House Kings

How Homebuyers Can Find The Right Oklahoma Home This Year

jonah7 — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:35:16 +0000

The Oklahoma City home of your dreams may be out there waiting for you. Are you doing everything you can to find your perfect home?

What are you looking for?

USA Today (link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/04/08/just-right-home-marianne-cusato/2041895/) recently talked about this. In this article, they bring up a very valid point. Most people don’t think about what they actually want.

What makes a home perfect is that it’s perfect for you. But, you can’t find your perfect home if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

A lot of people approach finding their perfect home like browsing for a book to read, looking here and there until something finally catches their eye. Before you even begin looking, it’s important to know exactly you are looking for:

- What are your “must haves”?
- What would be really nice to have?
- What do you absolutely not want?

Some things to consider:

- Location
- How many bedrooms
- Storage space
- Parking
- Number of bathrooms
- Features you want (or don’t want) like a pool, outside decking, etc.

Some things can be fixed

Maybe you look at a house and it’s very close to what you’re looking for, but not exactly right. Have a critical eye for the property’s potential. Some things you can’t change, but a lot of things can be fixed.

Maybe you don’t like the color of the house or the way it’s been landscaped. Both of these can easily be fixed. You can repaint the house or change the landscaping.

As you look at properties, consider what you already like, but also look at what you can easily change to make exactly the way you want.

Understand your budget

Now that you know what you’re looking for, the next thing you need to make sure you fully understand is your budget. One mistake many homeowners make is only considering the monthly mortgage payment and down payment.

It’s important to understand how your new home will affect your total budget. Some things to look at include:

- Association dues
- Utility costs
- Insurance costs
- Increases to commuting costs

Starting your search

Once you’ve determined what you’re looking for and prioritized the importance what you want in your new home, you can now start your search.

Many people prefer to drive by potential properties before attending an open house or arranging a tour of the home. Driving by available houses helps to give you a feel for the area and the neighborhood. It’s also a good way to compare different areas to see which area you like best.

When you find a house in an area you like, consider going to an open house if one is scheduled or arranging a tour of the house.

Consider conveniences

In addition to the property itself, you may also want to consider conveniences near the property.

How close is the nearest grocery store, gas station, pharmacy, or dry cleaners?

Are there restaurants nearby?

There are a lot of things inside a house that you can fix. Unfortunately, the property’s location is not one of them. If you tend to go to the grocery store every day or every other day and the nearest grocery store is a long drive, this isn’t going to work well for you.

Your perfect Oklahoma home is out there, but it may take some work to find it. Let House Kings help you in your search. For more information or to discuss your particular needs, please contact us (Link: http://housekings.com/contact/).

7 Steps To Ensure You Don’t Get Ripped Off Buying A House In Edmond

jonah7 — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:53:46 +0000

Buying a house is a big decision, and if your like most people, you want to make sure you don’t get ripped off buying your Edmond house. No one wants to get ripped off buying a home. But, it does happen. Here are seven steps to ensure you don’t get ripped off:

Step 1:
Work with a good agent

A professional real estate agent is one of the most important members of your real estate team. A good agent is one who has been around the block once or twice, and can spot potential problems before they occur.

If your agent is not experienced, they may not negotiate well on your behalf, causing you to pay more than you may otherwise have had to. They also may not have relationships with other agents who know when the best houses are going on the market.

Step 2:
Don’t hire a part-time real estate agent

Having a real estate license doesn’t necessarily mean real estate is their full time job. A lot of people do real estate as a part-time job or as a way to supplement their other primary income.

There are a lot of things that could go wrong buying a home that an inexperienced agent may not be aware of. Part-time agents have other responsibilities and can’t dedicate 100% of their effort to helping you get the home of your dreams, at the best price.

You wouldn’t want a part-time doctor giving you medical advice. Why would you want part-time advice from the person handling possibly your largest financial transaction?

Step 3:
Get pre-qualified for a loan

By getting pre-qualified for a loan before you even begin bidding on houses, you’ll know how much house you can afford and it will also show the seller and the seller’s agent that you are a serious bidder.

Sellers know that if you’re not pre-qualified for a loan, they are in a much better negotiating position. Because of this, they’re likely to hold out for a higher purchase price and agree to fewer concessions than they would if you were already pre-qualified.

Step 4:
Understand the total cost of home ownership

Just because a bank qualifies you for a certain loan amount doesn’t mean that it makes financial sense for you and your personal situation. You need to come up with a comfortable payment that you’re willing to pay each month, being very careful not to underestimate your current expenses and also being able to allocate money for the unexpected that come up.

Step 5:
Know when to stay and when to walk away

Many people feel insecure in negotiations and buying a home can be an extremely emotional experience. Yes, negotiations can and do go wrong. You have to be willing to walk away if the other person is unwilling to negotiate or is being unreasonable.

You do have to be prepared to compromise. The key is to know when to stay and probably more importantly, when to walk away from a negotiation.

Step 6:
Watch out for potentially fraudulent transactions

You’ve heard it before, if something sounds too good to be true, often, it is. While it doesn’t happen often, there are unscrupulous people out there preying on unknowing potential real estate buyers. You need to watch out for potentially fraudulent transactions.

Things to look for include:
- Payment requests outside of an escrow account
- Require cash, cashiers check, or wire transfer
- Ask that the payment be made directly to them instead of the bank

Step 7:
Don’t let your emotions overtake your logic

Buying a home can be one of the most stressful things you ever do. This is understandable. It’s a major purchase, likely the biggest one you will make and it will determine where you call home going forward.

It’s easy to let the emotions get in the way of being logical.

When this happens:
- you might buy more home than you need
- You might buy more home than you can afford
- Your desire to have the house may make it easier for the seller to hold out for a higher price
- You may make a decision you’ll regret in the future.

Letting your emotions overtake your logic is one of the easiest ways to get ripped off buying real estate.

At House Kings, we know where people commonly get ripped off in real estate transactions and help to make sure our clients are well taken care of. For more information, or to discuss your personal real estate needs, please contact us (Link: http://housekings.com/contact/).

Three Big Warning Signs When Not to Buy A House In Piedmont

jonah7 — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:34:59 +0000

With interest rates still at historically low rates, you many be thinking now is the time to buy your first house or upgrade your existing house in Piedmont. The good news about the current low rate interest environment is that your dollar goes a lot further than it would if you had to pay a significantly larger payment each month.

A recent report published in the Huffington Post found that 22% of homeowners regret not having enough information about the home before they purchased it.

Now is a great time to explore your real estate options. But, there are warning signs you should be aware of before buying a house. Here are the three big warning signs:

Warning Sign #1:
Not knowing the extent and cost of needed repairs

A lot of people are able to stretch their buying power with fixer-uppers. For many, this can be a great option. But, know what you’re getting into. Unless you know the extent of the repairs needed and have a reasonably reliable estimate for the cost of the repairs and time it will take to complete the repairs, you should not buy the house.

If your not able to accurately estimate the cost needed for the repairs, it could end up costing you way more than what you saved.

Sometimes, a lender will stipulate identified repairs have to be completed within a specified period of time. If you cannot afford the time if you’re doing the repairs yourself, or afford the cost of the repairs prior to the deadline imposed by the lender, you could end up with a real problem on your hands.

Warning Sign #2:
No recent upgrades

Sellers are required to disclose significant defects or malfunctions to a prospective buyer. However, a defect not considered “significant” today can, in fact, cost you a lot more money than you expect in the near future.

Homes that have not had recent roofing upgrades, have an older air-conditioning/heating unit, or have not had recent plumbing or electrical upgrades may have hidden repair costs that you haven’t anticipated.

Warning Sign #3:
The location is not quite right

The home of your dreams in a location that isn’t a good fit for your lifestyle is a recipe for disaster.

If you have children, or are planning to start a family in the near future, checking out the school district is an important, yet often overlooked research component. If the school district is bad, this is a definite warning sign not to buy the home.

Often, houses that are in bad school districts don’t appreciate as quickly as houses in better school districts do, and in some cases, they may even depreciate in value.

If the property you are considering is too far from your work and other places you regularly visit, it can become a very big inconvenience for you.

If you’re looking to buy real estate in Piedmont, and want to make sure your avoid properties with these warning signs, House Kings can help. We specialize in solving your real estate challenges. Please contact us to find out how we can help you!

121 Quark house

jonah7 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:48:57 +0000

Property Details

Listing Price: $666,000
Address:
City:
State:
ZIP:

MLS # (if any):
Square Feet:
Bedrooms:
Bathrooms:
Status:

Property Photos

Property Map

Decorating A Contemporary Dining Room

agentevo — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:52:32 +0000

This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers can understand and know where you are coming from.

Do-It-Yourself Tips for a Luxury Kitchen

agentevo — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:37:52 +0000

Adding a Patio Spa to Your Backyard

agentevo — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:06:52 +0000

125 North Ocean Drive

agentevo — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:32:56 +0000

This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts like this one or sub-posts as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts like this one or sub-posts as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from.

Property Details

Listing Price: $634,990
Address: 125 North Ocean Drive
City: South Beach
State: FL
ZIP: 33139

MLS # (if any): 893147
Square Feet: 2985
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Status: Active

Property Photos

Property Map

1995 South Bayshore Drive

agentevo — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:53:03 +0000

Property Details

Listing Price: $945,000
Address: 1995 South Bayshore Drive
City: Miami
State: FL
ZIP: 33133

MLS # (if any): 840921
Square Feet: 3250
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
Status: SOLD

House Kings

How Homebuyers Can Find The Right Oklahoma Home This Year

7 Steps To Ensure You Don’t Get Ripped Off Buying A House In Edmond

Three Big Warning Signs When Not to Buy A House In Piedmont

121 Quark house

Property Details

Property Photos

Property Map

Decorating A Contemporary Dining Room

Do-It-Yourself Tips for a Luxury Kitchen

Adding a Patio Spa to Your Backyard

125 North Ocean Drive

Property Details

Property Photos

Property Map

1995 South Bayshore Drive

Property Details

Property Photos

Property Map

Sample Post