Buy House

Checklist for buying a house Get up to 4 MortgageOffers. When Banks Compete, You Win! Your House Buying Checklist Oneof the most important things you can do is to make a checklist as you search for, find and buy a home. By keepingon top of your game-plan at all times you will greatly increase your chances of success. To save time, bookmarkthis page and refer to the following checklist frequently. Follow the links, print out this checklist and let itincrease your house buying effectiveness. House Buying Checklist Be an informed buyer. There are well over 150 pages of information hereas well as links to much more information. Numerous guides are available on specific subjects. Our Bookstore had additional recommendedreading. Gather as much information as you can. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our free newsletter and by visitingthe What's New page. Want more information on the process of home buying? Get the Home Buyer's Defense Guide andget 6 free bonuses. Buying your firsthome ? See the page devoted to first time home buying . Familiarize yourself with the mortgage process. Have mortgage questions ? Need a few mortgage tips ? See the sections devoted to those subjects. Begin the application process by getting prequalified and preapproved from a Mortgage Lender. Do this first. Your Agent will need your mortgage qualification, and it will significantlystrengthen your offer when you find a home. At Lending Tree , you can submit a quick andeasy application, and within 2 business days get up to 4 offers from lenders so that you can compare terms and rates . Get your financialpicture in focus as soon as possible. Since it is an importantcomponent, be aware of your credit situation. You can get a free copy of your credit report or, see the credit center for additional resources for getting your credit report. The best time to work on your budget is before you move. Want to maximize your financial picture? See the section devoted to budget hints . Wondering about how much time is needed to buy a home? See the sample homebuying timeline . Find an Agent that you trust. It is important to do this before you go rushing off looking for homes or you may end up with norepresentation. See the Agency and BuyerAgent pages for important discussions regarding "who representswho." Looking to find an Agent? Click here to choose an Agent in your area .You can compare backgrounds, experience and more. Thinking about doing it on your own? See the section on buying on your own for things watch for. Determine your housing needs and wants to determine what typesof houses you should be considering. Familiarize yourself with the various types of housing available: Single family , townhouse ,and condo . If you are planning on buying or building a new home, see our section devotedto building a house including house building tips , resources and howto find a contractor . Have general questions about buying a home? See the questions homebuyers ask page. Still have a question about a Real Estate term or its definition? See our Real Estate Glossary . A question on a mortgage term? See the Mortgage Glossary . House Hunting Time! First, see the article devoted to finding the right home . Then,make a scorecard for each house to help you keep track of the properties you've seen. Familiarize yourself with howto set a value on a house . This can save you a great deal oftime and helps to avoid disappointment. When you find an acceptable house, write an offer . Familiarize yourselfwith how offers become contracts . Need examples of offers and contracts available for your state? See FIndLegalForms.com Negotiate your best deal using the information you have acquired. If you haven't already done so, apply for a mortgage loan . Arrange for homeinspection . Protect yourself and do not skip this step! Learn about homewarranties and what they cover. Compare and secure homeownersinsurance . Since homeowners insurance is a long term expense,getting the best deal here brings savings that continue. Arrange for closing agent or attorney. Make all final preparations for closing . Make movingplans . If you plan to use a moving company, make comparisonsand reserve time now. Secure final loan approval and commitment from the lending institution.If you have done your "up-front" work, this should be one of your easiest steps. Do a final walkthrough of the house. Final closingand settlement . Let us know what you liked or disliked about thisweb site! Move to your new home and begin enjoying it--you deserve it! Subscribe to the Home Buyer's Information Center newsletter Get Your Credit Score Compare Mortgage Offersat LendingTree.com COMPARE Mortgages Agents Insurance TheHome Buyer Defense Guide with 6 FREE BONUSES Searchfor Agents Anonymously Free Credit Report Find Homes at Bargain.com RECOMMENDED READING TheHome Buyer Defense Guide with 6 Free Bonuses Home Buying For Dummies (you won'tbe after reading this book!) 10 Steps to Home Ownership Simple, concisestep-by-step guide HOME | Your Checklist | To-Do Lists | Agents | Mortgages | Questions | Finda Home | Inspections | Research | More Links | Bookstore

real estate broker, who

Real Estate - Forbes.com U.S. | EUROPE | ASIA Jump Select Section Home Investment Newsletters Polls & Discussions Premium Tools Special Reports Video & Audio Watchlist IT Research Library IT Product & Service Search Business -Manufacturing -Technology -Commerce -Services -Energy -Healthcare -Small Business Technology -E-Business -Enterprise Tech -Infoimaging -Personal Tech -Science & Medicine -Wireless Markets -Equities -Economy -Commodities -Bonds -Emerging Markets -Currencies Work -Careers -Compensation -Entrepreneurs -Management Lists -Companies --Forbes 500s --Forbes Global 500 --200 Best Small Cos. --400 Best Big Cos. --Largest Private Cos. -People --World's Richest People --100 Top Celebrities --400 Richest Americans --Best Paid CEOs -Places --Best Places Personal Finance -Estate Planning -Funds -Philanthropy -Retirement -Strategies -Taxes Lifestyle -Collecting -Health -Real Estate -Sport -Travel -Vehicles -Wine & Food Columnists Magazines -Forbes Magazine -Forbes Global -Forbes FYI -Forbes ASAP -Best of the Web -Archives -Subscriptions Tools About Us Contact Us Help Reprints/Permissions Sitemap Advertising Conferences Forbes Collection Forbes Mobile Special Advertising Search Quote HOME PAGE FOR THE WORLD'S BUSINESS LEADERS Home Special Advertising Section Paid Advertisement Article When it comes to Real Estate, Knowing Your Stuff is the Key to Success Are you looking to buy or sell a home or other piece of property? The real estate market is a difficult one, and should not be entered casually. With the right information, you can make your venture a success, but all to often lack of foresight and failure to do the proper exploration leave consumers in unfortunate situations that are difficult to rectify. An educated consumer is a happy consumer, and in no market is this truer than the property market. Before you commit, learn as much as you can – whether you’re buying or selling, you’ll never regret doing a little extra research. Real Estate Basics To begin with the basics, let’s consider a few definitions. “Real Property” is legally defined as “land and improvements permanently attached to the land.” Improvements include everything from houses and garages to in-ground swimming pools, but exclude portable items like mobile homes and tool sheds. Also included in real property are substances beneath the land, such as gas, minerals and oil. There are many types of real estate, but most consumers will encounter only two: single-family homes and commercial property. Commercial property may include spaces used for retail, office, shopping, hotels, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, apartment complexes, as well as vacant land zoned to be used for any of those purposes. Aside from specialty properties like farms and industrial sites, almost any property to be used for anything besides a single-family homes is considered commercial. Different rules govern transactions involving each kind of property, and it’s important to know what you will encounter before you get started. The use of any property is limited by zoning laws, which govern the purpose – for example, housing, retail, or industrial – for which the real estate can be used. Zoning laws also restrict the size and height of buildings, the portion of property that may be used for parking, how far buildings must be set from the street and from each other, and whether and what kind of hazardous materials can be stored there. Public easement and right of way laws, which fall into the general category of zoning, outline whether and which parts of private property must be reserved for public use, usually in the form of sidewalks, electrical lines, sewer pipes, fire hydrants and similar public goods. Laws differ from town to town, so if you are looking at multiple locations, keep track of how each municipality’s rules will affect how you can use your property. Choosing a Real Estate Professional Although some people prefer to work on their own, it is usually good to hire a licensed real estate professional if you are looking to buy or sell a house. You may choose between a real estate broker, who is independently licensed to review the entire market and show any house that suits your needs, and a real estate agent who works for a specific company and is usually restricted to showing properties in that company’s listings. Which one you choose will depend on your needs, budget, and the number of real estate companies competing in your area. If there are a large number of companies, you may do better with a broker, but if there are only a few, you can save money by using an agent. No matter what type of professional you choose, there are a few things you should consider before making your decision. How does the agent or broker intend to market your house? How successful has he been in the past, particularly with homes in your range and area? If he is an agent, what is his company’s track record? What is the time limit on the contract you will sign, and can you break it if you’re dissatisfied? Do you feel comfortable that he understands your needs and will work hard to meet them? Recall that, above all, real estate agents are salespeople, so be sure that you are confident that they are working with you as well as for their employers. A great way to narrow down choices is to check the Internet for websites that compare companies and agents in your area. You may also want to talk with friends who have recently moved about their experiences with local agents and brokers. Buying and Selling: What You Need to Know When you are in the market to buy, your individual situation will determine whether or not to hire a professional. You may find that you can do well enough finding suitable listings without the help of an agent. However, if you live in a city where good housing is scarce, you may want to engage someone to help you discern the good from the bad. Real estate agents can also be very helpful when it’s time to close the deal, sorting out what items are included with the house (for example, appliances and furnishings) and working with the seller to divide costs fairly. Although it is possible to sell your home without professional help, but this should be attempted with great caution. A real estate professional will help sort through potential buyers to find people who are serious, work with to get a fair price for your property, and be indispensable at closing time when it comes to dividing up property taxes and other shared costs. In general, as a seller, you should expect to run up against a number of expenses when you close on your house. These may include excise tax (a tax levied on the seller of any property or item), attorney and professional fees, property taxes, real estate commission, and fees for survey, inspection, certification and other items, depending on the laws of the state in which the house is sold. Commercial Property: Buying and Selling If you are looking to buy or sell commercial property, your best bet is to engage a real estate attorney who can advise you on legal matters involving the transfer. As with home purchases, it’s important to have the property inspected thoroughly before committing to buy. You will also want to ensure that zoning laws permit you to renovated buildings to suit your needs – for example, buildings that are zoned as small retail outlets may not always be turned into restaurants; warehouses may not necessarily be converted to apartment complexes. Real estate lawyers will make sure that you know as much as possible about your property before you buy. Do Your Homework Youll be Amazed at the Difference it Makes! The best way to be successful in any real estate transaction is to come in with your eyes open. Listed below or some top real estate websites that can help you find what you're looking for today: HomeGain: Selling Your Home? - Let local real estate agents know about the home you'd like to sell so they can address your specific needs. They will send you customized responses including their credentials, business experience, and commission rates to compete for your business. HomeGain: Buying A Home? - Let local real estate agents know about the home you'd like to buy so they can address your specific needs. They will send you customized responses including their credentials, business experience, and local market knowledge to compete for your business. Foreclosure Search: Simple Real Estate Secrets - Search foreclosures in the USA. Includes bank foreclosures, court foreclosures, pre-foreclosures, homeowners in bankruptcy, HUD homes, VA homes, government homes & more! Make Real Money Investing In Real Estate - Lou Vukas gives you the insider secrets to making real money in real estate regardless of your credit, finances or location. ^ Paid Advertisement Article ^ Ad Information        Forbes.com Wireless        Reprints / Permissions        Subscriber Services        ©2004 Forbes.com™      All Rights Reserved       Privacy Statement        Terms, Conditions and Notice Search Engine Marketing by 360i, Inc.

Selling home on your

Alaska Journal of Commerce: Selling home on your own can prove costly 04/22/02 [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Home Focus In this Issue Calendar Bulletin Board Movers & Shakers Business History Archive Around the World Legals Viewpoint Profile Cartoons Contact Us Advertise with us Subscribe About Us Classified ADs Oil & Gas Special Sections Wealthbuilders Fish Factor Travel Insight Property Wise Tech Watch Law Page Philanthropy Health Book of Lists -5° 17° 9° 8° 27° 33° 35° 41° 44° 39° 35° Choose City Anchorage Barrow Bethel Cordova Deadhorse Denali Park Dillingham Dutch Harbor Fairbanks Galena Haines Homer Juneau Kenai Ketchikan Kodiak Kotzebue McGrath Nenana Paxson Petersburg Pribilof Islands Sitka Skagway Soldotna Talkeetna Valdez Wrangell Yakutat Email Newsletter Palm Pilot Delivery Letter to the editor Comments Locate a copy [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] 042202 prop_wise 2 Alaska Journal of Commerce Late night television and local radio programming is rife with infomercials and advertisements touting how easy it is to buy and sell your houses, buildings and businesses all by yourself and save staggering amounts of money to boot. -- Web posted Monday, April 22, 2002 Selling home on your own can prove costly By Ken Jelinek For the Journal Late night television and local radio programming is rife with infomercials and advertisements touting how easy it is to buy and sell your houses, buildings and businesses all by yourself and save staggering amounts of money to boot. They can be rather insulting to those of us in the real estate industry because they attempt to make us sound unnecessary, unethical and expensive. But the fact is, you really can do it yourself successfully. Cynically speaking, however, you can also fix your own car, generate your own electricity, defend yourself in court, trade your own stocks and never visit a doctor. You could probably do your neighbor's job too. One day, when everything is perfectly computerized and digital, you probably won't need a real estate agent. But for now, for the rest of us, we need the help, and that help is going to cost us. So, before you go spiraling off in your declaration of independence, ask yourself, "If it's really so easy, then why aren't all real estate transactions conducted without an agent?" You might also ask yourself if you would want to eliminate the real estate agent and take on all of his or her responsibilities when you are already bogged down with your own life in general, and especially if you haven't done it enough to do it right or do it well? Then, listen closely to your answers because we professionals in the industry are often patching up real estate transactions gone sour behind the well-meaning do-it-yourselfers. Keep in mind that I'm referring to all professionals in the industry including agents, attorneys, loan originators, title officers, processors, surveyors, tax assessors, appraisers and inspectors. But I'm referring specifically to the agent because he or she is the center in this wheel. Nationally, only three to five of every 100 home sales consists of successful "For Sale by Owner" transactions. The vast majority of those that attempt it end up hiring an agent within the first 30 days after they have realized the true cost, time and demands required for marketing and showing a home. Locally, the statistics indicate 15-17 percent of FSBOs are successful. While there are a lot of reasons for this, one of the main ones is that we have a robust seller's market with relatively low inventory. This can be quite tempting for sellers to strike out on their own because it looks easier than it is. But even the owners that sell their own homes usually sell to a buyer who has an agent paid for by the seller. The truth is that the vast majority of all real estate transactions are completed with agents involved on at least one side of the sale, and for this reason, most transactions go very smoothly. But sometimes they don't. One recent seller took the advice of a local FSBO program on pricing his home. Several programs will give you limited service for a set fee. He put an ad in the paper and sold it within three days. When the appraisal report came back he learned that he priced his home too low but was still committed to that price. Sure, he might have saved 6 or 7 percent in brokerage fees but he lost a lot more than that to the happy buyer because his FSBO consultant didn't know the market well enough. In a similar incident, a very excited couple heard of a perfect home on the market For Sale By Owner in their neighborhood. The sellers told them that they didn't want to pay any brokerage fees and proceeded to negotiate down the asking price by $9,000, which made the buyers feel special. A market analysis revealed that the starting price was already about $10,000 too high. And yet, it's going to be sold at the same market price to the buyers whether or not they have an agent paid by the seller. Recently a buyer made an offer on a duplex that was accepted with a counteroffer to increase the earnest money. Both buyer and seller agreed verbally and the only thing lacking was the buyer's signature on that change. In the meantime, the seller sold the duplex to a second buyer to get a higher price and quicker closing. He now has two accepted offers on the same property at the same time. Which party in this potential lawsuit would you like to be? Not all sellers innocently try to save money on real estate commissions. Some choose to "overlook" disclosing pertinent and sometimes legally required information to buyers because doing so might lower the final sales price or prohibit a sale indefinitely because they can't afford to fix a deficiency. How would you protect yourself without the watchful eye of an expert? Agents usually take on quite a bit of risk in marketing your house for sale or driving you around looking at homes to buy. They pay for everything up front and often don't get paid until the day it is recorded, which makes him or her, actually, quite a bargain. On the other hand, you could do it yourself. Ken Jelinek is an associate broker with RE/MAX Properties in Anchorage. He can be reached at 907-257-0196. [an error occurred while processing this directive] © 2004 The Alaska Journal of Commerce and Morris Communications Corp.

Buy Home

html>script language="javascript">!--// Need to add a sniffer for IE 5 and set it to use DOM as well.function isIE() {if (navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer")return true;else return false;}// this will replace all the make window codefunction iframeCall(){ Iframe=eval('document.getElementById("iframePrompt")'); return Iframe;}function showIframePrompt2(theSrc, theWidth, theHeight){iframeCall().style.visibility="visible"; iframeCall().src = theSrc; iframeCall().style.left=380-(theWidth/2);iframeCall().style.top=document.body.scrollTop+20; if (!isIE()) {theWidth = (theWidth/1)-5;theHeight = (theHeight/1)-5;}iframeCall().style.width = theWidth; iframeCall().style.height = theHeight; }function closeIframePrompt(){iframeCall().style.visibility="hidden";}var IFrameObj; // our IFrame objectfunction showIframePrompt(theSrc, theWidth, theHeight) {if (!iframeCall()) {return true}; IFrameObj=iframeCall(); IFrameObj.style.border='2px ridge';if (!isIE()) {IFrameObj.style.border='ridge gray 4px';} if (IFrameObj.contentDocument) {// For NS6} else if (IFrameObj.contentWindow) {// For IE5.5 and IE6} else if (IFrameObj.document) {// For IE5} else {return true;} showIframePrompt2(theSrc, theWidth, theHeight);}// endfunction changeBrowser(){if(nameCode == 2){document.write("font face='verdana, arial, helveitca' size='2'>a href='javascript:closeWindowOrIframe();'>close window/a>/font>");}else if(nameCode == 3){document.write("input type='button' onClick='javascript:closeWindowOrIframe();' name='closewindow' value='close window' class='sbttn' title='Close Window'>/a>"); }else{document.write("input type='button' onClick='javascript:closeWindowOrIframe();' name='closewindow' value='close window' class='sbttn' title='Close Window'>/a>"); }}function closeWindowOrIframe () {if (parent.iframeCall() && parent.closeIframePrompt() ) {parent.closeIframePrompt();} else {window.close();}}function makeWindow(url, h, w) {var dims = "height=" + h + ",width=" + w;var options = dims + ",toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=no,

Colorado Real Estate

REcolorado.com - brought to you by Metrolist Inc. -- Welcome to REcolorado - Colorado's Premier Public Property Listing Website Find A Home Required Fields Property Type: Residential Condominium Income Land Sort Order: Price City Square Feet Bedrooms Bathrooms Street Name Optional Fields Price: (default $0 to $999,999,999) From To Finished Square Ft: From To Bedrooms: From To Bathrooms: From To Car Spaces: From To Address #: From To Street Name: City: ALL AGATE AGUILAR AKRON ALLENSPARK ALMA ARVADA AURORA BAILEY BELLVUE BENNETT BERTHOUD BLACK HAWK BOULDER BOW MAR BRECKENRIDGE BRIGHTON BROOMFIELD BRUSH BUENA VISTA BUFFALO CREEK BYERS CALHAN CANON CITY CARBONDALE CASTLE ROCK CEDAREDGE CENTENNIAL CENTRAL CITY CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE COALDALE COKEDALE COLORADO CITY COLORADO SPRINGS COLUMBINE VALLEY COMMERCE CITY COMO CONIFER COPPER MOUNTAIN COTOPAXI CRAIG CRESTED BUTTE DACONO DEER TRAIL DELTA DENVER DILLON DIVIDE DRAKE DUMONT DUPONT EAGLE EASTLAKE EATON EDGEWATER ELBERT ELIZABETH ELK SPRINGS EMPIRE ENGLEWOOD ERIE ESTES PARK EVANS EVERGREEN FAIRPLAY FEDERAL HEIGHTS FIRESTONE FLAGLER FLORISSANT FORT COLLINS FORT LUPTON FORT MORGAN FOUNTAIN FOXFIELD FRANKTOWN FRASER FREDERICK FRISCO GARDNER GEORGETOWN GILCREST GLENDALE GLENWOOD SPRINGS GOLDEN GRANBY GRAND JUNCTION GRAND LAKE GRANT GREELEY GREENWOOD VILLAGE GROVER GUFFEY HAMILTON HARTSEL HENDERSON HIGHLANDS RANCH HILLROSE HOEHNE HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS HUDSON HUGO IDAHO SPRINGS IDLEDALE INDIAN HILLS JAMESTOWN JEFFERSON JOHNSTOWN KEENESBURG KEYSTONE KIOWA KITTREDGE KREMMLING LA SALLE LA VETA LAFAYETTE LAKE GEORGE LAKEWOOD LARKSPUR LAST CHANCE LEADVILLE LIMON LINDON LITTLETON LIVERMORE LOCHBUIE LONE TREE LONGMONT LOUISVILLE LOVELAND LYONS MATHESON MEAD MEEKER MERINO MILLIKEN MOFFAT MONTROSE MONUMENT MORRISON NATHROP NEDERLAND NIWOT NONE NORTHGLENN NUNN ORCHARD OTIS PALMER LAKE PARKER PARSHALL PEETZ PENROSE PEYTON PINE PINECLIFFE PLATTEVILLE PUEBLO RAMAH RED FEATHER LAKES ROGGEN ROLLINSVILLE RUSH SAGUACHE SALIDA SAN LUIS SAN PABLO SEDALIA SEIBERT SEVERANCE SHAWNEE SHERIDAN SILVER PLUME SILVERTHORNE SIMLA STEAMBOAT SPRINGS STERLING STRASBURG SUPERIOR TABERNASH THORNTON TRINIDAD TWIN LAKES VAIL VICTOR VONA WALDEN WALSENBURG WATKINS WATTENBURG WESTCLIFFE WESTMINSTER WESTON WHEAT RIDGE WIGGINS WINDSOR WINTER PARK WOODLAND PARK WOODROW WRAY YODER Zip Code: County: ALL ADAM ALAMOSA ARAPAHOE ARCHULETA BENT BOULDER BROOMFIELD CHAFFEE CLEAR CREEK CONEJOS COSTILLA CROWLEY CUSTER DELTA DENVER DOLORES DOUGLAS EAGLE EL PASO ELBERT FREMONT GARFIELD GILPIN GRAND GUNNISON HINSDALE HUERFANO JACKSON JEFFERSON KIOWA KIT CARSON LAKE LARIMER LAS ANIMAS LINCOLN LOGAN MESA MOFFAT MONTROSE MORGAN OURAY PARK PUEBLO RIO BLANCO ROUTT SAGUACHE SEDGWICK SUMMIT TELLER WASHINGTON WELD YUMA Subdivision: -- MLS Number: MLS Number: MLS Number: MLS Number: MLS Number: MLS Number: MLS Number: MLS Number: MLS Number: MLS Number: Terms of Use Privacy Policy Fair Housing © 1998-2005 Metrolist, Inc. All rights reserved.