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Smart Tips For Buying A Waterfront Home

smart tips for buying a water front home

Smart Tips For Buying A Waterfront Home

Waterfront properties for some are highly desirable either for the ability to use a boat or some sort of other water recreation vehicle or for the great views.  Waterfront views can add significantly to the price tag of a luxury home with a great view of a lake, river or ocean.  While waterfront properties may offer excellent views and offer more value there are still some things to be aware of when considering the purchase of a waterfront home as this article explores.

New Construction vs. Existing Home

If you are building a new home with waterfront access the build method may be different when it comes to the foundation.  Depending on the condition of the sub-surface where the house will ultimately rest upon different kinds of supports may be needed to ensure the house is stable after being built.  Also depending on whether the water levels can come up to or beyond the house the house may need to be raised in order to limit its exposure to the water.  In order to make sure the house is setup properly from the start homebuyers should make sure their builders are using qualified engineers to analyze the ground below where the house will be built in order to make sure the right type of foundation support is used.

If you are considering an existing waterfront home then in addition to having a regular home inspection it would be wise to have a structural engineer look over the home to make sure the foundation is strong and secure so that your investment does not go floating off into the water or get damaged due to a shifting foundation. Depending on when the home was built and whether there are any plans still available...

Should You Transfer Your Real Estate Into An LLC?

should you have your real estate in an llc?

Should You Transfer Your Real Estate Into An LLC? 

An LLC or Limited Liability Company is a business structure similar to a corporate form like S Corporation found in many states that allows for a business owner to run a business and limit their liability exposure to just the business assets itself.  If the business owner were to be sued for something that the business did then the business owner’s personal assets should be protected from the lawsuit if they were to lose the case.  Where a business owner runs a business without an LLC, then they run the risk that if they are sued a court can use any and all of their assets to satisfy a lawsuit judgment.  LLCs are commonly used by small business owners, are sometimes used by real estate owners and investors.  This article explores whether it makes sense to have your real estate in an LLC.

How Is Real Estate Usually Owned?

All real estate is registered to the owners (can be individual, LLC, corporation, trust and more) name with a deed.  The deed is generally put in the name of the buyers as the current owners of the property and recorded at the local government office where records of deeds are kept.  In order to get the best protection, deeds should be registered with the local registrar/recorder but it is not a requirement to do so when purchasing real estate with cash. If the real estate is purchased with a loan the lender will require the purchaser to have the deed registered and recorded in their name with the local government in order to put everyone on notice that the property is subject to a mortgage lien.  By providing notice of a mortgage liens lenders can be assured that...

What Is An Escrow Holdback?

what is an escrow holdback?

What Is An Escrow Holdback?

During the final stages of buying or selling a home generally the homebuyer will be performing a final walkthough and the home sellers should be in the final stages of moving everything out of the house.  If certain repairs were not completed prior to closing or maybe the seller has been slow in moving out there are options that can be used to help protect the homebuyer and make sure the home seller completes the requirements called for by the contract.  One of the options a homebuyer may be able to use is called an escrow holdback.  This article looks at the escrow holdback and some of the situations where it may make sense to use it.

Escrow Holdback Explained

An escrow holdback is simply money held from a real estate transaction in an escrow account.  The escrow account used is usually owned by the title company since they are a neutral party to the transaction.  So for instance a home is being purchased by homebuyers for $200,000 dollars.  The home sellers owe $150,000 on the mortgage and are expecting to receive $40,000 directly back to them (after commissions and closing costs).  So in a transaction without any escrow holdback the title company will transfer $150,000 of the total sale amount to the mortgage company who holds the mortgage on the property being sold and then will provide the remaining amount from the sale to the sellers.

If the sellers were not able to complete some agreed upon repairs prior to closing, have not fully moved out of the house yet or caused some damage to the home while moving out for which they...

Does An Open House Make Sense When Marketing A Home For Sale

does an open house make sense for marketing a home for sale?

Does An Open House Make Sense When Marketing A Home For Sale?

In the past when there was no Internet for marketing homes the open house was a great way to get many people into a home at one time in order to help get it sold.  Advertising in local newspapers could be expensive so not many pictures of the home would be able to get published.  Advertising in local magazines also would be expensive but would be generally slow since magazines published usually no more than once a month.  As a result many agents would advertise their open houses or host open houses at one time in one neighborhood in order to maximize on homebuyer foot traffic.

Since the internet has taken over as the go to source for home marketing the use and need of open houses has declined greatly.  This article explores why open houses are no longer commonly used and some reasons why homeowners may want to completely pass on it.

How Are Homes Marketing On The Internet Today

With over 90% of home shopping starting online it makes sense for the home seller and their agent to focus on the place where most of the buyers will be looking.  Starting with a clean and de-cluttered house the pictures of a home online are what will make or break a sale.  Clean freshly painted rooms that show the space available in a home make for great photographs that allow homebuyers to see the potential of a house.  Using great photo gear to help take great photographs will translate into interested buyers so make sure the photographs are taken during the best time of day with the best quality equipment in order to show the features of a home.

Video is another huge selling point for many...

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