High quality South Portland Maine realtor tips in 2024 with Chelsea Crawford: Portland sits on the edge of Casco Bay, home of the lovely Calendar Islands. Officially named the Casco Bay Islands, the nickname was bestowed as a result of their numbers – it has been said that there are so many islands here that you could visit a new one each day for a year. Although this is not quite true, there are plenty of both large and small islands to explore. Several companies provide sightseeing tours to and around the islands, and there is a regular ferry service to Great Diamond Island, Peak’s Island, Chebeague Island, Long Island, and Cliff Island. Great Diamond Island is home to the former Fort Mckinley, and Long Island is known for its numerous nature trails and peaceful beaches. Other island activities include golf on Chebeague Island and bicycling on many of the smaller, less populated locations on Cliff island. Read additional info at https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Chelsea-Crawford/5788927232.
Here are a couple real estate advices: There are other loan programs that can make sense too, such as the 5/1 ARM, which often get swept under the rug. Make the choice yourself. If you’ve done your homework and are in good financial shape, you should be able to get your hands on a very low mortgage rate in 2024. In fact, mortgage interest rates are historically amazing at the moment and could even reach new depths depending on what transpires this year. Once again, the 2024 mortgage rate forecast looks excellent, so they may stay put for awhile longer or even hit new all-time lows. In terms of financing, it’s still a great time to buy a home. Consider that the silver lining to an otherwise pricey and competitive housing market. Of course, with home prices creeping higher and higher, even a low interest rate may not be enough to offset that growing monthly payment. So always make time to shop to ensure you get the best rate and the lowest fees, even if financing is on sale.
You want to be able to distinguish your house from other homes for sale on the market and one way to do so is to throw in a few freebies. This can be done by leaving behind some of your personal property that is valued above and beyond what the average home buyer in your home’s price range would typically not be able to afford. These items can range from a big screen smart TV to high-quality stainless steel kitchen appliances. If you live near a lake or a golf course, you may want to throw in a fishing motorboat or a golf cart.
Chelsea Crawford South Portland Maine hot real estate market opportunities 2024: Buying real estate in a good school district makes it a lot easier when it comes time to sell your house in the future. Whether you’re looking to downgrade as an empty nester or upgrade into a larger house to support your family, a top school district is a big-time selling point in real estate. If you buy in a bad school district you run a greater risk of your home depreciating because you are appealing to a much smaller buyer pool. We recommend our buyers focus on specific neighborhoods vs. focusing on cities or larger areas. The neighborhood you live in is going to have a direct impact on you. What are you looking for in a neighborhood? Address this question early on in the home buying process because buying in the wrong neighborhood is a surefire way to be remorseful about buying a house.
Develop A Mortgage Shopping Cart. One of the biggest decisions to make before putting a contract on a home is how to finance the purchase. Lenders aggressively compete for your mortgage business in a variety of ways. Today, you can apply for a loan over the Internet or even use a mortgage broker to shop for your loan with hundreds of lenders. When choosing a lender, compare fixed rates to fixed rates, not fixed rates to ARM’s, etc. Create a chart that lists different types of loans, fees, and at least five mortgage providers (including a mortgage broker).
No doubt you’ve heard of real estate services like Zillow that allow you to browse or list homes for sale online with the click of a button. But did you know that online services are now offering to buy and sell your house for you? Here’s how it works: You tell companies like Zillow or Opendoor about the house you want to sell. They buy it from you, pump some money into it to resell at a higher price, handle all the home processing stuff like inspections, repairs, and home showings, and then charge you pretty much the same as an agent commission for selling costs—plus, some of these companies include an additional service fee (icing on their cake). They promise less hassle, but it may mean less profit for you than working with a top-notch agent who could sell your home for more money.
The most important of my home renovation tips is this: your contract should outline the schedule of which the project will be completed and at what point draws will be made. ‘Draws’ is the term for financial payments that the homeowner makes to the contractor usually in percentage form. So for example: weeks 2 & 3 will be for demolition, installation of the framing, base work for the hardwood floors, and wiring for the electrician. 10% draw. From the very beginning, you need to stick to the draw schedule to the T. Let the contractor know that any single delay any of the line items means a delay of payment. Contractors will often tell you that they need more money to finish a certain section but that makes for a slippery slope. Trust me.
Excellent South Portland real estate tricks today from Chelsea Crawford : Pay Yourself First: This personal finance tip is another common one that can have a huge impact on your finances. When you pay yourself first, you’re investing in your financial future; you’re investing in future you, and future you will thank present you for doing so. So, why not just pay yourself at the end of the month? That’s a lot easier, right? Well, the reason why paying yourself first works so well is that once that money is sent to a savings account, you’re a lot less likely to spend it. If you wait until the end of the month to pay yourself, you might not have any money left! Future you will be very sad with no money. Make future you happy by investing in yourself! PS. The best way to pay yourself first is to do it automatically. Set up an auto-deposit with WealthSimple and you’ll never have to think about saving money again – it will just happen.
Renovating improves the house value says Chelsea Crawford : Renovation can turn into a nightmare if your builders or subcontractors fail to do a good job. Always be suspicious of an estimate or quote that is considerably cheaper than all the others, or someone who is available for work immediately. Ask for references, and speak to their previous clients. The golden rule when refurbishing older buildings with solid walls is to use traditional materials that are compatible with the way they were originally built, i.e. lime-based mortars, renders and plasters, rather than anything containing modern cement. Old buildings with shallow foundations are affected by seasonal ground movement and because cement is very brittle it tends to develop small cracks. This allows rain to penetrate, which then can’t escape. Modern paints applied to walls can also cause trouble by blocking natural evaporation.