Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Downsizing is a Good Idea as Homeowners Age

You purchased a large property to fulfill the requirements of your family with kids. Now your kids are gone and settled in their own homes and careers. You are living with your spouse in the same large house, somehow coping with the maintenance costs and huge utility bills. Why don’t you move into a smaller apartment or house to cut down on your expenses and maintenance costs? Referred to as downsizing, this concept has become very popular among old age couples preparing for their retired life without kids and their families.

Cut down on your expenses

Are you frustrated by the fact that you have to mow the lawn on your own in an attempt to save on the fee charged by a gardener? Do you find it irritating to pay for the cost of heating and cooling such a large area inside the house when you and your spouse are effectively using only a small percent of the area?

Well, this is the case with most couples staring at their impending retirement with their children having moved to faraway places, settled in their careers. You can get rid of these extra expenses by simply selling your large house and moving into a smaller house or apartment. You can even start to live in a rented place, depositing all the cash you get by selling the house into your bank account.

There are emotional costs of downsizing

Cost of ownership is not limited to just financial costs. There are so many memories attached to the place you called your home for so many years. You have the neighbors and your friends living in the area. It can be painful leaving all these memories behind. Also, you need to find your new home in a place that is not too far away from the kids and your friends otherwise traveling back and forth could add to your expenses.

Calculate the cost of selling and buying

Selling your large house will no doubt fetch a lot of money in your hands but do not forget the commission of your agent and other related costs of selling. Add to this the cost of buying your new small home and take a decision to downsize only when you are able to save a considerable amount of money for your retired life. Downsizing proves counterproductive if you cannot give up on your ego and plan to splurge on furniture and other household items like before.

Learn more about C21 Lady of the Lakes Realtors and the numerous services they offer including: buying a new home, selling a home, or renting a home at www.ladyofthelakes.com.  To contact one of our real estate agents call 734-426-6060 today.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

The Smart Way to Buy a Home

Buying a house is perhaps the biggest financial decision of your life. You must remain careful and take a wise and informed decision as it is a matter of crucial importance for you.

Why are you buying the property?

There can be many reasons why you have decided to buy a property.
  • You are fed up of living in a rented property
  • You want to pay the EMI of your own home rather than feeding your landlord
  • Your family has outgrown the space available in your present home
  • You are interested in buying a rental property
  • You want a property having a yard
  • You desire to live closer to your workplace
Once you know the real reason behind your desire to buy a property, it becomes much easier to identify and buy the right property matching your requirements.

Can you afford buying a property?

Knowing the answer to this question is very important in arriving at a decision to buy a property. Of course it is a great way of building an asset for your family and an investment into your future. But only you know whether you can easily afford the monthly repayments to the lender for a long time to come. If you are settled in your career and sure of receiving increments in future, you can go ahead and buy a home for your family.

Preparations before buying

You may be surprised to know this but it is a fact that there are some preparations that are necessary to be carried out before you start the process of buying.

Make the green file
If you do not know, green file is a file that contains financial documents of an individual necessary for securing a loan. It includes:
  • Your banking details
  • Financial statements
  • Investments and assets
  • Credit card details
  • Loan details
  • Recent paystubs
  • Tax retunes
  • Life insurance policies
  • Retirement account information

Check your credit report

This is perhaps the most important step in your preparation for buying a property. Every lender studies your credit report and pays attention to your credit score before deciding in favor, or against giving you mortgage loan. Ask your credit report from one of the three credit ratings (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union) and check your score before you go and apply for a mortgage loan in a bank. It is your credit score that decides how much of a loan the lender will give and at what rate of interest.
Be realistic with your expectations
Many individuals are very happy and excited when starting their search for a new home. All their enthusiasm fizzles out when they find that they are not getting their dream home in the price range that they have in their mind. If you have seen 3-4 houses and feel that you are not getting what you have in your mind, you have to remain prepared to make some compromises. This is exactly how people are able to buy homes for their families. A little compromise on space, location, price, and features is what you should be mentally prepared for. If you are too picky, you will spend a lot of time seeing houses and still not be satisfied with any of them.

Learn more about C21 Lady of the Lakes Realtors and the numerous services they offer including: buying a new home, selling a home, or renting a home at www.ladyofthelakes.com.  To contact one of our real estate agents call 734-426-6060 today.