Home Buying Advice

6 Tips To Make House Hunting Fun For The Kids

There's no doubt that moving is one of life's more stressful events, and it is in everybody's best interest to try to keep the kids happy and feeling secure during the process.

It may take some extra time and patience, but Including your children in your home search can pay off big by helping them better adapt to change and ease their anxiety. 

Here are 6 ideas to get the kids engaged in the move:

Single Home Buyer? Here Are A Few Things You Need To Know

Single and thinking about buying your first home?  Make sure you do your research and take your time.  Start learning what you need to know several months before you are ready to start viewing properties.  The more you know and the better prepared you are, the quicker you will find the right home to meet your wants and needs.

There’s a huge sense of independence in owning your own home, being comfortable in your own living environment, and making your own rules and decisions.  

Many single women and men are buying their own homes. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors® single women accounted for 21% of all home purchases in the year ended this past June, while single men accounted for approximately 10%.

Here are a few important financial tips for single home buyers (women and men):

Buyers Be Prepared For Some Pitfalls When The Seller Is Getting Divorced

Buying a home is exciting.  It can also be challenging.  Because buyers and sellers are human beings with all different personalities, likes and dislikes, and different goals and life situations, it can get interesting.

When a couple is going through a divorce and selling, the challenges can be even more difficult to overcome.

Here are some issues you may encounter, so should be prepared to handle, when buying a home from a couple going through a divorce.

Preparing To Move? Load These Items In Your Car At The Last Minute

Did you know that Federal law prohibits moving companies from transporting hazardous materials?

There are other items, too, besides hazardous materials that moving companies generally will not load in their trucks.  Be prepared to transport your own house plants, perishable food items, and possibly some lawn and pool equipment.

The following list of items are defined as 'hazardous.  You will need to either dispose of them properly, leave them for the new owners (with their approval, of course), or transport them in your own vehicle:

Thinking About Flipping Houses? Five Things You Need To Know

If you are thinking about taking up house-flipping, there are 5 key concepts you need to know like the back of your hand.  House flipping is a lot of work, but if you're up for it and you do it right you can make some good money.  You just need to be smart, have a good business plan, and stick to it.  Emotions are not valid here . . . if a project does not fit into the financial framework, then pass on it.  You're doing this to make money, right.

#1 KNOW YOUR FINANCES

Determine what you can spend on both the house and the renovation, down to the last dollar.  Price out the cost of carrying a short-term loan (if you need one), taxes, utilities and maintenance on the home for about 6-12 months, depending on how long the renovation will take, and the average time it takes to sell a property in that community and that price range.  Price out the cost of materials and labor.

Study all the comparable sales in the same neighborhood and price range, to determine what the likely sales price will be. If you can't make the money/return that you expect, then pass on the house.  Remember that there are often unforeseen issues that can add to the cost, and if you are running tight on the front end, it could lead to a disappointing financial result when you sell.

Dutchess County Made the List of the 10 Best Places in America to Buy a Fixer-Upper

According to a study conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®, Dutchess County NY is one of the 10 Best Counties in the nation where a buyer can get an edge in the market by purchasing a fixer-upper.  

NAR's Chief Economist and his team used the following criteria to determine the locations with the best 'Fixer Scores':

(1) The team analyzed the over 513,000 listings for midsize single-family homes in March;