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You’re ecstatic because you’ve just discovered the ideal home. The location is ideal, the house is gorgeous, and the price is reasonable.

The asking price, however, is only the beginning. Prepare for additional — and frequently unexpected — house-buying fees that can catch purchasers off guard and rapidly put you in debt on your new home.

Be prepared for the unexpected.

Almost everyone who purchases a house spends more than just the down payment. Because homeowners’ insurance and closing expenses, such as appraisal and lender fees, are often included in the home-buying process, they’re straightforward to budget for, but most other prices vary.

The most important aspect determining your move-in fees is the previous owners of your house. You’ll have to replace the refrigerator if they take it when they move out. Any huge appliance is the same way.

And, while they may seem insignificant in comparison to the cost of a home, appliances rapidly add up, especially if you’ve already spent the majority of your money on a down payment.

Unless you negotiate them as part of your home purchase agreement, you’ll be responsible for any immediate upgrades the house requires.

Unfortunately, they are the least obvious of the expenditures you may face.

If you’re buying a house, engage a home inspector (this costs money, too!) to be sure it won’t collapse the next time it rains. Inspectors search for issues such as faulty electrical wiring, sagging foundations, wood rot, and other issues that you would not see on your own.

Worse still, these issues are almost never covered by homeowner’s insurance. If an inspector finds a major flaw, you’ll have to determine if you still want to buy the house. You’ll be out the expense of hiring the inspector in any case.

Think about the creature comforts.

Your personal comfort is also a cost. There are a few little details to consider that you may not consider until after you’ve moved in.

Are you a cable subscriber? If that’s the case, is your new house cable-ready? When you own the walls, it’s considerably more difficult to see a technician crawl about poking holes in them.

And if you’re transitioning from renting to owning a house, you’ll almost certainly see a significant increase in your utility expenses. Furthermore, you may find yourself responsible for utilities that were previously handled by your landlord, such as water and waste collection.

Prepare ahead of time.

Research and planning are the greatest ways to prepare for the unknown and unexpected. This begins with budgeting before you begin looking for a home and continues throughout your search.

Look for properties in your price range that might use some work, and then find out how much it would cost to make those renovations. Nothing is more frustrating than purchasing a property with the expectation of repairing the yard for a few hundred dollars only to discover that it will cost thousands.

There’s no limit to how well you can prepare. Let’s say you come across a lovely property that is priced lower than others in the region due to its age. Although you may save money on the list price, an older property may come with a considerably higher home insurance cost, making the house more expensive in the long term.

This is when planning comes into play. Before you make your initial offer, do some research on house insurance and property costs in the locations you’re considering.

Define how much money you’ll spend toward the down payment, and then see how much money you’ll have left over for renovations and small charges like replacing the locks. That way, if you come across a home at the upper end of your price range that requires a new washer and dryer or an upgrade to the HVAC system, you’ll know to pass it up.

Looking to invest in residential or commercial real estate?

Schedule a call with Apollo Group today, we are building the future of real estate investment and development.

About Us:

Apollo Group – Real Estate Partners is a privately held real estate investment, asset management, and development company led by experienced and committed real estate and investment professionals.

 

The pandemic has changed how we work and how we connect with others. Nowadays it’s very common for a lot of people to work from home, so it makes a lot of sense to create your own home office. With that in mind, you can be flexible and figure out the right location depending on your needs. Everyone likes the idea of creating their own home office, and here are some great tips.

Set the right mood

A good Home Office should be easy to customize and you should be able to set the right mood. Scented candles and aromatherapy diffusers can help you quite a lot. Having some healthy snacks can help you quite a bit, and it will eliminate many possible concerns. That’s a great idea, and one of the things that can push the limits in an incredible, unique manner.

Choosing the right technology

Using the video conferencing platforms like GoMeet or Zoom can enhance your productivity while working from your home office.

Check the background

Since your Home Office might also be involved in video calls, make sure that you don’t have stuff in the background that you would regret. What you want to do is to check the background and see exactly what items are there. This is helpful and you will be very happy in the end, just try to use that to your own advantage if possible for the best results.

Create an inspiration board

The inspiration board can be a great way to set goals and also track your current tasks. It will make it easier to manage everything and you will be very happy with the way it all comes together. Such a board is very efficient and it does help you get the job done, which is exactly what you need to keep in mind in the long run.

Declutter

Decluttering is always helpful, because it will make it easier for you to find the items you need. It just also makes it much easier to organize your workspace without worrying about any downsides. It definitely takes a bit of a trial and error to make everything work, but take your time and remove all the items that you don’t need, just to make the office space easier to manage.

Pick the right space and stick to it

One of the challenges when you create a Home Office is figuring out where you should work from. it’s ok to work even in the kitchen, as long as you commit to a certain space. Or you can go for any other space in your home. It will help a lot, and it will eliminate many concerns that might arise.

It’s always a good idea to create a Home Office where you can work uninterrupted. However, figuring out where that office space should be and how you can approach it properly can be very tricky. It does take a bit of a trial and error to narrow down what works for you and what delivers the best results, but avoid any rush and you should be more than ok. Just make sure that you commit to creating a great home office, customize it according to your needs, and it’s going to be worth the effort!

Looking to invest in residential or commercial real estate?

Schedule a call with Apollo Group today, we are building the future of real estate investment and development.

About Us:

Apollo Group – Real Estate Partners is a privately held real estate investment, asset management, and development company led by experienced and committed real estate and investment professionals.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, buying and selling properties has become rather difficult. The same thing can be said when it comes to moving during the pandemic. It’s a lot stricter, it comes with many rules and things to consider. Which is why it makes a lot of sense to take your time and figure out how you can move property during the pandemic. Here are some ideas that might help.

Donate the items you don’t need

This is a great idea because you are helping people that actually need some items, and at the same time you also get rid of stuff. It helps quite a bit, and it will eliminate many concerns that can arise. Plus, the best part is that you can finally focus on moving only the items that you really need. That’s what makes this such a great idea to keep in mind.

Always stay flexible and transparent

Let the other people in the neighborhood know when you are moving. This way they can stay away from this and you won’t have to worry about getting this virus in the first place. A more isolated moving process can actually help during the COVID-19 pandemic, so you have to take that into account as much as possible.

Take some extra precautions

There are many different things that you can do in order to eliminate concerns and focus on making things better. It can be anything from wearing masks and gloves to disinfecting the items and even stuff like handles or door knobs. You also want to buy some new boxes, since the virus can spread through boxes too, which is quite scary. Having some paper towels and soap near the sink and even some hand sanitizer near the door can help quite a bit.

Keep the contact at a minimum

A good idea is to ensure that you receive a contactless service. You can also keep the necessary distance from movers, while still letting them know if you have any specific questions, guidelines or ideas that you want to share.

Go for the DIY approach

Going DIY is a very good idea because it helps eliminate concerns, while bringing in some very good results. You can eliminate risks during the COVID-19 pandemic, while making sure everything is packaged properly. Sure, you can leave your movers to handle this, but the truth is that you can do it on your own especially for the more sensitive items.

Conclusion

We recommend using these tips if you are moving during the COVID-19 pandemic, since you don’t want to take any risks. All these tips and ideas are very helpful, and they will make a huge difference in the long run. It’s definitely a challenge, but if you manage everything right, nothing will be able to stand in your way and that’s what you want to consider here. You can never be too careful, especially with this type of virus, so try to keep that in mind as much as possible!

Looking to invest in residential or commercial real estate?

Schedule a call with Apollo Group today, we are building the future of real estate investment and development.

About Us:

Apollo Group – Real Estate Partners is a privately held real estate investment, asset management, and development company led by experienced and committed real estate and investment professionals.

When you want to buy a property, you usually focus on finding the best real estate agent to work with. However, there are so many different myths about Real Estate Agents that it’s hard to figure out what’s true and what’s not. Which makes you wonder, what Real Estate Agent myths should you stop believing in.

1.)   Their commission is 6% everywhere

The truth here is that the Real Estate Agent commission isn’t always 6%. It depends on where you live and many other different factors. Plus, the seller pays the commission and they split it between the agents and brokers. Sellers are still able to negotiate the commission, so it’s not set in stone.

2.)   It’s not possible to acquire a sale by owner home if you have an agent

You can use Real Estate Agents to buy a sale by owner home. The seller compensates them, and you can use the experience of the real estate agent to make the right choice. Of course, that doesn’t mean all situations like this require a Real Estate Agent. But it’s still a good option to work with one, as you might find it easier to identify the right deal for you.

3.)   All agents are equal

Not all Real Estate Agents are the same. Some have a decade or more of experience, others have been doing it for less than a year. Also, working with an agent that lives in that local area is very important, and you will certainly appreciate the results. Some agents want to establish a long-term relationship, others just want to close a sale. So, there are a variety of different situations here, which is something to consider as much as possible.

4.)   You can use the selling agent of that property

This is not really good for a buyer, since the seller’s agent represents the seller and he will focus on bringing them the best possible results. With that being said, you do want to have your own Real Estate Agent that’s separate from the seller. This way you can avoid problems and still obtain great results all the time.

5.)   If you start working with an agent, you are stuck with them *Bonus*

Even if you sign a contract, that doesn’t mean you are locked with that Real Estate Agent. Sellers are under a contract, but for a buyer it’s a lot easier. You can switch the agent if you think that the current one is not doing a good job, so you are not locked to any Real Estate Agent. After all, if they are not doing the right job, you can always find someone else.

At the end of the day, there are a plethora of myths about Real Estate Agents that you shouldn’t really take into consideration. Many of them are not real, and they end up bringing in a lot of different challenges to the way you prepare to buy a property. Thankfully, now you know that some of these myths are not real, and it will give you a much better approach!

Looking to invest in residential or commercial real estate?

Schedule a call with Apollo Group today, we are building the future of real estate investment and development.

About Us:

Apollo Group – Real Estate Partners is a privately held real estate investment, asset management, and development company led by experienced and committed real estate and investment professionals.