Real Estate with Angela Carpio

You think you're ready to own your home? Here are financial steps you can take before you start searching for home.  BUILD YOUR CREDIT.   Your credit score is one of the factors the lender will look at when you are applying for a loan. Each loan has a minimum credit score requirement. The higher your credit score, the better your interest rate will be, the more purchasing power you have.  Boost your credit score by: Pay bills on time Make frequent payments Dispute credit report errors Get a secured card Request a credit limit increase SAVE FOR DOWN PAYMENT Some buyers are able to borrow money from their 401K while others from their friends or relatives to help them with their down payment. Unless you're working with VA loan, you are going to need down payment when purchasing a home. The higher your down payment, the lower your monthly mortgage will be.  Ways to save: Automate a fixed amount into a special savings account very month Cut some unnecessary expenses ...

Whether you're a first time home buyer or has gone through the process of home buying before, here are six things you should know when purchasing a new construction home. 6 Things You Need To Know When Purchasing New Construction Home Research the neighborhood and the builder It is your responsibility as a buyer to do your own due diligence and research the area you want to move into. Go over the list of things that are important to you as far as the neighborhood/area is concerned. Does it have a dog park for your fur babies? If you have kids, are there parks around? Is the school rating acceptable? How far or how close are the dining areas and shops around. Is there heavy traffic around the time you leave or return from work? When it comes to builders, check their reviews. How many homes are they building. Drive around the community and if you see one of neighbors, ask them what they think of the builder. How satisfied are they of the product. Would they recommend the builder to t...

Check out these tips to prepare your outdoor space when selling your home. A little sweat equity that goes a long way. Clean and clear the walkway. Create a nice flow to the front door. Clear the path. Give it a good power wash. Place a potted flower or some greenery for some pop of color and cheerfulness. Keep it alive and don't let it wilt. You want it to be inviting.   Clean your outdoor furniture.  Buyers do not like seeing anything dirty. Period. It's part of staging your home to sell. Arrange your furniture in a way that invites buyers to sit down and imagine themselves living there and enjoying the backyard.  Clean the entire exterior of the house. Clear away cobwebs. Move any inoperable and junk vehicles out of the driveway. Trim your shrubbery. Pull out the weeds. Pick up the trash. Kids and pet play things should be stored away. Put away your lawn equipment back in the shed. I would even suggest you remove some of your outdoor furniture to make the backyard...

 Here are 4 factors that sells a home.  Price This is arguably the most important factor when selling your home. A well-priced home often generates competing offers and drives up the final sale. Your agent should be able to review comparative market analysis (CMA) with you and advise accordingly as what you should price your home at to get you as close as possible to market value.  Condition What a property looks like. Appearance is everything when selling a home. Mow the lawn. Clear away the clutter. Pick up the kids' toys. Rearrange furniture to create space if needed. Make your bed. Wash the dishes. Put away the items on the kitchen counter if possible. You'd be surprised what fresh paint can do to your home.  If you can fix serious issues affecting the property, do it. You want to "WOW" the buyers as soon as they walk in.  Access Agent's ability to get in to show the property. The easier the access, the more likely we get a showing and secure an offer. Showi...

You're ready to buy a house but not sure if you can afford it and for how much? What is the best way to find out? Simple. GET PRE-APPROVED. Getting pre-approved involves submitting an initial mortgage application along with other supporting documents. The lender and its team will verify all the info you provided and review your file to evaluate credit worthiness. They go over your income, your debts, your assets and credit history among other things to determine not only the amount of loan you qualify for but also what your monthly mortgage payment will be and what your interest rate is. It should be no cost to you so if someone ask you for money upfront, run. I will advise that you reach out to your agent (preferably me) who usually work with loan officers that they trust and they know can deliver. Don't worry, kickbacks are illegal so don't think that the agent is getting something in return for referring you to any lender.  Keep in mind that you may get pre-approved but ...

I work with many buyers and these are the three things I observe most buyers notice right away when we are touring a home.  Buyers notice curve appeal. The first thing that buyers see when walking into your home is its curb appeal. You ever heard of the saying "you can never have a second chance to make a good first impression"? It is also true when selling your house.  Story time. I worked with buyers who did not even want to see the inside of the house as soon as we pulled up in the driveway. The lawn wasn't mowed, the weeds were growing and there were litters all over the ground. They later explained that if seller couldn't even do a simple task of picking up trash in front of the house (never mind mowing the lawn or the weeds), they were not confident that the homeowners took care of the inside of the house. That, coupled with the fact that the internet pictures were not very compelling, and the neighbors had a million cars parked in front of it (I'm exaggerat...

When working with clients who are looking to own their new home, I want to make sure that they do not miss out on anything so I talk about new construction homes with them to see if it is something that they would consider. Here are 5 things you need to know when purchasing a new construction home.  Having your own real estate agent helps you. Technically, you do not need to work with a real estate agent when purchasing a new construction home. Guess what? Builders pay the agent's commission. Not working with an agent DOES NOT give you discount on the purchase of your home anyway so not having someone on your corner is a disadvantage to you. Especially if you're a first time home buyer, you need someone objective and someone who knows that they're doing to guide you. Here's a warning. Do not just work with any real estate agent. Make sure they have experience so they know how to help you. I attend each and every appointment my clients have and even though ultimately, it...