This Month in Real Estate

We thought you would want to see the latest in a series of news reports on real estate trends. It’s called “This Month in Real Estate.” We understand how hard it is to escape the national media’s dire predictions for home buyers and sellers in today’s market. But there’s another side to the real estate story: this market offers amazing opportunities for buying and selling real estate right now — in your area! We’re not missing those opportunities, because we’re in the market every day, working for our clients to make the most of this market. And we can’t wait to do the same for you!

November 2009www.youtube.com/watch

October 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Oq3bdOA2J8

September 2009www.youtube.com/watch

August 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O-UFD5q-HI

July 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_-yXOLd1Xk

June 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lnrH0WhCNo

May 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyql9Q5fzII

April 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xunqXonuQbc

March 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA4zE2vUK-U&feature=player_embedded

Feb 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI1pp51JvrI

Jan 2009http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Dh3rZTEyg

Tips to improve your credit

1. Review your current credit report for accuracy. Everyone is entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus-Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Get a copy of your credit report and look at it for accuracy. First, make sure that the information in your file is about you and only you, not someone who has a similar name or a similar Social Security number. It is very common for your credit reports to have mistakes or incorrect information. At a minimum, make sure that the information you are being evaluated on is current and correct.

2. Repair credit report mistakes. If you find something on your credit report that is incorrect or missing, you should dispute the mistake by contacting the credit bureaus directly. All credit bureaus have their dispute procedures on their website. They are also required by law to investigate any disputed items and these investigations will usually be done within 30 days of your request.

3. Pay your bills on time. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Payment history accounts for roughly 35% of your credit score. Paying bills on time is the most important thing to do. If you’re struggling to catch up, contact your creditors to work out a payment schedule.

4. Increase the length of your credit history. This accounts for about 15% of your score. Don’t cancel your old card or get a lot of new ones in a short time span because this can hurt your score.

5. Keep credit card balances low. It’s a good idea to keep the balances below 25% of your available credit. Even if you pay off your credit cards every month, a high average balance will impact your score. This accounts for about 30% of your credit score.

6. Keep new credit requests to a minimum. This accounts for 10% of your score. Every time a lender runs your credit, an inquiry is recorded. If you are trying to get a loan, don’t apply for new credit cards first.

7. Be aware that paying off a collection account will not remove it from your credit report. It will stay on your report for seven years.

8. Pay off debt rather than moving it around. The most effective way to improve your credit score in this area is by paying down your revolving credit. In fact, owing the same amount but having fewer open accounts may lower your score.

9. Beware credit-repair scams. By all means, don’t pay someone to wipe away the negative items in your file. If they don’t follow through, the damaging items will reappear in two or three months.

Do you know the market value of your home ?

In today's economy it is important to know the market value of your home and this is a question we get almost every week. Many of us would like to believe that we know what our home is "worth" and many potential sellers know what they want to sell their home for, but in most cases the perception of what a home is worth to the seller is not reality with today's market. Investing in real estate is still a solid long term investment strategy, however, owners need accurate and reliable information at their fingertips to really understand and weather today's market conditions. There are a number of outstanding websites that are free to people to go and receive this type of information. Information truly is power so utilize these tools that are right at your fingertips. If you have questions with any of this information or you are having trouble accessing these websites please give us a call and let us help you better understand the value of your home and the value of homes on the market or feel free to use our free link below.
Free Home Value Market Research

Consider Refinancing

With the interest rates of late being so low we had been discussing refinancing our home. After doing some checking and getting various quotes on interest rates we decided this was something we needed to explore. After finding one of the lowest rates around we worked with a lender to get a good faith estimate and much to our surprise we decided that refinancing would save us a tremendous amount of money each month and over the course of the loan. Refinancing may not be an option for everyone, but it certainly is something that everyone should consider. There are a lot of first time home buyers feverishly trying to take advantage of the $8000 tax credit that will soon end so we are seeing financial institutions offering some awesome rates to another group of folks who are looking to refinance. Even if you refinanced just 2 years ago a couple of phone calls may be worth several hundreds of dollars in savings per month. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain so check it out today and see if refinancing is right for you!

Baby Boomers

More and more adults are discovering the benefits of active lifestyles. Go to any park, fitness center, tennis facilty and so forth and you will see more baby boomers than ever adopting more healthy and active lifestyles. Today more than ever many homeowners are looking for ways to downsize the size of their home without sacrificing the quality and amenities they expect. Many builders are recognizing the desires of active adults and as a result low maintenance, quality throughout and custom feature neighborhoods are popping up more and more. The options are incredible and there are more features than ever to meet the demands of this group of adults as they enter a new phase in their lives. Wonderful communities featuring incredible homes which are smaller in size and require less maintenance for upkeeping are becoming more and more popular. People want to enjoy their free time enjoying many active lifestyles instead of feeling that the weekends were meant for cleaning house and doing yard work. We would love to help you transition to this type of lifestyle so give The Guilliams Team a call and let us introduce you to the number of options available to homeowners today.

How to improve your credit scores

Life events can effect our credit drastically. We run into people everyday who had great credit at one time but now they find themselves in a situation where they cannot qualify for a home loan.
It does not take very long and a great credit score can go down quite quickly. Sometimes it is a job lay off (there are almost 7 million Americans drawing unemployment checks right now), an accident or an illness. These things many times come upon us without warning.
Many times people find themselves unprepared for these emegencies. The bills keep coming due every month and the income has been drastically reduced. Before long they start to fall behind and new lates begin to show up on their credit reports. We have seen one new late drop a credit score 100 ponts while the average is probably more like 30 to 40 points. The rest of the bad news is that it will effect their credit scores for at least two years.
Whether unexpected life events have lowered your scores or just bad past credit decisions there is a way back to healthy scores again. There are certain prinicipals, if followed, that will cause your scores to climb fairly rapidly. You can rebuild your credit file so that it will be healthy, assuring you of a much better interest rate.
If you would like to know how you can improve your current credit situation contact us at The Guilliams Team or at Credit Restoration Advice.

Empty Nesters

Not too long ago when you talked about empty-nesters the impression was one of older individuals who slow down and don't have much going on. Today when you say empty-nesters you talk about folks who have an active lifestyle, can set their own schedule and the kids are finally out of the house (until of course someone returns home). Folks are living longer and staying active and even though they become "senior" in years there is really no senior in their living habits. Empty-nesters tend to get involved in activities and social groups that they never had time for when working and raising families. Now empty-nesters can set their own schedules and participate in activities on their own time. They can truly enjoy living the lifestyle they have often dreamed of whether that means taking up golf, playing in a bridge club, joining a gardening club, taking in the theater on a Tuesday night and the list goes on and on. Part of the lifestyle that empty-nesters look for in today's market is one that offers comfortable and even luxurious living without all the demands of a yard and outside maintenance. Popular concepts emerging today including luxury type patio homes where homeowners pay a monthly fee which covers the outside maintenance of their home including lawn care, landscaping, paint, shingles and so forth. Having such a large part of home maintenance taken care of by other means allows many empty-nesters who are homeowners to enjoy the activities they want to participate in without feeling guilty of all the chores of maintaining a home. After years of working hard folks deserve "luxury" living which includes being an empty nester and enjoy spending the time the way you want to spend your time.Enjoy life and let The Guilliams Team show you how to transition to the lifestyle you deserve today. Being an empty-nester is great so let the living begin!

Shop your Mortgage

Seems today that the whole world is on sale. Use this to your advantage particularly if you are shopping for a mortgage. Banks and lending companies are working hard for your business and there are many incentives that are being offered that consumers need to research, understand and seek out. On the market today there are a tremendous number of incentives that continue to pop up each day for first time home buyers plus with the $8000 tax credit there are few downsides in making your first home purchase. It is not uncommon for financial institutions to offer special incentives for educators and many financial institutions are offering special programs in an effort to get consumers to invest in real estate. Even if you have been with a financial institution or particular lender for your previous transactions be sure to protect yourself and compare a number of lenders in order to find the right program or incentive package best suited to meet your needs. If we can help recommend so competitive banks and mortgage brokers to assist you with your transactions please give us a call today and let us help.
Check out our site at Tega Cay Home Values for more information

Could it be your time to buy?

If you think you are ready to become a homeowner ask yourself the following questions.
1. Have you researched the market? Knowing what homes are selling for in the area can help you determine how much you should plan to spend.
2. Do you have sufficient savings to cover down payment and closing costs? Expect to have 3% - 20% of the sale price in the bank to cover your down payment, plus another 2% - 7% to cover closing costs.
3. Do you know how much home you can afford? A mortgage payment should not exceed 25% of yur gross monthly earnings. A home that sucks up more than a quarter of your income may lead to financial difficulties.
4. Is your credit report accurate? Inaccuracies on a credit report can cost you higher interest rates. Request your credit report from all three nationwide credit bureaus and report mistakes immediately.
If you answered yes to all these questions - you're ready to consider buying! Let The Guilliams Team help you find your dream home today!

First Time Home Buyers Credits .soon to be over

Now more than ever is the perfect time for first time home buyers to seriously consider real estate as an investment. Interest rates are at incredible lows and with the $8000.00 tax credit program you will never have a better opportunty .If you have been renting and are in a position to make your first home purchase it may be one of the most sound investments you will ever make. To assist you with understanding some of the programs available check out the attached link and if you would like to speak to knowledgeable real estate professionals who can help answer your questions contact The Guilliams Team today.
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=118806965336&h=MiMng&u=DesZ9&ref=mf

Realistic Expectations

It is definitely a buyer's market, but if you don't have realistic expectations as either a buyer or a seller this can be a disappointing time. Due to the current state of the economy homes are selling for as a high a price as they may have a couple of years ago. Having said that, if you are selling and buying you need to remember that even though the house may not sell for the price you are hoping you can recoup on the buyer side of the transaction and end up purchasing more house than possible a couple of years ago. Be realistic with your expectations and take the emotion out of the deal. Understand the market in your area and understand that the goal is to offer fair deals to buyers and sellers. Many people trying to sell their home will believe their home is worth a certain amount without performing due diligence to determine the true value of the home. This is where a realtor can be an excellent resource in gathering comparable information for one to consider as well as helping to determine the right price for the transaction. If you are considering selling your home or buying a property give us a call and let us help insure you are getting the best value.
For more information contact The Guilliams Team