Friday, September 16, 2011

Rent To Own Lease Agreements For Home Ownership

Rent to own lease agreements provide the opportunity of home ownership to people who may not be able to otherwise live the American dream of owning a home. Lack of down payment funds or low credit scores keep many aspiring homeowners from realizing the dream. The good news is that rent to own homes opens the door to homeownership even if the prospective buyer has low credit scores or minimal down payment funds.

Do you want to own real estate? If your answer is yes, there are many advantages with a rent to own contract. The term of the lease may be one or more years. The lease term is negotiable. If you have not saved enough money for your down payment or need more time to improve your credit scores in order to qualify for a loan, the lease term allows you to maintain purchasing rights to the home until you are able to obtain purchase financing.

Your rent to own lease may include an assignment clause. This is a clause that can work to your advantage because it gives you the right to assign your contract to another person if you are not able to complete the purchase at the end of the term. This right is a valuable safety net.

Typically, your rent to own lease will include a rental premium. This means that the amount of monthly rent is higher than normal market rent for the property. When you are ready to apply for your loan and purchase the property, the rental premium is factored into the qualifying equation by your bank and will represent a certain amount of your down payment money required to obtain the purchase loan. The rental premium is a way of helping you save for a down payment.  It is important, however, to discuss your rent to own contract with your bank or lending institution initially in order that you know how your lender may formulate the equation when you are ready to exercise your option to purchase.

Rent to own contracts will generally include what is called an option fee. This is a negotiated lump sum of money paid up front. It is similar to a rental deposit. The specific terms of your rent to own contract should specify how the option fee will be accounted for in the event the purchase option is ultimately exercised or not.  You should remember that each element of your contract is a negotiable item between you and the owner.

Renting vs owning a home? Renting homes is a guarantee of one thing certain: a handful of paid rent receipts. Owning a home is a guarantee of living the American dream. Everyone has to live somewhere; why not build equity in your own home using a reputable rent to own program?

Saturday, July 23, 2011

What To Avoid When Choosing a Moving Company


Hiring a moving company for your move is almost necessary once you amass a large amount of possessions, or if you're moving over long distances.  It makes the move much easier on you, they have workers experienced in moving large pieces of furniture successfully, and they also have large enough trucks to move everything. 
 But what do you do when a move goes wrong?  There are a number of problems that could turn up with the movers, including:

* Items getting broken despite precautions
* The movers not showing up on the day you MUST move
* Vehicle trouble while moving
* Overcharging from what you thought you owed them
* Signing a contract that you didn't understand


How can you keep yourself safe during your furniture moving?  You can do so by being proactive during all steps of the hiring and moving process.

How To Choose the Right Company?


When you are initially investigating a transport company, look for as many outside references as you can.  Go on Yelp and see what other people have to say about the company.  Ask your friends, family, or neighbors if they have used any moving companies in the past, and ask what their experience was working with them.  There are a number of websites specifically based around ratings on moving companies.  Only look at the companies that have the best reviews.  They may cost a little more, but in this initial stage, price is a lower concern.

Ask the company for references, and ask for a lot of them.  In particular, ask if they have any older reviews, something from a few years ago.  If the company has been supplying quality moving for multiple years, then there's good reason to believe that they will do a good job with you too.  Also, check the Better Business Bureau and see if they have any complaints set against them.

What to Keep in Mind with the Moving Contract?

Once you have gotten a few quotes and decided on the company you want to use, get the contract from them and read it thoroughly.  If there is anything in the contract that you are unsure of or don't agree with, don't sign the contract!  Remember, you are agreeing to everything that's written there, and if something happens and the contract says it's not covered by the company, then you are stuck.

Look for phrases that aren't obviously clear.  They may have a clause that says they are not responsible for 'undeliverable' items.  That word, if it shows up, is a red flag.  What does that even mean?  Get it clarified, or better yet, removed from the contract entirely.  This is another point where the research you did should reveal any problems the company may have with a picky contract.

Using a reputable company with plenty of 5 star reviews is going to be your best asset when moving.  This is not something that you're going to want to try to save money on.  Paying for quality when moving all of your possessions from one place to the next is a smart idea, one that will help you avoid big problems.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Are Rent to Own Homes Ideal?

A rent to own agreement is ideal for someone who is not quite ready to buy a home, but wants to rent the home they intend to buy; this is usually for a year or two. An agreement is signed with the owner of the property, specifying the terms.

Any agreement would indicate the responsibilities of the renter, such as taking care of minor repairs, paying water bills and maintaining the yard. An agreement should also indicate any changes a tenant may make, such as upgrading or repainting.

Rent to own lease
agreements are different from regular rental agreements, in that as part of the rental contract, you agree to buy the home after a specified time. In some cases, a part of the rent is held back and put towards the down payment that you will need to purchase the property. The deposit is not given back to you if you back out of the agreement and do not buy the home at the end of the lease term.

The advantages of this are clear; if you want to buy a home eventually but need some time to improve your credit score, it allows you to do just that while actually living in the home you will buy. Living in the home will also allow you to become familiar with any repairs or work that may need doing; it also allows you to get to know the neighborhood. In short, it is a good chance to get to know both the home and the area you will be living in and make sure that both are a good fit.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both, when it comes to renting vs owning a home. Renting homes means that the owner is responsible for any repairs, basic maintenance and upkeep, snow removal and the various taxes and insurance. However, if you own your home, the money that you spend every month will ultimately be yours and it comes with a feeling of financial security. Owning your home means that it is yours and you can do as you wish and decorate it how you want to. For most of us, home ownership is a goal in life and rent to own homes may be the ideal way to achieve that goal.

Rent to own homes can often be found in the real estate section of your local newspaper, or in classified ads. If the idea of rent to own lease agreements sounds appealing, you should be sure to speak to a company that specializes in these arrangements, and get their advice. A good company will make sure that you understand the procedures and what is involved, as well as any legal aspects. Having the right advice can make your rent to own experience as easy and as profitable as possible.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Increase the Chances of Selling Home with the Help of a Realtor



People need answers for lots of questions when they go out to sell their home. They are especially concerned about how to deal with a realtor. Those who are thinking of selling their home without the help of a realtor need to consider their decision. Professional real estate agents offer their expertise and skills that they have gained over the years working in this field. It is easy to find great realtor Caledon who will be able to provide all the help needed.

There are many homes in Caledon and Brampton areas that are competing for the same buyers. This makes it necessary to work with professional realtors. Homeowners who do not have much knowledge about the real estate market are going to face problem in determining the right price for their home. Working with professional allows the homeowner to price their home correctly and use effective marketing strategy as well. While in recent times the market has slowed down a bit in the Ontario area, over time it is expected to improve. A real estate agent in Caledon will provide valuable information that is specific to local property market. This will help in marketing the home better. As the chance of improvement in market conditions increases, it provides a good opportunity to homeowners to list their home at the right time.

The job of the real estate agent is not only to get the right price for the homeowner. The agents also provide valuable services such as submitting different types of legal documents correctly. They are also aware about the step-by-step process involved in selling a home. This helps in listing the home faster and selling it within a short time. This leaves the homeowner to carry on with their other responsibilities without worrying all the time about selling the home.

What are the disadvantages of not working with a professional realtor? The first is that the homeowner may not be able to price the home correctly according to prevailing market rates. This may result in not being able to sell the home and also not knowing the reason behind such a problem. These professionals offer their expert opinion because they deal with the real estate market on a regular basis. Trying to sell the home by self is not going to result in much savings but the risks may increase. It is better to take help of a realtor to have peace of mind.

It is important to consult the strategy with the agent before trying to sell the home. There are several advantages to working with a Brampton realtor. Selling the home without any professional help may result in getting lower price than what the property deserves. A professional help ensures that the homeowner has to spend less time and effort on things that can be done better by a realtor.