SOLDbyNat.com Real Estate Services

You’ll need to earn $2.00 for every $1.00 you want to spend assuming you pay 50% of your earnings on income tax, social security and Medicare.  On the other hand, you get to keep 100% of every dollar you save on your personal expenses because the taxes have already been paid. Periodically, review your expenditures with the diligence of an exuberant IRS agent on commission.  It’s an exercise that most people don’t feel they have time to do but the rewards make it entirely worthwhile. Get comparative quotes on insurance – car, home, other  Review and compare utility providers  Review plans on cell phones  Review plans on cable TV, satellite for unused channels and packages or receivers  Review available discounts on property taxes  Consider refinancing home – lower rate, shorter term or cash out to payoff higher rate loans  Consider refinancing cars  Call cr...

“I’d wish I’d know that before I made a decision.”  If you’ve ever regrettably said this to yourself, having a checklist might have prevented the issue in the first place.  This list of questions can provide you with things to discuss when interviewing a moving company. Fees What is the charge for packing? Does it include boxes? If not, what do they cost and will you deliver them? Is there an additional charge to deliver some items to a storage unit? Insurance How is a damage claim handled?  What insurance do you provide and is there a cost?  Does the insurance cover items packed by the owner?  Can additional insurance be purchased?  If items are covered by my Homeowner’s insurance, whose insurance pays first? Unusual Items  Can you ship my car(s)? Will they be in the moving van or towed?  What are the charges for...

Meet my happy clients, Kyle & Brittany. They were extremely happy after closing on the purchase of their home in Auburn, GA, and rightfully so. Their ride to the closing table was very bumpy! It was stress-filled to say the least. Unfortunately, they had a few mishaps with their lender that complicated the process. Keep in mind that once an offer is accepted, the clock starts ticking. There are contingencies in place and deadlines have to be met. It is imperative that the buyer's loan officer, buyers, and the buyer's real estate agent work together to get to the closing table. It isn't uncommon for issues to arise, but this was a bit excessive. Some things we encountered were: 1st loan officer not trained. Reassigned to 2nd loan officer after several days. Communication with 2nd loan officer was sketchy to non-existent.  The 2nd loan officer would say one thing and then Underwriting would came back asking for something new. Earnest money, loan approval, a...

The two most frequently quoted constants in life are death and taxes.  Two more things would-be homeowners can expect in the near future are increases in mortgage rates and housing prices. Interest rates have been kept artificially low for several years by the Federal Reserve in an effort to strengthen the economy. Policy is shifting to allow them to seek their own natural level and that will surely result in higher mortgage rates.  Rates on 30 year fixed mortgages are up over 1% from January, 2013. Foreclosure activity is down, new home starts are up and prices have been increasing in most markets for two years.  Most experts agree that the cost of housing is going up. If the price were to go up by 2% and the mortgage rate by 1% while a buyer is “sitting on the fence” making a decision, the payment would go up by almost $175.00 each and every month for the term of the mortgage.  Even if a person can afford to make the higher payments, what cou...

One of the most frequent calls from homeowners to their agents is about the listing’s inactivity due to the lack of showings.  The homeowner commonly believes that the home is shown only when a buyer walks through the house with an agent. Today’s buyers are more sophisticated than in the past due to the abundance of information available to the public on the Internet.  There are seemingly inexhaustible sites with homes for sale, valuation estimates and virtual tours.  There are extensive mapping sites with satellite images, traffic conditions, entertainment, shopping and other points of interest. There are actually three legitimate types of property showings.  A knowledgeable buyer can view a home for sale online and make a reasonable determination of whether the home will fit their needs.  Occasionally, buyers will drive by a home to get a feel for the home and also the neighborhood which might cause them to eliminate any further examinatio...

If you’ve considered changing your light bulbs to energy-saving LED bulbs but decided not to make the investment because the prices were too high, you might want to investigate again.  The prices have come down considerably. An initial investment now will generate immediate returns through energy costs and because they last longer, you won’t need to replace them for years. The life of LED bulbs is projected to be from 35,000 to 50,000 hours compared to an incandescent bulb at 750 to 2,000 hours.  For normal home use, a LED bulb could last more than 20 years. 80-90% of the energy used by fluorescent and incandescent bulbs is wasted by the heat generated.  In contrast, cool LED bulbs converts 80% of the electrical energy to light energy. • The color of LED lights is bright white, more like daylight, instead of the warm yellow of incandescent or the greenish tint of fluorescent bulbs. • LEDs light up instantly instead of building to their...

It’s part of holiday tradition to celebrate with family and friends and to share gifts with our loved ones.  There’s no measuring how much is spent on the combined effort and money to find the perfect gift. The challenge is to identify the right gift in the right color and size; something they really want and need; and something that won’t break the budget. “Eight Gifts That Do Not Cost a Cent” are suggestions that have been offered on numerous Internet sites attributed to an anonymous writer.  They may be just what you need to find the perfect gift. • THE GIFT OF LISTENING...but you must really listen. No interrupting; no daydreaming; no planning your response; just listening. • THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds.  Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends. • THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...clip cartoons and share articles and funny stories.  Your gift will say “I lo...