• couple-at-closing

Common Closing Costs for First Time Buyers

The following post comes from Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty, Inc. agent, Kim Knapp. Kim is an experienced agent in Northern Florida and has a great team who has worked with countless first-time home buyers. Below is Kim’s list of closing costs that you should be aware that will potentially be expected of you at closing. 

You’ll likely be responsible for a variety of fees and expenses that you and the seller will have to pay at the time of closing. Your lender must provide a good-faith estimate of all settlement costs. The title company or other entity conducting the closing will tell you the required amount for: Read more

May 17 / 2013
Author David Marine
Category First Time Home Buyer
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Real Estate 101: Explaining the Closing Process

It’s closing time on that new home! It’s a joyous occasion, but did you realize that different states of different processes when it comes to closing on a home?

Diann Patton of Coldwell Banker Grass Roots Realty gives you the lowdown on what to expect when it comes time to close on that first home.

May 17 / 2013
Author David Marine
Category First Time Home Buyer
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Real Estate 101: Making an Offer on a Home

Making an offer on a home is both exciting and frightening at the same time so it’s important to understand just what goes on after you make an offer on that  home of your dreams.

Diann Patton of Coldwell Banker Grass Roots Realty explains just what happens after that offers is made.

May 17 / 2013
Author David Marine
Category First Time Home Buyer
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  • Property Taxes

Property Taxes and Its Impact on How Much Home You Can Buy

Before my girlfriend and I took the “leap” and jumped right into searching for our first home to buy, I was impervious to the joys of property taxes and its huge impact on the amount of home you can buy. From my initial conversation with my mortgage advisor Stephen Kulisek, I learned that upward shifts in the purchase price of a home have minimal impacts on what my monthly payment would be versus seemingly small shifts up in property taxes.

While I’m about the furthest thing from a mathematician,  conventional wisdom has it that a $50K increase (in a home’s purchase price) would be more impactful on my finances than a $5K increase (in taxes). 50 > 5 after all, isn’t it? Well, the reason why this can be wrong and fly against typical math is that an increase in the cost I’m paying for a home is spread out over the life of my mortgage (usually 30 years) while what you pay in property taxes is a cost incurred every year and usually paid monthly. Read more

May 16 / 2013
Author Gustavo Gonzalez
Category First Time Home Buyer
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  • couple-house

Adventures in First Time Home Buying (what to look for and what to avoid)

Guest Blog Post by Ashley Houseman

There’s nothing more exciting than researching homes on the internet, sifting through hundreds (maybe thousands) of photos of homes listed for sale until you narrow down the possibilities and compile your list of those you’d like to see in person. In most cases, a picture is truly worth a thousand words.

On numerous occasions, I’ve had the pleasure of walking through homes with First Time Home Buyers to discover some of the most outrageous and interesting features a house could possibly possess. Some in which you wish the Realtor would have posted pictures of, so you could’ve ruled it out as a possibility and saved yourself the gas and your precious time to see it. Read more

May 16 / 2013
Author Lindsay Listanski
Category First Time Home Buyer
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This Ain’t Your Mama’s House! Modern Day Tips for A First Time Home Buyer

Jessica Edwards, a Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty, provides real estate advice and tips for first time home buyers.

1. This ain’t your mama’s house – talking about getting opinions from others and that sometimes your mother may know best best not always…..choose a couple people to be sounding boards for throughout the process and that’s it.  Getting advice and opinions from too many people sometimes just makes thinks more complicated and makes you lose sight of what YOU want and need and that is most important. Read more

May 16 / 2013
Author Lindsay Listanski
Category First Time Home Buyer
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  • FTHBW_header

Tips for First Time Home Buyers from Coldwell Banker’s Global Network

With a global network of over 80,000 sales associates you can bet our network has an amazing wealth of knowledge regarding First Time Home Buyers. Here are just a few tips from members of our “Gen Blue” network.

From Colby Culbertson, Regional Field Marketing Manager, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Sacramento, Tahoe

1. Get Pre-approved (NOT PRE-QUALIFIED) BEFORE you start looking for houses. It makes absolutely no sense to start looking at houses until you actually know what you can afford. It will save you and your sales professional a lot of time.

2. Always get a home inspection, its well worth the investment.

3. Never buy more house then your lifestyle can afford. Too many buyers get in over their heads because they buy as much house as they can afford, and forget to calculate other living expenses such as utilities, vacation, hobbies, etc. Read more

May 16 / 2013
Author Lindsay Listanski
Category First Time Home Buyer
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Real Estate 101: Understanding Title and Escrow

The title and escrow for your home are some of the most important aspects of the real estate buying process, but even most seasoned homeowners don’t fully understand what these terms mean.

In this video Diann Patton of Coldwell Banker Grass Roots Realty gives you a simple explanation of what these two terms mean and why they are so important.

May 15 / 2013
Author David Marine
Category First Time Home Buyer
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  • home-inspection

9 Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector

The following post comes from Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty, Inc. agent, Kim Knapp. Kim is an experienced agent in Northern Florida and has a great team who has worked with countless first-time home buyers. Below is Kim’s list of questions you should ask your home inspector before agreeing to use them.

Before you make your final buying or selling decision, you should have the home inspected by a professional. An inspection can alert you to potential problems with a property and allow you to make an informed decision. Ask these questions to prospective home inspectors: Read more

May 15 / 2013
Author David Marine
Category First Time Home Buyer
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Real Estate 101: What Are Home Inspections?

Home inspections might be the most significant milestone in your road to buying your first home. What happens during a home inspection can often times make or break a purchase of a home.

In this video, Diann Patton of Coldwell Banker Grass Roots Realty gives you the lowdown on what a home inspection exactly is and why you want to make sure you have a good partner to help

May 15 / 2013
Author David Marine
Category First Time Home Buyer
Comments 1 Comment
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