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5 Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid

December 31, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

5 Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid / by BusyMomsHelper.com #CapitalOneHomeLoans #ad @CapitalOne

As many of you already know, we recently moved so we could be closer to Hubby’s job. Even though selling our old house, which we truly loved, was that biggest hassle and stress of the whole thing, we also had many headaches when buying our new one. Since there’s already enough to worry about when moving, I want to help you out with 5 Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid – and hopefully you’ll have less of a headache than we did!

5 Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid / by BusyMomsHelper.com #CapitalOneHomeLoans #ad @CapitalOne

I told Hubby that if we ever have to move again (because I never want to) we’re going to be much smarter with the home loan process! I wish we had looked more into What To Expect and prepared ourselves. Here’s some tips to help YOU!

1: Not Knowing What You Can Really Afford

Many people don’t realize that just because they QUALIFY for a certain amount of home, doesn’t mean they can realistically afford the payments, insurance, taxes and everything for it. You can use a Mortgage Loan Calculator to play with numbers to get an idea of what you’re looking for. Decide what you’re comfortable with, and do NOT let anyone pressure you to go higher!

2: Not Knowing All Associated Costs Ahead of Time

Of course you know about down payments and such, but there’s so many other closing costs to discuss! Will the seller be covering any of it, such as title? What are the costs of an inspection, appraisal, etc. and when are they due? We ran into many expenses that we weren’t planning on, and some were due even before we closed, such as Earnest Money! Be prepared, and plan on more than you think in case something unexpected comes up. The new Capital One digital home loan experience is empowering potential homebuyers to take charge, while providing them the transparency they want and need every step of the way.

5 Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid / by BusyMomsHelper.com #CapitalOneHomeLoans #ad @CapitalOne

3: Expecting Timing to Work Perfectly

We had cash buyers for our home that wanted us to close and move out REALLY fast – and since we were buying a new-build home with no current owners that had to move out, we thought we could get into it the exact same day. That’d be perfect, right? Nope! Just one little piece of paper can move your closing date by several days. Have a back-up plan in case you can’t move in RIGHT on the day you thought, and be prepared for that to happen to avoid more tears (I shed plenty!)

4: Not Completing Your Paperwork on Time and Accurately

Like I said above, one piece of paperwork or one missed signature can delay your closing by quite a bit – perhaps even resulting in you having to start the process all over again if you wait too long! When you get a request for a document, follow through quickly. It’s also a good idea to VERIFY EXACTLY what they’re needing, as some of it may be confusing. Available in select markets, new Capital One digital home loan experience allows customers to pre-qualify for a home loan in minutes from any device, apply online, upload documents and digitally track progress from application to closing. It also includes personalized service from a dedicated loan officer when a customer needs it. Utilize the resources available to you, track your progress with the application and don’t hesitate to ask for help from your loan officer!

5 Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid / by BusyMomsHelper.com #CapitalOneHomeLoans #ad @CapitalOne

5: Not Asking For More

If the seller of your desired home is motivated, you can ask for more! Don’t get greedy, but negotiating a few extras or a lower price doesn’t hurt. Now, if there’s many people after the same house then the sellers aren’t going to want to give more than they have to. This is where it’s good to know the market, and get a feel for how desperate the sellers are. Our realtor negotiated us a new fridge, blinds, and even got them to cover some of our closing costs! Get it all in writing to be safe. Again, to get greedy, but see what you can work out.

To celebrate the launch of their new digital and personal experience, Capital One Home Loans is partnering with Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot, stars from HGTV’s Love It or List It, Too, to host a free and open-to-the public Open House event on Saturday, December 12 at the Stonebriar Centre mall in Frisco, TX. During the event, they’ll share do-it-yourself tips and tricks for simplifying the entire home buying and owning process. For more information, visit SmartHomeLoans.com

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: Finance Tagged With: advice, buying, Home, useful tips

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn

December 31, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

This post is sponsored by Varagesale. All opinions and experiences are my own.

As most of you know, we just made a big move to be closer to hubby’s work. Between clearing stuff out to ‘show’ the house we were selling, to the massive loads we just didn’t want to deal with moving, we tossed a bunch of stuff. I really wish I’d known there was a great LOCAL site where I could earn some extra cash by easily selling all that stuff! Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn is such a great idea, especially when you’re wanting to clean out or earn some money.

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

You’re probably asking ‘what IS Varagesale‘? In a nutshell, it’s an online garage sale that’s not only convenient and keeps things local to avoid shipping/delivery/pick-up nightmares – it also saves you tons of time! Think about how many hours you spend on a typical garage sale: you’ve got to gather your items and store them until you have ‘enough’, set them out, price tag them, advertise, then sit out there waiting and hoping people will come by and purchase. Agh! Wouldn’t it be much easier for list your items in a list of local people who are ACTIVELY looking, like this…..?

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

I just had to check it out! I signed up for my local area, and got to searching the simple system – this is what it looks like when I sign in. There’s easy menus for your Feed, Discussions, searching Categories (or just search at the top), and keeping your own items and transactions organized.

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

I’m seriously kicking myself for not holding onto the stuff we didn’t want anymore! But….I’m in need of a few new things for our new house! Like a nightstand – my old one was bulky, falling apart, and just annoying. Definitely not worth keeping! I simply searched and found the perfect one!

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

I was able to comment on the listing, and send a direct message to the seller to work out pick-up/delivery.

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

And guess what my local DFW friends – there’s new communities for our area on Varagesale.com now!

  • Arlington & Grand Prairie 
  • Carrollton & Farmers Branch
  • Dallas Inner Loop
  • Duncanville/DeSoto/Lancaster 
  • Fort Worth 
  • Mesquite & East Dallas 
  • Richardson, Garland & Rowlett 

There’s all sorts of things – from furniture, decor and games to clothing, appliances and gifts!

 

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

How did it get started, you ask? VarageSale was founded by a former elementary teacher, Tami Zuckerman in 2012 after she became frustrated using other sites to buy and sell online. She approached her husband, a programmer, and the two collaborated together to create something more user friendly with a better experience than existing classifieds sites or social networks.

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

There’s even an APP – because it’s all about convenience and simplicity here!

  • The app uses location technology to sort the news feed based on what’s closest to you. The more people posting and shopping within a community, the more local your experience will be.

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

Another nifty and helpful trick for VarageSale users? You can customize your news feed so that only the categories and items you care about, show up! Here’s how: http://help.varagesale.com/article/88-how-to-hide-categories

You can Also WIN!

**Limited Time “Super Seller” Cash Promotion and Family Vacation to Orlando Contest**

  • New VarageSale sign-ups who join a newly launched community will earn $5 for every item they list for sale (up to 25 items). That’s potentially $125 up for grabs!
  • BONUS: every item listed for sale is also an entry into a state-wide contest to win a family vacation (up to 5 people) to the most magical place on earth in Orlando, Florida (Disney World).

Super Seller cash offer available to new VarageSale signs-ups only, and only eligible in new VarageSale communities. Limited to first 100 new sign-ups per community. Disney contest is available to new and existing VarageSale users and is state-wide. Full terms at terms.varagesale.com/tx

Varagesale: Sell, Buy & Earn / by Busy Mom's Helper #ad

Be sure to go Sign Up for your local area, then check out Varagesale on their social channels, too!

  • Facebook: www.facebook.com/VarageSale
  • Twitter: @VarageSale
  • Instagram: VarageSale
  • YouTube: www.youtube.com/varagesale
    • Check out this channel for lots of short, fun video demos of how VarageSale works

Filed Under: Finance, Organization & Cleaning Tagged With: buying, Earning Money, Selling

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