Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Homeownership Education & Counseling”
By Barbara Ballinger Millennials are buying houses—many for the first time—and in doing so they’re learning that houses require maintenance, which can often be pricey. These days, repairs can also be a challenge if the homeowners are not handy since contractors can be as scarce as the houses in some communities. Puronics, a Livermore, Calif.-based company that develops pure water …
By Ryan Fitzgerald Given the large financial requirement of buying a home, it’s often out of reach for a large portion of the U.S. population. The economic recession, which was triggered by the collapse of real estate and mortgage lending markets, further decreased home buying accessibility. A number of lenders have returned to the 20 percent down requirement when purchasing …
By Marc Guzman We all know how important your credit score is when it comes to borrowing money for credit cards, auto loans and home loans. But how many of us really take the time to educate our clients on the benefits of preparing their credit score before they buy a home? Buying a home can be very exciting and …
By Toby Boyce The question on my local NPR station was simple enough: “Why do symphonies sound different when they are made up of the same parts?” The response was very eloquent and educated — I assume. It made as much sense as Pig Latin to me. “Well each one focuses on different things…” I’m sure that musicians in the …
From REALTOR® Content Resource: Not the double whammy. Your clients’ home being burglarized while they’re on vacation would be a total downer. If they also work from a home office, they’d probably suffer the mother of all stress headaches. Spare clients that post-vacation pain by branding, printing, and hand delivering free info on how to do a home office security …
Prospects waffling over the value of buying a home? Share the free article “7 Home Ownership Tax Advantages” from the REALTOR® Content Resource. At the REALTOR® Content Resource, you can share consumer articles directly to Facebook, Twitter, and email. You can also add them to your blog, website, or e-newsletter or even print them as handouts with your branding. Want …
More home buyers are being asked to pay a developer a fee—called a private transfer fee—at closing even if the home has transferred ownership several times since the developer initially sold it. Help buyers understand—and possibly negotiate away—private transfer fees by sharing free information from “Private Transfer Fees Affect Home Pricing & Marketability” from the November “Home Ownership Matters” theme …
Consumers who’ve been through foreclosure may think their days of owning a home are over. Not true. Share the “5 Steps to Owning a Home Again After Foreclosure” from the November “Foreclosure Resource Guide” now available at the REALTOR® Content Resource. Here’s just some of the information: 1. Rebuild your nest egg. Establish a safety net. Since you’re coming out …
By Kelly Reark I have been representing a buyer since June of this year when he made the decision to put in an offer on a short sale. We aren’t closed yet, and it has been a bumpy road. Our journey actually began in January of 2007, but who’s counting? There are many ways that this deal could die along …
By G. M. Filisko, contributing writer, HouseLogic Working with sellers looking for another way to make their home stand out? Suggest they dip their toes into a yard-watering system that saves water and money. Almost one-third of the water the average family uses—an average of 100 gallons a day—ends up in home owners’ yard and garden, according to the U.S. …
