Posted by: Surfer | February 2, 2010
Avoid Foreclosure with Short Sales
Posted by: Surfer | January 16, 2010
Buy Your Home
A man’s home may seem to be his castle on the outside; inside, it is more often his nursery. But the homebuying process can seem complicated. Take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home!
First of all you have to
1.Figure out how much you can afford
2.Know your rights
3.Shop for a loan
4.Learn about homebuying programs
5.Shop for a home
6.Make an offer
7.Get a home inspection
8.Shop for homeowners insurance
9.Sign papers
Step 1: Figure out how much you can afford
What you can afford depends on your income, credit rating, current monthly expenses, downpayment and the interest rate. The calculators below can help, but it is best to visit a lender to find out for sure.
Know your rights
Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All – brochure
Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)
Borrower’s rights
Predatory lending
Then you have to shop for a loan
You can save your money by doing your homework. It’s better to talk to several lenders, compare costs and interest rates, negotiate to get a better deal then consider getting pre-approved for a loan.
Looking for the best mortgage: shop, compare, negotiate – brochure
Let FHA help you
Why Ask for an FHA Loan?
Learn about interest only loans
Avoid Predatory Lenders
Learn about homebuying programs
FHA loan programs offer lower downpayments and are a good option for first-time homebuyers.
HUD’s special homebuying programs Good Neighbor Next Door (formerly known as Teacher/Officer/Firefighter Next Door)
Hurricane Evacuees discounted sales
Homeownership for public housing residents
Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program (Section 184)
Shop for a home
Choose a real estate agent
Wish list – what features do you want?
Home-shopping checklist – take this list with you when comparing homes
Homes for sale (including HUD homes)
” Fixer-uppers ” – home purchase and repair programs
Manufactured (mobile) homes
Build a home
If you choose a home in a neighborhood with a Home Owners Association (HOA), be sure to request a copy of the HOA packet, so you can review before closing.
Make an offer
Discuss the process with your real estate agent. If the seller counters your offer, you may need to negotiate until you both agree to the terms of the sale. You have to get a home inspection and make your offer contingent on a home inspection. An inspection will tell you about the condition of the home, and can help you avoid buying a home that needs major repairs.
Dont forget to shop for homeowners insurance
Lenders require that you have homeowners insurance. Be sure to shop around.
Finally – Sign papers
You’re ready to go to “settlement” or “closing.” Be sure to read everything before you sign!
Posted in Home of Your Dream, Ideas
Posted by: Surfer | November 15, 2009
Dream Home
According to www.stjude.org/ you can win a house, valued between $300,000 and $700,000, or another great prize by participating in the St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway. Reserve your $100 ticket for a chance to win, while supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers.
Each year, generous local partners help with the construction and promotion of the St. Jude Dream Home program. Find out about the St. Jude Dream Home house in your market. Search by zip code for more information or to reserve your ticket.
Tickets are reserved on a limited basis. Additional prizes including jewelry, shopping sprees, automobiles and groceries increase your odds of winning.
For more information about participating in a St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway in your area, contact dreamhome@stjude.org. Please provide your city and state of residence.
You could win a house. You will make a difference.
Posted in Home of Your Dream
Posted by: Surfer | November 2, 2009
Make Your Home Greener
What is to be green? To be green is just to be more efficient. I’m sure you know well the ways you can make your home greener. Here is the list of top 10 ones which can remind you a little things you are able to do to make your own home more energy and water efficient. Actually this is a few simple changes in your house which will combat both high energy bills and global warming. I’ve found this information on http://www.pathnet.org/. So, visiting this site you can learn more about.
Well, first of al
Use CFLs
Replace your incandescent light bulbs (the cheap ones you probably got at the grocery store) with ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). By replacing even your five most frequently used light bulbs, you’ll save $100 per year. Find out exactly how much you can save (pdf). If every family in the U.S.A. did this, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by one trillion pounds–there are 12 zeros in a trillion! More on energy-efficient lighting.
Program Your Thermostats
Save 10% on your heating and cooling costs just by setting your thermostat back when you’re not home and while you’re sleeping. Program your thermostat to 78 degrees F or higher in the summer and 62 degrees F or lower in the winter. If you tell it to return to your preferred temperature before you return home, you won’t ever know the temperature changed, until you look at the reduction in your energy bills. Select ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats.
Plug Air Leaks
Air leaks are the greatest energy waster in the home, but they can be simple to plug. Install weatherstripping and caulk to stop those expensive drafts and improve comfort. It’s cheap and easy, and almost anyone can do it. Look for leaks around windows, doors, electrical outlets, plumbing penetrations, and in the attic floor.
Tune-Up Your HVAC
HVAC maintenance is key to healthy and efficient heating and cooling. Get a professional tune-up every two years. It will cost around $100, but will save 5% to 10% on your heating and cooling bills. Also, clean or replace your filter every month. Dirty filters block normal airflow and significantly reduce the efficiency of the system, which wastes your money.
Did You Know?
The average home emits 27,000 lbs of carbon dioxide annually, almost three times that of a midsize sedan. Following these steps will reduce your home’s CO 2 emissions.
Go Low-Flow
Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators to save resources without sacrificing water pressure. An efficient showerhead will save a family of four up to $285 per year. They can cost less than $15, and installing them couldn’t be easier: they just screw on.
Optimize Your Water Heater
If you don’t have one installed already, put an insulative jacket around your hot water heater, and insulate the pipes around the water heater. Insulative jackets cost between $10 and $20, and you can get pipe insulation for less than $1 for six feet. Also consider turning the temperature on the water heater down to 120 degrees. It will save you money and prevent scalding.
Plant a Tree
Shade trees can significantly lower your cooling costs by up to 25% . They also make your home more comfortable, and provide habitat for song birds. In addition, properly placed trees and shrubs act as windbreaks, shielding your home from cold winds and reducing heating costs by 20%.
Buy ENERGY STAR
When replacing your appliances, select ENERGY STAR qualified products. When replacing your water heater, furnace, or air conditioner, you should also select ENERGY STAR qualified products. You will save 10-30% on the operating costs vs. non-ENERGY STAR equivalents. Find out exactly how much you save.
Request a Blower Door Test
A blower door test will uncover the hidden holes and cracks that are the main source of energy loss in your home. For example an open fireplace damper can let 8% of your heating costs slip out the chimney. Hiring a certified Home Energy Rater (HERS) costs $200 to $400 and is worth every penny. You should have the inspection cost paid for within two years, and your home should be significantly more comfortable, and green.
Use Low-VOC products
After painting, the volatile organic compound level can be 1,000 times the healthy normal level. Select low or no-VOC paints and finishes to combat this health hazard. When selecting paints, look for the Green Seal. When cleaning around the house, use non-toxic natural products or make your own green cleaning products.
And a Bonus…Check Insulation
Make sure that there are no areas in your attic floor with inadequate insulation. Insulation is your ‘Great Wall of China’ against heat loss. Imagine the effectiveness of the Great Wall in protecting against invaders if it had a 300 foot gap in it, or only stood a couple of feet high. Insulation works the same way. Even a small area with limited or no insulation, or insulation that has been damaged or compressed, can significantly decrease the effectiveness of the area’s insulation. How much insulation do you need? Follow the Department of Energy’s recommendations.
Find out more about green building, including tax incentives and other rebates to make your upgrades more affordable
Posted by: Surfer | September 19, 2009
Most Expensive Properties
While you’re still dreaming about purchasing the home of your dream Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has quietly added a $90 million estate in St. Bart’s to his global toy chest, which already includes a Cap d’Antibes chateau, an English soccer team and one of the world’s largest yachts, the Wall Street Journal reports.
For today it is the most expensive private house in the world, British newspaper Daily Express informs. If if the house to buy in the mortgage monthly payment will make 1,6 million pounds sterling (about three millions dollars). The Russian oligarch and its girlfriend Darya Zhukov have looked after to itself palace La Leopolda during a private trip across southern France.
La Leopolda, being near to Monte-Carlo, is famous for a view of the sea and a garden. The area of 10 acres (about four hectares) 50 gardeners are engaged in an estate.
Initially the country house was under construction for a beloved of the king of Belgium Leopold. Owners of an estate in due time were, including, founder Microsoft Bill Gates (Bill Gates) and owner Fiat Джанни Агнелли (Gianni Agnelli).
Abramovich posesses one more country house nearby in cost of 15 million pounds sterling (30 million dollars). Estate Chateau de la Croe is located just on road to La Leopolda. Also Abramovich owns the real estate in the Great Britain and in Russia.
In too time newspaper The Independent puts reliability of the information on purchase La Leopolda under doubt. According to the edition, representative Abramovich in Moscow has categorically denied hearings about country house purchase. “It at all so, – is assured by him. Abramovich already has a property in France, what for to it still?”
Posted by: Surfer | September 3, 2009
Home Appraisals
All those who buy a home or refinance a mortgage, probably know that a home appraisal is almost always required before a loan can close. At the same time there are many other borrowers who might not know about appraisals well enough.
Well, what is this and why it’s important.
Actually a real estate appraisal is an opinion of a property’s value prepared by a licensed real estate appraiser. Each property is unique, so appraisers rely on their expertise and information they’ve gathered about the neighborhood, the property and sales prices of other comparable properties.
Appraisals are supposed to be unbiased and free from the influence of anyone’s opinion of the home’s value. The new rules have placed greater restrictions on attempts to unduly influence appraisers.
Who pays for the appraisal?
Borrowers usually pay for a home appraisal upfront or during the loan application process since the appraisal must be completed before the lender will approve the loan. Under the new rules, borrowers who switch to a different lender during the loan process, as sometimes happens, may have to pay for another appraisal to satisfy the new lender. Even though the borrower pays the appraiser’s fee through the lender, the appraiser typically is independent and not an employee of the lender.
The main purpose of an appraisal is to help the lender assess the value of the property and decide whether to approve the loan. That’s why a new appraisal typically is required for a loan refinance as well as a home purchase.
Is an appraisal the same as a home inspection?
Another common misconception is that a home appraisal is the same as a home inspection. Appraisers do consider the condition of the home and may note any major problems, but their observations aren’t a substitute for a home inspection. Home buyers should always get an inspection of the home by a home inspector in addition to the appraisal.
Posted in Finance, Real Estate, loan, mortgage, refinancing
Posted by: Surfer | July 1, 2009
Planting And Growing Flower Bulbs
Here is expert Jessica Smith explanes how to plant daffodils.
Posted in Gardening
Posted by: Surfer | June 20, 2009
You Have a Dream?
No wonder that people who purchase a house or an apartment, or those who want just to remodel their bored to death living space want to design it in the image of their dream home finally. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much, right?:-)
And here, you must admit, that the style, functionality and durability play an important or sometimes even main role in choosing right furniture that will make your home interior increase its options for function, comfort and livability.
Well, if you are going to buy Modern Furniture for your home or business office the first step you should make is to decide what you exactly need and how that’s going to fit into your budget. And today looking to buy furniture you have really great opportunity to choose, compare and buy it online. There is wide range of online stores providing high quality Contemporary Furniture any kind and style you wish though it were dining, living, kids or bedroom furniture at affordable prices with free delivery and assembly.
The process of buying anything you need has become simple and easy today and that’s great. So, you have a dream? It’s landed in your hand.
Posted in Furniture, Home Design, Home Improvement, Home of Your Dream
Posted by: Surfer | June 18, 2009
Renovation and Moving Stuff
When it comes to renovation something just strikes you over the head with the only word – money! Yes, right, you need to waste tons of money in order to make your house looking a bit more modern and to change even several things in it might turn out to cost a fortune.
Unfortunately, if you are not a millionaire you need to save money for a renovation and even after you end with maintenance there would be people who have better decorated houses or apartments though they have spent even less money on renovation.
This is just like a roulette – you never know what will be cheaper or more expensive but one thing is clear: if you want to save on moving and it doesn’t matter what you are actually going to move – you should better consult moving companies New York as only they know how to perform their work flawlessly and with proper quality.
Of course, you can move all the building materials yourself using your own vehicle and then you will need to polish and to clean your car from the wastes. Hardly ever you would save money if you think that long island residential moving can be done all on your own. Do not forget that all the building materials need to be assembled and if you are alone to do it it may take you more than a day. Moreover, I really doublt that it will be a colossal pleasure for you to do all this long island packing.
Posted in Home Improvement, Ideas
Posted by: Surfer | June 8, 2009
Make Your Home Green
There are wonderful green homes and I guess that anyone wants to to live in green. And it doesn’t mention rented or owned, affordable or market-rate, single-family or multi-unit, urban, suburban or rural home you have now but your housing can be green.
What is this – green houme? It means that your house uses less energy, water and natural resources, creates less waste and is healthier for the people living inside compared to a standard home. Actually ir’s not too hard to do that.
A home can be built green, or you can make it green later. A green makeover can happen all at once, or it can be a gradual process. But what it all comes down to is a new way of thinking – and a new way of living. From a more energy-efficient kitchen to a tree-filled backyard paradise, your home can be green top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. And it doesn’t matter whether you rent or own, live in an apartment or single-family home, or live in the city, the suburbs or the country.
The fact is there are many very real benefits to living in a green home.
Posted in Home Improvement, Home of Your Dream, Ideas
