We Buy Houses Fast

Great Photographer

2007-01-03T16:08:00.000-06:00

I have had the need to have every one of my houses photographed, so I could market them effectively. There are some houses I needed to list them with a realtor and other times I added them to newspapers and magazines. Oklahoma City now has a channel on COX dedicated to listing houses. For every one of those types of marketing, I needed photos of the house.

Most every Realtor in the world has a digital camera and they think that because there are some really fancy cameras out there, that's all they need. The photographers that have come to photograph my houses have all used special lenses, lighting, creative angles and even suggested some great staging items that really enhanced the photos and made each one look more inviting.

If you ever need a great home photographer, I suggest giving John Burchell a call at (405) 361-0234 a call or send him an email to johnb@studio1seven.com. Their website is: www.Studio1Seven.com. Mention you heard about them from my blog and I know they'll treat you right.

You might be able to see some of their work at http://www.studio1sevenphotography.com and tell them you heard about them from this blog!

Forms you’ll need to sell your house

2006-05-31T16:22:00.000-05:00

1. Seller’s Property Condition Disclosure (http://www.ok.gov/)
2. Disclosure of Information on Lead Based Paint (http://www.hud.gov/)
3. Purchase and Sale Agreement – Office Supply or http://www.ok.gov/

Optional:

Termite Inspection form.
This form would be filled out by a licensed insect inspector to indicate the presence of termites or other wood destroying organisms.

Property Condition Inspection Form
This form would be filled out by a licensed home inspector and would indicate any problems with the house that would need to be repaired.

Mold Addendum
This form would be filled out by the seller or by a licensed mold remediation specialist indicating the house is free from the presence of mold.

Smoke Detector Addendum
Indicates the presence of installed and properly functioning smoke detector(s)

Carbon Monoxide Detector Addendum
Indicates the presence of installed and properly functioning carbon monoxide detector(s)

Purchase and Sales Agreement Addendum
To include address issues such as the buyer’s need to sell their current residence prior to purchasing another home.

Occupancy Agreement
Usually identifies the amount of time and the rate of rents for the time either party lives in the house before or after the closing date.

Purchasers Access Agreement
Many times the buyer will need access to measure for new drapes or furniture or to get estimates for repairs that will be made after the closing

Before using any form for the first time, make sure you won’t be violating any copyright laws. It’s always best to have an attorney review any documents you would be signing that would enter you into a legally binding contract.

We’re in the business of buying and selling houses and we already have all the forms and all the contracts that need to be filled out. If you need to sell your house quickly, don’t delay Call Today – (405) 917-5955 Talk to one of our Buyers Reps that will start work immediately to see how we can provide you with financial peace of mind.

Visit our website at www.WeBuyOkHouses.com for more information like this or to get the process rolling.

John Burchell
Redbud Property Investments, Inc.
John@WeBuyOkHouses.com
http://www.webuyokhouses.com/

Things your Lender will Need

2006-05-31T13:53:00.000-05:00

Verification Income and Assets

A copy of the most recent pay stub for each person named on the loan
W-2 forms or if you’re self employed, the tax returns of your company for the last 2 years
Documentation to verify any additional income (child support – pension)
401(k) earnings statements
A list of major assets ( RV, Boat, Mutual Funds or Stocks )
Copies of at least 2 months of bank statements for checking and savings

Verification of Debt and Liabilities

Copies of at least 2 months of bank statements for checking and savings
Credit card account numbers, limits and balances
Installment loan information ( Car loans, student loans, charge accounts.

You may also be asked to provide previous addresses or jobs.

*We sell houses in the Oklahoma City area and work with several lenders and brokers who have experience with many different loan programs. Whatever your loan needs are we probably know someone that can help you out.

**We Buy houses in the Oklahoma City area – if you would like to receive a FAIR OFFER on your house in it’s AS-IS condition and you would like to close quickly without the hassles of locating and managing a contractor you can call us!

We buy houses and sell quickly in any area and in any condition. Call us and receive a fair offer for your house and close when you want to! Don’t delay, call us today! (405) 917-5955.

Visit our website at www.WeSellOkHouses.com to see what
homes we have available for sale or to talk to one of our representatives that
will help you get qualified to purchase that home you've always wanted.

John Burchell
Redbud Property Investments, Inc.
John@WeBuyOkHouses.com
www.WeBuyOkHouses.com
405-917-5955

Common Repairs

2006-05-31T13:07:00.000-05:00

One common question people ask me is: “What repairs should we do to make the house sell better?”

It’s a great question and it merits a lot of attention.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked this question and when I show up at the house, I see the 1970’s gold shag carpet throughout the house.

In an article posted on ServiceMagic (http://www.servicemagic.com), “kitchens and bathrooms are the most important because these rooms are where families spend so much of their time. These rooms merit attention because they have to be functional and pleasant. Remodeling an outdated kitchen or bathroom is not only a smart investment, but also brings more comfort than most any other home improvement.”

Many people agree that the most important rooms in a house, in order of importance, are the kitchen, master bath, master bedroom, other bathrooms, living areas & extra bedrooms and finally the garage. I’ve found that if I’m trying to sell a house, the first two have to be absolutely spotless and should be the most modern rooms in the house.

Some of the ways to improve the kitchen:
• Upgrade the lighting – a bright overhead light and other indirect light fixtures
• If cabinets are in good condition, refinish them or paint the a light color, otherwise replace them.
• Countertops should be clean and without defects or stains. – Laminate countertops are the least expensive and will drastically improve an old kitchen.
• New Faucets – Most people prefer chrome. It’s a little more expensive but the difference is unbelievable.
• Install a new sink with a garbage disposal
• New knobs, pulls and hinges for cabinet doors and drawers.
• Install a new range hood over the range. A brand new one can be purchased for under $50.00 and are fairly easy to hang. If you have a slightly higher budget, a range hood combined with a microwave oven is perfect in smaller kitchens with limited countertop space.
• Flooring is also very important in the kitchen. Ceramic tile is always a first choice. If the budget is limited, there are many different styles of vinyl and some products have a lifetime warranty that could be passed on to the new buyer.
• Remove the old outdated wallpaper and retexture and repaint the walls.
• Make sure your kitchen has adequate grounded electrical outlets that will at least handle the appliances of the 1980’s

Some of the ways to improve the master bath:
• Remove old wallpaper and texture and repaint.
• Install a new sink and vanity with a new faucet
• Install a new light fixture that provides nice lighting overhead
• If not equipped, make sure there is a working vent fan.
• New towel bars and rods
• Make sure the tub and surround are spotless and all cracks are caulked. Tubs with chips in the finish or cracks or stains are a sale killer. Cracks and chipped tubs can be re-glazed for much cheaper than replacing the tub.
• Make sure the toilet is absolutely spotless without cracks or stains.
• Clean, spotless, level bathroom floors are essential. Vinyl tile may be the best choice.
• Make sure the mirror matches the vanity and there is adequate storage space

Choose neutral colors when choosing appliances, almond or white. Throughout the entire house, choose neutral colors for paint and tile as well. These colors are easy to paint over and you can add colorful accent pieces to brighten up a room.

That said about the two most important rooms, I have to mention the basics about the major systems of every house. These are the most expensive to replace so they get a lot of attention. It usually doesn’t matter if the kitchen looks good or not if there is a major plumbing leak.

• Make sure the heating and cooling system has been serviced recently
• Make sure there are no plumbing leaks and that drains are clear
• Make sure the heating and cooling systems are operational
• Make sure there are no electrical problems

If you have the money for the repairs make sure everything in the house works. All doors and windows should open and close. Make sure there isn’t any broken glass. Paint any exposed bare wood and replace missing or cracked siding.

Here are some useful links that contain some helpful information:
http://homerepair.about.com
http://www.doityourself.com
http://www.wannalearn.com/Home_and_Garden/Home_Repair
http://www.contractors.com

*See our “Finding a Good Contractor” tip sheet to minimize the challenges of hiring and managing your contractors through the remodel procedure.

**Before making any upgrades to your home, you need to make sure the upgrades you perform will truly give you a higher sales price. You can easily and quickly spend several thousand dollars on repairs or upgrades that may not make any difference.

P.S. You can sell your house to a reputable company who buys houses in any area and in any condition. You can receive you a fair offer and you can close when you want to. You won’t need to spend any money for repairs, hire or manage any contractors.

It’s our job to perform upgrades and repairs to houses we own. We have our own contracting crews, interior decorators and exterior designers that know what the trendy items and color schemes are. We also know what people expect their houses to look like in certain areas. If you’re trying to get the most from your home CALL US before you spend thousands of dollars in renovations or repairs in hopes of getting a better price.

We Buy Houses in Any area and in Any Condition and we’d like to buy yours ! Call Today – (405) 917-5955 or visit our website at http://www.WeBuyOkHouses.com for more tips like this or information on how you can sell your house Quickly.

John Burchell
www.WeBuyOkHouses.com
john@WeBuyOkHouses.com
405-917-5955

Let yourself out of the Rent Trap

2006-05-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

You can start owning your own home now

It’s the American Dream, to own your own home. But most people feel trapped into paying rent and trapped into a cramped apartment with neighbors close by with loud music, never enough parking and overflowing dumpsters.

You can let yourself out of the Trap and it may costs a lot less than you may think! I know, because I rented apartments and duplexes and lived with the heavy foot upstairs that liked to cook some really aromatic food and watch T.V. loud enough to hear it at the pool. The truth is, it’s a lot easier to buy your own home than ever before in history ! There are a lot of programs and flexible sellers out there that allow you a lot more opportunities to own your own home.

Stop making your landlord rich !

Stop throwing away thousands of dollars on rent !

Start creating equity in your very own home !

Start living the American Dream !

Two Truths for getting a home loan through a traditional lender:
1. If you have enough money for a down payment you can get a loan.
2. If you have good enough credit you can qualify for a loan.

The problems most renters have are in trying to save for a down payment large enough to qualify for a home loan. The other problem most renters face is having credit problems.

There are also Two Myths about owning your own home:
1. You need to have enough money for a good down payment to get a home.
2. You need to have good credit to buy your own home.

The average person actually has a better credit score than they think. Even if you have problems with your credit you may be able to buy a home if you have a down payment…BUT you may not need as large a down payment as you think.

Some tricks to getting free from the Trap:

There are several Federal Government programs and Down Payment Assistance Programs that will actually cover down payment and closing costs.

You may be able to finance an automobile, or use an automobile as collateral towards a down payment or closing costs.

You may find a flexible seller that would be willing to help you buy your home through “owner financing” or by being able to take back a second mortgage at closing that could lower your out of pocket expense.

If you're serious about buying your own home and you have many questions about it, visit your local Housing Authority and find out when they have home owner classes. These classes are free and cover virtually every aspect of choosing a home, understanding financing, learn how to shop for financing and what to expect once you're a home owner. The best way to locate the nearest Housing Authority, look in your phonebook or type "Housing Authority" followed by your city name in your favorite search engine.

There are several companies and individual who sell houses that provide their own financing. They have their own requirements and many times they are less strict in deciding who they will lend money to. Some of these actually work with Mortgage Brokers to help you get into one of the homes they are selling. Contact an individual or a company who is selling their own homes and see what they can do for you.

If you want to shop around for that absolute perfect custom home, locate a mortgage broker who is familiar with these types of programs that will work with you. A good mortgage broker should be aware of Down Payment Assistance programs and work with a variety of lenders to get many people approved for a loan.

We are in the business of selling our own homes to people in the Oklahoma City area. We work with Mortgage Brokers and we have many different types of financing options available where we provide the financing. If you’re looking to get out of the rent trap, give us a call or visit our website for more information on how you can own your own home.

John Burchell
Redbud Property Investments, Inc.
http://www.WeBuyOkHouses.com
john@WeBuyOkHouses.com
(405) 917-5955

6 Ways to make owning your home less challenging

2006-03-03T10:04:00.001-06:00

If your income and savings are making owning your own home a challenge consider these 6 ways to make owning your home less challenging:

1.Local Banks

If your credit and work history are good, you might try getting a bank loan. Local banks are sometimes more responsive than larger institutions because you have the opportunity to speak to someone instead of just being another number in their automated approval process.

2.Mortgage Brokers

Investigate local mortgage brokers. Look at the possibility of refinancing, possibly lowering your payment and freeing up some of the monthly payments you’re making. Mortgage Brokers have access to many more lenders who have a much better chance of getting you financed with less-than-perfect credit. They charge a higher rate or have more loan costs but it may be a great option.

3.Shared-Appreciation/Shared-Equity

With this arrangement, your family, friends, or even a third-party investor may buy a portion of the home and thus share in any appreciation when the home is sold. The owner/occupant usually pays the mortgage, property taxes and maintenance costs, but the investors’ names may or may not be on the mortgage. There are companies that can help you find such an investor if your family can’t participate.

4.Help from Family/Friends

Perhaps a friend or family member will loan you money to help make your payments during difficult times. Perhaps someone would be willing to cosign for a bank mortgage. Lenders often like to have a cosigner with some credit history.

5.Become a Landlord

You may be able to lease your home to someone short-term until you are able to overcome your challenges. If you don’t have any experience of being a landlord, you may be able to get assistance from a property management company to help you with collecting rent and obeying tenant/landlord laws. Shop around for a company with a good reputation.

6.Sell

It’s the last way on my list but in many cases it should be considered much sooner. Depending on the condition of your home, its location, the amount of work it needs to be updated, this may be the best solution in the long run. Many times people have held on much longer than they should have and they wound up making their situation worse than when they realized they were going to have a problem. The most common sign that someone has held on for too long is damaged credit and lost equity. A common mistake is to start repairs before investigating all the costs of moving, utilities, normal living expenses and maintaining the current mortgage. The average time it takes to sell an empty house in Oklahoma City area is 6 months and houses sell faster when they are empty.

If you’re having a tough time owning a home, we hope these options are helpful to you. This is not a comprehensive list and you may find you need a solution not mentioned above.

*We know that sometimes it’s tough to keep up with repairs when there isn’t any time or money for repairs. We also know it’s tough to make payments when the money for the payments just isn’t there. We own several homes and it’s our job to make owning a home less challenging.

We Buy, Repair, Market, Sell and Lease Homes.

Redbud Property Investments, Inc.
http://www.webuyokhouses.com
24 Hour Information Hotline: 1-800-408-6185
Call Direct (405) 917-5955

Tips for Selling Your House Quicker

2006-02-25T14:24:00.000-06:00

Real Estate is slow moving when compared to other types of sales businesses. One of the toughest lessons to learn was how to sell my house quick. Especially when trying to extract the full value by selling it at full retail price. The buyers of homes are like the buyers of anything consumers look for... typically bargain items sell-out quicker than full-priced items. That's the biggest factor to consider when trying to sell fast. Here are the most common ways to sell a house quicker:

Make sure the house it truly priced to sell.
Make critical repairs.
Make sure people know you have a house for sale -- Reach the people who are looking to buy.
Make sure the house is clean and "move-in" ready.
Allow the buyer ready access to the see the home home on their schedule. They will move on to the next house if something prevents them from looking at yours.
Be able to accept or write up a contract quickly and agree on a price...(Know Your Price)
Don't be afraid to re-evalluate the price if you've been trying to sell for more than 50 days.

Sometimes there is just too much to do and time flies. Before you know what happened you're having to make one more mortgage payment. Time is really critical in all this. It's very important to have a plan of action, then work all of your plan. It's a lot like fishing for buyers... The more lines in the water you have at once, the better the chance you have of catching one. We are in the business of buying houses fast. We buy houses in any condition and at any price. Don't let the chance to take care of things quickly slide by another month...Lets get things turned around NOW.

Three More Resources for selling quick that work:

http://www.webuyokhouses.com - We Buy Houses Fast.
The 24 hour information hotline at: 1-800-408-6185
Call Direct at (405) 917-5955

Redbud Property Investments Inc. * 5030 N May Avenue Box 342* Oklahoma City * Oklahoma * 73112

Home Inspections and what to look for

2006-02-25T13:52:00.000-06:00

In the Oklahoma City area, a good home inspection by a licensed home inspector should take about 2 hours. They will come out and look over your house from top to bottom and provide you with a list of any major repairs that need to be done. They they will give you a great idea if there are indications of trouble. Home inspection vary, depending on the square footage of the house.

If you plan to perform the inspection yourself here are a few things to look for. Also, the following potential problem areas will show up on the inspection report.

Depending on the type of financing you’re trying to get, FHA or VA (government backed loans) you may be required to have an inspection performed by a licensed inspector.

Foundations
Look for cracks or signs of water damage. A way to spot this could be visible cracks on the outer “footing”, “stairstep” cracks in the brick of exterior walls, crooked door frames on the interior, cracked interior walls that run from ceiling to floor, and sagging floors.

Plumbing
Look for leaks anywhere pipes are visible, stains on walls, rust or corrosion. Check for good water pressure at each faucet. Inspect under the sinks and along the walls and floors where plumbing “stubs out”. A common type of leak occurs under the bathroom or kitchen sink. Also check to see the drains are flowing properly by turning on the water in all the sink faucets and tub and let it run a few minutes to make sure drainage continues unobstructed.

Water Heater
This is another plumbing appliance and a common source of leaks around the overflow valve and pipes. Check the age of the tank, make sure the size is usually adequate for the house (a 30 gallon tank works well with 1 ¾ or 2 bath homes). Check the energy rating and how it operates. Natural Gas type heaters are usually less expensive to operate than electric and seem to be more efficient. Check for rust around the heater.

Furnace/Air Condensing Unit
Look for the age and energy rating to see what the operating costs will be for the year. Usually newer units have a higher energy rating and cost less to operate. New units have a variety of efficiency ratings. Check for rust and corrosion. On the outside condensing unit, make sure the pipes are properly insulated and the wires aren’t cracked and there are no obstructions around the base with nothing obstructing the air flow into the base. Make sure the fan blows. Inside, make sure there is adequate airflow from each vent.

Exterior Brick
Look for cracked bricks, cracked mortar joints and brick pulling away from the house. In some historical areas of town, the homeowners associations may require the original brick be used in the event repairs are needed. This can be very costly to have the brick removed, cleaned of mortar and then replaced.

Electrical
Check the condition of the outlets and switches, make sure there are none loose and see they are working. An inexpensive tester can be purchased at Radio Shack or home depot that will give you lights if the plug is wired properly. Also check the fuse box/breaker box. See that your house has an adequate amperage rating and an adequate number of fuses or breakers and no exposed wires anywhere. Also make sure each light fixture works, you might need to swap a few lightbulbs.

Exterior Siding
Look for dents, buckling, missing pieces, gaps and holes. Make sure the corners of the house are properly covered. Make sure there is no exposed bare wood for water to cause damage later. It is also a city ordinance that all exposed wood on the exterior of a house in Oklahoma City must be painted.

Insulation
Make sure there is adequate insulation in the attic. The higher the “R” value the better the insulation.

Doors and Windows
Make sure all the windows and doors close tight and open freely. Inspect the weatherstrip to make sure there are no cracks or air flow. Check the locks on all the windows, you’ll probably want to put new locks on the front and back doors if you buy the house.

Walls and Ceilings
Check the ceilings and walls for stains, buckling or signs of water damage or leaking pipes.

Roof
Make sure there are no sags between rafters, no missing shingles, no holes. You can inspect the edge of the roof to determine how many “layers” of shingles the roof has. The fewer the layers the better. Also check for shingles that buckle at the edges. Be sure to inspect around guttering to make sure there is no damage to the wood facia boards along roof edge.

* This is by no means a complete list but several things to check to help minimize the possibility of high cost repairs down the line.