Online Home Buying in 4 Simple Steps

Online Home Buying in 4 Simple Steps


Buying a home is probably the most important transaction you'll make in your lifetime. It requires bravery, patience and a little bit of luck. But new online tools make home buying easier and more convenient than ever before, bringing much-needed transparency to a complicated process. Below are the four basic steps to purchasing a home (almost) completely online.
1. Research, Research, Research
This is a crucial first step that a surprising number of home buyers ignore, mainly because they get emotionally attached after seeing a house they "just have to have". Our recommendation: Don't even look at houses when starting your home buying research. First, figure out how much house you'll need.
Start by considering your lifestyle. Do you entertain a lot? Will you need significant space for your hobbies, like a painting studio or a woodshop? Do you have a stable of cars, motorcycles or other recreational vehicles? Do you prefer the country life, or are you a city dweller at heart?


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10 Tips for Home Buying and Selling

10 Tips for Home Buying and Selling

Buyers: Edge Out the Competition

Establish a price range. Use Redfin’s home-affordability calculator. This home buying tool considers not only your income and down payment but also total recurring monthly payments such as car payments, student loans, and credit card minimum payments.

Clean up your credit. If your credit reports are accurate, the home buying process is likely to go more smoothly. Read “Are Mortgages Now Harder or Easier to Get?" for more for information.

Get preapproved. Usually, that means a mortgage lender has checked your credit reports and determined how much it could lend you. It’s one step better than prequalification, in which a lender just gives you an idea of what you can afford. Lenders use different terminology, though, so make sure you ask for clarification. For instance, EverBank, based in Jacksonville, Fla., uses the term “preapproval” for what other banks define as prequalification. And what most banks call a “pre­approval,” EverBank terms a “credit only approval.”

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The Top 10 Emerging Trends Shaping Real Estate in 2016

The Top 10 Emerging Trends Shaping Real Estate in 2016


A crashing Chinese economy, sinking commodity prices, and other factors have made the 2016 economic outlook seem somewhat dismal (just ask the candidates running for president). But one industry seems to be bucking those negative trends, and still growing after years of positive performance. According to the 2016 Emerging Trends in Real Estate, which was just released by the Urban Land Institute, the outlook for the next 12 months is rosy, with one analyst going so far as to call it "doggone good." What trends and forces are at play in this uplifting analysis? Here's a breakdown of the 10 factors that the authors of the report, Urban Land Institute and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and the hundreds of industry analysts they interviewed and surveyed, believe will shape the landscape for the year to come.


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When a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's moves in, there goes the neighborhood

When a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's moves in, there goes the neighborhood


There are four grocery stores within five blocks of my apartment. This once seemed like a selling point. It’s the opposite of a food desert — a food oasis, if you will, with national and regional grocery chains, a co-op, and a Trader Joe’s nearly in spitting distance of my front door. But it’s also one of the most expensive zip codes in Seattle — so expensive that the rent on my 300-square-foot shitbox of a studio is more than the mortgage on a sprawling suburban McMansion in most states. I’ve always assumed there was a correlation between the abundance of grocery stores — all of which have pleasant lighting, organic produce, and local kombucha in the cooler — in my neighborhood and the high cost of rent. Now there’s research to back me up.
A new study finds that grocery stores don’t just show up in expensive neighborhoods — they actually create them, especially when that grocery store is a Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods. CityLab reports:


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Home of the Week- 16934 Sonoma Ridge

12 Sneaky Ways to Save Money on Your Water Bill

12 Sneaky Ways to Save Money on Your Water Bill

Replace Those Guzzlers

A lower water bill starts with newer, more efficient appliances. When shopping for new washers, pay close attention to the labels that indicate the efficiency of the machine. Look specifically for the WaterSense and Energy Star seals, which indicate that the machine runs on 35% to 50% less water and 50% less energy per load. Consider purchasing a front-loading washer, which uses substantially less water than a top-loading model.

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So You Wanna Sell Your Home? Step 4: Pretty It Up

So You Wanna Sell Your Home? Step 4: Pretty It Up




Once you've made repairs, chosen a Realtor, and decided on an asking price, your home is almost ready for market -- but first, how about a little primping and polishing? Or maybe a lot of primping and polishing. After all, you want your home to make a great first impression on buyers -- and that's where this fourth installment of our weekly, step-by-step 2016 Home-Selling Guide can help. To show your home in the best possible light, heed these savvy seller tips.
Stash your stuff
When you're just living in your home, a bit of clutter is business as usual. You know the drill: video game cartridges in the bathroom, toolbox in the kitchen, tuxedo shirt inexplicably in the garage. But when you're trying to sell, all this disorder can be deadly. That's because clutter can


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7 unexpected ways your house price could be boosted

7 unexpected ways your house price could be boosted


The housing market used to be very simple: if you were selling a home with the capacity for an extension in a leafy area and a top state school round the corner, you’d more or less struck property gold. But now new research by Zoopla has complicated things –


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New home sales beat expectations, rise 10.8%

New home sales beat expectations, rise 10.8%


New home sales kept pace with previous strong economic housing news this month, except its rise isn’t conditional on TRID.


Sales of new single-family houses in December came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 544,000, surpassing analyst expectations, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.


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Home of the Week- 32310 Lavender Cove

Home of the Week- 12439 Law Creek San Antonio, Texas 78254

Home of the Week- 9835 Marbach Canyon

Should You Refinance Your Mortgage?

Should You Refinance Your Mortgage?


Dear Carrie,
I'm thinking of refinancing my mortgage since I know interest rates are going up. Does it still make sense or have I missed the boat?

--A Reader
Dear Reader,
Rising short-term interest rates are on a lot of people's minds these days. For savers, it's a plus, but borrowers--especially those with credit card balances--may see their payments


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5 Things to Know About Buying a Home in 2016

5 Things to Know About Buying a Home in 2016


The new year looks like it's shaping up to provide first-time buyers with the opportunity to enter into the housing market. Interest rates are still hovering around record lows, so there's some time left to snag a great deal. If you're planning on taking the plunge into homeownership in 2016, here are some key points to keep in the back of your mind before you begin the process.


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Vancouver ranks third most unaffordable housing market in world, worse than New York and London

Vancouver ranks third most unaffordable housing market in world, worse than New York and London


Vancouver may have just add another notch to its reputation for being pricey.


According to U.S. group Demographia, Vancouver is the third-least affordable city in a study of 367 markets and nine countries around the world, and construction constraints are to blame for rising home prices there and in other Canadian cities.


Wendell Cox, the principal owner at Demographia says that’s a trend that can be seen in Toronto too as limits to ground-level detached housing in favour of condominium living are creating a shortage of housing as people refuse to move into high-rises.


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Forbes: San Antonio ranks high as 'America's cities of the future'

Forbes: San Antonio ranks high as 'America's cities of the future'


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Fixed rate mortgage rates keep tumbling

Fixed rate mortgages are very popular, and it's easy to understand why. They provide you with certainty – you know that for the length of your fixed rate period, your repayments will remain exactly the same each month, no matter what the Bank of England does with the Base Rate.
However, knowing that you want to fix your mortgage rate is only half the decision. You need to work out how long you want to fix for too.

Two-year fixed rate mortgages are the cheapest...

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Debt collectors beware: Judge's ruling could change the game

HAWTHORNE, N.J. (AP) — Ever had a debt collector on your back for money you knew you didn't owe? Listen to the story of Steven Psaros and take heart.


The Great Recession forced Psaros into foreclosure on the house he had bought in this northern New Jersey town in 1999.


Then, another blow. A debt collector demanded about $11,000 in homeowners' insurance, money Psaros claimed he didn't owe under terms of a mortgage refinance signed several years earlier.

He fought back in court and, in a ruling that could change how law firms handle debt collection, a federal judge held last month that the firm representing the debt collector could be liable for damages even if it didn't know its client was relying on incorrect information.


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Millennials, Allow Us to Present Your Dream House

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7 Ways Being Debt Free Can Hurt You

Owing money to banks and credit card companies is usually a guaranteed way of never achieving the financial freedom you want. But there are cases when taking on some debt can be useful, especially as part of a long-term plan. Here are seven times when eschewing debt can be a bad financial move:

1. Market Returns May Be Higher Than Interest Rates

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Spacious Single Story

2 Master bedroom home

Ten U.S. Cities Where Foreigners Will Be Buying Properties In 2016

Ten U.S. Cities Where Foreigners Will Be Buying Properties In 2016


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MBA: Mortgage Applications Increased in Latest Weekly Survey, Purchase Applications up 17%

Mortgage applications increased 9.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 15, 2016.
...
The Refinance Index increased 19 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 4 percent compared with the previous week and was 17 percent higher than the same week one year ago.

Read more at

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2016/01/mba-mortgage-applications-increased-in_20.html#1yROG2bkeQReY3xa.99

Finally a homeowner

Buying a house is tough. Coming up with enough money is a major issue, and once you do, it’s still way more complicated than you would expect. Around here, we call the number of steps needed to buy a home “the real estate monster.” We’re used to seamless, integrated and delightful products and services. The way housing works is neither seamless nor integrated — let alone delightful.

Part of the reason it’s tough is that for many of us, it’s the first time we’ve ever done a transaction like this. That newness in itself can be daunting. Paired with that are a number of confusing steps and many, many pieces of complex paperwork. In the end, this doesn’t make for an enjoyable process.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the parts of the process

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Big banks retreating from home loan business

Big banks are lending less to homebuyers, or they're making less on loans — and sometimes, it's a combination of both.
Some are making less on home loans, in part owed to the Fed and its yearslong zero interest rate policy. But the trend also coincides with a rise in nonbank lenders, like Quicken Loans, that have been gobbling up market share in mortgages in recent years.


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8 Smart Ways to Boost Your Home Value

When Alec and Jennifer Harmes spent $264,900 for their first home in 2011—a 1,500-square-foot ranch fixer-­upper in Austin, Texas—they assumed they would be living there for many years. So the couple, millennials in their early 30s, embarked on a series of ... http://time.com/money/4185900/boost-home-value/

Economists see more growth for US economy, housing in '16

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A robust U.S. economy and job market, plus low mortgage rates, should help keep the recovery in the new-home market going at a modest pace this year, but a return to pre-housing boom sales and construction levels isn't imminent.


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How Real Estate Will Change in 2016

The only constant is change. That's just as true of the real estate market as it is of anything else. As a result, you can expect to see some changes in the industry in 2016.


Here's how real estate will change this year.


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Do your homework before taking out a mortgage

There are over 70 home loans listed on Souqalmal.com. Out of these, 33 are conventional mortgages and 37 are Shariah-compliant home finance products. We analysed our home loan database to know more about mortgage products in the UAE, and statistics and trends that would affect you as a potential borrower.


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Is it worth being in a relationship just to buy a house?

Just where - if anywhere - can you afford to buy in England and Wales?

We have created a map to work out how affordable each local authority is to buy a house as a couple. Unsurprisingly, many more areas are accessible when sharing the burden between two people.

It takes into account the average house price, calculated the income needed for a mortgage with 20pc deposit, and the average income across England and Wales.

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7 steps to take today if you want to buy a home this year

Buying a home and obtaining a mortgage are no easy tasks. You need to have your finances in good order if you hope to get approved for a loan to buy a home.


If you want to buy a house in 2016, here are several New Year’s resolutions to follow through on that can help make you a better homebuyer.


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L.A. real estate agents scramble for athletes as Rams touch down

Manhattan Beach real estate agent Ed Kaminsky has been feverishly calling anyone he might know who has an in with a Rams player or two.


"I've been on the phone with the Rams' offices, sports agents, business managers, players, players that aren't on the team but that have relationships with players on the team," he said.


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Why the Housing Market Is Ready for a Resurgence

Much is written regarding the housing market, its recovery and the part Millennials may or may not play in the story. Right now, we're in a strange place for many people when it comes to the housing market -- especially the mortgage side of things.


As the President of a Midwestern, mid-sized mortgage lender I have a good point of view for middle America and average American home buyers. I see pent-up demand, rising rent, still-low interest rates and increasing home values as the formula for some great years ahead in the housing market. Let's take a look at these four factors, and how they affect the revitalization of the housing market.
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Home of the Week- 815 Fleet Admiral

29% rise in housing market activity

A new report from Connells Survey & Valuation has revealed that total activity in the UK housing market grew by more than a quarter during 2015.


The total number of housing valuations carried out in December 2015 was 29% higher than in December 2014.


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Is This The House That Will Turn Millennials Into Homeowners?

If you were born after 1980, there's a pretty good chance you don't own a house. Thanks in part to massive student loans and difficulty finding jobs after graduation, almost half of men ages 18 to 34 (and over a third of women, a record number) still live with their parents.


Others rent. And while it's true that some millennials would rather live in the city than the burbs, some do want to houses. So one Las Vegas builder is trying to figure out how to design a house they'll actually be interested in buying—and actually be able to pay for.


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Home of the Week- 9606 Windgate Parkway

The Actual Lifespan of 7 Common Household Furnishings

You know when you need to replace your milk and your makeup, but your home decor won't last forever, either.

While they aren't as clear cut as the ones you'll find on your groceries, expiration dates do exist for your furniture and accessories. And according to Apartment Therapy, few people know what they are. In fact, 54% think furniture should last twenty years or more.

We've got news for you: Your sofa will probably be lumpy and bumpy long before that. Here's a look at the average lifespans for seven of the most common items in your home:

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Christina Applegate Kitchen Makeover - Kitchen Design Before And After

After spending 20 years in her home, Christina Applegate loved everything about it. Well, almost everything.

The kitchen, which the actress describes as being "god awful" and the "ugliest kitchen" she'd ever seen was a pain point — "Every time I would come through here, I just felt angry," she says

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The 10 hottest US housing markets to watch in 2016

In 2015, coastal tech hubs like San Francisco and Seattle were front and center for housing as millionaires with startup money sought shelter.


"But this year, the markets that shine brightest will be those that manage to strike a good balance between strong income growth, low unemployment and solid home value appreciation," said Zillow Chief economist ...


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8 Things You Should Never Say When Buying a Home

If you're in the throes of house hunting, chances are you're excited -- whether it's your first home or your fifth. It's an emotional roller-coaster ride!


Seeing something you love (or hate) can often cause you to blurt all kinds of things, some of which you might regret. Because while you can (and should) always be upfront with your Realtor, you might not want to be quite so candid around the sellers (or the listing agent working for them). The reason? Just like in "Law & Order," what you say can -- and will -- be used against you.


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It's Not About the [Tiny] House

Tiny houses are making lots of headlines these days, you see them everywhere it seems. After designing, building and occupying my own 196 s.f. home it’s funny how often I find myself explaining that it’s really not about the house, the house is just a possession. It’s all about the lifestyle it enables. Everyone has their own reasons to minimize and downsize, mine had to do with creating a lifestyle free of debt, full of learning and creating the flexibility to do what I want with my days, everyday.


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Home of the Week - 12439 Horse Crescent

Home of the Week- 12438 Horse Crescent- Travis

Here’s how much money you actually get if you win the $900 million Powerball

Everyone's buzzing to see if one lucky person will claim the $900 million Powerball lottery winnings. But while pondering how you could spend the cash can be fun, you may want to take your daydreaming down an ever-so-slight notch.
According to USA Mega, the take-home cash total for a $900 million Powerball is actually $558 million, or 62% of the total pool.


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What to do if you win the Powerball jackpot: 9-step plan to handling your money

While these big paydays have spawned numerous rags-to-riches stories over the years, they have also spelled disaster for some. Not only do most winners have to deal with people coming out of the woodwork looking for a handout, but there's also bankruptcy, murder, robbery, drug abuse and legal troubles in many cases. In fact, according to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, nearly one-third of all lottery winners go bankrupt.


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Home of the Week- 25830 Berberis

Home of the Week- 25739 Berberis

3 reasons not to pay off your mortgage

Nobody wants to pay a mortgage any longer than necessary. It's a bit unsettling to have an enormous debt looming over you for years on end, racking up interest. You may even be tempted to pay off your mortgage early if you're fortunate enough to have the cash lying around.
However, paying off a mortgage early isn't always the smartest decision, and there's a reason mortgages are referred to as "good debt." So if you're thinking of paying off your mortgage early, here are three reasons to reconsider.


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Using Roth IRA earnings for a first-time home purchase

Dear Liz: My 29-year-old son recently married, and as a gift I pledged $20,000 as a down payment on a house. My daughter-in-law is beginning a career as a registered nurse and I know they will not be buying for a few years. Is there any type of account that will grow tax-free or tax-deferred for a first-time buyer? Maybe I could gift this money to them into a retirement account for the time being?
Answer: You may be able to give them enough money to fund Roth IRA accounts for both 2015 and 2016. They would be able to withdraw those contributions tax- and penalty-free at any time in the future for whatever purpose they wanted.


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Paris’ Monumental Suburban Housing Projects Challenge Ideas About How the French Live

Since 2011, French photographer Laurent Kronental has been working on an ongoing series documenting life on the edge of Paris in the “grands ensembles.” These monumental housing projects were built between the 1950s and the 1980s on the outskirts of major French cities as answers to a dearth of housing and an influx of foreign migrants. Aging monolithic concrete structures with an almost alien presence in the French landscape, they are a far cry from the Haussmannian apartment blocks that dominate central Paris and the world’s collective imagination about how the French live.


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The Only Way Millennials Can Afford To Live In Big Cities

In over half of the biggest U.S. cities, the typical millennial can't afford a 1,000 square-foot home, according to a recent report. SmartAsset, a tech company that offers tools to make financial decisions, used their home affordability calculator to analyze median income and net worth of people under age 35. It then compared the results to interest rates and the down payment needed to buy a home in the largest 23 cities.


The calculator, which is supposed to help a potential homebuyer determine what size and cost they can afford, might be useful for, say, a middle-class family trying to decide if they have the resources to buy a house with a spare bedroom. But the results can get absurd in many of the largest cities.


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Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. B on the purchase of your new home

The don'ts of purchasing a home

Housing Boom Time? U.S. Mortgage Market Outlook for 2016

With 2015 rapidly fading in the rear view mirror, U.S. homebuyers and sellers are seeing their thoughts turn to the 2016 residential real estate market.

Several factors that could impact the real estate sector are already in play -- a fresh interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve (with more rate hikes likely to follow in 2016), stronger U.S. gross domestic product growth and a moderately stronger jobs market should bolster the economy and raise both mortgage rates and home prices, experts say.


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Read This To Learn All About Home Mortgages

If you've ever wanted to buy a home, then you know the mortgage process can be lengthy and very involved. So what's the best way to approach securing your own home mortgage? This article is going to discuss many tips that you can take with you to help you find what you’re looking for.


Understand your credit score and how that affects your chances for a mortgage loan. Most lenders require a certain credit level. If you fall below, you're going to have a tougher time getting a mortgage loan with reasonable rates. A good idea is for you to try to improve your credit before you apply for mortgage loan
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"The Big Short" Reinforces a Widespread Misperception About the Financial Crisis

The highly rated move is about a few sharp operators who saw the financial crisis coming and decided to profit from their insight by shorting the private mortgage-backed security market.  "Shorting" means to sell at the current inflated price but not deliver until later when the price of buying the security will be lower.




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KB Home Profit Misses Expectations Despite Revenue Jump

Home builder KB Home missed expectations for its most recent quarter following softer-than-expected deliveries and inventory-impairment and contract-abandonment charges, though sales continued to reflect a recovering housing market.


Shares slid 9.7% in early trading. Including that drop, the stock is down 27% over the past three months.


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6 Type of Homeowners: Which One Are You?

Whether you own a home or plan to one day, here's one question you may not have pondered: What type of homeowner are you? Because, let's face it, there are as many different types of homeowners as there are types of homes -- each with its own unique strengths and, alas, fatal flaws.


See if you recognize yourself (or a neighbor or three) in these common breeds below, and learn a bit about how each type can become the one kind of homeowner we all hope to be: happy!
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FREE REALTOR® Head Shot

On behalf of Lennar at Stillwater Ranch, you and your REALTOR® friends are invited to a FREE REALTOR® Head Shot on Wednesday, January 20th from NOON-2PM at Lennar’s Welcome Home Center in Stillwater Ranch.

Visit our Welcome Home Center and enjoy our special way of saying "Thank you".

Jesse Rene Garza

Lennar- Stillwater Ranch

12403 Maverick Ranch
San Antonio, Texas 78254

(210) 663-4092

jesse.garza@lennar.com

 

 

Home of the Week- 722 Firenze Ave

Contact info: Jesse Rene Garza | (210) 663-4092

2539 Square Foot Single Story in a Gated Community Currently Available

722 Firenze Ave San Antonio, TX 78245

$309,900

KEY FEATURES
Year Built: 2015
Sq Footage: 2539 square feet
Bedrooms: 4 Beds
Bathrooms: 2.5 Baths
Floors: 2
Parking: 2 Garage
Laundry: In Unit
Lot Size: 6400 square feet
HOA/Maint: $580
Property Type: Single Family House

DESCRIPTION

Entering this elegant foyer with your study conveniently located to front of the home for privacy, you'll notice all the niches and architectural details while passing the hall to secondary bedrooms and formal dining, leading you to your open, spacious kitchen and family room. This plan also includes a study, a master suite with his and hers sinks, a separate tub and shower and a walk-in-closet, as well as a powder bath, secondary bath with double sinks, a mud room, a utility room and a covered back patio.

 PROPERTY FEATURES

 

• Living room
• Walk-in closet
• Master bath
• Storage space
• Pantry
• Range / Oven
• Dishwasher
• Patio
• Yard
• Fenced yard
• Sprinkler system
• Central A/C
• Cable-ready
• Tile floor
• Gas

 COMMUNITY FEATURES

 

• New property
• Community pond
• Swimming Pool
• Playscape
• Gated Community

Contact info:

Jesse Rene Garza | (210) 663-4092

YouTube video:  https://youtu.be/VlaTu1xJGug