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Tips for Single-Female Homebuyers
This Tuesday marked International Women’s Day, celebrating the achievements of women throughout the centuries. Because of this, we’re going to take the opportunity to discuss the growing presence single-female homebuyers have made in the current real-estate market. Over the last couple of years, more and more individuals in this demographic have been purchasing homes. According to a 2014 profile on homebuyers and sellers, done by the National Association of Realtors in 2015, single-women made up 16 percent of homebuyers, whereas single-male buyers constituted for only eight percent. It’s always exciting to read news of an emerging demographic in real estate, so we’ll take this time to provide some tips for single females who are thinking of buying a home.
Seeing as you’re going to be a single-income household, you must consider your finances before beginning your home search. You have to think about how much house you can afford, as well as paying for any repairs, renovations, taxes, and utility bills. By having an understanding of your budget, you won’t have to waste time looking at homes you won’t be able to pay for. Searching for a house requires a lot of time, so you certainly don’t want to use any of it looking at homes that won’t meet your financial requirements.
When searching for a new home, you have to make sure the community is safe. Maybe look into a property that’s part of a town with a neighborhood-watch program or in a gated residential area. As you do this, drive through the neighborhoods both at day and night so you can get an idea of what the area is like at these times. When looking at different neighborhoods, check to see how residents interact. If you see they are friendly towards one another and express a strong sense of support for each other, you know you’ll have a better chance at being safe in that neighborhood because the residents are outgoing and active.
If you’re a commuter who uses public transportation, not only should you make sure your new home will have a convenient route to where you need to go, but you should also see that it’s safe. When you can, ask a friend to accompany you as you test some of the area’s transportation to get a feel for the atmosphere on the train, bus, or whatever other mode of public transportation you may take. As you exit the train, bus, etc., take note of the amount of people who leave with you. Typically, the more people who get off at your stop, the safer your destination point will be because of how many others will be around you. It’s important to have your commuting route be every bit as safe as it is convenient.
Speaking of safety, it will also benefit you to get an alarm system. Even if your neighborhood is safe, some home security will provide you with peace of mind. Security systems are a wonderful feature for any house, and some extra safety can go a long way. Given how tech-savvy homes have become over the years, such a system won’t only protect your house against intruders, but will also offer video surveillance that will keep a very close eye on your house when you’re not at home. A security system such as that sounds too good to pass up.
As you look for a home, you should also do what you can to avoid unfair treatment by professionals, so whether you’re hiring a landscaper, a contractor, a plumber, or anyone else, make sure to seek out an expert in order to have someone with the best skills possible who will offer the right price. Being a single homebuyer, you have to make sure you stay on top of everything during the process. Whenever you hire someone to work on your home, it will benefit you to ask them for the contact information of some their former clients so you can reach out to them and ask for their opinions on the person’s work.
If you like to involve yourself in do-it-yourself projects, it may also help you to increase your skills in areas such as electrical, carpentry, and plumbing, which are offered at many vocational schools and community colleges. As a first-time homebuyer, it will help to know as much as you can about how to upkeep your home in order to have it in proper working order. Despite being in a new home, there are some things you may have to fix, and having these home skills at your disposal will certainly make your transition into a new home fairly easier.
You must realize that confidence is key, and you should use that confidence when you approach the housing market. Remember, single females is a growing demographic in real estate, so this is a great time to have your voice and opinions heard as to what you like best when you search for a home. As you begin to look around, know what you want and go for it. This is an exciting part of your life as you plan to invest in a property you love, so work hard and have fun with it.
To learn more about Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty, visit their website and Facebook page, and make sure to “Like” their page. You can also follow them on Twitter.
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Tips for Renting Out Your Home
Sometimes, if people try to sell their home, they may have trouble attracting a buyer. If you’re one of these people, you’re probably wondering what you’re going to do about it. Maybe you plan on consulting a realtor to change around the marketing, or maybe you’ll choose to take your home off the market for a bit. But, have you ever thought about putting your house up for rent? If you don’t have any interested buyers at the moment, renting out your home can be the next best step. It’s worth a try, so here are some tips on how to prep your home for renters.
When trying to estimate a rental price, you have to realize the market is what establishes it. If you set the price too high, you’ll discourage potential renter from approaching you and expressing interest in the property. Determining the rental price isn’t an arduous task because all you have to do is talk with your realtor and conduct some research on the market, which will show you what prices other rental homes are asking for in your area. If you wish to find a renter in a timely fashion, it’s important to have a fair market price, not a price reflecting how much you think your home is worth. In order to have success when attracting renters, this is something you must remember.
You must also realize, as a landlord, you’re going to have many responsibilities with the property. Although you have the benefits of an occupied home warding off vandals and earning some income from the renters, there are many things you’ll have to focus on in order for your property to stay in the best condition. Maintenance is key to not only keeping your renters pleased with the property, but also to make sure your property remains in top condition for when you finally attract an interested buyer.
It’s important to walk through your home and check for any issues you may have to fix before you have any potential renters look at it. Just as if you’re getting your home ready for a buyer, you have to do the exact same thing for a renter. Check the plumbing, the heating, the electricity, and other amenities the renters will need during their rental period. If you aren’t able to sell the house, renters are the next best option, so you don’t want to drive them away with problems that should have been fixed before advertising your rental property to the public.
When you go through your home to prepare for the renters, make a list of the furnishings you would like to take for yourself and which ones you don’t mind leaving with the renters. Even if the renters are responsible people, you never know if an accident might occur with a favorite furnishing of yours that is left in the house, so if you want that piece of furniture for your new home, you should definitely take it with you before the renters move in. After you pick out the furnishings you want, hire a moving company to take what you want for your new home.
Take some time to find the best tenants. You have to make sure you rent out your property to people you know will take care of and respect your home. When you think you have found a possible tenant, your realtor will put them through a screening process and ask them to complete an application listing their name, employers, past landlords, and references. Once your agent gets in touch with the renter’s contacts, you will have a better idea of who the renter is and if you would like to approve their application. If you rent out your house to the wrong person, this be will pose a risk to your home suffering damage and will have you pulling out your hair with stress. With the hard work it comes from being a landlord, stress is something you don’t need.
If you’re having trouble selling your home, don’t fret over this bump in the road; you still have the option to rent it out. However, you have to remember there’s a considerable amount of preparation you must take to prepare for the renters to move in, just as if you were selling your home to a buyer. At least if you have people renting out your home, there will be less time the house is unoccupied. If you have a responsible individual renting out your home, you will know your home is in good hands until the right buyer comes along.
To learn more about Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty, visit their website and Facebook page, and make sure to “Like” their page. You can also follow them on Twitter.
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How to Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation
As we all know, May will be here on Friday, marking the unofficial start to the summer season. The cold weather is finally gone, pool covers will soon be taken off, and the barbecues will begin to fire up. While there are plenty of summer activities to do at home between May and August, there is still the strong desire to go on vacation. Whether you’re going to another country or just a few hours away, you should always make sure your home is properly protected from any dangers. Here are some tips on how to prepare your home against safety hazards while you’re away.
The very first thing you should do to protect your home is to have a security system installed to hinder any possible intruders. It’s only the end of April, so odds are you’re not going on vacation just yet, meaning if you still don’t have an alarm system, now might be a good time to purchase one before we get further into the summer. You don’t want to be without a security system while on vacation, and then receive a call to find out that your home has been broken into. Also, make sure that all of the doors and windows of your home are firmly shut and locked. With all of this in place, you won’t have to worry about constructing any traps styled after those of Kevin McCallister’s in “Home Alone.”
Always make sure to check that everything is turned off, be they lighting fixtures or faucets, and also unplug or turn off any appliances that shouldn’t be left on while you’re away. You don’t want to be one of those people who are on vacation and constantly ponder over whether or not they remembered to turn off the oven. With that being said, it won’t hurt to double check to make sure everything is turned off, or maybe even triple check. Although that can be a bit of a pain, it beats worrying during your time away from home.
If you have any pets that require a lot of care, you can’t have them running loose throughout your home while you’re away, and you can’t just keep them in a cage the whole time without anyone at home to watch them. So, ask a trustworthy friend or relative to take care of your pet while you’re away. You can supply this individual with an extra key to your home so they can go inside to feed your pet, take care of it, and let it get some exercise; or, if this person is really good with animals, they might even volunteer to take your pet into their own home to watch over it.
I know whenever you’re about to go on vacation, you feel overjoyed about getting away, and odds are you’ll end up telling a few of your friends where you’ll be going. That’s okay to do, but prevent yourself and the rest of your family from revealing too much information and broadcasting it all over social media for hundreds of other people to see. If you want to give a few details to some close friends and family, that’s okay, but it isn’t everyone else’s business as to where you are going and for how long you will be gone for. Instead, wait until you return home, and then you can share stories and photos with however many people you want.
While you’re away, it will also help if you stop the delivery of your newspaper and have the post office hold your mail; or, you can have a neighbor collect it all from day to day if you decide to still have it delivered. If the wrong person sees that your newspapers and mail have been piling up, they’ll know that’s a sign that you’re not home and might consider breaking in. If you have a mail slot, the pileup of mail won’t be seen, and you can just ask your neighbor to take your newspapers from the front door and put them through the slot. If you have a mailbox, the mail and newspapers will be seen if it all keeps accumulating within, so in this case, you’ll want to ask a neighbor to take in whatever comes. When you get rid of the pileup of mail, this will all help in keeping up appearances that someone is at home.
You’ll surely enjoy your getaway a lot more if you know your home is safe from any harm. Once you have an idea of when you’ll be going away, use that time to make sure that your home is thoroughly protected from any risks. When you’re done with these precautionary measures, it will be time to pack your bags because your summer travels await!
To learn more about Rand Realty, visit their website and Facebook page, and make sure to “Like” their page. You can also follow them on Twitter.
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