Home Buying Blogs – Cochrane

Home buying advice for Cochrane, Alberta residents by Justin Havre & Associates.

Found 20 blog entries about Home Buying Blogs – Cochrane.

What You Need to Know About Closing Costs for a Home PurchaseBefore a home purchase can be complete, closing costs will be paid. Closing costs can amount to quite a bit of money, and can sneak up on buyers who aren't prepared. Altogether, closing costs may cost as much as 3 or 4% of the sale price of the home. For this reason, it's important to know what closing costs are and when they are due.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed mortgage professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

What You Need To Know About Closing Costs

Closing costs are the administrative fees associated with the sale of a home. Many different entities will charge a fee at the time a home sells, and these fees can vary from one place to another and from one home sale to another.

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Everything You Need to Know About Choosing a Real Estate ProfessionalA buyer's real estate agent is their greatest ally during the search for a new home. A good real estate professional will provide critical advice during the negotiation process while also helping the home buyer to narrow their search and stay focused on properties that provide the best value. Without a good real estate agent, the home buyer may find the buying experience to be overwhelming and also challenging. It's difficult to find success in home buying when no one is there to help.

Clearly then, there is a real need to find a real estate agent who is capable and knowledgeable about market fluctuations. Finding the right real estate professional isn't always easy. These tips can help home buyers find the right real estate professional for

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Home Buying Tips to Help You Succeed in a Competitive MarketIt can be intimidating for home buyers to face a competitive local housing market. They know going into their home search that they will be up against steep competition. The listings that are available are not going to last for more than a day or two, and they will almost always be competing against other buyers in multi-offer situations. There are challenges to buying a home in a competitive market, but it is certainly not impossible.

These tips can help buyers navigate the market conditions and ultimately purchase the property that they have been dreaming about.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Seek Preapproval Prior to Seeing

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Considering Condo Ownership? Explore the Pros and Cons of CondosBuying a condo can provide the ideal housing opportunity for certain families while others simply cannot imagine investing anything other than a single-dwelling home. However, condo ownership can—and does—have its privileges. And as with all things good, there are a few aspects of the condominium lifestyle that won't appeal to all buyers. For potential Canadian home buyers still weighing the pros and cons of condos, here are a few top considerations.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed mortgage professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Enjoy a Low Maintenance Lifestyle… But at a Cost

The fact that most of the exterior and common area maintenance is handled by a Homeowner's Association

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Home inspectors are looking for a variety of structural flaws of a home, but that doesn't mean they know everything. Learn more about how inspections work.

What to Know Before Hiring a Home InspectorA home inspector can find potential safety hazards in a home, such as black mold in a bathroom or frayed electrical wiring in the wall. However, inspectors may still miss important elements due to the restrictions of the inspection. For a home buyer to really understand the report the inspector fills out, buyers should keep in mind the following tips when hiring a local professional to look at the home they plan to buy.

The Exterior Elements

Home inspectors typically start by assessing the outside components, such as the roof and the walls. They're trained to spot sagging lines that may not

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Vacation Home Information About Taxes and MortgagesThere are significant differences between buying a vacation home and buying a primary residence. For homeowners who want to buy a vacation home, it's important to understand these differences. Knowing what to expect can help the home buyer prepare for the experience.

What You Need to Know About Taxes

Taxes become expensive for people who own vacation homes when they try to sell the property to someone else. Selling the vacation property to another person results in capital gains tax for the seller. Generally, vacation homeowners who sell their property are taxed on the difference between the amount that is received and the tax cost of the property.

Making improvements and additions to the vacation home can help with this, however.

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Home Construction: What You Need to KnowWhile many buyers choose to purchase pre-existing properties, some turn to home construction when looking for a new home. Building a home is much different from buying a home that's already standing. People who are new to the process can use these tips to get started.

Think of Your Future

Before starting the process of building or designing a home, buyers must think of their future and what it holds. Small growing families need space. Home buyers who want to age in place must think of safety and convenience. Hobbies and favorite activities may also be factors to consider when designing a home. To get started, a home buyer can make a list of priorities, and from this list, the buyer can determine what are the "must haves" and "nice to haves."

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What Home Buyers and Sellers Ned to Know About Home ContingenciesAre you looking to sell a home and do you need to include home sale contingency clauses in a contract? There are benefits and drawbacks to such contingencies but they do offer a legal way for contracted parties to meet specific actions or terminate a contract. How may home sale contingency clauses impact the selling or buying of a home?

What Is a Home Sale Contingency Clause?

A contingency clause may often be found within either an offer to purchase a property or a real estate sales contract. The transaction is binding if the home sale contingency clause is met. If the clause is not met or not met within the time frame specified, the buyer or seller may back out of the contract without a penalty. There are often specific terms or a timeframe

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What Is LMI? For large portion of people looking to buy a home, obtaining a mortgage loan is an essential part of the process. It may come to a surprise to some that in addition to making mortgage payments, it may be necessary to pay a lender an additional monthly fee. LMI is an obligation for many homeowners and one may need to account for this additional expense when becoming a homeowner. Approved home mortgage applicants making a small down payment need to know more about LMI and how it will affect them.

What Is LMI?

LMI, or "lenders mortgage insurance", is a style of insurance offered to mortgage lenders in order to secure the home loan from default. This insurance is paid out to the trustee or lender and in some instances is required upon being

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What to Know About Home WarrantiesBuying a home comes with a lot of choices; which type of home works best, which neighbourhood offers the most benefits? Homeowners also have to choose whether they may want to protect themselves when purchasing a new home. This form of protection comes in the shape of home warranties. These warranties generally covers the structural integrity of the home and is a different type of protection than what is offered through a home insurance policy.

Overview of Home Warranties

Home warranty requirements vary by province. Home warranty programs include mono-provincial warranty programs, single New Home Warranty Programs and third-party warranties. Builders must be a part of a Warranty Program to receive mortgage insurance on loans considered to be

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