Eric Lowry's Articles Archives

5 Reasons 2016 is the Year to Buy a House

How do I choose the right lender?

Why Use a Real Estate Team Instead of a Single Agent

Can my real estate agent represent me on new construction?

Search the entire Cincinnati MLS for Homes For Sale

How do I choose the right lender?

January 24, 2016 by Eric Lowry

How do I choose the right lender?

When buying a home, the first step is to get pre approved. However, that can be easier said than done. Many home buyers aren’t sure how to pick the right lender for their home mortgage.

Some buyers just go with their bank where they have their checking and savings accounts. However, that’s not always the best choice. There are many reasons to at least speak with a second lender to see how they compare.

Some lenders might be able to save you a lot more money than your bank would. This can be for various reasons; sometimes they can offer a better interest rate on your mortgage, and some lenders will even waive or reduce fees to earn your business.

Most home buyers typically look at homes and write offers in the evenings or on the weekends when they are off work. But guess what, banks aren’t open at those times. It’s nearly impossible to get in touch with a typical bank lender in the evening or over the weekend.

Lenders who work for smaller companies are much easier to get in touch with late in the evening or over the weekend. They don’t set strict hours for themselves from 9-5 and will go the extra mile to make sure you are taken care of.

In this market, when you find a home you love, you have to move fast. The ability for you or your agent to easily get in touch with your lender can mean the difference between you getting or losing your dream home.

The Lowry Team has over 16 years of real estate experience and can confidently recommend a great mortgage lender to help you purchase your dream home. Contact The Lowry Team today to get started. 513-874-1830

Don’t Hire an Agent…Hire a Team. The Lowry Team.

Buyers and Sellers can reach The Lowry Team Keller Williams at 513-874-1830.

Other Articles You May Be Interested In:

Can my real estate agent represent me on new construction?

Search the entire Cincinnati MLS for Homes For Sale

Can my real estate agent represent me on new construction?

January 24, 2016 by Eric Lowry

Can my real estate agent represent me on new construction?

Yes! You can and should use a real estate agent to represent you with a new construction home purchase.

If you skip using a real estate agent for building a new construction home, you will be entering into a complicated, legally-binding contract for hundreds of thousands of dollars WITHOUT representation. Doesn’t that sound like a very bad idea?

You might say, “But there is an agent working for me with the builder.” Unfortunately, that’s where many people are misinformed. The agent you meet at a model home or when you call a builder, does not work for you. That is the “Builder’s Rep” and they work for the builder. Without your own real estate agent, there is no one watching out for your best interests.

Bottom Line: When making quite possibly the biggest purchase of your life, you definitely want your own real estate agent to represent you.

Thinking of building a new house?
Contact The Lowry Team today to get started. 513-874-1830

Don’t Hire an Agent…Hire a Team. The Lowry Team.

Buyers and Sellers can reach The Lowry Team Keller Williams at 513-874-1830.

Other Articles You May Be Interested In:

Oaks of West Chester – New Construction

Search the entire Cincinnati MLS for Homes For Sale

Why Use a Real Estate Team Instead of a Single Agent

January 24, 2016 by Eric Lowry

Why Use a Real Estate Team Instead of a Single Agent

Are you trying to decide if you should use a real estate team instead of a single agent? You might be wondering what the difference really is. The difference is actually very significant, and can affect whether or not your experience is easy and stress-free.

Have you ever considered all the different hats a Realtor must wear for any given real estate transaction? Many people don’t realize all that a Realtor does aside from put a sign in a yard and show homes. The real estate market and buying/selling process has become very complicated, and it’s very rare to find a single agent who can skillfully handle all the different aspects of a real estate transaction. When you use a real estate team instead of a single agent, you get:

Focused, Expert Agents – A Real Estate Team is made up of several team members including Listing Specialists, Buyer Specialists, a Transaction Coordinator, a Marketing Director, and Inside Sales Associates. The team members specialize in their own aspect of the home buying and selling process. They need not try to juggle all the balls that a single agent must. Every part of the buying or selling process is handled with care, expertise, and 100% focus. Single agents cannot possibly provide this at such a high level as they are juggling all of the aspects of a real estate transaction and often for several different clients at a time.

Intensive Marketing – A Marketing Director does all the marketing for the team and their clients. This position is especially important to home sellers, as they provide much more intensive marketing for your home than a single agent would have the time or resources for.

A Higher Level of Client Care – Realtors who are part of a team have support staff to help make the process a breeze for you as a client. Such team members are completely client-focused and are available at all times to answer questions and help you with any concerns you may have throughout the process. Having such a team makes for much more happy and satisfied clients.

The Bottom Line? When you use a real estate team instead of a single agent, you will get much better results in less time with your home buying or selling experience.

Thinking of buying or selling a home? Contact The Lowry Team today at 513-874-1830

Don’t Hire an Agent…Hire a Team. The Lowry Team.

Buyers and Sellers can reach The Lowry Team Keller Williams at 513-874-1830.

Other Articles You May Be Interested In:

Preparing Your Home For Sale: 10 Tips For Staging a Home

Search the entire Cincinnati MLS for Homes For Sale

Renting vs Owning in 2016

January 22, 2016 by Eric Lowry

Renting vs Owning in 2016

Trying to decide between buying a home or renting another year? Recent data might help you make up your mind.

There are currently low rental vacancy levels and a lack of new rental construction, which are driving rents up significantly. Rents are expected to outpace home price appreciation in the upcoming year. What does that mean for you? It means that renting is going to be more expensive than owning a home.

A recent Wall Street Journal article reports that “rents rose faster last year than at any time since 2007”. On average rents rose by 4.6% in 2015; when over the previous 15 years they had only risen an average of 2.7% annually. Zillow‘s 2016 Housing Market Predictions state that “rising rents won’t let up in 2016, and will continue to set new records. [2016] will bring the least affordable rents ever.”

Many people choose to rent just because they aren’t comfortable taking on the obligation of a home mortgage. However, unless you are living with family or friends rent free, you are paying a mortgage – either your own or your landlord’s. Wouldn’t you much rather put that money back into your own pocket? A home mortgage is like a forced savings which builds you equity in your home that you can use later on in life. If you are renting, you are only building your landlord’s equity.

Right now interest rates are at historic lows, but they are projected to increase steadily throughout 2016. Your window of opportunity to get a low interest home loan is closing. An increase in mortgage rates of 0.5% is equal to a 10% increase in home prices and affordability, which significantly increases your monthly payment. So the question you should ask yourself is, can you really afford to keep renting?

Questions about buying a house? Contact The Lowry Team today at 513-874-1830.

Don’t Hire an Agent…Hire a Team. The Lowry Team.

Buyers and Sellers can reach The Lowry Team Keller Williams at 513-874-1830.

Other Articles You May Be Interested In:

What does it take to buy a home in today’s market?