan Real Estate, East Tawas Michigan Real Estate, Oscoda Michigan Real Estate, Au Gres Michigan Real Estate, AuGres Michigan Real Estate, Hale Michigan Real Estate, Iosco County Michigan Real Estate, Arenac County Michigan Real Estate, Alcona County Michigan Real Estate, Ogemaw County Michigan Real Estate, National City Michigan Real Estate, Sand Lake Heights Michigan Real Estate, Hale Michigan Real Estate, Lake Huron Michigan Real Estate, Northern Michigan Real Estate, Northeastern Michigan Real Estate. Providing a superior level of informed, professional real estate services, CMA'S, BPO's, Consulting, to buyers and sellers in the greater Northern Michigan Real Estate Market, Tawas City, East Tawas, Sand Lake Heights, National City, Oscoda, Au Gres, Hale, Greenbush, Tawas, Iosco County, Arenac County, Alcona County and Ogemaw County, Michigan.
Current Tawas Bay Weather - Click for Detail www.tawasbayweather.com
Other Best Choice Realty, Inc. web sites: www.lakefront-waterfront-property-east-tawas-michigan.com , www.tawasmi.com , east-tawas-realestate.com , www.all-northern-michigan-real-estate.com
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