Don’t Let Hackers Scam You Out of Your Down Payment

Real estate transactions routinely involve the transfer of large sums of money, typically through wire transfers. Given the electronic nature of these transactions, they are somewhat susceptible to fraud. The loss of funds and the dream of homeownership for a buyer or seller can be absolutely devastating.

Recently the National Association of Realtors(R) issued a warning about a sophisticated wire fraud scam. According to this article on the NAR website (http://www.realtor.org/articles/urgent-alert-sophisticated-email-scams-targeting-the-real-estate-industry):

Digging into a Home’s History with these Questions

When you’re about to put your hard-earned money into a home, you want to know everything you can about that home’s history. While there are common questions to ask about a home’s condition, history, and location, there are some questions buyers often overlook.

Don’t rely on sellers to volunteer this information. In some cases, they may not even know the answers for themselves. Protect your potential investment. These questions can help you get to the bottom of potential pitfalls:

1. Have you ever had asbestos removed from the home? Old heating ducts, ceilings, and even certain types of flooring can contain asbestos. If they’ve had asbestos removed, follow-up with how it was removed. Was it their uncle Joe hacking away at it, or did they have professional help?

How to Gather Renovation Ideas Online

Home renovation projects are a great way to fall in love again with a home you own, or make upgrades buyers will pay top dollar for when the time comes to sell. Redoing a kitchen or bathroom can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy a space. But how do you know what you really want? Are you aware of how much is out there in terms of modern home design?

Searching for inspiration online is a good place to start. While you can haphazardly click from blog to blog, there are some easy-to-use tools to help introduce you to design options and help you organize your project.

What Buyers Want

One of the most common questions I get is “What do buyers really want?” This can change as design trends change, but there are some tried-and-true areas buyers look at when they’re considering a home.

I’ve found that attention to these areas prior to listing a home will almost always result in a quicker sale without significant pricing adjustments. So what do buyers want? Here’s what I can tell you:

1. Pay close attention to your kitchen and your bathrooms. Countertop, cabinet, and fixture upgrades can go a long way to modernizing these rooms in the eyes of buyers.