Category: Starting A Family

How to Buy a Home in Denver, Colorado

As one of the top five fastest-growing cities in the US, Denver is quickly becoming the place to be. The vibrant city life, the outdoor culture, and the growing economy are attracting numerous people looking to become Denver homeowners.

If you, like many others, have noticed how much this Colorado city has to offer, you might be wondering how home-buying works in Denver. We’ve got you covered. Here’s what every Denverite or potential Denverite needs to know about becoming a homeowner.

Start With a Budget

Before the hunt for your dream home can begin, you’ll need to determine how much you can afford. Get in touch with a lender to talk this through. Your lender will help you determine how much of a down payment you’ll need, as well as what kind of monthly payment you can expect.

Once you speak with a lender, you’ll know what kind of loan you qualify for, and you can narrow down your search to homes within your budget. Now you’re ready to really get serious about finding your future home.

When looking for a lender, many people start with their bank. Your bank isn’t a bad place to start, but don’t forget to shop around for the best rate. If you don’t check out all the options, you might miss out on deals from companies like Homie Loans. Homie Loans guarantees they can get you the best rate possible. In fact, if you find any lender with a better rate, they’ll give you $500 cash*.

Find the Right Agent

Most people work with an agent while buying a home, but not everyone knows how essential it is to find the right agent to work with. The right agent will be experienced and knowledgeable about the highly competitive Denver market.

Your agent should also understand your goals and interests as a prospective buyer. They’ll use their knowledge of your goals with their knowledge of different neighborhood vibes to help you find the perfect fit for you. If easy access to the mountains is one of your priorities, your agent will tell you which cities to look at. If downtown living is your thing, your agent can help you find a good deal in a vibrant, Denver neighborhood.

When you have an expert agent on your side throughout the whole home buying experience, you’ll never have to stress about missing out on important information or getting the bad end of a deal. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle when it comes to real estate, but agents are there to make each step along the way easy on you. That’s why the sooner you bring an agent in to help, the better.

Check Out the Options

Now it’s time to start looking at homes. For many people, this is the fun part of buying a home. Your agent will help you find homes in the areas you’re interested in. It can be a lot of fun to visit potential neighborhoods and imagine yourself as a resident. If a home really catches your eye, don’t be afraid to visit more than once. You want to be sure that it’s the right one for you.

Be sure to be thorough when checking out your options. You don’t need to settle for something you’re not happy with. If you’re not looking for the extra work that comes with a fixer-upper, don’t skip the home inspection. Some homes have issues that you wouldn’t have noticed without an inspection. You want to find a home that’s in great condition.

When you’ve found the perfect home, your agent will help you determine if it’s listed at a fair price. A home could check every box on your wishlist, but if the price isn’t right, it may not be the right one for you. One of your agent’s main jobs is to help you negotiate to get a price that works for you. On the other hand, if the price is where you’d like it, your agent will help jump on that home faster than any of the other potential buyers.

Streamline the Process With Homie

Whether you’re a home-buying veteran or this is your first rodeo, Homie will make your experience the best it can be. Searching for your dream home is a breeze when you have our easy-to-use app.

When you work with Homie, you don’t only get access to the app, though. You’ll also have your very own, top-ranked licensed agent who will help you every step of the way. Our buyers’ agents are dedicated only to their buyers, so you’ll get the best quality service throughout the process.

To get access to amazing homebuying tools and some of the best agents in the state, you might think you’d have to pay top double, but not with Homie. We want to make homeownership accessible to everyone, which is why working with Homie is more affordable than working with any traditional realtor. We offer buyers a refund of up to $2,500 at closing. With those savings and those benefits, buying with Homie is a no-brainer. Click here to start the process.

*Subject to terms and conditions.

Get more tips on buying your Denver home!

5 Tips to Help You Afford Your First Home
Common Home Buying Fears and How To Overcome Them
Can You Buy and Sell a Home at the Same Time?

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The post How to Buy a Home in Denver, Colorado appeared first on Homie Blog.

Source: homie.com

By February 3, 2021.    Starting A Family  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Call Center Manager Pleads Guilty to $2.5M Mortgage Scam

A call center manager in Everett, Washington used many thousands of bogus mail ads to bilk about 1,000 homeowners out of $2.5 million, according to federal char

Source: themortgageleader.com

By February 2, 2021.    Home Improvement, Starting A Family  , ,  

3 Big Reasons Your Home Offer Was Rejected—and How To Play It Right Next Time

handing over keysNatee Meepian/Getty Images

For first-time home buyers, finding the perfect place to settle down is hard enough. But then to have the offer you’ve made on it rejected? You might be tempted to start reconsidering this whole homeownership thing altogether.

But hold on! Having your home offer rejected doesn’t have to mean it’s back to renting. In fact, if you play your cards right, you might just be able to turn that rejection around—or at least learn from the experience and come back a stronger candidate the next time.

The most important aspect of a rejected offer is understanding why it was rejected, and for that we turned to the experts. Here are a few common reasons your home offer might have been rejected, and a few helpful tips on what you can do about it.

3 common reasons sellers reject home offers

Home offers are rejected for myriad reasons. Here are some of the most common ones, as explained by the experts.

1. Your offer was too low

The first and most obvious reason your home offer could have been rejected is if the dollar amount didn’t meet the seller’s expectations. This might mean your offer was insultingly low, or that it was just low compared with other offers.

Often, buyers “believe the best way to start a negotiation is with an offer that’s lower than what they’re willing to pay,” says Colby Hager, owner of CapstoneHomebuyers. “This can work, but it can also backfire. When a seller is considering multiple offers, the low offer seems less serious and could indicate further negotiating headaches down the road.”

Keep in mind that sellers are looking for a good deal just as much as you are, and you should plan on working with your real estate agent to make sure the sellers at least feel like they’re getting one.

2. Your earnest money deposit was too ‘cheap’

If there’s one part of the offer you shouldn’t cheap out on, it’s the earnest money deposit. This deposit (also called an EMD or “good faith” deposit) basically signifies how interested you are in the home and that you plan on moving forward with the deal, all the way to its closing.

“Believe it or not, there are buyers who get cold feet and walk away from a transaction days before closing,” says Shannon Hall, broker and owner of Dwellings by Rudy & Hall. “The EMD should be enough to let a seller know you’re very interested, and also uncomfortable with the idea of leaving it on the table.”

Since many contracts stipulate that a seller can keep the earnest money deposit when a buyer walks at the last minute, you should feel certain about the house—and then convey this certainty by leaving a significant deposit.

Hager recommends putting down at least 1% of the purchase price to show sellers you mean business.

3. You asked for too many contingencies

Sellers don’t just want the best price for their home; they also want the easiest deal—which means no complications.

“Sellers like the least number of contingencies,” stresses Hall.

“But that’s not to say that a buyer should waive the due diligence period,” she adds. “Make it shorter, but don’t waive it. And if you need multiple contingencies, that’s fine; but look for a home that’s been on the market for at least 30 days.”

Since sellers are generally more willing to make concessions on a home they’ve been trying to sell for several weeks, this is a good approach to take if you’re a picky buyer with multiple contingencies.

“Sellers also don’t like to give away their money to help someone get into a home,” says Hall.

Make your deal an easier and more appealing one for sellers by sticking to the fewest number of contingencies possible, getting due diligence done quickly, or targeting homes that have been on the market for longer.

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Watch: 5 Things You Should Never Do When Buying a Home

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What to do if your home offer is rejected

The first step is understanding why the offer was rejected in the first place.

“If an offer was rejected, a buyer can try again, depending on the reason it was rejected,” explains Karen Parnes, broker and owner of NextHome Your Way.

“If you need a certain home sale contingency, for instance, and can’t remove it, then move on,” Parnes says. “But if you can pay more and the market warrants it, resubmit a better offer.”

How to avoid future home offer rejections

Although rejection is sometimes unavoidable, there are things you can do to increase your chances of making a successful home offer.

For instance, “a buyer should come into the market already aware that he or she will have competition,” Hall says.

In addition to putting your best foot forward, you should be sure you’re working with an agent who has the skills to close the deal.

“A good real estate agent can help by guiding the buyer on the expected norms of offers in their area,” says Hager.  “A real estate agent will also know the market and help you figure out if starting with a lower offer is advisable—or if a strong offer out of the gate will get the best results.”

One final bit of advice: Work with an agent who understands seller interests.

“The buyer’s agents who most often win the day are the ones who reach out to sellers before submitting an offer,” says Hager. “They have the best chance of not being rejected because they took the time to understand the seller’s situation.”

And if your home offer still gets dismissed, don’t be too disappointed. In a seller’s market, “buyers are bound to have their offers rejected,” says Parnes. “Homes are coming off the market quickly, and sellers’ expectations are high.”

If your offer gets rejected, work with an agent to fix it or simply move on to the next home. Then make an offer the seller can’t resist.

The post 3 Big Reasons Your Home Offer Was Rejected—and How To Play It Right Next Time appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Source: realtor.com

By February 2, 2021.    Home Improvement, Starting A Family  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Homie & Girl Scouts Partner to Build Cookie Castle

As with many things in 2020, selling homes and cookies is being done differently; that’s why we’ve teamed up with the Girl Scouts-Cactus Pine Council in Arizona. In an effort to foster creativity, engineering, and entrepreneurial skills amongst the Girl Scouts we’ve donated $15,000 to the foundation.

Similar to Homie, Girl Scouts encourages innovation and finding new ways of doing things. When Girl Scouts were forced to sell cookies indoors as a result of safety precautions due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to create something eye-catching and fun. The result – a cookie castle.

What is a Cookie Castle?

One local Girl Scout, Mija and her father are building a 9-foot by 9-foot by 13-foot tall castle mostly out of Girl Scout cookie boxes. This will be the focal point to the Cactus Pine Council’s cookie selling space located at The Shops at Norterra in Phoenix beginning on February 7th.

Girl Scout Mija with her father in front of the cookie castle

Why Partner?

“At Homie, we applaud innovation and embrace making smart, creative changes which is why we wanted to support and encourage the Girl Scouts-Cactus Pine Council’s cookie selling efforts this year,” said Joshua Miller, General Manager at Homie Arizona. “When we learned they were forced to shift gears we wanted to support the fundraising efforts and life skills by aiding in the building of the cookie castle.”

The annual cookies sale is a major fundraiser for Girl Scouts in Arizona, supporting opportunities for girls to learn, grow, and enjoy new experiences. The Cactus Pine Council’s goal is to sell 2.1 million packages of cookies this year.

How Can I Help?

1. Visit the cookie castle – The public can purchase cookies and view the cookie castle every Sunday in February, beginning on February 7th at The Shops at Norterra.

2. Purchase Girl Scout Cookies – Not located in Phoenix? Find cookies by visiting gscookiefinder.com.

Homie is committed to serving and giving back to our local communities. You can also support the Girl Scouts and other meaningful foundations by buying or selling with Homie.

The post Homie & Girl Scouts Partner to Build Cookie Castle appeared first on Homie Blog.

Source: homie.com

By January 19, 2021.    Starting A Family  , , , , ,  

LendingHome Names New CEO, Rakes in $75M in Funding

LendingHome, a lender that focuses on fix-and-flip loans to residential real estate investors, has secured the ninth biggest proptech funding round of 2020, as

Source: themortgageleader.com

By January 18, 2021.    Home Improvement, Starting A Family  , ,  

These Pandemic-Related Housing and Design Trends Aren’t Going Away

Hispanolistic/Getty Images

Home trends come and go, but social distancing and staying at home have ushered in a new way of life—and some of those changes have spurred home trends that are likely to stick around well past the COVID-19 era.

“The idea of what is necessary is changing,” says Camille Thomas, a real estate matchmaker and lifestyle expert in Jackson Hole, WY. “The home has become more than a living space.”

This means a lot of people have started to evaluate how they live in their home and what matters most to them when buying.

Here are some of the real estate and design trends people have latched on to during the pandemic that will likely have staying power for years to come.

The great escape

Quarantine has caused more than a few people to pack up their lives and head out of crowded cities to the suburbs (or even the country) in search of more room to breathe. One in 5 U.S. adults says they either changed their residence due to the pandemic or know someone who did, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

In fact, as people buy homes in the suburbs, housing inventories in those areas are dwindling faster than in urban areas, according to realtor.com®’s September Urban vs. Suburban Growth Report.

“People are not wanting to be in a city where it feels too crowded right now,” says Suzi Dailey, a Realtor, who’s with Realty One International in California’s Orange County. “They are leaving cities in favor of homes with more space, a backyard, or some type of view.”

Thomas says in the mountain town of Jackson Hole she is seeing buyers come in from Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Houston, and Chicago.

“Some are purchasing sight-unseen,” she adds.

Also, with more companies allowing their workforce to work from home, many people are no longer tied to a specific city for employment. Most housing experts agree that this trend of increasing preferences for suburban homes will continue.

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Watch: These Are the Home Features Buyers Want in the COVID-19 Era

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The Zoom room

Regular videoconferencing from home—whether you’re an employee or a student—is a new reality, and it’s become increasingly common to see agents and sellers including Zoom rooms in listings as part of a home’s features. But what is a Zoom room, anyway?

Essentially it’s a dedicated room or corner of your home that features an aesthetically pleasing background for your videoconference calls. Zoom rooms are free of household clutter and typically removed from the high-traffic parts of the house. And experts predict the dedicated video room trend is likely to persist for buyers beyond COVID-19.

“Buyers are looking for extra space to create workspaces for students and working parents,” says Thomas. “Three bedrooms is no longer enough. Now it must be three bedrooms and an additional workspace, at least.”

Clean and cozy design

Photo by ME Design Group

Interior design trends are always changing. But throughout the pandemic we’ve seen homeowners doing everything they can to create a cozy, simple, clean, and comfortable vibe inside their homes.

“It’s a focus on an open floor plan, lighter wall colors, and no clutter,” says Dailey. Elements that capture this aesthetic are comfortable sofas, throw blankets, candles, herb gardens in the kitchen, and houseplants that make a person feel at home.

“Especially with COVID-19, you do not want a home that feels dirty. That’s why clean, simplistic decor and decluttering have become very popular,” says Dailey.

And that feeling of streamlined coziness is extending to the outdoor areas of the home, too.

“Sales of space heaters, such as the tall standing heaters for porches, patios, and outdoor spaces, are already going through the roof,” says Dailey.

The backyard premium

It’s little surprise that homebound owners—or would-be owners—are focusing more on backyard spaces. Some buyers are even willing to settle on a smaller house or a house in a less desirable area in order to have a large backyard where they can spend more time in the open air.

“For some, that means moving farther outside of town for the same-size house with more land. Others are moving into small townhouses so they can purchase a small farm outside of the city,” says Mary Patton of Mary Patton Design.

The post These Pandemic-Related Housing and Design Trends Aren’t Going Away appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Source: realtor.com

By January 18, 2021.    Home Improvement, Starting A Family  , , , , ,