Click on a picture below to watch a video of that home
Posted by Rebecca
Of the 3,891 homes listed for sale in the Greater Savannah area, 60 are described as having an in-law suite. I’ve had several customers request homes with in-law suites lately, and why not? Even if you don’t have a parent who’s elderly or has health problems now, you might one day, right? In the mean time, it’s a great place for out-of-town guests or teenagers to crash and stay out of your hair.
Read more...Posted by Rebecca
We’re rejoining my brother-in-law Daniel as he buys his first home. If you didn’t read Part I yet, you’ll want to do that now.
He’s already
We’ll pick up here with the third step in the home buying process:
If you don’t know any mortgage lenders that you’d like to work with, your Realtor will be able to give you several reputable names. You need to find a lender that you feel comfortable with, whose company can offer the best loan programs to meet your needs and who will go the extra mile to stay on top of your paperwork and get you to closing smoothly and with no stress on your part. Your lender should never talk down to you and should be ready to explain the loan process in easy-to-follow terms.
I gave Daniel the names and numbers of three local lenders whom I have worked with and know to be trustworthy.
Read more...Posted by Rebecca
Thinking about buying your first home, but have no idea where to begin?
I’m willing to bet that a lot of first-time home buyers feel the same way. That’s why I’ve asked my brother-in-law, Daniel, if he’ll allow me write a detailed account of his first home purchase. Join me during my next few posts as I take us step-by-step through buying a house.
Decide, for starters, on your ideal price range, home size, yard size, number of bedrooms and bathrooms and location of the home. This is a good time to find a Realtor you can trust. Your Realtor can help you decide exactly what you’re looking for in your first home.
Note: the first step for some buyers may be to find a good lender and have him prequalify you. This is very helpful, and if you have no idea what you can afford, the lender will help you find out.
In Daniel’s case, he wasn’t even planning on buying for another year or so, but he had already begun thinking about what he’d like in a home. To help with this process, I’d been sending him e-mails, complete with photos, of houses currently on the market. This helped him get an idea of how property in Savannah is priced, and what types of homes are available in the different local neighborhoods.
Click here to sign up to receive e-mails with Savannah property information and photos.
It didn’t take Daniel long to figure out that he’d like to live on Whitemarsh or Wilmington Island. (He wanted to be close to downtown Savannah, a reasonably short drive to I-16, close to the beach and near his friends.) He also wanted at least three bedrooms.
Posted by Rebecca
This week I’m attending a continuing education real estate school called GRI (Graduate Realtor® Institute). Attending continuing education classes each year is required of all Realtors® in order to maintain their Georgia Real Estate licenses. There are many classes to choose from throughout the year, but this particular school earns the agent the GRI designation (after 1 week-long class every year for 3 years, each followed by a passed exam). The GRI designation will accompany the Realtor’s® name on his or her business cards and all advertisements.
First of all, for the education requirements to apply, your real estate agent must be a Realtor®. Check out this page on Realtor.com for a more in-depth explanation of what a Realtor® is.
Sure, the designation next to an agent’s name makes her feel cool, but what does it do for you? It assures you that your Realtor® has learned about the Code of Ethics, Fair Housing Laws, Environmental Issues that affect real estate, and that she knows the ins and outs of the contracts you will be signing your name to.
For the rest of this week, I will be posting things that I have learned in class that apply to you. If you’re interested in becoming an educated buyer or seller, read on.
Posted by rebecca
Hey everyone! Welcome to Real Savvy, dedicated to Real Estate in Savannah. The idea behind this site is to totally demystify the process of buying and selling a home. I’ll try to be diligent about writing on topics that will interest you as a buyer, seller or homeowner, but above all, I’d like this to be a place where you come to ask questions, make comments and hold discussions. I hope this site will be easy and enjoyable for you to read and navigate.
