Monthly Archives: December 2011

Home-buyers tend to have a difficult time with getting organized for the financing of their shiny new house. Well, we have some tips to help prepare you for the process. With just a little knowledge about what to expect, a home-buyer can make the whole process quick and smooth. It can all be broken down into four simple steps to get a head start.

 

1. Check your scores. Surely, you have already heard about the FICO scores or your credit scores in the past. Before even looking at houses, make sure that your score is up to par. It is free to get a copy of your credit reports from all three bureaus once every six months. Use these as goals. Try to remove any bad markings that might be on these reports. For instance, if you had a water bill that you owed from your old apartment, it might show up on here. Try to take care of this before looking into financing your new home. It will easily raise your score a few points. These scores determine the monthly cost that you will incur and the down payment needed for this new mortgage. Continue reading

One of the most common reasons people give when asked why they are improving their home is that home improvements increase house value. While this can often be true, it is by no means as universal as some people assume it is. When you’re about to pay out lots of money for a home improvement, it’s worth checking whether the value of your house will increase by enough to pay for it – or, worse, whether it might actually force your house value down.

Let’s start with bathrooms and kitchens. While well-maintained and nice-looking kitchens and bathrooms do add value to a home, there’s nothing to say that they have to be the very latest thing. An older room that is well looked-after and wasn’t a complete abomination to begin with can often help the value just as much as a newly-installed one. Continue reading