One Month Before Moving

Obtain an IRS Change of Address form, call 1-800-829-1040 and ask for Form 3903 to help deduct Moving Expenses.

Gather moving supplies, boxes, tape, rope.
 
If moving far away, make any necessary travel arrangements like airline, hotel, and  rental car reservations. Or plan your travel route if driving.
 
Call a moving company or make truck rental reservations to move yourself.
 
Finalize real estate and apartment rental needs.
 
Place legal, medical, and insurance records in a safe and accessible place.
 
Obtain a Change of Address form to tell the Post Office of your move.
 
Give your mailers your new address:
           Friends and family members
           Banks, insurance companies, and other
                  financial institutions
           Charge card and credit card companies
           Doctors, dentists, and other service providers
           State and Federal Tax authorities and any
                  other government agencies as needed.
           IRS–see note at the top of this post.
You can do this by sending them Address Change Notification Cards or, for magazine publishers and business mailers, by following their change-of-address instructions.
 

Save moving receipts (many moving expenses are tax deductible).
 
Make maps of your new neighborhood to familiarize yourself and your family with your new area.
 
Plan your moving budget
Two Weeks Before Moving

Inform gas, electric, water, cable, local telephone and trash removal services of your move. Sign up for services at your new address.
 
Line up new cable service for your new home.
 
Inform long distance phone company of your move. Sign up for long distance service at your new address.
 
Recruit moving-day help.
 
Confirm travel reservation.
 
Arrange to close or transfer your bank account, if appropriate.
 
The Day Before Moving

Set aside moving materials like a tape measure, pocket knife, packing boxes, tape and markers.
 
Pick up rental truck.
 
Check oil and gas in your car.
 
If traveling, make sure you have tickets, charge cards, and other essentials.
 

The net cost of purchasing a home includes the actual purchase price, of course, but also, long term, includes the cost of financing the acquistion. The cost of the financing portion of the purchase is variable and dependent on market conditions, which are out of the control of the individual, but a good portion of the cost of financing is driven straight off of your credit score and that variable is controllable by you, the individual.

 
It is very important to get your credit score over 720. If your is not that high, I highly suggest you connect with a VERY good lender, who can walk you through the steps you will need to take to accomplish a good score like this. My score is a little over 800 and maintaining that level is always in my game plan. If you need a good lender, just let us know!

There is a rule of thumb that says that if you have the capacity to repay the mortgage, you can afford a single-family house that costs up to two and one-half times your annual gross income. (Annual gross income is the amount you make before taxes are deducted.) Like other rules of thumb, this one is handy and can give you a general idea of how large a mortgage you can afford.  But, because it is so simple, it doesn't take into account all the information that will help you feel comfortable with your mortgage payments.

If you are buying a house with someone else (spouse, parent, adult child, partner/companion, brother or sister or other relative), you should consider your co-purchaser's earnings and existing debts as well. Remember, if you apply for a loan with somebody else, you and your co-borrower are both legally responsible for repayment of the mortgage.

Your buying power depends on how much you have available for the down payment and how much a financial institution will agree to lend you.

LA  Listing Agent
These are the Ordinary Agents you call when you see a sign in a yard of a home for sale, or when you call about an ad you see in the newspaper, or when you walk into an open house on Sunday afternoon.  These Agents are obligated to get the best price for the seller.  These Agents become "Dual Agents" if they represent a buyer on the sale of one of their company's listings.

BA  Buyer's Agent
Everyone now wants to call themselves a "Buyer's Agent".  Buyer's Agents that work in a regular real estate office that takes listings can indeed represent a buyer, but if that buyer wants to see a home listed by the same company, then the buyer's agent becomes a dual agent representing both the buyer and the seller.  How can someone fully represent two opposing parties at the same time?  THEY CAN'T!

EBA  Exclusive Buyer's Agent
This Agent works for a real estate company that never takes any listings, rather, chooses to represent BUYERS ONLY - 100% of the Time with never a risk of becoming a dual agent!  This is our preferred choice, as we offer you…

100% Representation - 100% of the Time.

More…

Price. Some people love the idea of condo ownership, and others hate it. Some who are not at all that thrilled with the idea may opt for it for one simple reason - in many places it's a lot cheaper than a single-family detached home. This will be a difficult fact for you to accept if the only condos you are familiar with are developments with names like Country Club Haven and Rockefeller Manor and have Jags and BMWs parked in front of them. Statistically, however, it's true. In some markets the average sales price of a condo will be 40 to 50 percent less than the single-family detached option.