Fair housing is not just a fancy term, but a real necessity in the real estate industry across the globe.

Hello, fellow New Yorkers! Did you know that despite progress, housing discrimination is still a significant concern in the Big Apple?

According to recent data, reports of housing discrimination have been on the rise, highlighting the urgent need to address this issue head-on. Not only in New York but several housing discrimination complaints have been recorded nationwide. If you don’t believe, here are some numbers (as numbers never lie, do they?).

As per the data provided by the National Fair Housing Alliance, the most number of fair housing complaints ever recorded in a single year nationwide was 33,007, which came in 2022. The data also shows that discrimination based on disability accounted for the majority of complaints with a whopping 53.26%.

In addition, 2,490 sex-based complaints were received, which is the most since 2005. Despite the huge volume of complaints, the majority of cases of housing discrimination remain unreported or unnoticed.

The Fair Housing Act aims to prevent discriminatory practices that exclude people from housing opportunities because of circumstances outside of their control. In the quest for fair housing in the U.S., people as well as families have rights that this crucial legislative shield seeks to defend.

In this blog, let’s shed light on housing discrimination by taking a closer look at the Fair Housing Act.

Fair Housing Act: Understanding The Concept

To help you gain a better understanding of the concept of the Fair Housing Act, we have listed a few questions and answers below. Have a glance!

What Is Fair Housing?

In simple terms, fair housing is equal and free access to residential housing – that is a housing choice.

What Is the Fair Housing Act?

Basically, it’s a law that says discrimination in housing is prohibited. This law prohibits discriminatory housing practices and housing market denials to individuals based on factors they can’t control.

When you are renting, buying, or financing your home, this law protects you from discrimination based on your:

• Race
• Color
• National origin
• Religion
• Sex
• Disability
• Family status

When And Why Was The Act Established?

The Fair Housing Act was established in 1968 and came out of the civil rights era activism.
The need for the Fair Housing Act stems from a long history of discrimination and segregation in the housing sector.

Before its enactment, many marginalized communities faced blatant discrimination when trying to rent or purchase a home. The Fair Housing Act seeks to rectify these injustices by prohibiting discrimination based on protected characteristics, also promoting diversity and inclusion in housing.

Whom Does The Act Protect?

Although the Fair Housing Act applies to New York City, it is a federal law. The law believes that housing is a basic right that should be accessible to every American. It safeguards borrowers, buyers, and tenants and strives to end discrimination in public and private housing on a nationwide scale.

Who Should Abide By This Act?

All individuals and entities active in the housing market have an ethical duty to abide by this regulation. This covers everyone engaged in a home transaction, such as lenders, appraisers, real estate agents, landlords, and property managers.

A Few Examples Of Housing Discrimination

A landlord refusing to rent to a family with young children, citing concerns about noise, could constitute familial status discrimination. Similarly, denying housing to an individual because of their disability or nationality is a clear violation of the law.

What Are The Protected Classes?

A protected class comprises individuals who have historically been discriminated against due to a particular attribute. This Act, along with the New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws, protects individuals belonging to protected classes against housing discrimination on both state and city levels.

The protected classes are safeguarded against housing discrimination based on:

• Race
• Color
• Sex
• National origin
• Religion or creed
• Disability
• Family status

The New York Fair Housing Act also protects individuals from discrimination based on the following factors in addition to the above federally protected classes:

• Age
• Gender
• Citizenship status
• Marital status
• Sexual orientation
• Military status
• Lawful occupation
• Lawful source of income
• Partnership status
• Status as a victim of domestic violence, sex crimes, or stalking.

What Is Prohibited Under The Fair Housing Act?

The Fair Housing Act strictly prohibits various forms of discriminatory practices. Some common discriminatory practices include:

1. Refusing to rent or sell housing to an individual based on their protected characteristics.
2. Setting different terms, conditions, or privileges for housing based on a person’s protected status.
3. Making false representations about the availability of housing to deter certain groups from applying.
4. Harassing, intimidating, or coercing individuals to prevent them from exercising their fair housing rights.
5. Failing to accommodate reasonable requests for disability-related accommodations, such as wheelchair ramps.

What Type of Housing Is Covered?

The Fair Housing Act applies to most housing. However, the Act exempts from its provisions some types of housing, including:

• Single family houses sold or rented without the help of a broker,
• Owner-occupied structures with no more than four units, and
• Housing operated private clubs with limited members’ occupancy.

Furthermore, just like the Federal Housing Law, New York also has its own exemptions which are as follows:

• Either one or two owner-occupied family home buildings
• Room rentals in housing for same-sex individuals.
• Room rentals in owner-occupied housing

The Final Say

If you believe you’ve experienced housing discrimination, you can file a complaint not only with the U.S. Department of Housing but also Urban Development (HUD) through various modes.

Ensuring equal access to housing is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative. Not only by understanding your rights under the Fair Housing Act but also taking action against discrimination, you can help create a more inclusive and equitable society for all.

Looking to ease your home buying or selling experience? Get in touch with Elite Properties today.

The term ‘we buy any house’ sounds so relieving, doesn’t it? Well, it really does!

If you wish to sell your home as soon as possible and have no time to go through the traditional lengthy home selling process, ‘we buy any house’ companies can be your savior!

Due to the swift, hassle-free, and convenient method of selling homes that ‘we buy any house’ services facilitate, the concept has gained great popularity in different housing markets.

So, let’s try digging deeper to understand more about the ‘we buy any house’ companies and how they can help you with a smooth and quick sale.

What Are ‘We Buy Any House’ Companies?

The term ‘we buy any house’ is used for companies that buy houses directly for cash or are in the quick home sale industry. Property is purchased directly from homeowners by these companies.

They provide a simplified and streamlined approach to property sales, unlike the traditional property sales which entail real estate agents and perhaps lengthy, drawn-out procedures.

Their main selling points are convenience and speed. Regardless of a property’s condition, they can make quick offers on it and finish the transaction far faster than they might on the open market.

Purchasing properties, often renovating them, and then reselling or renting them out for a profit is the core of their business model. Even if they make the selling process hassle-free, they usually do so in exchange for paying less than the property’s market value.

Why Would You Deal With A ‘We Buy Any House’ Company?

When selling your home, there are several reasons why a ‘we buy any house’ company can be a better option than a traditional real estate agent, who can usually take months to finalize a deal.

Let’s have a look at how dealing with these companies can benefit you.

1. Speedy Process Of Selling

A quick home sale or cash sale can be finished in as little as two weeks or less, which is especially helpful if you need to sell your property quickly for reasons like financial constraints, shifting, or other urgent reasons. While traditional estate agent sales can take several months to complete.

2. Elimination Of Property Chain

A property chain, as defined by the traditional sales process, is a series of interconnected transactions in which the sale of one property is dependent upon the sale of another.

Because of this, they can be a major cause of stress and uncertainty as the sale depends on the transactions of several parties. Unlike this, ‘we buy any house’ companies terminate the need for a property chain.

3. Assurance Of Sale

In a traditional sale, the transaction may collapse for many reasons, including buyer finance difficulties or a change of decision, even after an offer has been accepted.

Due to their readily available money, ‘we buy any house’ companies eliminate the risk of last-minute cancellations, providing homeowners with greater assurance of sale and peace of mind.

4. Helps Save Repair Expenses And Time

A ‘we buy any house’ company will purchase your home “as is.” You can easily escape renovating expenses or repairs.

Additionally, there’s no need to organize the house in anticipation of numerous viewings. This might spare you from the ongoing headache of maintaining a pristine home as well as help save both time and effort.

5. Helps Avoid Estate Agent Fees

A typical commission for estate brokers is a percentage of the transaction price. Dealing with ‘we buy any house’ companies can help you save money by avoiding estate agent fees.

You will directly receive the amount these companies offer, assuring transparency and certainty in the transaction.

How Does The ‘We Buy Any House’ Process Work?

Selling property to a ‘we buy any house’ company is an easy and quick process. The majority of legitimate companies will walk you through the below steps.

• Fill out the online inquiry form found on their website. They will take some time to look into the property after you give them the necessary details. There is no need to come in person for this. Instead, they rely on appraisal software linked to homes similar to yours. They can then assess a property’s true value in the current market in this way.
• Within a day of receiving your information, the company will send you an offer. Typically, a phone call will be made to go over the offer, the timeline, and when you might anticipate receiving the money. At this time, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions.
• Further, upon reaching a mutual understanding, the business will submit a written offer to you. You’ll complete the papers and send them back.
• An independent solicitor will represent you. It will also be covered by them, so there will be no expense to you.
• The company you are selling your home to will also pay for a surveyor to evaluate your property. They will submit a final offer after obtaining a valuation report and legal check.
• The company will confirm the completion date that works for you once again. Finally, there will be funds in your account on the completion date.

The Final Say

Despite all the benefits, the most important step you shouldn’t miss out on if you want to sell your house quickly for cash to a “we buy any house” company is to make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate company. You can do this by ensuring to complete some background checks so you can get a genuine and better deal.

We really hope this blog helps you.

Are you looking to close your deal with lightning speed in just 3 days? If yes, we have got your back!

At Elite Properties, based in New York, we buy your home “as-is,” with no costs or commissions. For your home, you receive the highest cash offer. Not only this but we also pay for all closing and legal fees and most importantly – you can trust us! So, let’s get in touch!

For many home buyers and sellers, 2023 has been a challenging year. This is due to the fact that many people cannot afford the costs of houses and mortgages. Meanwhile, a scarcity of available housing has increased rivalry among buyers, making it difficult to locate the ideal property. In this case, housing market predictions for the next 5 years will help you take correct decision.

A valid question that a lot of buyers and sellers are posing is: Will things in the real estate market get better soon?

Numerous forecasts already exist predicting the trajectory of the US housing market in the next five years. This is because, ultimately, real estate buying and selling usually require long-term planning.

In spite of being a hot topic, the US housing market seems to be slowing down after growing rapidly during the pandemic years. Experts believe that things will get worse before they get better. This given the turbulent ride that the US housing market has been on in recent years. Some forecasts also predict that there will be fewer homes available for purchase, which may drive up prices.

Let’s take a deeper dive to understand more about the US housing market predictions for the next 5 years. So, here we go!

Current State Of The Housing Marketing

It’s useful to evaluate the current status of the US housing market before you jump onto the predictions for real estate forecasting for the next five years.

The recent data shows that U.S. home prices increased by 5.1% in January 2024 over the same month the previous year. Currently, the median price of a home in the US is approximately $402,242.

There were 2,87,009 homes sold in January of this year, up from 279,249 homes sold in the same month last year. This representing an average 2.8% annual increase in the number of homes sold.

At 6.6%, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate nationwide has increased by 0.4% in the past year.

Housing Market Predictions For The Next 5 Years

While the housing market prediction for the next 5 years is challenging, the following gives an idea of what data shows and what most experts believe is possible.

The land use and real estate industries have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Over the following five years, these effects will still have a mark on the supply and demand in regional housing markets.

The fitness of local job markets, the prevalence of hybrid work mode, emerging technology, and shifting demographics are some of the factors that are anticipated to continue having an impact on the housing market in the future.

On the other hand, if real incomes increase more quickly than inflation, affordability, home sales, and prices. This may all increase due to increased purchasing power and reduced mortgage rates. Home prices will probably increase by 1% to 2% over the present inflation rate if real incomes increase between 2025 and 2027. It may take some time to get to the mid-2022 home value highs.

Let’s also have a look at what more the data has to say about the home prices, home sales, and mortgage rates below.

1. Home Prices

The National Association of Realtors predicts that by the end of 2024, home prices, which were down 0.8% year over year through December 2023, will have increased by 1.8% to $390,000.

Given the significant increase in home prices from 2021 to 2023. It is anticipated that by 2025 through 2028, prices will climb more gradually at a pace. That is approximately 1% higher than the rate of inflation, or an estimated 13% to 14% higher than 2023 levels.

2. Home Sales

In 2024 and 2025, we anticipate a significant increase in existing home sales as mortgage rates continue to drop. This following their sharp decline in 2023 to the lowest level seen since 1995.

Builders’ ability to reduce mortgage rates, thereby enhancing affordability. This fueled the surge in new home sales in 2023, with expectations for this trend to persist.

3. Mortgage Rates

During the forecast period, experts anticipate a gradual decline in 30-year fixed mortgage rates. However, it’s unlikely they will fall below 5.0% due to increased public debt in the US and globally. This would limit available financing.

Some Expert Predictions

Nobody owns a crystal ball, and accurately anticipating five years in advance is difficult. Since it’s still a long way off, a plethora of unforeseen circumstances could arise and throw off our predictions about how the economy and home market will behave.

Despite this, experts remain ready to offer a long-term perspective.

According to McBride, during the next five years, average yearly growth in house prices will be in the low- to mid-single digits. According to him, this rate of appreciation is in line with the long-term average of house prices rising at a rate. That is marginally higher than the rate of inflation.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. He predicts that during the next five years, the rise of total price growth across the country would likely range from 15% to 25%.

Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. He predicts that during the next five years, the US real estate market would likely yield an average annual return of the mid to low single digits.

We are aware that, over time, real estate often yields stable long-term returns that outpace inflation. Although there is never a straight line. We may be more certain of the general direction of travel over a longer period of time. Also, in the case of real estate, that has historically been upward.

We really hope this blog was helpful to you in gaining better insights!

Are you looking for more guidance from professionals? This will help you to make the right decision at the right time to ace your real estate transactions.

Elite Properties is acknowledged as one of the top real estate companies in New York City because of our extensive experience. We are dedicate ourselves to delivering unparalleled real estate services of the utmost quality to our valued customers. Contact us today!

After reading the title – how to sell your house in 5 days? of the blog, it can make you wonder in the first place whether selling your home in just 5 days is even possible or not.

Well, it is!

There can be various events in your life that can push you to sell your house at a lightning-fast speed. You might be required to make a sudden shift to a new place, have a job change, and whatnot.

There are many reasons, but practically selling a house in just 5 days or a shorter period sounds challenging. As we all know that real estate transactions involve several tedious steps and processes. Nevertheless, you can manage to get your deal done in a quicker and shorter period like 5 days with some smart techniques.

So, let’s get your hands on these super quick ways that will help you understand how to sell a house in 5 days.

Here we go!

Ways To Sell A House In 5 Days

1. Contact Cash Home Buyers

The U.S. News Real Estate states that, according to the Ellie Mae Origination Insight Report, the average time to close on a home purchase was 49 days, and the average home sat on the market for 22 days as of November 2021. This means the total average time from listing to closing is 71 days. However, the amount of days a sale is on the market and the closing time will differ for each market and sale.

Now, with such stats in hand, you can figure out how advantageous it can be to sell your house to cash home buyers like cash home-buying companies, local investors, and iBuyers. This method can ultimately cut down the time it takes to get an offer and close down your deal.

You can save your time on pre-listing preparations, showings, open houses, and sometimes even repairs. Another big edge is that it eliminates the need for a financing contingency.

However, every aspect has two sides, and so is with selling your home to cash home buyers. Cash home buyers will usually pay you 75% or less than the fair market value of your home. Still, it’s your best bet as you are required to sell your home in just 5 days or closer to it.

2. Hire A Top-performing Agent

Yes, this could be your savior if you want to sell your home in just 5 days. A quick-sale expert agent can help you understand the traditional real estate process and modify it for you to facilitate a speedy deal for you. Once they understand your timeline, they take up the responsibility to ensure you keep up with everything involved to streamline the deal faster.

Apart from such great support, selling your house through a realtor increases the likelihood of a bidding war and bids over the asking price. That will more than cover the real estate agent commission. This is typically between 5% and 6% of the sale price.

In addition to first-time purchasers, a realtor can also provide you with offers from cash home-buying companies, iBuyers, and nearby real estate investors.

3. Price Your Home Below Fair Market Value

Pricing your house below fair market value can give you a competitive advantage, especially when you want to sell faster. This tactic will get you more eyeballs online where the realtors and buyers can see that your house is underpriced.

However, ensure that you mention that the reason for the lower price is that you want to sell faster. This will help you get a genuine and bigger net of offers quicker, mostly attracting cash home buyers and first-time home buyers.

Above all these, there are fewer chances of contract issues like appraisal issues if a home buyer intends to obtain a mortgage.

4. Offer Buyer Incentives

This is yet another interesting way to crack a deal in 5 days. It is like presenting a sweetened deal by marketing irresistible benefits to potential buyers to get offers faster.

Here’s what you can do:

• You can offer the home buyers to cover their closing costs which can help them save thousands of dollars.
• Further, you can attract more home buyers and make the deal appealing by leaving your home appliances or other hard-to-move home stuff for the buyers.
• A full year’s worth of HOA or condo dues may be required by some homeowners organizations at closing. In addition to accelerating negotiations, offering to pay that expense could save homebuyers some dollars at closing.
• Selling your house with a flat repair credit could save you and the buyer a great deal of time and stress when negotiating after-inspection repairs if your house requires significant repairs.

Pro Tips For Preparing Your Home For A Quick Sale

Get your home ready for a quick sale with these pro tips:

• Start with decluttering your house by organizing all the stuff and clearing out all your personal belongings.
• Get a pre-listing home inspection to attract more serious offers by sharing the results with the buyers.
• Improve your home’s appeal by making high ROI upgrades or cosmetic repairs such as painting or flooring.
• Adding a floor plan of your house to your listing will help buyers better understand your home’s layout and room sizes. This will cut down your home’s time on the market.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What type of house sells fastest?
Starter or small homes usually sell fastest due to their affordability and their broad appeal to a wide range of buyers.

2. How long do most houses take to sell?
Zillow estimates that selling a house takes 55-70 days on average in the United States.

3. In what months are houses hardest to sell?
In the U.S. winter is usually the worst time to sell a house because of unfavorable weather. Also, the perception among buyers that owners must be eager to sell during the busy holiday season.

That is it. We hope this helps! You can get in touch with Elite Properties for more immediate support!

One of the growing concerns in the real estate industry is home title theft, also known as ‘deed theft’. Fraudulent means cause individuals to lose ownership of their homes in this type of theft.

Around 3,000 deed theft complaints were filed in New York City over the past few years. Not only this, but considering the whole picture, the FBI’s 2022 Internet Crime Report states that 11,727 individuals in the US suffered real estate losses of $350 million due to fraud. The report also gives an alarming indication that home title theft is on the rise and the industry is required to take notice.

Staying aware of such fraudulent activities is wise and essential. This enable you to know what steps to take in order to protect yourself with proper prevention techniques.

So, let’s try to understand more about home title theft. Further, we’ll also shed light on how you can protect yourself from such fraud.

Here we go!

What Is Home Title Theft?

When someone steals the title to someone else’s home is what a home title theft is. Also called deed theft, this activity involves fraudulently transferring a house deed into another person’s name.

Physical documents that prove the ownership of a person are called deeds, and thieves can try to steal deeds using several cunning and unexpected techniques. Some of their techniques involve pretending to be legal associations, breaching private and sensitive information, and even just going through trash cans to steal personal details.

How Does The Home Title Theft Occur?

In this kind of fraud, title thieves use stolen personal information to forge a deed, making it look like they are the owner of the property. This means that they can impersonate homeowners to forge deeds to deceitfully sell the property for a profit or perhaps take advantage of the home equity that the actual homeowner has accrued by taking out a home equity loan.

If they target an empty house, such as an unoccupied vacation home or rental property, they can sell it and make money without your knowing by forging a deed.

In some cases, they might also try to offer “refinancing” to defraud elderly people or struggling homeowners in crisis. After that, the transaction is recorded as a house sale, giving the thief ownership of the house.

How To Prevent It?

1. Monitor Your Correspondence

It may indicate that someone has moved without your awareness if you suddenly cease getting bills or other crucial mail. Additionally, make sure your deed and mortgage statement are stored securely, and keep an eye on other critical documents you may have.

2. Watch Over Your Property

Report any unusual behavior in your neighborhood or the arrival and departure of strangers from your home to the police. In addition to providing protection for vacant homes, security system installation can discourage criminals from taking important documents like mortgage statements and deeds.

3. Use Caution When Revealing Personal Information

Bank statements and other undesirable documents containing your personal information should be discarded. Keep your birth certificate and social security card out of your pockets, and only divulge sensitive information online or over the phone to people you are certain you can trust.

4. Keep An Eye On Your Credit Report

Every year, you have the right to a free credit report from each of the three main credit reporting bureaus. You can identify questionable activity, such as newly opened accounts in your name and unauthorized adjustments to already-existing accounts, by routinely checking your credit report.

5. Obtain Title Insurance For Owners

Get coverage right away if you did not choose to get an owner’s title insurance policy at closing. If there are any liens or claims made against the property while you are the owner, this coverage can defend you. Without title insurance, individuals may find title protection services useful, but they often encounter fraud within these services.

What To Do If You Are A Victim Of Home Title Theft?

If your deed goes missing, remember that not every missing deed demands concern. You can request a fresh copy of your deed from the local county clerk’s office if it has gone missing. But if you suspect that someone stole your deed, you may have good reason to be concerned about deed theft.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides the following suggestions to anyone who has been the victim of house title theft or who thinks they might be a victim of this fraud:

• Get in touch with any related company where you believe there has been fraud with you.
• Set up a fraud alert and get credit reports from the main credit bureaus.
• Inform the Federal Trade Commission about your identity theft case.
• File an official complaint to the local police department.

Although dealing with home title theft can be extremely unsettling and upsetting, it’s critical that you act quickly to take desired measures and also ensure you interact thoroughly with the authorities.

The Final Say

Home title theft is a grave offense that, if unchecked, can have disastrous impacts on you. It’s wise to keep a watchful eye on your property. Also, to pay extra attention to any sensitive and personal information and documents. That might be the target of modern scams.

In case you suspect that you have fallen prey to home title theft, a search for a home’s title. You can also do this yourself. To accomplish this, go to the county clerk’s office in the area where your property is located. Then obtain the relevant property information.

Proactively safeguarding yourself and avoiding title theft is the key to preventing home title theft.

That is it! We really hope this helps you.

If you are looking for professional support to ease and securely conduct your real estate transactions in New York, get in touch with Elite Properties today!

Closing costs for buyer are something that is often overlooked by homebuyers when purchasing a house. This is because when preparing their budget for buying a house they tend to miss out on calculating all the possible closing costs and incorporating them into the budget.

Therefore, it is crucial that you research and know the possible closing costs that you might need to incur when buying your home to avoid any unpleasant experience in your home-purchasing journey.

So, let’s try to dig deeper and understand what exactly closing costs are and what are the various types of costs that get covered under the umbrella of closing costs for buyers.

What Are Closing Costs?

Simply put, closing costs are expenses and fees incurred at the very end of the home-buying process. The reason these expenses are called “closing costs” is that they are not included in the purchase price of the property and are typically paid to third parties like real estate brokers, agents, attorneys, government agencies, and similar entities. These expenses are actually required to be paid to finish the deal.

Before a real estate transaction is completed, closing costs have to be agreed upon and legally disclosed to both the buyer and seller.

While the seller may bear some of the closing costs, the buyer bears the majority of them which can be one-time costs. For qualified buyers, government programs or state financial agencies may offer closing cost assistance too.

Closing costs can vary across states because of different fees and regulations from statutes. For example, buyers in New York pay closing costs that range from 1.5% to 6% of the agreed-upon value of the home, with an average of roughly 3%.

Closing costs can involve costs like title search fees, attorney fees, insurance, taxes, record filing, underwriting of a mortgage, and so on. We shall take a closer look at these costs in the blog further.

Most Common Closing Costs For Buyers

Here’s a list of some of the most common closing costs that you may incur as a buyer.

1. Mortgage Application Fee
When you apply for a loan to buy a house, the lender will charge you an application fee to process your loan request. This is one of the most common closing costs for buyers, as the majority of them use home loans.

2. Credit Report Fee
The credit reporting charge refers to the cost associated with obtaining a credit report. During the credit score verification process, you grant lenders access to your credit record. Using one of the three credit bureaus – Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax—they examine the credit record. Lenders include the monthly premium these agencies charge to access credit reports in closing costs for buyers.

3. Appraisal Fee
The cost of hiring a professional appraiser to determine the home’s value is covered under the appraisal fee. Appraisal is crucial as it helps in setting the value of the property that you wish to buy. This process helps you to ensure that you aren’t overpaying for the property.

4. Home Inspection Fee
Paying the home inspection fee is part of the process to assess the property’s condition. It covers the cost of hiring a professional to make sure the house is in decent condition and is worth the money.

5. Title Search Fee
This fee is applicable for the title search. The purpose for this is discovering any liens or claims against the property that the seller might not be aware of. To review public records such as land records, tax liens, deeds, court decisions, etc., you need to work with a title company.

6. Title Insurance Fee
Charging this fee is necessary to furnish title insurance, mandated by the lender for the buyer to address ownership concerns after the sale.

7. Attorney Fee
A real estate attorney’s compensation includes the cost for preparing and reviewing contracts and home purchase agreements. It goes directly to the attorney to aid in drafting relevant documents and facilitating the transaction.

8. Escrow Deposit
At the closing, it’s common practice for lenders to ask for a deposit of two months’ worth of property tax and mortgage insurance payments into an escrow account.

9. Closing Fee
The closing company receives the closing costs. Also known as Escrow fee.

10. Courier Fee
A courier fee is applicable for the transportation of documents.

11. Transfer Tax
It is the tax that is levied by the local or state government for transferring the property’s title from the seller to the buyer.

12. Prepaid Expenses
These expenses include homeowner insurance, property taxes, and the mortgage interest that will accrue between the closing date and your first monthly payment.

13. Other Costs
Other costs can include the recording fee, survey fee, underwriting fee, origination fee, PMI, and so on. Lastly, you may also have to incur some closing costs depending on your situation. For example, if the property is in a flood zone, you may also need to pay for flood insurance.

The Final Say

It is particularly important to include closing costs in your budget because they can be unexpectedly high. Saving enough money to pay these costs is the best course of action, even though you might be able to lower them or perhaps have them rolled into your mortgage loan.

Therefore, figuring them out is necessary for a seamless house purchase procedure. The type of loan, the services needed, and whether you would rather pay more in full now or over time all affect these expenses.

For precise closing estimates, review the closing disclosure. Also, remember to look over and bring all necessary paperwork to the closing.

At Elite Properties, in order to ensure that you are not taken aback by any hidden closing costs when you get ready to purchase your house, we try to make the home-purchasing process as straightforward as possible. We also provide first-rate customer service to minimize the stress associated with house buying. Get in touch, we are just a click away!

Buying a house is a huge financial decision but if you’re stuck with bad credit, your dream of buying a house may shatter. Getting a loan when initiating the home-buying process with it can feel almost impossible.

Well, you still can buy it! Yes, buying a house with it is possible. Among Americans, 16% have bad credit. It’s important to know that it does not automatically rule someone out of the mortgage application process. Lenders evaluate loan applications based on a number of aspects. Credit history is but one component of the whole picture.

Let us help you understand more about it and how you could buy a house with it. Keep reading!

What Is Bad Credit?

A bad credit history indicates that the borrower has historically struggled to make credit repayments. Basically, a borrower’s failure to fulfill its obligations communicated to agencies via a bad credit history.

Your payment history, the amount you owe relative to your available credit, the duration of your credit history, the mix of your credit, and the number of credit accounts you have are the five main elements that determine your score.

In fact, the term “bad” credit score is relative. All too often, low scores are misinterpreted as “bad.” You may have never in your life missed a payment or collection.

However, using all of the credit on a few cards can also reduce your score and create the appearance of it. Therefore, the lender will consider all relevant factors when reviewing your loan application, providing you with an edge.

What Is Considered A Bad Credit Score By Mortgage Lenders?

When your score or payment history is below the minimal requirements set by your lender, you’re considered to have it by mortgage lenders.

On a scale of 300 to 850, some mortgage lenders require a minimum score of 500; others might also set their floor at 580 or 620 or higher.

However, it doesn’t exist in the eyes of a mortgage lender. It needed only to approve a mortgage application is qualifying credit, which is the minimal score needed.

If your score is less than 500, you may find it difficult to obtain a mortgage and will likely need to work on raising it first.

Many lenders use FICO score ranges. Check out these ranges:
Score range : Rating
Below 580 : Poor
580-669 : Fair
670-739 : Good
740 – 799 : Very good
800 or above : Excellent

Can You Buy A House With Bad Credit?

It’s not impossible to buy a house if you have a bad score or your score isn’t high enough. Lenders that work with buyers with poor score levels do offer bad credit mortgage options. Finding the proper lender and increasing your chances of approval are crucial.

Lenders don’t always care about your score, thus their minimum scores differ. Whether you’ll be able to repay them each month is what matters most to them.

One of the many factors that a mortgage lender considers is credit score. Lenders are also concerned with other factors like work stability, your yearly income, the house you’re purchasing, and so on.

How To Buy A House With It?

Below are steps that can help you buy a house even with it:

Step 1: Analyze Your Credit Score
To obtain a mortgage despite having bad credit, you must first analyze and determine the details of your  report, which is the foundation for your credit score. To accomplish this, get a copy of your report from Experian, Transunion, or Equifax, the three main bureaus.

Step 2: Find Out Home Loan Options
There are various mortgage types, each with a distinct minimum score requirement. All of them will provide financing options for individuals with less-than-ideal, though some are more flexible than others.

These options can include:

• Conventional Loans
• FHA Loans
• VA Loans
• USDA Loans

Step 3: Get a Mortgage Pre-approval
With a mortgage pre-approval for a home loan, the lender lets sellers know you’re a serious buyer who won’t squander their time. Even though you’re not sure if you qualify for a loan, get in touch with a lender to start the process.

Step 4: Make Other Financial Improvements
Apart from score focus on other financial factors like income, savings, and previous loans. Have a well-managed budget to track your income and expenses.

This can ensure a lender that you can manage your finances well and meet your mortgage obligations. Lastly, you can also try to pay off outstanding debts if any.

Step 5: Avoid Making Credit Mistakes
Making late payments or missing payments should be avoided as these actions can seriously harm your credit. Furthermore stay away from applying for additional cards, since this can temporarily reduce your score.

In addition, you should refrain from canceling previous accounts as this might shorten your history and lower your total amount of accessible credit. Finally, make every effort to use as little credit as possible.

The Final Say: It’s Possible To Get A Home Loan With It

‘Even with bad it, it is feasible to purchase a home. By changing your spending patterns, you could raise your credit scores. Small changes can have a significant impact. Having it, however, does not preclude you from becoming a homeowner. Qualifying credit is that require for qualifying.

Alternative loan options can still offer the chance to become a homeowner. Before you commit to any loan, carefully review the terms, fees, interest rates, and total impact on your financial status. You can consult with a reliable financial advisor or mortgage specialist. They can guide you through the different mortgage alternatives available so you can decide wisely.

Need more profound support? Get in touch with Elite Properties today!

If you want to buy a home with minimal hands-on effort or don’t want to do the heavy lifting to purchase it, buying a Turnkey Properties can be your go-to option. Probably you might have already researched and looked for easy options to buy a suitable property, and must have come across an option of turnkey if not, we have got you covered! Nevertheless, turnkey has both benefits and drawbacks, so it’s better to understand if buying a turnkey property is really a good option for you or not.

So, let’s dig in to know what turnkey property means in real estate, and its pros and cons for you as a buyer.

Here, we go!

What Is A Turnkey Property In Real Estate?

A turnkey property is ready for occupancy right away and doesn’t need any significant renovations or repairs to be livable.

In other words, turnkey refers to a property that has been completely renovated and doesn’t even require a new coat of paint in certain situations. Sometimes, it also means a fully furnished home. This can be a duplex, apartment building, or even a single-family house.

Purchasing a turnkey property generally entails working with a company that specializes in the restoration of older properties. To take care of the standard homeowner responsibilities for the property or home you own, some companies or real estate developers also provide property management services.

Pros Of Buying A Turnkey Properties

We have mentioned some of the essential pros of buying a turnkey property for you below. Let’s have a look!

• Renovation Isn’t Your Responsibility
  Of course, the most significant advantage of buying a turnkey property is that it saves you the time, and effort that comes with renovations and day-to-day handling activities. If you wish to avoid doing renovations or Want to move in straight away, then a turnkey home could be the best option for you.
• Facilitates Easy Renting
  You won’t need to do a lot of work to rent out the turnkey home you buy. The restoration company takes care of everything, so you won’t have to paint, renovate, or fix anything before the house is ready for your tenants.
• Quick And Strong Cash Flow
  Due to the expense of making repairs and the time it takes to find qualified tenants. Usually rental properties may not turn a profit for a considerable amount of time. Investing in a property that is ready to move into reduces the amount of time it can take to get your first rental income. On the other hand, since some turnkey properties have just undergone renovations, repair expenditures can be minimal in the initial years. The first few years might see a strong cash flow from this.
• Less Maintenance
  Some businesses that offer turnkey homes will also take care of the property management. Property management companies will take care of many things, from collecting rent to handling upkeep. This means less effort and maintenance on your part.

Cons Of Buying A Turnkey Properties In Real Estate

Now that you know some of the vital pros of buying a turnkey property. You must also consider its cons so that you can make an informed decision.

• Less Control
  Since the turnkey company chooses which properties to renew, you won’t have much say in the exact location of the property while buying. Further, with turnkey real estate investments, you might not have much influence over the tenants residing in your rental property or the upkeep and repair process. Although having less control means less effort. This means that your entire investment is in the hands of someone else, who is probably not going to be driven to ensure the property operates to its full potential.
• Risk Of Poor Property Management
  Selecting the right property manager is crucial. Since they will look after everything right from taking care of maintenance, to handling any other problems at your property. There’s always a risk that your property manager won’t perform well especially if you are unable to keep an eye on or visit the property frequently. This could cost you money as well as reduce your ROI.
• You Might Pay Too Much
  As turnkey properties are move-in ready and do not require any vast repairs or renovation, they are usually expensive. If you are renting your turnkey property, your monthly cash flow will be negatively impacted by the cost of paying the property management to maintain it. When you factor in all of those extra management and maintenance expenses. You might discover that you’re not earning nearly as much as you would have. If you had purchased, fixed, and cared for the home yourself.
• Lack Of Personalization
  As you get the house in a ready-to-move-in condition and the renovation is all taken care of by the turnkey company. You don’t get to intervene much in the upgrades and overall look and feel of the house. This leads to a lack of personalization on your part. For buyers who are imaginative and enjoy adding special touches to their property. Turnkeys don’t provide many possibilities because they won’t be involved in the renovation process.

The Final Say

Indeed, a turnkey property is a fantastic choice for both homebuyers and real estate investors. It eliminates a lot of the tedious steps involved in purchasing and upgrading a house.

Before moving forward, though, you should confirm that a turnkey property meets your requirements and objectives.

Purchasing a turn-key property will come at a higher cost. Even though you will save money and time on contractors and repairs. To make sure the house is genuinely worth the premium. It is recommended to engage an inspector and arrange for a viewing of the property first.

Want to seek an expert’s advice? Our team of professionals goes above and beyond to assist you with profound guidance. They will help you make informed decisions while dealing in real estate properties. Get in touch with Elite Properties now!

A revocable trust or living trust often becomes the preferred vehicle of choice for people who wish to disperse their worldly assets in a complex or specific manner.

This flexible instrument can offer them a plethora of advantages and safeguards. This is to guarantee that their financial requirements and preferences are efficiently satisfied both throughout their lifetime and after they pass away.

While setting up a revocable trust for real estate holding may be familiar to you. Also, you might be wondering, “How beneficial is it to sell a property held in such a trust?”

If you have researched a little bit, you might be aware that the process entails more than simply handing the property deed and receiving payment. Although selling a house held by a revocable trust can be complex. It can still streamline your property sale.

Let’s find out how and here we go!

Understanding Some Basics

Before diving deep into understanding how can a revocable trust streamline your property sale. let’s get clear with some basics.

What Is A Trust?

In a trust, assets are transferred from one person (the trust settlor/grantor) to another (the trustee), who is responsible for managing the assets. Anything from vehicles to bank accounts to valuables and real estate can be held under a trust.

The trustee manages the trust on behalf of the beneficiaries under the conditions set forth by the grantor.

What Is A Revocable Trust?

A revocable trust, (revocable living trust or RLT), is the most flexible type of trust that you can create. As long as you are competent, you can amend or revoke your trust with an RLT at any moment during your lifetime. For instance, you could sell trust property, add or remove beneficiaries, or transfer additional assets to your trust.

To enable themselves to use and manage their assets more effectively. While they are still living, many grantors choose themselves as the RLT’s original trustee. If you go this path, you should designate a successor trustee to oversee your trust if you pass away or become incapable of managing it yourself.

However, your RLT becomes irrevocable upon your death, which means it usually cannot be revoked or altered.

Usually avoiding probate is the main reason for putting assets in a revocable living trust. In the absence of a trust, your heirs may have to endure a protracted and stressful legal process to get their personal property through after your death.

Advantages Of Selling Property Held In A Revocable Trust (Before Death Of Grantor)

If you are the owner of a house in a revocable trust, selling it (as far as the legal aspects are concerned) is no issue. The trust can be altered or dissolved as you see fit. To make your choice, you have two options:

• If you hold the dual role of grantor and trustee, you have the option to sell as the trustee and retain the proceeds within the trust, or
• You can change the home’s title to your name and sell it personally, outside of the trust.

But just like with any other sale, you will have to pay capital gains taxes in both situations. But, if your circumstances allow it, you can also apply to have the capital gains tax excluded.

Advantages Of Selling Property Held In A Revocable Trust (After Death Of Grantor)

Putting your house in a revocable living trust will make it easier for your beneficiaries to sell it when you pass away.

If you didn’t have a revocable living trust, the sale of your property would involve all of your heirs equally. This implies that all decisions about the sale, including the following, would require consensus from all parties:

• They can sell a house or kept in the family.
• Whether or not to make improvements to the house to raise its worth before selling.
• Which real estate agent to work with?
• Listing price.
• What offers to accept?

Certain families might have no trouble making these choices. However, juggling these tasks appropriately while dealing with the stress and grief of losing a loved one is a challenge for a lot of family members.

The sole successor trustee under a revocable living trust can alternatively handle the property sale. By exercising their fiduciary duty, the trustee can decide on all of the aforementioned matters. Also, make sure that the sale is carried out in the beneficiaries’ best interests. Then, evenly divide the money from the sale among the heirs.

To Sum Up

From the above explanation, you can sum up the benefits of selling property under revocable trust as follows:

• You can bypass the traditional sales process, and save money on repairs, long delays, and other costs.
• Increased flexibility and control over the terms of the sale, enabling the negotiation of a desirable closing date and price.
• Beneficiaries can obtain inheritances quickly and effectively.
• The ability to allocate sale proceeds to beneficiaries’ needs and financial objectives.
• Possibility of lower tax obligations than with traditional sales.
• Privacy preservation in contrast to the public probate procedure.
• Asset protection for assets within the trust.
• Simplified procedure managed by the trustee acting in the beneficiaries’ best interests.

Whether you are the grantor or benefactor, selling a home takes time, even after resolving the legal considerations. To sell your house, you must perform the necessary improvements, stage open houses and showings, find the ideal buyer, and do other tasks. However, Elite Properties can help you sell swiftly and for top dollar.

Elite Properties maintains a reputation for transparent business practices and offers sincere guidance. Our vast network of skilled real estate agents has handled millions of dollars worth of real estate sales and purchases.

To meet your real estate needs, our team goes above and beyond the call of duty. We give our clients detailed information on how to manage various real estate matters, including real estate purchases and sales. Learn more about us.