Steps To Get The Best Mortgage Rate

If you're in the market for a mortgage, chances are you've been instructed to shop around for the best rates. But just because you've been told to shop around doesn't mean you know how.First, you'll need to contact a lender to get your credit scores. Craig March, a personal mortgage consultant with Inlanta Mortgage in Janesville, Wis., says you should share your credit scores with other lenders rather than letting each one you contact pull your credit history, because multiple inquiries could lower your scores.
 "There are so many different credit score models that the score you see as a consumer may not be the same as the one a mortgage lender sees, so it's important to get your score from a lender," says Mark Richards, a senior mortgage loan officer for TD Bank in Washington, D.C.
Brian Martucci, a mortgage lender with GetLoans.com in Washington, D.C., says every borrower must be prepared to answer the following questions before a lender can provide an accurate mortgage rate quote:

• How large is your down payment? Interest rates vary according to your loan-to-value ratio.

• Are you buying a single family home or a condominium? Martucci says a borrower purchasing a condominium with a loan-to-value ratio above 75% will pay a one-quarter percentage point higher interest rate.

• Are you refinancing or purchasing? Interest rates may be higher on a refinance, especially if you are taking out cash, which could raise your rate by one-eighth of a percentage point.

Your plan for the best rates

No. 1: Establish a baseline. Get a referral from someone you trust and contact the recommended lender to obtain your credit scores and discuss your loan options. Your lender can help you compare Federal Housing Administration and conventional financing, as well as various loan terms, so you can make an informed decision on which loan program and terms you want before you contact other lenders.

No. 2: Contact a mix of financial institutions. Interest rates fluctuate constantly for a variety of reasons, including the occasional promotion of a particular loan product by a financial institution. For example, some lenders who are eager to generate more purchase loans might offer the best mortgage rates for homebuyers but not for refinancing homeowners, says Martucci. Sometimes a credit union or bank will introduce a new loan product and offer better mortgage rates in order to entice borrowers, says March.
"It's best to diversify and try a mix of places, such as a direct lender, a regional bank, a credit union, a community bank and a national bank," says March.

No. 3: Decide when you want to close. The length of your lock-in period will impact your mortgage rate, so discuss your target close date with each lender and ask about the charges for different loan-lock periods.
"Make sure you tell the lender when you expect the closing to be, because you want to lock in the interest rate for the right length of time," says Richards. "Many lenders charge one-eighth percent more if you must lock-in the loan for 60 days. If you need a 90-day loan lock, your interest rate could be as much as one-third percent higher."

No. 4: Ask about fees. The variation in fees associated with a loan are one reason why you shouldn't comparison shop solely based on the best advertised interest rate. Sometimes a mortgage at a lower advertised rate can end up costing you more because of all the fees associated with it.
"Some lenders blend all their fees into a loan preparation fee, while others separate them out, so be sure to ask for the total amount it will cost to close the loan," says Martucci.
Generally, a mortgage with higher fees should have a lower interest rate, says March.
If you're refinancing, use HSH.com's Tri-Refi Refinance Calculator to compare your options for paying closing costs. Experiment with the options to find out if you should you wrap the closings cost into the loan amount, pay them in cash or choose a "no-cost" mortgage.

No. 5: Consider whether you should pay points. One of the largest expenses can be the points attached to a particular loan. Each point is equal to one percent of your loan amount.
"You need to make sure you discuss with each lender how the loan will be structured in terms of whether you are paying points or not," says March.
If you intend to stay in the home for the long term, such as 10 years or more, you may want to pay points to keep your interest rate as low as possible for the life of the loan. If you plan to sell in a few years, paying a lot of cash upfront to pay points may not be worth it, says Richards. A lender can show you the difference in interest and monthly payments to help you decide whether worth it to pay points.

No. 6: Call lenders on the same day. Because mortgage rates fluctuate constantly, you should call lenders as close to the same time as possible on the same day to compare rates, says Martucci.
"If possible, call within the same timeframe, because a bond rally could mean that mortgage rates have dropped dramatically from the morning to the afternoon," he says.
After you have organized your financial information, follow the six steps above to ensure that you get the best mortgage rate available.ge rate available.

Deductions for Homeowners

What's Deductible? -- A to Z

Acquisition debt. See Mortgage interest.

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Boats as homes. A boat that has eating, sleeping and sanitary facilities can qualify as a first or second home, so you can deduct mortgage interest paid on the loan secured by the boat to buy it. However, if you are subject to the alternative minimum tax, this write-off is not allowed.

Cancelled debt on foreclosure or short sale. Generally, when a debt is canceled or forgiven, the borrower is considered to have received taxable income equal to the amount of the canceled debt. However, through 2012, up to $2 million of debt discharged on a mortgage on a principal residence -- in a foreclosure, for example, or short sale -- can be tax-free.

Casualty loss. If your home was damaged or destroyed -- by fire or storm, for example -- you may be able to get financial help from Uncle Sam by deducting a casualty loss on your return. Your deduction for a 2010 loss is generally the total of your unreimbursed loss reduced by $500 100 and further reduced by 10% of your adjusted gross income.

Depreciation on home. Profit due to depreciation claimed on your residence before May 7, 1997 -- because you had a home office, for example, or at one time rented out the property -- qualifies for the rule that lets you treat $250,000 of home sale profit as tax-free income. (The limit is $500,000 if you're married and file a joint return.) Profit due to depreciation after May 6, 1997, is taxed at 25%, unless you're in a lower tax bracket, in which case that rate applies.

Discharged debt. See Cancelled debt on foreclosure or short sale.

D.C. first-time homebuyer credit. If you bought a home in the nation's capital during 2010, you may be eligible for a $5,000 tax credit. It doesn't really have to be your first home ... just a home you purchased in the District of Columbia after not owning one in D.C. for at least one year. It doesn't matter if you have owned a home elsewhere. This break phases out as income exceeds $70,000 on single returns and $110,000 on married filing jointly returns. See first-time homebuyer credit. If you bought during the part of 2010 when the nationwide homebuyer credit was available (see below), you must choose between the two credits. You can’t claim both.

Energy credits. You can earn a 2009 tax credit for installing energy-saving home improvements such as new doors, new windows, energy-efficient furnaces, heat pumps, hot water heaters, air conditioners, etc. The credit is 30% of the cost of installing such energy savers, up to a top credit of $1,500. For windows and doors, the credit is based on the cost of the materials; for furnaces and air conditioners and the like, you can count the cost of installation, too. A bigger credit is available for more ambitious projects – like solar hot-water heating systems, geothermal heat pumps and, yes, even residential wind energy systems. Start generating your own power and Uncle Sam will rebate 30% of the full cost of your system…with no dollar cap.

First-time homebuyer credit. If you bought a home during the first four months of 2010, you may qualify for either an $8,000 or $6,500 home buyer credit. And, you don’t really have to be a first-time home buyer to qualify for either credit. To qualify for the $8,000 credit you (and your spouse if married) must not have owned a home in the three years leading up to the purchase of your new home. The credit is 10% of the purchase price of the home, up to a maximum credit of $8,000. No credit is allowed for homes that cost more than $800,000.

To qualify for the $6,500 credit, you must be a long-time homeowner, defined as owing and living in the same principal residence for five of the eight years leading up to the purchase of your new home. The credit is 10% of the purchase price of the home, up to a maximum credit of $6,500. No credit is allowed for homes that cost more than $800,000.

Timing is everything. To qualify for either credit, you must have signed a binding contract on your new home before May 1, 2010, and you must have closed on the deal by September 30, 2010.

Unlike a first-time home buyer credit available in 2008 – which had to be paid back over 15 years by adding $500 in each of those years to the taxpayer’s tax bill – the 2010 credit does not have to be paid back, as long as you live in the principal residence for at least three years.

First-time homebuyer credit repayment. The $7,500 first-time homebuyer credit that was available for qualifying purchases after April 8, 2008, and before January 1, 2009, must be repaid starting with your 2010 tax return. To repay this “interest-free loan”, you must add $500 each year to your tax bill until the full $7,500 is repaid. If you sell or otherwise stop using the house as your home before the credit is fully repaid, any remaining balance must be repaid with your tax return for the year of the sale.

Foreclosure. See Cancelled debt on foreclosure or short sale.

Home-equity debt. Interest on up to $100,000 of debt secured by your first or second home -- using a second mortgage, say, or home equity line of credit -- can be deducted, regardless of how the money is used. The use of home-equity debt gives homeowners an opportunity to skirt the rules that generally block the deduction of debt used to buy automobiles, for example, or pay for vacations.

Home-office deduction. You can deduct the costs of a home office that you use exclusively and regularly for business. This includes depreciation, utilities and insurance for the office portion of your home. To qualify for the tax break you must either meet with clients there regularly, or the home office must be your principal place of business (unless it is not attached to your house).

Home-sale exclusion. Up to $250,000 of profit from the sale of your home can be tax free; $500,000 if you are married an file a joint return. To qualify, you must own and live in the house for periods totaling two years out of the five years leading up to the sale. A reduced exclusion is available if you fail the two-year test due to unforeseen circumstances such as a move resulting from a job change, for example, or divorce. You can use this exclusion any number of times but no more frequently than once every two years.

IRA payouts for first-time homebuyers. You can withdraw as much as $10,000 from a traditional IRA before age 59½ without penalty if the money is used to buy the first home for yourself, a child or grandchild, or your parents or grandparents. Although the payout avoids the normal 10% early-withdrawal penalty, it is taxed. Different rules apply to tapping a Roth IRA for the purchase of a home. See Roth IRA payouts for first-time homebuyers.

Loan prepayment penalties. If your lender charges you a penalty for prepaying your mortgage early, the charge is deductible as mortgage interest.

Mortgage interest. You can deduct interest on up to $1.1 million of loans used to buy or build or improve your first or second home and secured by the property. Up to $1 million of such debt is called acquisition debt, which must be used to acquire or improve the property, and up to $100,000 more is called home equity debt, which can be used for any purpose.

Mortgage interest credit. If you received a mortgage credit certificate from a state or local governmental agency, you can claim a tax credit of up to $2,000 of mortgage interest paid.

Moving expenses. If a move is connected with taking a new job that is at least 50 miles farther from your old home than your old job was, you can deduct travel and lodging expenses for you and your family and the cost of moving your household goods. If you drive your own car, you can deduct 24 16.5 cents a mile for 2009 2010 moves. (For 20102011, the standard mileage rate for moving is 16.519 cents a mile.) If you moved to take your first job, the 50-mile test applies to the distance between your old home and your new job. The deduction is allowed even if you do not itemize deductions.

Parsonage allowance. For members of the clergy, the value of a home provided by the church is a tax-free fringe benefit. A housing allowance is also tax-free.

Points. Points you pay to get a mortgage for your principal residence are generally fully deductible in the year paid, even if you persuade the seller to pay your points for you. They are not deductible if paid as part of a refinancing a mortgage on your principal home or on a second home; in that those cases, you deduct the points over the life of the loan.

Presidentially declared disaster. If your home was damaged or destroyed in an area that the President declared a disaster area, special rules apply to the casualty loss deduction. For one thing, for 2009 losses the law waives the requirement that you reduce your loss by an amount equal to 10% of your adjusted gross income to arrive at the deduction. And, youYou may choose to deduct your loss in the year it occurred or the previous year, whichever is more advantageous. If you claim a 2010 loss on a 2009 amended return, for example, you’ll get your tax savings via a refund check from the IRS.

Property taxes. See Real estate taxes.

Real estate taxes. You can deduct state and local real estate taxes paid during the year on any number of personal residences you own. (A 2009 break that allowed homeowners who claimed If you choose to claim the standard deduction rather than itemize deductions, you canto boost their standard deduction to include some of the property tax they paid was not renewed for 2010.)add $500 if single or $1,000 if married filing jointly to the regular standard deduction amount if you paid at least that much in state and local real estate taxes. If you own rental properties, real estate taxes on them are deducted on Schedule E where you report rental income.

Real estate taxes when you buy a home. If you bought a home during the year, check to see if the seller had prepaid property taxes for a period you actually owned the home. If so, include that amount in your property tax deduction for the year . . .even if you did not reimburse the seller.

Recreational vehicle. If your RV has cooking, sleeping and sanitation facilities, interest on a loan used to buy it can qualify as deductible mortgage interest on a first or second home. If you are subject to the alternative minimum tax, interest on an RV loan is not deductible.

Refinancing points. Generally, points paid when refinancing are deducted over the term of the loan. But if you refinanced a loan that you previously refinanced, you can deduct in full the as-yet-undeducted points remaining on the prior loan. There's a catch, however: If you refinanced with the same lender, the remaining points must be amortized over the term of the new loan.

Rehabilitation credit. If your residence is certified by the government as a historic building, you can claim a tax credit for 20% of the cost of renovating it. The renovation must be substantial, and the expenses must be incurred within a 24-month period.

Reverse mortgage. Amounts received under a reverse mortgage -- either a lump sum payment or periodic payments -- are tax free. Interest that accrues on a reverse mortgage is not deductible until it is paid, and then only interest on up to $100,000 of debt can qualify.

Roth IRA payouts for first-time homebuyers. Because the rules for the Roth IRA allow you to withdraw contributions at any time without penalty, the Roth can be a powerful tool for saving for a first home. Say you and your spouse each put $5,000 a year into a Roth for five years. The entire $50,000 could be withdrawn tax- and penalty-free for a down payment and, because the accounts have been opened for at least five years, up to $10,000 of earnings can be withdrawn tax- and penalty-free if used to buy your first home.

Serial refinancers.If you refinanced in 2010 and paid off a home mortgage you acquired when refinancing to pay off an earlier mortgage, any as-yet-undeducted points on the previous refinancing may be deductible on your 2010 return. See Refinancing points.

Tax-free profit. See Home sale exclusion.

Tax-free profit on vacation home. Because you can use the home-sale exclusion repeatedly, it's possible to make profit on a vacation home tax free. If you move into the place and live there for two of the five years prior to selling it, you can qualify to claim up to $250,000 of profit tax free (up to $500,000 if you are married and file a joint return).

A recent change in the law, however, has diluted the potential value of this break. For vacation homes converted to principal residences after December 31, 2008, a portion of the gain will be taxed. The taxable part will be based on the ratio of the time after 2008 when the house was a second home or a rental to the total time you owned it.

Tax-free rental income. If you rent out your home for 14 or fewer days during the year -- when there's a major sporting event or political convention in your hometown, for example -- the rental income is tax-free, regardless of how much you make.

Vacation home. Mortgage interest on your second home is deductible, just as it is for your principal residence. Property taxes can be deducted on any number of homes. If you rent the place for 14 or fewer days during the year, the rental income is tax-free to you. If you rent it for more than 14 days a year, you must report the income, but also may claim deductions for rental expenses.

5 reasons you still need a real-estate agent

You might think buying or selling on your own will save money, but it could be more costly in the long run.

The proliferation of services that help home buyers and sellers complete their own real-estate transactions is relatively recent, and it may have you wondering whether using a real-estate agent is becoming a relic of a bygone era. While doing the work yourself can save you the significant commissions that many real-estate agents command, for many, flying solo may not be the way to go — and could end up being more costly than a commission in the long run. Buying or selling a home is a major financial and emotional undertaking. Find out why you shouldn't discard the notion of hiring an agent just yet.

1. Better access/more convenience
A real-estate agent's full-time job is to act as a liaison between buyers and sellers. This means that he or she will have easy access to all other properties listed by other agents and will know what needs to be done to get a deal together. For example, if you are looking to buy a home, a real-estate agent will track down homes that meet your criteria, get in touch with sellers' agents and make appointments for you to view the homes. If you are buying on your own, you will have to play this telephone tag yourself. This may be especially difficult if you're shopping for homes that are for sale by owner.

Similarly, if you are looking to sell your home yourself, you will have to solicit calls from interested parties, answer questions and make appointments. Keep in mind that potential buyers are likely to move on if you tend to be busy or don't respond quickly enough. Alternatively, you may find yourself making an appointment and rushing home, only to find that no one shows up.

2. Negotiating is tricky business
Many people don't like the idea of doing a real-estate deal through an agent and think that direct negotiation between buyers and sellers is more transparent and allows the parties to look after their own interests better. This is probably true — assuming that both the buyer and seller are reasonable people who are able to get along. Unfortunately, this isn't always an easy relationship.

What if you, as a buyer, like a home but despise its wood-paneled walls, shag carpet and lurid orange kitchen? If you are working with an agent, you can express your contempt for the current owner's decorating skills and rant about how much it'll cost you to upgrade the home without insulting the owner. For all you know, the owner's late mother may have lovingly chosen the décor. Your real-estate agent can convey your concerns to the seller’s agent. Acting as a messenger, the agent may be in a better position to negotiate a discount without ruffling the homeowner's feathers.

A real-estate agent can also play the “bad guy” in a transaction, preventing the bad blood between a buyer and seller that can kill a deal. Keep in mind that sellers can reject a potential buyer's offer for any reason — including just because they hate his or her guts. An agent can help by speaking for you in tough transactions and smoothing things over to keep them from getting too personal. This can put you in a better position to get the house you want. The same is true for the seller, who can benefit from a hard-nosed real-estate agent who will represent his or her interests without turning off potential buyers who want to niggle about the price.

3. Contracts can be hard to handle
If you decide to buy or sell a home, the offer-to-purchase contract is there to protect you and ensure that you are able to back out of the deal if certain conditions aren't met. For example, if you plan to buy a home with a mortgage but you fail to make financing one of the conditions of the sale — and you aren't approved for the mortgage — you can lose your deposit on the home and could even be sued by the seller for failing to fulfill your end of the contract. (Keep in mind that the details of any contract may vary based on state law.)

An experienced real-estate agent deals with the same contracts and conditions on a regular basis and is familiar with which conditions should be used, when they can be removed safely and how to use the contract to protect you, whether you're buying or selling your home.

4. Real-estate agents can't lie
Well, OK, actually they can. But because they are licensed professionals, there are more repercussions if they do than for a private buyer or seller. If you are working with a licensed real-estate agent under an agency agreement, such as a conventional, full-service commission agreement in which the agent agrees to represent you, your agent will be bound by law to a fiduciary relationship. In other words, the agent is bound by law to act in his clients' best interest, not his own.
In addition, most real-estate agents rely on referrals and repeat business to build the kind of client base they'll need to survive in the business. This means that doing what's best for their clients should be as important to them as any individual sale.
Finally, if you do find that your agent has gotten away with lying to you, you will have more avenues for recourse, such as through your agent's broker or professional association or possibly even in court if you can prove that your agent has failed to uphold his fiduciary duties.
When a buyer and seller work together directly, they can — and should — seek legal counsel, but because each is expected to act in his or her best interest, there isn't much you can do if you find out later that you've been duped about multiple offers or the home's condition. And having a lawyer on retainer any time you want to talk about potentially buying or selling a house could cost far more than an agent's commissions by the time the transaction is complete.

5.  Not everyone can save money
Many people eschew using a real-estate agent in order to save money, but keep in mind that it is unlikely that both the buyer and seller will reap the benefits of not having to pay commissions. For example, if you are selling your home on your own, you will price it based on the sale prices of other comparable properties in your area. Many of these properties will be sold with the help of an agent. This means that the seller gets to keep the percentage of the home's sale price that might otherwise be paid to the real-estate agent.
However, buyers who are looking to purchase a home sold by owners may also believe they can save some money on the home by not having an agent involved. They might even expect it and make an offer accordingly. However, unless buyer and seller agree to split the savings, they can't both save the commission.


The bottom line
While there are certainly people who are qualified to sell their own homes, taking a quick look at the long list of frequently asked questions on most “for sale by owner” websites suggests the process isn't as simple as many people assume. And when you get into a difficult situation, it can really pay to have a professional on your side

6 Things You Think Add Value To Your Home - But Really Don't

Every homeowner must pay for routine home maintenance, such as replacing worn-out plumbing components or staining the deck, but some choose to make improvements with the intention of increasing the home's value. Certain projects, such as adding a well thought-out family room - or other functional space - can be a wise investment, as they do add to the value of the home. Other projects, however, allow little opportunity to recover the costs when it's time to sell. Even though the current homeowner may greatly appreciate the improvement, a buyer could be unimpressed and unwilling to factor the upgrade into the purchase price. Homeowners, therefore, need to be careful with how they choose to spend their money if they are expecting the investment to pay off. Here are six things you think add value to your home, but really don't.

1. Swimming Pools
Swimming pools are one of those things that may be nice to enjoy at your friend's or neighbor's house, but that can be a hassle to have at your own home. Many potential homebuyers view swimming pools as dangerous, expensive to maintain and a lawsuit waiting to happen. Families with young children in particular may turn down an otherwise perfect house because of the pool (and the fear of a child going in the pool unsupervised). In fact, a would-be buyer's offer may be contingent on the home seller dismantling an aboveground pool or filling in an in-ground pool.

An in-ground pool costs anywhere from $10,000 to more than $100,000, and additional yearly maintenance expenses need to be considered. That's a significant amount of money that might never be recouped if and when the house is sold.

2. Overbuilding for the Neighborhood
Homeowners may, in an attempt to increase the value of a home, make improvements to the property that unintentionally make the home fall outside of the norm for the neighborhood. While a large, expensive remodel, such as adding a second story with two bedrooms and a full bath, might make the home more appealing, it will not add significantly to the resale value if the house is in the midst of a neighborhood of small, one-story homes.

In general, homebuyers do not want to pay $250,000 for a house that sits in a neighborhood with an average sales price of $150,000; the house will seem overpriced even if it is more desirable than the surrounding properties. The buyer will instead look to spend the $250,000 in a $250,000 neighborhood. The house might be beautiful, but any money spent on overbuilding might be difficult to recover unless the other homes in the neighborhood follow suit.

3. Extensive Landscaping
Homebuyers may appreciate well-maintained or mature landscaping, but don't expect the home's value to increase because of it. A beautiful yard may encourage potential buyers to take a closer look at the property, but will probably not add to the selling price. If a buyer is unable or unwilling to put in the effort to maintain a garden, it will quickly become an eyesore, or the new homeowner might need to pay a qualified gardener to take charge. Either way, many buyers view elaborate landscaping as a burden (even though it might be attractive) and, as a result, are not likely to consider it when placing value on the home.

4. High-End Upgrades
Putting stainless steel appliances in your kitchen or imported tiles in your entryway may do little to increase the value of your home if the bathrooms are still vinyl-floored and the shag carpeting in the bedrooms is leftover from the '60s. Upgrades should be consistent to maintain a similar style and quality throughout the home. A home that has a beautifully remodeled and modern kitchen can be viewed as a work in project if the bathrooms remain functionally obsolete. The remodel, therefore, might not fetch as high a return as if the rest of the home were brought up to the same level. High-quality upgrades generally increase the value of high-end homes, but not necessarily mid-range houses where the upgrade may be inconsistent with the rest of the home.

In addition, specific high-end features such as media rooms with specialized audio, visual or gaming equipment may be appealing to a few prospective buyers, but many potential homebuyers would not consider paying more for the home simply because of this additional feature. Chances are that the room would be re-tasked to a more generic living space.

5. Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
While real estate listings may still boast "new carpeting throughout" as a selling point, potential homebuyers today may cringe at the idea of having wall-to-wall carpeting. Carpeting is expensive to purchase and install. In addition, there is growing concern over the healthfulness of carpeting due to the amount of chemicals used in its processing and the potential for allergens (a serious concern for families with children). Add to that the probability that the carpet style and color that you thought was absolutely perfect might not be what someone else had in mind.

Because of these hurdles, wall-to-wall carpet is something on which it's difficult to recoup the costs. Removing carpeting and restoring wood floors is usually a more profitable investment.

6. Invisible Improvements
Invisible improvements are those costly projects that you know make your house a better place to live in, but that nobody else would notice - or likely care about. A new plumbing system or HVAC unit (heating, venting and air conditioning) might be necessary, but don't expect it to recover these costs when it comes time to sell. Many homebuyers simply expect these systems to be in good working order and will not pay extra just because you recently installed a new heater. It may be better to think of these improvements in terms of regular maintenance, and not an investment in your home's value.

The Bottom Line
It is difficult to imagine spending thousands of dollars on a home-improvement project that will not be reflected in the home's value when it comes time to sell. There is no simple equation for determining which projects will garner the highest return, or the most bang for your buck. Some of this depends on the local market and even the age and style of the house. Homeowners frequently must choose between an improvement that they would really love to have (the in-ground swimming pool) and one that would prove to be a better investment. A bit of research, or the advice of a qualified real estate professional, can help homeowners avoid costly projects that don't really add value to a home.

       

 

6 Tips for Choosing the Best Offer for Your Home

Have a plan for reviewing purchase offers so you don't let the best slip through your fingers.

You’ve worked hard to get your home ready for sale and to price it properly. With any luck, offers will come quickly. You’ll need to review each carefully to determine its strengths and drawbacks and pick one to accept. Here’s a plan for evaluating offers.



1. Understand the process. 
All offers are negotiable, as your agent will tell you. When you receive an offer, you can accept it, reject it, or respond by asking that terms be modified, which is called making a counteroffer.

2. Set baselines.
Decide in advance what terms are most important to you. For instance, if price is most important, you may need to be flexible on your closing date. Or if you want certainty that the transaction won’t fall apart because the buyer can’t get a mortgage, require a pre-qualified or cash buyer.

3. Create an offer review process.
If you think your home will receive multiple offers, work with your agent to establish a time frame during which buyers must submit offers. That gives your agent time to market your home to as many potential buyers as possible, and you time to review all the offers you receive.

4. Don’t take offers personally.
Selling your home can be emotional. But it’s simply a business transaction, and you should treat it that way. If your agent tells you a buyer complained that your kitchen is horribly outdated, justifying a lowball offer, don’t be offended. Consider it a sign the buyer is interested and understand that those comments are a negotiating tactic. Negotiate in kind.

5. Review every term.
Carefully evaluate all the terms of each offer. Price is important, but so are other terms. Is the buyer asking for property or fixtures -- such as appliances, furniture, or window treatments -- to be included in the sale that you plan to take with you?

Is the amount of earnest money the buyer proposes to deposit toward the down payment sufficient? The lower the earnest money, the less painful it will be for the buyer to forfeit those funds by walking away from the purchase if problems arise.

Have the buyers attach a pre-qualification or pre-approval letter, which means they have already been approved for financing? Or does the offer include a financing or other contingency? If so, the buyers can walk away from the deal if they can't get a mortgage, and they'll take their earnest money back, too. Are you comfortable with that uncertainty?

Is the buyer asking you to make concessions, like covering some closing costs? Are you willing, and can you afford to do that? Does the buyer’s proposed closing date mesh with your timeline?

With each factor, ask yourself: Is this a deal breaker, or can I compromise to achieve my ultimate goal of closing the sale?

6. Be creative.
If you’ve received an unacceptable offer through your agent, ask questions to determine what’s most important to the buyer and see if you can meet that need. You may learn the buyer has to move quickly. That may allow you to stand firm on price but offer to close quickly. The key to successfully negotiating the sale is to remain flexible.

Selling Your Home: Safety First

Five real estate tasks best done early

While I'm a big proponent of avoiding premature real estate moves, there are a number of tasks that are best done before you think they need to be. These are things that tend to take longer or often turn out to be more complex than people plan for. 

1. Check your credit. 

Everyone knows that you should check your credit, or have your mortgage broker do it, some time before you get ready to start house hunting. What people fail to factor in are the real-life turnaround times on rehabbing your credit in the event there are errors, fraudulent entries, balances you need to bring down, or trade lines (credit accounts) you need to build up in order to qualify for a home loan. 

For the most part, erroneous entries should be removed/removable in relatively short order, but on occasion, something like an account that was truly, but fraudulently, opened by a relative in the borrower's name can take weeks or months to resolve and remove. Many wannabe buyers who consider themselves very responsible, financially, also may be surprised to find that lenders require that they have some demonstrable history of responsibly using credit. In some cases, they will actually need to open and maintain one or more credit accounts in good standing for a short while to qualify.

2. Change your spending habits. 

The most-overlooked benefit of the tight lending guidelines in place during the past few years is that they motivated mortgage applicants to buckle down, get out of debt and be meticulous about their credit. In the process, people actually rehabbed their spending habits and financial behaviors way in advance of buying a home, creating a level of financial discipline that is freeing, enjoyable and stands them in good stead as homeowners over the long term. 

As loan guidelines loosen up a bit, it's still advisable for buyers-to-be to get serious about the whole picture of their finances as soon as they make the decision that they want to buy a home down the road, and clean up their spending, saving, debting, and other money matters.

3. Saving. 

Some buyers save up precisely what they need to put down on a home and pay their closing costs, not realizing that they might actually need to demonstrate several months' worth of payments that will still be in "reserve" in their savings or investment accounts after they close escrow and deplete their cash-to-close savings. 

Also, buyers who start saving late often fail to calculate for the very common tendency buyers have to increase their search price range over time, and for the costs of the fixes and furnishings they'll want when they move in. 

These miscalculations tend to result in buyers trying to get unrealistic deals on the first few homes they like, losing a few before they get real about what can truly be had for their dollar in their market.

4. Apply for tax reassessment. 

Don't forget you can still apply to have your taxes reassessed even though the deadline has already passed for the year. Many who hold off because they missed the deadline actually end up losing track of this to-do list item and forget to come back around to it. If you've missed the deadline to apply to have your home's assessed value reduced for property tax purposes, just apply anyway -- early for next year.

5. Talk to a real estate or mortgage broker. 

Don't delay. Real estate and mortgage brokers are a wealth of information that have the power to take your mental estimations of what will be involved and required to buy or refi or sell into the realm of a reality-based action plan. And they are ecstatic to get calls from prospective clients (that's you) months, even years, in advance, as it makes their job, once it's time to do it, much smoother and simpler. 
Talking to a pro before you think you need to can be an eye-opening course-corrector in terms of understanding things like how much you need to put down, any work you need to do to your credit, what you can expect your home to go for or cost you, and many other expectation-managing, plan-of-action-driving essentials.

Winning Open House Strategies

Public open houses have been a mainstay of the home-sale market for decades. During the peak market years, buyers often wandered through an open house and bought it, even though they had no intention of buying. Impulsive homebuying is rare today.

Open houses still can be used effectively to draw prospective buyers to your home. To eliminate open houses from your marketing strategy because you find them inconvenient or risky could be a mistake.

On the other hand, you can overuse open houses and generate a negative image about your home. Too many open houses can cause the listing to become shopworn.

Some sellers have homes that are not prime candidates for open houses. These are usually high-end properties that might be vulnerable to theft. They should be shown to qualified prospective buyers by appointment only. Most listings do not fall into this category, although all sellers should keep valuables out of sight while their homes are on the market.

HOUSE HUNTING TIPS: For most sellers it's a good idea to develop an open-house strategy that will maximize exposure to your property without overexposing the property to the market. It's usually wise to have a Sunday open house the first week a listing is on the market.

This is when your home is most marketable. Serious buyers, who've already seen all current listings that might work for them, wait for new listings to come up and want to see them as soon as possible. 

A public open house gives buyers an opportunity to look without having to wait to make an appointment with their agent. Often, they have already seen photos of the listing online that look appealing.

A public open house isn't the best way for buyers to see listings that catch their eye because it may be packed with other buyers and neighbors who are curious about current home values. But, at least buyers can determine if the home is interesting enough to schedule an appointment to return for a private showing with their agent.

How often you have your house held open depends on current market conditions in your local market area. If it's taking months for homes to sell, you may want to consider having your home held open to the public every two or three weeks after the initial one or two open houses, when there ought to be high demand if your home is in a desirable location, in good condition, and priced right for the market.

Sellers often wonder if their home should continue to be held open after an offer has been accepted. This depends on whether the sale is contingent upon the sale of the buyers' home. If so, you should consider having open houses until the buyers have an accepted offer on their home.

Your contract should include a release clause that entitles you to accept other offers and be released from the contingent sale offer if those buyers haven't sold their home.

Continuing to have open houses after you have accepted an offer that is not contingent on the sale of another property can annoy prospective buyers who are under the impression that the listing is for sale. The word goes out that the home is open even though it has sold.

This can boomerang if the sale falls apart and you have to put your house back on the market. It's difficult to rekindle enthusiasm about the listing if it has been open every week even though it was pending. It's better if the contract is not contingent on another home selling to hold off on open houses so a new Sunday open house will have a positive impact if the deal falls apart.

A Simple Guide To Home Seller Disclosures

How would you like to find out after you've closed and moved into your new home that the basement is rat-infested? 

You call a local pest company and discover that the sellers hired the company to treat the house for rat intrusion.

Pest infestation might not be a material fact to all buyers. A material fact is one that would affect whether or not buyers would buy a property or the price they'd be willing to pay.

However, most buyers would be annoyed at the least that the sellers hadn't informed them in advance that the property had a condition that required routine maintenance. It could also make the buyers suspicious that the sellers may have withheld other information.

Home-seller disclosure laws vary from state to state, although most states require disclosure of material facts. Check with your real estate broker or attorney for information about disclosure requirements before you put your home on the market.

Sellers often fear that if they disclose too much, buyers won't buy their home. Generally, the opposite is the case. Buyers appreciate knowing as much about a property as possible before they close the sale.

When buyers discover conditions affecting the property that they didn't know before closing -- ones that the sellers had to have known about -- they could use legal channels to remedy the situation.

The goal in selling your home should be to sell for the highest price possible in the current market, and to keep as much of the proceeds as you can. Getting involved in a claim, mediation, arbitration or lawsuit over lack of disclosure or concealment can be time-consuming, stressful and very expensive. 

In today's environment of economic uncertainty, buyers who feel they were duped are more likely to pursue a claim against less-than-forthright sellers than they might have when home prices were appreciating at such a fast clip that it was often easier to fix the problem themselves than get into a legal battle with the sellers.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Here's a guideline to help you decide what should be disclosed. If you're asking yourself whether something should be disclosed, it's probably material to someone, so disclose it. Keep in mind that it's often not clear whether a fact is material. There's a certain amount of subjectivity involved.

For example, a woman was raped in a home in a trendy area of Oakland, Calif. This happened before the current owners bought the house. To err on the safe side, the current sellers disclosed this fact, figuring that it might be significant to someone interested in the property.

It was also common knowledge in the neighborhood that the event had occurred. If the sellers hadn't disclosed it, the buyers would surely have found out about it later.

A single woman who was interested in the house decided not to buy. The house had a detached garage, which gave her cause for concern even before she learned about the crime that occurred at the property. Another buyer had no concern at all about the past incident. The house sold. There was no discount in price due to the disclosure.

It takes time to make complete and accurate disclosures. Some sellers take their disclosure obligations less than seriously. It's foolish to shortchange yourself, literally, by failing to make accurate and forthcoming disclosures about property defects. It could significantly affect your net proceeds.

The burden of disclosure doesn't rest entirely on the sellers. Real estate agents are required to disclosure material facts. And buyers have a responsibility to protect themselves by thoroughly inspecting the property before deciding to proceed. 

A well-inspected property, complete with sellers disclosures, protects all parties involved.

Home Inscpection: Don't Buy Without It

Easton v. Strassburger, a landmark California lawsuit in 1984, changed the way residential housing defects were dealt with when a home is sold. Before the Easton case, the credo was buyer beware. Today, few buyers would consider buying a home without first having it inspected by a competent home inspector.

Since 1984, California real estate agents have been required to disclose known defects to a buyer, as well as defects they could have known about by using reasonable due diligence. Many other states have followed suit and require real estate agents to disclose material defects.

Even though the law favors the buyer in disclosure disputes, buyers can reasonably be expected to protect themselves by having qualified professionals inspect the property before they buy it.

The home inspection business came alive in the 1980s in order for buyers, sellers and agents to competently deal with disclosing property defects. Texas was the first state to license home inspectors. In many states, including California, home inspectors are not required to be licensed.

There are, however, two major home inspection industry trade associations that require their members to comply with a certain standard of care. They are the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI). States also have trade organizations, like the California Real Estate Home Inspector Association (CREIA).

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: In order to make sure that you get a thorough home inspection, use the best home inspector you can find in your area. Your real estate agent can give you recommendations. It's also a good idea to ask recent buyers in your area who they used for a home inspection. Find out if they were satisfied with the inspection. Or, did they later discover problems that were missed?

It's important that buyers be present for the inspection. A home inspection can take several hours depending on the age and size of the house. If you can't attend the entire inspection, plan to show up at the end of the inspection. This way you can walk through the property with the inspector for a recap of the findings.

Keep in mind that home inspectors aren't hired to comment on aesthetical issues. It's the home inspector's job to point out defects. All homes have defects, even new ones.

What you need to know before you go through with a purchase is (1) the seriousness of the defect; (2) how much it will cost to repair; and (3) how soon it needs to be done. Ask the inspector to prioritize the findings so that you can evaluate the cost consequences.

Your goal is to have a complete inspection report on the property. In order for this to happen, your agent should ask the listing agent to make sure that the sellers provide easy access to attic and crawl spaces. Also, the utilities need to be turned on. 

Also, request that the sellers and their agent not attend the inspection. This way you can talk freely with your inspector. If it's inconvenient for sellers to leave, reschedule the appointment.

The home inspection should cover the major systems from roof to foundation and everything in between. However, home inspectors usually aren't licensed wood-destroying pest inspectors. The report will be limited to what is visible. It probably won't cover environmental hazards or irrigation systems, spas, swimming pools, septic systems and other components that should be inspected.

For this reason, it's a good idea to start the inspection process as soon as possible after you have an accepted offer. The home inspector might recommend further inspections of systems that he inspects, like the furnace.Don't make the mistake of ignoring an inspector's recommendation for a further inspection. It could lead to serious trouble later.