IN Chartiers Valley Summer 2017 | Page 30

S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : R E A L E S TAT E Wake Up in a JT Thomas Home... “Where Custom Homes are a Family Tradition” air l . C 9. SELLING: Don’t spend earnest money! St r pe Up Many sellers make the mistake of depositing and spending earnest money before closing day. If the transaction doesn’t go through or the buyer pulls out due to repair issues, it is up to the seller to return the cash. It is recommended to have a real estate agent or broker hold the deposit. Most buyers’ earnest money will be held in an escrow account until the closing day, allowing the money to remain untouched by either party. 10. SELLING: Consider names and numbers. Select Your Lot ~ Design Your Custom Home Build Your Family Memories Patty Thomas , Broker Rebecca Lutz , Realtor Wellington 724-731-0100 WellingtonRealEstatePA www. REAL ESTATE .com Just when you think you’ve checked all the boxes for an easy sell of your house, take a second look at your address. According to Zillow, street names and house numbers matter! If you happen to live at 666 Fanny Hands Lane, you may be out of luck (however that particular street is in the United Kingdom, so you should be safe). Innuendo-laden street names tend to not sell as quickly as something like Thunder Road, for example. American numerology says that 666 is bad luck and could decrease the value of your home by 2 to 3 percent. Also, steer clear of the number 4, considered unlucky in Chinese culture. Stick to the number 8, or include the lucky digits 316 in your asking price! n IN THE MARKET TO BUY—IT’S A NUMBERS GAME The real estate market is on the rise, and buyers are facing low inventory on affordable homes. Whether you are looking to purchase your first home or in the market for a new home, it is crucial to get all of your numbers in order before starting the search for a new home. Keeping these tips in mind will help make you an ideal buyer: ● The BIG 20…percent, that is. Most real estate agents will start to take you seriously only after providing a pre-approval letter. If you are thinking that a home purchase is in your future, start to look at your finances. You’re going to need cash, and a lot of it. To avoid PMI and paying additional fees on top of your mortgage, aim to put down 20 percent. If you have relatives or really great friends who are willing to assist you in reaching the 20 percent mark, make sure you look at the rules of receiving “gift money.” Many banks only accept up to a certain percentage of your down payment to be gifted. ● What is FICO and why is 720 important? If you are in