The Chris Fritch Team

Do you have questions about buying a home? If you are a first time home buyer, the info contained here is a great start! Q: What’s the first step of the home buying process? A: Getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Unless you are able to pay cash for a house, you’ll need to get a mortgage. In order to know how much you can afford for a home, you will need to get pre-approved for a loan. This should always be the first step in the home buying process. Q: How long does it take to buy a home? A: The average time of closing on a home is around 30-45 days. The timeline is going to vary from person to person but once you find a house and get your offer accepted, it usually takes about 30 days to close. Q: What does a Realtor do and do I need one? A: A realtor is going to be your most valuable asset when it comes to buying a home. They are going to be there to walk you through every step of the home buying process. They will represent you in the transaction and be

10 things that only Real Estate agents like us will tell you! Buying a house can be a very exciting time and you need to be prepared. Our agents are well versed in this process and are ready now to show you the way! 1. The average person looks at 15 properties before making an offer. That doesn’t mean that some people don’t fall in love with the first home they see and make on offer on that one. For others, it may take up to 40 houses, but trust us when we say you’ll know when you’ve found the right one. 2. You don’t pay your real estate agents commission . Luckily for the buyers, it’s the sellers that pay their commission. There may be some other fees that are tied in, but your agent will be upfront with you about that. 3. Even though you told yourself you shouldn’t and wouldn’t, you’re going to end up looking at homes out of your price range. Whether you’re just browsing online or out and about, you’re going to find homes that aren’t in your price range and you’ll pro

Q. My wife and I are retired and are in our seventies. We have two children, and our house is currently worth approximately $300,000. We purchased the property many years ago for $32,000, and currently have a very small mortgage and a $40,000 home equity loan. We are debating on whether to sell the house and take the up-to-$500,000 exclusion of gain or to let our children inherit the house when we pass on. What are the implications of all of this appreciation on our estate if we do not sell our house before we die. Must my heirs pay tax on the entire appreciation? How is this covered in the Tax Code? A.  This is a very complicated issue, and you must seek advice from your tax advisors. It is especially important now that Congress has enacted a major change in the tax laws -- much of which is still under review by the tax experts. You should also discuss your concerns with your children, although the final decision can only be made by you. Oversimplified, the basis of inher

Being a happy house hunter can get you more bang for your buck when looking for a home to buy! Chris Fritch Team Keller Williams Classic Realty They are ready to drop everything to go out a see a house - The best deals are usually found when you least expect them. Make a point of being readily available and responding to your agent when they contact you. They may have just seen a property that meets all of your wants and needs, so seeing it sooner rather than later is always better in case of other offers. They take notes - After seeing 5 or 6 houses, they all start to look the same. Bring something to write on/with and write down your thoughts or enter them into your phone. You’ll want to make a note of the best and worst things about the house and give it a score from 1-10. It’s not uncommon for buyers to see between 10-15 houses before they find “the one” so being able to look back on the notes you’ve taken throughout your house hunting will help you when making

Have you been thinking about purchasing your first home? Ever find yourself wondering how the home buying process actually works? Good news! We’re here to fill you in on everything you need to know when it comes to buying your first home! Know and Understand your Credit- Familiarize yourself with your credit history and make sure all the information in your credit reports is accurate. If your credit is good, keep up with it. Don’t go charging on your credit cards for big purchases or taking out additional loans. You want to keep your credit in tip-top shape so you can get pre-approved for a mortgage. Find Yourself a Great Real Estate Agent/Team - Buying a home for your first time is supposed to be fun but can also be very stressful and overwhelming. Find yourself an agent/team (like the Chris Fritch Team Keller Williams Classic Realty! ) who can help alleviate some of that stress. Choose someone who knows what they are doing and will be there to guide you