Category Archives: buying
Interest Rates Continue to Rise
Mortgage rates remained fairly steady throughout 2021, hovering just above or below 3% nationally. However, in December of 2021, we saw a sharp spike to 3.1% and a continued increase in the national average since. There doesn’t seem to be
Tips for Negotiating Repairs After the Home Inspection
How to Successfully Negotiate Home Repairs when Buying a Home As a home buyer, getting a home inspection is one of the best ways to determine if the home you are purchasing is structurally sound and that all systems are
Locating and Buying Probate Properties
Guest blog by Mike Johnson The process of locating and buying probate properties can be tricky. Education and preparation will give you the best opportunity to snag one of these prized investments. Property that has gone into probate means that
How Long is The Closing Process?
How long is the closing process when buying or selling a home? It’s a great question. So how long does it take to close escrow? What does the process entail? What is required of the buyer and the seller? All
Buying a Home in a Seller’s Market
When the inventory of homes for sale is low and buyer activity is high, the home seller has more leverage in the market. As a buyer, you may have fewer options in a seller’s market. It will be important to
Consider the Future When Buying your Home
When shopping for a new home, there are so many factors to consider. You will likely have a list of criteria and needs that the house must meet. Specifications such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, living space, layout,
Choosing the Right House to Buy
Even in low inventory markets, homebuyers have many homes to choose from. There may be more than one home that meets your criteria, however, there are several things to look over and consider when choosing the right house to buy.
Top Smart Home Systems for 2021
Updating your home to modern aesthetics is something that homeowners have been doing for decades. With recent advances in ‘Smart Home’ technology, updates are no longer just to keep up with visual style. Now, homeowners have to keep their homes
Brand New Condos for Sale in Redondo Beach
Merit Real Estate is proud to offer five brand new condos for sale in Redondo Beach, California! We saw this new condo project from start to finish. So much thoughtful craftsmanship went into every aspect of designing and building these
Homeowner Shirts that You Actually Want to Wear.
Becoming a homeowner is a special feeling. It’s the type of joy that you want to shout from the mountain tops so that everyone knows about it. The next best thing to shouting from the mountains would be to just
Buying a Home. The Road to Homeownership.
Buying a home is a huge deal! It’s a big decision and requires hopeful homebuyers to navigate through a somewhat arduous process. Curiosity is often what starts the journey towards homeownership. Once you become curious about buying a home, what
Real Estate Commissions: What you need to know.
When a homeowner decides to sell their home, the cost of hiring a qualified Realtor will certainly be a major concern. Homebuyers often have questions about how their Realtor will get paid as well. Whether you are a buyer or
Should I Buy a House During the Pandemic
The nationwide real estate market started out relatively strong in 2020. Industry experts were forecasting a slightly slowing but steady housing market for the year. The U.S. economy was also humming along like a well-oiled machine, and lending rates remained
Earnest Money Deposit – Everything You Need to Know
The earnest money deposit is a crucial part of a real estate purchase offer. The amount of earnest money offered to a seller as a good faith deposit can be the difference between getting your offer accepted and losing out
Causes for Forfeiting Earnest Money
There are 3 main causes for forfeiting earnest money deposit when buying a home. When entering into a purchase contract as a home buyer, a buyer agrees to execute specific timelines and terms. Failing to do so can lead to
Out of Pocket Costs When Buying a Home
In addition to your downpayment, there are significant out of pocket costs associated with purchasing a home. These various ‘closing costs’ typically costs homebuyers between 2 and 5 percent of the purchase price. Here is a list of typical ‘closing
The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Home Sight Unseen
Buying a home sight unseen is not new. Recent polls of homebuyers have shown that over 20% have submitted offers without stepping inside the home. Similar surveys have also shown that about 50% of Millenial buyers have submitted offers without
Moving Checklist – Printable PDF
Moving from one home to another is no joke! Moving a long distance is really difficult. Taking advantage of available moving resources and having a great “no fluff moving checklist” will help you plan and organize this major undertaking. Find
Top Moving Resources – Moving to a New Home
Moving to a new home can be stressful, therefore you’ll want to prepare well and have a plan. Whether you hire professional movers or use a DIY approach, there is a lot to consider. We’ve assembled a comprehensive list of
Are HOA Fees Worth it?
Are HOA fees worth it? Is living in an HOA right for you? These are questions that you will need to answer when you are shopping for your next home. If you aren’t well-versed on what an HOA is or
Save Money on your Home Purchase
If you can be flexible, open-minded, and patient when purchasing a home, you will save a boat-load of money. Plan your purchase to allow yourself time to save money and wait for various money-saving opportunities. Let’s explore the top ways
How Realtors Search for Available Homes
Have you ever wondered how Realtors search for available homes? A hard-working, experienced Realtor uses several methods and sources to help them find homes for their buyers. Considering that the services of a buyer’s agent are almost always free, the
Writing a Winning Personal Letter to a Home Seller
How to Write the Perfect Letter to the Homeowner. Submitting a great personal letter to the home seller will make your offer stand out from others. There are many factors that go into writing a winning purchase offer. A big
Buying a Home: Make Your Purchase Offer Stand Out
Making your purchase offer stand out from those of other South Bay homebuyers in 2020 will give you a huge advantage when it comes to buying the home of your dreams. Although we are in the midst of a real
Am I Ready to Own a Home?
Determining if you’re ready to own a home for the first time can be a challenge! It can feel intimidating to purchase your first home. How do you know if you’re ready?? There are a few simple questions you can answer
Invest in Real Estate
Purchasing a home is the best investment you’ll ever make. When you purchase a home you are truly making an investment – gaining equity and saving your down payment until you choose to sell at a higher price. Make sure
Preparing to Buy a Home
You’ve decided that it’s time for you to purchase your first home. Now what? Now it is time to start preparing to buy a home. Being a first-time homebuyer is one of the most exciting and uncertain times of your
What Can I Give Up to Make a Down Payment?
When trying to purchase a new home, it can be overwhelming to think about trying to save for a down payment. For most people, this is the largest single sum of money that will ever leave their account. For many,
Buying a House After Bankruptcy
Going through bankruptcy (be it any of the different types of bankruptcies) can often be one of the most daunting events to experience and in most cases it’s unavoidable. Whether you’ve been declared bankrupt through court order or by your
What Are Closing Costs?
Debunking the myths and mysteries of closing costs. Closing costs are the fees paid at the time of closing on your house. You’re so close to being a homeowner! These closing procedures are the last step between you and being
Essential Moving Supplies for the Self-Mover
Even though there are quite a few reasons to go with a professional moving company, some people just want to move themselves. Whether it’s a financial reason or a point of pride, you’re going to need some serious supplies! Here
Does Home Warranty Save You Money?
When purchasing a new home, a home warranty is often part of the offer package. A home warranty is a contract that helps cover costs of repair or replacement of some home systems and appliances. A home warranty might be
4 Simple Mistakes Many Homebuyers Make
After many years in the real estate business, Merit Real Estate has witnessed our fair share of mistakes that homebuyers have made. In an effort to keep you from making the same mistakes, we’ve created a list for your reference.
Home-Buying Red Flags
Purchasing a new home is likely the largest single investment that you’ll make in your lifetime. It can be scary and uncertain when you’re making such a huge commitment to not have a clear picture of what you’re buying into.
How To Make The Best Possible Offer On A New Home
One of the biggest challenges in buying a new home is the offer process. If your offer is too low, it may get rejected, while making a high offer could result in too high of a purchase price and ultimately
Strategies to Survive Holiday Spending While Saving for a Home
Holiday spending can be extremely stressful time, financially, for many people. However, that stress is magnified if you’re trying to save for a financial goal – like purchasing a home. We want to help you develop strategies and tactics to