Articles Tagged "For Buyers"

Our REALTORS® love helping couples who are getting ready to start a family find the perfect home. There's something exciting about helping them explore Ann Arbor homes for sale and find the ideal place to begin this new phase of their lives. 

When young families are searching for a home, certain features become more important. Here are a few of the most desirable elements new families need.

1. Family-Friendly Location
   Location is always critical when shopping for real estate, but, when you're starting a family, it matters in a different way. You'll want a home in a great school district and one that's near parks, playgrounds, and doctors' offices.
   
   You'll also want to consider whether there are wide sidewalks for pushing strollers. Most young families prefer a quiet neighborhood without a lot of traffic. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, another important thing to consider is whether the home is located in a place where you can easily get delivery services.

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Our REALTORS® are here to help you at every step of your home buying journey. That includes your quest for a financing package that will really work for you.

Financing is an essential piece of the puzzle for any homebuyer. Although it is most challenging for first-time buyers, it's always important to handle it with care. The right financing package can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the course of your home loan.

Ann Arbor homes for sale are still well within reach for a well-prepared buyer. However, you'll need to adjust your strategy to a housing market that has transformed practically overnight.

Here's what you need to know.

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Homes come in all shapes and sizes. There are single-level homes that sprawl out with spacious square footage. There are multi-storied homes with plenty of space between attic and basement for bedrooms, offices, home gyms, and more. There are row homes and four square houses that bring distinctive character to cities and suburbs. But finding the perfect home for your family among Ann Arbor homes for sale will require more than familiarity with differing architectural styles. Assessing your needs will be a crucial first step. 

• Getting Familiar 
  Consider the needs of everyone who lives in your home. Think of how everyone's needs will change as you grow older, and who will visit you regularly. A family with small children will need to consider which staircases will accommodate safety gates, and which surfaces might resist spills or scuffs as kids grow. Someone who uses the bathroom frequently, especially at night, will appreciate an ensuite bathroom, such as those that come with master bedrooms. Those who have trouble sleeping may appreciate the quiet that split or half levels provide, as the top floor is often solely for bedrooms.

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February 10th is National Home Warranty Day and, believe it or not, it may just be the most important holiday of the year for homeowners. Our REALTORS® understand that the homebuying process can feel like an overwhelming endeavor. With so many important decisions to make, we believe that all homebuyers should be aware of as many elements of this transaction as possible — one of which is when a home purchase warrants a home warranty. Let's define what a home warranty is, why some homeowners purchase one while others do not, and how to determine whether or not you'll need to purchase a home warranty for one of our Ann Arbor homes for sale.

Is Home Insurance the Same as a Home Warranty?

When you purchase a product, many manufacturers or businesses give you the opportunity to sign up for a warranty or insurance on the item. Sometimes a warranty is provided for free while an insurance plan requires an additional purchase.

So, what is the difference between a warranty and insurance when it comes to buying a home?

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Your credit score is a powerful three-digit number that affects many aspects of your life. Lenders use it to decide whether you get approved for a loan and at what interest rate. If you're shopping for Ann Arbor homes for sale, it's important to know what affects your credit score and the dos and don'ts of improving your creditworthiness. The 5 biggest factors that go into how your credit score is determined are:

1. Payment History
   Your payment history is the most important component of your credit score and determines 30% of your credit history. This scoring factor is used to forecast future long-term behavior. It looks at whether you can be trusted to repay the loan. FICO scores look at the amount of overall debt you carry, your credit card balances, credit limit, and the relation of your balance to the original loan amount.

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While most home buyers search for a "dream home" that meets all of their aesthetic and functional desires, many forget that other factors may create lifestyle issues that are less than dreamy. One aspect of the home buying process that all homeowners should consider is the commute from their home to their place of employment or other locations they'll visit on a regular basis. Before you make an offer on Ann Arbor homes for sale that are miles away from your daily destinations, consider these facts about long commutes.

Long Commutes Impact You Negatively

Do you think that a long drive to work is nothing to stress about? Think again. When you live a far distance from work, school or other locations you frequent, you may be negatively affected in a variety of ways. Studies show that a significant commute from home to your destination can harm the following:

• Mental Health
• Physical Health
• Work Performance
• Relationships
• Finances
• Vehicle

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Some people love the blank slate offered by a brand new home. Others prefer the quirky charm and lived-in ambiance of an older home in a historic neighborhood. After many years in the business, our REALTORS® have sold just about every kind of home there is.

If you're out looking for Ann Arbor homes for sale, you have a wide range of options to choose from. Some of those options will be historic homes that come with plenty of charm and, in a lot of cases, may need a lot of work. Here's what you need to know about buying that historic home. 

Pros of buying a historic home

• Historic homes are unique. 
  Older homes often have unique features that range from charming to downright odd, but one thing's for sure: You won't find them in a newer house. From intricate crown molding and hand-carved railings to antique fireplaces and quirky fixtures, historic homes are often packed with one-of-a-kind features. You're not likely to find them anywhere else. 

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When you're buying a new home, especially if it's your first, you may find yourself inundated in terminology and trade jargon used by your lender, your real estate agent, or others helping make your home purchase a reality. And while it may seem commonplace to people in the industry, to you as a buyer, those terms can seem ambiguous and confusing.  

Fortunately, Our REALTORS® know exactly what goes on during the buying process and know just the real estate terms you need to get through the buying experience with ease.

• Buyer's Agent/Listing Agent
  A real estate agent represents either a buyer or seller in a real estate transaction. Naturally, the real estate agent for the buyer is known as the buyer's agent, but the more ambiguous term is the listing agent, who represents the seller. While using the term "seller's agent" is acceptable, use "listing agent" to be technically correct.

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