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Where do I start?
Finding your next home… 2 Find Your Home does not have to be a daunting task. It should be a time of great joy and does not have to take a long time. Often home buyers go it alone and do not narrow their criteria enough to find the right home. There are a lot [...]
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Getting Mortgage Pre-approval
Getting pre-approved for a mortgage So you’ve decided to buy a place of your own. Congratulations! It’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your lifetime. But before you start your search, there’s an important step you should take – get pre-approved. A pre-approval indicates that you have been conditionally approved [...]
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What every homeowner needs to know about Lock Bumping
According to Wikipedia Lock Bumping is: Lock bumping is a lock picking technique for opening a pin tumbler lock using a specially-crafted bump key. One bump key will work for all locks of the same type. You have changed the locks on your property, does that mean that the property will never be broken into? [...]
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The Best Mulch for Your Yard
Installing mulch in your flower beds is a great gardening habit to get into. Mulch suppresses weed growth, helps soil retain moisture and keeps soil cool in hot weather. In colder climates mulch protects plant roots from the cold and helps prevent frost-heaving, whereby plants are pushed out of the ground due to the natural [...]
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Low Appraisals Still Causing Problems in Some Deals
The real estate market is on the upswing – but are those improvements being reflected in home appraisals? When many potential buyers push the selling price of a home higher than the asking price – which isn’t unusual in neighborhoods where the demand is high – problems are arising because the appraisers are coming in [...]
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Foreclosure is a process — Not a type of Sale
A foreclosure is the process that a bank, homeowner and property go through when the homeowner is behind on the payments. Foreclosure has become the sexy word that the media has used. Bank Owned, Government Owned, Short Sale or Distressed Sale -- well those words aren't as sexy as the word Foreclosure. The media needs a sexy word to sell headlines.
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Moving with Kids in Western New York
When buying a new WNY home it is usually the adults that make all the decisions. But are we really making the best decisions for our children? Home buying can be traumatic for the kids. Just ask any child who has recently moved. If you are a WNY Buyer with kids, we think you should involve your kids in the process. It goes a long way if you ease your child's fears about moving. Some children see it as an adventure, others as the worst thing to ever happen to them.
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Home Buying Tips
And exactly why are you sitting on the fence about purchasing a Buffalo home? Before you start looking for your first home you should realize this can be a stressful endeavor that can try your patience. Knowing what you are in store for can be helpful and make the search for your home result [...]
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Social Media Rules when Buying and Selling your home
Let’s face it you are excited, you are getting ready to buy or sell a home. You have found the right REALTOR to represent you and you naturally want to start talking about it on Social Media. This is where I am going to stop you. Over the past few months, I have had instances [...]
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Refinancing your mortgage
Are you considering refinancing your mortgage – in other words, taking out a new mortgage to pay off your existing mortgage? There are some very good reasons to refinance a mortgage. Among the most popular reasons for refinancing your mortgage is to reduce your monthly payment. If rates are lower than when you originally financed [...]
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Showing Etiquette for Home Buyers
You have gotten your mortgage pre-approval, you have been looking at homes on-line and now you are ready to start to look at homes in person. There is one thing that we need to talk about; what is and is not acceptable behavior when you are in someone’s home. Remember you are a Guest! Here [...]
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Checklist to prepare your home for sale!
Are you thinking of selling your home? Here are a few things that you can do before your home is listed to get it ready to shine in this highly competitive market. It is best to get these items completed before your home is seen by potential buyers. It also sets the stage for the photography of your home for all your advertising. It also has the you getting in the habit of having your home always ready for a showing.
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Buffalo Home Safety | Changing Your Locks
In all the excitement of searching for a home, getting the sale approved, your home inspected, and all the associated excitement of getting ready to move into your new Buffalo area home. The first thing after you leave the closing you need to change the locks.
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How is your home search going?
I watch the trends and I have been here before. It is that calm before the storm. Western New York is seeing multiple offers on homes. Many homes are finally selling after long periods of no activity. There is a shortage of good listings available on the market. Interest rates are ticking upward, buyers [...]
