Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

Staying at home in 2020 caused of lot of owners to think about how nice it would be to have a larger home to accommodate the additional activities that come along with isolating.  Particularly for people with children at home or possibly, the potential of either adult children or parents coming to live with them. There are other owners who are trying to weigh the pros and cons of selling their larger home and downsizing.  For entirely different reasons, the advantages could be very appealing to an owner.  A smaller home is easier to maintain and usually, has lower utilities, insurance, and property taxes. Some people might be considering the convenience and ease of mobility of a single level home.  It may be finding a location with proximity to the activities they are now interested in.  A newer home might have less maintenance and be more energy efficient. Married taxpayers who have owned and occupied a principal residence for two years can exclude up to $500,000 of capital gain

Rental homes whether they be single-family detached properties, condos, two, three or four-unit properties share many of the same benefits.   Most people instinctively understand many of the working parts because they are the same as their home.   They have a basic understanding of value and how to maintain the property.   The service providers for a home would be the same for a rental home. These properties allow an investor to obtain a large loan-to-value mortgage at fixed interest rates for up to thirty years.   They appreciate in value, currently exceeding many other assets; have defined tax advantages and allow an investor more control than many alternative investments. Most lenders require 20-25% down payment and will finance the balance at rates close to owner-occupied homes.   Buyer closing costs will add another three to four percent to the amount of cash needed to close.   It is also prudent to have available funds for repairs and maintenance. There are successful rea

Imagine what happens when there is not a pre-listing inspection.   The buyer contracts for the home with a provision for professional home inspection.   When it is made, there could be things that the buyer didn't expect or even, anticipate.   If it doesn't trigger an action to terminate the contract, the buyer will inevitably, ask the seller to make all the repairs. When presented with the buyer's request, the seller may take the opposite position of not wanting to do any of the repairs.   The buyer could accept the property in its "as is" condition or negotiate the repairs or a reduced price with the seller. Any experienced agent can tell you that sometimes a mutually agreed negotiation is reached and other times, an impasse is met that cannot be resolved.  The contract is terminated, and the house has to go back on the market but this time, a disclosure has to be made to all parties looking at the home which may deter showings. Taking a pro-active approac

A much-repeated investment strategy is to buy low and sell high.   Some people who purchased around the financial crisis of 2010-2012 are poised to make considerable profits. The median home price in America is now $295,300 up from $155,600 in February 2012 which calculates close to an 8% annual increase.   The median equity that homeowners have earned during the same period is $140,000. Inventory is in short supply while demand is high which has caused prices to increase.   Factors that continue to contribute to the lower number of homes on the market are record low mortgage rates and housing starts have not met expectations since the Great Recession.   This year, people spending more time at home due to the pandemic has caused some people to rethink their current living space which has added to the demand. Some experts believe that a significant portion of the workforce will continue to work from home after the pandemic has passed making the motivation for a larger home more of

Debt-to-Income ratio is a tool that lenders use to qualify buyers for a mortgage and is an important factor in determining loan approval.   It provides an indication of the amount of debt that a potential borrower is obligated to in relation to how much income they have. Total monthly debts are determined by adding the normal and recurring monthly debt payments such as monthly housing costs, car payments, minimum credit card payments, personal loan payments, student loans, child support, alimony, and other things. By dividing the monthly income into the monthly debt, you arrive at a percentage of the monthly income.   Lenders actually look at two different ratios commonly called the front-end and the back-end. The front-end ratio is the proposed total house payment including principal, interest, taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance if required, and homeowner association fees.   Lenders generally don't want these expenses to be more than 28% of the monthly gross income.   Th

Ideally, each party will pay their own closing costs associated with the purchase and the sale of a home, but they can be negotiable based on lender requirements and market conditions. The fees are usually paid at the settlement and will be itemized on the closing statement.   Buyers should be aware of them before contracting for a home.   If a mortgage is involved, the lender will want to verify that the borrower has ample funds available at closing to pay for them. Buyer's closing costs can range between two to five percent of the sales price.   The real estate agents should be able to give you an estimate of what a buyer can expect.   The most accurate estimate will come from the lender at the time the loan application is made. They may or may not include other fees that will be charged to buyers by the title or escrow company. Buyers are required to be provided a standard Closing Disclosure form at least three business days before the loan closing date.   This document wi

Mortgage assumptions have not been a practical matter for the last 30 years because mortgage rates have been on a steady decline.   Even if the seller had a rate lower than the current rate, the new purchaser must qualify to assume the loan.   In the case of conventional loans, the lender has the right to increase the rate to the current rate which neutralizes the reason for assuming the loan.   This change took place in the early 1980's when lenders added due on sale provisions so lower rates could not be assumed. FHA and VA loans can be assumed at the existing rate with the provision that the purchaser qualifies for the loan.   This could be an advantage if the rate on the loan to be assumed was lower than the current mortgage rate for FHA or VA and the buyer is going to owner-occupy.   Unfortunately, investors are prohibited from assuming FHA and VA loans. Besides the obvious advantage of a lower rate which would have a lower payment, the closing costs are lower on an assu