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Archive for the ‘Home Relocation’ Category

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Smart Stress Reducing Moving Tips

June 13th, 2008 by Matthew C. Keegan | 3 Comments | Filed in Home Buying, Home Relocation, Home Selling

Moving Day

If you’re planning to move, hopefully you are well along the way toward putting your plans in place. If not, you’ll find that the days leading up to the Big Move will be stressful ones, certain to add tension to what already is a very stressful time in your life.

On the other hand, if you’re like me, you’d much rather have your move go as smoothly as possible — without all of the aggravation that comes with scrambling to make everything happen quickly at the very last moment.

Can you get rid of stress completely? Only if you are comatose! Seriously, you can minimize the aggravation by ensuring that you develop a plan and put it place ahead of time. The following practical tips will help you do just that, IF you’re willing to put them in motion:

Get Your Moving Boxes Now — Some of the best boxes for moving are those copier paper cartons at your workplace. Sturdy and durable, they can handle most anything, are stackable, and easy to seal up. Just don’t grab them at the last moment — they go fast and often never make it to the company dumpster.

For Special Boxes Visit Your Big Box Retailer — Plenty of stores can sell you large packing boxes, but the best deals are usually found through your warehouse club or big box hardware chain. Look for special boxes for mirrors, paintings, glass, clothes, and other items. Buy in bulk; save money!

Pack What You Don’t Need Now — If you know that there are some items you definitely won’t need until after you make your move, then pack these items now. Lots of seasonal and holiday stuff can be packed and ready to go. Clear out your attic, garage, basement, or shed of all unnecessary stuff — sell off what you don’t need and pack the rest. Label everything clearly!

Get Top Notch Supplies — Besides using sturdy boxes, get packing tape and a thick black marker to label everything. Write on the top and on the sides the room where the box is to be placed. Use bubble wrap and newspapers to pad the contents.

Stuff You Need Now — As you near the moving date, set aside personal items and clothing you’ll need for the days leading up to and through the move. You’ll bring these things with you or, if you are flying to your new home, you can pack these on the date of your move and send them ahead of you via parcel post.

Stress is the part of every life change, but you can minimize its effects by planning way in advance to ensure a good move.

Further Reading

Getting Ready For Your Big Move

Home Buying 7-Step Plan, Step 6

Moving At Year End: Tips To Ease The Crunch

7 Steps For Buying Your Next Home


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Buy Now Or Wait? Timing Isn’t Everything.

May 23rd, 2008 by Matthew C. Keegan | 2 Comments | Filed in Home Buying, Home Relocation

You’ve sat out of the housing market for the past year as you wait for the market to hit bottom, though you possess the wherewithal to purchase a home purchasehome now. You are new to the real estate market and have no recollection how previous market trends panned out. One question lurks in the back of your head: should I buy now or wait?

Clearly, there is no pat answer to this sort of question, but one answer does apply: timing isn’t easy to gauge and it shouldn’t be your only consideration when buying a new home.

Some real estate advisors are telling people to wait out the current slump and only jump in when prices hit bottom. What they don’t tell you is that it is virtually impossible to predict when the bottom prices have been hit. In fact, if you wait a month or two you could find out retrospectively that the housing market already bottomed out.

A better approach would be for you to find the house you want today and go ahead and buy it. If you have the funds available for a down payment and you are eligible for a mortgage, then negotiate your best deal for the home and jump in. It is still a buyer’s market, so negotiate a price to your advantage.

Another reason to purchase now are the low interest rates on mortgages, currently averaging 5.76% on a 30-year fixed rate loan. That figure is expected to rise, perhaps to as high as 7% in 2009. Take advantage of an attractive interest rate now to save hundreds on your mortgage payment.

Finally, when searching for a home always remember that location trumps everything else. Accessibility to stores, medical help, culture/arts, and schools are very important points to consider when buying a home. Good schools especially are prized since those markets are where buyers will pay a premium to live according to CNN/Money.

Resources

Home Purchase Loans

Smart Money Tips


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Internet Real Estate Sources Worth Using

May 22nd, 2008 by Matthew C. Keegan | 1 Comment | Filed in Home Buying, Home Relocation, Home Selling

If you are planning to buy or sell your home, having as much information available to you is essential if you want to get the best price for your home. Buyers don’t want to overpay and seller’s want to make sure that they are receiving fair market for their homes. Real estate comparables (comps) can help both parties out, but for some people they just don’t go far enough.

real estateThese days consumers have much more information at their finger tips thanks to the internet. Much of this information is free, but not all of it is accurate. Yet, consumers continue to do their research online before buying or selling a home. Read on and we’ll take a look at several sites which could make the difference for you.

Realtor.com — As the largest site listing homes for sale online, you can get a strong feel for local housing prices by researching available listings. Run by the National Association of Realtors, therefore not all “For Sale By Owner” offerings make the list. Visit FSBO.com to find homes being offered directly by their owners.

Realtor Networks — Though most of their listings eventually get on the Realtor.com site, for the most up-to-date information visit the national network sites for Coldwell Banker, ERA, ReMax, and others for listings. Strong, regional networks can also be quite good, but never forget your mom ‘n pop real estate broker — oftentimes, there personalized service trumps all and their listings are exclusive to them.

Zillow.com — Exactly how much is your home worth? With Zillow, they try to give you that information and they do it for free. Not always accurate, Zillow does best with homes of medium value and in neighborhoods where home buying and selling occurs on a regular basis. Other sites with home valuation information include HomeGain.com and RealEstateABC.com.

SayLending.com — Okay, we’re a bit prejudiced. SayLending and SayEducate are part of the same network. Still, if you are looking for free mortgage calculators, money tips, and other real estate information, then a stop here can certainly help you out.

What could be the biggest advantage to using online sources? Saving money on your real estate commissions. Expect that online home valuations and home buying/selling to continue to grow, making the real estate agent’s 6% fee a thing of the past.


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Getting Ready For Your Big Move

April 23rd, 2008 by Matthew C. Keegan | 2 Comments | Filed in Home Buying, Home Relocation, Home Selling

home moving

If you are planning to move, then you understand that you have a big task in front of you. If you are moving from one house to another house, you’ll need to arrange for moving services and prepare well in advance to ensure that your move goes off as smoothly as possible. Making any kind of move is stressful; moving when you aren’t prepared is downright nerve racking!

There are four stages to prepare for a successful move and we’ve provided some details which can help take the pressure off of you:

3-4 Months Prior To Your Moving Date — Certainly, if you need to move quickly, you can. However, if you need to sell one house and purchase another one, then allowing several months to accomplish this task is the best approach. Use this time to search for your new abode, checking out neighborhoods, and estimating/budgeting your moving costs.

Up To 2 Months Before You Move — Select your moving options (moving company, U-Haul, moving pods, etc.) and set up the moving date. Inventory everything to be moved, sell off or donate unneeded items, and arrange for storage, if needed. At this point your housing arrangements on the other end should be done.

About 1 Month Before Moving — Complete the change of address forms for magazines and other subscriptions, notify your utilities (gas, electric, phone, internet, cable, cell phone, etc.) of your pending move, and obtain copies of your financial, dental, medical, and pet records. If you are moving far and will need to fly to your new home, then make your airline reservations at least 21 days in advance for the best prices.

Around The Moving Date — The time around your moving date will be when you are the busiest, therefore having the other steps completed will reduce your stress. However, stress will come! Make sure that your personal vehicles are ready to move (oil change, tune up, coolant, etc.) and that you have adequate room at your home for the moving van to pick up and transport your belongings. Settle all of your outstanding bills with local merchants and be prepared to leave your home as soon as the movers have completed their work.  Travel to your new home, unpack, and enjoy!

Of course if you are moving to college or moving internationally, the steps you take will be quite different, so please adjust accordingly. Finally, for your free moving guides, please visit SayRelocate to obtain the information you need to help you prepare for an important transition. Have a safe move!


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