Real Estate Information Archive

What do you get when you combine heat, green technology and art? Take a look, you might be surprised.

Here is a beautiful, well kept Condo on the St Joseph river. It's a slick property. Neat as a button. Is that a phrase? Not sure but I'm not over selling this Condo when I say it is unique. It's in a very quiet area of South Bend encompassed  the river and Riverside Drive across the river and the Notre Dame golf course.

Perfect living quarters for a student or anyone who enjoys waterfront living. Did I mention it was quiet?

A picture is worth a thousand and one words. This picture was taken off the Condo's all-weather composite deck off the great rooms sliding glass doors. Nice eh? I could wake up to that every morning with a cup of Joe in my hand.

With over 1,600 square feet, three bedrooms and two full baths this is a nice size Condo.

What's more the price was reduced today by $10,000.

Give me a call and see for yourself.

I will:

• Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each home in relation to your specific needs.
• Keep you informed on a regular basis.
• Check the MLS data base and with other brokers daily for new listings that meet your criteria.
• Prepare an itinerary and “tour” map on which all homes meeting your criteria have been located.
• Keep you up to date on changing financial conditions that may affect the housing market.
• Be available to answer your questions or to offer assistance regarding your home purchase.
• Discuss market trends and values relative to properties which may be of interest to you.
• Assist you with homes offered by “For Sale By Owner.” A homeowner trying to sell their home themselves is usually doing so in hopes of saving the commission. Coincidentally, this is the reason a buyer wants to deal directly with a homeowner. Many times a homeowner will work with an agent, even though his home is not listed, if the agent introduces the buyer to the property. If you should see a FSBO and want the advantages of my services, please let me contact the owner and set the appointment.
• Show you new homes as well as pre-owned homes if you desire.
• Introduce you to local builders to discuss building your next home. I can work with most builders and can get all the information you need to make any decision, but I will need to accompany you to the property on the initial visit. By letting me help you with builders, you get all the services offered in this presentation and those offered by the builder as well. You’ll get more, but you won’t pay more for it.

When Time, Money and Service are Important...Call Anita 574-298-1978

A personal consultation will help me find you the type of home that meets your needs. I will also discuss your financial situation with you in order to determine the price range that will be suitable, if you have not already been pre-qualified. It is important for me or your lender to know:

1. How much of your savings you intend to use toward down payment and closing costs.
2. Your annual gross income (before taxes).
3. The length of time with your current employer and previous employers, for the past 2 years.
4. Your monthly payments on long term debts (such as a car payment) and credit card balances.
5. Child care expenses and/or alimony, if any.
6. Whether or not there have been any bankruptcy or credit problems.

The information which you provide will be held in strict confidence.

Pre-Qualifying and Lender Requirements

I am familiar with the lender’s requirements and, using the above information, will be able to determine your price range and your ability to qualify for a loan. In this counseling session, I will tell you approximately how much you can anticipate in closing costs and prepaid items at the time of closing. I suggest that you actually meet with a lender before house-hunting if there is any question regarding your qualifications or simply to get a head start on financing.

Financing Options

Depending upon the price of the home and/or the amount of your down payment, there may be several options that fit your needs. They include VA (for military veterans only) which allows 100% financing of the purchase, FHA (Federal Housing Administration) which allows purchase with as little as 3% down and CONVENTIONAL, generally the best option when putting down 20%. In addition to these traditional methods, there are a variety of other creative financing options including Owner Financing, First Time Home Buyer Programs, Loan Assumptions, and Lease Purchase.

When Time, Money and Service are Important...Call Anita 574-298-1978

• Review your financial position to determine the price most suited to your ability to pay and comfort level. Pre-qualifying will help you in the following ways:
  • • • Interest rates are usually locked in for a set period of time. You will know in advance exactly what your payments will be on offers you choose to make.
  • You won’t waste time considering homes you cannot afford.
  • You can select the best loan package without being under pressure.
  • Seller may choose to make concessions if they know that your financing is secured, and this may make your offer more competitive.
• Estimate purchase costs and explain them in detail.
• Explain financing alternatives to help you select the one best suited for you.
• Discuss home styles, availability, location, schools and any specific features that you desire.
• Explain the Offer to Purchase Agreement in detail, as well as the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).
• Prepare a market report, pricing recommendations and an estimate of equity from the sale of your present home, if applicable. Provide you with information on all properties currently for sale, including new and pre-owned homes, single family homes and condominiums or villas.

I created this flowchart below to help my clients visualize the process of buying a home.

I understand the many questions and concerns of home buyers and how this information will be helpful throughout the transaction. I assure you that it is my goal to provide you with the most professional and informative service available. I am always just a call away when you have a questions.

Anita Hildebrecht RE/MAX 100 & RE/MAX Modern Realty 3010 Hickory Road Mishawaka IN 46545 Direct Line: 574-968-4214 Cell: 574-298-1978

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• Increase your chances. The more people who see your home, the more likely you are to sell it quickly. Yes, it’s inconvenient to show your home at dinner time, but if the people buy your home, isn’t it worth it?
• There shouldn’t be any major housecleaning at this point. The kinds of tasks you ought to be concerned with now are simple ones; making the beds, stuffing last night’s dirty pans in the dishwasher, picking up loose newspapers, etc. Even young children can participate by “cleaning” their rooms.
• If the season is appropriate, open the windows in each room and let in some fresh air. Stale air isn’t appealing, particularly in a home with smokers or pets.
• Keep your thermostat at a comfortable setting.
• Turn on all the lights for every showing before prospective buyers arrive. This also gives you an opportunity to select the lighting effects you want for each room. No area of your home should be dark.
• Turn off the television and turn on light, background music.
• Arrange for pets and children to be at a neighbors. Perhaps it’s unfair to lump children with pets, but young children can distract buyers from their purpose. Keep pets away from buyers.
• Don’t try to “sell” the house with words! By this time you have prepared the house for sale; let it sell itself. Buyers buy on emotion—theirs, not yours! Keep the emotions under control.
• “Depersonalize” the house as much as possible. Take down any extra family pictures that are hanging on the walls or displayed on the shelves. They will often distract the buyers attention from what is most important ... the house!
• Most importantly, please leave the home during all showings. It is uncomfortable and difficult for buyers to view the home when owners are present. Oftentimes, they will rush through the home and not give it the proper attention your home deserves. It is also hard for the buyers to “picture themselves” living in the home when the sellers are present.

I recently read an article in the newspaper that caught my attention. A retired widow with health problems and a depleted retirement account was writing the newspaper to suggest gifts that would be special to her and maybe others.

They were:

• Magazine subscriptions
• Newspaper fees
• Paper or ink for the computer
• Stamps
• Self-sealing envelopes
• Special food she would no longer buy
• Car washes
• Gas cards
• Occasional cleaning help
• Craft supplies
• Books
• Handmade card from grand kids
• Movie or theater tickets

This widow was not complaining and her children treat her well, she just wanted to lend a helping hand to those possibly looking for gifts for the elderly.

Nice job!

Furnace Tuneup    Just a reminder that winter is right around the corner and it's time to think about things like a furnace tune up.

While checking around for one of our clients I noticed a special offer from BW Service Experts. They are knocking $51 dollars off their normal $120 furnace tune up price. The special lasts until November 30th. Total cost for the furnace tune up which includes a filter replacement up to 1 inch think, is 69 bucks.

That's a pretty good price.

And no, we're not kicking any kickbacks for promoting BW Service Experts, it's just that I checked around and this price of $69 was $120 less expensive than the other well known HVAC company in the area I called.

So if you're thinking about giving your furnace a tune up before winter now is the time to call.

Click here for special furnace tune up coupon.

The basics of power washing are covered in this short YouTube video. It may help as you prepare your home for a potential buyer's pivotal first impression.