Better to Rent or Buy?



November 3, 2010When deciding to buy a home, it is important to take a look at the finances between renting and buying.  There are many calculators available that can help you decide if it is a better financial decision to rent or to buy.  While writing rent checks often feels like throwing money away, and owning seems like an investment because of building equity, it is not always that simple. Factors like...

The Sun is Shining, Interest Rates are Dropping, Go Buy a House!



November 1, 2010It’s hard to believe that it is fall in Denver when it is sunny and 80 degrees, in October.  It couldn’t be any more beautiful, and I think everyone appreciates it more because it feels like we are on borrowed time.  Go out to the park today, because we might not get another day like this until May. But, anyone that has lived here through at least one fall and winter knows: winter will...

Confessions of a First Time Home Buyer



October 27, 2010I have experienced two surprise benefits of home ownership in the 4 months since we became owners .  The first:  I no longer have a Property Manager.  The second:  I am becoming handier and handier. Good Bye Scrooge, Hello Better Business Bureau. When weighing the pros and the cons of Renting versus Buying, our loving consultants (friends, family, neighbors, exclusive buyer’s agents)...

Everything You Wish You Knew BEFORE Calling a Listing Agent



October 22, 2010I am interested in a home I found online.  Should I call the listing agent and set up a viewing? Nowadays, many home buyers begin their home search from the comfort of their own home using online home search tools.  These sites also conveniently provide the contact information of the listing agent so that you can schedule a home viewing. What the sites conveniently don’t tell you (and...

Home Buyers: Do a Little Research Before Picking Up the Phone!



October 20, 2010When I first started the home search process, I did what most people these days do- I started looking online.  I went to a few popular home search sites, punched in a few parameters and bam- had hours worth of home shopping to spend looking at pictures, and fantasize. I found a few homes that I wanted to see among the listings.  Conveniently, there was a Listing Agent, with a phone number and...

Home Buyer Tip: Don’t buy the most expensive home in the neighborhood



October 18, 2010Buying your home is a large financial investment, maybe even the largest one your family will make. As a home buyer, you want to get the most value for your money.   If your primary motive for purchasing the home is to sell it and make a return, this tip is for you. Room to be Promoted Location, location, location:  The most important rule in Real Estate.  Everyone knows that the location...

Home Buyers: You Don’t Want to be an Agent’s “Aha moment.”



October 15, 2010I read a blog by Lenn Harley describing experienced buyer's agent’s strategy to address home repairs. An experienced agent knows when a repair should be included in the Contract of Sale, or when it should be addressed after the Contract has been accepted during the Inspection Resolution period. This is just another important reason to work with an experienced agent, and equally important, that...