Author Archives: DHI

Drive in any neighborhood in the spring and summer months and you will most likely see “for sale” signs posted outside homes. This is generally not so in the fall and winter months. This is primarily because people like to move in the warmer weather and rarely around holidays unless absolutely necessary.

It is important to understand what the Real Estate market is like when you decide to buy a home. A buyer’s market means the buyer is in a better position to negotiate the price. In a seller’s market, the seller has the upper hand. There are many factors that play into what type of market it is including economy and location. In a seller’s market, homes will generally not stay for sale for very long and the price may not be negotiable. In a buyer’s market on the other hand, you may a have a large variety of homes to choose from at affordable prices.

There are many different ways to look for a new home. Some people use only one and others use a combination of two or more. The following are some of the more well used and trusted ways to find a home. An agent or broker can of course assist you with finding a home. They have search tools available to them better known as MLS or multiple listing services. They can also help with any other ways you decide how to look for a home.

This is the multiple listing service which agents and brokers have access to. When a home goes on the market and is listed with an agent information pertaining to the home, it is listed on a shared computer system know as the MLS. It often includes a picture. Agents and brokers have access to this system and will be able to find homes in areas of interest to you by using the system.

The MLS is divided up into five sections that contain information on the property such as address, listing price and number of rooms. The first section (section A) contains the most important pieces of information such as address and price. The second section (Section B) goes into the details on number of rooms, taxes, tax year, and school district. This section also has information on whether someone can take over the mortgage from the seller. The third section (Section C) has directions information and the fourth (Section D) describes the style of the home, example, cottage, colonial or ranch. Last section (Section F) has contact information on the listing agent and commission.

Much of the information in the MLS is coded or the words are abbreviated. It is good to get familiar with these codes and abbreviations. These codes and abbreviations are generally universal so you will find the same codes used everywhere you search for a home.

Some of the more common codes and abbreviations are:

• Br – Bedroom
• MBR – Master Bedroom
• BA – Bathroom
• LR – Living Room
• DR – Dining Room
• GR – Great Room
• FR – Family Room
• BSMT – Basement
• FP – Fireplace
• CA – Central Air
• FSBO – For Sale By Owner

Planned community is a little neighborhood within a community with builders building several different types of homes. You can go and see the models and pick out your upgrades. The community is generally maintained from a budget that is met by resident contributions or fees known as homeowner fees or HOA fees. These fees generally pay for landscaping and street and path maintenance.

The advantages of this type of community are that residents do not need to wait until the property tax dollars they pay actually reach the community to pay for landscaping and other things that make the community look good. Tax dollars will generally pay for infrastructure development first. With new developments springing up all over the place, tax assessments may not be carried out immediately. This is a very useful way to ensure there are dollars available to maintain the community and not let it get down trodden and reduce property values.

Some planned communities may be also gated. The homeowners association will generally be more expensive there.

All in all, there are numerous Internet resources available to you to help you investigate communities that you are considering moving or relocating to.