Waiting Periods to buy a new home after a Short Sale or Foreclosure

Good Afternoon Homebuyers! 

We are frequently asked the same question by people who lost their home due to a short sale, foreclosure, or bankruptcy: "When can I buy a qualify for a new mortgage?" The answer is it depends... But don't be discouraged, our friends at W.J. Bradley Mortgage created this easy to understand flyer on when you may qualify for a new loan. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or to get the process of finding you a new home started today!

5 inexpensive ways to prep your home for sale

Neutralize it:  Bold colors can look great, but it limits your appeal to certain buyers.  Having an Artichoke colored kitchen may go wonderfully with your theme, but it could make the buyer feel a little green at the thought of staring at it every day.  A coat of paint in a neutral color can go a long way to broaden the number of people who enjoy the way it looks and may propel them to write an offer. ($30-$100)

Give it the white glove inspection:   When it comes to preparing your home, a clean home will sell faster and for more money every time.  Buyers want to see pride of ownership and they want to see how much space they’ll have, not how small the closets are because you have 10 shirts laying on the bed. Vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning anything that shines, sparkles, or reflects (Faucets, counters, mirrors, windows, etc) is a fast and easy way to keep the buyers looking. ($0)

Make it Beautiful:  The exterior is your homes handshake to the buyer.  It is both the first and the last impression a buyer has of your home, so it’s important to have it looking it’s best.  Cutting back trees, pruning bushes, raking leaves, and cutting the grass will improve the buyer’s opinion of your house even before they set foot inside.  For extra points, planting a few flowering biennials in the winter months is an inexpensive way to add a fresh touch to a dormant yard in the middle of winter. ($0-$30)

Fix it:  Be proactive; fix the leaky faucets, running toilets, squeaky doors and broken light switches before listing your house.  Don’t think the buyers won’t notice, because they, their agent, or the inspector will. ($0-$150)

Stage it:  The potential buyer will visualize their furniture where yours is now.  Get rid of unneeded pieces of furniture, by selling them, hosting a garage sale, or donating them.  Move the furniture around, see which orientation makes the room feel most open and inviting.  Clean up the garage (this is often an overlooked area) by renting a storage unit or asking a family member to stow excess items for a few months.  ($0-$50)