Buyers RSS Feed

Whether you're looking to buy a home or want to see how this whole thing works—this blog has it all! Take a look at our Buyer related articles and give us your feedback!

Found 71 blog entries about Buyers.

Mortgage rates have been on the rise since around August of last year.

Rates, which on a 30-year fixed mortgage were at an all-time low of around 3.25% last year, are now not expected to go lower than the 4% mark anytime soon. This seemingly small hike can add hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars to a home buyer’s yearly payments. 

For example, for a $200,000 house at the rate of 3.25%, your monthly mortgage payment would be $870.41. For the same house at the current rate of 4.25%, the monthly payment would be $983.88. Over the course of a 30-year loan, that extra bit a month adds up to $40,000.

"Experts in the field expect that mortgage rates will remain at this plateau for now or will rise in the near future," says Christina Lane, senior mortgage…

989 Views, 0 Comments

 

Kitchen remodels are known for being really expensive…but they’re also one of the biggest opportunities for return on investment in remodeling a home. You can easily transform your kitchen, no matter how small your budget may be!

> $100

Add pops of color.

Notice one thing in common for most dream kitchens? They’re all light and bright and airy. We gravitate toward things that feel bright, and if you can’t afford to add windows in your kitchen…the best way to bring that light in is by adding colorful accessories. Paint an accent wall. Add a bold window treatment. Paint the inside of an open cabinet with a fun color. Choose colorful cookware. Add color with your own kitchen herb garden. Whichever way you go, this is an easy way to add color…

912 Views, 0 Comments

Trying to decide what type of home to buy can be daunting for a new home buyer, particularly when you don’t know what your life might look like a few years down the road. Let us help you narrow down the potential possibilities by looking at the advantages and disadvantages of all the options. 

Townhouse

What makes a townhouse a townhouse? First off, a townhouse is attached, sharing at least one common wall with another, similar-designed home. And, living up to their name, townhouses are usually clustered in core areas within a city, directly within all of the hustle and bustle. Because of their close proximity to downtown, they generally have less yard and square footage than detached single-family homes. This can be a bad thing for some, but…

5,745 Views, 0 Comments

Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or have gone through the process before, taking the leap into buying a home can be a nerve-wracking experience. But the good news is—it doesn’t have to be! There will always be some aspects of the home buying process that are out of your control, but there are ways to minimize the stress involved! Check out our tips for a less bumpy home buying road: 

1. Know what you want (before you look) 

When you’re already out seeing homes with your agent, it isn’t the time to be deciding how many bedrooms you want, the type of floor plan you need or the area in which you want to live. There are so many things you can narrow down before you ever see your first house, which will save you time and stress in the long run.…

1,131 Views, 0 Comments

If you have a smartphone, you're never too far away from endless opportunities for home improvement help from design inspiration to household management to finally executing a remodel. Check our top 6 picks for helpful home apps: 

Magic Plan

Cost: Free for basic app, upgrades available at a cost
More Info: floorplanner.com/magicplan

Having a hard time visualizing things? We get you. The Magic Plan app gathers gather visual data to create an indoor map. Take photos of the indoor space at the floor level from corner to corner and choose from more than 400 objects, including fixtures, appliances and electrical to complete your floor plan. You can also share the map with other users and save it to the cloud.

iFixit

Cost: Free
More Info:

1,068 Views, 0 Comments

If you’ve recently purchased a home or are looking into becoming a homeowner, the subject of home warranties has probably come up in your research. But what’s the point of them? Do you really need one? Let us help you decide with our answers to these frequently asked home warranty questions. 

What is a home warranty?

A home warranty is a service contract in which a company agrees to pay for fixing or replacing home systems and appliances.

What does a home warranty cover?

Depending on which plan you choose, you can have either a little or a lot of coverage on your home appliances and systems. Basic plans typically include coverage for kitchen appliances, water heaters, plumbing, electrical, heating systems, etc. There are additional options…

890 Views, 0 Comments

You’re building your dream home! Or at least buying one that is customizable to make your dreams a reality. You might think you know what to expect, but there are several common mistakes people make when looking to buy new construction. 

Mistake #1: Not using a realtor

There’s a sales agent on site at the new construction, so you don’t need a realtor of your own, right? Not so much. Consider whose side the sales agent is on. When you’re buying a home, you want someone to advocate for you and your needs. If the seller’s agent is working for the neighborhood, they have the developer’s best interests in mind—not yours. Choose a realtor who will work for you to negotiate the terms of the sale and advocate for you.

Mistake #2: Not asking what’s…

1,113 Views, 0 Comments

Nathan Torgerson of The Torgerson Team at Keller Williams Realty was named one of America’s most productive sales associates as a part of REAL Trends America’s Best Real Estate Agents, the newly issued ranking report produced by REAL Trends and sponsored by Zillow Group.

He is now a member of the “America’s Best Real Estate Agents,” and ranked number 68 for the state of Tennessee. Torgerson is one of only eight Chattanooga realtors to receive this recognition.

“I am honored to be named on this ranking of the country’s top residential real estate agents,” says Nathan Torgerson. “It represents the time and effort that we put into each client that we serve and how much work it takes to build a successful real estate career.” REAL Trends America’s…

1,369 Views, 0 Comments

Your offer might have been accepted, but don’t clink your champagne glasses just yet! It’s exciting to become a home owner, but every house will have it’s issues. 

The prospect may seem daunting at first, but a home inspection is a necessary evil to make sure you know all of the home’s problems up front. You may even be able to negotiate that the seller cover the cost of some of the repairs. 

Here’s everything you need to know about home inspections:

  1. Here’s what home inspectors cover:

A home inspector will look through a house with a fine-toothed comb to point out any issues there might be. Some of the things they check include:

  • Indoor electrical systems
  • Heating and cooling systems
  • Leaky plumbing
  • Structural…
831 Views, 0 Comments

Taking the leap from renting to buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions a person can make. But did you know than a monthly mortgage payment can often be cheaper than paying rent? 

According to a study done last year by trulia.com, buying a home is 23% cheaper than renting nationwide. To put that into perspective, consider that as of May 2016 the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Chattanooga is $792 and a two-bedroom comes in at an average of $965, according to rentjungle.com. This is a pretty hefty sum of money to be putting toward something that won’t be an investment for you in the long run.

With mortgage rates at an incredible low and rental prices only getting higher, there is no better time than now to purchase…

926 Views, 0 Comments