Home Buying Tips

• House Inspectors: Choosing The Right One...
  A qualified house inspector is the surest way to discover a house's not-so-obvious problems. Most professional inspectors are from some type of construction background, such as engineering, architecture or contracting. Their responsibility is to crawl beneath the floors, squeeze through the attic and generally comb the house's structure and mechanical systems for shortcomings. They give the buyer a complete report; with this, the buyer can decide whether or not the house is a good deal, or at least put together a "punch list" of items that must be fixed (it isn't unusual for this report to contain about 50 items). The fee for this service generally runs from about $300 to $500 and up. Continue article...
• What Type of Real Estate Makes the Best Investment?
  During the economic downturn of the early 1990s, a home in the Crocker Highlands area of Oakland, Calif., sold twice in two years. The house did not change substantially during this time, nor did its price. But, average prices in the neighborhood dropped about 15 percent during the same time. Continue article...
• Checklist for fall home projects
  Well, you can't deny it any longer – fall is in the air. Continue article...
• Determining Your Offer Price
  When you prepare an offer to purchase a home, you already know the seller’s asking price. But what price are you going to offer and how do you come up with that figure? Continue article...
• Back out legally
  When can I pull out of a purchase contract? Continue article...
• Should You Buy A Home Through A Real Estate Agent?
  One of the first things many people do when beginning their search for a new home is enlist the help of a real estate agent. It is the realtor's job, after all, to help you find the home that is perfect for you. Continue article...