MORE HOUSE. MORE YOU.
A BLOG ABOUT BUILDING, DESIGNING, DECORATING AND LIVING IN YOUR DREAM HOME
Recommended Readings
How do I buy a home if I already own one?
This is a crucial question that needs to be answered. You will ultimately have to decide how you want to proceed based upon your situation and your tolerance for risk. There are two options to consider when you purchase a new home and presently own a home: 1. SELLING YOUR PRESENT HOME BEFORE STARTING CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEW HOME You can sell your existing home before you build a new one. This allows you to estimate how much you will need to pay. If the buyer does not allow you to stay in your current home, it will most likely require you to find temporary living quarters or move furniture twice. The buyer should not settle on the current house until the new one is completed. However, buyers will often want to buy and move in before the normal building time for a new home. A buyer might also be [...]
BUILDING A NEW HOME VS BUYING AN EXISTING HOME
My nephew and his wife contacted me recently to ask my opinion on whether or not it was better to purchase an existing house or build. It was a great question and got me thinking about the best way to answer it. I asked them whether they had ever looked at houses, and if so, which one was more appealing to make an offer. They had seen a lot of houses, but none seemed to be in their price range. Although they liked one house they saw, they realized it had an 11-year-old roof and would require a new roof soon. They wanted to know how much a new roof would cost. I didn't know the exact size, pitch, or other details so I made a guess at $12,000 to $15,000 depending upon a few things that I would need to know. They hit the nail on its head with [...]
ADVICE ON FINANCING FIRST HOME
It is exciting to buy your first home. However, financing your home purchase can be daunting. Both cases require you to do extensive research and shop carefully to find the exact items you are looking for. It can be difficult to decide how much you want to spend on your home, what type of mortgage is best for you, and what the settlement process will look like. There are many resources that will help you prepare before you even step foot in a model home, sales office or open house. Learn the lingo. The NAHB's Home Buyer's Dictionary can help. Determine what you can afford to pay monthly. Keep in mind that you will have to pay escrows for property taxes and hazard insurance. A lender doesn't have as much information about your daily living expenses as you do. Don't compromise on that number. Calculators for mortgages can be used [...]
ALLOWANCE VS. UP-FRONT HOMEPRICE
WHY YOU SHOULD ABIDE FROM BUILDER ALLOWANCE AT ALL CHARGES Charlotte McCourt, 11, could teach new home builders how to use allowance pricing. Charlotte McCourt, a New Jersey Girl Scout is serious about honesty, particularly when it comes to customer service. She wrote in a letter, "I would love to tell you about cookies themselves, for some descriptions, I'm afraid use false advertising." . . "I love being open with my clients." Charlotte rated each cookie from 1-10. She said, "Savannah Smiles taste like sweet lemon wedges. They have the perfect balance of sweet and tart." This cookie is a 7 because of its delicious taste." She ended her remarks with the Toffeetastic. It received a 1 because it was "a bleak, flavorless and gluten-free wasteland". It's as tasteless as dirt. Her candid pitch for selling cookies went viral and she was rewarded with record-breaking sales. Truth in advertising is [...]
7 EXPONENTIAL BENEFITS TO BUYING A NEWLY BUILT HOME
In 2016, more than 36.6% of American households rented out their homes. However, times are changing. People are seeking to move out of the rental sector and become homeowners. Rent is expensive, and you will never own your home. When you are looking for a house to buy, there are two options: pre-existing or newly built. Although pre-existing homes can be great, they don't have many of the same advantages as newly built homes. These are some of the top benefits that you can look forward to when you purchase a new home instead of moving into an older house. 1. MINIMUM MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS Contractors construct new homes using entirely new materials. They are in excellent condition before and after the installation. This will make your house look better and reduce your home maintenance costs. It's like this: Older homes have older fixtures and building materials. As fixtures age, there [...]
