QuickTips Index
10 Tips For Buying a Home Pets Will Love
Guidelines to use before buying homes where pets will live. Home shopping with pets in mind. How to buy a home your pets will love.
Buying Homes With Swimming Pools
Pros and cons to owning homes with swimming pools. Types of pool construction. Whether swimming pools add or detract from the market value of a home.
Should You Tell Your Buyer's Agent the Highest Price You Will Pay?
How much should you tell your buyer's agent? Information you may want to keep a secret from your buyer's agent, especially when it concerns the highest price you will pay for a home.
Releasing Buyer Contingencies
Purchase offer contingencies and how to release contingencies. What happens if contingencies are not released. Types of contingencies, how sellers request releases and consequences of refusal.
Garage Trends and Garage Remodels
Garages are back in favor. Home buyers demand functional garages and garage organization kits / extra storage space. How to fix-up your garage. New garage design ideas.
Hiring Buyer's Agents
Should you sign a buyer's broker agreement? Should buying agents show homes to buy without a signed buyer's broker agreement? Advantages and pitfalls to working exclusively with a buyer's agent.
Buying a Home in a Down Market
When real estate prices begin to dip, buyers wonder if they should wait to buy a home. Is that a smart strategy? What are the pitfalls to waiting? Any advantages to waiting to buy a home? Can a buyer time the market?
Buying a Home Guide to Getting Started
Complete A to Z guide to buying a home. From figuring out what you need versus in a home to what you want, to finding an agent to help you with buying a home, cleaning up credit, finding a lender and locating that perfect home to all the final details of buying a home.
How to Find a Down Payment to Buy a Home
How to get a down payment, apart from holding up a liquor store. Legal ways to find the cash to put down on a home. How much is required for a down payment? How much do you need to put down? If you have good credit, it's zero!
Buying a Home On the Internet
Should you buy a home by yourself, looking online for homes, without hiring an agent to represent you? Pros and cons to DIY home buying.
Buying a Home With Bad Credit
How buy a home with bad credit, even if you have filed bankruptcy or gone through a foreclosure. Comparing he difference in rates for a variety of FICO scores. How to get an FHA loan after foreclosure.
The Home Closing Process
Time period to close on a home. Explanation of process and time length required to close when buying a home. Ways to speed up your home closing.
Listing Agents & Buying Agents: Do You Need a Listing Agent and Buying Agent
How many agents do you need to buy and sell? Is it better to hire a selling agent to buy and a different listing agent to sell? If one agent handles both transactions, what's in it for you? What are the benefits to hiring two agents?
Buying During a Housing Recession
How a housing recession affects homeowners. How to buy a home during a housing recession and safeguard your equity.
When is the Best Time to Buy a Home?
If you could pick any day of the year to buy a home, which day is best? Under what conditions are sellers most likely to sign a low offer? On which days can you get the best deal of the year? How the pros often make a killing in the real estate market.
Bad Home Layouts - How You Can Avoid Buying a Home With a Bad Layout Design
What constitutes a good home layout? How to spot trouble layouts before buying a home. What types of layout turn-off home buyers and cost sellers potential profit? How can you avoid buying a home with a bad layout?
Buying For Sales By Owners - How to Buy For Sales By Owners
Buying For Sale by Owner Homes. What home buyers need to know when buying For Sales by Owners: writing FSBO offers, negotiating with FSBOs, successfully closing For Sales by Owners transaction without representation by a real estate agent.
For Sale By Owner Short Sales
Buying short sale homes from a seller without an agent. For sale by owners in pre-foreclosure. How to negotiate with an unrepresented seller and the bank to buy a home in foreclosure.
Winterizing Your Home
How to winterize your home and prepare for winter. Home maintenance tips to make the seasonal transition from summer to winter, regardless of where you live.
Single Women Buy Homes, Too!
Record numbers of single women who are first-time homebuyers are buying homes. If you're a single woman who wants to buy a house, the good news is the market is wide open for you. Smart sellers market to women and more are selling to single women than ever before in history.
Fixer Upper Homes
How to buy a fixer upper home. Analyzing repair costs to fix up a home. Spotting good buys that require cosmetic improvements over major rehab projects.
Home Buyer Possession / Occupancy - All About Buyer Possession
How are seller vacating and buyer move-ins orchestrated? When do sellers move out? When can a home buyer move in? What is actual possession and early possession? Should a seller rent back before giving possession?
Earnest Money Deposits - Protect Your Good Faith Deposit
Explains how much earnest money is required and why buyers submit good faith deposits with offers. Why are trust accounts essential and whom can a buyer trust? How does a buyer get the money back if the transaction does not close? How can a buyer lose her good faith deposit?
Home Buying Path A to Z
A to Z home buying path, 18 simple steps for first-time home buyers, from hiring an agent to closing. Complete path to buying a home in easy-to-understand terms.
Talk to Neighbors Before Buying a Home
Reasons to talk to neighbors before buying a home. Questions to ask neighbors to find out more about a home buyer's new neighborhood. Why meeting neighbors should be part of your home inspection contingency.