Category: First Time Home Buyers

First Time Home Buyer: How I Plan to Make a Return on My Investment (Part One)



April 30, 2012Last blog we talked about personal motivations for buying a home, is it because you want a piece of land and a place to call your own (and I do believe that is part of human nature), or completely monetary- you want to buy real estate to make money. For many of us, the motivation is a blend of the two.  It was for me.  Growing up, my family moved several times- sometimes because of a change in...

What Is it Like to Work with a Denver Buyers Agent



April 20, 2012Two years ago, I worked with a Denver Buyer's Agent who was a member of both the Colorado and the National Associations of buyer's agents.  Since it is now the beginning of "home buying season" (many home sellers put their home on the market in the beginning of the summer), I wanted to recap the highlights of what working with a buyer's agent  was like when we purchased our home in the Denver/...

Why Work with a Buyers Agent (Besides Saving Money)?



April 16, 2012This morning I was going to write another blog about the ways our buyer’s agent saved us money- preventing us from making bad deals, helping us find good ones, pointing out significant structural damage or repairs before we got to the inspection phase (or worse, ownership phase), and using his experience to recommend special inspections that were unusual but helpful in our area (sewer line...

Colorado Buyers Agent vs Zillow & Trulia (Part Two)



April 11, 2012Here are the 2 most important steps in buying a home where these great websites fall short...very short. 1.  Choosing an agent: You found a house you like on Zillow or Trulia, and now you want to see it.  Luckily these websites provide you with the contact information agents that work in the area.  But here are some (scary) things you should know before you make that call: * Calling an...

buyer’s agents Help Buyers Find the Right Home



November 22, 2010According to the National Association of Realtors survey of home buyers that purchased a home within the last year, 88% worked with a realtor to purchase their home.  Home buyers reported that the two most important things that the realtor helped them do were find the right home, and negotiate sales price and terms. Why is working with an exclusive buyers agent so important to finding the right...

Equity, Appreciation and Tax Savings Anyone?



November 10, 2010One of the primary benefits of home ownership is financial.   Buying a house is an investment.  According to Wikipedia, “Investment is putting money into something with the hope of profit.”    I appreciate the honesty of this definition.  There is some hope involved.  Most investments are not a sure thing.  Let’s take a look at the basics of a real estate investment. Equity For a...

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)...