Tips On How To Get Good Rates When Buying A House

Buying real estate is important for anyone who is looking for a new place to live or a new opportunity for renting out a home. Picking the right area and doing some research goes a long way when picking real estate. Read the tips in this article to make sure you're picking the best choice!

One important tip when it comes to real estate is to inspect the entire neighborhood and make sure it lives up to your expectations for your own home. This is important because it may just be the reason why what appears to be your dream house is so affordable. If you have a beautiful home in a not-so-nice neighborhood your resale value and overall happiness may suffer.

When renting a piece of real estate, make sure to take photos of the condition of the property before or on the same day you get the keys. You will need these if here is ever a dispute about damage you may or may not have caused. Pictures are a much better option than just a written description.

One of the first things you should do before initiating the home-buying process is to check your credit score. Make sure that you don't have any outstanding debt. Find out what's on your credit report and work to tie up any loose ends before ultimately putting in for a loan with the bank.

Before looking at the houses that are for sale, you need to decide if you are really ready for such a large purchase. Not only do you need to look at your finances, you need to make sure you are ready for the commitment and the responsibility that goes along with home owning.

As said previously, buying real estate will be a task that many different people have to undergo, whether buying a first home or looking to lease out a house. By remembering the tips in this article, you can successfully pick an area that will suit your real estate needs.

For more information about Homer Alaska Real Estate contact Coastal Realty Alaska

Thinking Ahead: Money Management Tips For Now And Later

Money is a key aspect of everyone's life and, as such, you will have to deal with it. To know how to manage real-life financial situations is necessary for you as a responsible individual. Take the time to educate yourself on finances and how to become independent. Continue reading to get some tips on how to gain this knowledge and understanding.

When you decide to make a budget, look at your income and expenses. The first thing you should do is determine your monthly income after taxes. Your monthly income should include all earnings, not just those from your primary job. Don't fall into the trap of spending more than you make.

The next step is tallying up all the money your household is spending. Write down a list, including all of the money you and your family spend. Be sure to include additional expenses, such as annual insurance premiums, in your calculations. All automotive costs should be accounted for, including maintenance and gas. You should also include all food expenses, from buying a coffee to how much you spend at the grocery store. Make your list as thorough as possible.

When you find out how much income you have, create a budget. Review your expenses to see if any of them can be disposed of. Wouldn't you be able to save a good chunk of change by bringing your own home-brewed coffee with you, instead of purchasing coffee on your way to work each morning? Try to find any areas on your list where you can cut back and save money.

If you find your utility bills increasing, look for areas of your energy usage that you can cut down on. Investing in an energy efficient water heater or weatherized windows could make a big difference in your energy bills. Likewise, fixing even minor leaks can significantly reduce your household water usage. You can reduce both your electric bill and water bill by only running appliances like your dishwasher and dryer when they are full.

Your appliances use a good bit of energy. You should replace old appliances with more energy efficient appliances. Appliances that are not constantly running-your refrigerator, for example-should not be plugged in when not in use.

New insulation installed with a replacement roof will ensure that heat and cool air remain in the house. You may pay more now, but you save on bills.

These ideas will help you be more successful with cash flow, and you will be able to keep your finances in check. You can reduce energy and utility bills by making improvements to your home and equipment that can lower them significantly. You will have more money to spare after your bills have fallen.

Selling Your Home Faster through Home Staging

During hot and cool home sale periods, there are homes which simply have difficulty generating buyer interest. While homes around it have offers coming in, they remain largely unseen and do not sell. The trick others have often discovered isn't just about pricing the home right. Or finding the perfect real estate agent. It's usually the homeowners have hired or taken the lead of a home stager.

What is Home Staging?

Home staging is the process of making a house look not only presentable to potential buyers, but look like their future home. Staging involves rearranging and/or updating the home's interior furniture and decor, de-cluttering and adding curb appeal. In general, a staged home is a clean, well-lit home depersonalized from the current resident.

What Are the Basics of Home Staging?

Home staging is about one fundamental principle--making the home look more like a new construction model than a family's home. Fit for a brochure is another way to think of home staging. But it involves these key factors:

Clean and Clear

The first thing which needs to be done is to lighten the load inside the home. Meaning, de-cluttering the space. Taking down family photos and other personal items is a must. Anything which personalizes the space has to be removed because it acts as a mental barrier to potential buyers. In addition, scrubbing the floors, freshening up the walls with some paint and dusting thoroughly is absolutely necessary.

Light the Space

Curtains and blinds are cleaned and opened. The more light inside a home, the better. It not only helps to "connect" the outside space, it makes the house appear more open. It also promotes a sense of warmth.

Enhance Curb Appeal

Mow the yard. Pull weeds. Plant colorful flowers and plants along the walkway and place potted plants or flowers near the door. Pressure wash the exterior walls and roof, along with the garage floor and driveway. If the paint looks worn even after the pressure washing, it's time to slap on a coat of paint.

Highlight Key Features

Pools, fireplaces, spas, kitchens and baths. These are key features in any home. Making them stand out is very important to staging the home properly. Using furnishings and decor, make those key features pop with pizzazz. Color goes a long way in making a home more inviting. Lastly, get some inspiration from home staging magazines. Or, look online at staged homes for guidance.


For more information about Homer Alaska and Anchor Point Alaska Real Estate contact Coastal Realty Alaska

The Benefits of Investing in a Multi-Family Property

New property investors often begin with buying a single family home. After all, they grew up in one and live in one--so it is only natural to choose a single family property at the beginning of an investment property venture. However, after the home has set vacant a few months for one or more times, new investors discover multi-family properties offer a more steady income.

Advantages of Multi-Family Properties

By far, the largest advantage is if one unit of a multi-family property is vacant, it doesn't cut the income stream to zero. While it may reduce it to 50 percent in a duplex, it is more preferable than no rent collection at all. In addition, maintenance fees and property management costs are reduced because their is only one unit, not several detached single family houses.

Other Benefits of Investing in Multi-Family Properties

While vacancy rates and multiple rent  payments are good reasons for owning multi-family properties, there are more benefits. Which, particularly over time, greatly enhance their investment value:

Repair Expenses

Having to replace ten roofs on ten single family homes is very expensive, even if done during separate times. But a ten unit multi-family property needing a new roof is one job and done. Ten single family homes means ten different permits, adding to the cost substantially.

Property Management Fees

Using the same example of ten single family homes versus a ten unit multi-family property, it's less expensive to incur property management fees. Single family homes tend to rent for more than apartment units. And with property management agencies basing their rates on the amount of rent collected, it means less of an expense.

Selling and Holding

Here again, selling ten single family homes will be more difficult that selling one multi-family property. Not only must each single family be negotiated separately, they all must pass inspection. Whereas with multi-family properties, there is only one structure. It also makes it easier with regard to real estate commissions. Investors won't have to deal with ten different personalities.

Cap Rates

The cap rate or net operating income/price is in play, making it a better investment generator. In other words, a multi-family property's value is based on how much income it generates and is not exclusively tied to the real estate market. So while a single family may decline in market value during downturns, multi-family properties continue to collect rents. And those rents are proof positive of the property's earning potential.


For more information about Homer Alaska Real Estate contact Coastal Realty Alaska

How Big City stress affects your health

The crime, the traffic, the congestion, the noise, and non-stop pace of the big city take its toll on your health. That’s not just anecdotal any longer, researchers are uncovering some not so surprising facts about the negative impact big cities have on peoples’ health.

In the heart of the busy metropolitan jungles, more people suffer from heart attacks, strokes, and anxiety than those who live in more rural areas.

The Big City is a Threat Your Physical Health

All that traffic, high crime, and noise isn’t just going gentle into the night, it’s having a real affect on its residents physical well being. New research shows that people living in a big city have a higher risk of a heart attack and stroke.

Busy commutes tend not only to be stressful, but detrimental as well. Spending hours on a train or hopping from bus to bus means a lot more time spent parked in a seat. That’s not good for the heart or the belly. Studies reveal that many choose to eat while commuting in an effort to save time. The net result is a bigger waistline, which increases blood pressure, decreases circulation, and cause more fatigue.

More weight means a higher risk for hypertension and other physical health risks like high cholesterol. Simply put, less walking and more sitting have an adverse impact.

It’s Also Mental, Studies Show

Aside from the physical health risks, people living in big cities face a 21 percent higher risk of anxiety disorders, a 39 percent increase in mood disorders, thanks to a study conducted on 32 healthy participants which was published in the journal Nature.

Conversely 24 participants from rural communities were included in this brain scan study,  a statistical dead-heat in the world of MRI. Those 24 people showed little to no signs of increased risk to their mental health, a finding that wouldn’t at all surprise the average urban dweller.

The hustle and bustle of the big city isn’t healthy, physically or mentally, according to the research.

A solution to these potential problems? Well, one such solution is to either move to a smaller, less stressful area like the Homer Alaska and Anchor Point area. Or, invest in a property to rent and buy a second home to vacation in the peaceful landscape only the 

Homer Alaska and Anchor Point  area can offer can offer.

For more information about Homer Alaska Real Estate contact Coastal Realty Alaska at 

COASTAL REALTY 

Mile 156.7 Sterling Hwy

Anchor Point, AK 99556

Phone: 907-235-7141

Fax: 907-235-6876