West Chester & Liberty Township OH Real Estate: Tuesday Open House

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What is Tuesday Open House??  Well, it’s clearly not an “open house”.  It is my way of throwing the doors open on the RealEstate-Ink.com blog and offering up a few quick articles and facts on real estate for the West Chester, Liberty Township, Beckett Ridge, Mason and Fairfield Township, Ohio areas.  It is not intended to be all about homes for sale, but it will be about that some of the time…

 

 Tax Credit Countdown: As of this writing there are 52 Days, 15 Hours, 36 Minutes, 10 Seconds until the expiration of the Tax Credits for both the First Time Homebuyer and the existing home owner.  If you wish to take advantage of these tax credits and the unbelievably low interest rates that go with them, you better get moving (no pun intended).   You can search the entire MLS from our website, LowryTeam.com  or if you need to find the value of your current home and need to sell first you can request a FREE market value analysis on our website and you can learn more about our Hassle Free Listing System.

 

Low Mortgage Rates: Speaking of unbelievably low interest rates, check out these rates!  As of yesterday afternoon these were the current interest rates that you could be taking advantage of if you were buying a new home:

5 Year Arm                       4.30%

30 Year Fixed                   4.80%

15 Year Fixed                   4.20%

These rates are for purchases only, not refinances, and are courtesy of Third Federal Savings

 

Check out this terrific new listing located right next to Eden Park.  It is a terrific 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath condo in like new condition, comes with all of the appliances included (full size washer & dryer) and has off street parking.  Visit our website to view interior photos and more details.

$149,900

2155 Fulton Ave. #4, Cincinnati, Ohio

 

Secret Cincinnati is a brand new facebook page that is getting a lot of attention this week here in Cincinnati.  You can check it out at Secret Cincinnati Facebook Page  As of this writing they have 1856 fans and they have only been up and running on facebook since the weekend I believe.  The site has a lot of very interesting information and recommendations on Cincinnati dining, entertainment, etc.

While you are on facebook checking SecretCincinnati out, please visit and become a fan of our facebook page located at www.facebook.com/LowryTeamRealEstate

 

Thinking of buying a home in West Chester, Beckett Ridge or Liberty Township, Fairfield Township, Monroe or Mason Ohio?

Search the entire MLS here!  Wondering what your home is worth in today’s real estate market?  Request a market analysis here!

Visit My YouTube channel at:  www.youtube.com/LowryTeam

 Check Out My Feature Homes For Sale In West Chester, Fairfield and Liberty Township, Ohio

 

 

 

West Chester OH Real Estate: Now Is The Time For First Time Home Buyers

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For first time home buyers now is the time to act.  With the government offering an $8000 tax credit on homes purchased by April 30th, 2010 and with the historically low interest rates available today, this is an opportunity not to be missed! 

First of all there is the tax credit.  It goes like this, buy a home by April 30th, file your tax return and get cash back from the government.  This is a true credit and not just a nice deduction.  Of course there are some limitations based on your income level, etc.  You should definitely consult a tax professional regarding your own personal situation.

Second, we have the low interest rates.  As of today they are hovering around 5.00% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage.  These are terrific rates that will not last!  Why won’t they last?  Because the government’s intervention in the mortgage markets which forced rates to drop dramatically is slated to end on March 30th, 2010.  When this stops, rates go up.  Some experts predict that rates will be over 6.00% by year’s end.  Don’t miss out!

In addition to both of these great factors, home prices and selection are also terrific.  With housing prices having fallen and the available supply of homes for sale still very, very good, this would be a great time to buy even without the tax credit and low interest rates.

So we have:

$8000.  tax credit + low interest rates + low home prices + great selection of homes = FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY!

Get more information on buying your first home by visiting my website .  Available there, are three e-Books packed with information on buying your first home and they are completely free and there is no obligation.

Thinking of buying a home in West Chester, Beckett Ridge or Liberty Township, Fairfield Township, Monroe or Mason Ohio?

Search the entire MLS here! 

Visit My YouTube channel at:  www.youtube.com/LowryTeam

 Check Out My Feature Homes For Sale In West Chester, Fairfield and Liberty Township, Ohio

West Chester OH Real Estate: Get a Mortgage Before Searching For A Home

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West Chester Ohio Homes For Sale
Finding a mortgage before looking for real estate is a smart idea

The first step in buying a home should be getting a mortgage.  Getting a mortgage, or rather getting approved for a mortgage, lets you know what you can expect in the way of a monthly payment before you begin to look at homes.

Interest rates can have a big impact on what your monthly payment ultimately ends up being and rates have been inching upward in the last few weeks.  Now is the time to take advantage of both these historically low interest rates as well as the tax credits now being made available to both first time homebuyers and move up buyers.

There are any places to look for a mortgage these days.  There are banks, mortgage brokers, finance companies, credit unions and private lenders.  Often experienced Realtors have mortgage brokers or banks that they work with often and using a lender that has a good reputation is often a safe bet.

When looking for a mortgage you should have a good idea how much you can afford to pay each month.  Look into the past, present and future to determine this.  It is of the utmost importance not to bite off more than you can chew when it comes to your finances and the affordability of a home that you might buy.

When applying for a loan you will need to provide documentation of income, monthly expenses, and assets.  Have your financial statements and tax returns ready and the process will be much easier.

Having a mortgage ready to go before finding a property will make the entire process smoother.  Financing is harder to get these days and being prepared is a wise step in the home buying process.

Looking for a referral to a good lender with good interest rates and reasonable closing costs?  Call me or email me and I will get you in touch with a lender that will take great care in getting your financing lined up for you.

Thinking of buying a home in West Chester, Beckett Ridge or Liberty Township, Fairfield Township, Monroe or Mason Ohio?

Search the entire MLS here! Wondering what your home is worth in today’s real estate market?  Request a market analysis here!

Visit My YouTube channel at:  www.youtube.com/LowryTeam

 Check Out My Feature Homes For Sale In West Chester, Fairfield and Liberty Township, Ohio

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West Chester OH Real Estate: Waiting For the Bottom

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There are many people out there waiting for the bottom to hit in many facets of the economy, including real estate.  Perhaps there will be a big announcement one morning across newspaper headlines and across the internet “THE BOTTOM IS HERE: NOW IS THE EXACT MOMENT TO BUY”.  Of course by the time the announcement comes the bottom will have hit and the exact time to buy real estate will have come and gone.

A great analogy to the bottom of the real estate market is a yo-yo.  Take a yo-yo in your hand and use it.  Can a person grab the yo-yo at the exact moment it hits bottom every time?  Chances are a person will grab it just before it hits bottom or just after, rarely at the exact bottom.   Real estate is the same game, if it is indeed a game.  If people knew, absolutely knew, the exact time to buy stocks, real estate, or any other investment then no one would ever have a financial worry.

For people who believe in investing in real estate, now is a great time to buy.  Interest rates won’t be low forever, in fact interest rates have been inching up the past 10 days now.  Most mortgage experts expect interest rates to return to the 6.00% range over the next few months to a year.

In addition, the tax credits available for purchasing a home make now an incredible time to buy.  

Real estate has either already hit the bottom, is about to or is already on its way up, we’ll know for certain sometime in the future.  If you want to buy at the bottom, buy now. Or wait until it’s too late, when you can look back and say, “If only I had bought then.”

Thinking of buying a home in West Chester, Beckett Ridge or Liberty Township, Ohio?

Search the entire MLS here!

Check Out My Feature Homes For Sale In West Chester, Fairfield and Liberty Township, Ohio

West Chester OH Real Estate: Business Week Article On Home Buying

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Business Week magazine has a pretty interesting article on the opportunities that are out there for home buyers right now.  I don’t agree with the title, but the information is very valid.

Click here to read the article from Business Week magazine

Thinking of buying a home in West Chester, Beckett Ridge or Liberty Township, Ohio?

Search the entire MLS here!

Check Out My Feature Homes For Sale In West Chester, Fairfield and Liberty Township, Ohio

West Chester & Liberty Township Ohio Real Estate: Interest Rate Update

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30 year fixed rate mortgages continue to be the bargain of a lifetime.  Rates today (April 4, 2009) are at 4.99% with no points.  When you combine these low rates with the low housing prices that we are currently experiencing in West Chester, Beckett Ridge and Liberty Township, what you get is an incredible opportunity.  How long it lasts is anyone’s guess.  Here are some example payments based on some different interest rates.  You can see the tremendous impact these low rates have on a monthly payment.

On a $200,000 loan:

A 6.50% interest rate = $1264.14 monthly payment of principal and interest

A 6.00% interest rate = $1199.11 monthly payment of principal and interest

A 5.50% interest rate = $1135.58 monthly payment of principal and interest

A 5.00% interest rate = $1073.64 monthly payment of principal and interest

And if you want to wait and see if the rates will drop even farther and risk missing out on the 5.00% rate:

A 4.75% interest rate = $1043.30 monthly payment of principal and interest

This last example of course is only valid if rates ever dropped to 4.75%.  You would save an additional $30 per month, but you risk waiting and missing out on the lowest rates we have seen in decades should rates begin to inch back up as they most certainly will at some point.

And of course, if you are a First Time Homebuyer you can get the $8000 Tax Credit by buying a home.

This is a lot of numbers.  If you have any questions, please call or email.

Check Out My Feature Homes For Sale In West Chester and Liberty Township, Ohio