While home sales may be sluggish in many parts of the country, more buyers are placing an emphasis on green -- with some studies showing that green homes can sell for higher dollar than non-green homes. In Portland, Ore., an analysis from the Earth Advantage Institute found that green-certified new homes sold, on average, for 8 percent more than non-certified green homes--and in one of the counties included in the study even more than 23 percent higher. Earth Advantage Instit

1. Investigate local, state, and national down payment assistance programs. These programs give qualified applicants loans or grants to cover all or part of your required down payment. National programs include the Nehemiah program, www.getdownpayment.com, and the American Dream Down Payment Fund from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, www.hud.gov. 2. Explore seller financing. In some cases, sellers may be willing to finance all or part of the purchase price of

Do you think that this is something that you should approach on a casual basis or something that you should treat as a career? Or are you confused about real estate investing and just want to stay put, living from paycheck to paycheck? If you are like most people, the answer is the third option. You find real estate confusing and although you are not content to 'just get by' on the job that you currently have, you do not have the knowledge or the guts to give real estate inve

Interest rates are at all time lows and nationwide (US), home values are down 25 percent from their peak, meaning affordability is greater than ever. So, is now a great time to buy? It can be. But, before you start home shopping, ask yourself these 4 important questions: Can I really afford to be a homeowner? No question about it, owning a home is expensive. Not only is it ideal to put 20 percent down in order to secure financing with good rates and avoid Private Mortgage Ins

There’s an old real estate rule of thumb that the first offer you receive is usually the best one. I’ve run into this with several listings where the seller received an offer early on, made a stiff counteroffer back to the buyer and the buyer headed for the hills. In some cases, as much as 24 months and several price reductions later, another offer finally came in only to be significantly lower than the first buyers’ offer. While your first offer may not be what you were hopi

Credit scores range between 200 and 800, with scores above 620 considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage. The following factors affect your score: 1. Your payment history. Did you pay your credit card obligations on time? If they were late, then how late? Bankruptcy filing, liens, and collection activity also impact your history. 2. How much you owe. If you owe a great deal of money on numerous accounts, it can indicate that you are overextended. However, it's a good thin

Not all real estate practitioners are REALTORS®. The term REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Here's why it pays to work with a REALTOR®. 1. Navigate a complicated process. Buying or selling a home usually requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multi page settlement statements

What to Do When the Sale Price Leaves You Short? If you're thinking of selling your home, and you expect that the total amount you owe on your mortgage will be greater than the selling price of your home, you may be facing a short sale. A short sale is one where the net proceeds from the sale won't cover your total mortgage obligation and closing costs, and you don't have other sources of money to cover the deficiency. A short sale is different from a foreclosure, which is wh

Are you looking to buy a new home? Are you thinking that now's a great time to find bargains? That's true, but it pays to know a little about the seller's situation before you make an offer. If a home is being sold for below what the current seller owes on the property-and the seller does not have other funds to make up the difference at closing-the sale is considered a short sale. Many more home owners are finding themselves in this situation due to a number of factors, incl

You are a house flipper. You are a real estate investor. Your goal is simple, and that is to make a profit from every home you purchase, fix up and then sell. The question is, though, do you have the tools to help you through this process? Many people who get involved in house flipping do not have the necessary tools to pull it off. They lose money on their first transaction because of a lack of knowledge and resources. They end up leaving the industry not because they should