29
Oct
By support
Home Buyer Tips

Buying in a New Community: How to Meet and Make Friends with Your New Neighbors

Buying in a New Community: How to Meet and Make Friends with Your New NeighborsOne of the stresses of moving to a new area is giving up the familiarity that you have with your old neighbors and starting from scratch. Whether you’ve just moved to a different locale or you’re planning to relocate in the near future, there are some easy ways that you can make a home of your new neighborhood right from the start.

Stand Up and Smile

While there are neighborhoods where people are definitely friendlier than others, by making your presence positively known you can make an instant impression on those that live around you. When you’re walking around the neighborhood, make sure you use it as an opportunity to engage with your fellow dwellers by throwing a smile in their direction, saying “Good Morning!” or paying attention to their children or their pet. It may not start a conversation right away, but if you see each other a few more times you might soon have a new fast-friend in the neighborhood.

Become a Community Member

If you happen to have a community center specific to your area, it will be even easier to meet the people who live in your neighborhood and make friends with some of them. Look into the offerings of your local center and find some classes or events that appeal to you. Whether it happens to be a craft festival or a fitness class that interests you, this will not only help you meet new people, but will ensure that their interests are aligned with your own so you’ll have some new pals to pursue old hobbies with.

Knock on the Door!

This is definitely the most assertive of options, and seems a throwback to another era, but instead of leaving meeting people up to chance, bake a cake or a batch of cookies and take them over to your new neighbor as a gesture of friendship and kindness. Your neighbors will probably love the baked goods, but this can also be the first step in forming a relationship with them that will come to be one you can both rely on.

When it comes to a new neighborhood, forming new attachments can seem all-but impossible, but there are things you can do to begin a bond right from the start.

21
Oct
By support
Home Buyer Tips

Locked in a Bidding War? 3 Tactics That Will Ensure That You Reign Supreme with a Winning Bid

Locked in a Bidding War? 3 Tactics That Will Ensure That You Reign Supreme with a Winning BidBidding wars can be ugly, nasty things – but with the right tactics, you can come out a winner without having to double your offer. Welcome to basic training – today, you’ll learn how to navigate the obstacle course that is a real estate bidding war and come out on top. Put these three strategies to use and you’ll easily win the home of your dreams.

Offer To Pay The Deposit In Cash

It’s not usually wise to make a down payment in cash, but paying cash for the deposit is a brilliant strategy that will put you first in line for your new house. One major reason why homes don’t sell is because the buyer didn’t get approved for financing – and that inconveniences the seller. Paying your deposit it cash proves your reliability to the seller, and it means the seller gets paid faster.

Add A Personal Touch With A Letter

Want to get a completely unfair advantage over other buyers in your neighborhood? Make your offer personal by writing the sellers a heartfelt letter. Marketing professionals know that emotional experiences are highly persuasive, and a personalized hand-written letter shows that you care.

For maximum effect, do a quick Google search on the sellers and look for common threads. Do the sellers have a child in college? Talk to them about your college-aged son or daughter and what program they’re taking – it may sound cliché, but a little bit of bonding really does go a long way.

“Escalate” The Situation With An Escalation Clause

When most buyers write up their formal offer, they simply name a price and that’s it. But you can set yourself apart from other potential buyers by including an escalation clause in your offer.

An escalation clause is a piece of a real estate contract that increases your offer in the event that you get outbid. An escalation clause usually lists your original offer, the amount by which you’re willing to beat other bids if you get outbid, and the maximum amount you’re willing to offer in the event that there are multiple offers. Escalation clauses are usually best used when you know that there will be a one-day review of all offers or when you’re anticipating multiple offers – otherwise it may compromise later negotiations.

Bidding wars aren’t ideal, but they are a reality of the real estate market – especially in competitive areas where it’s the norm to see multiple offers on a house. But with these tactics, you can outgun competing bidders and come out with the house you’ve always wanted. Contact your real estate agent and or your Trusted Mortgage Professional to learn more about navigating a bidding war and making a winning offer.

25
Sep
By support
Home Buyer Tips

The New Home Warranty: Why This Benefit Alone Makes Buying New Worth Considering

The New Home Warranty: Why This Benefit Alone Makes Buying New Worth ConsideringWhen making the decision to purchase a home, there can be an array of questions to ask regarding location, size, style and additional features that will complicate things. If one of the considerations among these is whether to buy new or old, though, you may want to be aware of new home warranties. While buying new can seem like a risk, this type of warranty may help make at least one decision easy when it comes to your home purchase.

It’s A New Home Benefit That’s Often Guaranteed

Currently, there are a number of places in North America where a third-party warranty or a builder’s warranty are now required so the quality of a builder’s work can be assured. While some builders may offer a warranty when you purchase a home through them, a third-party warranty that is guaranteed in many regions will mean that you don’t have to worry about paying out of your own pocket when a problem occurs with your new home.

The Coverage Included In New Home Warranty

Generally, a new home warranty will include insurance on your deposit and a guarantee against flaws with the work, the materials or the structure that may appear down the road. While this type of warranty will commonly cover standard issues that can occur with a new home, there’s often the option for more extensive warranty coverage that will safeguard you in the event that issues beyond the basic appear.

What You Can Expect From Your Builder

If you’ve decided on a new home, you will want to research your builder and choose one that is reliable, up-front and will follow-up on any issues you may have with your new home. Once your house is close to completion, you’ll have the opportunity to do a home inspection with the builder to take notes of any issues with your house – like a sticky drawer or a chipped cabinet – that may be present. The builder should be able to offer a completion date for these issues, and also provide you with information you need to keep your new house in tip-top shape.

There are no assurances when it comes to buying a house, but new home warranties are a good guarantee that you’ll be covered in the event that a problem occurs. If you’re interested in learning more about making a new home purchase or this type of warranty, you will want to contact your trusted mortgage professional or real estate professional for more information.