We know how tough it can be when you are buying a home, especially if you are a first time home buyer. But that’s where having a good real estate agent comes in handy.

And when it comes to buying, there are certain things that you want to make sure to do before you buy your home. This will prepare you to qualify for the best rates and get the best deals out there as well as make the entire process work smoother.

So let’s jump right into it!

Check Your Credit Score

Your credit score is one of the most important factors. You want to know what it is so that you can try and improve it. You can learn how to improve your credit score which will help you get a better rate on your loan.

Get Pre-Approved By A Lender First

Most buyers make the mistake of contacting a real estate agent first, and then try and go to the lender. The problem with this is that if you aren’t qualified for a loan, you won’t be able to know how much you can qualify for.

Know The Expenses Of Buying A Home

There are a lot of expenses that go into the cost of a home such as taxes, property insurance, the mortgage, repairs, etc.

Work With A Skilled Agent

Make sure that you are working with a skilled agent that knows the Fresno/Clovis area. It can make a huge difference if you are trying to work with a “friend” who lives in Visalia.

You might be doing your friend a favor by using him or her, but you are doing yourself no favors at all.

Buy What You Are Comfortable Paying

I know this seems obvious, but you will be surprised how many people buy way too much house and then regret it later. You have to remember that a house isn’t perfect.

There will be repairs and fixes to do along the way. You will have to have extra money for those issues that may arise.

Use A Reputable Home Inspector

Find a home inspector that is a part of the American Society of Home Inspectors, or someone your real estate agent knows and trusts.

You want someone who knows what he or she is doing and is not motivated to miss issues to encourage a sale.

It is also advisable to find your inspector if you do not know your real estate agent well. The last thing you need is a real estate agent recommending you use their favorite inspector because he is not that thorough.

While most real estate agents are honest people, there are always a few bad apples in any industry you need to be on the lookout for.

Be Sure To Understand The HOA

Many times when, if you choose a home to live in that has a gated community, there are homeowner association (HOA) fees involved.

They are basically a set of rules that must be followed to maintain the “curb appeal” of all properties in the community. A fee is always included, but it is worth it if you don’t want to deal with messy neighbors.

Just make sure you fully understand the rules and ask for a copy of the HOA rules because many of them can be extremely strict and you don’t want to buy your home then find out you can’t plan your favorite Italian Cypress tree in your front yard because your HOA doesn’t allow it!

Don’t Do Anything To Affect Your Financial Situation

One of the biggest mistakes we see is people going and taking out car loans right before they are ready to buy a new house. Don’t take out any loans period!

This will affect your debt-to-income ratio on your loan application and cause you to qualify possibly for lesser of a house.

Conclusion

I hope these tips give you a better understanding of what NOT to do before purchasing a home. It will save you a lot of heartache in the process!

Happy home hunting!

Let us know if we can help. You can call us at 559-825-1823.

The post 8 Things To Do Before Buying A Home appeared first on Iron Key Real Estate.

Finding the right home and one that truly fits your lifestyle is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. It should fit with your lifestyle and have the right floor plan and style that you’ll love for years to come.

Today I wanted to dive and share some important considerations when purchasing a home.

Size

Size is important when considering a home. If you’ve got a large family, they probably won’t be comfortable in a small two-bedroom, but a sprawling ranch-style may not be the best choice either unless it meets other needs – such as enough bathrooms.

Floor Plan

Floor plans may vary according to location. For example, if you live in the city, floor plans may range from multi-level brownstones while more suburban settings will give you more outdoor space and room to grow.

Do you like to entertain? Then, consider a floor plan that flows easily – not one chopped up so you can’t visit with your guests while in the kitchen. A backyard or patio may also be important so the overflow of people have room to move around.

If you have trouble visualizing a floor plan that will work for you, consider hiring a design professional for guidance. Your real estate agent may also be able to point you in the right direction and help you consider things that aren’t visible to the eye, such as energy costs or Home Owners Association costs.

Your instincts will usually guide you in the right direction. If a floor plan, style and location just “feels right,” it probably is. But, use your common sense or consult an expert if you’re not sure about making a final decision.

Location

Clearly, if you enjoy living in an urban area where you’re close to restaurants, shops and other amenities, you should look for a downtown home that fits your style and your needs.

Growing families may be better off in a country or suburban settings where schools and the neighborhood are important considerations. Think about your pets too. A home with a back yard may suit your needs more than having to get in an elevator each morning to walk the dog.

Consider the layout of your new home more than the décor or fancy finishes. It should flow easily from room to room and be functional for what you love to do. Don’t choose based on great carpet in the living room but look for how welcoming it will seem to guests coming from a kitchen or foyer area.

When considering your home purchase consider if you’re going to be using your current furniture or buying new furniture that will better fit your floor plan. If you want to use your current furniture, be sure to measure the area to be sure it will fit.

While most of us tend to go over-the-top when it comes to purchasing a home, the price of those fancy features or location usually bring us back to earth. You know what you like, what you can live with and what are absolute deal breakers.

The post Buying A Home That Fits Your Lifestyle appeared first on Iron Key Real Estate.

Therefore below, we have listed out a few things that we would recommend you do to your home to make it look amazing when that potential new buyer pulls up for the very first time. An attractive home is one that can hook a potential buyer’s interest and make him want to know more.

Clean Exterior

You want to make sure that the outside of your home’s exterior is clean. It can be easy for a home that gets shade to have areas where algae can grow. Get your home power washed or do it yourself to remove anything that makes your home look dirty.

A clean exterior can boost the asking price, while a dirty one can detract from it. So clean the siding, the brick, shutters if you have them, the front door and all the windows.

Touch Up Paint

Don’t forget to wash the gutters and drain pipes. Paint whatever needs painting. For some people, this means painting the wood around the windows or the door. Some people paint their garage door.

You’ll want to be careful if you do that. Not all paints that say they can be used on a garage door are high quality. The paint will peel or fade in the sun and your garage door will look splotchy.

Make Sure Your Yard Is In Good Shape

A good real estate agent in Clovis will always tell sellers to make sure the yard is in good shape. This includes any side yards as well. The lawn should be neatly mowed and remain that way during the entire selling process.

You need to be sure the lawn is edged and no grass is growing in the cracks of any sidewalks that may border your home. If you have landscaping that’s not appealing, you need to take it out and replace it.

Add Some Flowers

Potential buyers like to see color when the pull up to a house. That means you should have flowers in the yard or in containers on the porch. Hang ferns from the porch if it would look appropriate.

Splash It With Color

Or add other splashes of color such as upscale rocking chairs with colorful cushions. You can also build or have someone build flower boxes and fill those with colorful blooms.

Put a beautiful wreath on the front door. Make sure that any shrubs or trees have fresh mulch. If you have bare spots in your lawn, fix those. You want the lawn to look beautiful and inviting.

Make It Shine

Look at the shape of your mailbox. Many people forget to check this, but a rusted mailbox isn’t appealing. Replace an old one with an updated version and do the same with any outdoor lighting and house numbers.

Pay attention to how your fence looks. You may need to replace some panels or replace the entire fence. If your driveway has seen better days, you can get it repaired – and that’s fairly inexpensive – plus it adds good curb appeal

Conclusion

A Clovis real estate agent can give you a comprehensive checklist of what to make sure you take care of or you can get one yourself. You want to have someone else give their take on your curb appeal because they’ll be seeing it with an unbiased point of view.

Make sure to give Sean or Chelsea a call today to help you with staging your home and listing it for the highest price possible!

The post Increasing Your Curb Appeal appeared first on Iron Key Real Estate.

“Who Pays For The Closing Costs?”

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Sean and Chelsea answer the question…..“Do you need 20% down payment to buy a house?”

The post Buying A Home in Clovis – Down Payments appeared first on Iron Key Real Estate.

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Selling your home can seem like a daunting task.  You are trying to get the best price as possible and you hope that everything goes down without any hiccups.

The purpose of showing your home is to hook a buyer. You want the buyers to come through your house and be impressed – so impressed in fact, that they’re ready to make an offer.

You’ll have one chance to make a first impression on the potential buyers and you want to make it count.

Curb Appeal

Focusing on the outside is the first tip. Make sure that you don’t neglect the outside of your home.

Curb appeal can make or break the odds of someone even bothering to get out of the car to come in. If they pull up and see a home with a lawn that obviously needs edging and has an unkempt flower bed, they’re going to wonder what else hasn’t been cared for properly.

You want the outside of your home to be spotless. Clean the siding, the windows, and the doors. Make sure there are no dirt smudges, no cobwebs and that anything that needs painting has been spiffed up.

Take Yourself Out Of The House

The second tip is to take yourself out of the house. That means that you want to take out all the personal stuff. Remove the family photos from the wall or tables. You want the home to look neutral so that the potential buyers can look at your house and picture it as themselves living there.

Everything should be as neutral as possible in terms of personal items.

Remove Extra Clutter

The third tip is to pare down all the extra clutter you see at first glance. If you look around, it’ll amaze you at how much stuff you’ve accumulated over the years.

Some of it might very well be important, but that doesn’t mean that your potential buyers should see it. When you have a lot of clutter, it shrinks the living space of the house.

It makes it look and feel cramped and smaller. Many homeowners get something called house blindness. They’ve lived in the home for so long with the same clutter that they don’t even really see it anymore.

But a stranger will always notice. So clean out your house and make the space as big as possible.

Make Your Pets Invisible

The fourth tip is that if you have a pet, no one who walks through your house should be able to notice it exists.

That means no cat litter box, no dog to jump on anyone, no food sitting around in a dish. Your home should not have any pet odors. Having a clean house that’s odor-free is a big selling point.

You don’t want to lose a possible deal just because they can smell your pet’s presence or your pet makes a bad impression. The fifth tip is to stage your home. You can hire a professional or you can do it yourself.

Stage Your Living Areas To Show Off  Your Home

Stage your living areas in a way that shows off your home. You can rent furniture to make your home furnishings look good if you don’t use a stager. Someone who knows how to stage a house knows how to play up the best features of your home and knows what to bring in or get rid of to make the entire house appeal to a buyer.

Conclusion

There are many things that you can do to help your home sell quicker and at the highest price.  Make sure to check out our free Seller’s Guide to help with selling your home for top dollar.

The post 5 Tips to Ensure Your Home’s Showing Is a Success appeared first on Iron Key Real Estate.