Real Estate Info

Real Estate Info

After helping thousands of buyers and sellers, Coldwell Banker Lingle can offer you knowledgeable tips for getting the most out of your transaction.

However, you can take a big shortcut. Select your Coldwell Banker Lingle agent right away. Your agent will do much of the work and make the entire process more enjoyable and less of a burden.

Four Tips for Buying A Home

Step 1. Ask yourself key questions about what you want.

Where do you want to live? Close to school, shopping or work?
What style home would you like?
How many bedrooms and bathrooms?
Do you want a garage, fenced yard…?
Finished home or handyman project?
Price range?

Step 2. Prepare…to avoid problems:

Order a personal credit report and correct inaccuracies.
Explore the market. Call 965-4663 for information on current listings. Visit open houses. Discover what's available.
Start saving money for a down payment and closing costs.
Don't incur additional debt. Pay down credit cards.
Don't change jobs - most lenders require 2-years current employment.
Contact a Coldwell Banker Lingle agent …your shortcut to finding what you seek.

Step 3. Decide what you can afford?

Lenders often use qualifying ratios: 28/36 or 25/33. The first number in each pair is a percentage of your gross income. The second is a percentage of gross income less other debts.

Example 1: Calculate 28% (about 1/4th) of your gross monthly income (before taxes and other deductions). If you make $3,000 per month, 28% of that is $840 per month.

Example 2: If you make $3,000 per month, but have a $250 a month car payment, 36% of $3,000 is $1,080, minus the $250 car payment equals $830). Obviously if you have more debt you would qualify for less.

Step 4: Choose a Lingle Agent to…

Help analyze your financial situation
Explain the process of finding a home and making a purchase.
Locate suitable properties and set up appointments
Help you complete necessary paperwork to make an offer
Help arrange financing.
Help you get inspections completed.
Assist at closing to assure everything runs smoothly.

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What to Expect when Selling Your House

Price it smart to sell.

Your home is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Your Coldwell Banker Lingle professional will help you determine the market value of your home and how to obtain top-dollar. The following affects market value:

Age and condition of your home
Need for repairs or updating
Sale price of similar homes in the area
Area trend for increasing or decreasing values
Number of homes for sale in your area
Size and amenities

Plan to Make Your Home Look Its Best

Offer the very best product. Prospective buyers will carefully inspect your house.

Tips to Improve Curb Appeal
Keep the exterior neat
Painting the trim
Clip the hedges,
Mow, edge and weed the lawn.
Plant flowers in growing season.

Tips to Make the Inside Inviting

Lighten up dark corners
Add fresh pain
Put the clutter away to give rooms an open feeling.
Eliminate "stale" odors. (On the day of an open house, consider baking some cookies or bring in some fragrant fresh flowers.)

Your Coldwell Banker Lingle Agent will Handle Marketing

Buyers will not simply walk through your door. Your Coldwell Banker Lingle agent will initiate a proven-program to find buyers.

Signage
Internet marketing
Open houses
Exposing your property by networking with other agents
Newspaper and other published media
Pre-screening prospects

Responding to Offers
When a prospective buyer makes an offer you have three options:

Accept the offer
Reject the offer
Make a counter offer

A counter offer will usually encourage a buyer to continue negotiations. A lower offer from someone paying cash may be attractive compared to an offer from someone needing to sell a current home first. Other considerations include contingencies, move-in dates and financing.

What to Expect After You Accept An Offer

Professional house inspections
Appraisal to assure the lender of your property's worth
Title company search and warranty against liens or existing encumbrances
You and/or the buyer may elect to have an attorney review paperwork.

Your Coldwell Banker Lingle agent will guide you through the entire selling process from pricing, home preparation, marketing, offer review and closing.