Property tax assessment too high...what you can do about it?

by Tracy Cousineau

    An increase in home values is great because it increases the equity in your home without you having to invest more money in making it happen. Unfortunately, as the price of your home increases, so does the perceived value of your home in the eyes of your local tax assessor. When that happens, your taxes also go up. The bad news is that your tax rate - the annual percentage of your home’s value that you pay - is fixed by the state and/or municipality in which you...

If your home inspection report comes back bad, now what?

by Tracy Cousineau

    One of the biggest deal killers for any real estate transaction is the home inspection. It strikes fear into the hearts of sellers and buyers...even though virtually everything about a home can be repaired or replaced. The good news is that if you have a great real estate agent and a competent home inspector, you can usually handle a failed inspection report properly without having to panic in the process. The key thing to remember is that when the home inspection report...

When Is The Best Time of Year for Real Estate?

by Tracy Cousineau

Real estate can be complicated, but there are a lot of things you can do as a seller to increase your home’s value: making any necessary improvements, choosing the right real estate agent, and even simply staging the home properly.   The same can be said for sellers who want to get a good deal: you can take your time scouring the market, you can make sure you’re getting to look at the best available properties, and you can be a fierce negotiator.   For all of that, though,...

Jumbo Loans: What Are They, and Do You Need One?

by Tracy Cousineau

More than 60% of homeowners have a mortgage. This makes mortgages essential for many homeowners, but not all mortgages are the same.   What if you have a high credit score and high income, but you’re not currently able to pay for the house you’re looking at? If you’re making six figures but you want a seven-figure house, you’ll need a loan like everyone else. At the same time, the numbers mean you’ll be asking for a bigger mortgage than most people on the...

Out of pocket Expenses While Buying a Home

by Tracy Cousineau

Hey all. This is Jason Williford with Real Estate Expert Advisors. I just wanted to educate homebuyers of out-of-pocket expenses to expect while buying a home. The five macro boxes that I'll go into a little bit of detail, the number one as obviously that most homebuyers know they're going to need is their down payment. Obviously your down payments can change depending on which loan that you're going with, an HFA loans going to be 3.5% conventional usually starting out 5% for a conventional...