Moving house is certainly up there as one of the three msot stressful events in life. It ranks right up there with divorce and death. Armed with this knowledge, advance planning and preparation will certainly help prevent unwanted stress and anxiety. These plans must begin weeks if not months in advance of your move. One of the first things is to choose a moving company. Although it maybe tempting and somewhat less expensive to move yourself, by hiring a professional, insured movers (a specialist type of road haulage company), you will be saving yourself and friends risk of injury, frustration and undue burden. Specialist moving companies will be safe, efficient and can handle the unexpected.

Once you have decided on a moving company, you can then decide if you want to pack your own items or have the moving company do this for you. Packing your own items will allow you the advantage of knowing how and what was packed in each box. Packing items room by room is the best way to attack the mamoth task . Schedule your packing well in advance by room and set aside at least one day per room and start packing with the less used items first. Then assign a color to each room and fix this color to the boxes filled from that room. You can use markers, tape or any other creative way to color code your boxes. As well as color coding, label each box with the room it came from and the items that are contained within the box.

By starting this far in advance, you will have time to sort through items that you do not use anymore and donate them. You will need to fill out the necessary forms to have your mail forwarded to your new address and contact the utility companies of both your old home to schedule a discontinuation date and your future home to begin services.

As the moving day approaches you will want to have easy access to a variety of items, which if not considered in advance, may be forgotten. If you are moving with children, pack an activity box for them. Include items that will entertain them based on their ages and interests to help busy them while you are working on the move. Some other things that you will need for your first night are enough bed linen , towels, bath soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Of course, you will want to include necessary clothing for the night and following day. On the first morning in your new home, you will need a box that contains cups, coffee or tea, sugar, milk, utensils and cereal. These few tips will help reduce the stress that you will inevitable experience.

Of the various types of mortgage available, the fixed rate mortgage is only one of them.
You get your interest rate locked for the period of the deal, usually a few years.
The interest rate you pay is locked; therefore your monthly payments are also locked.

Do fixed rate mortgages have any plus points?
You benefit by not having the yo-yo effect on your monthly payments. They stay the same every month.
You can benefit by knowing your monthly payment is fixed which allows you to budget more effectively.

It doesn’t matter how much interest rates rise, your payments are fixed.
In the not too distant past there have been some real scary rate rises.
People on variable rate mortgages are much more likely to be affected by rapid rises in interest rates.

There can be certain circumstances when a fixed rate mortgage may not be right for you.
If you think you may move home, or even have another child and need an extra bedroom, then think carefully before taking a fixed rate mortgage.
Either of these events will cause you to trigger an unwanted redemption penalty.

A redemption penalty is a charge that almost always comes with a fixed rate deal.
These charges can be pretty steep, and come at a time when you don’t need the extra stress.
These unexpected charges can hurt. Consider carefully whether a fixed rate is the one for you.

It’s worth thinking about paying a bit extra each month in addition to whatever you normally pay.
You may have a fixed rate but it doesn’t mean your payments have to be fixed if you can afford extra.
The lenders would love you to do this but they will rarely tell you that you can indeed pay extra.

What are the best reasons to paying a bit extra every month?
The extra payments reduce the sum owed quicker and the result is you save years off the term of your deal.
You can save a shedload of cash as well as knock a few years off.

In what way does a mortgage overpayment calculator work?
You input various figures relating to your mortgage.
You can put various amounts in as the overpayment. Feel free to play around with this figure.

You get a resulting figure out of the calculator in years you can shave off.
It also gives you a figure in cash that you can expect to save.
The figures in years and cash saved will increase the more you overpay each month.

You might be pleasantly surprised at the savings to be made.
If you had a 25 year mortgage and borrowed 100 grand at 5% interest.
You could save over twelve thousand and shorten the mortgage by more than 3 years just by paying an extra 50 each month.

That example is paying just 50 extra every month. What if you could afford 100 a month to overpay?
Using the same example mortgage from earlier we now pay 100 extra.
You can knock a staggering 6 years or more off the length and save yourself in the region of 20 thousand.

An extra advantage is you won’t have any payments to make during the last few years of the mortgage.
It’s definitely a reality for you to be free of your mortgage years before planned.
Of course your lender will never tell you this, you have to discover this on your own.

In our example where we saved six years off the length with a hundred a month overpayment.
You pay nothing more for the last 6 years of the term, which equates to about another 40 grand saved.
You don’t pay this money to your lender so you get to keep it, either save it or spend it.

In this article we’ve looked at the potential of fixed rate mortgages.
Every month you pay the same so you get to sleep easy at night knowing this.
We also had a look at the savings to be made by paying a bit extra every month. It all adds up.

The home buying process can seem complicated, but if you take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home!

But before going into the buying process you should first ask yourself if your are already ready for home buying.

Do you prefer or even enjoy moving into different places. Do you prefer using your savings for things like vacations, appliances, retirement or having your own business? Do you like to enjoy not having so much trouble with regular maintenance and repairs?

If your answers to these queries are yes, then you may not be ready to delve into the home buying experience. You may have a lot of good reasons for buying a home but you should also have to consider your reasons for not wanting to.

Remember than buying home is not just the biggest financial decision you will ever make but also the strongest emotional choice in your life, so be prepared to make wise decisions when you are in this process.

Buying home always seems to be a great idea, but it is important that ownership of a certain property comes with a great deal of responsibilities too.

Of course, being a homeowner is something to be proud of but it also means having to invest money, time and energy and take on added responsibilities. So, before you decide to buy a home, make sure you’re ready.

The first things that comes into our mind when we think about home owning, is the wonderful things that is connected to it. It is true that there are a lot of good reasons for buying a home. So here are some of the good advantages of home buying.

Financial security is a very great deal of advantage when it comes to owning your own home. If the housing prices would go up, your home can provide you with some financial security due to capital appreciation.

Flexibility is another thing, when owning your house you will be able to decide all the aspects that comes with it. You can decorate or renovate your home to meet your own family’s personal tastes and needs.

And of course stability, having your own home will make you feel at ease and less burden than renting one.

Although it is really nice to think about the positive aspects of owning a home, it is also a crucial part to consider the downsides as well. Here are some of the disadvantages on home buying.
Financial Stress is a very common problem in home buying. Coming up with the down payment, meeting regular mortgage payments and other ongoing costs will tie up a lot of your cash, and can put considerable stress on your finances.

Maintenance and Higher Costs are also a big problem. Keeping your home in good shape requires time and money.

You may pay more each month for housing than you did as a renter. There are also extra costs for maintenance and property taxes.

So, you’ve decided that homeownership is right for you. Now you need to determine if you are financially ready to buy a house.

To avoid any future surprises, you can do some financial exercises to see where you stand. They include: calculating your net worth, your current monthly expenses and your current monthly debt payments.

Knowing your net worth is important because you will need this information when you discuss a mortgage with your lender.

Your net worth is the amount left over once you’ve subtracted your total liabilities from your total assets. It will also give you a snapshot of your current financial situation and show you how much you can afford to put as a down payment.

Just remember all this notes and surely you will be able to arrive at some very good decisions in home buying. Do not rush into home buying, take some time to think and view the property first before closing a deal.

Closing day is the when you finally have bought your home; you now take legal possession and finally get to call your new home your own. You are sure to feel great relief and satisfaction but remember that the home buying process isn’t over just yet. There are quite a few things that need to be done on closing day.

Make sure that your lender will provide the mortgage money to your lawyer. You must provide the balance of the purchase price to your lawyer along with the closing costs. Your lawyer pays the vendor, registers the home in your name, and provides you with a deed and the keys to your new home.

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These are tips that won’t cost a lot but can make a big difference on the appearance of your home. It is amazing how just a little attention to the details will add that special appeal that the buyer is looking for!

When selling your Bonita Spring Homes, the first thing to do is have your home inspected by a professional home inspector.

This way it allows you to see your home through the eyes of a critical third-party. It helps you to price your home realistically. It permits you to make repairs ahead of time so that defects won’t become negotiating stumbling blocks later.

You have the time to get reasonably priced contractors or make the repairs yourself, if you are qualified. It may alert you of items of immediate personal concern, such as radon gas or active termite infestation.

Always make sure that when you are selling your Bonita Spring Home that you clean up the outside more than the inside.

Curb appeal is the first impression of your house. Keeping the grass cut and the area tidy will help make a great first impression. Paint or wash the exterior of the house including window casings, shutters, and doors. Wash the windows inside and out. Check the gutters and chimney.

Also make sure to touch up the interior of your Bonita Spring Homes before selling, Put a fresh coat of paint in the most used areas of the home. This will clean as well as brighten up the rooms. Wash all floors and bathroom tiles.

Get rid of clutter. Clean out your closets, garage, basement and attic. Use self storage if necessary. Replacing air filters will help keep the dust down.

Remember that do not spend money to improve Bonita Spring homes to sell unless the house is in such poor condition that it cannot be sold without improvements.

For example: the house needs a new roof to keep out the rain; or a modern bath with a shower.

Improvements might make sense if you can do the work yourself. If you can add kitchen cabinets for $500 rather than $1,000, you can still expect the $990 increase in the value of the home.

On the other hand, shoddy work on those kitchen cabinets can reduce the value of your home.

You may have questions regarding different thing about selling your Bonita Spring Home so here are some questions that we found on the Internet and have researched some facts to answer them out.

The most questions asked by sellers is How do I prepare my house to sell?

First and foremost, put it in the best condition possible, especially if you are in a market with few buyers and lots of homes for sale.

That means taking care of any major repairs that could deter a buyer, such as replacing any broken windows or replacing a leaky roof, if you can afford it.

Next, work on your home’s curb appeal. Make sure your landscape is pristine. Mow the grass, clean up any debris and weed the garden beds. Plant a few annual flowers near the entrance or in pots to be placed by the door. Other quick fixes that don’t cost a lot of money but can help you get top dollar for your home.

Eliminate the source of any bad smells, such as the kitty box. Use air freshener or bake a batch of cookies before your open house to ensure that the house smells inviting.

Invest in a couple of vases of fresh flowers to place around the house and next to any information about the house you have prepared for buyers.

Also make sure that when you are selling you Bonita Spring Homes that you offer and adjustable sales plan. Come up with a sales strategy but make sure that it is flexible and can come into terms with almost all kinds of buyers.

Try to determine what will your initial asking will be and how long will you be insisting on it before making a reduction.

You should also plan out before selling your Bonita Spring Homes on how much of a cut will you are able to accept.

Just follow these rules and surely you will be able to succeed in selling your Bonita Spring Homes.

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Are you 100% sure about Homeowners Loan Renegotiation? 

Even though a lot of people nowadays are doing it, it does not necessarily mean that it is the right option for you. Renegotiation is a huge step, and there are instances where it does not apply, even though it seems like a good idea the first time you hear it.

Think twice about Home Loan Renegotiation if you can relate to one of these people:

Mr. A’s home equity value has dropped.
Mr. A. is thinking hard about the status of his home’s value. Property values across the nation has gone down, so in most cases it does not make much sense to refinance. 

Say that Mr. A gets to refinance up to 75% of his property’s new value, he should check to see if his original Mortgage is less than that. If it’s higher, chances are he won’t be able to pay the existing loan with his new terms. Home Loan Renegotiation wouldn’t be helping him at all, if you think about it.

Mr. B will be paying his first loan for a long time.  
Let’s say Mr. B has an existing Homeowners Loan that he has agreed to pay for 30 years. He has been paying that for 20 years now. Good. So he should think really hard before getting another 30-year loan. 

For him, another thirty years would mean another reaping of interests. Add to that the obvious costs of closing up a new loan. Once he has done the numbers, it will be clear that he would be paying more in total if he decides to go with it.

Mr. C. only has a few years to go on his existing loan.
Sure, Mr. C may need the cash now, but is it really that grave for him that he needs to get another loan for it? If he only has a few years left in his current one, might as well bear it out and be done with it. Remember, a new loan means he’ll be paying a lot more money in the end.

Mr. C should think of other cash flow alternatives that will not put his home at risk and put him in a money losing deal in the long run. 

Mr. D has already used enough equity on your first loan.
Lets’ say that Mr. D took out a home equity loan of 90% of his home value. Homeowner’s Loan Renegotiation might not be for him right now, because good rates for lower loans that that is rare to nonexistent.

When he refinances a 90% or higher loan, he probably needs a loan equal to it or higher. This is now almost a 100% financing option and the rates will be noticeably higher. 100% loans are pretty much hard to find these days anyway.

The lowdown is this: Refinancing less than 90% will yield him bad rates, while over 90% will give him higher rates or none at all. Either way is shaky ground, so Mortgage Loan Refinancing might not be the best option for Mr. D.

Under the right circumstances, Home owners Loan Refinancing is a good option. But if you find yourself in similar places as one or two of these people, it is better to re-assess and find other ways to get money and/or solve your Homeowners Loan concerns. In the end it is best to see, shop and compare what rates are out there, so you can decide for yourself what to do next.

For additional methods to save money on insurance coverage for your house have a look at: free home insurance quotes and http://www.quick-online-insurance-quote.com/cheap-online-car-insurance-quote.html.

Should You Renovate?

There are three levels of renovation which you can do to your home before you put it on the market. You can do a complete renovation which will cost you much more money than other options but you hope to sell it for even more than what you put in. You can choose to do a cosmetic repair which which is to repair as little as possible so that it will be move in ready. On the other hand, you can just stage your home. Home staging is becoming increasingly more popular because it helps a great deal. If your home does not need any repairs at all, then a home staging is a cheap but good option. However, if your home is in need of some repairs, it might be a more befitting idea to do some minor repairs first.

Making Your Home Stand Out

Once your home is beautiful and ready to be put on the market, you will need to decide if you want to hire a realtor or you want to sell your home yourself. If you do it yourself, you will want to take your beautiful home pictures to print out and show any interested buyers. Homeowners can also upload their pictures of beautiful homes onto websites such as For Sale By Owner or FSBO so that any interested buyers can read about their homes and can contact them through these sites.

If you know Jack and Cyndee Haydon, you know them to be two of the most well-respected and hard working Clearwater Florida Realtors out there.  They work extremely hard to find great deals for their Clearwater Beach condo buyers – but like so many Relators working with upscale luxury condo properties, like those in the Clearwater Beach Florida / Sand Key Florida area – they’re running into a roadblock with the allowable Fannie Mae loan limit for conventional loans set at $417,000 – requiring a minimum of 20% down.

Obviously, $417,000 would cover most areas of Clearwater real estate – however, when you consider Clearwater, Florida is home to some of the best beaches in the United States, it’s not nearly enough if you want to buy even a modest, much less a luxury beach condo and are looking for a reasonable loan.

Even if you were planning on buying a condo and putting 20% to 25% down it’s a problem because most Clearwater Beach Florida oceanfront 3 bedroom condominiums are still selling from $800,000 to well over $1 million dollars even in today’s real estate market.

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Clearwater Beach FL Jumbo Borrowers Feeling the Pinch – and So are Sellers

So, how is the challenge in findig Jumbo Mortgages for Clearwater Condos a problem for sellers?

In Cyndee’s experience…

1) Low convention home loan limits for the Clearwater Beach area are causing a lot of mortgage pressure to purchase properties for $520,000 (or less) – which puts downward pressure on sellers who want to sell for top dollar.

2) Clearwater Jumbo Mortgage Rates (and terms) further limits the number of ready and willing buyers in this “jumbo” price point – so with less willing and able buyers, there is again more pressure on sellers to make a deal with the remaining buyers – and we’re seeing cash is king. Cyndee and Jack’s last two beach condo buyers paid cash for their gulf beachfront condos.

Clearwater Condo Buyers – A Mortgage Broker’s Dream! (Rates and Loans – Not so Much!)

What’s hard to believe is that Cyndee and Jack Haydon – as Clearwater Realtors – are working with many buyers who are the best clients a Florida Mortgage broker could want (excellent credit, no debt, no issue with income qualifications, etc.).  The problem is, that they’re not willing to buy a second home / vacation home under the recent terms one National bank / lender gave.

For Jumbo loans on beach condo purchases needing a loan over $417K but under 1 million they didn’t even offer a fixed rate loan. Rather, thaey offered a 5/1 ARM at  5.75% with a 1% point up front!  So basically, when conventional home buyers are getting mortgage rates under 5% – some of the best possible borrowers are being asked to pay a premium of almost 7% and up.  (To quote Wallac Shawn’s Vizzini Character in the Princess Bride… “INCONCEIVABLE!”)

When Cyndee asked “why?”,  the banks told me that it’s because “Jumbo Loans” are currently the highest loans in default – a point I’d made to her not too long ago. Unfortunately, those I see in preforeclosure  and foreclosure on the beaches now are very different than the potential buyers we are seeing. We all know lending had loose guidelines back a few years ago, and many real estate buyers got in way over their heads – these are not the buyers the Haydons are working with today.

77% Pending Sales of Clearwater Beach Condos and Sand Key Condos are NOT Jumbos

There are currently 22 Clearwater condos under contract and pending sale in the Tampa Bay MLS – of that 17 of them has a listed purchase price of under $420,000, 4 are in the $600K’s and one is pending at $849,000 (all of which could be lower on closing – we don’t know the negotiated purchase price at this point). It’s not surprising that it was recently reported that 50% of all real estate sales in Florida this year have been cash transactions.

In our experience, today’s Tampa mortgage rates for Jumbo Loans have caused several of our clients to scale back their Clearwater beach condo purchases, and others have postponed them while they free up additional funds to make up the difference in purchase price and “conforming loans.”  We’ve seen several people who planned on buying beachfront condos for @$800,000 and now have scaled back $200-300K to qualify for the conforming loan rates and terms.

So if you are a seller on Clearwater Beach Florida today (or Sand Key, Island Estates and our Gulf beaches), the best thing that can happen for you right now is that Banks get bank into the Jumbo loan market and begin to offer more attractive Jumbo Loan rates and terms for willing Clearwater Beach buyers.

Clearwater Beach Real Estate gets some good Jumbo Loan news

Cyndee pointed me to an article that stated “that the hard-to-find jumbo loan may be making a comeback.  Bank of America is among the major banks rolling out jumbo mortgage programs and holding the loans in their own portfolios.

It will offer loans from $730,000 to $1.5 million with 30-year fixed rates under 6 percent; but borrowers must make a 20-percent downpayment, have good credit, provide proof of income, and hold six months’ of principal, interest, property tax and insurance payments in reserve.”

The Haydons are constantly working with  local bankers who offer in-house “portfolio loans” – and I sure hope that other banks, both local and national, will follow Bank of America lead in the Jumbo loan market.