Author Archives: TitleTap

How Should I Prepare The Inside For An Open House?

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For many homes and markets, professional help from someone in “staging” makes good financial sense.  Like this video say, check your staging options first.
If you are doing it yourself, here are 5 key tips.

One – Depersonalize.

You want the buyer to envision this house being their home?

Remove the things that make it YOUR home – photos, awards, collections, and STUFF.

Two – MOVE the stuff.

It’s tempting to shove things in closets and attics but your prospective buyer will see a much smaller house if those spaces are full.

Move it to a storage space or a friend’s garage.

Three – Warm it up.

Baking bread or cookies

adding fresh flowers

and colorful pillows and throws

are touches used by professional stagers to make a place warm without your stuff.

Four – Light it up!

  • Light sells homes.
  • Clean windows, inside and out.
  • Light bulbs all working and curtains open or even gone.

Five – Go Away.

Don’t hover – leave.

Pack for a day trip and have your realtor tell you when to return

Buyers won’t envision themselves buying if you’re around.

Depersonalize and move stuff out;

Warm it up and light it up.

Then leave and let your realtor do their job.

Understanding Your Loan: Additional Information Can Be Important

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Page 4 of your Closing Disclosure is important. It is NOT just standardized form information that is identical for every loan.

Review these terms:

  • Assumption: can this loan be transferred to another person if you sell or transfer the property?
  • Demand: can the lender require early repayment of the loan?
  • Late Payments: what penalty, after what period, applies?
  • Negative Amortization: does this loan schedule or allow payments that do NOT fully cover the interest due, resulting in increased loan principal?
  • Partial Payments: what is THIS lender’s policy?

You should also review Escrow Account details to understand whether you will pay additional property costs via regular Escrow Account payments or handle them yourself directly.

Understanding Your Loan: Closing Disclosure Page 1

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The first page of your Closing Disclosure documents:

  • The Loan Amount – the total you will actually borrow
  • The Interest Rate – which does NOT include the fees factored into the APR on Page 5

If this loan has a penalty for pre-payment or includes a balloon payment Page 1 will summarize the terms.

Projected Payments will show the chief cost components – Principal & Interest, Mortgage Insurance and estimates of your Escrow Payments over the life of the loan. You may see different columns for different periods if changes in terms such as mortgage insurance change payment totals.

Closing Costs summarizes your loan closing expenses, and Cash To Close adds the additional amounts due to give you the cash balance you will need in 3 business days.

When Do I Get My Loan Closing Disclosure?

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If an eligible loan proceeds from Estimate to closing, creditors must provide a Closing Disclosure form documenting the actual transaction terms and costs THREE business days before consummation. It must be in writing, whether paper or digital, and disclose ONLY the information specified by the CFPB.

If terms or costs change prior to consummation the creditor must provide a corrected disclosure containing the updated terms. In some cases, this may require an additional 3-business-day waiting period to consummation.

Consummation and Closing are legally distinct although they may occur at the same time depending on applicable State laws. Consummation occurs when you become contractually obligated to the CREDITOR on the loan not, for example, the real estate seller. The Disclosure must be delivered three business days prior to the legal Consummation date.

Which Square Footage Figure Should I Use?

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Home size is one of the key figures used in comparisons.

But you may have different measurements to choose from,  as you’ll learn in this video, including builder, appraiser, tax records and possibly owner records.

Which one is right, and which one is best?

The official figure is the one in tax records – typically, the county.

Any other figure must be documented by a builder’s floor plan

an appraisal or an official floor plan, prepared by a company for a fee.

If your house has been remodeled and you’re planning to sell

you may want to confirm that the official record matches your actual house – and update if required.

Most lenders will require an appraisal which will verify the figures you used. So be accurate and keep records to make the most of your sale.

 

6 Selling Mistakes

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If you’re selling, don’t do these things – take some notes from the video!
1. Don’t Sell Before The House Is Ready.

If it doesn’t present well, it won’t sell well.

2. Don’t Over-Improve

People buy houses in neighborhoods.

If yours is so “improved” that it sticks out you’re hurting your chances at selling.

3. Hire Wrong

Make your agent choice for business reasons.

Personal relationships matter, but experience and expertise will determine financial success in your sale.

4. Don’t Hide Anything

Covering up or ‘failing to mention’ real problems doesn’t work.

State disclosure laws are strict and you can be sued after the sale for anything that should have been made clear.

5. Don’t Rush

You should know about your mortgage, including pre-payment penalties your market conditions and trends and your options for your next home before jumping on the market.

6. Don’t Get Too Emotional

Your attachment to your house and your own financial needs

don’t really matter in the transaction.

If you can’t set them aside the sale won’t go as you’d like it to.

Remember – it was your home but to the buyer it’s as a house.

 

What Is An Appraisal?

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Every house is unique; appraisers are trained and licensed for expertise in putting a value on properties.

Appraisers don’t work for the buyer or the seller;  their primary mission is actually to protect the lender who’s risking money against the home’s value.

Appraisers have to weigh factors about the property and location – including size, condition and comparable properties – to appraise its current value.

They know how to focus on conditions that affect value; dishes in the sink don’t; damage and neglect do.

Appraisals lower than the proposed purchase price can affect transaction details. The seller might have to lower the price

or the buyer might have to increase down payment or fund additional escrow.

Appraisal seems a lot like inspection, but they’re not the same.

You can think of it this way:

Appraisers report on value to the lender

Inspectors report on condition of the house and major components to the buyer.

So – expect both appraisal & inspection in your transaction.

What Does The Closing Process Involve When I Sell?

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As this video explains, a signed sales contract doesn’t mean your house is sold. There are still financial, contractual and legal steps for both sides.

The buyer has to get financing to meet the contract terms – which includes credit checks.

The property is inspected and appraised; title insurance and escrow accounts are set up while you locate new housing, pack and move. And take care of any obligations like painting or repairs. After the contract is signed, it can take a month or more of closing steps to reach the closing meeting.

So plan on that when you plan to sell.

What Happens After I’ve Applied For My Loan?

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Once you’ve supplied the 6 required piece of information and included any other information the lender deemed necessary, you’ll receive a Loan Estimate within 3 business days.
Once all the information has been verified IF the loan is approved the lender will provide a Closing Disclosure to you three business days before loan consummation. T
hey’ll usually set a date for loan consummation – which may also be at your closing meeting.
Closing is basically transferring ownership of the property; consummation is commmitting to the loan itself.
Once both are completed, you should be planning your move-in.

How Can I Find Out About Schools & Community Resources?

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The video puts this in more visual terms, but basically, contact the local Chamber of Commerce for promotional literature or talk to your real estate agent about welcome kits, maps, and other information.

You can get information about school systems by contacting the city or county school board or the local schools.

You may also want to visit the local library. It can be an excellent source for information on local events and resources and the librarians will probably be able to answer many of the questions you have.