Pearl River County Homes – Picayune MS Real Estate

Buying a home is often a stressful process, because it is usually the single largest purchase of your life. Even if it isn’t your first house, it’s easy to make a mistake that costs you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Here are three common mistakes to avoid.

1. Paying Too Much

This isn’t about over-paying for a particular home. That mistake is tough to make if you will be borrowing to buy. An appraisal will be done, and the lender will probably refuse to lend enough for you to buy an over-priced house.

The common mistake here is following the advice of real estate agents, lenders and even your friends and family, who will often encourage you to buy a more expensive home than you can afford. They may call it an “investment” and claim that real estate always goes up in value, so you should get as much as you can. Of course, recent history shows that home values don’t always go up, and this kind of thinking has a lot of families facing foreclosure now.

Buy what you feel comfortable with. If you can’t easily make the payments, even after a short layoff from work, you may be overextending yourself. And watch out for lenders “solutions” to this problem (see number 2).

2. Trusting Lenders

I am not suggesting that lenders are all out to get you, or that you should look at them suspiciously, but they are not necessarily looking out for your best interest. That’s your job. Their’s is to sell loans. Buying a home normally requires buying a loan too, and as we can see now (2008), many loans are not suitable if you want a secure future. While there are sometimes good reasons for interest-only, adjustable-rate, and zero-down loans, most of the time these should be avoided.

Never mind what a lender recommends or suggests. Ask him only for facts, and do your own math. If the rate on your loan goes from 5% to 10%, what will the payments be? Can you easily afford that? If not, you are taking a risk that may not be justified.

3. Trusting Real Estate Agents

When you are buying a home, the real estate agent who helps you, like the lender, has his own agenda. It isn’t that he or she doesn’t wish you the best, but they wish even more for their own families, so the primary goals is to sell something. Also, unless the agent is explicitly working for you, she has a fiduciary responsibility to work against you if that is what is best for the seller. In other words, if she thinks you will pay more because of a comment you make, she must pass that information on to the home owner.

Even a buyer’s agent can be biased. It is nice to think that they are working for you, but they still only get paid (typically) when a sale is made. That’s a pretty motivation to push you into a home fast, whether or not it’s the best one for you.

Pay attention to whether an agent is really showing you the houses that suit your needs, rather than the ones that he or she would buy. Many real estate agents don’t listen very well, and will show you what they think you want, rather than asking you more questions. They can lead you to buy a house that doesn’t suit your needs or costs more than you want.

One final note about real estate agents: They are not experts on all things. In fact, some are barely an expert on anything. I have met agents who didn’t understand a simple seller-financing offer, and others who suggested that cracks in foundations were “no big deal,” though they knew nothing about construction. Unless an agent has specific experience in an area, take what they say with a grain of salt, and seek out other counsel.

Buying a home that actually is right for you starts with avoiding the three mistakes above.

If you have ever wondered how to buy foreclosure homes, you might be surprised at how easy and how much fun it is. Most people who are in the market to buy a home don’t know how to do it, so they don’t even look any further into it. Their loss is your gain. When you learn how to acquire them you will be a step ahead of all of the other home buyers in your area who don’t know how and therefore won’t be bidding on them against you.
There are books in the library on how to buy it that you can check out and read up on all of the tips and tricks of buying foreclosure homes. You can also search the internet for tips that can be very helpful. Most importantly, find out who is auctioning the foreclosure homes that you might be interested in bidding on and ask for the details and rules of the auction. These may be slightly different from the general rules you will find in a how to book or on the internet.
Once you have learned how to buy foreclosure homes and have made your first purchase, you will be able to help your friends and family through the process. Eventually you will feel like somewhat of an expert and you may decide to help others who are in the same situation that you are right now and build your own “how to buy foreclosure homes” web site. Foreclosure homes are usually sold at auction. There are online auctions and there are local auctions. You may have seen signs posted every so often in your town about a “sheriff’s auction”. This is likely an auction for a foreclosure home. There are also realtors and brokers who specialize in conduction foreclosure home auctions. Many of these brokers and realtors will put some of their foreclosure homes online for auction, too.
The basics of how to buy foreclosure homes is simply to find the home and to bid on it. If you place the winning bid, you pay for the home and it becomes yours. But there is a little more to it, and some of the details might be a little tricky to sort out. Make sure that you talk to someone who has experience in how to buy foreclosure homes before you place your first bid. If you will be the first person you know learning it, then you will need to learn the ins and outs of how to buy foreclosure homes on your own.

The real estate industry is reshaping a new market as a result of the real estate bubble burst and the sub-prime mortgage problem.  We are now witness to the emergence of a new phenomenon called a foreclosures home.

Investors and homeowners who can pass the stringent requirements of financial institutions may consider investing on a foreclosures home.  There are a lot of properties that are on the FHA foreclosure listings we can consider as “best buys.”  Another thing to watch out for is the impending occurrence of a second wave of foreclosures; this time in the prime property sector.

Best Practices When Buying Foreclosures Home

Buyers can follow either of three routes in buying foreclosures home.  One option would be to transact directly from the homeowners before the real property is foreclosed by the mortgage lender.  This approach is referred to as pre-foreclosures.

Another approach is through auction. Prospective home buyers are required to bid the highest to purchase a foreclosures home.

The third one involves direct transaction with the real estate company.

Buying Through Pre-Foreclosure

Pre-foreclosures can be an attractive approach under the following circumstances.  Prospective home buyers must have the available equity to close out the deal with the present owner of the real estate property.  You should also have access to complete information appertaining to the property; particularly the title, the mortgage structure and liens.

The owner of the home gives up his rights to the property by signing a deed in your favor.  You are in effect assuming the mortgage along with the rights to the real estate property.  You also have to pay all back payments or mortgage payments that are over due.

The auction approach may vary depending on the state where auctions of a foreclosures home are held.  It is essential to note at this point that this approach carries the heaviest risk.  This method, however, may also yield the greatest benefits to the winning bidder, as he stands to gain as much as 40% out of the transaction.

The downside of this approach is that buyers will not be able to do a thorough inspection of the property prior to the auction.  Winning bidders also have to pay in cash.  In some instances, you may also encounter problems with former owners of the property refusing to vacate the house.  In addition, you may also compete with real estate investors who are out to cash in on the purchase through resale as well.

Buying directly from the real estate company entails lesser risks when it comes to the actual condition of what you are buying.  You are afforded ample time to inspect the property.  You can also demand for a clean title and also add a stipulation in the contract that it is subject to getting a mortgage.  Brokers usually handle the sale of foreclosures home in behalf of the banks.  This approach is the safest amongst the three approaches, however, the downside would refer to lesser gains from the purchase of the foreclosures home.

Selecting the right method in buying foreclosures home would depend on the goals and circumstances of the buyer.

Buying a home is one of the most important and significant financial decisions that most people ever make. And because of the large sums of money that are involved, there are definite pitfalls and problems that you want to do your best to avoid as you make your decision.

One of the most common mistakes that many home buyers make is not getting pre-approved or pre-qualified for their mortgage loan in advance of starting their home shopping. As a result, if they put in an offer on a home at the same time that another prospective buyer makes an offer, and that buyer has been pre-qualified, the other buyer will almost always get the house because of having their financial arrangements already in order. So avoid this mistake by arranging for your mortgage loan in advance.

Another common mistake that is made is not enlisting the help of a qualified realtor in the home buying process. Buying a home these days is becoming more and more complex and involved. So having your own realtor who is looking out for your best interests and is knowledgeable about all the real estate requirements for your area can save a lot of headache and hassle.

Sometimes home buyers also rush into buying a home too soon. So its very important to take your time in the buying process, and not allow yourself to feel as if you are under pressure to buy a particular home quickly. New homes go on the market all the time, so be patient and you’ll be able to find a home you want, at the price you want, soon enough.

The opposite of that scenario can also be a big mistake. There are some home buyers who have such stringent requirements for their dream home, that they often pass up excellent homes that are very good bargains simply because their demands are unreasonably high. In a rising market, this can often cost them very dearly in the process. So although you may have very definite ideas about a home you would like to purchase, try to realize that some small compromises are usually necessary when buying a new home.

Sometimes home buyers get carried away emotionally and become attached to a home that is actually out of their price range too, and then saddle themselves with a huge debt that is difficult for them to pay. Most often financial institutions will help try to prevent such a situation, but buying restraint needs to start with the home buyer first. A good practice is never to even look at a home that falls outside of your affordable price range to begin with.

Whenever you are seriously looking at any home, be sure to inspect it thoroughly before you agree to the sale and sign the papers. It’s usually best to hire a quality home inspector on your own to go through the property and give you an unbiased assessment of its condition. If major problems are found, it can save you a lot of money by making this small investment.

One other common mistake that you want to avoid is not being aware of all restrictions that may be placed on your property by local zoning laws or homeowners associations. You may have specific plans for improving your property after the purchase, but you need to make sure that there are no restrictions on the plans that you have in mind before you buy.

These are some of the more common mistakes that homebuyers have made in the past that you can learn from. So before you buy your next home, review this list of tips and ideas to help make your home buying experience a successful one.

The home buying process can seem complicated, but if you take things step-by-step, you will soon be holding the keys to your own home!
But before going into the buying process you should first ask yourself if your are already ready for home buying.
Do you prefer or even enjoy moving into different places. Do you prefer using your savings for things like vacations, appliances, retirement or having your own business? Do you like to enjoy not having so much trouble with regular maintenance and repairs?
If your answers to these queries are yes, then you may not be ready to delve into the home buying experience. You may have a lot of good reasons for buying a home but you should also have to consider your reasons for not wanting to.
Remember than buying home is not just the biggest financial decision you will ever make but also the strongest emotional choice in your life, so be prepared to make wise decisions when you are in this process.
Buying home always seems to be a great idea, but it is important that ownership of a certain property comes with a great deal of responsibilities too.
Of course, being a homeowner is something to be proud of but it also means having to invest money, time and energy and take on added responsibilities. So, before you decide to buy a home, make sure you’re ready.
The first things that comes into our mind when we think about home owning, is the wonderful things that is connected to it. It is true that there are a lot of good reasons for buying a home. So here are some of the good advantages of home buying.
Financial security is a very great deal of advantage when it comes to owning your own home. If the housing prices would go up, your home can provide you with some financial security due to capital appreciation.
Flexibility is another thing, when owning your house you will be able to decide all the aspects that comes with it. You can decorate or renovate your home to meet your own family’s personal tastes and needs.
And of course stability, having your own home will make you feel at ease and less burden than renting one.
Although it is really nice to think about the positive aspects of owning a home, it is also a crucial part to consider the downsides as well. Here are some of the disadvantages on home buying.
Financial Stress is a very common problem in home buying. Coming up with the down payment, meeting regular mortgage payments and other ongoing costs will tie up a lot of your cash, and can put considerable stress on your finances.
Maintenance and Higher Costs are also a big problem. Keeping your home in good shape requires time and money.
You may pay more each month for housing than you did as a renter. There are also extra costs for maintenance and property taxes.
So, you’ve decided that homeownership is right for you. Now you need to determine if you are financially ready to buy a house.
To avoid any future surprises, you can do some financial exercises to see where you stand. They include: calculating your net worth, your current monthly expenses and your current monthly debt payments.
Knowing your net worth is important because you will need this information when you discuss a mortgage with your lender.
Your net worth is the amount left over once you’ve subtracted your total liabilities from your total assets. It will also give you a snapshot of your current financial situation and show you how much you can afford to put as a down payment.
Just remember all this notes and surely you will be able to arrive at some very good decisions in home buying. Do not rush into home buying, take some time to think and view the property first before closing a deal.
Closing day is the when you finally have bought your home; you now take legal possession and finally get to call your new home your own. You are sure to feel great relief and satisfaction but remember that the home buying process isn’t over just yet. There are quite a few things that need to be done on closing day.
Make sure that your lender will provide the mortgage money to your lawyer. You must provide the balance of the purchase price to your lawyer along with the closing costs. Your lawyer pays the vendor, registers the home in your name, and provides you with a deed and the keys to your new home.

Buying a new home is not just about researching mortgages and applying for mortgages, theres the important step of moving in. As you read this article, you will find out about the crucial phase of actually buying a home and moving into your new home.
In this buying a home article, you will learn:
* About the negotiation of buying a home
* What does a solicitor do in the process of buying a home
* Property valuation and surveying
* Completing the mortgage application
About the negotiation of buying a home:
The negotiation process is one which for the first time home buyer, is not one which you are likely to excel at. Negotiation is an art which some people have learned to master, while others who are new to negotiation do not always get the best deals.
The dynamics of the negation is this: the home owner has a property, and wants to get the most money he or she can. You are a potential buyer, and want to get the lowest price possible. The degree that you are a better negotiator will determine how lower you buy the property for, and the more skilled the existing home owner in the art of negotiation, will determine how much more he manages to get out of the deal.
The last paragraph may make you think whether you can really get the best prices for the property. However, there is a way to make life easier when negotiating, and that is with a bit of research.
To be able to get the best price a suggestion is to look at similar style properties in the area you are thinking to buy a home in and look at the prices. That way, you can make sure that you are getting the real estate at least at the market value or around there.
What does a solicitor do in the process of buying a home:
After you have found your new home to buy and started the negotiation process, you can now look to finding a solicitor. A solicitor will help you with all the paperwork necessary in the process of buying a home. Some people have mixed views at this point, some like to apply for the mortgage, while others like to appoint the solicitor first.
Appointing the solicitor in the beginning can save a lot of hassle later on in the process of buying your new home. Now you can apply for the mortgage.
Property valuation and surveying:
Even though properties in the area may have a similar price, there are some things we do not know about the property. Is there any structural damage? Are there any unseen expenses, which is why the seller is planning to sell?
The property valuation and surveying will bring out how much the property is worth. Before a mortgage lender will agree to give you a mortgage, they will need the valuation and surveying done on the property. The real estate professional fees for valuation and surveying vary, and again research can help you find the best prices.
Completing the mortgage application:
At this point most of the hard work in the process of buying a home has been accomplished. You now can speak to your mortgage lender and get confirmation that they are willing to give you a mortgage for the sum needed to buy the home.
The process of buying a home can be a hard one, for the first time. If you have aspirations to buy more than 1 property, then the first time experience will be beneficial to you, in the future. When the mortgage lender gives you written confirmation, and the property taken off the market, mortgage finalized, then you can look forward to moving in!

Foreclosed homes are those homes which are default homes or distressed homes which further means that they are not in a condition where one can live.

Advantage: the best advantage of buying such a home is that it will be less expensive as it is not good for anything further. Many people infact sell the homes before the notice of default is issued so that they can get better deals out of it. One should remember that default homes deals are always complicated and the sellers have rights when it is in foreclosure.

Effective Tips to Buying Foreclosed Homes:

Before buying foreclosed home, both the buyer and the seller should seek some legal advice to avoid any further problems especially the legal ones. Sellers might think that a minor problem will go away with time which is the biggest blunder they do because problems with such property dealings can pop up at any time.

There are many investors who are interested in buying foreclosures before the foreclosure proceedings are final.

Sometimes it happens that the buyer is not allowed to see the foreclosure he/she is buying so it might be possible that the interior is too much destroyed and no one knows whether the house is in a position to be brought back to the living conditions or not. So it is advisable that before entering into a foreclosure do keep in mind what kind of a deal are you getting.

As a cherry on the icing, it is even possible that you might have to evict a tenant or the owner from the premises when you receive a title and the eviction process might be costly. Do check always when you are buying a foreclosure because such things can turn out to be really costly.

Make sure that you get the property history and make sure that you ask the buyer’s agent to find out how much purchase price is on the bank’s deed and then compare from what the bank is offering.

To do a stress free deal and then to sleep peacefully do check for such small things especially the legal ones to get a fair deal.

Just out of school and considering buying your first home? You’ll be surprised how easy it can be to qualify for a loan. Too often, the newly minted workforce doesn’t realize the confidence lenders have in their ability to be responsible homeowners.
Ok, so Mom and Dad told you that you need to buy a house. You’ve graduated from college and you’re earning a decent income. Even though you don’t feel like it most of the time, you are officially all grown up. But you ask yourself, “I’m only twenty-four years old, who would possibly loan me money to buy a house?”
First time homebuyer programs are established with flexible guidelines to attract – you guessed it -first time homebuyers! You are in a great position to buy a home provided you have established some history of decent credit. Even if you don’t have traditional lines of credit to show for yourself, you may have established non-traditional credit and not even realized it. Do you have utilities, a cell phone and cable bill in your name? Have you paid them on time for 12 months? Then you have established non-traditional credit. Granted, many of you already have a credit card or gas card in your name. That’s why Dad wanted your name on it, too. Good thinking on his part. At the time, you were just excited to get the credit card “for emergencies.” It didn’t even occur to you that you were establishing a good credit history.
Most lenders want to see at least a year under your belt earning income. The majority of new job workers are making at or under the median income limit for their area. There are those that beat the curve, but then, if you’re making that much money on your first job, you don’t need a first time homebuyer program. You can probably take another route to your first home. Also, recent graduates can get credit for having a diploma. If you have a diploma and an employer who is willing to verify that you earn what you say and are likely to continue on with them, then you’re good to go -even without a year’s employment history to show for yourself.
Some lending programs ask that a borrower have maintained an excellent rental history, preferably a two year history. But, you don’t get penalized if you have been living at home. Especially, if home is in the same city that your school is located. You are simply asked to provide explanation as to how you managed to live rent free. Sometimes, Mom and Dad have to provide a written statement. They’re probably willing to do that to get you out of the house and off the payroll.
What about a down payment and closing costs? Most programs will allow a seller to chip in 3% of the sales price toward your closing costs. This allowance can cover most if not all of your closing costs. Your Realtor simply needs to be aware that you need this concession so she/he can negotiate it with your purchase contract. And how much do you have to come up with for a down payment? How about $0? Nearly all first time homebuyer programs are designed for empty pocket consumers with potential to earn more and maintain good credit. Some programs don’t require you to have any reserves in the bank. Since so many first time homebuyers live on a budget, these programs allow for the reality of life. And you can be rewarded for being a conscientious consumer with lower than average interest rates being available to you.
You may be ready to buy your first home and not even know it. A good mortgage specialist will pre-qualify you, find out what you can afford or what your comfortable paying. Then, you just have to find the right home. It’s easier than you think!

We encourage our kids to plan for their future, but we seldom include buying a first home sooner than average as a path to building that future. Let them know buying a home is easier than they think.
Most of the people who read this column are not first time homebuyers. The fact of the matter is many of you that are first time homebuyers and reading this article are relatively mature individuals who are fighting off your commitment fears of being tied to a mortgage. But there is a huge segment of the population that could buy their first home, yet it doesn’t occur to them to do so. Who are these people? Well, it’s your 24 year old son or daughter, new to the work force, and is throwing away money on rent somewhere. Encouraging your children to buy a home when they are young is some of the soundest financial advice you can give them. Equity in a home is an easy way to grow one’s portfolio with very little investment. But the fact of the matter is it doesn’t occur to most of us to encourage the younger generation to buy early in their lives. And trust me, it rarely occurs to our kids themselves to consider buying a home in the early twenties. They are more concerned with buying a new Halo 3 for their Xbox.
Why do so many people miss the boat on this opportunity? It could be they plan to be in the area for only a short time because they will job hop to advance their career, thus viewing a mortgage as “too permanent.” I counter to simply sell the house when you move. Or maybe they expect their income to double or triple over the next three years. I say buy a home now, then upgrade to a new home; sell or rent the old house. Investing in real estate is a proven, safe and solid return on investment. And with the right combination of credit history (or a history of paying utilities, cable and your cell phone on time) and no money down, you or someone you care about can start investing in the future.
When Junior starts his new job at the company and 401(K) is available, he’s been informed by his folks, boss or peers to enroll and contribute at least a little something to it with every paycheck. Yet, he is rarely counseled quit renting that apartment for $750 a month and buy a $75,000 house. Where will he come up with the money to do it? There are multiple options for first time buyers that allow for 100% financing. Get the seller to kick in closing costs (up to 6% of sales price with some products), and one can close on a loan and bring no funds to the table. If your home value appreciates 4% in the next year, that’s a nice return on a no cash investment.
For some time, I’ve considered writing this series for first time buyers to let them know buying a home is easier than they think. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized the advice I would offer would most likely not reach my target audience. So parents, it is up to you to supply your kids with this last little bit of advice and help to set them free to further establish their independence in this world. Clip this article out and tape it to their iPOD or the steering wheel of their car – someplace it will get noticed.
I think for most of us who have been through the experience, our first home buy was a very daunting experience. There are so many choices and unknowns – it can be overwhelming. In this series, I will try to break it down the process into small logical steps and make it easier understand the steps involved in financing your first home. Where do you start? That is perhaps the easiest part. Our newly established worker should first make a list of all his or her debt obligations such as student loans (unless deferred), car payments, credit card debt, etc. Hopefully at this age, this will be a small list. Then add what you think amount you could afford for a mortgage. Take that amount and divide it by your gross monthly income. If you come in at 43% or less, you’re in business. If you have something in your savings or checking – great. If not, don’t let it deter you. You have options.
Contact a mortgage specialist to drill out the details and find a good realtor who knows your market for housing you can afford. What next? Get ready to tell your landlord “Adios!.”