Buying and Selling Real Estate in Columbus GA

$8,000 Tax Credit

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Military service members, and their family members, are constantly bombarded with the IDEA that post housing is "FREE". It is NOT! When military service members, and their families, live in post housing; they are essentially renting and losing not only the money being spent on "FREE" housing but also the future equity that comes along with owning a home. Stop giving your money away!!! Put it into a home that will build YOU wealth. If you are due to be stationed at Ft. Benning for at least two years, you should strongly consider owning your own home. And better yet - if you are a 1^st time home buyer, I will urge you to take advantage of the tax credit currently available. It's not every day that Uncle Sam offers an incentive quite so elaborate!

Information pertaining to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

•Up to a $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers ONLY

•IRS defines a first-time home buyer as those who have not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the home purchase.

•Tax credit does NOT have to be repaid.

•Tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000.

•Credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.

•Single taxpayers, with incomes up to $75,000, and married couples, with incomes up to $150,000, qualify for the full tax credit.

Dana DeLuca

www.MyFtBenning.com

Veterans Day

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Thank you for the outstanding and never yielding service you have given to our country. Your sacrifice is enormous and greatly respected, but never appreciated enough! May you and yours be blessed with every step taken.

Dana DeLuca

http://www.ColumbusHomeDreams.com

Property Possession - Buyer Beware!

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

I have just gone through an ordeal that I think would be very beneficial for all buyers.

Let me explain.

I was the Buyer's Agent in this transaction and wrote a contract for a Columbus, GA home purchase in Mid-September ‘07. The seller was still occupying the property. Time past and everything appeared to be moving right on line as scheduled. The home inspection was conducted, the termite inspection was completed, repairs were requested, and repairs were done.

Low and behold, 2 days before closing, the Listing Agent calls and informs me that her seller needs possession after closing. I thought oh boy – here we go! I presented the request to my buyer and of course they were opposed completely (understandably).

You see – the Listings Agent had us by the you know whats. If my buyers were to refuse the seller possession after closing, then the Listing Agent could have legally extended the closing date by 7 days. Now remember, we are due to close at the end of October and my buyers were paying very little in prepays (taxes and insurance escrows). Meaning – if the Listing Agent were to extend the closing, it would have ran into the 1^st week of November and would have required my buyers to bring an extra $1,000 or so to the closing table for the prepays.

Ohhh Lord, what a predicament! My buyer had only 2 choices - allow the after closing possession or file a dispossession with the court system, which takes 2 weeks to complete. The buyers WANTED the house, so the second option was not even in consideration.

We went ahead with the closing and allowed possession until 8 pm, 4 days later. Through this whole ordeal, I kept contacting the Listing Agent requesting information on the seller’s move out status and home cleaning requirements.

Here in lies the problem. The Listing Agent ASSURED me that the seller would be out on time, and she would make SURE that the house was clean – “Even if I have to go over and clean toilets myself,” she said. I arrived at the property at 4 pm to oversee the seller and to let her know that we were serious about the 8 pm possession.

In the original contract the seller had agreed to cut the grass, stream clean the carpet, and leave the property clean and free from debris. Upon my arrival, the grass was a foot tall, and the seller still had GOBS of stuff in the house. There was NO way in the world that the property would be in a move-in condition when my buyers arrived in 4 hours to take possession.

I immediately called in the Calvary! A lawn boy (my teenaged son), cleaning services (my teenaged son), and carpet steaming company showed up within the hour. My son got busy immediately with cutting the lawn, but was unable to begin the cleaning process. The Carpet Company couldn’t even begin their services and told me that they would have to come back in the morning. I’m sure you can imagine how EXTREMELY agitated (not to mention, disappointed) with the Listing Agent and sellers performance I am at this point.

The Listing Agent had NO concerns at this point! She sold the property, got paid, and simply moved on to her next project. She had no concerns with having the sellers following what was written in the contract!

My buyer showed up at 8 pm and was also aggravated with the condition of the property. I told them that my son would be back at 8 am to clean the house and the carpet cleaners were scheduled at 9 am. This did not ease their disappointment, but it was the best I could do at the moment.

As I left the property at 8:45 pm (45 minutes after scheduled possession), the sellers were still shuffling their belongings out of the front door. Bright and early the next morning at 8 am, my son and I arrived to the house so he could begin the cleaning process. I dropped him off and past the carpet cleaners on the way out. They said that they would take care of things and for me not to worry. I thanked them profusely!

Two hours later my phone rings, and it was my son. He informed me that the buyers had told him that they were going to clean the house and he could go. I then spoke with the buyers and they said – That it was fine, and they had family coming to help with the cleaning. I begged them to allow my son to stay and finish his work (he’s a great worker). After all, I was paying him. They said – No, It’s Okay, We will take care of it.

Within 30 minutes, I was in my car headed to pick up my son. When I arrived, the carpets looked great and my son still had his head stuck in the oven cleaning off oven spray. I apologize again and again for the situation. The buyers were still NOT happy but were okay.

Okay – To make a long story short (LOL)

If you EVER, EVER purchase a property and the owner is still living in it at the time of contract, have your agent require a cleaning fee be held in escrow until the date of possession. If the owners perform the duties that were set out in the contract (cleaning carpet, cleaning house, mowing lawn….) then they would get those funds returned to them after buyer possession has been established. If not, the funds would go to the buyers to cover cost incurred for the needed services. This must be established in the initial contract to purchase and MUST specifically outline what you expect the owner to clean.

Please heed my warning!!! I TRUSTED that the Listing Agent would do what it took to make sure the property was ready for move-in. She did not! $200 and a valuable learning lesson later, I will NEVER allow this to happen again!

PS - I spoke with the owner as she was dragging her stuff out, and she told me that the Listing Agent knew about the possession problem "A Long Time Ago" Go Figure!!!

Keep your thinking cap on, Happy shopping, and Trust NoOne!

Dana DeLuca

http://ColumbusHomeDreams.com

Property Possession - Buyer Beware!

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

I have just gone through an ordeal that I think would be very beneficial for all buyers.

Let me explain.

I was the Buyer's Agent in this transaction and wrote a contract for a Columbus, GA home purchase in the Fall of ‘07. The seller was still occupying the property. Time past and everything appeared to be moving right on line as scheduled. The home inspection was conducted, the termite inspection was completed, repairs were requested, and repairs were done.

You see – the Listings Agent had us by the you know whats. If my buyers were to refuse the seller possession after closing, then the Listing Agent could have legally extended the closing date by 7 days. Now remember, we are due to close at the end of the month and my buyers were paying very little in prepays (taxes and insurance escrows). Meaning – if the Listing Agent were to extend the closing, it would have ran into the 1^st week of November and would have required my buyers to bring an extra $1,000 or so to the closing table for the prepays.

Okay – To make a long story short (LOL)

PS-I spoke with the owner while she was dragging her stuff out, and she informed me that the Listing Agent had known about the possession problem "A long time ago." Go Figure!!!

Dana DeLuca

http://ColumbusHomeDreams.com

Understanding Your Credit

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Understanding Your Credit

Mortgage Funding Info

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Mortgage Funding Info

Credit Info

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Credit Info

Fico Scores Effect Purchasing

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Fico Scores Effect Purchasing

Property Rights

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Property Rights

Real Property Definition

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Real Property Definition

Property Investment

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Property Investment

Property Trust(s)

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Property Trust(s)

Negotiating a Contract

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Negotiating a Contract

Real Estate Negotiation

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Real Estate Negotiation

Dont Let It Fall Through

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Dont Let It Fall Through

Sell Your Home Fast

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Sell Your Home Fast

Real Estate Tax Advice

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Real Estate Tax Advice

Property Inspection

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Property Inspection

Pick An Offer

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Pick An Offer

Open House Expectations

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Open House Expectations

Your Open House

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Your Open House

Marketing Info

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Marketing Info

Listing Real Estate

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Listing Real Estate

Selling My Property

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Selling My Property

Multiple Offers

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Multiple Offers

Getting Real Estate Ready

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Getting Real Estate Ready

Real Estate List Price

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Real Estate List Price

Housing Market Info

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Housing Market Info

Pricing Your Property

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Pricing Your Property

Property Appraisal

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Property Appraisal

Real Estate Appraisal Info

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Real Estate Appraisal Info

More Tax Advice

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More Tax Advice

Real Estate Agent

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Real Estate Agent

Real Estate FSBO Advice

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Real Estate FSBO Advice

Real Estate Appraisal

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You should look at each home for its individual characteristics. Generally, older homes may be in more established neighborhoods, offer more ambiance, and have lower property tax rates. People who buy older homes, however, shouldn't mind maintaining their home and making some repairs. Newer homes tend to use more modern architecture and systems, are usually easier to maintain, and may be more energy-efficient. People who buy new homes often don't want to worry initially about upkeep and repairs.

Only an appraiser can give a real home value, but one thing your real estate agent can help you with, is determining the 'sold' value of homes around the area. This is especially important when writing an offer!

Real Estate Tax Shelter(s)

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Real Estate Tax Shelter(s)

Real Estate Tax Benefits

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Real Estate Tax Benefits

Loan Closing Advice

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Loan Closing Advice

Escrow Advice

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Escrow Advice

Home Loans

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Home Loans

Closing Costs

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Closing Costs

Review A Closing

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Review A Closing

Closing a Home

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Closing a Home

After The Loan

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After The Loan

Credit History

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Credit History

Negotiating Tips

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Negotiating Tips

Property Negotiation

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Property Negotiation

Safety Inspection

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Safety Inspection

Home Inspector Worksheet

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Home Inspector Worksheet

Home Insurance

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Home Insurance

Home Inspection

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Home Inspection

Debt To Income Ratio

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Debt To Income Ratio

Your Loan

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Your Loan

Apply for a Mortgage

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Apply for a Mortgage

Select a Mortgage

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Select a Mortgage

Mortgage Alternatives

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Mortgage Alternatives

Basic Mortgage

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Basic Mortgage

Mortgage Loan

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Mortgage Loan

Effective Offer Writing

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Effective Offer Writing

Mental Control

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Mental Control

Comparison Shopping

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Comparison Shopping

Home Selection

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Home Selection

Home Hunt

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Home Hunt

Approval Letters

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Approval Letters

Real Estate Ads

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Real Estate Ads

House Search

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House Search

Your Wish List

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Your Wish List

Find your Dream

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Find your Dream

A REALTOR Can Help

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A REALTOR Can Help

Confidence and Experience

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Confidence and Experience

Ownership Advice

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Ownership Advice

Young Buyer

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Young Buyer

Home Ownership: Are You Prepared?

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 23:05:04 +0000

Home Ownership: Are You Prepared?

Buying an Affordable Home

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Buying an Affordable Home

Home Ownership : How To

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Home Ownership : How To

Buy vs Rent

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Buy vs Rent

Checklist for Home Buyers

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Checklist for Home Buyers