Enough with the doom and gloom about homeownership.

Sure, maybe there's more pain to come in the housing market. But when Time magazine starts running covers that declare "Owning a home may no longer make economic sense," it's time to say: Enough is enough. This is what "capitulation" looks like. Everyone has given up.
After all, at the peak of the bubble five years ago, Time had a different take. "Home Sweet Home," declared its cover then, as it celebrated the boom and asked: "Will your house make you rich?"
But it's not enough just to be contrarian. So here are 10 reasons why it's good to buy a home.
1. You can get a good deal. Especially if you play hardball. This is a buyer's market. Most of the other buyers have now vanished, as the tax credits on purchases have just expired. We're four to five years into the biggest housing bust in modern history. And prices have come down a long way– about 30% from their peak, according to Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller Index, which tracks home prices in 20 big cities. Yes, it's mixed. New York is only down 20%. Arizona has halved. Will prices fall further? Sure, they could. You'll never catch the bottom. It doesn't really matter so much in the long haul.
Where is fair value? Fund manager Jeremy Grantham at GMO, who predicted the bust with remarkable accuracy, said two years ago that home prices needed to fall another 17% to reach fair value in relation to household incomes. Case-Shiller since then: Down 18%..
2. Mortgages are cheap. You can get a 30-year loan for around 4.3%. What's not to like? These are the lowest rates on record. As recently as two years ago they were about 6.3%. That drop slashes your monthly repayment by a fifth. If inflation picks up, you won't see these mortgage rates again in your lifetime. And if we get deflation, and rates fall further, you can refi.
3. You'll save on taxes. You can deduct the mortgage interest from your income taxes. You can deduct your real estate taxes. And you'll get a tax break on capital gains–if any–when you sell. Sure, you'll need to do your math. You'll only get the income tax break if you itemize your deductions, and many people may be better off taking the standard deduction instead. The breaks are more valuable the more you earn, and the bigger your mortgage. But many people will find that these tax breaks mean owning costs them less, often a lot less, than renting.The June 13, 2005 cover of Time.
4. It'll be yours. You can have the kitchen and bathrooms you want. You can move the walls, build an extension–zoning permitted–or paint everything bright orange. Few landlords are so indulgent; for renters, these types of changes are often impossible. You'll feel better about your own place if you own it than if you rent. Many years ago, when I was working for a political campaign in England, I toured a working-class northern town. Mrs. Thatcher had just begun selling off public housing to the tenants. "You can tell the ones that have been bought," said my local guide. "They've painted the front door. It's the first thing people do when they buy." It was a small sign that said something big.
5. You'll get a better home. In many parts of the country it can be really hard to find a good rental. All the best places are sold as condos. Money talks. Once again, this is a case by case issue: In Miami right now there are so many vacant luxury condos that owners will rent them out for a fraction of the cost of owning. But few places are so favored. Generally speaking, if you want the best home in the best neighborhood, you're better off buying.
6. It offers some inflation protection. No, it's not perfect. But studies by Professor Karl "Chip" Case (of Case-Shiller), and others, suggest that over the long-term housing has tended to beat inflation by a couple of percentage points a year. That's valuable inflation insurance, especially if you're young and raising a family and thinking about the next 30 or 40 years. In the recent past, inflation-protected government bonds, or TIPS, offered an easier form of inflation insurance. But yields there have plummeted of late. That also makes homeownership look a little better by contrast.
7. It's risk capital. No, your home isn't the stock market and you shouldn't view it as the way to get rich. But if the economy does surprise us all and start booming, sooner or later real estate prices will head up again, too. One lesson from the last few years is that stocks are incredibly hard for most normal people to own in large quantities–for practical as well as psychological reasons. Equity in a home is another way of linking part of your portfolio to the long-term growth of the economy–if it happens–and still managing to sleep at night.
8. It's forced savings. If you can rent an apartment for $2,000 month instead of buying one for $2,400 a month, renting may make sense. But will you save that $400 for your future? A lot of people won't. Most, I dare say. Once again, you have to do your math, but the part of your mortgage payment that goes to principal repayment isn't a cost. You're just paying yourself by building equity. As a forced monthly saving, it's a good discipline.
9. There is a lot to choose from. There is a glut of homes in most of the country. The National Association of Realtors puts the current inventory at around 4 million homes. That's below last year's peak, but well above typical levels, and enough for about a year's worth of sales. More keeping coming onto the market, too, as the banks slowly unload their inventory of unsold properties. That means great choice, as well as great prices.
10. Sooner or later, the market will clear. Demand and supply will meet. The population is forecast to grow by more than 100 million people over the next 40 years. That means maybe 40 million new households looking for homes. Meanwhile, this housing glut will work itself out. Many of the homes will be bought. But many more will simply be destroyed–either deliberately, or by inaction. This is already happening. Even two years ago, when I toured the housing slump in western Florida, I saw bankrupt condo developments that were fast becoming derelict. And, finally, a lot of the "glut" simply won't matter: It's concentrated in a few areas, like Florida and Nevada. Unless you live there, the glut won't have any long-term impact on housing supply in your town.
Write to Brett Arends at brett.arends@wsj.com

The Red Shoes

This is a fabulous film, costuming, set decoration, make up

://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=the+redshoes

Drastic Price ReductionPano View Loft- $665k Open 9/19 --2-4pm

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"><html><head></head><body><table width=900 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 align=center><tr><td colspan=3 bgcolor=#000000><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/spg.gif" width=900 height=1></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor=#000000><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/spg.gif" width=1 height=100></td><td bgcolor=#FFFFFF valign=top><table align=center border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td valign=top colspan=5 bgcolor=#000000 style="font-family: Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;"><a href="http://www.35LucerneStreet.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/moreDetails.png" border=0 width=171 height=27></a><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=35+Lucerne%2C+%233+San+Francisco%2C+CA" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mapProperty.png" border=0 width=128 height=27></a><a href="http://www.zephyrsf.com/search.cfm" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/searchProperties.png" border=0 width=175 height=27></a><a href="http://www.zephyrsf.com/about.cfm" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/aboutZephyr.png" border=0 width=103 height=27></a></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=900 height=30></td></tr></table><table align=center border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=30 height=30 border=0></td><td><div style="line-height:1.9em;"><font size=6 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b>FINAL PRICE REDUCTION<br>Amazing SOMA Loft w/ Private Deck & Garage</b><br></font><font size=5 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><span style="font-weight:bold;">$665,000</span></font>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<font size=3 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b><i>35 Lucerne, #3</i></b>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>San Francisco, CA</i></font></div></td><td valign=top align=right><a href="http://www.zephyrsf.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/logo-landscape.png" width=126 height=62 border=0/></a></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=40 height=1 border=0></td><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=734 height=1 border=0></td><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=126 height=1 border=0></td></tr><tr><td colspan=3><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=900 height=10></td></tr></table><table align=center border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=39 height=1 border=0></td><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=463 height=1 border=0></td><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=20 height=1 border=0></td><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=339 height=1 border=0></td><td><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=39 height=1 border=0></td></tr><tr><td rowspan=2><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=39 height=39></td><td align=right valign=top><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/docs/40314/image-1.jpg" width=463 height=347 border=0><br><a href="#additional"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/additional.png" width=123 height=22 border=0></a><br></td><td rowspan=2><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=20 height=20></td><td valign=top rowspan=2><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><div style="line-height:1.5em; font-weight:bold; margin: 4px 0px 6px 0px;">FINAL REDUCTION!&nbsp;&nbsp;GREAT VALUE!<br>Double-height Living Area, Hugh Mezzanine Loft<br>Great Natural Ligfht East & West Exposures<br>Separate & Sunny Gas&nbsp;&nbsp;Kitchen - Granite, Stainless<br>Private Deck w/ 180 degree Downtown Views<br>Private Garage w/ Amazing Storage<br>HOA's $450/month<br><br><br></div></font><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/rule-sm.png" width=330 height=1><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><div style="line-height:1.5em; padding-right: 10px;"><p>REDUCED TO SELL!!&nbsp;&nbsp;This super-scaled 1 bedroom, 1.5 loft on quiet Lucerne Street is turn-key knockout!&nbsp;&nbsp;Dramatic floor-thru unit features a double-height living room with fireplace, custom window treatments, maple flooring, gracious dining area w/ built-in home office, guest ½ bath, & in-unit laundry.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sunny, separate kitchen has granite counters, stainless appliances?.and downtown views!&nbsp;&nbsp; Over-sized mezzanine bedroom features a full-sized closet, full bath with tub-over-shower and ample room for additional seating and storage.&nbsp;&nbsp;Private, walk-out patio has 180 degree views of the spectacular downtown skyline.&nbsp;&nbsp;A private garage with inside entry & huge storage potential completes the picture on this amazing unit.&nbsp;&nbsp; Quiet Lucerne Street is conveniently located to CalTrans, MUNI, and freeways.&nbsp;&nbsp; Its proximity to South Beach, Mission Bay, and Potrero Hill make this particular SOMA address a perfect point of departure for neighborhood shopping, restaurants, clubs, and sporting events at PacBell Park.</p></div></font></td><td rowspan=2><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=39 height=39 border=0></td></tr><tr><td><table align=left border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td valign=top><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b>OPEN HOUSE:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></td><td><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000>Sunday, 9/19 - 2:00 - 4:00PM</font></td></tr><tr><td valign=top><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b>BROKER'S TOUR:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></td><td><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000>Tuesday, 9/21 - 2:30 - 4:00PM</font></td></tr><tr><td valign=top><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b>EASY TO SHOW:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></td><td><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000>Call Listing Agent for Disclosure Matarials</font></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan=5><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/mainImageSpace.png" width=900 height=30 border=0></td></tr></table><table align=center cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr><td width=358>&nbsp;</td><td align=right valign=bottom><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/docs/40314/agent-1.jpg" width="136" height=100 border=0 style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 10px;"></td><td valign=bottom><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=20 height=20><br><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><i></i></font><br><font size=4 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b>Ruby Smith</b></font><br><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b>DRE# 01272067</b><br><b>415.902.9199</b><br><a href="mailto:rubysmith@zephyrsf.com"><font color=#000000>rubysmith@zephyrsf.com</font></i></a></font><br><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=20 height=5></td><td valign=bottom><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=20 height=20 ><br><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><i></i></font><br><font size=4 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b>Tom Baumgartner</b></font><br><font size=2 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><b>DRE# 01386089</b><br><b>415.730.1130</b><br><a href="mailto:tombaumgartner@zephyrsf.com"><font color=#000000>tombaumgartner@zephyrsf.com</font></i></a></font><br><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=20 height=5></td></tr><tr><td colspan=6 valign=top><a href="http://www.zephyrsf.com"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/footer.png" width=900 height=53 border=0 alt="www.zephyrsf.com"></a></td></tr></table><table align=center cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr><td colspan=2><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/white.png" width=32 height=32 border=0><br><a name="additional"><font size=5 face="Myriad Pro, Myriad, Arial, sans-serif" color=#000000><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/headerSpace.png" width=30 height=30 border=0><b>Additional Photos</b></font></a></td></tr><tr><td align=right><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/docs/40314/image-2.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0></td><td align="left"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/docs/40314/image-3.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0></td></tr><tr><td align=right><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/docs/40314/image-4.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0></td><td align="left"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/docs/40314/image-5.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0></td></tr><tr><td align=right><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/docs/40314/image-6.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0></td><td align="left"><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/docs/40314/image-7.jpg" width=400 height=300 border=0></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr></table></td><td bgcolor=#000000><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/spg.gif" width=1 height=100></td></tr><tr><td colspan=3 bgcolor=#000000><img src="http://www.inkswitch.com/marketspace/media/108-img/spg.gif" width=900 height=1></td></tr></table><br></body></html>

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Best website for real estate in San Francisco

http://bit.ly/9IgTfP

And I'm just not saying it because I work there. Our website is the best for information regard neighborhoods, how the home buying or selling process works, real "sold" information. And you can find me there! 

Social Media Revolution

The Machine is Us/ing Us (Final Version)

HGTV's FrontDoor.com Top 10 Home Buying and Selling Tips for Fall

http://bit.ly/de80RJ

 

Whether you're hunting for a bargain or trying to close a deal before the holidays, there are ways you can take advantage of the season. HGTV's FrontDoor.com identifies the top 10 tips for home buying and selling in the fall.

HGTV's FrontDoor.com Top 10 Home Buying and Selling Tips for Fall

http://bit.ly/de80RJ

 

Whether you're hunting for a bargain or trying to close a deal before the holidays, there are ways you can take advantage of the season. HGTV's FrontDoor.com identifies the top 10 tips for home buying and selling in the fall.

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5 Key Steps for First-Time Home Buyers

Key Steps for First-Time Home Buyers

You’ve religiously dined on frozen meals for months. You’ve been stashing away your extra cash instead of spending it on baseball tickets, a pedicure, or a night out on the town. You’ve even been riding the bus to work. Now that you’ve saved enough money for a down payment, you’re finally ready to make the biggest purchase most individuals ever make – buying your first home.

If the sheer amount of information available to first time home owners makes you feel doomed to rent forever, don’t panic! There’s hope, even for a rookie. The following five tips for first time home buyers can help alleviate your pre-purchase jitters:

* Evaluate your current budget and set your future mortgage budget
* Find your ideal real estate agent
* Make the real estate rounds
* Take advantage of home buyer incentives
* Read your purchase contract



1. Evaluate your current budget and set your future mortgage budget
You need to know how much money you can allocate towards your new home before you start looking at properties. A budget that thoroughly outlines your current expenses will help you accomplish this. Start by documenting all of your income in an Excel spreadsheet. Next, track how much and where you’re currently spending money.

Next, you’ll create a mortgage budget, which is a separate budget that helps you plan for reasonable mortgage payments. Your first step is to determine the average price of homes in your desired location and consideration set (e.g, ranch home, two-story, townhouse, condo, etc.). Here are some resources to help you determine your target home price:

Zephyrsf.com - a website where you can search for homes,explore neighborhoods, search for schools,neighborhood market trends save homes you are interested in, receive "real and current data of home values", and if you register you can search sold properties,save favorites,track property values, and get price change and new listing email alert.. And you can choose an agent, like for instance Ruby Smith,

Zillow.com – a Web site that lets you compare selling prices in your selected area.

Realtor.com – another home search tool provided by the National Association of Realtors.

Local newspapers – the classified section in your local newspaper provides a quick check of local home prices.

Your real estate agent –another excellent resource for pricing properties in your area.


Next, estimate what your home purchase loan amount will be. Start by establishing your target monthly home mortgage payment. Freddie Mac's home ownership calculator estimates what you can afford to spend on a home and what loan amount you’ll need to qualify for. Be sure to account for the costs of increased utility bills, property taxes, homeowners’ insurance, and any homeowner’s association fees. The Insurance Information Institute offers guidelines for what you should expect to pay for insurance. You may also be required to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) if your down payment is less than 20 percent. Freddie Mac http://www.freddiemac.com/corporate/buyown/english/mortgages/selecting/down_payments.html also offers an online calculator that helps you tabulate any possible PMI costs.

Track all of your estimated homeownership costs in a spreadsheet or notebook. Keep a miscellaneous expense category for things like purchasing appliances and maintenance costs. Don’t forget to account for your down payment and closing costs. Most importantly, don’t underestimate your expenses! First-time home buyers are often surprised at how much they shell out for basic upkeep on their properties. Even the little things – fertilizing a lawn, re-painting trim, or hiring a plumber – can add up quickly. This is particularly true if you plan to buy an older home, as it will require more maintenance.


2. Find your ideal real estate agent
Your real estate agent will be your key resource for first time home buyer information. Keep in mind that you’ll spend many Saturday and Sunday afternoons traipsing through homes with your real estate agent. The hours you spend home hunting are more bearable when you have a knowledgeable real estate agent that you get along with.

Consider any referrals as a starting point, but don’t select an agent just because that’s who your aunt and uncle used. Your needs may be different from those of friends or relatives, so always make sure that the agent you select is also an expert in the types of properties and locations that you’re looking for.

Think “location” when searching for possible real estate agents Drive through your desired neighborhoods and check out “for sale” signs to find agents who are already handling comparable transactions. Agents that know a neighborhood well are better equipped to help you navigate your options.

Find out what days and times they’re available to show you houses. Top-notch agents will listen to your wants and needs and will only take you to homes that meet your specifications.


3. Make the real estate rounds
Now that you’ve found the perfect real estate agent, you need to make the rounds. This means physically checking out properties. Online research is helpful, but it’s no substitute for taking the time to explore properties for sale in your preferred location and price range. Bring a home buying checklist to each property that you view. This will help focus your search, and you can use the list later to compare features among the different homes you’ve seen. Mortgageguide101.com and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development both offer printable home buying checklists.

Conduct a thorough examination of each property you visit. Take a friend or relative, preferably one who has already purchased a home, with you when house shopping. Someone else often spots things you may not have initially noticed – a barking dog living next door, a leaky faucet, or rotting wood.

Pay attention to the little stuff. Sellers who neglected basic things, such as maintaining the lawn or shampooing carpets, are likely to also let the big items slide. You don’t want to be stuck buying a new boiler a month after moving in.

You should get to know the entire neighborhood as well as your property. Check out the restaurants, grocery stores, and your prospective neighbors. Test drive times to work if you commute by car.

How will you know when you’ve found your dream home? That’s the million dollar question! Your perfect home should be situated in the right location and should meet all of your checklist needs as well as some of your checklist wants. It should also be comfortably within your price range.

Once you’ve found your perfect home, you should have a professional home inspection conducted. Although home inspection standards vary from city to city, The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors offers some general guidelines for residential inspections – covering basic standards for everything from roofs, exteriors, and basements to heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical systems. Your real estate agent can refer you to a reputable home inspector.


4. Take advantage of home buyer incentives
Now is the time to buy. Indeed, a range of incentives are offered by sellers, particularly during a buyer’s market. Be aware of the following incentives prior to signing a contract:

Price reductions – Lowering a property’s price is one of the most widely used incentives sellers offer home buyers. Keep in mind, however, that a reduced price may not always be the best incentive for you. First-time home buyers who have limited upfront cash may benefit more in the long-run from non-cash incentives, such as seller-paid mortgage points or down payment assistance.

Seller-paid mortgage points – You can ask a seller to put funds toward mortgage points, typically for a period of one to three years. One mortgage point generally equals one percent of the loan amount and is considered a form of prepaid interest. For example, your mortgage may have a seven percent interest rate. If the seller agrees to pay two interest points for the first year, your interest rate will drop to five percent for that year. Remember that the seller’s contribution won’t last forever, and you’ll be accountable for the higher interest rate when this time period ends.

Service warranties – Sellers may offer limited warranties on a property through a residential service contract. These contracts usually insure a home’s major systems, such as the heating, cooling, or plumbing. Warranties may sound great at first, but you must read the fine print. For example, some warranties may not cover pre-existing conditions, even if that condition was unknown at the time of purchase.

Closing costs – Closing costs aren’t cheap. In fact, Freddie Mac estimates that they cost between two and seven percent of a property’s overall value . You can ask the seller to pay all or a portion of closing costs as part of your purchase negotiations. These costs include taxes, title insurance, financing costs, mortgage points, prepaid or escrowed items – such as homeowner’s insurance, private mortgage insurance, and real estate taxes – and related fees.



5. Read your purchase contract
This may seem like an unnecessary piece of advice, but you’d be surprised by how many people sign contracts they haven’t actually read. Neglecting to read your purchase contract can cause headaches later on, particularly if you decide to resell the property down the road.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate the contract terms before signing on the dotted line. For instance, make a roof repair a condition of the purchase if your inspection shows a leaky roof. You can also ask your attorney or real estate agent to negotiate for some of the buyer’s incentives mentioned above. Finding your dream home can be a time-consuming and intense process. Using the above tips, you can improve your chances of having a hassle-free home buying experience.