What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted?

When you make an offer on a home, you wait anxiously to see if it will be accepted. Sometimes you're lucky enough to hear back within hours. Other times you could wait days or even weeks. But once you get that good news that your offer has been accepted, what happens next? It's a common question, and one that your real estate agent can help you with. In general though, here's what you can expect. There's A Home Inspection A home inspection needs to be conducted in order to assess the condition of the home for financing needs. This is…
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Top 5 Ways To Pick A High Quality Real Estate Agent

Your real estate agent can be the difference between a successful home buy and a bad purchase. Take a look at the characteristics of a good real estate agent and how you should vet your next partner in real estate. Patience Does the real estate agent immediately tell you to give up your rights to audit a home for a quicker sale? You may want to move on. The best real estate agents realize how big of a commitment a home is, and they are willing to walk you through the process at whatever pace you are comfortable with. Localized…
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Should You Buy A Fixer Upper Or Move-In Ready Home?

There's a lot to be said for buying a move-in ready home. All you have to do is put your things away and start living your life. On the other hand, buying a fixer upper has its advantages, too. You can get a great bargain on a fixer upper home. So which one should you choose? Here are some things to consider. You Can Easily Afford To Buy What You Want If money is no object, then a move-in ready home is the best choice. You'll be able to get exactly the home you want with little or no effort…
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5 First Steps For New Homeowners

As a new homeowner, now is the time to take control and organize your house for safety and security. The following first five steps should be carried out in the first few weeks if possible. 1. Change The Locks There's no way of knowing if the previous owners gave copies of the house keys to a friend, neighbor or cleaning staff. The very first thing you should do when you take ownership is to re-key the locks on all the doors, including the garage and any outbuildings there may be on the property. Alternatively, you can install brand new locks.…
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How Tech Can Change the Real Estate Process

Virtual reality, artificial intelligence and drone video are just a few of the ways that technology is changing the real estate industry. If you are in the market for a property, understanding these new processes can help you in many ways. Using Artificial Intelligence Doing business with an AI-infused process helps you more quickly identify properties that meet your standards. AI also reduces human error in the closing process. Agents using AI can get you more information about properties more quickly, and they can also cut the fat out of the close, possibly saving you money. Using Virtual Reality Taking…
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4 Reasons Why Home Ownership Is Better Than Renting

Are you trying to decide if you should rent or buy? There are many reasons why home ownership is better than renting. Here are just a few to consider when you're making your decision. 1. Stability For Your Family When you own your home, the life of your family will be more stable. If you have children, this is a an even more valuable benefit. Your kids will be able to settle down into the routine of school and extracurricular activities. They'll be able to make lifelong friends in the neighborhood. You and your spouse will be able to feel…
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Big Cities vs. Secondary Markets: Where to Buy?

Atlanta, Charlotte, New York and Los Angeles are always on the real estate radar because of big ticket sales and good media coverage. The secondary markets - those markets without the celebrity undertones - may actually be better deals. With the price of borrowing money rising and occupation rates dropping in primary markets, places like Nashville and Birmingham are looking better to investors. Where Are the Secondary Markets? A secondary market is generally defined as a mid size or large city that has recorded an uptick in growth in the immediate past. They do not have quite the economic clout…
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How To Choose Between Laminate And Hardwood Flooring

Picking out a new flooring can be exciting. After all, as anyone knows, new flooring in a home or business property can completely change the entire atmosphere. A common question asked by commercial and residential property owners is "Should I go with laminate or hardwood flooring?" If you have found yourself asking this question, understand that both types of flooring materials each have their own pros and cons. For the most part, hardwood flooring tends to be more expensive than laminate but this isn't always the case. Let's take a quick look at the benefits and disadvantages of laminate and…
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