As we approach summer and the most popular time of year for buying and selling homes, valuable advice from real estate professionals becomes useful to more people.
The advice in this month’s articles covers many interesting topics. Whether you’re looking to get photos of your home off the internet or get advice on outdoor staging, we’re taking a look at the best articles published this month.
Understand TRID
There are many documents required when obtaining a mortgage to buy your home. TRID or TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures is an initiative to protect buyers from increased costs.
It is based on the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act 1974, although recently updated, and addresses how mortgage documents are handled during transactions.
To help you better understand the loan documents, Bill Gassett provides details to make navigating the mortgage process clearer.
TRID requires you to sign four loan documents, and Bill outlines things you need to know and follow with those documents. Buying a home with a mortgage is an important financial decision that you may have to grapple with for 30 years.
Understanding the lending process and what it means is crucial to making sure you choose the right mortgage.
Things to ask before you buy
Buying a home is exciting, but before you rush to bid, there are a few things you need to find out. If you don’t take the time to ask a few important questions, you may regret it later.
Luke Skar reveals things you might not have thought of, but you’ll be glad you did. There could be some unwelcome surprises if you don’t know enough about the home you’re looking to buy.
A few questions will help you decide if you want to buy the home and how much to offer. You may find that the questions make you look for another house. But even if it isn’t, you’ll have more confidence in your purchase and know more about what it will be like to live in the home.
Helpful tips to stage the exterior of your home
When you’re selling your home, you want to get the best price, and part of that means making the home look its best.
While sellers often think of the inside of the home, the outside should not be forgotten. Bill Gassett offers some tips to help you make the most of the exterior of your home.
When prospects come to visit, they will see the exterior first. If they like what they see, it will have a positive impact on how they see the rest of your home.
A positive first impression is important if you want to sell your home quickly and for more. You should spend time in your front yard to ensure good attractiveness. Buyers expect the inside to fit in if the home looks well-maintained on the outside.
Remove advertisement photos from the Internet
When a home is listed online, the photos appear on many websites. When you buy a home, these images may remain even after the listing is no longer active.
If you value your privacy or have security concerns, you should not leave these photos online.
Conor MacEvilly has had to deal with people demanding that photos of their home be removed from his real estate website. Instead of explaining to everyone who contacts him what to do in this situation, he wrote an article.
Conor recommends contacting the listing agent who originally uploaded the photos to the Multiple Listing Service. But even if that works, there may still be other photos in other locations and online virtual tours that need to be removed. The article will guide you through the steps required to deal with the various websites that post pictures of your home.
What you need to know about renting a storage unit
Storage units are very useful when you need to move or make room to show off your home. But there are many different storage companies and options when renting a unit.
Paul Sian’s storage space rental guide will walk you through everything you need to know about storage space. If you need storage space, not all companies offer the same thing.
You want your possessions to be safe and the level of security is not the same for every storage company. You may also need protection from environmental damage, so air-conditioned units are required.
Avoid bad roommates
Living with a roommate can be great when you find the right person, but it can be a nightmare when you make bad choices.
While a potential roommate may seem perfect, it can be months before you realize you’ve made a big mistake.
A lot of things can go wrong when you have a roommate, and Brotherly Love Real Estate Blog’s Alex Capozzolo addresses the potential problems you can have.
The article goes over the things that can go wrong so you have a better idea of what to look out for. To avoid an awkward coexistence with your roommate, it is better to read the warning signs before signing the lease.
Preparing to buy your first home
Buying your first home can be exciting, but it can also be daunting. There’s a lot to think about and a lot of money at stake, so don’t make any mistakes.
Joe Boylan expertly walks you through the steps you should follow to get ready to buy your first home. There are many things you may not have considered that are important before you start looking for a home. Things like your credit score and the down payment you have saved will have a significant impact on the cost of your mortgage and your long-term finances.
Joe walks you through improving your situation when buying your first home. He shares tips on improving your credit score and helping you save for a bigger down payment.
Buying a home is the biggest financial decision most people will ever make, and if you prepare properly, your finances will be better in the long run.
staging of your deck
When staging your home, it’s easy to focus on the details inside, but features like the patio shouldn’t be forgotten.
Kevin Vitali focuses on decks in this month’s second article, emphasizing the importance of outdoor staging. If your home benefits from a deck, it needs to look its best when listed.
During the showings, potential buyers will notice if your patio is falling apart, which could be the reason why they choose another home. But if you delight them with an outdoor space where they can relax and entertain friends, you might find that your home sells faster and at the price you want.
Along with the benefits of staging your deck, Kevin shares tips on how to make the most of space when selling your home.
The furniture on your patio could detract from the appearance of the area. Maybe your pillows need replacing or the furniture needs a fresh coat of paint. These are just a few issues that could make your deck look drab and turn off potential buyers.
Can you sell your home with a broken air conditioner?
Replacing a faulty air conditioner can be expensive, and it might be an expense you want to avoid if you’re looking to sell your home. But can you still sell the house with a faulty HVAC system?
The SD House Guys address this question in their informative post Selling Your Home With a Malfunctioning HVAC System. They review your options when you find yourself in this situation to help you better understand what you should do when selling your home.
Air conditioning repairs can cost more than $2,500 and you may want to try the repair yourself.
However, repairing an air conditioner is not easy and if you have no experience with this type of equipment, it is better to leave it to professionals. But if the cost is too high, you can negotiate with the buyer, but don’t expect to sell for the same price.
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Check out some of the great advice from previous property reviews.
Final Thoughts
This month has provided interesting articles on unusual real estate topics. The best real estate articles of April 2023 tackle some tough topics and offer great advice to help readers.
About the Author: The above summary of the best articles of March 2023 was written by Luke Skar. Luke is a 19+ year veteran of the mortgage industry. He strives to keep up to date with the latest changes and trends in mortgage lending and real estate.
Through his mortgage blog, websites and social media accounts, he aims to provide the community with as much factual knowledge as possible that will benefit all parties involved in real estate transactions.
