28
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

5 Tips For Prospective Buyers To Submit A Winning Offer

In a hot real estate market, agents often tell buyers they must expect to make multiple offers before one is accepted. Disappointment may be the new normal rather than an exception. The stress of repeated rejections isn't easy, so be prepared. Significant numbers of first-time buyers find the process difficult, and recent research indicates that about 60 percent of Millennials choose to rent rather than own, delaying other important life decisions, including marriage and family.  There are, however, at least 5 ways to strengthen your buyer profile and give yourself an advantage:  Check Your Credit Take advantage of the free credit checks offered by…
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23
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

6 Top Trending Green Features To Consider When Remodeling

Sustainable materials, energy savings and smart home technology are high on the list of buyer wants in a home. But there are some other architectural and design trends that will change the way Americans live this year and beyond. When planning a remodel, it pays to pay attention to green features, as well as to improved floor plans that will make a home more comfortable, more appealing and more functional.  Here's a list of what's hot right now: Natural and Sustainable Materials Eco-consciousness and concerns about individual health and wellness prompted a return to natural woods and stone, as well as organic forms…
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21
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

7 Excellent Ideas For Building An Eco-Friendly Home

In recent years, building an environmentally friendly home or updating an existing home to be more energy efficient has become much more mainstream. While building an entirely green residence isn't always fiscally possible, simple eco-friendly building techniques and upgrades will ultimately lower your water and electricity bills. These green home improvements will save you money in the long run, while also saving the planet. The following are some of the easiest ways to lower your carbon footprint when building or updating a home.  Build or Purchase a Smaller Home Smaller homes naturally have a lower impact on the environment. There is less square footage…
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16
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Moving From An Apartment To A House? Here’s What You Need To Remember About Your Lease

The major problem that the vast majority of buyers will run into - especially when purchasing their first home - has to do with a lease agreement that is still active with their apartment complex at the time of the purchase. If you locate the perfect home in February but your lease isn't over until August, you can't be expected to wait around. But at the same time, the remainder of that lease agreement could represent thousands of dollars that you'll be paying to essentially "live" in two different places at the same time. Luckily, all hope is not lost.…
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06
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Should You Improve Your Home Before Selling Or Not?

Selling your home is one of the most stressful things you'll ever go through and one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. However, there's a lot more to selling your home than just sticking a sign out in the front yard. Most likely, your home will need a little work before it is perfect. Therefore, you'll have to decide whether you need to take care of home improvement issues yourself or, to sell with the expectation that the buyer will be the one to do so. We put together a few pros and cons to doing it each…
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01
Aug
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

The 5-Minute Guide To Flood Insurance: What It Is, How It Works, And Whether You Need It

You've got house insurance, and assume your property is covered for any type of detrimental occurrence that can possibly take place. However, not all homeowners are aware that home insurance policies don't necessarily cover damage related to a flood, as the risks are too great. As a result, homeowners must purchase flood insurance through a private company. Floods are one of the most common hazards in the US, costing billions of dollars in damage to properties every year. What Is Flood Insurance? Flood insurance policies are typically made available to homeowners in flood-prone areas. The majority of insurance policies cover…
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