Real Estate Information Archive

With all the news concerning retailers databases being compromised and resulting in consumer identity theft, you need to be acutely aware of the increase of identity theft during a move and take precautions to prevent your becoming a victim of enterprising criminals. Moving often makes it easier for identity theft to occur: we leave information behind that others can use---mail that is not rerouted to our new address, important papers that aren't shredded but left in the trash, or through hiring rogue movers. The following steps are essential to ensure your protection:

• If you are using a moving company, be sure that you know it is a trusted and reliable firm.  Sometimes simply getting recommendations from friends, family members, and real estate agents is not enough.
   
• Make a change of address checklist.  Before you move, make sure you take the time to list all companies, institutions, and subscriptions that you receive through the postal system. Click here for a list of those you should include.  Personally notify all financial institutions of your plans to leave your home.  One of the easiest ways that someone can obtain your personal identity is through mail theft.
   
• Submit a change of address form to the U.S. Post Office.  Once your form has been filed, double-check the confirmation from the Postal Service to make sure that they list your new address correctly. Your mail should start being delivered to your new residence within seven to 10 business days after you submit a change-of-address filing.  Ask a current neighbor to take in any mail that comes to your old address after you move.
   
• Although moving is a good time to discard unwanted personal files, records, and documents, don’t just throw them away; shred them!
   
• Make sure your technological “toys”---computers, cell phones, tablets, and the like—are secured by passwords and packed in unmarked boxes.  Better yet, take the computers, hard drives, and other external storage devices with you when you travel to your new home.
   
• Stay in your current home as much as you can while movers are there.

Information courtesy of New Castle County Realtor Tucker Robbins.

A new year has begun and it seems to me that time goes faster and faster each day. The economy is predicted to grow around 3% in 2015 and as you can guess that is good news for the real estate business!  The real estate market holds a few more predictions for 2015…

• Interest rates are still low compared to what they have been in years passed but Freddie Mac is predicting that interest rates will rise above the low 4% they had dipped to in 2014 to up to 5% by the end of 2015.  Still these interest rates are extremely low so if you are in the market for a new house you should go ahead and plan on making a purchase sometime in the year of 2015. 
• Prices for houses by the end of 2015 are predicted to be a little higher than in years passed but not so high that they won’t still be affordable.  Home appreciation will likely move to 4.5 percent instead of 9.3 percent as in 2014.  It may be that home appreciation will drop to 3 percent by the end of 2015.
• If building a home is in your plans then you are apparently on target with a lot of other folks. The building of new homes is expected to rise 20 percent from 2014.  If you don’t find the house that fits your every need this coming year on the market, it will be a great year to build it to your own specifications. 
• Not as many folks will be refinancing in 2015.  As a matter of fact refinances will drop to make up only about 23 percent of single family orientations this coming year.  In 2014 refinances made up roughly more than half of single family orientations. 
• It will be a bit easier to get a loan for your new home purchase in 2015 as some of the restrictions that were once placed on new home buyers will be eased.  Funding sources will grow for new home buyers in 2015 as well. 

As you can see there is a lot of good news for the real estate market in 2015.  If you are considering buying a home, don’t wait another day longer…get on the phone and call a qualified Real Estate agent today to get you started in the right direction.

Information courtesy of New Castle County Realtor Tucker Robbins!

Be sure to download this informative report, Things To Consider When Buying a Home! The report covers:

• 4 reasons to buy your home now.
   
• Do you need a professional when buying a home?
   
• 4 demands to make on your real estate agent.
   
• Future home prices: A look into the crystal ball!
   
• Where are mortgage rates headed?
   
• Getting a mortgage: Why so much paperwork?
   
• Harvard: 5 financial reasons to buy a home.
   
• Homeownership's impact on your net worth.

This report is a must read for anyone thing of buying a home in 2015.

Download your FREE report here!

Information courtesy of New Castle County Realtor Tucker Robbins.

Yes, it’s true…real estate activity slackens during the holidays. But, many home owners really don’t have a choice because of a necessity to relocate. You may find yourself in that same situation as a buyer. Or you may simply want to take advantage of some extra time off during the holidays to look for your dream home.

Most of us do tend to want to have our time free to enjoy all the activities that surround the year-end holidays. But, it can actually be a very advantageous time of year to be a buyer. Realtors will all tell you that many folks have vacation time during the holidays that make it a good time for both marketing and hunting to buy.

Right now is a good time to be looking to buy a home before 2015? Home prices are expected to rise in 2015, although not at the same rate as in 2014. Therefore, it is definitely a good time to be buying with prices continuing to climb. Here are some other considerations about housing hunting during the holidays…

• Lower seasonal prices are likely before the anticipated increases in 2015. Many homes on the market during the holidays are being offered because the sellers are being transferred. January is a high workplace transfer month. Transferees are trying to sell their homes during the holidays because they feel they have to.
• Less competition among buyers is common because many are concentrating on holiday activities. If they don’t have to move for some reason they tend to wait until after the year-end holidays. That means fewer competing offers and less likelihood of bidding wars.
• Seller anxiety begins to set in during the holidays. That means potentially better deals can be had. Sellers who need to move get more willing to bargain during the holidays because there is less demand from buyers.

Additional advantages of house hunting during the holidays before 2015 include:

• Cold weather means that you can experience first hand how efficient heating systems and fireplaces are in the cold months of the year.
• Realtors can be more attentive because the number of buyers in the marketplace is diminished during the holidays.
• Less competition from other buyers means you can do your house hunting being a little more relaxed about the potential of losing a house that you really are interested in.
• The winter landscape provides an opportunity to see the property and assess its privacy without the foliage on trees being in full bloom.

No matter what your motivation for house hunting during the holidays, it is a time to enjoy touring homes for sale when they are decorated and looking their best for the holidays. That can turn your holiday house hunting into a fun activity at a festive time of year.

Information courtesy of New Castle County Realtor Tucker Robbins.

Next to spring, fall is the busiest real estate time of the year. Although you can buy and sell houses at any time, the fall real estate market offers certain benefits to home buyers, including year-end tax breaks, pleasant weather conditions for moving, wider selection of houses, and more. If you are shopping for a home during the fall and don't want to miss out on a great deal, it's a good idea to explore the possibility of pre-qualifying for a loan and to know what type of house you are looking for and what you can realistically afford to buy.

Who’s buying in the fall? According to an ERA survey, the fall buyer mix in the fall typically consists of:

• First-time homebuyers : 27 percent
• Move-up buyers: 20 percent
• Buyers downsizing/retiring: 17 percent
• Investors: 14 percent
• Relocating military: 11 percent
• Vacation home buyers : 6 percent
• Other: 5 percent

Benefits of fall buying include the following:

• End-of-the-year tax breaks: Come September and October, people are starting to think about what year-end tax breaks they may be eligible for. Fortunately for homebuyers, owning a home can yield great dividends in tax returns. For example, both mortgage interest and property taxes are deductible from gross income. Furthermore, if you have prepaid some interest before the due date of your first payment and you close your loan before the year's end, that amount will also be deducted.
• Motivated sellers: Often sellers will opt to lower their price in the fall because they're afraid of trying to sell during the holidays. They also know that potential buyer traffic drops in the fall, so their prices (and most likely incentives) have to be competitive.
• Low interest rates: With interest rates on 30-year mortgages dropping from 4.55 percent last July to 3.55 percent today, buyers who've been riding out the economic downturn and housing crisis should certainly consider making a move at this time.
• Uninterrupted holidays: A fall home purchase will ensure that you will be comfortably ensconced in your new residence before the winter holidays, allowing you to enjoy family and friends without worrying about packing and moving.

Information provided by Wilmington DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.

It’s that time of year again, when little ones dress up and go out into the streets looking for tricks or treats.  Many older children as well as adults love to look for haunted houses to visit during this time of year as well.  While Halloween is all good and fun, no one wants to end up purchasing a home that gives them nightmares!  In this article we will look at a few tips on how to avoid haunting situations when buying a home.

• Avoid buying a home in a bad neighborhood  by going to your prospective place of residence during the weekends.  On the weekends folks typically get outside and do yard work around their homes.  You may even be able to talk to some of  the folks who live there to see what they are like before you make a home purchase in that neighborhood.  It’s also a good idea to drop by on a Saturday night to see if there are any loud parties and such going on.
   
• If the home you want to purchase is covered in siding, make sure to have it checked for any water issues so that you don’t end up being haunted by mold once you move in. 
   
• Always have a thorough home inspection   before you purchase a home.  This way if there are problems that need to be dealt with, you might be able to negotiate with the sellers to get the issues fixed before you buy.
   
• Whether or not your loan officer requires a water test, be sure to have one done before making an offer on a home.  You never know what may be in the water, especially if the home is in a rural area.  Don’t let hard water or water with worse issues haunt you…check to make sure it is safe and clean before you buy.
   
• Ask your Realtor to see the latest insurance bills for the home you are looking into buying.  This way you will have an upfront idea of what you may be charged each month and you will be able to set your budget around it. If the home you are looking at is in an area with high flood rates you need to definitely make sure you have all of your bases covered so that you don’t end up with a bill that is going to haunt you each month.

Lastly, ask your Realtor as many questions as you possibly can so that you will feel comfortable enough to make an offer without any fears or doubts looming over you.

Information courtesy of Wilmington Delaware Realtor Tucker Robbins.