When fuel prices were low, it was often difficult to justify the upfront expense of money required to install photovoltaic equipment, solar water heaters and similar equipment. The reason was simple to understand - it would simply take too long to recoup the cost of the equipment in the form of lower energy bills.
The recent rise in energy prices changes this dynamic quite a bit, however. As energy prices continue to go up, the amount of time required to recoup the upfront cost goes down. In addition, a number of state and local tax incentives make it even easier for homeowners to go solar and save money right away.
Photovoltaic systems have also come a long way. The costs of installing solar panels is still high, with a typical two kilowatt installation of solar panels from OVR Solar costing at least £10,000 / ($20, 000) in most cases, but special tax incentives and long term energy savings can help homeowners recoup those upfront costs faster than ever before.
Governments around the world are increasingly willing to help. This tax savings can help eligible homeowners recoup some of the costs of installing solar panels and solar water heating systems up front, in addition to the energy savings they will enjoy down the road.
Many states also provide special tax incentives for homeowners who install eligible solar panel and solar water heating systems. The specifics of these tax rebates and tax incentives vary from state to state, but many states provide at least some level of tax relief for homeowners who install and use energy efficient systems.
The factors affecting how long it will take to break even will vary from case to case.. However, as the prices for heating oil, gas and other forms of traditional energy continue to soar, the appeal of solar energy will only grow.
We understand the being in foreclosure is a scary thing. You are probably wondering how can I stop foreclosure on my house. There are many options available when facing foreclosure. They may include reinstating the loan, forbearance, loan modification, mortgage refinancing, sale of the property, deed in lieu of foreclosure, or bankruptcy filing.
There are also many services that will work with your to help with your situation. These companies are able to tailor a plan specific to your needs. It is most important to know that time is your worst enemy when facing foreclosure. Even if you are just one payment behind, you should do something rather than wait until you are even more behind. This may sound like common sense but many people fail to do something, and just pretend like nothing it wrong. Seeking help before you are 90 days or more behind on your payments can greatly increase your chances of success.
Here are a few tips if you are facing foreclosure. First no not ignore any attempts of contact from your lender specifically letters. If you can not keep up on your payment, call or write to your lender and explain your situation. Be prepared to give financial information, and tell them that you would like to work out an arrangement until you can resume making timely payments. It is also a good idea to keep records of any contact you have with your lender. Keep in mind that any workout plan you agree to with your lender should be realistic, don’t agree to something you can’t follow through with.
If the bank is not willing or able to work something out with you consider getting in touch with a loss mitigation service. They will be able to work with you and develop a plan that can save your home. They will work with you one on one and structure a plan that is best suited to your needs. Since everyone’s situation is different contact them to tell them your specific situation. Many have forms you can simply fill out and get a response within hours. For more information on loss mitigation services visit http://www.foreclosure-helper.com for a free foreclosure situation analysis.
Mark Lambie is the owner of Stop Home Foreclosure Today a website dedicated to helping homeowners facing foreclosure
Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. Although most mortgage experts say that rates 7 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 3 percentage. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 11 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. Different lenders charge different fees. Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 5 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 11 percent. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust? Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.
See which lenders are charging fees 4 percent and for how much. To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. Go for new real estate with geld lenen met negatieve bkr vermelding, 423163 euro in one phone call.
But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 6 percent offered by competitors will change.
Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 10 percent. Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.
Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 3 percent. It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.
What is a Home Warranty?
A home warranty is a policy that covers repair and replacement costs for failed appliances and systems within a home.
Who Purchases the Warranty?
This usually depends on the purchase agreement made between the home buyer and seller. Either party can purchase the warranty. The two parties can even share the cost. Regardless of who pays for it, the warranty is usually purchased during the closing process (also known as “settlement”).
How Much Does it Cost?
Cost will vary based on coverage and other factors. Most home warranties are in the $400 to $600 range. When the initial policy expires, there’s usually a renewal fee as well.
What Will the Warranty Cover?
Home warranties vary quite a bit. So it’s important to ask a lot of questions and read all the fine print before purchasing one. With that said, here are some of the common items covered:
* Heating and cooling systems
* Plumbing systems
* Electrical systems
* Major appliances
* Garbage disposals
What Isn’t Covered Under the Warranty?
It’s important to understand that a home warranty is not hazard insurance. Hazard insurance (sometimes referred to as disaster insurance) covers your home in case of earthquake, fire, hail, etc. Home warranties cover home systems and appliances that fail.
How Long Do Home Warranties Last?
Most are effective for one year. After that, you have the option to renew the policy. Find out in advance how much it will cost to renew, because renewal is sometimes more expensive than the initial cost of the policy.
Should I Buy a Home Warranty?
In truth, only you can answer this question. The home buying process might drain your cash reserves, so a major repair could put you in a financial bind. In such cases, a home warranty will give you coverage and peace of mind.
Age is also a factor. An older home with systems at or beyond their life expectancy would be a good candidate for home warranty protection. But a brand new home might already have coverage provided by the builder.
If you do decide to purchase a warranty for your home, be sure to shop around and compare prices. Find out what’s covered, how long the policy is, and how much it costs to renew. Be a smart shopper.
* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article if you keep the byline and author’s note, and also leave the hyperlinks active.
Learn more!
To learn more about the home buying process visit HomeBuyingInstitute.com, the Internet’s largest library of home buying advice. Visit: http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com today!
Are you looking to make more profit from investment property? Use an on-line buy to let quote system to compare mortgage products, rates and options. Finding the right investment property is just as important as finding the right buy to let mortgage product for it. The mortgage itself can have a big impact on both your cashflow and your profit margins. As a very competitive market, there are numerous buy to let mortgage products avaialble and so it is important that you select the right buy to let mortgage for your particular investment property. For example, if you were buying a property with instant equity in it and decided that you simply wanted to dispose of this at a very early stage, you would want to consider buying the property on a no redemption mortgage product so that you do not incur charges when you redeem the mortgage at at an early stage. Alternatively, if you are looking to keep the investment property long term, then you may want to consider a good long term fixed product or a competitive tracker product. Learn how you can make the most of your property investments by using some of the best buy to let mortgage products. Using an on-line buy to let mortgage quote system will help you work out your monthly repayments on a buy to let property or the remortgaging of an existing buy to let property. This can help you establish if now if the right time to start investing in the property market.
It would be easy to start saying just how easy it is to become a landlord and earn income from investment property and how you can simply sit back and watch the profit tumble in like a cascading waterfall. The reality is that there are a number of key issues that you will have to be involved in to ensure your investment property portfolio works to its optimum. Firstly you will need to find a suitable investment property for sale. Then you will need to find a good buy to let mortgage. To give you an idea of what your monthly repayments might be, it is worth trying an instant on-line buy to let mortgage quote system. An then there will be tenants to source and vet, an investment property to maintain, letting agents to manage and accounts to monitor, it does take a certain level of commitment. So if you are still keen to have a slice of the much talked about property game then you will want to read on to find out how to get started? It’s also worth picking up a Free Buy to Let Guide.
Firstly, you need to establish if this is the right time for you to become a landlord and how much it is going to cost you. Can you afford to tie up money in a property? If the worst comes to the worst, can you afford to lose that money?
The simplest way to work out the repayments on a buy to let mortgage is to use an on-line buy to let mortgage calculator to get a Free Buy to Let Mortgage quotation. These can help you work out the best buy to let mortgage product for the type of investment property you are considering and your individual circumstances. Some products may carry a fixed rate whereas other might be a variable rate. You need to decide if you need the stability of knowing exactly what your buy to let mortgage monthly repayments will be every month or whether you are prepared to opt for a variable rate buy to let mortgage. A fixed rate means the rate is fixed for a certain period of time. A variable rate will generally change as and when the Bank of England Base Rate or LIBOR rate is amended. If the rate reduces then your monthly repayments should reduce and vice versa. Although, the lender may not always forward on the full percentage of rate cut/increase so you should check your product before you commit. Either way with an on-line buy to let mortgage quote system, you should be able to compare different products, rates and lenders to give you some of the choices available. You will need to know the likely rent that can be achieved for the property as this will determine the maximum loan amount available against the purchase price or refinancing value of the buy to let property. It is worth bearing in mind when you are getting your buy to let mortgage quotation, that lenders normally suggest that the rental income each month represents at least 130 per cent of the monthly mortgage payment. Although there are some buy to let products calculated on ratios of as little as 115%. Use the buy to let quote system to see how the buy to let mortgage payments work out on a monthly basis. By working on these calculations, gives the investor a margin to cover the letting agent’s fees and other associated costs.
This is a long-term investment and you need to take the same approach to investing money into a house or flat as you would to buying into the stock market. Historically the value of properties have doubled every 10-15 years but that doesn’t mean to say that there won’t be peaks and troughs in between. These are times that you have to be prepared and most importantly can afford to ride through.
Increasing your returns by using buy to let finance to your advantage
For example, lets say you have £100,000 cash to invest into Investment Property. Is it best to buy a property outright or use this money as deposits on multiple buy to let properties?
Mr Jones - decides to use his £100,000 to purchase a brand new property outright for cash. He lets the property for £600 per month giving a return of £7,200 per annum. Due to inflation, the rent will increase accordingly and eventually, after fluctuations in the property market, the house doubles in value.
Mr Smith - decides to use £100,000 as deposits (15% for each investment property) to buy £500,000 worth of properties similar to the one Mr Jones bought. This results in Mr Smith receiving five times as much rental income, i.e. £3,000 per month or £36,000 per annum. The other £400,000 is borrowed on buy to let mortgages and Mr Smith pays interest on this at a rate of approximately 5%. These monthly interest only repayments would work out to be £20,000 per annum. Therefore, net of interest they receive £16,000 per annum. Mr Smith is already better off than Mr Jones….. but what happens in years to come? Well it is probably safe to say that Mr Jones’s rental income will rise with inflation as per Mr Smith. However, Mr Smith’s buy to let mortgage costs remain the same. Therefore, the gap between Mr Jones and Mr Smith’s rental income will continue to widen as time goes on. And finally after 10-15 years when property could have doubled again. Mr Jones would have made a capital gain of £100,000 and have £200,000 worth of investment property. Whereas, Mr Smith would have made £500,000, which is five times as much capital gain!!
The most successful landlords will use some of the best buy to let mortgages to fund their buy to lets and with buy to let mortgage products becoming more sophisticated and competitive the right buy to let financing can ensure you maintain your investment property portfolios in such a way that you are always working to the most optimum cashflow situation. Whether they are looking to make a new purchase of an investment property or re-mortgage a buy to let, they will often use an on-line buy to let mortgage quote system to work out which products are likely to suit their circumstances.
Best Buy to Let Mortgages
Finding the best buy to let mortgage is crucial to your success as a property investor. Unlike other forms of investment, a lot of the money you put into a buy to let property is likely to be borrowed. Over the last few years, the buy to let mortgage market has boomed, and borrowing money to invest in this way has become easier than ever. There are a number of different buy to let mortgage products available from fixed rates, discounted variable rates, discounted rates and so on. A good buy to let mortgage quote system should help you identify what would suit you best. Different products may be suitable for different investment properties. And don’t be tempted to just go for the cheapest buy to let mortgage as there may be penalties that make it less attractive in the long term.
Always find out the best buy to let mortgage deals available at the time. Some investors may decide to retain their entire portfolio with one lender, but it’s important to realize that different buy to let products between different lenders can provide you with maximum flexibility and cashlow depending on how you structure your funding.
However it is very important that you get the correct guidance with your buy to let finance. You will often find that buy to let mortgage brokers have access to numerous different products and lenders and some can even offer exclusive products that wouldn’t necessarily be available to you if you approached the buy to let lender directly.
Questions that are worth considering when finding the best buy to let mortgage:
1. Do they have access to lots of different products in the market place?
2. Do they have the ability to create a long term property development strategy for you?
3. Are they able to secure Exclusive Products?
4. Are they able to arrange mortgages within 10 working days?
Most buy to let lenders will offer a maximum loan of 85% requiring you to fund at least a 15% deposit towards your investment property. The buy to let mortgage industry is very competitive with new products being launched on a very regular basis.
Some buy to let mortgage brokers may charge a brokerage fee up to 2% to arrange the buy to let finance for you but don’t let this put you off because if they do have the ability to secure exclusive products for you, it could be very beneficial to your cashflow as a landlord. Plus, if they are able to reach formal mortgage offer stage in a very short space of time, this could result in you being able to secure the investment property at very competitive prices if you have the ability to tell the vendor that you can have the deal completed within a matter of a few weeks.
How much you can borrow for the buy to let property will usually be worked out differently to how much you can borrow to buy your main home. Different lenders and different products carry different criteria for working out the maximum loans available. Some will lend on how much you earn, others on the rental income you achieve from the investment property. And sometimes a combination of the two.
Jennifer Tweed is the founder of the UK’s first investment property portal solely dedicated to advertising all types of investment property for sale in the UK and overseas and also includes information on all aspects of buying to let. Plus, the site enables selling agents, developers, auction houses and private landlords to advertise their buy to lets for sale.
Are you thinking about selling your home? Would you like to sell it by yourself instead of hiring a real estate agent? If so it would be beneficial to review the pros and cons of selling your home by yourself before hanging out the sign.
PROS
Selling your home without an agent means More Money. If that’s not an incentive,
what is? By selling it yourself you save the fees or commissions (thousands of
dollars) that you would have to pay an agent.
You are able to decide the times for open houses and showings as well as where you
want to advertise. Because you are only selling one home - unlike an agent who is
working with many buyers and sellers ? you will always be focused on the selling of
your home. You will have more interest in the sale than a real estate agent who may
be looking for bigger commissions elsewhere.
CONS
Real estate agents are paid good money for a reason. Selling a home takes a lot of
time and energy. Open houses, dealing with potential buyers, closing sales and
dealing with the legal issues are familiar turf for these people and their experience
can impact the sale.
Be realistic about what you are willing to do. Will you drop everything to make a
showing? Are you able to ‘close the deal’ and ask for an offer? It is not everyone who
can take on such a big project or can handle the tension of dealing with buyers.
However, if the challenge excites you and if you are ready for hard work and willing
to learn then it is not impossible for you to manage alone. With a little know-how
and a lot of energy, you can sell your home without the help of a real estate agent
and reap the rewards!
Where do you begin?
Start with evaluating your home. How much can you ask? What work needs to be
done? How do you decide how much your house is worth without asking too much
and scaring buyers off or too little and not making what you should?
How Do You Evaluate Your Home?
Choosing the right price for your home is crucial to making a sale. You risk
everything if your price is too far off the current market. You don’t want to
discourage buyers because you are pricing too high and you don’t want to throw
away equity because of a low asking price.
Preparing Your Home for the Market
Now it’s time to look as objectively at your own home as you did to other peoples’
homes.
Your prospective buyers will be scrutinizing your home; has it been taken care of or
neglected? Will there be expensive repairs or are they hiding something? Taking the
time to clean up and make repairs will repay you with confident buyers anxious to
make an offer on a home that has been properly taken care of.
How to Advertise Your Home
Don’t worry. You’ve already done the hard work. Your research has been conducted,
your home has been cleaned and prepared and you have all the vital information
necessary to offer prospective buyers. Now you need to get the word out!
How to Show and Sell Your Home
You’ve done your research. You’ve priced your home, cleaned and freshened it up.
Your sign is hung out and you’ve worked hard on creating an intriguing ad. You told
everyone you know that you’re selling your home. Now you wait for the phone to
ring. How do you handle calls from buyers? What do you ask? How do you get them
to come visit?
Legal Issues
Selling and buying homes requires legal paperwork. Writing contracts to sell your
home is tricky business and you do need a lawyer to help you. Find one by asking
for recommendations from family or friends or by looking for one in the phone
book. Ask for a consultation before deciding.
This article is excerpted from our new ebook “For Sale By Owner”. To download your
copy, visit
ebooks.sagedot.com/fsbo.html
The ebook includes a seller checklist and sample legal forms.
Tim Robinson is the publisher of “For Sale By Owner”.
Because of low interest rates, many homeowners are opting to refinance their homes and cash-out at closing. The refinance process is similar to the procedure of obtaining the original mortgage. Homeowners must be approved by a lender and pay fees associated with acquiring a new loan - closing cost, title search, settlement fee, etc. Yet, there are benefits to refinancing a home. Homeowners may obtain a lower interest rate, which equals lower monthly payments. Moreover, refinancing a home for a shorter term allows the property to build equity quicker.
Benefits of Refinancing with Poor Credit
Refinancing a home with good or fair credit is less complicated. Persons with a good credit rating are qualified candidates, thus some lenders are more willing to compete for their business. Some homeowners with bad credit may hesitate to refinance. However, it is possible to refinance a home with poor credit. In fact, refinancing and receiving a lump sum of money at closing may help improve credit. Once funds are received, the homeowners could use money to pay off high interest credit cards and other consumer debt, which will boost credit ratings.
How to Get Approved?
Getting approved for a refinance with poor credit requires work and patience. There are “high risk” lenders willing to loan money. Nonetheless, before applying for a mortgage, homeowners should try and correct any blemishes on their credit report. This may include paying down the balance on credit cards or maintaining a current account standing with creditors.
Mortgage Brokers: Negotiating the Deal
Submitting a loan application to several different lenders is the key. These include local lenders and online lenders. It is recommended that homeowners receive at least three quotes. Mortgage brokers are highly effective because they have access to various lenders that specialize in granting loans to individuals with a poor credit rating. Brokers negotiate with these lenders to help an applicant obtain a loan that meets their needs. After a loan application is submitted to a mortgage broker, within 24 hours homeowners will receive multiple quotes from several different lenders who offer mortgages for poor credit. Multiple offers afford the opportunity to compare rates, and select the best offer.
View our recommended Bad Credit Mortgage Refinance lenders.
On a daily basis we receive mortgage enquiries from folk who are looking to purchase property as well as those looking to release some of the equity locked up in their homes. Nothing unusual about that I hear you say!
But what is unusual, at least by British standards, is the quality of ownership or clean title that every home owner should have. In plain language, a lot of issues arise out of the historic inability to correctly register changes to and ownership of property which, of course, has a habit of coming back to bite you when you are looking to raise finance. The lender, via their agent, the valuer, will assess their ability to sell the property in the event of a loan or mortgage default. So, if the property that you are offering as collateral already has a legal defect, the bank will not progress matters i.e. release any funds, until this is resolved. And, as we all know, here in Spain that is not always a quick ‘fix’ and some months can pass, at best!
So, where you are looking to purchase a property, ALWAYS use a registered conveyancing solicitor. Don’t even think of saving on a few euros in legal fees when so much is at stake. The solicitor will know the pitfalls and will ensure, before you commit any funds, that title is good. That is that the escritura (deeds) and the Register correctly reflect the current ownership and the state/description of the property. Have them translate that to you for they have not seen the property you have! Some errors are silly (such as build metreage, number of buildings on the land, state and description) and so much can be avoided by asking questions.
And if you already own a property take the time to check out the paperwork, again as above. Do not assume that your solicitor, post the completion at the Notary, has correctly registered the event or any subsequent changes. Most new build or extensions need planning or building consent. Make sure that the formalities have been followed and duly registered.
Take an example. It is common for us to see an escritura where the description does not fit what the client tells us is now actual fact. The metreage of the living area is X on the deed whereas, because an extention has been built, quite legitimately I might add, the actual metreage that the valuer records is Y. Now you may think that the extra value that that adds to the property should not be an issue to a mortgage lender, but it is not their job to run any risk on sloppy paperwork. Why should they assume someone else’s (i.e. your) problem. The changes should have been registered! So if you are one of those owners with such incomplete paperwork, best you get it sorted for, if you try to raise a mortgage or wish to sell your property, you could be looking at some delays at best whilst it is finally corrected.
Do not cut corners or scrimp on legal fees when it comes to ensuring the quality of your property ownership. To do so could compromise your investment and home.
Mark Mountney is a partner in Rose Financial Services, a specialist mortgage brokerage based in the Parque Comercial, Mojacar. He is a fully qualified mortgage and financial adviser in the UK with some 10 years experience in managing his own firm. Mark was also a founder of The Association of Mortgage Advisors, the trade association for mortgage intermediaries with 13,000 members.
Want to see a trick every real estate investor will love?
From the Desk of Thomas Kish
Crazy as it may sound…
…there really is something that can create cash flow out of
thin air. And it has nothing to do with a magic wand or pulling
rabbits out of a hat.
It has to do with the use of credit - but not in the way you
are probably thinking.
The fact is that the proper use of your credit is often the most misunderstood concept in real estate investing.
What you need to know - and what I can teach you - is how
to use a newly created business name to go out and get
business credit cards and lines of credit for your real estate
investing activities.
Your personal credit profile will NOT be affected when you use
these UNSECURED business credit cards!
All the debt on this special kind of credit card is, in effect,
invisible. So, unlike your personal credit cards, your credit
score never goes down if you are using business lines of
credit instead of personal credit.
One of my favorite ways to maximize cash flow in every
piece of real estate I own is by using business credit cards
to pay operating expenses.
Want to know why I love this?
1. No matter how much I charge on these business cards,
this debt has no impact on my credit score.
2. Low cost to access cash from business lines of credit,
unlike your typical home refinance charges.
3. I want to defer cash expenses until the property is
sold, even if that is not for 5 years.
4. Everyone gets a much better cash on cash return when
you defer expenses with business credit cards and unsecured
lines of credit.
5. In many cases, my mortgage forces me to make a
principal payment every month. So now I can return
that cash flow back into my pocket without costly
refinance charges every 2 years.
6. And finally, because I can triple my cash flow
every month. Which lets me purchase more great
real estate 3 times faster, and retire in luxury 20
years sooner than the average American.
How could you not love it!
Real estate can provide people with great net worth on
paper, but no liquidity. That means your profits are a
fantasy unless you sell.
By understanding how to use business credit cards, you
can make yourself rich in REAL DOLLARS right NOW.
And see why my “HOW TO BEAT THE SYSTEM”
in real estate investing is the ultimate NO MONEY
DOWN system that will make you rich quickly.
When you buy real estate with cash from a unsecured business
line of credit, you are a CASH BUYER. But you have
not used any of your own money for the down payment.
Don’t limit your real estate investing to gimmicks
like “creative financing.”
Buy anything you want with REAL CASH. Just go out
and get it using “HOW TO BEAT THE SYSTEM” in
real estate investing.
I did it, my clients did it and you can, too!
Thomas Kish
President of CashFlowExperts.Biz
About Thomas Kish…
Now a full time real estate investor, Tom has bought and sold
over 5 Million Dollars worth of real estate in less than 2 years.
Tom is a bona fide expert in using new business lines of credit
instead of cash to buy real estate. There is no one else teaching anything like this SYSTEM!
http://cashflowexperts.biz/cmd.asp?ad=137545
The home selling and buying process can be confusing. This is
especially true when it is a FSBO (for sale by owner) operation.
It’s even tougher when neither the seller nor the buyer is in
the real estate business. This article sorts through what stays
in the house or condo when it’s sold.
Attachments - Literally!
In most states, the term “attached” takes on a unique meaning in
real estate. Essentially, it boils down to this, “If it’s
attached to the real estate, it’s no longer personal property.”
Practically speaking, anything attached to the home stays with
it when ownership is transferred. Applying this concept, it’s
easy to see why chandeliers, doorknobs and kitchen cabinets stay.
To determine whether something stays or goes, focus on the
attachment issue. Plants can often be a confusing item.
Generally, it they are planted in the ground, they stay. If they
are in planters, they go. With other items, just look to see if
they are attached to the property.
I Am Seller - Hear Me Roar!
If you’re a seller, you’ve probably spent a good bit of time and
effort on the property. What if you want to take a few attached
items with you? Can you legally keep it? What if you’re
thinking, “That fixture hanging over the breakfast table has a
real Tiffany shade? It was a wedding present from Aunt
Elizabeth. I’m keeping it!”
Keep your shirt on. There are a couple of ways that typically
work when you want to keep an item or two of this sort. The
first is to simply state in your offering “blah, blah, and blah
do not convey.” (If it really matters, call an attorney to get
the language right) This approach has one drawback. Human nature
being acquisitive as it is, your buyer will probably immediately
want at least two and the items will become a bone of contention.
There is a better way to deal with this situation. Before
putting you home on the market, remove all items that have
become attached to the real estate. Buy another hanging lamp,
hang it and pack your Tiffany lamp. Do that for all items of
this sort. Be sure to replace each with something attractive and
do it well enough that it’s not obvious that a change has been
made. When prospective buyers look at your home, everything they
see will stay with the home. You are happy, they are happy,
everyone is happy! Life is good.
Analyze your home for attachments before you put it on the
market. You wouldn’t want to make Aunt Elizabeth angry by losing
the wedding present she gave you.
