Your Second Home Showing – What to Look For

Roof You have looked at several homes and have narrowed it down to one or two favorites. Things are getting serious now. You have scheduled your second showing and want to spend more time looking at your potential new home. You have seen the home once. What do you look for on your second visit? Now is the time to pay close attention to, among other things, the roof. It can be quite expensive to replace or repair a leaky roof. It is best to consider the condition of the roof before making an offer so you can calculate that into your offer. Fortunately, even if you aren’t skilled in … Continue reading...

HUD to announce long-awaited FHA Condo rules

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is expected to release updated guidance on FHA-insured condominium financing. The new rules should benefit buyers by making low down-payment mortgages on condominiums more available to first-time homebuyers, small families and those who live in urban areas. “Condominiums are often the most affordable option for first time home buyers, small families, and those in urban areas,” said NAR President John Smaby, in a statement issued to the media Wednesday morning. “We are thrilled that (HUD) Secretary (Ben) Carson has taken this … Continue reading...

Pay Attention to Details When Looking at Homes

I often see home buyers walk into a home and within 2 minutes say "WOW, THIS IS THE ONE!" First impressions are very important for sure, but with such important financial investment, it is a good idea to spend a bit more time taking a close look at details before deciding to make an offer on a home. Sure, you can always back out after inspections uncover major problems, but by then you have already spent quite a bit of money to pay for inspections. Why not spend a bit of time looking into potential problems before making the offer? Even if the home IS perfect, doing a bit of sleuthing up front … Continue reading...

Five common mistakes buyers make when searching for a home

Purchasing a home is typically the most expensive investment most people make. It is a big decision fraught with legal paperwork. A poor home choice can cost you big time - a house with hidden problems, paying more than you need to, problems with resale value later. Below are 5 common mistakes inexperienced home buyers make when choosing a real estate agent to help them with their home purchase: Below are 5 common mistakes home buyers make when searching for a new home. 1. Contact a friend or family member who you “heard” was an agent. This can be a hit or miss proposition. There … Continue reading...

Moving into your home checklist

Congratulations on moving into your new home and this beginning of a new and exciting stage in your life. It’s not every day that you get to move into a new home. You have every right to be proud of this move.  Unfortunately it is way too early to celebrate with that bottle of champagne you saved just for such occasion. There is still plenty of work to do around your new house. The good news is that now you have the opportunity to organize your home exactly how you want it. You can celebrate later, but now is the time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Inspect moving boxes … Continue reading...

Oklahoma-based lender Gateway Mortgage offers home buyer assistance programs

I talk to people all the time who think they may not be in a position to buy because their credit has a few dings or they have not been able to save up money for a down payment or closing costs. But at a recent meeting at our Edmond office, I learned that one lender in particular offers a wide array of home buyer assistance programs specifically tailored to Oklahoma homeowners. Brett Baldwin presented updated information about Gateway Mortgage’s many home buyer down payment and closing cost assistance programs at a recent RE/MAX Platinum office meeting. Many mortgage companies have some type … Continue reading...

PROPERTY WATCH: Be the First to Know

Did you know the hottest homes on the market often sell within days of being listed? By signing up to receive email alerts you can stay on top of the hottest homes! Click here to create a custom search and set up unlimited Property Alerts! … Continue reading...

Utilizing your most valuable real estate search asset

Technology changes at a dizzying pace. New apps and web sites hit the real estate market seemingly every week. These apps and sites are cool and usually easy to use - especially while you are sitting in bed at 3 am and can't sleep - but they are no substitute for an experienced real estate agent. The listing information on many web sites is outdated and stale, since they "scrape" their listings rather than get a direct feed from the MLS like my site KayPratt.com. These sometimes large sites also don't take into account local conditions. For example, Zillow is not going to know that a golf … Continue reading...