Resources for Buyers

Northern California-Bay Area

Josh Zielinski, Alain Pinel Realtors

Buyer and Sellers agent specializing in the purchase and marketing of local properties and estates. Serving Pleasanton, San Ramon, and the Tri-Valley area.

925.594.0126

www.joshzielinski.com

My Profile

1st Nations Mortgage Corp  www.EZadvantagegroup.com

Best Service - Lowest Rates!!!

Reverse Mortgage   www.EZreverse.com

Helping Seniors Live Stress Free!

Buy Buffalo-Niagara

http://zannavaida.realtyusa.com

ALL of FLORIDA Fabulous Homes & Condos

ALL of FLORIDA plus Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Miami, Miami Beach, Vero Beach, Delray, Manalapan, Boynton, Jupiter, Stuart, Naples, Fort Myers, ......

ALL of FLORIDA Fabulous Homes & Condos

Southeastern Michigan Foreclosure Deals - If you are considering purchasing a foreclosure in Southeastern Michigan be sure to read the report available here.  The report will help prevent surprises at or after closing.  Many people purchase foreclosures and then find out later that they really didn't get a very good deal at all.  If you are in Southeastern Michigan this site can also provide you with FREE lists of foreclosures.

GetPreQualified.com

Mortgage, Real Estate, Credit, Debt & Financially
Related Questions! No Kidding! Great tools and resources on mortgage qualification, managing your debt, credit repair, real estate guidance. 

PropertyNut.com - one brilliant way to advertise your properties!

- Exposes advertisers properties in an aggressive and unique way

- 85% of real estate buyers start their real estate search on the internet.

- Most agents report they are unprepared to be internet marketing specialists. - PropertyNut is the Agent to buyer connection 
PropertyNut is your personal internet real estate marketing company doing all the work to get YOU and YOUR PROPERTY in front of real estate buyers FAST! 

Buy A Home In Central Florida:

www.centralfloridahomesource.com

GETTING READY TO BUY

General Resources

Zillow Resources

 So you'll know the difference between the Macs and the Maes (Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, and FHA).
 Before you start shopping, find out what homes are worth in your favorite neighborhoods; it will save you time.
 Learn about home value trends in top cities.

Other Online Resources

 Obtain your free credit report annually.
Obtain your score: This site charges a fee, but it might be worth it to have all your ducks in a row.  

Credit Repair - Company that helps many loan borrowers with bad credit
establish an excellent crediting rating by cleaning their credit history.

HUD Web site: This site provides information on housing basics, first-time buyer grants, and links to state and local offices near you.

Mortgage Guidance: This site makes lenders answer questions regarding your mortgage terms and then puts your terms in a free Side-by-Side Mortgage Report. For a fee you can have a mortgage analyst warn you to mortgage terms that maybe dangerous to your financial situation.

The First-Time HomeBuyer magazine: This site is an unbiased educational resource written for potential home buyers who have little or no experience buying a house. It includes an article index with great information on many facets of the homeownership process.

Massachusetts Home Buyer Guide: This real estate site provides Massachusetts home buyers with home-buying tips, housing market news and the latest on mortgages and interest rates.
 

Real Estate Attorneys:  Although often overlooked, a good real estate attorney can be a valuable resource. In addition to providing many of the same contract-related services as a real estate agent, an attorney is the proper professional if your transaction involves more complex issues such as creating or terminating easements or owner financing. 

For purchase and sale transactions, many attorneys will work with a buyer or seller on a flat fee or consultation basis which is usually considerably less costly than a traditional 6% commission. Plus, a real estate attorney has no financial incentive in the advice they provide beyond the fee charged, unlike real estate agents or brokers. Thus, a good real estate attorney can provide valuable, unbiased, and completely independant advice to a prospective buyer or seller.

You can look up real estate attorneys on Avvo, a service that rates and profiles all lawyers in a growing number of states. You can also post real estate questions on Avvo and get free answers from attorneys.
 

FIGURING OUT WHERE TO BUY

Zillow Resources

For information on market trends in an area, be sure to look at Zillow's city heat maps and also local Zindex(tm) market trends. The maps show how valuations fluctuate in an area, and the Zindexes show you whether market trends are on the way up or down.

Local Zindexes: Enter your ZIP code or area to see market trends.   

Neighborhood Information

Freddie Mac: Web site of the government-chartered corporation that provides funding to lenders in the housing market. Click on Worksheets (Under Calculators and Tools) to view forms about neighborhoods and budgets.  

Crime Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics: Web site of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs. Click on the Bureau of Justice Statistics link or go to http://bjsdata.ojp.usd .. ... aonline/ for statistics on crimes reported by state and local agencies.

Commute Times

U.S. Census: Provides a variety of data on commuting. Go to www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Ranking/2003/pdf/R04T160.pdf for average commute times for most major metropolitan areas in the U.S. (More detailed data can often be found on the Web sites for specific cities and metropolitan areas.)  

Home Amenities

Freddie Mac: Web site of the government-chartered corporation that provides funding to lenders in the housing market. Click on Worksheets (Under Calculators and Tools) to view forms about needs vs. wants, appliance life spans, and other home-buying issues.  

Foreclosures and Fixer-Uppers

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Primary government source on the ins and outs of foreclosure sales. Click on http://www.hud.gov/hom .. ... sale.cfm for detailed information and links to specific properties for sale.  

National Association of the Remodeling Industry: Click on the Home Owners button to access articles on everything from improving natural light to surviving a remodel.

Sheriff Sales Online: A local foreclosure information service that covers the entire process from Lis Pendens to Forecosure Auction in New Jersey and New York.

MassForeclosed.com: This site publishes Massachusetts and national foreclosure data and news, and you can request for free listings for bank-owned properties and short sales.

ForeclosureConnections.com: Nationwide real estate news and foreclosure information including thousands of foreclosure homes for sale.

ForeclosureDataBank.com: Bank Foreclosures Database.

E-ForeclosureSeach.com: Foreclosed Homes Listings Search.

Southeastern Michigan Foreclosures - Click Here to request free lists of foreclosures in Southeastern Michigan.  If you are also interested in Short Sales indicate it on your request and you can also get lists of short sale opportunities.  There are many real estate bargans in Southeastern Michigan, starting here will help you find the bargans.

Your two key sources of help in putting together your purchase offer are your real estate agent and/or a good real estate attorney. If you've picked a good agent, he or she will serve as a master coordinator, keeping all the pieces moving in the right direction and dealing resourcefully with the inevitable complications.

Directory of Real Estate Professionals

Probably the best way to find a good real estate attorney is to ask for personal referrals from friends and colleagues who have used one recently.

• Get several names and interview at least three, if possible. Most attorneys will oblige you with a free half-hour meeting for this purpose. For such an emotionally fraught transaction, you'll want to be sure that you and the lawyer are personally compatible. You'll also want to be sure that he or she will be readily available to review contracts and other paperwork on short notice. It will do you no good to have an attorney who is unreachable by phone or doesn't return calls for several days.
• If you strike out with personal referrals, you might try a lawyer referral service. However, you should ask the service what qualifications it uses for including an attorney and how carefully attorneys are screened. Again, you'll need to interview candidates to find one you can work with.

For Sale By Owner

Buy or Sell your next home commission free and save $1000's through America's Largest For Sale By Owner website, Owners.com.

Certified Public Accountant

Another professional who can be helpful in reviewing some of the terms of your offer is a certified public accountant. Again, personal referrals from friends and colleagues are the best way to find one.

General Resources

Department of Housing and Urban Development: A Web site maintained with the help of your tax dollars that has solid consumer-oriented information. 

Motley Fool: This Web site has some good negotiating advice as well.

Zillow Resources

Comparables: Use comparables for the house you are buying to justify your offer.

My Estimator: Save and print out your own estimate of the home's value using things you noticed when you went through the house.

HELP WITH CLOSING

No matter what, don't go to your closing alone. Have someone there to help you and be your advocate through these last details. The closing paperwork can be confusing and the closing agent wants to keep things moving along. But this is your last chance to ask questions and clarify what you don't understand.

Take your real estate agent or attorney, especially if you live in an area where buyer and seller closings happen in separate meetings.

The way you take title also dictates who else will be there - your spouse or partner, perhaps fellow investors.

General Resources

Department of  Housing and Urban Development: HUD has a complete guide to buying a home, including a 24-page booklet titled, "Buying Your Home, Settlement Costs and Useful Information." You can also download a set of HUD-1 forms to study.

Federal Consumer Information Center: This site has links to HUD information, but click on "housing" and "insurance" under Consumer Topics for additional sources.

Consumer Action Website: This site offers help on numerous subjects including housing and insurance.

Related Links

• FREE Short Real Estate Buyer's Videos
• Sell Real Estate Commission Free
• Home Buyers' Fearbusters
• First Time Home Buyer, Part I
• First Time Home Buyer, Part II
• Understanding Your Mortgage Options

External Resources

• Search Local Mortgage Rates
• Buy A Home with No Commissions!
• Save Money when You choose the Title Company