All Blog Entries by Lisa Udy 
There are currently 93 blog entries published by Lisa Udy.
Nationwide Open House Weekend April 28th and 29th! Are You Ready?
Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 at 4:18pm. 193 Views, 0 Comments.
Nationwide Open House weekend will be observed the weekend
of April 28th and 29th, 2012, and is a perfect chance for
would-be home buyers to finally get the home of their dreams.
This annual event is the result of collaboration between local and state Realtor associations around the U.S and provides potential homebuyers with the opportunity to view homes before the kickoff of the home-buying season.
Many, many interested homebuyers will be cruising the open house circuit during the eventful weekend, so how do you make your open house stand out in the sea of others? Be sure to:
Check its curb appeal.
As a real estate agent, you already know that opinions are oftentimes formulated curbside. Some buyers won’t even make it…
For Sale by Owner: Do You Really Want to Go That Route?
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 10:46am. 521 Views, 2 Comments.
In today’s
economy, making more money is on the minds of everyone in the country. This is especially true for those who decide
to sell their homes as “for sale by owner,” commonly called FSBO, rather than
list it through a reputable real estate agent.
With the idea that you can save money or even reap a larger profit, many home owners have elected to go the route of selling their homes by themselves. But is this a good idea?
Factors for Consideration
Competition is tough on the real estate market today especially when competing with distressed homes that are listed at below market prices. There are many advantages to listing your home with a real estate company. Before you stick the sign in your yard, take the…
What are the advantages of getting pre-qualified?
Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 11:33pm. 696 Views, 0 Comments.
Now that you have decided to purchase a Indian Harbour beach real estate there are some
distinct advantages to getting pre-qualified for a loan. This one simple step
can save you a lot of headache through out the home purchasing process.
The first reason the get pre-qualified is you will know what you monthly mortgage payment will be in advance. Your loan officer can give you an estimate of you payment on any amount.
They can also help you understand the difference in payment between $200,000 purchase price, and a $210,000 purchase price. This information can be very valuable to you while negotiating. It can also make sure you stay within your comfort zone when it comes to the amount of your final monthly payment.
The second reason…
Dos and Don’ts for Restoring a Fixer-Upper
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 3:34pm. 525 Views, 0 Comments.
Buying a fixer-upper is a great opportunity for you to enjoy
traditional architecture at an affordable price.
Many buy these houses because they're willing to devote their time and talents to renovation and repair. Preserve the character of your fixer-upper, while creating a comfortable home, with these quick tips:
- Original Construction
As much as possible, keep the original construction intact, and reuse as many of the original materials as you can. These are often well-designed and solid, built to withstand the test of time, and they maintain the intended look and feel of the design. Recycling will also provide you with significant savings, as new materials are costly enough, but custom materials are extremely expensive.…
Deciphering What Your Lender Says
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 at 2:05pm. 639 Views, 1 Comments.
Does your mortgage lender sound like he’s speaking a foreign
language? Getting a mortgage can be difficult, especially since there is a lot
of paperwork involved.
You will have lots of documents to read and then sign, and if you are like the average homebuyer, you will run into a lot of different terms that you may not have heard before.
Instead of just nodding your head and signing on the dotted line, it is important that you gain a better understanding of what your lender is saying (and what you are signing), or you may end up making costly mistakes on the biggest purchase of your life.
Don’t get your pen out just yet! You need to learn some of the basic mortgage language and gain some general knowledge about terms like…
The Devil’s in the Definitions When It Comes To Real Estate Law
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 at 4:28am. 255 Views, 0 Comments.
The devil’s in the details, or so they say, and when it comes to zoning and land use regulations, the place to watch out for the devil is in the Definitions.
Each town or county sets its own land use definitions, so that’s where you’d go to find out what you’re up against.
Let’s say, for instance, you want to divide your house up so your mother-in-law can move into her own space. Does that classify as just creating an “in-law apartment”, or are you turning your “single-family house” into a “multi-family dwelling”?
Or if you want to set up an antique shop in your garage, is that a “retail use” or just a “home occupation” or an “accessory use”?
Definitions of terms like “residential” and…
Less Can Be More in a Fixer-Upper
Friday, December 23rd, 2011 at 1:46pm. 306 Views, 0 Comments.
When
it comes to fixing up a fixer-upper, remember the maxim “less is more.”
All too often I see a perfectly good old house being renovated to death by over-zealous owners who were brainwashed into the mindset that brand new sheetrock is better than hand-mixed horsehair plaster and that wall-to-wall carpet is better than tongue-and-groove maple flooring.
As a rule of thumb, the quality of materials and workmanship in years past was far superior to what you’ll pay an arm and a leg for today, so why not use that as the starting point, rather than tearing it all out and starting from scratch?
So if you’re thinking of buying a fixer-upper, try to surround yourself with people who understand the “less is more”…
Buying Distressed Property: What You Need To Know
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011 at 3:18pm. 547 Views, 0 Comments.
Distressed properties (short sales, foreclosures, REOs) are abundant these
days. They are “distressed” because many
times, the home sits empty with no attention to its maintenance. For investors, the homes become a good
opportunity to invest in real estate at a lower cost than the neighborhood
might dictate.
For home buyers, foreclosures and short sales represent the chance to “move up” in their amount of home at a great price.
I showed a foreclosure property last week. It was a true showplace or at least it had been before the owners let it go. I had the forethought to walk through the home before my clients arrived. As I walked through, there were scratches on the hardwood floors and walls, wires everywhere,…
The 3 Biggest Mistakes In Property Investing
Sunday, December 4th, 2011 at 1:16pm. 289 Views, 0 Comments.
These errors cause investors thousands of dollars and countless hours of stress.
Error 1 is Price Shopping.
Going with the cheapest solution to get and manage your property will
get you the cheapest result. Value is
getting the most bang for your buck from your investment dollar. Many investors start out planning to get a
large cash flow by acquiring the least expensive home the can find and by doing
the management themselves, part time.
After about six months of trying to invent an accounting system using a generic spreadsheet software, learning boiler zone valve repair at night after their regular job, and discovering they are in sales and marketing, they start shopping for someone to fill their vacancies and for goodness…
How to Write the Short Sale Hardship Letter
Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 at 4:29pm. 748 Views, 1 Comments.
First, if you’re currently
involved in a short sale, and your listing agent isn’t assisting you in writing
your short sale hardship letter, you need a new agent. This letter is critical
to persuading the lender to allow a short sale of your home. A seasoned short
sale professional understands this and offers advice on how to put together the
short sale hardship letter.
If you thought you were down in the dumps over the fact that your house is worth less than what you owe on it, wait until you write your short sale hardship letter to the lender. Once it’s finished, though, and on the desk of the loss mitigator at the bank, you can breathe a sigh of relief, realizing you are one step closer to moving on with your life.
A short sale…
