This is a great advice for preparing to make a home purchase after the new year.  Or, if you are planning to refinance don't put too much on those credit cards!  I especially love the last section regarding finding a good Realtor.  The GURLEY Team is here for you.  Please call us if you are planning to purchase a home here or out of state. We can help!!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE. BUYER LISTEN UP We are getting ready to enter a new year.  No looking back, just straight ahead.  It is time to focus and prepare for the purchase of that new home.  Here are a few tips for making a positive splash into the joy of home ownership. Put the brakes on the Christmas spending.  Hold on to your cash; don’t run up those credit cards.  Start a Home savings account just for the down payment and closing costs.  A good rule of thumb would be to have 6.5% to 7% of the sales price saved.  FHA allows for seller contributions, but you still need to be prepared.    Get a fresh credit report, one from each reporting agency. Equifax, Experian and Transunion.  A good place to go Annual Credit Report.  Review the detailed reports for accuracy.  (Late payments come off after 7 years, Bankruptcy after 10)  Be aggressive in your pursuit of correcting errors and the removal of items that should have fallen off. Find yourself a good Mortgage Broker.  Someone you trust, get a referral from family or friends, research on line.  Once you find this person gather all your credit reports, W-2s, and any other documents you may need.  Set an appointment and get a review of your credit and ability to buy. This is the time where you will find out the price range you can purchase in, and get a “Pre-Approval Letter.”  If you have some credit to repair, your Broker can give you some direction. Now is the fun part…. Start driving neighborhood(s) where you think you may like to buy.  Research these areas on line, talk to the neighbors, drive the areas at different times of the day. Locate a REALTOR® or agent.  Visit (Interview) several and decide which one you feel most comfortable with. This is a very important step in the buying process; get someone that you ‘mesh’ with. This person has your best interest in mind and is going to become a very close confidant to you. SO stick with this agent!!!                                                                  Employee this person to work for you~ BE FAITHFUL!!!                 

It's easy to see in this blog below how incredibly helpful staging homes can be in getting a home sold quicker and usually for a higher price!  I love the side by side photos to really show what a difference furniture and nice decorating can do for a home! This house in Redding, CT was occupied, but un-staged, in the very beginning when it was put on the market. Therefore, the online photos showed the house furnished. I have to say it looked quite spacious online. Shortly thereafter the home sellers moved out and the house was now vacant. After the house had not sold for quite some time, the real estate agent suggested to the home sellers to have it staged. When I came to the house and saw the empty house, it looked small. How would home buyers be able to see fitting their furniture in here? I am sure this was the reason why this property had not sold after 101 days yet. After we had it staged, it again looked very spacious, warm and welcoming. This proves how deceiving vacant rooms are as there is no point of reference in the room. After the house was staged, it SOLD within 32 days! This example shows again, how important it is to have a vacant house staged if the goal is to sell fast and at the top dollar. After all, home buyers buy homes not houses.         and then this small room, which nobody could even imagine to be able to fit a bed. We staged it with a bed and a dresser and there was still enough space for a kid playing in this room and a small desk.   Birgit Anich Home Stager & Redesigner   I   HSR, RESA-PRO, RESA, ASHSR - Fairfield County CT Chapter President Fairfield county, CT   I    www.redesignyourspace.com   I Click here to join the new REALTORS & HOME STAGERS INFORMATION EXCHANGE group

This is an excellent blog by a fellow Realtor.  As a homeowner now and/or in the future it's important to understand the "potential" appreciation your home can have.  GREAT BLOG!I’m still surprised by the number of people who believe that home values will magically return to those of 5 years ago; and if you are one of those looking to recoup your home’s lost value, it’s not happening—ever.  How can I be so certain?  It’s pretty easy once you look at the facts. Home values have historically appreciated at a rate near the rate of inflation—once you adjust for the differences in size and discount for geographic anomalies.  However, that trend changed when we began the recovery from the “tech-bubble” of the last decade.  As the Fed encouraged easy credit (an understatement) and the mortgage industry discovered they could package and market sub-prime loans at premium prices, we saw a housing boom unlike any we’ve ever experienced.  Driven by increased demand, home prices skyrocketed, rising 10% or more per year in some of the hottest areas. And now that prices have fallen by 30% or more (60% in the worst areas), owners want to know when they’ll recoup the value lost during the crash.  Many, nearing retirement, had viewed their accumulated equity as a cushion to supplement their retirement income; others saw it as a fast track to “easy street,” and have already spent their “windfall.”  However, all want to know when values are coming back, but unfortunately they are not—not next year or the year after—not ever. To understand why I would say “not ever,” we must look at what drives home prices up.  It’s not that homes somehow become more valuable over time or that ownership rates historically trend upwards.  Disregarding the growth in the average home’s size over the past few decades and ignoring the geographic appeal of a few specific areas, home prices have increased because of inflation.  As the dollar became worth less—some would say worthless—it was necessary for home prices, along with the prices of other goods and services to follow.  When we look at the trend-line for home prices over the past fifty years, it has closely followed the rate of inflation. What that means is that home prices WILL increase in the future, but the majority of that increase will be consumed by the corresponding increase in the rate of inflation.  If we sell that home, those dollars received will have less value than those of today—given the likelihood that the U.S. will continue to experience some degree of inflation. The home prices experienced during the housing bubble we’re artificially high—the GRAPH below from Calculated Risk demonstrates just how far out of line they were—and their fall was to be expected.  The bubble prices were not based in an inherent increase in a home’s value, but were artificially driven by forces not directly related to housing; and, barring a direct attempt by the government to create another bubble, they cannot return. What we’re left with is the natural progression of housing following inflation.  Home prices will not equal those of the bubble for many years unless we experience—as some have predicted—a significant increase in the rate of inflation.  But once again, such an increase will serve only to compensate for a loss in the value of the dollar; it cannot return the losses suffered following the crash, for those dollars have been lost forever. A “recovery” in housing won’t feel like recovery at all.  The best we can hope for is stabilization and a return to the natural trend of home prices following the rate of inflation.  To anticipate a sudden and dramatic upwards movement is only wishful thinking, and it is wishing for a return to the very conditions that caused the collapse. The Housing Guru: The expert source for all your housing questions—now featuring daily updates of Today’s Housing News      

This is a great blog.  It's simple and exactly what you need to know if you are planning to refinance or apply for a mortgage in the next few months.  Taking these steps will help ensure a smoother application process. HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Tips for Applying for a Mortgage How To Apply In recent years the loan application process has been greatly simplified, however proper information from borrowers is still required. Most lenders today are looking for fully-documented loan applications. This may sound intimidating, however it’s not a big deal. Just take these steps: At least three months BEFORE you finance or refinance real estate get a copy of your credit report. The reason to do this is to check and see if there’s any information on your credit report which is factually incorrect or out-of-date (most negative items can stay on a credit report for seven years, 10 years for a bankruptcy). If you start looking at your credit report three months ahead you should have some time to correct errors. You can get a free credit report with no strings attached by going to AnnualCreditReport.com. Get your paperwork in order. Have in hand your last three pay stubs, your last three tax returns, and statements for all savings and checking account, mutual funds, retirement accounts, credit cards, student loans, car loans, etc. Make a file and stick the paperwork in it. You want to show ALL income and you must show ALL debts. When in doubt add it to the file. Ask some questions: Do you expect to receive “bonus” income now or in the future? Do you expect to receive “overtime” income now or in the future Will “other” income in addition to your salary continue at current levels? If you own your home and use it as a prime residence, what’s the estimated fair market value? What’s the value of all financing now secured by your current home if you’re refinancing? Treasure Coast Florida Real Estate presented by Gabe Sanders and Susan Maxwell Post courtesy of Kim Davis and Claudine Porikos, Group One Mortgage

CHARMING 3 BEDROOM, 2 1/2 BATHS ON AN UNFINISHED BASEMENT WITH MORE THAN 3/4 ACRE LOT!  GORGEOUS WRAP-AROUND PORCH, MASTER ON THE MAIN, OVERSIZED BEDROOMS AND BATHS, SUN ROOM, BACK DECK, WALKING TRAILS AND MOMENTS AWAY FROM LAKE LANIER. CALL THE GURLEY TEAM FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS VERY SPECIAL HOME!! 770-596-5965

The GURLEY Team just listed a fabulous townhome in Collinswood Park.  It is move in ready or perfect for an investor looking to rent it.  All appliances stay, including the kitchen refrigerator, washer/dryer and stainless grill! This is a unique floor plan, offering architectural features not seen in many of the units.  Arched door ways, wainescoting, dark stained hardwoods, high gloss black accent trim, large kitchen with oversized center island, and private backyard views to the creek and woods, make this home very special! This is a short sale pending bank approval.  But, it will be worth the extra wait! Collinswood Park is a gated community located near I85 in Gwinnett.  Centrally located for almost any commute.  Restaurants and shopping of all sorts are nearby. Please call the GURLEY Team for more information, 770-596-5965.