Archived Neighborhood Walks

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abr, buyers agent, california central valley, crs, first time buyers, Homes for Sale, investment property, listing agent, neighborhoods, new homes, real-estate, resale homes, single family homes, YouTube Playlist

In my YouTube series “Neighborhood Walk”  I visit a few homes in different neighborhoods, available from other Realtors around the California Central Valley.  This playlist are those videos over a couple of weeks old.  There are links in the video description to all the homes for sale in those neighborhoods, and the link will be current, even after the homes are sold.   I home you find it helpful to see different neighborhoods, and price ranges that are available.  If you are interested in a home, and don’t yet have an agent, I would love to show you the value that a buyer’s agent brings to the table.  I do list homes as well, but I try not to represent both sides in the same transaction if I can avoid it.

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5 Reasons for Buying

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Home Buyers, real-estate, statistics

WHY DO PEOPLE BUY?

There are a number of reasons that people decide to make a real estate purchase. The California Association of Realtors, has put together this handy graph, which shows the top 5 reasons people bought homes in California in 2013,  It also shows the percentage of purchasers in each category.

The Perks of Home Ownership

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buying a home, Home Buyers, Home Purchase, real-estate

Owning a home is a good feeling, no way around it.  You never have to ask the landlord before you paint, landscape, or do any other changes to the property.  Also any expenditures you make to improve the property, increase the value of an asset you own.   In addition to that though, there are a number of financial perks to home ownership that are just the icing on the cake.  The chart below, is designed to show you some of these perks.

Why You Don’t Want To Wait Too Long To Buy!

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buying a home, home loans, Home Purchase, Real Estate Finance, real-estate, save interest

I can remember my parents paying around 18% on there mortgage back in the day.  Truly a dismal prospect.  The interest rate you pay, has a huge difference on the amount of your monthly payment for you home.  In fact, not only does it affect how much you can afford, but it may make the difference  whether you can purchase or not at all.  Interest rates for now, continue to be at historic lows.  The chart below, provided by the California Association of Realtors, is designed to help you understand how much even a small fluctuation in interest rates will affect your payment.  So do yourself a favor, and don’t wait too long to buy.

Here is a link to my May 2013

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Energy Efficient Homes, Home Buyers, home loans, Home Selling, Open House, real-estate

Here is a link to my May 2013 Edition ‘Real Estate Update’ Newsletter.

http://realtytimes.com/174/BradleyPrice

This Newsletter is full of interesting and useful information that I think you will enjoy whether you are a buyer, seller, homeowner, or renter.

This month’s issue includes topics such as:

“Your Home Isn’t Selling Because…”;
“The Low-Down On Big Down Payments”;
“What Buyers Really Want In A Home”;
“An Open House Can Close The Deal”;
“Seven Seller Slip-ups That Send Buyers Packing”;

Plus a roundup of April real estate activity as well as much more advice and information.

 

The Ripple Effect

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real-estate, Residential Real Estate

Over the last few years since the economy tanked, there has been a lot of talk about job creation.  Now consider the ‘Ripple Effect’ of how business brings more business.  When you shop, that creates jobs, those business owners and employees  can now go shopping, and the cycle continues.  This occurrence happens on every level, and in addition, if you keep those dollars local it is good for your local community. You should especially consider shopping with mom & pop stores, because they are the backbone of our economy.  To help illustrate this, I have included a chart to show how much the big ticket purchase of a home helps our economy.

Financing a Vacation Home

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home loans, Real Estate Finance, real-estate, Tuoumne count california real estate, vacation homes

Financing a Vacation Home

With the tightening of financing over the past few years, buying a vacation home is becoming a little more difficult. For those who have the cash though, it is a good time to make the purchase with home prices as low as they are. Above is an article from the New York Times on Financing a Vacation Home. If your ready to take the plunge, I would love to lend you my services in Tuolumne County, or refer you to Realtor in a vacation home market anywhere else.

Shorter Term Home Financing

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finance, home loans, real-estate, save interest

  When it comes to purchasing big ticket items, society in general tends to asks 2 questions.  How much does it cost? and What are my monthly payments?  The big problem is that we tend to leave out the question, How much will the total cost be when it is paid off?

     Not considering the 3rd question, has put most of America into trouble at some point or another, including myself.  Your best bet is to pay off credit cards every month, in other words, live within your means.  Don’t use credit for things that do not have lasting value (like dinner, concerts).

     There are of course things that are just too big to not use credit for, such as a car or a house.  In both cases, a shorter loan term may cost slightly more, but the savings in interest can be huge. The chart below is a good example of interest savings.  When taking out a home loan, many of us need 30 years to pay it in order to afford the payment.  If you do not need it however, I urge you to go for the shorter term.  If you already have a long term loan, consider a refinance to a shorter term.  Another option is to make additional principal payments on your current loan, you would be surprised how little extra you need to pay to double your principal payment, especially in the early years.