Homes With Lauren

Realty Times – Kitchens Sell a House

laurenckw — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:43:09 +0000

I am a firm believer. Especially the note at the end of the article – you can make a big difference with a few low cost upgrades!

Realty Times – Kitchens Sell a House.

Football and Real Estate?

laurenckw — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Given that it is Super Bowl evening – I felt compelled to post this great article from the KCM Blog.

Really gets to the many layers and people behind a seamless real estate transaction.

Who’s the Quarterback?

by DEAN HARTMAN on FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Given that it’s Superbowl Week (Go Giants!), I thought we might go with a football theme today. I can’t tell you how many different people I hear proclaim that they are the quarterback of the real estate transaction – the agent, the loan officer, an attorney, accountant or financial planner. But for goodness sake, the buyer/borrower had better be the one calling the shots. Not that everyone else doesn’t play an important role, but the buyer/borrower is the one most impacted by the choices made.

Here’s my opinion of how the team works best:

Head Coach (Your Loan Officer) – Your loan officer should be the Head Coach. After careful analysis of your income, credit and assets, this is the person in the best position to make sure you are playing to your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses. Your loan officer can discuss the economic realities of homeownership, while listening to your quality of life concerns. (How often you’ll be able to eat out or vacation, for example.) The loan officer can set up the game plan.
Offensive Coordinator (Your Real Estate Agent) – Your real estate agent is your offensive coordinator. Armed with the game plan (which includes your limitations), the agent calls the plays, counseling you on the geography, the competition, the best ways to negotiate your way to your personal touchdown. Agents know the playing field (the inventory and the market). If you hire them to represent you, they can disclose the weaknesses of your competition (the seller).
Offensive Line (Your Attorney, Accountant and Financial Advisors) – Your attorney, accountant and financial advisors are your offensive line. They are there to protect you from the blitzes that come from outside (sellers, title issues, tax consequences, and protecting your assets). Not the glamour positions, but vital to any success you are going to have.
Running Backs and Wide Receivers (Your Friends and Family) – Your friends and family are the running backs and wide receivers. They often receive the glory and attention, but honestly, if everyone else doesn’t do their job, they rarely ever see success. Bad game plans, weak play calling, poor execution on the offensive line or by you, as quarterback, leave them merely as names on the roster.

As with any team, communication is the most important component to getting the desired results. Being the center of the action on the field, the quarterback (you) needs to honestly talk with your coaches and coordinators, so they can help direct you on the proper play calling. Simultaneously, you need to heed the feedback from your offensive line, running backs, and receivers to filter wise advice from emotion. Be the quarterback of your own home-buying process and you’ll be more likely to realize your dreams (and not the dreams of someone else).

Good News? WOW that would be nice!

laurenckw — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:36:49 +0000

Check out this recent post and video from the National Association of Realtors. Good stats and info

2012 Home Sales: Positives on Many Fronts.

Better Questions Will Get You a Better Agent

laurenckw — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:30:24 +0000

When interviewing agents to sell their home, most homesellers really only care about the answer to two questions: Who is going to sell it for the most money? Who is going to charge me the least? The result of these

via Better Questions Will Get You a Better Agent.

laurenckw — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:27:58 +0000

So I always thought I was an understanding realtor. That I was able to understand how people were feeling during the process and could help ease their stress and worry.

Phew! I have got such an eye opener as I prepare to move in 5 days.

Moving is really crazy.

You have to display your home to whomever decides to stop in and take a look. You run around staging and cleaning constantly. Screaming at the kids “Clean that up!!!!” Then you wait to hear what the buyers thought of your house. The critique hurts even if you agree 100%. You want them to think your house is perfect! So, then someone does like your house and makes an offer. Even if it is a good one you think…. did I ask enough? Is this fair? Then the inspection, the mortgage process, the packing, the last second paperwork and juggling.. the list goes on.

But what I really found to be the truth in this process was summed up in a conversation my husband and daughter had recently.

“Dad, will Maddie (our Dog) be sad at the new house? Will she miss her old house? It will be so different.”

“Well, I don’t know. We will bring her bed and her food”

“Yeah…..(a long 9-year-old pause for contemplation)”

” You know what Dad, I think what really counts is that we will be with her – that is what makes it our home”

So, to all you past and future movers out there. I get it. I feel your pain.

And in the end it really is the people you love that make it a home.

Happy Holidays!

Keller Williams was voted #3 Place to Work in Boston!

laurenckw — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:57:26 +0000

Selling your house? Do your homework first – The Boston Globe

laurenckw — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:11:17 +0000

This article in the Sunday Globe was so refreshing. The little things (like 5,000 knicknacks and cluttered basements) make a difference! The key to getting top dollar for your house is preparation and pricing. Check out this family and their home sale story.

Selling your house? Do your homework first – The Boston Globe.

Some Good News for Veterans!

laurenckw — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:43:11 +0000

There have been some changes to the VA Loans. Fees actually went down? Find out more here – Some Good News for Veterans!.

Homeownership: Why Wait?

laurenckw — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:45:24 +0000

Rates at 4%?? Home Loan Refinancing Options

laurenckw — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:37:53 +0000

Yes – last week for one day rates were at 4%!

If you are thinking of refinancing you may want to get your paperwork in order, speak to a mortgage broker (check out my service partners for recommended brokers) and be ready to pounce if they drop again. And if they don’t – rates are low now anyway! Here is a bit more info on refinancing….

With a refinancing, you pay off an old loan on your home and take out a new one, typically at a lower mortgage interest rate. To refinance, you will generally need to have equity in your home, a good credit rating, and steady income. You can borrow a percentage of the equity to cover remodeling costs, debt consolidate, and college tuition.
You will incur all the closing costs that go along with getting a new mortgage when you refinance. So, unless you are doing extensive renovations and can get a mortgage interest rate at least two points below your current loan rate, you may want to select another financing option.

Many people flock to refinance while mortgage interest rates are low, particularly when rates are about two percentage points below their existing home loans. Other factors, like when to finance, will depend on how long you plan to hold on to your home and whether you have to pay considerable fees to refinance. How far along you are in paying off your current mortgage will also be a factor.

If you expect to sell your home relatively soon, you are not likely to recoup the costs you incurred to refinance. If you are more than halfway through paying your current mortgage, you probably will gain little by refinancing. However, if you are going to own your home for at least another five years, that is probably long enough to regain any refinancing costs and realize real savings as a result of lowering your monthly payment.