Knowlegable Dependable Professional
Here are 5 great homes for sale for around $50,000! All of them are ready to move in and easy to view. Why rent, when you can buy? You can have payments lower than rent and own your own home!! Call your Johnson Hometown Realty Expert to view these or any other homes for sale in the area. 218-263-4411.
We think the sign on our office door is kind of clever, but we take it very seriously. “Always Open” means that we are available when you need us. We realize not everyone has the same schedule and that you may need to see a house, list some property, or simply ask a real estate-related question in the evening, during a weekend, or on a holiday. That is why we do everything we possibly can do to be available when you need help.
“Not Always Here” refers to the fact that there are times when everyone is out working, or home for the evening, or somewhere living life. That is why the office number (which is ALWAYS monitored) is on our door and each of our cell numbers is on our business card. If you call, text, or e mail any one of us, we will answer or get back to you very quickly.
At Johnson Hometown Realty, we realize that real estate transactions are big deals to everyone involved so we treat each one that way. And we know that real estate questions can be very important and time-sensitive so we will answer them promptly. Stop by and visit us anytime. We are’ Not always here”, but we are “Always Open” to help you in any way we can.
2402 First Avenue, Hibbing, MN 218-263-4411 www.JohnsonHometownRealty.com
There has been a lot of chatter lately about interest rates rising. If you have lots of money invested in C.D.’s, higher rates are a good thing!! If you are thinking about financing anything (especially something major, like a home) then higher rates are not so good. How all this macro-economics stuff works is far beyond most of us, but what it means in our lives is pretty simple: Higher rates means higher mortgage payments, and quite often, it means a buyer can afford less house.
So far mortgage interest rates have risen approximately 1% in the past 6-8 months or so from historical lows of around 3.25% to around 4.25%-4.50% today. The conventional wisdom is that rates will go up another 1% or so in the next 6-12 months; lets look at what that means to a home buyer. If you borrow $100,000 at the current rate of 4.25%, your principle and interest payment will be about $492/month. The same loan taken at an interest rate of 5.25% has a payment of $552/month – $60 more each month and an extra $21,600 over the 30 year life of the loan. So higher rates costs you lots more money, and it also may mean you can no longer qualify for the property you want to buy as the lender uses the amount of any loan payment in figuring out the amount that you can borrow.
Now, buying property is far too important a move to rush into. However, if you plan to make a purchase in the near future, your payments will never be lower than they are today. If you have questions about interest rates or financing of real estate, contact your lender soon. If you have questions about the local housing/lake shore/recreational property market or anything that is currently for sale, contact your Johnson Hometown Realty expert today and let us help you find what you are looking for!!!
2402 First Avenue, Hibbing, MN ….. 218-263-4411…..JohnsonHometownRealty.com
Home Buyer Workshops are great for any home buyer but especially for those buying their 1st Home! Topics include: Affordability, Budgeting/Credit, Real Estate Services, Inspections/Insurance, Closing/Title, and Homeowner Responsibilities. AEOA and many local lenders provide live classes as well as on-line classes. Some buyers qualify for down payment and/or closing cost assistance if they attend these classes. Here is a list of some classes, dates & locations for upcoming classes offered through AEOA:
Tues. March 20th 8:00 AM -4:30 PM Grand Rapids
Tues-Thurs. April 10th & 12th 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM Virginia
Tues. May 8th 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Grand Rapids
Sat. May 19th 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Silver Bay
Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. $40 fee Contact Sandy O’Fallon at 218-999-0828.
Qualifying as a first-time home buyer opens you up to a range of programs that can expedite your path to home ownership, and the status isn’t necessarily restricted to those individuals who have never owned a home before. Individuals who have owned a home in the past but are now renting their home are often eligible for these federal and state-funded programs. In general, prospective homeowners must not have owned property within the last three years. Call a Johnson Hometown Realty expert at 218-263-4411 or a local lender for more information.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/qualify-first-time-home-buyer-7815.html
A couple of weeks ago, Danielle Randa-Sauter, one of our Johnson Hometown Realty experts and our Associate Broker, posted on Facebook about an unusual lake home showing she had participated in. The listing had a nearly half mile long driveway that had not been plowed all winter, so she and her buyers took snowmobiles in to view the property (which they liked very much, BTW).
This morning Danielle demonstrated another way we go the extra mile for our clients at Johnson Hometown Realty. A buyer living in Texas is very interested in a home located in the area, but they are unable to get up here to view it in person at this time. Danielle met friends of the buyer at the listing this morning and used FaceTime to give the buyers a real time virtual tour of the property inside and out with the friends present to help explain to the buyer exactly what they were seeing!
Four feet of unplowed snow? Not a problem! Thousands of miles of distance? Piece of cake! Whatever it takes to provide great service for our clients is what we are committed to do here at Johnson Hometown Realty!!!
Knowledgeable, Dependable, Professional
218-263-4411
The final step in the buying process is our topic for today – Buyer Tip #4 – Writing an Offer!!
A) Plan on spending 60-90 minutes with your Johnson Hometown Realty expert, especially if you have not written an offer recently. We want to be thorough and explain all of your options to you so that you know exactly what you are signing and exactly what the process involves. B) If you have not yet done so, have your lender forward a copy of your pre-qualification letter to your agent to be included with the offer. C) There are several things you need to know prior to writing the offer. Here is a partial list: 1) How much do you intend to offer? 2) How soon would you like to close on the property? (take possession) 45 days or so is typical. 3) What type of financing will you be using? 4) Will you be asking the seller to assist you with your closing costs? And if so, how much will you be asking for? 5) How much of a down payment will you be making? 6) What personal property, if any, will you be asking for? 7) Exactly whose names are going on the purchase agreement? (We will need full legal names of each person involved.) D) Finally, be prepared to have an earnest money check made out to the listing company to accompany your offer. This is typically made out for $500. to $1000. These funds are part of your offer, it is not extra money…
Four tips for buyers that will help to make your next property purchase painless!! Call us ANYTIME with questions of any kind about real estate!!! 218-263-4411.
