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Stop Paying Rent!

How to Stop Paying Rent and Own Your Own Home

 

Don’t pay another cent in rent to your landlord! 

 

It’s a dream we all have – to own our own home and stop paying rent.  But if you’re like most renters, you feel trapped within the walls of a house or apartment that doesn’t feel like yours.  How could it when you’re not even permitted to bang in a nail or two without a hassle?  You feel like you’re stuck in the renter’s rut with no way of rising up out of it and owning your own home

Well, don’t feel trapped anymore!  It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been renting, or how insurmountable your financial situation may seem.  The truth is, there are some little known facts that can help you get over the hump, and transfer your status from renter to homeowner.  With this information, you will begin to see how you really can:

– save for a down payment

– stop lining your landlord’s pockets, and
– stop wasting thousands of dollars on rent.

 

6 Little Known Facts That Can Help You Buy Your First Home

 

The problem that most renters face isn’t your ability to meet a monthly payment. Goodness knows you must meet this monthly obligation every 30 days already. The problem is accumulating enough capital to make a down payment on something more permanent.

But saving for this lump sum doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think.  Consider the following 6 important points:

You can buy a home with much less down than you think.

There are some local or federal government programs (such as 1st time buyer programs) to help people get into the housing market.  You can qualify as a first time buyer even if your spouse has  owned a home before as long as your name was not registered.  Ensure your real estate agent is informed and knowledgeable in this important area and can offer programs to help you with your options.

You may be able to get your lender to help you with your down payment and closing costs.

Even if you do not have enough cash for a down-payment, if you are debt-free, and own an asset free and clear (such as a car, for example), your lending institution may be able to lend you the down-payment for your home by securing it against this asset.

 

You may be able to find a seller to help you buy and finance your home.

Some sellers may be willing to hold a second mortgage for you as a “seller take-back.”  In this case, the seller becomes your lending institution.  Instead of paying this seller a lump-sum full amount for his or her home, you would pay monthly mortgage installments.

 

You may be able to create a cash down payment without actually going into debt.

By borrowing money for certain investments to a specified level, you may be able to generate a significant tax refund for yourself that you can use as a down-payment.  While the money borrowed for these investments is technically a loan, the monthly amount paid can be small, and the money invested in both home and investment will be yours in the end.

You can buy a home even if you have problems with your credit rating.

If you can come up with more than the minimum down-payment, or can secure the loan with other equity, many lending institutions will consider you for a mortgage.  Alternatively, a seller take-back mortgage could also help you in this situation.

 

You can, and should, get preapproved for a home loan before you go looking for a home.

Preapproval is easy, and can give you complete peace-of-mind when shopping for your home. Mortgage experts can obtain written preapproval for you at no cost and no obligation, and it can all be done quite easily over-the-phone.  More than just a verbal approval from your lending institution, a written preapproval is as good as money in the bank.  It entails a completed credit application, and a certificate which guarantees you a mortgage to the specified level when you find the home you’re looking for.

 

 

Consider dealing only with a professional who specializes in mortgages.  Enlisting their services can make the difference between obtaining a mortgage, and being stuck in the renter’s rut forever. Typically there is no cost or obligation to enquire.

To sum up, there are many important issues you should be aware of that affect you as a renter.  Why on earth would you continue to lose thousands by throwing it away on rent when with your agent you could take a few minutes to discuss your specific needs so that you can stop renting and start owning?

This conversation costs you nothing. And, of course, you shouldn’t have to feel obligated to buy a home at the time you review this.  But by taking the time to explore your options, and learn about the ways you can afford to buy a home, think how prepared and relaxed you’ll be when you are ready to make this important step.

How to Stop Paying Rent and Own Your Own Home

 

Don’t pay another cent in rent to your landlord! 

 

It’s a dream we all have – to own our own home and stop paying rent.  But if you’re like most renters, you feel trapped within the walls of a house or apartment that doesn’t feel like yours.  How could it when you’re not even permitted to bang in a nail or two without a hassle?  You feel like you’re stuck in the renter’s rut with no way of rising up out of it and owning your own home

Well, don’t feel trapped anymore!  It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been renting, or how insurmountable your financial situation may seem.  The truth is, there are some little known facts that can help you get over the hump, and transfer your status from renter to homeowner.  With this information, you will begin to see how you really can:

– save for a down payment

– stop lining your landlord’s pockets, and
– stop wasting thousands of dollars on rent.

 

6 Little Known Facts That Can Help You Buy Your First Home

 

The problem that most renters face isn’t your ability to meet a monthly payment. Goodness knows you must meet this monthly obligation every 30 days already. The problem is accumulating enough capital to make a down payment on something more permanent.

But saving for this lump sum doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think.  Consider the following 6 important points:

You can buy a home with much less down than you think.

There are some local or federal government programs (such as 1st time buyer programs) to help people get into the housing market.  You can qualify as a first time buyer even if your spouse has  owned a home before as long as your name was not registered.  Ensure your real estate agent is informed and knowledgeable in this important area and can offer programs to help you with your options.

You may be able to get your lender to help you with your down payment and closing costs.

Even if you do not have enough cash for a down-payment, if you are debt-free, and own an asset free and clear (such as a car, for example), your lending institution may be able to lend you the down-payment for your home by securing it against this asset.

 

You may be able to find a seller to help you buy and finance your home.

Some sellers may be willing to hold a second mortgage for you as a “seller take-back.”  In this case, the seller becomes your lending institution.  Instead of paying this seller a lump-sum full amount for his or her home, you would pay monthly mortgage installments.

 

You may be able to create a cash down payment without actually going into debt.

By borrowing money for certain investments to a specified level, you may be able to generate a significant tax refund for yourself that you can use as a down-payment.  While the money borrowed for these investments is technically a loan, the monthly amount paid can be small, and the money invested in both home and investment will be yours in the end.

You can buy a home even if you have problems with your credit rating.

If you can come up with more than the minimum down-payment, or can secure the loan with other equity, many lending institutions will consider you for a mortgage.  Alternatively, a seller take-back mortgage could also help you in this situation.

 

You can, and should, get preapproved for a home loan before you go looking for a home.

Preapproval is easy, and can give you complete peace-of-mind when shopping for your home. Mortgage experts can obtain written preapproval for you at no cost and no obligation, and it can all be done quite easily over-the-phone.  More than just a verbal approval from your lending institution, a written preapproval is as good as money in the bank.  It entails a completed credit application, and a certificate which guarantees you a mortgage to the specified level when you find the home you’re looking for.

 

 

Consider dealing only with a professional who specializes in mortgages.  Enlisting their services can make the difference between obtaining a mortgage, and being stuck in the renter’s rut forever. Typically there is no cost or obligation to enquire.

To sum up, there are many important issues you should be aware of that affect you as a renter.  Why on earth would you continue to lose thousands by throwing it away on rent when with your agent you could take a few minutes to discuss your specific needs so that you can stop renting and start owning?

This conversation costs you nothing. And, of course, you shouldn’t have to feel obligated to buy a home at the time you review this.  But by taking the time to explore your options, and learn about the ways you can afford to buy a home, think how prepared and relaxed you’ll be when you are ready to make this important step.

9 Buyer Traps & How to Avoid Them

No matter which way you look at it, buying a home is a major investment.  But for many home buyers, it can be an even more expensive process than it needs to be because many fall prey to at least a few of the many common and costly mistakes which trap them into either:

* paying too much for the home they want, or
* losing their dream home to another buyer or,
* (worse) buying the wrong home for their needs.

A systemized approach to the home buying process can help you steer clear of these common traps, allowing you to not only cut costs, but also secure the home that’s best for you.

This important article discusses the 9 most common and costly of these homebuyer traps, how to identify them, and what you can do to avoid them.

 

The 9 Buyer Traps

Bidding Blind

What price should you offer when you bid on a home?  Is the seller’s asking price too high, or does it represent a great deal?  If you fail to research the market in order to understand what comparable homes are selling for, making your offer would be like bdding blind.  Without this knowledge of market value, you could easily bid too much, or fail to make a competitive offer at all on an excellent value.

 

Buying the Wrong Home.

 

What are you looking for in a home?  A simple enough question, but the answer can be quite complex.  More than one buyer has been swept up in the emotion and excitement of the buying process only to find themselves the owner of a home that is either too big or too small.  Maybe they’re stuck with a longer than desired commute to work, or a dozen more fix-ups than they really want to deal with now that the excitement has died down.  Take the time upfront to clearly define your wants and needs.  Put it in writing and then use it as a yard stick with which to measure every home you look at.

Unclear Title.

 

Make sure very early on in the negotiation that you will own your new home free and clear by having a title search completed.  The last thing you want to discover when you’re in the back stretch of a transaction is that there are encumbrances on the property such as tax liens, undisclosed owners, easements, leases or the like.

Inaccurate Survey.

As part of your offer to purchase, make sure you request an updated property survey which clearly marks your boundaries.  If the survey is not current, you may find that there are structural changes that are not shown (e.g. additions to the house, a new swimming pool, a neighbor’s new fence which is extending a boundary line, etc.).  Be very clear on these issues.

Undisclosed Fix-ups.

 

Don’t expect every seller to own up to every physical detail that will need to be attended to.  Both you and the seller are out to maximize your investment.  Ensure that you conduct a thorough inspection of the home early in the process.  Consider hiring an independent inspector to objectively view the home inside and out, and make the final contract contingent upon this inspector’s report.  This inspector should be able to give you a report of any item that needs to be fixed with associated, approximate cost.


Not Getting Mortgage Preapproval.

Preapproval is fast, easy and free.  When you have a preapproved mortgage, you can shop for your home with a greater sense of freedom and security, knowing that the money will be there when you find the home of your dreams.

 

Contract Misses.

If a seller fails to comply to the letter of the contract by neglecting to attend to some repair issues, or changing the spirit of the agreement in some way, this could delay the final closing and settlement.  Agree ahead of time on a dollar amount for an escrow fund to cover items that the seller fails to follow through on. Prepare a list of agreed issues, walk through them, and check them off one by one.

 Hidden Costs.

 

Make sure you identify and uncover all costs – large and small – far enough ahead of time.  When a transaction closes, you will sometimes find fees for this or that sneaking through after the “sub”-total – fees such as loan disbursement charges, underwriting fees etc.  Understand these in advance by having your lender project total charges for you in writing.

 

 

 

Rushing the Closing.

Take your time during this critical part of the process, and insist on seeing all paperwork the day before you sign.  Make sure this documentation perfectly reflects your understanding of the transaction, and that nothing has been added or subtracted.  Is the interest rate right?  Is everything covered?  If you rush this process on the day of closing, you may run into a last minute snag that you can’t fix without compromising the terms of the deal, the financing, or even the sale itself.

One More Tip…

Find out if your agent offers a Buyer Profile System or “House-hunting Service,” which takes the guesswork out of finding just the right home that matches your needs.  This type of program will crossmatch your criteria with ALL available homes on the market and supply you with printed information on an on-going basis. A program like this can help you to affordably move into
the home of your dreams.

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357 Old Road Hill Road, Sherbrooke Ns B0j 3c0

4Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
24Picture(s)
2,138Sqft
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C$299000

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357 Old Road Hill Road, Sherbrooke Ns B0j 3c0
4Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
2,138Sqft
EXP Realty of Canada Inc.
Secluded split level, meticulously cared for home, minutes from all amenities in Sherbrooke! This energy efficient (ETS heating) 4 bedroom home sits on a private lot with a double detached garage. The attached deck also acts as a carport with metal roofing installed under the deck boards to protect your car year round.
C$299000

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2Bathroom(s)
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39Picture(s)
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3Bedroom(s)
3Bathroom(s)
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1,935Sqft
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553 Lahave Street, Bridgewater Ns B4v 2v1
Holm Realty Limited
3Bedroom(s)
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4Bedroom(s)
1Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
50Picture(s)
1,408Sqft
RE/MAX Banner Real Estate(Yarmouth)
C$209000

Residential For Sale

132 Lake Annis Road, Brazil Lake Ns B5a 5n4
4Bedroom(s)
1Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
1,408Sqft
RE/MAX Banner Real Estate(Yarmouth)
4 bedroom, 1 bath home only 15 minutes to Yarmouth on a 1.16 acre quiet country setting lot. The property has a large barn (28'4x30'3). This spacious home has some neat features such as natural wood beams, a galley kitchen, built-ins cupboards, laundry room is conveniently located in the bathroom and 2 heat pumps. Make this family home your own. Has a water view across the road.
C$209000

Residential For Sale

132 Lake Annis Road, Brazil Lake Ns B5a 5n4
RE/MAX Banner Real Estate(Yarmouth)
4Bedroom(s)
1Bathroom(s)
C$209000

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68 Front Street, Pictou Ns B0k 1h0

5Bedroom(s)
6Bathroom(s)
SingleParking(s)
19Picture(s)
4,268Sqft
PG Direct Realty Ltd.
C$729000

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68 Front Street, Pictou Ns B0k 1h0
5Bedroom(s)
6Bathroom(s)
SingleParking(s)
4,268Sqft
PG Direct Realty Ltd.
Visit REALTOR® website for additional information. Open to reasonable offers with flexible closing! Seabank House is a stunning mid-Victorian home offering a unique blend of historic charm and modern comfort. Built in 1854, this 5-star Bed and Breakfast is turnkey ready, perfect for continuing its tradition of warm hospitality.
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Residential For Sale

68 Front Street, Pictou Ns B0k 1h0
PG Direct Realty Ltd.
5Bedroom(s)
6Bathroom(s)
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5Bedroom(s)
3Bathroom(s)
SingleParking(s)
49Picture(s)
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C$1250000

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5121 Clam Harbour Road, Lake Charlotte Ns B0j 3h0
5Bedroom(s)
3Bathroom(s)
SingleParking(s)
2,859Sqft
Red Door Realty
A delightful 3.62-acre lakefront property surrounds this beautifully built and well-designed, ICF construction waterfront home. The large main area is perfect for entertaining, conveniently laid out with a Living room to one side and a Dining area both with beautiful lake views, and a wonderful kitchen with double ovens and spacious counters for baking, meal prep, and parties.
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Residential For Sale

5121 Clam Harbour Road, Lake Charlotte Ns B0j 3h0
Red Door Realty
5Bedroom(s)
3Bathroom(s)
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61 Dunlop Road, Brooklyn Ns B0n 2a0

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36Picture(s)
821Sqft
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2Bedroom(s)
1Bathroom(s)
GravelParking(s)
821Sqft
Royal LePage Atlantic - Valley(Windsor)
Great opportunity for first time home buyers or investors! Located in the heart of Brooklyn, this two bedroom, one bathroom home is waiting for you to put your touches on it! Offering a good sized kitchen and living room, a laundry room with good storage space, plus a heat pump and wood stove. Outside you will love the new deck and front steps, and a great sized shed.
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DrivewayParking(s)
33Picture(s)
3,500Sqft
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3Bedroom(s)
5Bathroom(s)
DrivewayParking(s)
3,500Sqft
RE/MAX Nova (Halifax)
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Residential For Sale

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RE/MAX Nova (Halifax)
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2Bathroom(s)
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15Picture(s)
1,368Sqft
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3Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
DetachedParking(s)
1,368Sqft
RE/MAX Park Place Inc.
A beautiful modular home for sale in Glace Bay 3 beds 2 baths, on your own lot of land also has a garage, at the back of the garage is an Airbnb, this is perfect if you are thinking about downsizing on your own private lot, the seller collects $150 a night whenever somebody books.
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1 Maxie Street, Glace Bay Ns B1a 2e3
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3Bedroom(s)
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3Bathroom(s)
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50Picture(s)
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5Bedroom(s)
3Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
2,800Sqft
EXIT Realty Inter Lake
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! Cherry Hill a quaint fishing hamlet on the shore of Nova Scotia’s South West Coast. Cast away the hustle Urban Living and live comfortably where you and family are known and not a NUMBER. Enjoy the area beaches, 5 within a 10 minute drive . If you are a SURFER 2 of those beaches are less than 5 minutes away.
C$850000

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7846 Highway 331, Cherry Hill Ns B0j 2h0
EXIT Realty Inter Lake
5Bedroom(s)
3Bathroom(s)
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2Bedroom(s)
3Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
42Picture(s)
1,788Sqft
Royal LePage Atlantic
C$549900

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91-106 Sailors Trail, Eastern Passage Ns B3g 1a1
2Bedroom(s)
3Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
1,788Sqft
Royal LePage Atlantic
Discover the charm of coastal living in this 2-level condo townhouse nestled in the unique Village of Fisherman's Cove! Just steps from MacCormack's Beach, The Cove boardwalk, restaurants & shops, this home offers a lifestyle like no other.
C$549900

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91-106 Sailors Trail, Eastern Passage Ns B3g 1a1
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72 Huntington Street, Yarmouth Ns B5a 2s3

4Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
OtherParking(s)
33Picture(s)
1,920Sqft
The Real Estate Store
C$359900

Residential For Sale

72 Huntington Street, Yarmouth Ns B5a 2s3
4Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
OtherParking(s)
1,920Sqft
The Real Estate Store
Are you looking for a family home in Yarmouth's north end? 72 Huntington Street is sitting on a large treed lot that is centrally located to schools, shopping and great walking and recreation options. This 4 bedroom 1.5 bathroom 2 storey home also has some finished space in the basement. There is good storage space with the outbuildings and a spacious back yard.
C$359900

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72 Huntington Street, Yarmouth Ns B5a 2s3
The Real Estate Store
4Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
C$359900

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87 Edith's Point Road, South Brookfield Ns B0t 1k0

4Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
50Picture(s)
1,300Sqft
RE/MAX Banner Real Estate (Bridgewater)
C$475000

Residential For Sale

87 Edith's Point Road, South Brookfield Ns B0t 1k0
4Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
DoubleParking(s)
1,300Sqft
RE/MAX Banner Real Estate (Bridgewater)
If you're Looking for a wonderful 3 season retreat this property could be the one! Nestled among the trees in a beautiful private setting, this 7 acre property offers 200 ft of waterfrontage at the mouth of the Medway River where it opens into Ponhook Lake.
C$475000

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87 Edith's Point Road, South Brookfield Ns B0t 1k0
RE/MAX Banner Real Estate (Bridgewater)
4Bedroom(s)
2Bathroom(s)
C$475000
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