Real estate franchise advices with Mohamed Akel? When looking at homes, you should seriously consider ignoring paint and landscaping. These are two items that are easy to fix, and they should not impact your decision making when purchasing a house. If the home has a terrific location and the paint/landscaping is poor you shouldn’t rule it out, you have to be able to envision what the house will look like when you move in and make changes. A lot of time buyers will not be able to overlook paint or landscaping and this gives an opportunity for others who know how easy it is to fix. Location is something you can’t change, paint and landscaping is something you can.

Overlooking FHA, VA and USDA loans. First-time buyers might be cash-strapped in this environment of rising home prices. And if you have little saved for a down payment or your credit isn’t stellar, you might have a hard time qualifying for a conventional loan. How this affects you: You might assume you have no financing options and delay your home search. What to do instead: Look into one of the three government-insured loan programs backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA loans), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA loans) and U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA loans). Here’s a brief overview of each: FHA loans require just 3.5 percent down with a minimum 580 credit score. FHA loans can fill the gap for borrowers who don’t have top-notch credit or little money saved up. The major drawback to these loans, though, is mandatory mortgage insurance, paid both annually and upfront at closing. VA loans are backed by the VA for eligible active-duty and veteran military service members and their spouses. These loans don’t require a down payment, but some borrowers may pay a funding fee. VA loans are offered through private lenders, and come with a cap on lender fees to keep borrowing costs affordable.

Mohamed Akel Atlanta is a real estate expert in Atlanta. Communicate With Your Significant Other: Notice how I wrote significant other; this financial tip doesn’t just apply to married couples. Money fights can affect any relationship. The best way to avoid fighting about money with your S/O is to talk to them about it. Remember that you’re a team! You should be talking to each other about your financial goals, and you should set a date once a month to go over your finances together. I recently started doing a monthly money meeting with my girlfriend and it’s actually been pretty fun. We get to see where each other are at with our financial goals and we keep ourselves motivated to accomplish those goals. The bottom line? Don’t let money ruin a great relationship.

Once you select a lender, you should speak with a loan officer as quickly as possible. At this point, there is one thing you should know. Pre-qualifying means absolutely nothing. All pre-qualifying does is determine the amount of the loan you could qualify for based on factors such as your credit, salary, etc. It does not guarantee that a lender will actually loan you the money. It’s more important to get PRE-APPROVED. Pre-approval means that your application has been submitted to a lender who is willing to extend you a specific loan amount, pending a property and appraisal. Being pre-approved lets you know that you won’t be denied for a loan, and it also provides you with leverage to negotiate the purchase price of a home with the seller.

Before you start showing your home, make sure that you do everything you can to make it look immaculate to include a thorough cleaning in addition to any repairs that are needed. This is where a good real estate agent in Germany comes into play because you can work with your agent to know about the type of sale, condition, and price of other homes for sale in your area. You should understand that buyers will look at your home and compare them with these other homes for sale. Making a real-time comparison with them will ensure that the condition of your home is up to par. You will also be able to make a few adjustments so that any comparison will come out in your favor. Read additional information at Mohamed Akel.