Investment tips

Home improvement tips and tricks to help sell your home

If you find yourself pondering ideas found in places like Better Homes and Garden or some other home improvement magazine, then this article might inspire you. Even those living in a luxury property will find these useful tips that can turn a room from ‘ho-hum’ by giving the WOW factor! These features may also capture a buyer for your house or condominium who’s looking for unique interior decor. Read on to learn more.

Curb Appeal Tip –

Use art to impress your next buyer. Since first impressions are lasting, take into consideration how new homeowners view your property? A house or condo that is lacking in aesthetics will set the pace for the rest of the estate. Using your space to create

Don’t wait until you’re ready to move to start preparing financially to buy a home.

If you’re like the vast majority of home buyers, you will choose to finance your purchase with a mortgage loan. By preparing in advance, you can avoid the common delays and roadblocks many buyers face when applying for a mortgage.

The requirements to secure a mortgage may seem overwhelming, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. But we’ve outlined three simple steps to get you started on your path to homeownership.

Even if you’re a current homeowner, it’s a good idea to prepare in advance so you don’t encounter any surprises along the way. Lending requirements have become more rigorous in recent years, and changes to your credit history, debt levels, job type

Some of the features that increase property values are obvious-like a remodeled bathroom, a modern kitchen, or a sought-after neighborhood.

But here are a few features and circumstances you have not have realized can affect property values.

• The neighbors:

  Not every neighborhood or community has an HOA that can keep the neighbors from going overboard with decorations or neglecting to care for their home. Homes adjacent to crazy neighbors can potentially be undervalued.

• Trendy groceries and coffee:

  Recent statistics suggest that if your home is a short walk from popular grocery stores like Whole Foods or coffee chains like Starbucks, it can actually appreciate faster than the national average.

• Mature trees:

  A big

INTRODUCTION

Turn on the television or scroll through Facebook, and chances are you’ll see at least one advertisement for a group or “guru” who promises to teach you how to “get rich quick” through real estate investing. The truth is, much of what they’re selling are high-risk tactics that aren’t a good fit for the average investor. However, there is a way to make steady, predictable, low-risk income through real estate investing. In this blog post, we’ll examine the tried-and-true tactics that can be used to increase your income, pay off debt … even fund your retirement!

WHY INVEST IN REAL ESTATE?

One of the basic principles of real estate investment lies in this fact: everyone needs a place to live. And according to the Bureau of Labor

If you’re in the market for a new home or investment property, one of the first questions you’ll probably ask is, “What can we afford?” Many buyers become so caught up in how much they can afford that they don’t realize their total buying power — that is, the total amount of purchasing potential they actually have.

Buying Power Defined

Your buying power is comprised of the total amount of money you have available each month for a mortgage payment. This means the money you have each month after fixed bills and expenses. Any money you’ve saved for a down payment, the proceeds from the sale of your current home, if applicable, and the amount of money you’re qualified to borrow all impact your buying power as well. When you take all of this into

Wealth is within reach for many people; however, according to a recent study, 63 percent of Americans said it’s not likely they’ll become rich.1 While younger people are more likely to say they’ll achieve wealth one day, only 34 percent of people aged 30 to 49 and 21 percent of people aged 50 or older say the same. There is no secret to becoming rich: it takes time, sacrifice and good financial sense. Here are a few ways to build your household’s wealth.

Let Compound Interest Work for You

Compound interest is your interest earning interest. While the concept may work against you when you take out a loan to buy a car or use your credit card, it works in your favor when you’re saving money. For example, if your savings is growing at a rate of

What is Home Equity?
Home equity seems to be a very simple calculation — the total amount of mortgages owed subtracted from the current market value of a home. Here is a simple example:

Current Home Market Value $325,000
Existing Mortgage $225,000
Homeowner Equity $100,000

One side of the equation is well defined, and it is found on the monthly mortgage statement, the loan balance. The other side is less obvious — the current market value of the property.

As a homeowner, your down payment purchases your initial equity, and your monthly (or additional) principal payments increase your equity. In strong real estate markets and in-demand locations, equity can increase quite rapidly as the property value increases, but the inverse can also happen —

Home Improvements: Cost vs. Value

Should you renovate your luxury property before you put it on the market?

Preparing your home properly before it is shown can often make or break a sale. As a seller, what you see as a minor problem can be a major turn-off to buyers. Jean-Luc Andriot, of Jean-Luc Andriot Boca Premier Property Group, suggests taking the time and money to repair certain items, but also warns that some repairs are just not worth it.

“Be careful that you choose wisely in the projects you undertake when your goal is to maximize your selling price,” he says. “There are specific things that need to be done to impress qualified buyers. A member of our team will be happy to guide you on what improvements we think will bring you the