Family. Know the meaning.

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Family. Have you ever thought about that word? It’s a word that can mean many different things to a person. It does not always mean the same thing in every situation. Family could mean that it’s the people that surround you and that you are around simply because they are your blood; therefore, tying you to them in some way. Does this mean that you have the best relationships or that you are intentional to spend time with them? Maybe so; Maybe not.

Family could also be those people that you choose to be around, that you choose to do life with. The ones that have no blood relation at all, but have many things in common, so it’s a usually a great time every time you are together. This family is usually the family that you fight for time with; you make it a priority because it’s a choice.

Then there are other types of family. Work family, church family, gym family, sports family, and about a hundred other types of family…you get the point. Family is everywhere. It encompasses our lives and creeps in when we least expect it. Whatever you think about this word and the meaning behind it, there will be some impact on your life.

At Blue Ribbon, we have found our meaning behind family. It means knowing exactly who is apart of it and fighting daily to make sure that we don’t take them for granted. We build our homes with our family in mind. From the details in the plans on the layout, ceiling height, location, schools, and right down to the spacing of furniture placement once the home is finished. We want our homes to be of great quality and value. We know that purchasing a home is most likely the largest investment that a person will make in their lifetime and we want it to be of great return. We want them to find a place that they can call home and begin, themselves, to find their meaning behind the word FAMILY.

How To Get More Value When Buying A Home

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A majority of people who are buying a home may miss out on many great options. This is because they may not like the furniture, paint colors or the wall paper of the house. In their disapproval of the temporary things, they end up missing out on the characteristics of the home that give it the value they may be looking for.

What most sellers forget is that buyers are picky and want something that gives them value for their money. As such, it is important that the seller gets rid of all the clutter in a home in order to add to its value. As a buyer, you need to scrutinize the house you are buying beyond its outward appearance. Here is a list of the things that you should look out for to ensure that you get the most value for your money.

1. Is the neighborhood good for you?
2. Is the house big enough for you?
3. Is there enough bedrooms and baths?
4. Is the electrical, plumbing and HVAC system working well?
5. Is the foundation ok?
6. Is the general appearance of the house up to your standards?
7. Is the price of the house right for its size, model and location?

To get real value out of a home, just consider the stuff that counts. Other cosmetic stuff such as the paint color and clutter are easy to fix, and you can even do them yourself. You can renovate the house and customize it to make it all yours. You can strip down the wallpaper, and redo the painting, rearrange the home and make it just what you wanted. If you have no time to go through the house and check its condition, or you do not know what to look out for to know that the plumbing is right; hire a house inspection agent. He or she will help you in identifying faulty places and even give reasons that you can use to bargain to get a better deal.

Most of the houses out there are valuable and can be a dream home for many. All the house needs to give you real value for your money is a little love, care and patience. In the long run you will have the home of your dreams at a valuable price.

Is it a bright idea to buy a family home?

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New and diversified forms of homes have sparkled the need and enticed people to buy family homes for their small to medium families. Depending on the kind of a family home that you choose, you will realize various benefits and advantages of having your own home over renting. Here are the advantages that come with owning a family home:

  1. You have control over the space as it is all yours. With owning a home, you could be having a huge backyard where you can spend time with your family, playing games with your kids and your pets, and holding barbecues.
  2. You are no longer governed by any rules other than your city and local rules. When renting, you have a list of do’s and don’ts for tenants to ensure peace and order is maintained at all times.
  3. You can change the inside and the outside of the home to make it be what you want. You can do this by adding a splash of color to your walls, changing the landscape outside of the home, and even go as far to change the flooring options within the home.
  4. Owning a home also may come with features such as a security system, wireless video and sound systems, multi car garage, and a gated or ungated neighborhood depending with your preference.
  5. You can choose to buy a family home that has a bigger lot so you can add a personal swimming pool, large covered patio, or even an outdoor kitchen.
  6. On top of giving you value for your money, your own home will always have a higher resale value if it is well taken care of and maintained.
  7. You have many options if you no longer want to live there. You have the option of selling it at a profit, leasing, or renting it out.

Your family’s welfare is your priority. For that reason, you need to ensure that the home that you are buying is the right one for you and your family. The type of a family home that you will buy is highly dependent on the finances available. Even if you buy a home with the intention of staying there for years on end, it is important to note that things do change and life happens. As such, it would be wise to maintain your home in good order and condition, this will help you the day you feel the need to sell, lease or rent it out to someone else.

How To Get The Best Value When Buying A Home

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Buying a home has always been an intimidating process whether you are buying it for the first or fifth time. The excitement and anticipation with a majority makes them forget the real issues to look out for in buying a home to ensure that they get value for their money. Buying a home can be a permanent or a semi-permanent decision depending on the individual.

In order to get a valuable house, you first need to examine your finances. Look at your credit rating, your total monthly income, and your current and near future expenses. Also, consider the fact that owning a home can be a little more expensive compared to renting. Maintenance and upkeep costs will also be added to your monthly expenses. Decide the type of a house you want depending on the available income, and the size of your family, without forgetting to set some funds aside for savings.

The second step in ensuring you get the best value when purchasing a home is exploring your credit options. Contact the available lenders and compare their interest rates, as well as, their repayment periods. This information will come in handy when negotiating for the interest rate on your home loan. Once the house financing is secured, then you can settle in for the fun part, house hunting.

In order to maximize on the value that you will get from your home, write down three major lists which include must have items, want to have features, and finally features you are not interested in. For example, you can decide that you want at least a three bedroomed house, a large kitchen, and a nicely fenced backyard. A nice large formal dining room would be nice but not necessary, and you could also want a garden tub in the master suite but you can live without it. By listing things down this way, you save on time and energy when looking at homes.

To maximize on the value for your new home, do not first settle on the first home that you identify. Instead, maximize your search to various quarters such as real estate listings, foreclosures, and local real estate agents. By so doing, you will be able to have several options to consider before making your final decision. In the end, you will have found the perfect fit for your family and your budget as well.

Essential Needs Of A Trustworthy Partner When Buying A Home

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Buying a home is a potentially rewarding decision, but it also comes about with its fair share of hazards. The problem with these hazards is how expensive they can get, having in mind the cost of the home itself. As such, finding a person whom you can trust in the business of buying a home is essential. When handling these transactions, you do not only require a professional, but also a trustworthy partner who will hold your hand every step of the way. This is exactly what the builder you choose should do.

A first time homebuyer needs to make multiple decisions and important ones for that matter. For instance, when buying a home, a person should be planning to stay in that home for a minimum of three years. Buying a home and then quickly selling it off within no time is a risky process. This is also true even in markets where prices shoot up. This is because the transaction costs incurred during the whole process will be more than the equity realized within a relatively short length of time. For this reason, you need a construction company and agency that you can trust. With the builder you choose you should expect nothing but the best homes in terms of quality, value, and standards. Giving you a good home should be their number one priority to ensure that you get value for what you paid.

Another area that makes you need a trustworthy seller is credit facilities and financing options. Almost everyone who wants to invest in buying a home either takes out a loan or a mortgage to pay for the house. Your credibility to that loan officer is pegged on your ability to make good on your commitments and abilities. As you struggle to get the financing in hand, your builder should be busy making it easy for you to buy a home. They should allow you a commendable rate and even cash financing as soon as possible in order to close the deal.

The last thing that homebuyers really struggle with if they do not find a trusting agency is the ability to shop for a home within their budget. Your builder should give you options of different houses that can easily fit your budget. No one wants their clients unhappy or stressed as a result a huge debt loan. You also do not want to spend your entire life paying for a mortgage. It is always a good idea to have a trustworthy person to start with, since they can also help you in selling the home off once you are done using it.

Buying A Family Home

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At some point in your life, you will one day outgrow your starter home. This will make your local real estate listings and newspaper ads your new best friend while searching for a new family home. There are various reasons why people need a family home. Some of the reasons being you either have an expansion of your family in kids and pets, or you have bought a lot of stuff, or you no longer want to pay rent. Whatever your reason, you can count on a relator or builder to help you in finding an ideal family home.

A majority of the people often compromise and settle for less when buying their first family home. This could be because of the difficulties experienced while starting to look for your first family home. Often times, first homes will be town-homes, condos or small single family dwellings.

If you are upgrading your family home, then you will most likely be looking at getting a single family home. This means more privacy, and you no longer have to deal with agitated neighbors or irritating noises from the home next door. They also offer more space in form of yards and outdoor patio living where your kids and the pets have plenty of space to play and enjoy the outdoors.

Before buying a family home, there are a few important things that you may want to consider.
1. Is the home close to amenities that you will want to use frequently like parks, recreation centers, shopping etc?
2. How close is the home to your job and/or is the commute easy?
3. Is the home in the school district you would want to be in?

Buying a family upgrade home can present challenges that you had not foreseen. But with the help of a realtor or builder you should be able to buy your starter house within a reasonable time and a fair price and move onto your new family home.

3 Simple Things To Do Before Buying Your New Home

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You must have been thinking about purchasing a home for a while now. Unlike what most people think, home buying is a simple process and it should not be stressful. It should be a joy. In order to get the home of your dreams, hassle free, you should do the following:

1. Research the home buying processes, as knowledge is power.
a. Assess your ability to purchase a home.
b. Learn how to obtain the necessary funds to buy a home.
c. Learn how to search and identify an ideal home.
d. Learn ways in which the government can help you buy a new home.

2. Contact a professional and experienced real estate broker or agent and ask the following questions:
a. How many houses can I view at once?
b. What are the best things to look for in a home?
c. When looking at a home, what do I need to know?
d. Does what I want line up with what my Realtor shows me?

3. Talk to your spouse/person you are buying a home with, so that you can get on the same page as to exactly what you want in a home so that your wishes are clearly laid out, which will cause less confusion and stress during the process of looking for a home.

Once you are done with the research part, you will know exactly what your budget is and what you want to look for in a home. At this point your real estate agent will help you find a house and complete the entire legal requirements in buying a home. A real estate agent has the knowledge, experience, training and expertise to make your home buying fast, efficient and simple. The real estate agent that you hire should do all the leg work for you. They should constantly update you of the houses that suit your requirements and make appointments for you to go and see the houses that you are interested in.

When you finally identify the home that you are interested in, your real estate agent should assist you in the bidding and negotiating process. At this point the seller is the one who pays the broker, therefore, this will be a free service to you as the buyer.

Finally, buying a home is one of the most exciting experiences in one’s lifetime. It therefore, should be easy, simple and straightforward. Congratulations and Good luck!

Moving from Renting to Owning a Home

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Moving from Renting to Owning a Home
If you strongly feel that you should own a house rather than just pay rent to a landlord, the first question you should ask yourself is WHY? Renting is often more expensive than getting a mortgage! Although you could be dreaming of owning your home, there are challenges that will come up along the way. When these challenges occur, you will need a partner is trustworthy and patient in home owning process. This partner is no other than Blue Ribbon.
Listed below are some of the major challenges that people experience;
1. Previous bad tax advice for a few years leaving your tax account in arrears and no bank will give you a mortgage until you clear up tax arrears but you still want to work towards owning a home in the future.
2. I recently filed for divorce but I don’t want to acquire any new assets before the divorce settles but I still want to work towards owning a home in the future.
3. I recently had to file for bankruptcy & while I wait to be discharged, I still want to work towards owning a home in the future.
4. I lost my job and got behind on paying my bills & credit cards so my credit score has dropped below the level where a bank will give me a mortgage but I still want to work towards owning a home in the future.”
5. I just started a new business but don’t have the 2 or 3 yrs of history to show to the banks but I have good cash-flow & I want to work towards owning a home in the future.
All five reasons noted above are legitimate & common occurrences in today’s economic times. Now the second question is: “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO START FINDING A SOLUTION?”
If the answer is “NOTHING” then expect to have to complete more steps in your process to get to the place where you can qualify for a home loan.
If you have done nothing the first thing you will need to do is to submit a complete budget showing all income & expenses for your household. You will also need to show a list of all the things that you own that have value & the dollar values as well as a list of all your current bills, debts & credit cards. You will need to submit this to a mortgage broker with whom you will work to improve your credit situation over the course of the next 1 to 5 yrs.
If one of the above reasons are your reasons for not pursuing home ownership, you are ready to get help. Renting is more expensive than owning a home. Are you ready to get the best value in owning a home with Blue Ribbon?