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Steps to Buy a House

The Steps to Buy a House involve several aspects, and here’s a simplified explanation of how it typically works:

  1. Saving for a Down Payment: The first step is to save money for a down payment. This is a portion of the total price of the house that you need to pay upfront. Saving for a down payment might take some time, but it’s an important part of the process.
  2. Understanding Your Budget: Before you start looking for a house, it’s essential to determine how much you can afford. Consider your income, expenses, and any existing debts you have. This will help you figure out a comfortable budget for your home purchase.
  3. Getting Pre-approved for a Mortgage: Unless you’re buying a house outright with cash, you’ll likely need a mortgage, which is a loan specifically for purchasing a home. To get pre-approved for a mortgage, you’ll need to provide some financial information to a bank or lender. They’ll assess your financial situation and let you know how much they are willing to lend you.
  4. Finding a Real Estate Agent: A real estate agent is a professional who helps you find a house that suits your needs and budget. They have access to listings and can guide you through the buying process. Look for a reputable agent who understands your requirements.  If you are reading this post – then you are already on the way to finding your Best Realtor of choice! 😉
  5. House Hunting: With the help of your real estate agent, you can start looking for houses that match your preferences. Consider factors like location, size, amenities, and price. Visit different properties, take notes, and ask questions to gather information.
  6. Making an Offer: When you find a house you like, you can make an offer to the seller. Your real estate agent will help you with this process. You negotiate the price and terms of the purchase, including any contingencies (such as inspections or repairs) that need to be met.
  7. Home Inspection: Before finalizing the purchase, it’s crucial to get a professional home inspection. An inspector will examine the house for any potential problems or repairs needed. This will help you make an informed decision about whether to proceed with the purchase or negotiate repairs with the seller.
  8. Closing the Deal: Once you’re satisfied with the inspection results and have secured your financing, you’re ready to close the deal. This involves signing legal documents, including the mortgage agreement and the deed, which transfers ownership to you. You’ll also need to pay closing costs, which include fees for various services related to the transaction.
  9. Moving In: Congratulations! After closing the deal and receiving the keys, you can move into your new home. You may need to arrange for utilities, such as electricity, water, and internet service, and make any necessary updates or repairs to personalize your space.

Remember, buying a house is a significant financial decision, so take your time, ask questions, and seek advice from professionals along the way.

 

Boxabl as the Future of Housing

Boxabl as the Future of Housing -presents with a unique housing product that is price / quality and timing sensitive to the current needs in communities… we just need to get our Community Leaders onboard to adjust zoning and permitting to allow the use of this housing alternative.

Knowing that we are now hearing about the “housing crisis” and that there is a shortage of homes for sale across the country, and especially in our local communities – housing alternatives are NEEDED.

Want more information?  Ask Tammy for details or feel free to explore with these links:

Boxabl housing logo

And View Video for more details:   BOXABL VIDEO

 

Buying a Home isn’t Rocket Science

Although buying a home isn’t rocket science, although it can feel overwhelming… we are here to help you along the way!

Getting in contact with us early is very helpful to the process and unlike searching online for homes and loans – we promise not to bombard your phone and email with SPAM.  Have you looked online and seen a house that catches your eye – and in an honest (innocent) effort thought clicking “more info” was the better to get answers??  Likely then, you also have been hit up with a BUNCH of phone calls / emails that suddenly you feel inclined to turn everything off and never search again online!?

WE know the feeling = as Realtors it seems EVERYONE has something to sell us LOL.  So we respect the right you have to search online for homes – and we assist with giving you specific emails about new listings or homes that update status / price to fit your needs – and only those emails are what we will send.  You could also sign up for our newsletter – which is only generated at the first of each month, but again – delivery is specific to your request for the information and if that ever changes, you can opt out.

Online lenders that try to “sell” you the idea of also giving you HOME SEARCHES – is SELLING YOUR INFO TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER AGENT and not necessarily the right Realtor for You 😉

Reach out and call / text or email Tammy directly for your personal Real Estate experience to begin (without the hassle of being SPAMMED).

Jobs Ohio Quarterly Update Meeting

Participating in the Jobs Ohio Quarterly Update meeting and hearing wonderful news about the progress of our state is an exciting opportunity.

“Ohio is a Special Place”  (nothing new to me – of course I already know and believe this!)

The diversity of our state is helping to drive the various job sectors GROWTH, the vibrancy of our communities and the future potential we can take hold of and claim.  All that being said, there is a challenge, as Lt Governor Husted stated, “We need to begin to address HOUSING” – and the low inventory levels we have had now for the last four years have added to that need.

Hear the report for yourself : https://www.jobsohio.com/about-us/meetings-and-financials/board-meetings-and-materials

It is time for our communities to OPEN their thinking and planning requirements to fast-track the housing process, so that more construction can take place; BUT, it is also time to expand housing alternatives!  We must allow alternative housing structures / zoning to include: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs); Tiny Homes; Pre-fab / Manufactured Housing; not to mention the ability for multi-generational living and vertical living.

Easy for me to say?  YES – because I have been actively working in the industry of Real Estate since 2001.  I take this business seriously and know the impact HOUSING has on everyday quality of life, the opportunities it presents to people and more importantly – the impact it has on our communities overall.  I care about and want to assist in whatever way possible, so that the right path forward can be forged for all.  We have to address the supply of housing to begin to address the cost of housing and the circle of real estate cycles continues!!  Why are our communities making decisions about housing WITHOUT having Active Realtor participation?  Our Associations and committees would gladly help to answer the questions, direct the focus that is needed and to even participate and volunteer to be included in their discussions – yet many in leadership merely serve their time and pass the buck to the next party.  Without an answer to the question of housing – we cannot address the other necessary topics (affordability, homelessness, blighted redevelopment, incoming job growth) all of which should be just as important for community leaders to begin addressing as well 😉

I am not “just a Realtor” I AM YOUR ADVOCATE for property rights and opportunities.  I help people to buy, sell and invest in what is typically their LARGEST SINGLE AND MOST EXPENSIVE FINANCIAL ASSETT and I do this with integrity and with the client’s best interest at heart.  Seems to me – I might be that person who would be good to have a part of the planning??? At least I am willing to make myself available and help dive into the process with you!

I’ve been talking about topics that are now starting to “trend” but I was saying it LONG before – and I believe alternative housing is going to be the necessary, next thing.  Soon I will get to report on a factory tour for a prefab manufacturing facility in our area, and I am planning to venture out West to tour another facility – because I know how important this next step is for people and for our communities.  WATCH for updates and I’ll be sure to share my thoughts and findings with you 😉

 

Festival Season is Here !

Festival Season is Here !  With the nicer days of spring leading into the summer stretch – we know that EVERY WEEKEND and just about EVERY COMMUNITY has something special to offer YOU.  Not sure what Festival to attend??  You may want to checkout a few of our highlights from last season – to get a feel of the festivals and communities – and to pick the one best for YOU!

TIPP CITY MUM FESTIVAL

BEAVERCREEK POPCORN FESTIVAL

WAYNESVILLE SAUERKRAUT FESTIVAL

Or maybe you feel like taking a nice leisurely drive through one of the surrounding counties?  Preble County has some amazing scenic bridges that are worth seeing, along the way enjoy food in local restaurants and see a bit of the slow lane of life 😉 COVERED BRIDGES TOUR OF PREBLE COUNTY

And last, but certainly not least – don’t forget to check out a few of the FIVE RIVER METRO PARKS for water activities, bike trails and MORE – like – the WEGERZYN GARDENS & CHILDRENS PARK

Emergency Preparedness – helpful tips and ideas

Emergency Preparedness: Why It Matters and How to Stay Ahead of the Unexpected”

Understanding the importance of emergency preparedness is often overlooked until a crisis is looming. However, taking the time to develop an emergency plan can be invaluable. As we enter this time of year, it’s worth considering the “what if” scenarios and creating a concrete plan, hoping, of course, that it will never be needed.

While some may perceive my family’s preparedness efforts as excessive, we have found peace of mind in taking certain precautions. From having a readily accessible “go bag” in our car to maintaining emergency food storage and stocking a backpack with essential items like a flashlight, weather radio, granola bars, and water, we have made deliberate choices to ensure we are ready. We have even discussed establishing a designated check-in point during vacations to prevent separation anxiety. Despite any minor inconveniences, the sense of preparedness we have achieved far outweighs any perceived obsessions.

When our area had the massive outbreak of tornadoes during Memorial Weekend 2019, it was a flash back to the Xenia tornado in my mind.  2019 was worse – because it affected a wide range of our communities and had far more impact to our housing and roads and normal activities, for a much longer time due to then the onset of Covid.

Fires in California, massive snow storms across many states, now rain and flooding – it isn’t necessarily the apocalypse but it sure is enough to make a person a think “WHAT IF”.

Personally, I suffered a total loss of a home and know that there are some things you cannot plan for nor expect and it certainly can take time to re-build from a point zero position after such a loss.  In the end, if all we loose is material “things” – then we can count ourselves among the lucky.  I was blessed to have had friends and co-workers assist with their prayers and well wishes and clothing donations, with insurance to take care of other necessities.  But I did take away from that experience a plan of action to at least try and be prepared or willing to plan when situations may present for action.

Here are just a few things that might help you 😉

Having a “go bag” is a great idea – I think of it as a what if I needed to make a quick run out of the home to another location – what would I need.  Nothing big and bulky, but a quick change of clothes, important documents or small treasured things that might be nice to have (something that can “ground” you in an otherwise chaotic or challenging time).  I have that bag packed and ready to grab – at times, I have kept this in the back of my vehicle as I maybe felt that was a step more proactive.  If you have multiple family members in your care – this may mean multiple bags, so decide accordingly.

 

When you see pictures / video of tornado destruction – you might be struck by how “explosive” the scene looks, everything scattered and who knows if anything can actually be salvaged.  I’ve thought about this and think that a good “attempt” to try and save some things may happen in a couple of ways: packing that luggage you have stashed in the garage – with actual clothes you might need, documents, keepsakes. I mean, they won’t take up any more room if they are filled with these things – so why not at least have a bag (or two or three) packed for the “what if”.  Good to have your contact information inside of the bag, on the outside or with a luggage tag – in the hopes that if it is blown away (as a whole) that you stand a good chance of being able to claim / recover when found.

 

We all have important documents that we don’t want to carry around with us, but if we lost them – we’d have a hard time replacing them as quickly as they might be needed… If you have a water resistant pouch / bag that you can keep these documents in – placing them inside the dishwasher or refrigerator may help secure these from blowing away or burning in a fire.  Now that of course means you at least are having a little heads up about a situation – but some of the household appliances seem to fair pretty well, at least by being intact – therefore some chance of these being protected.  Of course, a fire safe / lock box is also well advised protocols.

Speaking of protocols – SCANNING any documents you have that can then be pulled from computer access or even your phone is a good thing to do.  If you do not have the ability to “scan” documents, I am happy to provide this as a service for you, you can take them all on a zip drive and feel better prepared.

The other thing I learned (the hard way) was to have PICTURES / VIDOE of the household – of closets full of clothes, shoes and things; the drawers, the things you just won’t think about having accumulated – until potentially too late when you are trying to “make a list” after the fact.  Having some record of inventory of things will help you to know what insurance claim to make, what items to look for and eventually those things that you may want to replace.  (Also good to have on that zip drive with your documents)

Our hope is not to cause panic for anyone by talking about emergency preparedness – but to hopefully prompt you in advance of a potential loss to be better equipped for the situation. Really narrowing down those items that are most important to have on hand / secure in the event of gaining safety is a great first step.

Red Cross has additional information available here: redcross.org/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies