Moving Your Pets

There’s no doubt that buying a home and moving is stressful for you, but it can be even more overwhelming for your pet. The disorganization and chaos of packing and moving can send your furry one disappearing under the bed or even worse, having an accident on the carpet or running out the door.

While pets such as gerbils, fish, and hamsters will adjust to the transition and new location with ease, other pets like dogs and cats take more effort and patience to move. It takes some planning to help your pet adjust to their new home and surroundings, but with patience, effort, and love, your pet will be feel right at home in no time.

Before the move

Pets are creatures of habit, so they thrive on daily routines. Prepare your pet by sticking with their regular routine every day until you move. This includes walks, naps, play time, and feedings. Give them their normal food and avoid giving them too many treats as this can upset their stomach. You want the routine to be familiar to them, as this familiarity lessens the stress of moving a great deal. If you are moving to a different time zone, slowly change your pet’s feeding and sleeping schedule a few weeks in advance before you move.

It’s a good idea to tour the new home with your pet before you move in so that they can become familiar with the property. Prepare a separate box with food, medicine, water and other essentials your pet will need. Bring copies of your pet’s up-to-date medical records with you.

Don't wash your pet's toys or blankets before the move. The familiar smell will help to comfort your pet in the new home. Also, be sure to order new ID tags for your pet that have your new address on them. If you need a carrier, purchase a sturdy and comfortable transport carrier for them and familiarize them with it before the move.

During the move

The best thing you can do during the move is to keep your pet away from the chaotic environment. You can have a friend or relative watch your pet in their home, or you can put them in an empty room in the old or new house while you’re moving. The room should have plenty of food and water. You could also board your pet at a professional kennel or hire a pet sitter.

After the move

Make sure that you new home is escape-proof by walking through and checking for unlatched gates, windows that are open without screens, or any other ways that your pet may be able to get out. Also be certain that your pet cannot get into the family pool.

The safety of your pet should be your main concern. They need some time to get used to new surroundings, so try to make them feel at home with their favorite toys and plenty of play time. Make it a smooth transition for your furry friend!

After you get your pet all settled in, you should check the value of your new home to see if you’re buying or renting for a fair price. Neighborhood IQ offers free home value reports online for your convenience.

Meet Bob and Linda

Bob and Linda were looking to refinance their mortgage but had no idea what their home was worth. Thanks to Neighborhood IQ they were able to use the same tools as the big banks, find the true value of their home, and negotiate a better deal for themselves... all for free. Visit NeighborhoodIQ.com today for more information and to find out what your home is truly worth.

When to Refinance Your Mortgage

Refinancing has the potential to turn out to be one of the best financial decisions you have ever made if it shortens the term of your loan, reduces your mortgage payment, or assists you in building more equity in a quicker fashion. Refinancing can also help to get your debt under control when managed correctly. With all of the benefits that refinancing has to offer, it makes sense to use it as a valuable tool.

What many people don’t consider carefully is when they should refinance. Just because mortgage rates are low at a specific time doesn’t mean that it is a good idea for every homeowner. You should first think about your reasons for refinancing. After you have clarified the reasons, the next thing you need to consider is if the timing and circumstances are right. While there is no “perfect” time to refinance, there are better times than others. One of the most important things to be sure of is whether or not you plan on remaining in the house for many years to come. Otherwise, refinancing doesn’t make sense.

Consider these situations that make refinancing a good idea now: 

Your credit score has improved. Your current mortgage rate was determined by many factors, including your credit score at the time. It can be a great idea to refinance if your current credit score has improved a great deal. Credit scores that were considered to be average many years ago may be regarded as high now. This means that you can get a better rate. It is wise to keep track of your credit score closely while making your decision to refinance.

Interest rates are low. Naturally, this is one of the most predominant reasons to refinance your mortgage. Many lenders agree that a savings of 1% is incentive enough to refinance. Lowering your interest rate can help you to save money, build equity in your home, and decrease your monthly mortgage payment. Keep in mind that refinancing multiple times simply to get a lower mortgage rate may lower your overall financial benefit because you will be paying multiple closing costs. The last thing you want to do is leave a trail of closing costs behind you with every refinance. 

You want to change your adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate. When your ARM rate increases and is higher than a fixed-rate mortgage, it makes sense to convert in order to lower your interest rate and remove the possibility of an interest rate hike in the future.

You are able to pay more every month. If you don’t have a strong need to lower your monthly payment, you can refinance to a loan with a shorter term. Yes, you will pay more every month, but you will also own your home a lot sooner and pay less interest overall.

You need to cover a big expense. Paying for your children’s college or remodeling your home may be reasons to refinance, although this is not highly recommended for most homeowners. Before you add years to your mortgage to pay for these expenses, make sure that the reasons justify refinancing.

Remember that a smart homeowner is always looking for ways to reduce debt, build equity, save money and eliminate their monthly mortgage payment. Considergetting a free home valuation report from Neighborhood IQ to find out yourhome’s worth to aid you in the decision of whether or not to refinance, andwhen.

How to Price Your Home to Sell

Homeowners want to get the best value for their home, and this involves strategic planning. Getting your home sold involves three things: location, condition and price. You can’t control the location, but you do have the ability to control the price by improving the condition. While it may seem easier to take the price you paid and simply add a markup, the resulting price probably won’t reflect the true market value of your home.

The first two weeks that your house is on the market are the most critical because it will be exposed to an audience of ready and active buyers. If your initial price is too high, you will lose these potential buyers. The listing price of your property will make or break you. Simply put, if you price your home right, the buyers will come. But you need to know what your home is worth—not what you think it is worth. Here are some tips to help you in pricing your home to sell:

Work with the market. Instead of focusing on where the market has been, focus on where it is going. Look at comparable house prices in your area to get an idea of where the market is and go from there.

Figure out the fair market value of your home. More than just the value of your home, the fair market value is the price a buyer will pay and the seller will accept. It is much more powerful than what your home is simply worth; it is the right price. The best way to determine the fair market value of your property is to use a comparable market analysis to compare your house to others who have just sold or are still on the market.

Think like the buyer. This is a great selling technique because it allows you to put yourself in the buyer’s position and ask “Would I buy this house?” Be rational and look at your home from an outside point of view.

Realism goes a long way. If you don’t own a mansion but price it and market it as one, you will have a problem getting serious offers. Be honest with yourself about your home’s condition and value.

Leave room for negotiation. As a seller, you want to get your money’s worth. Buyers don’t want to pay more than they should. The price you quote should have some leeway for negotiating. But be careful because if you quote unrealistically high, potential buyers will pass you by.

Act quickly. Adjust your price if you have received feedback that your price is too steep, and do it without hesitating.

If your home is in great condition and part of a marketing strategy but it still lacks offers, it is probably overpriced. Signs that prices are too high may include a lack of second showings, or many showings but no offers.

A little research can mean an easy selling experience while maximizing your money. Even though buyers have a separate and not equal opinion of our house’s worth, you need to know that value of your home outside of the fair market value. To assist you in pricing your home to sell, you can geta free home valuation report from Neighborhood IQ and find out what your home is really worth. 

Home Selling Mistakes: Make Sure You Avoid These

It is very easy to be swayed by real estate agents who promise you a fortune for your house. The longer your home stays unsold on listings, the lower its price goes. Many sellers are aware of this but they still make some common mistakes that either fetch them lower prices or results in a delayed sale. Here are the five most common mistakes sellers make when selling their home:

(1) Overpricing the house

This is not the 20th century. An average person with an elementary knowledge of internet can get a detailed report online. Your buyer can easily get an accurate home value report at Neighborhood IQ, click here to get a free home value report. Your real estate seller may be promising you a million dollars for your place, but if similar homes in your area are selling for half-a-million, it is unreasonable to expect someone to turn up and pay the double amount for your house. Talk to several real estate agents. Get their estimates. Find out what price houses similar to yours are selling in your neighborhood to make an educated assessment.

(2) Getting the wrong real estate agent

Many people hire the first real estate agent they meet. A lot of sellers do not even care to visit the office of the real estate agent they are hiring; instead they hold their first meet at home. This probably explains why a large proportion of houses go unsold through the expiry of their listings. The real estate agent you have hired may be an impressive talker, but only his previous clients can tell you about his record as an agent. Talk to them.

(3) Not using the internet

Nine out of ten people looking for a new home first search on the internet. You are missing out on a lot of potential buyers if your “For Sale” house is not searchable on the internet. There are plenty of websites where you can place an ad for your home with some beautiful pictures of it. Buyers often want to look at a few images of the house before a personal visit.

(4) Not taking photographs

Hire a professional to capture photographs of your house and then upload those images on the internet. Remove or blur all personal details from the photographs before putting them online. You can also hire someone to make a 3D map of your home. That will raise confidence in your buyers.

(5) Targeting the wrong customer

Do you own a four-bedroom house? A young guy in his early 20’s is not the right customer for two reasons: (a) that house is too big for him, and (b) he cannot afford it. There are exceptions but we will not bother about them. Most of the time it is a couple with children that will like your house. So make sure you target the right audience.

Are you making these five home selling mistakes? It’s not too late to change. Use the tips given above and your house will soon be sold at a good price.

How hard is your Realtor working for you?

Don't let your Realtor lose you money. Hold them accountable. Ask for a proposal that includes a marketing plan. Make sure that they manage your expectations and vice versa. Know what your home is worth. Most importantly, try to find a Realtor who is going to do this! #IWillSellThisHouseToday

Home buying guide – 5 Essential Tips

Buying a house is once-in-a-lifetime investment. Make sure you make the right decision. Follow this simple home buying guide to get yourself the best deal.

(1) Get yourself an agent

I do not personally like agents. Their fees inflate house prices. Houses are already expensive- add to them the agent fee and you have an overblown budget. Despite my personal feelings, I know how important it is to hire an agent when you are going to buy your first house. Agents can navigate you through the legal mumbo-jumbo and help you find your first home through their local area expertise. Since they have the connections, they can make your purchase smooth and easy.

(2) Find the right home

For many Americans, a home is the most expensive thing they will purchase in their lifetime. When a person decides to buy a home, he essentially needs a place where he would like to settle down. This makes buying a home an emotional decision as well. A real estate agent will show you several homes. This wealth of choice can make your head spin even though prolonging the buying is not a wise business decision. So make sure you find the right home, and soon.

(3) Loan

Unless you have just won a million dollar lottery, or you have suddenly grown very rich, chances are that you’ll need a mortgage to pay for your first home. It makes sense to get a loan pre-approval as there are sellers who will not even consider showing you the place unless they are sure you can get a loan. The FHA sets the minimum down payment requirements. The minimum down payment for a house is less than many conventional purchases. You will have to compare several mortgages to choose the one which suits you the best. Your agent can also help you find a good mortgage.

(4) Negotiate

Some sellers ask sky high prices for their property. This is where your negotiation skills will help you. Your agent will also help you out by compiling data from similar sales which have occurred in that neighborhood for the past three months. You can also find the correct property value through an online property value report which evaluates the true value of a property. One such report can be found for free here from Neighborhood IQ. This data gives you the power to negotiate.

(5) Home inspection

In several states in the US, a home inspection is an essential part of the contract which allows the buyer to cancel the agreement if there is a fault with the house. This gives first-time home buyers a power over sellers who may try to oversell them a house with a faulty foundation or some other issue. It should be mentioned here that the discovery of a fault does not mean a seller is legally required to make repairs. The inspection only gives power to the buyer to cancel the contract. In reality, most buyers ask for repairs, and most sellers agree.

If you are ready to make your first purchase, make sure you start early- the property rates are rising and the sooner you act, the better.

Thinking about Refinancing? Here are Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea

Like many homeowners, you probably want a lower interest rate and a shorter mortgage. If you are considering refinancing your mortgage, it can take a lot of effort and time to begin the process. While there are some not-so-pleasing aspects of refinancing, it can be a good financial move if your mortgage payment is lowered.

Under the right conditions, refinancing your home can certainly benefit you in the long run. It all depends on your particular financial goals. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why refinancing is a good idea:

You can get a lower interest rate. Since interest rates are at a record low right now, you can get 30-year and 15-year mortgage rates far below 5%. This is one of the best incentives to refinance because it not only lessens your monthly payment; it also allows you to build equity in your home quicker. You can save thousands of dollars in interest by refinancing, and you can pay off your mortgage debt faster. According to lending companies, reducing your interest rate by 1% is an incentive to refinance.

You can shorten the term of your loan. If you switch from a 30-year mortgage to a 15-year mortgage, the shorter loan can fit into your budget. Your monthly payment may only increase by a few hundred at the most, and this may be a feasible option for your household. You can use a mortgage calculator to estimate your new payment.

You can lower your monthly payment. If your goal is to have an extra couple of hundred dollars every month for savings, investments or vacations, refinancing at a lower interest rate can accomplish this. You can also save a great deal of money in interest. Keep in mind that lowering your monthly payment can add years to the term of your loan, but it can be extremely helpful.

You can get a fixed-rate loan. Your adjustable-rate mortgage can be refinanced for a lower interest rate, and you can lock into this rate for years to come. You can also plan a fixed payment with more ease every month.

You can cash out your home equity. This can be a savvy move in certain instances. You may want to cash your home equity to invest and start a business. Or you may simply want some money to pay for other expenses or manage debt.

You should also take into consideration the fact that refinancing involves closing costs and other fees. It may cost thousands for a new mortgage, but only you can determine if the costs of refinancing is worth it in the long run. Also, if you are considering moving anytime in the next few years, refinancing will probably not be the best option.

Refinancing means that you need to know the value of your home. You can get a free home valuation report from Neighborhood IQ by clicking here to find out your home’s worth to help you decide if refinancing is a good way to go. It is important to weigh the pros and cons of your unique situation. With careful planning along with knowing the value of your home, refinancing could turn out to be one of the best financial decisions you have ever made as a homeowner.