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Showing posts from June, 2016

Sellers: What Every Buyer Wants to Know about Your Home

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                          Home sellers are in an advantageous position this summer, with demand high and sales at their strongest in close to a decade. Planning to list your home in the coming weeks? Get the most for your house before the season’s up by making it accessible to buyers—with information. Every homebuyer wants to know specific aspects of homes they’re considering purchasing—information that may seem premature to advertise initially, but could ultimately be determining factors in their decision to make an offer. This information may include: How old is the home? When was it last renovated? How old is the roof? What structures or fixtures are included in the list price? (Appliances, ceiling fans, lighting, shed, swing set, window treatments, etc.) What are the home’s annual costs? (Electric, municipal water, gas, oil, lawn care, pool maintenance, etc.) Has the home required asbestos, lead or mold removal? Has the home been tested for radon? How is the ho

5 Ways to Pay off a Mortgage Loan Early

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Although it can take up to 30 years to pay off a mortgage, there’s no rule that says you have to spread this debt over three decades. An “ estimated 20 million Americans own their homes outright ,” reports Dave Ramsey, author of the best-selling book  The Total Money Makeover.  And if you’re looking to join this club sooner rather than later, adjusting the way you pay your mortgage can get rid of the loan quicker. Now, this achievement may appear to be a far-off dream, but there are practical ways to make it happen. 1. Submit Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments Paying one-half of your mortgage payment every two weeks can shrink your term by six or seven years. Given how there are 52 weeks in a year, bi-weekly payments result in 26 half payments – the equivalent of 13 full payments or one extra mortgage payment a year. Although a seemingly insignificant move, this extra mortgage payment decreases the amount of interest you owe over the life of the loan and ultimately shortens