Best South Portland Maine realtor opportunities in 2024 by Chelsea Crawford

Awesome South Portland real estate tricks 2024 by Chelsea Crawford: The Victoria Mansion in Portland, also known as the Morse-Libby House, was built between 1858-60 and was designed by the well-known architect, Henry Austin. This Italian villa-style mansion was used as a summer home by New Orleans hotel tycoon Ruggles Sylvester Morse, and the home is a true expression of decadence in the pre-Civil War era in Portland. The structure features numerous details, like decoratively painted walls and ceilings, rich textiles, wood carvings, detailed plasterwork, gilded surfaces, and a large stained glass skylight. Open as a museum since 1941, the home’s contents have been preserved, including unique carpets, silver, porcelain, and other decorative items. Discover even more information on Chelsea Crawford South Portland.

Here are some real estate strategies: Lastly, take a moment to ensure you actually want to buy a home as opposed to continuing to rent. I constantly hear the old “throwing away money on rent” line and it never gets old. Then I proceed to fantasize about renting with not a care in the world. Are you sure you’re throwing away money on rent? Renting can be pretty awesome. You don’t pay property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, PMI, or mortgage interest. And you can leave whenever you want. That sounds like a sweet deal too. Oh, and if anything goes wrong, you can just call your landlord or property management company. With a home, the problem is yours, and yours alone to deal with. Broken water heater? You’re paying thousands out of pocket, not the landlord.

Your house should always be ready to show at any time because you never know when a buyer is going to come check it out. This means you should not leave dirty dishes in the sink and the dishwasher should be empty. You should also not have dust bunnies rolling around in corners and bathrooms should be sparkling. People who are house hunting are imagining a fresh start and this requires bringing back a few elements that will make your home more appealing. If you have doors hanging off of hinges, holes in walls, or children’s toys scattered all over the yard and in the living room, this is a huge turnoff for buyers because it gives the impression that you do not care about the existing condition of the home.

Chelsea Crawford South Portland Maine premium real estate advices today: One of the largest reasons some buyers walk away from a home purchase feeling remorseful is because they don’t consider everything about purchasing real estate before they jump into it. There are common buyer mistakes we address with all of our buyers upfront so they have a highly successful transaction. One thing that many folks don’t want to do is put in the upfront work, studying, and preparation that goes into buying a house. You need to prioritize your needs, and your wants – and if you have a partner you need to communicate together on everything. Maybe one person is ready to buy, and the other isn’t ready just yet.

Selecting a lender is a matter of personal preference. Many people often shop around, looking for a lender that offers the lowest rate. More often, however, people will choose a lender based on a referral from an agent or friend. Most lending institutions will offer the same basic programs, such as FHA, VA, conventional fixed rate, etc.; and most will meet or beat another lender’s rates. What usually separates one lender from another is their “niche” product. An example would be a lending institution that specializes in low down payments, as compared to another that specializes in self-employment financing. Most agents will be able to point you in the right direction based on your particular situation.

The average mortgage interest rate (that fee lenders charge as a percentage of your loan amount) has been nice and low lately. In fact, the average rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 2.31% in November 2020—the lowest it’s been since Freddie Mac started reporting nearly 30 years ago!5 And now economist geeks think interest rates will continue to hover around 3% in 2024, which is still pretty low. If you want to refinance or get a mortgage from a trustworthy lender who actually cares about helping you pay off your home fast, talk to our friends at Churchill Mortgage.

When we first started our home renovation journey I heard from so many people that the process wouldn’t be easy. But boy, I didn’t think it would be that hard. Renovating our home literally took years off of our lives. When I was going through it, I remember getting a DM from a reader who told me that they renovated their home about 3 years ago and while it was miserable, they would do it again in a heartbeat. At that moment, I wasn’t sure if she was right. Would I voluntarily put myself through this again? Fast forward a year, and it turns out she was right. I would do it again, but I would do it a little differently. Here’s what I wish I knew before I renovated my house and some home renovation tips:

Hot South Portland real estate strategies right now from Chelsea Crawford : Spend Less Than You Earn: Yeah, yeah, I know, it sounds obvious, right? Well, it must not be because according to CNBC, 78% of Americans working full-time are living paycheck to paycheck. Here’s the thing: It’s easy to KNOW that you should be spending less than you earn, it’s a lot harder to actually do it. However, if you want to escape the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle that so many others live, you need to spend less than you earn. This is one of the most crucial but basic personal finance tips ever. In order to do this, you need to track your spending. You can do this by either writing your purchases down or by using a free personal finance app. Business Debt: There are a lot of online business ideas you can start on the cheap these days, but a small investment can also go a long way in certain endeavors. Business loans are considered good debt because they are put towards something with the goal of increasing your net worth.

Renovating improves the house value says Chelsea Crawford : Most materials come in standard pack sizes, so quantities of things like insulation, bricks and blocks need to be rounded up. Contractors know that an allowance needs to be made for breakage, both in delivery and on site. Reclaimed materials for renovation projects have an even higher wastage factor. You may need to over-order by up to 20 per cent on second-hand bricks, slates and tiles compared to around five per cent for new. Better order too much than not enough. Any surplus can usually be sold or returned. Renovation work always costs more than you expect. This is because some problems are not revealed until you start work and uncover them, but mostly because items are forgotten from the budget, or because you change your mind and alter the design or specification.