KWAB REVIEW

Despite the U.S. government stating that there is a vaccine to minimize the chances of death due to Covid-19, most people are in denial.  Many people think it is a trick to get some small technology into your body to control you and monitor you. They go as far as connecting their theory of an evil plot to implement 5 G technology. Some people have put out what they claim is proof that Bill Gates is involved, and he and others want to control the population of the world and so on and on. You wonder why there is so much mistrust? But it is not unwarranted. It is part of American history that the colonist gave free blankets and linen contaminated with smallpox to cause disfiguring scars, blindness, and death to the American Indians. Then there was Tuskegee experiment began in 1932, where they freely injected over 600 African Americans with syphilis, a contagious venereal disease with no known cure at the time. Some Republicans believe the Democrats want to use the COVID 19 scare to ...

The improvement in battery technology is affecting every industry in the world, and the real estate industry is no exception. Though they are many accessories that rely on this new battery technology, we are only going to cover one sector, and that is cars as it now relates directly to real estate. Before the only relation of vehicles to real estate was some homes were made with a single garage. When you started to get into two, three, four, or more garages then you were heading towards luxury houses. As we progress into every New Year, the realization that the average house standard will require an electric charging station to charge these new battery-powered cars is inevitable. New house builders and old house renovators will be wise to start offering  electric charging stations  and  solar shingles  with new built. People who are into rehabbing old houses will also make their rehab more in demand by adding an electric charging station to charge these electric...

More and more homes are popping up with solar panels on their roofs. It seems to be the new fad, but it is not exactly. Some people are only getting wise to use the sun for more than light, warmth, vitamin D, and a great tan. The sun supplies free energy that solar panels can catch and redistribute it into electricity to power up their home. Today’s home demands electronics, electrical equipment, appliances, and power for electric cars. Those demands cause higher demand on the power grid of your region. In the United States, the government, both federally and locally, is trying to influence all homeowners to get solar panels installed on their homes by giving a tax credit to those who use solar panels' alternative energy. The power companies do not see solar panels as the competition, but as assistance in that, they will, in turn, buy your excess energy produced by your solar panels. It is a no-brainer to get solar panels when your home is all-electric, and you have an electric car...

You have decided it is time to move out and live your dreams, and what better to bring one of your goals into existence than a newly built home. Buying a newly built home can be an ego booster and-or adds to a sense of accomplishment. Some people like to be the starter of new house history and being the first to live in a new house. Buying a home is a big thing, and buying a newly built home is even a more significant thing. With an existing home, you pretty much see what you are getting into, but you have to rely on your imagination, creativity, a skilled real estate buyer’s agent, and a reputable builder with a to-be-built home. In making your dream of a newly built home come into existence, you have to plan and make sure you have considered all things and prepared to deal with it all. Time is money in real estate, and if you do not do things promptly after you signed on the dotted line, you can lose money. In helping you to consider all things and to control your budget, it is alway...

You have decided that it is time to move on from the house you have lived in for many beautiful years. Now "parting is such sweet sorrow," as William Shakespeare would put it. It is now hard to cut ties with the house, and you would like to get someone that will appreciate the value you have put into it. After all, you have put your personality into making the home what it is. With your entire accolade, you feel you should get top dollar for your home. The problem with that thought usually arises when sellers become subjective regarding the listing price on the market for sale. When sellers are emotional in thinking about their house value, they can become irrational in determining a sale price for their home. It also becomes difficult for a professional real estate agent to advise them on how to change the negatives of their property in preparation to get top market value for their home. There is an old saying, "can't see the forest but for the tree." Often, a ...

  You have found a home with good bones and think that it could turn into a masterpiece with your creativity. “But,”...though you see the potential, you are reluctant to get the property because you have never taken on the task of renovating a property before. You are concerned with how to get your imagination into actualization without costly mistakes.  You should not be intimidated by a good deal because of the renovation task. The task of renovating a home is not as difficult as one may think. The risk is minimized with the right professional by your side. The first professional you need is a real estate agent that knows about fixing up properties. The real estate agent will do a Comparative Market Analysis and show you data of similar homes that got renovated with their sold price. A real estate agent should give you ideas and weigh the feasibility of your plans before you write a purchase contract. The second is an excellent general contractor. A general contractor will l...

You bought a fixer-upper project with excellent possibilities aesthetically and financially if you can turn your dream into that eye-catching situation. Two critical factors to your success in flipping a distressed property into a gem are good contractors and time efficiency. Good contractors have Craftsmanship and love what they do. Time loss in your project is costly. Many contractors may have good intentions but may fall short of their time obligation to hurt your bottom line. Time in real estate is money, and the clocks seem to run fast when you are the one holding the financial obligation.  Generally, a home improvement project should not take over 140 days. The risk you face is that when you go beyond a deadline, and you have a loan, and you get charged interest per diem or month. You may need to move from your current place by a specific date; additional charges are applied. If you have to use rental equipment on a project and do not return it by a particular time, it incurs...

Everyone feels a sense of pride after they have made their purchase of a home. For a while, you may not have the desire to go out much because you want to bask in your moment of achievement. Since you close on your home, you will find that more credit companies want to extend credit to you. Homes usually go up in value, so credit companies feel that you are collateral-worthy. It is easy to get overextended if you are not budget-conscious. When you applied for a mortgage, most loan officers will advise you not to buy anything with a credit card and do not ask for new credit while a mortgage decision is pending with a lender. The mortgage company uses all current minimum payments of your debts versus your income to determine a mortgage on your behalf. If you got new credits, it would throw off their figures and change your debt profile.  The lender uses the debt profile versus your income to determine the likelihood of the lender getting paid back for the loan. When your de...

You have been looking around for months to find the home of your dream, and now you think you have found one. You are currently fascinated with your newfound love, but you should step back and analyze your findings. Some people may have worked two jobs to afford the down payment on a home and have limited liquid cash beyond that to provide anything breaking down in the first three years after closing. Thus, you need to get a home inspection known as the necessary evil of the industry. The results can determine the evil part. A home inspection can reveal a lot more than the owner of the home want to realize. If the owner does not want to make concessions for the negative home inspection report, it can be disappointing to the buyer after paying for a home inspection report. Many home buyers will feel upset that they paid the inspection fee and they cannot get the home because it reveals issues that the buyer would have to come out of their pocket to fix soon after closing. Going alon...

The real estate market in the United States is on its way up again. You can see prices rising in most cities. Real estate is similar to the stock market; stock that rises can fall as well. As opposed to the Stock Market, the best thing with real estate is that if the real estate market crashes, you have something tangible to hold onto rather than valueless pieces of paper.  The main thing you should be mindful of in real estate is to know the value of your real estate at all times. Like the stock market, many things can influence the rise and fall in the market value of real estate. Real estate can rise when the demographics changes from a predominantly low-income renter’s occupied property to owner’s occupied property. It also has to do with the income bracket of the owners. Frequently some may think it is the real estate property and the improvements that add real estate value to the real estate property, which is not entirely true.  The most significant influence on...

Owning a house can give you a sense of achievement. It is great to raise children and make your children feel secure, and provide a stable environment. A house purchase, in most cases, will increase in value and can provide equity for secured loans to fund future ventures such as a business startup. A house is the best investment you can get, provided you get it for the right price and in a promising location. Owning a home involves a significant amount of maturity as it may be the biggest decision a person can make. It requires a long-term commitment when purchased at market value. It also requires ongoing maintenance and proper budgeting. The majority of first-time homebuyers cannot afford to pay cash for a house. The average first-time homebuyer has probably been living with their parents or in a rental apartment. In any case, it takes planning to purchase a home. The first step towards house purchase is to pull your credit and assess what credit issues. If credit issues exist, you ...

A real estate property has always been considered the best investment, whether you buy it to live in, or to rent out. It is better to buy than to rent in most cases. If your job is temporary or your relocations are less than two years then purchase real estate may not be a good investment unless you buy a property below market and fix it up for sale or lease out the property using a management company. In the United States, some mortgage companies made it possible for First Time Homebuyers to get loans to buy 4 Unit Buildings and still get their first-time home buyer’s credit. The multifamily building of 4 units or less classifies as residential buildings. The mortgage company requires that the First-timer buyer occupy one of the Units. The lender will then consider the rent from the other units as the First-timer’s income to aid in qualification for the initial purchase. This opportunity makes it possible in most cases, to live almost expense-free. However, it does make you responsibl...

The Rolling Stones has a song that applies to real estate that states, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes well, you might find you get what you need." Personal creativity can be an "asset" both figuratively and literally to real estate. Being able to see things not as is but as to what they can become makes a difference in cost between wants and needs. Most first-time homebuyers struggle with their egos in wanting to buy a home in a perfect condition contrary to their financial restraints. As someone said, "A house is not a home." You can build a house, but you have to make a home. The word home sounds warm, comforting, and cozy. The word house seems empty. The home will become a house when you have difficulty paying for it. You can get the perfect house if you can maintain the ideal price. Sure it will impress your friends and may make some envious, but your friends are not the one that is going to pay for it over time.  Mos...

Some owners to decide to sell their house thinks that they will save money by not using a real estate agent. The task seems simple enough, just put a for sale sign in your yard that states "For Sale By Owner" and judging from yourself your house it is the best looking on the block so you can get top dollar for your house. Now sit back in the comfy of your home, and the buyers will be breaking the doors to get your gem. However, if it were that easy there would not be a real estate commission in every state in the United States, real estate associations that agents have to belong, continuing education for agents to keep up with all the law updates, state exams, licensing, Errors and Omission insurance, and the vetting of real estate agents by the real estate commission and so on. Selling a house is not like selling a can of sardines. The law has it that your real estate is a bundle of rights that you are essentially conveying by selling your bundle of rights to the other party...

Some people say “Murphy’s Law never takes a lunch break,” and some people understand that saying oh too well. One day it seems like you are living your life and everything is going well, then out of nowhere issue after an issue arises; lost job, divorce, health issues, etc. With these issues, many will find it challenging to keep up with their day-to-day bills much less their monthly bills. At times many people panic when they realize that they do not have enough money knowing that their mortgage, car note, and day-to-day expenses need payment. A mortgage more than other bills gives you more options to recover when in default. Most states have programs and a statutory recovery period to save your home from foreclosure before your lender can foreclose on your home. A short sale is an option that most people prefer more than foreclosure when all else fails. A short sale in the United States is selling a house at a lower amount than the amount owed on the mortgage, and your mortgage lende...

  Fannie Mae Homestyle and FHA 203K Loans Looking Attractive In today’s United States real estate market, homes under $400k are in demand, and depending on your house location, you may not get a house in an updated condition in that price range. The lower you go down in price, the more questionable the shape of the house. Creativity can go a long way to the enhancement of the property condition deficit.  The right contractor can bring your creativity into actuality to make the property worth its weight in equity. Most foreclosure, bank-owned, or homes in short sale status can be valuable when you buy the property in its current condition then update the house to the most modern standards. In the past, most homebuyers avoided these deals and left it to the investor to purchase, but investors are having trouble with the high prices. Usually, an investor would buy properties under foreclosure then fix up the property and sell it to a homebuyer at the repaired value. The prices of...

Some people dream of having their own business and they try to select a business that they think they can manage. In the top ten small business choices to start in Maryland, Washington DC Metropolitan Area is a restaurant that sells ethnic-styled food. There is a great diversity of ethnic people that live in the Maryland, Washington DC Metropolitan Area. However, many restaurant businesses fail in the first two years due to a lack of preparation and then to struggle with breaking a long-term commercial lease. To start a restaurant business you have to create a business plan and determine every situation because you will be responsible for the entire remainder of the lease even if the business fails. One of the most important parts of the plan in the restaurant business is the menu. The menu does not need to have every dish under the sun but should have the best dishes that people like and you specialize in. The best dishes people like should be researched and a recipe for each dish...

“I met my girlfriend in college who later became my wife. After we both graduated from college and pursue our careers we thought of having kids. After about five years we were able to save enough money to make a down payment for the house of our dreams. We got a single-family colonial 5 bedroom house. At the time we wanted a house big enough that we could raise a family. Our kids are all grown now and have started their own families. We do not see them much other than sometimes on Christmas. Though we have created lasting memories in the house it is feeling too big to manage and maintain. Both my wife and I have both been retired for a few years and are on limited retirement benefits. I have arthritis in my knee and it is perplexing to climb the steps every day to go up to my bedroom that often time I sleep on the sofa in the family room. When I was younger it was easier to do things around the house but climbing ladders, mowing the lawn, snow removal, etc., is too much at my age. The ...

Many people wanting to buy their first house wish to jump to their dream house while at the same time, they do not have enough of a down payment to accommodate the purchase. Dream houses have everything you want in them, especially if you get a custom house-made. The problem is how to make your dream a reality based on what you have to work with financially. The answer is buying a distressed property though it may not be your dream house; it can make your dream house come through. To make dreams come through, it takes effort, patience, and sacrifice. Ms. W bought her first house 5 years ago in Hyattsville, Maryland, USA, for $175,000. At the time, the home was livable but needed updating. The kitchen and bathrooms needed updating, cleaning, painting, and lawn care because the house had been ignored for a long time. Ms. W looked beyond the work because the house was in a good location, and Ms. W could manage the required 3 percent down payment and 3 percent closing cost for the house. T...

The first thing that comes to the first time a homebuyer's mind that wants to buy is that they should get a real estate agent. If you are a first-timer, a knowledgeable agent will advise you that the first thing to the home buying process is to get prequalified for a mortgage before searching for a home. The agent will often know a loan officer of a mortgage broker that will assist you. The prequalification will then let the real estate agent know the price range the agent should search for a house for you to qualify for a mortgage. Without guidance, you may think that you should go to your bank. The bank will make an inquiry on your credit only to find out you don't qualify for much of a loan amount, or in most instances, the bank denies the loan. A credit inquiry by the bank could reduce your credit score and hinder chances you would have had with a mortgage company to get approved for a mortgage. A bank's reputation is base on being secure, so they try to take the least ...

Real estate is considered the best investment that the average person will benefit from in their lifetime. It is usually considered to be a long-term investment. So it is always best to determine the longest time you would live at the proposed property. It is not a good idea to buy a house to keep for less than two years unless you obtain it way below market value. Many people struggle with when is the right time to purchase. In determining the right time to buy are the purchase price, personal stability, and future market conditions.  Some mortgage companies made it now possible for first-time homebuyers to get loans to buy four-unit buildings with the use of first-time home buyer’s credit. The credits are designed to make homeownership easier, so they come in federal and state grants, tax credits, and other options. The credits with the residential classification of the multifamily building of 4 units or less make it possible for mortgage companies to fund the purchase of these b...

Many people who are considering buying a house for the first time struggle with the question "Where to start?" So here is the answer. The first place to start is by getting a copy of your credit report. The credit report is an essential part of the preparation process unless you have an abundance of cash lying around. The qualification of a mortgage to purchase a house will rely on large on your credit history of paying back debts. The common reasons that mortgages get denied are because of past due amounts showing on a credit report and or too many inquiries. Past due accounts shown on a credit report appears to a lender that the borrower cannot manage their bills by budgeting or that the borrower is living beyond the borrower's means. When a borrower makes many inquiries in a short time, it signals to the lender that the borrower is about to run the borrower's credit debt up. The credit bureau has a scoring system in place to calculate a credit risk factor. There ar...

After living in your house for years, you have come to the point where you desire to sell your home. During those years you had it painted the way you wanted and made your dream home come through. Now is time to pack your dreams and leave the house for someone else to create their dream home.  In the attic and the garage, you accumulated a lot of stuff over time, and at that time you bought them you thought it was a good idea, but there is no room to walk in those areas. You always thought one day you might need it, and even though you never used them, you could not come to grips with getting rid of them. You wonder if anyone will notice the water stain on the ceiling that seems to spread a little more than it did a few months ago, but since there was no need for a bucket, you avoid spending money to investigate what causes it because you fear the expense of knowing.  Though this scenario is fictional, it may be all too familiar, and most selling agents have confronted similar...