ABC’s of Fine Design

In this economy I try to keep my eye out for things that will help you the home buyer or seller. In this case I have found ePERKS.com a great resource for the home buyer or seller. Right now they are offering up to $20,000 cash back when you buy or sell a home with one of there relator’s. They have a nice search that will allow you to find a local Realtor that is right for you. Of course once you find one there do some more research to find out if there really a good match for you. Talk to your friends and family and talk to them. They may work very hard for you.

The other nice thing about this site is that the offer a few other products like auto loans and can help you find a home improvement contractor. So even if your not looking to buy or sell a home, they still can help you to make the home you do have better for you. You can get 10-15% off of a contractor through them. As I said before, once you find one do some research. I was actually surprised with the search they offered for contractors, not only can you find general home builders but you can find window installers and even a maid to clean your home. That would be a nice way to keep that fung shui working well, wouldn’t it?

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The feds have finally decided to help do something about this horrible real estate problem. They are now working on putting in new rules for lenders when it comes to subprime lenders. The ones who usually have bad credit or a poor income source. Some of the rules they are going to include are.

Taken from yahoo:

• Restricting lenders from penalizing certain subprime borrowers who pay off their loans early.
• Forcing lenders to make sure that subprime borrowers set aside money to pay for taxes and insurance.
• Barring lenders from making loans when they don’t have proof of a borrower’s income.

Of course there are a few more, and many ideas pending. I think this is a step in the right direction. Many people in the subprime group don’t have the income to pay for the extra things that many want to put on them.

So if your looking for a home, there may be help for you. If your selling your home, you may be able to sell it easier soon. There is hope and I think there will be many more changes coming soon.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I am always looking for ways for you to save money when designing and when you are trying to buy or sell your home. I think it’s horrible that the economy is so bad and I know what it’s like to have no money. Today I wanted to tell you about a site that unlike other sites, really does make lenders compete for your business.

Most sites like this just sell your information to banks and lenders and leave you to get through the mess but, NameYourLoan.com, America's 1st Online Mortgage Auction is a little different, they actually go through the whole process with you and there are no annoying phone calls made to you. It’s all done online.

Below is a recent press release about this site, it goes into much more detail about how the site works and what you can expect.

NameYourLoan.com Diversifies Current Lending Environment for Borrowers with New Approach to Online Mortgage Loans. New online mortgage auction site, NameYourLoan.com, has revolutionized the way borrowers obtain mortgage loans online. As a unique and creative online community, borrowers can easily connect with the best mortgage lenders while lenders benefit from a wealth of real time mortgage leads and opportunities for business growth.(PRWEB) – In today’s tough lending environment, littered with deceitful lenders and cunning tactics, it’s high time for a revolutionary tool that can empower borrowers yet still benefit lenders. NameYourLoan.com has answered the need with the launch of a new online mortgage auction site designed to give consumers access to an increasing mortgage lenders network to ultimately obtain great online mortgage loans.“For centuries, auctions have been the most efficient and effective way to get the best deals in everything,” says Al Salahi, President and CEO of NameYourLoan.com. “Why not have auctions for all mortgage loan types?” NameYourLoan.com is an online community where borrowers can easily connect with the best mortgage lenders. Lenders compete with one another in an online auction to win the borrower’s business. As numerous lenders submit loan offers, the site enables consumers to see “apples to apples”, compare mortgage interest rates and achieve the lowest rate mortgage online such as the best home equity loan rate or home refinance loan.

The site’s sophisticated computer system compiles and calculates all the information submitted by lenders (interest rates, points, fees, terms, etc.) and then ranks loan offers, based on their true worth relative to the borrower’s stated preferences (lowest rate, lowest fees or best combination of rates and fees). This simplified process gives borrowers a coherent presentation of information without having to do the math themselves.

Unlike other online mortgage comparison shopping services, only those lenders who come out at the top of the auction with the lowest interest rates and fees get a chance at the borrower’s business. Moreover, borrowers can invite their friend or relative lender to participate in the borrower’s auction quickly and without cost. Lenders who refuse to participate are most likely high priced and not the best mortgage lenders.

“Through advanced technology, we are starting to make haggling and deceptive lending tactics a thing of the past,” explains Salahi. “At the same time, we are transforming a generally stressful and complicated process into a very pleasant and easy experience for borrowers. Our multiple bid auction format, coupled with constant consumer feedback, will make it easy for us to weed out dishonest lenders—and hopefully put them out of business!”

Use of NameYourLoan.com is completely free for borrowers. Borrowers are under no obligation to accept any of the online mortgage loans offered in the auction. To protect against identity theft and fraud, site users are never asked for sensitive information, and lenders that receive multiple consumer complaints will be barred from future auctions.

For more information, visit NameYourLoan.com.
About NameYourLoan.com:

NameYourLoan.com is the world’s first online mortgage auction, designed to advance the lending process by helping honest and competitive lenders grow their business, and at the same time, make it possible for borrowers to instantaneously reach multiple lenders and receive competitive loan offers online, in an auction format. NameYourLoan.com uses a patent-pending concept powered by sophisticated proprietary software that has been developed by a number of technology heavyweights from the Fortune 500 arena.

Now I know your thinking this site is probably just like some of the others, or you want to go local with your mortgage, well unfortunately most of the time the local idea is great but doesn’t work. My mother did that and recently they moved her mortgage to a bank in Arizona, she had no say in the move and is now stuck trying to pay this bill on time without the use of a credit card.

So if your looking for a mortgage or a remortgage at least check this site out and give it a chance.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I hate to say it, but it looks like the housing market will get much worse before it gets better. Right now my advice to anyone looking to sell there home is check to see what is going on in your area. I know the area I am in is not doing well at all and has been that way for 2 years. My mother is trying to sell our old home and has finally rented it. So she will be riding this out. If you live in a hard to sell area this may be an option for you if your plan on getting another home, either locally or out of state. Just make sure you have someone around to check on the home for you.

If you do live in an area where homes are still selling well, yes there are still a few of those places. My advice to you is to make sure your home is well cleaned and staged. I don’t have pictures to give you ideas, but you can always check out the wonderful HGTV website. I’m sure they will have something great for you to look at. The main things you want to watch for when selling your home is how much sunlight gets in, the more the better. How big it looks, get rid of big bulky furniture in small rooms and paint all rooms a neutral color. I know you love bright red, but it just will not sell your home to anyone who doesn’t.

I don’t claim to be a real estate expert, but this is something I’m watching. As a design student the hope of me finding work does depend alot on the economy and more on the housing market. If people can’t buy food or gas, they can’t afford a designer either.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

If you don’t have a garage already you may want to look into getting one. It really can help up the value of your home and help you get though those cold winters and hot summers. Of course if you prefer you could always just use car covers for your vehicles but you would still have to clean all that snow off and it wouldn’t help the value of your home.

Garages are something that people really look for in a home. Right now the big thing is to have one that is big enough for a boat or even an RV. These are the toy’s people are buying and if your looking to sell your home, a lack of a garage may be a deal breaker.

If your handy and a do it yourself person, there are many garage kits you can buy and you can build the garage yourself, make sure to check your local building codes first so that you don’t start building and find out that you can’t. This would be the cheep and best way to build a garage as you should get most of that money back.

Right now is a good time to just improve your home if your in an area that is not selling well, this will help with not only your home value, but it may help improve the value of the homes around you.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

There are many things you can do for your home that will make it look more appealing from the curb. Many of you know this as curb appeal. This can help increase the value of your home and other homes around you, making it easier to sell and to refinance.

Sometimes it’s just little things that can make your curb appeal better. Adding a personalized doormat can make your home more inviting and make people want to come in and visit. Of course you may just want a generic one if your trying to sell your home.

If your not trying to sell it but are just trying to make it look better for yourself. You may want to spruce up your home front exterior by getting a custom address plate. Not only do these look good but they tell a visitor that they have reached the right place. I personally hate it when homes don’t have numbers on them that you can see from the street. A custom plate can show both the address and your name. That way your guest know there in the right spot. Of course if your looking to sell your home, this again would not be a great idea, but there are address signs and other types of address accessories you can buy that are perfect for selling a home.

The last little tip I have for you is simple and really should already be done at your home. General maintenance is the key to your home looking good. Keep that yard clean and make sure the siding and windows are kept clean also. Paint your home every few years to keep it looking good and fresh.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Right now the real estate market is in horrible shape. It’s hard to buy or sell a home but you can still do home improvements to help the resale value of your home. This is a great idea right now as things are going to be cheaper since there not able to sell as much as they use to.

There are many ways to fix up your home, but some things such as kitchens and bathrooms can get expensive. Right now Home Equity Loans are in great supply and can really help you in the remodeling department. Please remember to make sure you can actually afford the loan you are taking. Using sites with mortgage calculators can help you out and really put that investment into perspective. Remember if you are looking to remodel for resale think about when you will be selling and what the general public likes and dislikes. If your doing it for yourself invest in energy saving it will help you in the long run.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!