MARIA's Blog

Does Moving Up Make Sense?  Answer these questions to help you decide whether moving up makes sense. •1.      How much equity do you have in your home? Look at your annual mortgage statement or call your lender to find out. Usually, you don't build up much equity in the first few years of paying ...

                                              Understanding Capital Gains in Real Estate When you sell a stock, you owe taxes on your gain-the difference between what you paid for the stock and what you sold it for. The same is true with selling a home (or a second home), but there are some speci...

  5 Ways to Speed Up Your Sale •1.      Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your property's realistic price range. •2.      Get your house market-ready for at least two weeks before you begin showing it. •3.      Be flexible about showings. It's often disruptive to have a house ready ...

  10 Ways to Make Your House More Salable  •1.      Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage. •2.      Wash your windows and screens to l...

•1.      Give your forwarding address to the post office, usually two to four weeks ahead of the move.•2.      Notify your credit card companies, magazine subscriptions, and bank of the change of address.•3.      Develop a list of friends, relatives, and business colleagues who need to be notifie...

Make your home more appealing for potential buyers with these quick and easy tips. Trim bushes so they don't block windows and cut down on light.Buy a new doormat.Put a pot of bright flowers (or a small evergreen in winter) on your porch.Put new doorknobs on your doors.Put a fresh coating on your...

Common Closing Costs for Buyers  The lender must disclose a good faith estimate of all settlement costs. A check to cover your closing costs will probably have to be a cashier's check. The title company or other entity conducting the closing will tell you the required amount for:•Downpayment•Loan...

6 Creative Ways to Afford a Home  If your income and savings are making homebuying a challenge, consider these options. •1.      Investigate local, state, and national downpayment assistance programs. These programs give loans or grants to cover all or part of your required downpayment. National ...

  5 Reasons You Need a REALTORÒ A real estate transaction is complicated. In most cases, buying or selling a home requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multi-page government-mandated settlement statements. A knowledgeable guide through t...

 Your Property Wish List  While your opinions on the type of home you want to own may change during the homebuying process, use this easy checklist to help you prioritize and make the shopping process less time consuming. How close do you need to be to: (a) public transportation _______ (b) schoo...