Mobile Home Searches Changes How We Search and Find the Perfect Home

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Each year we come across countless new technologies; some have a significant impact on our home search experience while others put the entire process on overdrive!

In our constant quest to bring our buyers and sellers the ultimate experience, we are always scouting the industry for the latest and greatest tools designed to make things easier. With the newest thing in real estate being mobile home searching – we set out to find out which platforms offer the best visibility and what makes them good. Here is a look at the platforms we suggest you use and the reasons they are proven successful.

MLStoledo.com or GoToledoHomes.com 
Visit these sites for the best home buying experience in the business. These are the search engines of our choice and they are always up-to-date with the latest, factual information you need to make informed decisions. Using your tablet, mobile phone, laptop or any other mobile device that supports these platforms, you will instantly notice a difference.

Constantly Updated Data Feeds
It used to be a process that would painstakingly take weeks before you could expect to receive updated information. Then it slowly boiled down to one week between updates, then a few times each week, then daily and finally hourly. Today, when you use move.com and move.com affiliated websites, you will receive up to the minute information, updated four times each hour. So if you see a listing with a reduced price, you know that price is accurate. And you know the information displayed is the most recent.

More Communication by Agents
Most large-scale, national home search sites are driven by heavy sales and marketing efforts designed with a for-profit goal in mind. So you may not always get in touch or be able to reach the agent you’re seeking when it comes to finding out more information about some listings. Our recommended mobile search sites eradicate that concern, with move.com administration working on ways to strengthen agents’ commitments to get in touch and respond to your inquiries.

Straight Factual Information
Many national websites are geared toward presenting listing information that may or may not be up-to-date. In fact, a lot of the homes you might find in your search are purely based on public records rather than through an MLS IDX feed. Our recommended sites present only active listings that you can actually expect to see. Straight, factual information is critical in a fast-moving marketplace like today.

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We are committed to making your home buying experience the best it can possibly be and with today’s mobile home search platforms, you need to be searching on sites that give you the most accurate information, in the fastest amount of time. Call us today for a customized consultation about your home buying needs or if you’d like to see any of the homes you’ve found on your mobile search!

How to Influence a Lower Homeowner’s Insurance

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Very surprisingly, many homeowners have no idea that if they were to shop around they could easily save a significant amount of money from one insurance carrier to the next. But there is an even greater hidden secret that could end up saving you hundreds of dollars more each year (if not more) and it is very simple.

It turns out that with just a few simple and easy “tricks” you can keep a lot more money in your pocket. Here are some great ways to help bring your home insurance premium payment down:

Update Your Home to Current Safety Code
One of the easiest (and inexpensive) things to do is to change out the old plastic dryer vent accordion pipe with a metal one. It takes minutes to do and as soon as your insurance finds out you’ve made the change that extra fire safety precaution will bring down your insurance rate.

Similarly, install updated fire and smoke detectors, put in carbon monoxide detectors and monitor chemical and gas levels in and around the home so that if needed you can have mitigation systems installed.

Lower Your Deductibles
How often does an insurance claim really happen? Take a look at your past track record and if you’re like most of us, chances are you don’t have a lot of insurance claims on the property. By simply increasing your deductible amount you will make your premium go down. At the same time it will help you to take extra precautions around the home so that you won’t have to file a claim and pay a large deductible.

Conduct a Mini-Audit of Your Home
Get in touch with your insurance agent and ask him or her to help you conduct a mini-audit. Take a look at all the existing policies, riders and coverage items you have. In addition, go through the home and identify other opportunities (like the dryer vent) that will lower your insurance rate.

Avoid Excessive Claims and Check With Your Agent First
A common mistake made by some homeowners is to file a claim, sometimes repeatedly, for issues that tend to raise red flags within in the insurance industry. For example, claims that deal with flooding, water-related issues or dog bites – all have the tendency to make your premiums go up. If possible, try to avoid making these claims and talk to your agent ahead of time to make sure they agree filing the claim is a good idea.
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There are other ways to chip away at your homeowner’s insurance premium, such as checking to see if they provide discounts for local college Alumni or being a member of some associations.  Call your insurance agent for more ideas.

As always, we are right here ready for you when you are ready to buy your next home. We look forward to helping make your real estate goals come true.

How to Influence a Lower Homeowner’s Insurance Premium

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Unless you live in a very volatile area, chances are your homeowner’s insurance premiums are fairly standard. But one thing that many people do not realize is that they can actually have an impact on the amount they are charged for insurance.

There are several factors involved in a homeowner’s insurance premium calculation and if you play your cards right you may be able to end up with sizable savings. Homes that are located in areas that exhibit frequent and volatile storms or acts of nature on a regular basis – such as earthquake zones, hurricane prone areas and tornado belts - will obviously see larger premiums. And seasonal weather changes like hail or windstorms will also have an impact on the rate you will pay for insurance on your property. But for the most part, there are ways to save on insurance.  Here are four factors that you can control that will help you to save money.

Cut Down Those Claims

The single biggest impact you can have on your insurance premium rates is the number of claims you file. This is largely applicable to those claims you have control over. Acts of nature will impact your rates less than deliberate or reckless occurrences such as a fire that occurs during a cookout. Be mindful of the number of claims you file and it will keep your insurance premiums down.

Spruce Up Your Credit

Like with everything else, insurance companies also want to know that you are responsible in handling your finances – in fact, they rate homeowners (and others) with an insurance score that is similar to a credit score. An insurance score takes into consideration your credit, claims history, property location and value. It is essential to get and keep good credit. Paying bills on time, avoiding late payments and demonstrating solid financial responsibility translates to lower premiums because insurance companies know they can count on you.

Choose Location Wisely

One factor that many people do not realize is how close the property is to the local fire department. The further away from a fire department the home is located the higher your insurance premium will be. In fact, your insurance premium can go as high as 50% to 60% higher than if you lived closer. The reason is the added risk of total loss since it would take them that much longer to get to your location.

Go For Higher Deductibles

At one point, deductibles for homeowner’s insurance were lower than they typically are today. Where they were once only $250 or $500 per claim, deductibles for most policies are now $1,000 with some people opting for even higher amounts – as much as $5,000. There are two reasons for the higher deductibles; not only do they serve as a deterrent from smaller claims but also homeowners receive a break on their premium.

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If you would like more information about how you can positively impact the cost of your homeowner’s insurance – or for any other property and real estate related inquiries, please contact us today!

Buyers Receive a Library of Resources on a Custom USB Stick

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We know that things are changing almost everyday. Gone are the days of triplicate documents and in come digital signatures. Those huge PC units and monitors? Replaced by every kind of mobile device that you can imagine under the sun.

So it only feels natural for us to progress with other things too. That’s why when it comes to serving our buyer clients – we don’t just hand a copy of our business card to you. We actually give you a USB stick that you can take with you. The beauty of this is that all the information you could possibly need is right on that stick.

We have everything from how to find the right Realtor ®, knowing the basics of the home buying process, to more detailed things like understanding Buyer Agency and market statistic reports so you know the area’s housing activity.

You can plug it into your computer and literally access our library of materials designed exclusively for you. If you want to add all electronic documents that pertain to your transaction, you can do that also. That way you have everything in one nifty little package. We even share information on how to go about shopping for a mortgage, sample contracts you can expect to see in your transaction and helpful tutorial videos that take out the guessing game of what you are going to experience.

We do this all with one goal in mind; to make our buyers’ experience the best it can be, to provide the most valuable information to you and to educate you so that you are prepared throughout each step. When you have these things in order – you are in a position to make good decisions about your real estate. And that’s what we want.

So the next time you decide you want to look at a home, or even if you just want a copy of this fantastic resource, just let us know. We’ll be glad to give you yours. And as always, we are right here for you, looking forward to making all your real estate goals become a reality!

Saying a Huge “Thank You” to Our Clients With a Fabulous Cruise on Lake Erie!

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Nothing brings us more pleasure than to see our clients happy and thriving in their new homes. Whether you have bought, sold or invested in property through us – we are very grateful to have had the opportunity to be your trusted real estate firm.

This time around, as we cruised around Lake Erie, hit some favorite spots along the way and enjoyed the gorgeous weather, it was a great time to be among friends. We have served some of our clients for as many as two, three or more generations – and it’s an honor to hold that distinction!

Snacks and drinks were on us – guests brought their own nibbles too and the entire trip was packed with fun...

If you would like to be a part of our next Client Appreciation Cruise – contact us today and we’ll make sure you get an invitation. And as always, we look forward to serving you with all your real estate needs!

What Can MAYBE Go Wrong With Your Loan – and How to Avoid It

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A lot of loan applications fall apart for different reasons and we know that after going through the long and arduous process of finding the perfect home that last thing buyers want is to have to be told they can’t have the home. That’s why we talked with a few of our local lenders and got the low down on what exactly causes these breakdowns in the mortgage process for many people. You won’t believe how easy it is to avoid these things!

Keep in mind that your credit score that you bring to the table will be the most important aspect to getting and holding on to a solid mortgage. As long as you come with a FICO score of 620 or great you should be in great shape. But even if your score does not meet that minimum standard, know that you can fix it and oftentimes we help our clients get on the fast track to success so they can buy the home of their dreams.

If you have started the process however, here are some of the things that commonly go wrong causing many mortgage applications to fall apart.

Incomplete Applications
Loan officers do their best to get their clients to compile as much information as possible that will be needed to complete the process. But all too often their file is incomplete because the buyer failed to provide an important piece. The types of documentation needed that are essential for the process to continue include things like:

*Two years of tax returns
*Income statements and paystubs
*Bank statements
*Divorce decrees
*401k statement
*Driver license
*Social security card

Not Enough Information
A lot of times the loan processor requires additional information in order to make an informed decision. This could be anything from names that were changed as a result of marriage or otherwise plus also additional addresses that may appear on the credit report but have not been mentioned on the loan application.

Unknown Credit Concerns
Sometimes credit reports reveal concerns that were completely unbeknownst to the creditor. This could include things like an old bill that was paid off but still remains on the credit report.

Processor Needs More Explanation
At times the loan officer takes the information and accepts it but by the time it gets to the underwriter, it’s found it’s not enough information. Yet another delay in the process, when this additional explanation does not make it to underwriter’s desk in time it can cause a rift in the application process and even end up in a rejected loan.

Properly Sourced Funds

Many homebuyers do not realize that once they are in the market to buy a home they must be very careful with the funds they have in the bank. Lenders have to follow strict guidelines in terms of the source of funds used for the purchase of a home. Lottery winnings and unaccounted for cash cannot be used and the source of all monies must be clearly demonstrated if necessary.

Liabilities Need More Data Provided

When a property that you are buying has a need for repairs often the lender approves the loan assuming repairs will be done. One part of the process involves appraisal where they may or may not accept the condition of the property and therefore approve the loan until those concerns are addressed.

Some additional causes of loan applications to fall through are as follows:

• Seller forgets something
• Signatures missing in documentation
• Incomplete information on the deed
• Closing title staff runs out of time
• Resources of time are often stretched

We can fix the problems – but your credit score is going to be the number one thing for you make sure is in good shape.

Here is our special report for more information on Loan Application Problems and Solutions – it’s a MUST READ report!

Winterizing Tips to Save You Time and Money

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Our homes always need a bit of extra protection and thought before the cold winter months take hold. Have you made plans for the things that you need to do in your own home before it gets too cold this winter?

If you are planning to take any trips or be away from your home for a few days, it is even more important to be sure that you are taking those extra precautions to save yourself a lot of heartache in the event that something happens in your home.

First, make sure that you have closed the vents under your house. That is always a great thing to do to make sure that you are keeping things warmer in the winter. Of course, make sure to open them up again when the warmer months start to approach.

A lot of people are under the impression that they should turn their thermostat way down when they leave. However, turning it too low can actually be detrimental to your tile, grout and drywall. Instead, try to keep it around the 55 degree level to make sure those things stay safe.

Another thing you should do each winter is have your furnace serviced. Nothing is worse than getting into the cold winter months only to learn that your furnace is not working properly.

If you are planning to leave your home, even for just a few days, you need to shut off the water to the home. It is very easy to do using the main shutoff valve. Freezing pipes while you are gone out of town can mean big problems and expenses when you return.

Finally, make sure to shovel your deck. We saw so many more deck repairs needed this year because people did not shovel their decks last year. It gets very cold and icy, especially on higher decks, so make sure to do this or hire someone to do it for you. If you need a referral, we know lots of people who do this kind of work.

Have a great winter, and please call on us if you have any real estate related question!