I love, love, love driving around listening to music and checking out all the homes on the market!
Improve Your Chances For Loan Approval by getting PRE- APPROVED!
With inventory diminishing daily and multiple offers being extremely common, it is of great importance that you position yourself to have the "Best Chance" to get your offer accepted.
You enhance your chance of getting the home of your choice by doing the following:
Get pre-approved for the purchase:
This takes very little time and is of great value. At this time, identify the price range for which you qualify and which fits your lifestyle.
Submit a strong competitive offer:
Submit the offer as if there will be multiple offers.
Include substantial earnest money deposit:
Acceptance of an offer is sometimes determined by the amount of the deposit. A larger amount may signify a bigger commitment to the seller.
Minimize or eliminate contingencies:
The fewer contingencies, the stronger the offer.
Make a buyer profile available:
Time on the job, flexibility, reason for purchasing seller's home, etc.
Be prepared to preview a new property quickly:
Homes sell sometimes in hours. Be prepared to make decisions quickly and be accessible to change the terms instantly.
Buyer and agent to have instant communication access:
Let us maintain instant access to each other via office phone, voice mail, fax, pager or cellular phone.
Mortgage Application Checklist
- Copy of your Purchase & Sale Agreement
- Your present mortgage information
- Two-year history of employment and verification of all income sources
- If self-employed, copies of past two years Federal Income Tax Returns
- Information about your checking, savings and credit card accounts
- Name, account number and outstanding balance of each of your debts
- Application deposits
- Information about any assets
- Information regarding any other assets that will be used as funds to close
- If FHA - Copy of Social Security card and photo ID
- If VA - Certificate of Eligibility or DD214
If Employee Relocation Client - include relocation information and copy of offer, promissory note and copy of check on bridge loan
Questions For Your Lender
Are both fixed-rate and adjustable mortgage loans available?
What is the interest rate?
How long can I "lock-in" the financing at the current interest rate?
Is a float down lock available in case rates drop after I have locked in?
What are the other fees a lender may charge me in conjunction with my loan?
Are funds for a second mortgage available?
On adjustable loans:
- How often will the interest rate be adjusted?
- Is there a maximum limit on each rate change?br>
- How often will the monthly payment be adjusted?
- Is there a ceiling on payment adjustments?
- Can the term of the loan be extended?
- What is the maximum rate that can be charged over the life of the loan?
- Is there any potential for negative amortization?
- Is there a pre-payment penalty clause?
- This involves extra charges for paying off the loan before maturity. About 80% of all loans in the United States are paid off early.
- What is the "grace" period? How late can a monthly payment be made before a late charge is assessed?
- What will happen if a payment is missed?
- If you sell your house, will the new buyer (if he/she qualifies) be able to assume your mortgage at the same interest rate?
- Do you have to pay "points" to get your new mortgage? Usually lenders charge points for the cost of giving you a mortgage loan. A "point" is 1% of the loan.
- Will the lender require mortgage insurance?
- Is the loan serviced locally or is the servicing sold?
- Ask for a written "good faith deposit".
Make Your next house a HOME!
I'd like to meet:
Be sure to check out our FEATURED HOMES at
www.KNOLLWOODREALTY.COM
Visit Us at:
11854 Balboa Blvd
Granada Hills, CA 91344
Office (818)366-7107 Ask for me, Debra Stocker
-Finding the right home
-Selling your current home
-Finding Investment property
-Help with relocation
-Providing local information
-Please contact me for superior service!
The Knollwood Realty Pledge: "You have our firm commitment that we will work hard with you to fulfill all of your real estate needs now, and in the future! We have over twenty-five years of real estate experience in the area. Our goal is to offer you the best service possible to help make your dreams come true. Since most of our business is from repeat Clients and referrals, your needs are extremely important to Knollwood Realty! Let Our knowledge and know-how work for you!"
Cathy DeRose- President, Knollwood Realty
Did I tell you too, I love animals! So don't forget your fury friends behind when you move in your new home!
Selling a Home
As a homeowner, you can play an important part in the timely sale of your property. When you take the following steps, you'll help your Sales Associate sell your home faster, at the best possible price.
The easiest and most reliable way to improve the appeal of your home is to enlist a quality home service professional. The right professional can help you get everything in order - from repainting the kitchen to providing a thorough cleaning.
Make the Most of That First Impression
A well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter-free porch welcome prospects. So does a freshly painted - or at least freshly scrubbed - front door. If it's autumn, rake the leaves. If it's winter, shovel the walkways. The fewer obstacles between prospects and the true appeal of your home, the better.
Invest a Few Hours for Future Dividends
Here's your chance to clean up in real estate. Tidy the living room, the bathroom, the kitchen. If your woodwork is scuffed or the paint is fading, consider some minor touch-ups and redecorating.
Updating the hardware on kitchen cabinets, adding new slipcovers to sofas and keeping a vase of fresh flowers in the entryway are some simple touches that can go a long way.
If you're worried about time, hire professional cleaners or painters to help get your house ready.
Remember, prospects would rather see how great your home really looks than hear how great it could look "with a little work."
Check Faucets and Bulbs
Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Burned-out bulbs or faulty wiring leave prospects in the dark. Don't let those problems detract from what's right with your home.
Don't Shut Out a Sale
If cabinets or closet doors stick in your home, you can be sure they will also stick in a prospect's mind. Don't try to explain away sticky situations when you can easily plane them away. A little effort on your part can smooth the way toward a closing.
Think Safety
Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of self-set booby traps: roller skates on the stairs, festooned extension cords, slippery throw rugs and low-hanging overhead lights. Make your residence as safe as possible for visitors.
Make Room for Space
Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space. They're looking for storage space, too. Make sure your attic and basement are clean and free of unnecessary items.
Consider Your Closets
The better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now's the time to box up those unwanted clothes and donate them to charity.
Make Your Bathroom Sparkle
Bathrooms sell homes, so let them shine. Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in the tubs and showers. For added allure, display your best towels, mats and shower curtains.
Create Dream Bedrooms
Wake up prospects to the cozy comforts of your bedrooms. For a spacious look, get rid of excess furniture. Colorful bedspreads and fresh curtains are a must.
Open Up in the Daytime
Let the sun shine in! Pull back your curtains and drapes so that prospects can see how bright and cheery your home is.
Lighten Up at Night
Turn on the excitement by turning on all your lights - both inside and outside - when showing your home in the evening. Lights add color and warmth, and make prospects feel welcome.
Avoid Crowded Scenes
Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a home filled with people. Rather than giving your house the attention it deserves, they're likely to hurry through. Keep the company present to a minimum.
Watch Your Pets
Dogs and cats are great companions, but not when you're showing your home. Pets have a talent for getting underfoot. So do everybody a favor: Keep Kitty and Spot outside, or at least out of the way.
Think Volume
Rock-and-roll will never die. But it might kill a real estate transaction. When it's time to show your home, it's time to turn down the stereo or TV.
Relax
It's best if you're not there when your home is being shown. However if that's not possible, be friendly – but it's not necessary to force conversation. Prospects want to view your home with minimal distraction.
Don't Apologize
No matter how humble your abode, never apologize for its shortcomings. If a prospect volunteers a derogatory comment about your home's appearance, let your experienced Associate handle the situation.
Keep a Low Profile
Nobody knows your home as well as you do. But Sales Associates know buyers - what they need and what they want. Your realitor will have an easier time articulating the virtues of your home if you stay in the background.
Don't Turn Your Home into a Second-Hand Store
When prospects come to view your home, don't distract them with offers to sell those furnishings you no longer need. You may lose the biggest sale of all.
Defer to the Experienced Realitor
When prospect buyers want to talk price, terms or other real estate matters, let them speak to an expert - your realitor!
Help Your Agent
Your realitor will have an easier time selling your home if showings are scheduled through his or her office. You'll appreciate the results!
