Easy Agent Blogs

We don’t need a crystal ball to tell us when to take the first step in determining if this is a good time to sell a home and buy another.

While market conditions should play a role in your decision, the first step starts with you, and the state of your finances.

Your Personal Finances

How’s your credit? Lenders have tightened their FICO requirements. Even FHA has raised the lower end of their acceptable FICO range.

How long have you been in your current job? Lenders want to see at least two years with the same employer, or in the same line of work and no decrease in income.

Next, do you have the cash to put down on a home? In this strong seller’s market you may be able to use the equity from your current home to fulfill the down payment requirement on your new home.

You’ll need at least 20 percent of the price of the home if you go with a conventional loan. If you obtain an FHA-backed loan, the down payment requirement has a lot to do with your FICO score.

That said, lending has become so tight that sometimes a stellar FICO score can’t make up for lower income, a spotty job record and even a huge down payment, according to news from the Wall Street Journal.

Don’t forget closing costs. These are the fees you’ll need to pay when you close on the purchase of the home. They vary, but a rule of thumb is to have 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price in cash reserves.

Timing the Market

If you’re trying to time the market so that you sell at the top, good luck. Nobody knows when a particular market will top out, until it starts its downward move.

But, there are signs in the economy you might want to watch, according to some experts, that the real estate market is changing. These signs include:

Unemployment

Housing market prognosticators keep a close eye on unemployment numbers. It’s only natural that people worry more when their jobs aren’t secure. This anxiety tends to make them hold off on spending money.

Consumer confidence typically lags right along with low employment numbers. When the jobs situation improves, so does the confidence of Americans and money begins flowing again.

Right now, unemployment is quite low. But these numbers only help us figure out part of the story.

The Housing Inventory

A “shrinking inventory” is a real estate term that describes a market in which the number of homes for sale decreases. Think of it as supply and demand.

When there are fewer homes on the market, prices tend to rise, which is a good sign if you plan on selling your home.

New Housing Starts

Homebuilders sit out tight economies. When people are back to work and spending money again builders begin new developments. While national new housing starts are important, keep an eye on the state and local trends.

While it’s wise to monitor economic indicators to help time your home sale to coincide with the top of the market, there’s also a danger in that. The only sure-fire way to know that we’ve hit the price peak of the market is when prices start falling. By then, it’s too late.

Real estate markets move in cycles and can take excruciatingly long to change, or they can transform almost overnight. The ideal time to sell a home is when prices are high and there is lots of competition from homebuyers.

That time is now.

When I bought my first home my priorities included a big backyard and the home had to be single-story. Yes, I was young, and obviously not too bright. I ended up with the backyard of my dreams in a single-story home that otherwise didn’t fit my lifestyle or tastes.

What’s your hot button?

Yes, it seems to be a simple question, but it turns out that the answer is complex.

Impulse buying is real. Retailers know this and take advantage of our tendency by using in-store cues to direct us to impulse buys. From magazines to peruse (and hopefully throw into your cart) as you wait in line to that snazzy lemon squeezer right next to the lemons in the produce department, impulse buys are everywhere.

The same holds true when shopping for a home. In the hands of a savvy real estate agent, a home for sale is presented in the best light possible. Trendy paint colors, strategic lighting and the presentation of a certain lifestyle are sure to appeal to many buyers. If the home appears to be in move-in condition, it’s even more appealing.

Avoid these strategic distractions by being absolutely clear on what you want and need in a home. This requires making a list.

But, this isn’t necessarily a shopping list, which is actually a list of needs. Think of it as more of a menu – a list of both wants and needs, with the latter prioritized.

Create your menu

This list should contain those features of a home and a neighborhood that are most important to you and your lifestyle.

Let’s start with the location. To do that, you’ll need to understand what type of structure you want to buy You typically won’t find mobile homes in the downtown area or condos in suburban neighborhoods. So, make this decision first:

• Condo
• Single-family house
• Duplex
• Townhouse
• Mobile home

Now you’ll need to construct that menu. Remember, your needs take priority, but there’s also room on the menu for “desert,” those things that would be nice to have, if possible. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Should the home be one story or are multiple floors ok?
• Square footage needed
• Number of bedrooms and bathrooms required
• Work from home? Put a home office on the menu
• Preferred yard size
• Do you need a garage? One, two or three-car?
• Additional amenities, such as a pool (on site or nearby?)
• Commute time
• Proximity to public transportation, schools, parks, etc.

Now, edit the list, placing priorities at the top. These are items that you absolutely cannot do without. For instance, earlier I mentioned that my priority was a big backyard. I got it, but I also got a lousy floor plan because I hadn’t taken the time to figure out its importance to me.

What’s important to other members of the family? You’ll all need to agree on which of their dream list items they’ll be willing to compromise on, if the need arises. And, it most likely will.

What are you looking for in a home? Take the time to figure it out, in detail, stick to the list, and you won’t regret purchasing your new home.

Unless you have a big stash of cash, you’ll need to borrow money to buy a home. Oh, you’ll still need some cash (for the down payment and closing costs), so don’t stop socking it away just yet.

In fact, one of the things that confuses our clients most is the down payment they’ll pay when they get a home loan. So, today we’ll share some of the questions we most frequently field.

Why do I have to make a down payment?

Not all home loans (also known as “mortgages”) require a down payment, but most do. There are several reasons for the requirement. Primary among them is that the money helps protect the lender in case you default on the loan.

Secondary to that is the fact that lenders understand that borrowers with “skin in the game” are more apt to do whatever it takes to hang on to the home and not allow the loan to go into foreclosure.

Is the down payment the same as the earnest money I give the seller?

No. The earnest money’s purpose is to show the seller that you are earnest about buying the home. The amount varies and it is typically held in a broker’s trust account or in escrow until either the purchase is finalized or you or the seller back out of the transaction.

When the purchase is finalized, the earnest money deposit is credited toward your down payment or, in some instances, closing costs.

The purchase contract contains what are known as “contingencies.” For instance, your purchase may be contingent upon you obtaining final loan approval. Should this not come to pass, you can walk away from the purchase with a full refund of your earnest money deposit.

If, on the other hand, you get cold feet and walk away from the deal, the seller may have the right to keep the deposit.

I’ve heard that some sellers help pay the down payment. Is that true?

No, it is not true. Sellers cannot help the buyer with the down payment. On the other hand, they are allowed to contribute toward the buyer’s closing costs.

You can, however, use gifted funds, as long as the money doesn’t come from someone directly involved in the transaction. The person who gifts you the funds must be able to document where the money came from.

If the gift funds are undocumented, you’ll need to have them in your bank account for at least 60 days before the lender will consider them “seasoned.” In fact, even your own down payment funds must either be sourced or seasoned, so if you need to move money around, do it as soon as possible.

Can I use money from my retirement account to pay the down payment?

Yes, you can, but we urge you to speak with your financial advisor or accountant before doing so. There may be penalties or tax ramifications that you should consider.

You’ll find information on borrowing money from your 401k at smartasset.com and moneycrashers.com. You’ll also find an article about why it isn’t a good idea to withdraw retirement funds for a down payment at kiplinger.com.

Again, we urge you to speak with a financial advisor before making the decision.

How much will I need to pay for a down payment?

How much you’ll be required to pay for a down payment depends on the loan product you’re using. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Agriculture loan programs require no down payment but each has specific eligibility requirements.

Other loan programs, such as those offered through FHA and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer low down payments and the range is generally tied to credit scores. With a conventional loan, you’ll typically be expected to pay 20 percent of the loan amount for the down payment.

But, consider voluntarily paying a larger down payment, if it’s within your budget. The more you pay, the smaller the loan amount will be and, thus, the smaller your monthly loan payment will be.

Make a down payment that nets you 20 percent equity in the home and you won’t be required to purchase private mortgage insurance, which adds a hefty premium fee to your monthly house payment.

When is the down payment due?

While you will need to show the lender proof of your funds for the down payment, the actual monies aren’t due until closing.

The lender will send you a form, called the “Loan Estimate.” While it breaks down all of the costs associated with the loan, pay special attention to the “Costs at Closing” section, specifically the second line under that heading, “Estimated Cash to Close.”

You’ll find a sample Loan Estimate online at consumerfinance.gov.

This amount reflects how much you’ll need to provide to your lender before the transaction is closed. It includes the down payment and closing costs and the lender typically requires the funds be in the form of a cashier’s check or wire transfer.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have additional down payment questions or to clear up any confusion on other real estate-related topics. We’re happy to help.

A few years ago, RealtorMag put out a list of the “Top 10 Most Common Home Inspection Problems.” They range from faulty wiring to roof problems to foundation flaws.

Whether caused by deferred maintenance or just the aging of the home, the older a home is, the more likely it is to have issues.

Most buyers of newly-built homes breathe a sigh of relief over their assumption that they’ll be escaping having to fork over large chunks of money for someone else’s problems. And, they typically decide to forego a home inspection.

Yes, new homes don’t have deferred maintenance. Yes, all the components in these homes are new. That doesn’t mean, however, that the home is without an entirely different set of problems.

And that Certificate of Occupancy issued by the local municipality only guarantees that the home is livable, not that everything is in working order.

New doesn’t equal perfect

Not everyone who works on new homes during the construction phase is a master craftsperson. Laborers and contractors have varying sets of skills and experience. While most are conscientious, others cut corners.

Additionally, most of the construction tasks, such as framing, plumbing, foundation and electrical, are subcontracted out – usually to the lowest bidder. Speed, not quality of work, is the most important consideration for the builder.

Errors and omissions in construction, while not overly common, do occur. Bruce E. Holmes, an engineer based in Florida, tells Bankrate.com that he looks for fit and finish problems, such as crooked walls, connections that aren’t tightened and reversed hot and cold water lines.

Municipal inspectors aren’t enough

Don’t assume that county inspectors will find all problems that may exist. Bankrate relates the story of a private inspector that went through a custom-built home during construction, but after the county inspector performed his inspection.

He found cracked floor joists, missing fireblocks and what he describes as “tons of stuff” wrong with the construction.

Reuben Salzman, with Structure Tech in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area of Minnesota, wrote a five-part series, with photos, of problems he has found in newly constructed homes. It’s well worth a visit to his blog, if only to view the eye-opening photos.

Too late?

Because some problems require seasonally-unique conditions to become apparent, most builders offer their buyers a warranty. For example, water intrusion into a basement won’t be apparent until the first big rain.

Warranty terms vary, but most offer terms for different types of work. For instance, you may receive a one-year warranty for faulty labor and materials, two years for mechanical defects and ten for structural problems, according to Ilona Bray, legal editor for Nolo.com.

“The result is that the best parts of the warranty expire quickly — your carpeting, tiles, paint, and roofing, for example, may not be covered after the first year,” she said. Bray also suggests that you obtain an independent, professional home inspection before each warranty expiration date.

Since homeowner insurance typically doesn’t cover construction defects, get to know the warranty. Consult with your attorney, if you must, but ensure that you understand all aspects of it.

Whether you have a home inspection during construction (do so before the drywall goes up) or upon completion, the peace of mind it offers is worth the price.

“In my experience, there is no correlation between houses we hold open a lot and houses we do not hold open at all and how fast or at what prices they ultimately sell for,” claims an unnamed real estate broker at zillow.com.

Then, there is real estate “scientist” Tim Ellis’ analysis of a study performed by a large real estate conglomerate. In San Francisco, he claims, “holding an open house is so expected there that homes that don’t hold an open house are a full seven percentage points less likely to sell than those that do.”

So, which is it? Do open houses help sell homes or are they a waste of time? Let’s take a look at both sides of the question.

Opposing Goals

Home sellers and their listing agents often hold opposing views on whether or not to hold an open house. The homeowner believes that holding the home open to the public exposes it to a broader pool of potential buyers.

The real estate agent, on the other hand, will typically hold an open house not only to lure in potential buyers but to attract more clients as well. In fact, skeptics of open houses will say that the real purpose of the guest register by the front door is part of the agent’s attempt to pick up new clients.

Then, there are others who claim that busy agents with lots of clients generally feel that open houses are a waste of time.

The stats

A hunt for research into the effectiveness of the open house as a home sales tool highlights the lack of available information. The National Association of REALTORS® finds that 45 percent of buyers use the open house as an “information source,” but fails to mention the percentage of these folks who actually purchased the home.

The study that Ellis analyzed finds that geographic location has a lot to do with whether an open house will sell a home. As mentioned earlier, San Francisco homes that are held open are more likely to sell than those that don’t have an open house.

In Las Vegas, on the other hand, only 3 percent of homes are held open, so naturally, homes here are more likely to sell without an open house.

“Everywhere else, the picture gets a little more fuzzy. In the other eight markets we examined, there was virtually no difference in the percentage of homes that sold, whether they had an open house or not,” Ellis claims.

One additional finding is worth noting: Homes that are held open during the first week of the listing period are 13 percent more likely to sell than homes not held open at all.

Furthermore, the likelihood of a sale doubles if the agent skips the first week and holds an open house later during the listing period.

Overall, this particular study shows that an open house is a must if you live in San Francisco and it’s a waste of time for Las Vegas homeowners. What about everywhere else? “It likely doesn’t really matter. . .” says Ellis.

The reality

Just as some hair stylists cut hair better than others and some lawyers are brilliant in front of a judge while others fall apart at the thought of it, some real estate agents are better at holding open houses than others.

Therefore, whether an open house “works” or not depends not only on the agent’s skill set, but on geography, seasonality and a host of other conditions.

Overall, it is effective marketing that sells a home and the most potent weapon in your marketing arsenal is your real estate agent. Whether or not he or she lists open houses in the marketing plan should have less to do with the agent’s effectiveness than their overall marketing chops.