Home Sold in Beloit, Wisconsin

Just Sold! 1149 5th St in Beloit, Wisconsin

We are happy to announce a recent home closing in Beloit. It was a pleasure helping these buyers find such a wonderful Beloit home. Congratulations to our agent Eric Engels and the new home buyers! We hope you enjoy the home!

If you are thinking of selling or buying a home in Wisconsin, we would be happy to assist you.

Give Rock Realty a call at 877-774-7625. We are a full service real estate brokerage.

 Beloit, WI Homes for Sale

OTHER ARTICLES

• Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Before Looking for a Home
• First Time Buyers: How To Wade Through Real Estate Lingo
• What’s Just as Important As Location When Choosing a Home?
• 10 Things that are Good to Know Before Buying a Home
• Tips for your first Home Inspection
• Tips for Purchasing a Foreclosure
• Tips for Picking the Right Wisconsin Home

Tips for your Home Inspection

Considering the cost of purchasing a home it would make sense that buyers would take necessary precautions to see if the home has any problems. A home inspection can point out any problems, if they even exist. The following list represents some pointers to consider when ordering a home inspection.

Review Credentials of the Inspector

It is wise to choose an inspector with engineering qualifications. The inspection process may discover some problems that would be best suited for an engineer to review. If that is the case, and your home inspector has no engineering certifications, then you could end up paying for the inspection of the home as well as an inspection by an engineer. A Professional Engineer designation is offered by the state and governed by a state board as well. You may ask for the inspector's designation before hiring him or her to look at your home.

Be Part of the Inspection

Do your best to coordinate the inspection with time that you are free. These inspections will typically last one to two hours. Going along to look at the home can give you a chance to see the home through the inspector's eyes. While it is a given that you will receive a copy of the report, and hopefully accompanying pictures, being present when the home is reviewed will allow you to hear and see the inspector's reaction to the condition of the home. It will also give the inspector a chance to actually show you an area of concern and perhaps provide some suggestions for how the issue can be resolved.

If Something is Confusing, Ask Questions

Home inspectors are trained professionals. They understand the structure of a home along with its working systems such as the plumbing, electrical and heating/air conditioning system. This means that the inspector may use terms foreign to you. Ask the inspector to explain any observation or issue that you do not understand. Buying a home does not mean that you have to be as knowledgeable as a general home builder. However, you should feel comfortable that the home is safe for living and that there are no immediate problems demanding expensive repair. Conversely, if the home is in need of serious repair and you have the ability or resources to fix it then you could negotiate with the seller to lower the home's price.

It is important to try and remain impartial about the home inspection. If the inspector finds some significant problems that will require a great deal of work and expense to rectify then it may be wise to consider buying a different home. However, it is also a good idea to remain rational. If you are looking at a previously owned home then you should expect that the home is not perfect and may need attention in a few areas. Just like buying a used car can mean saving some money in place of some small sacrifices, getting a used home can save many buyers some money if they are not afraid of doing a little clean up and some simple projects like a little painting or wallpapering.

Tips on your first Home Inspection - Original Post
Wisconsin Short Sales 

Tips for Picking the Right Evansville WI Home

Tips for Picking the Right Evansville Wisconsin Home


Finding the home that meets your needs and makes you happy will usually take a little time and effort.  Here are some tips that should make the whole process easier for you and your Realtor.

Develop a List

What exactly are you looking for in a home?  If you are buying the home with another person then there are two sets of opinions and preferences to contend with.  For this reason it is a good idea to make a short list of the features that you cannot live without.  You also need to determine what features you CAN'T live with.  Having these items identified and discussed before looking at homes can save some frustration.  An easy way to develop the list is to look at your current living arrangements.  Decide what you would like to have different in your next place and put that on the list.

Location

Picking a good location is important to every purchase. You need to determine if the home is close enough to your job.  Some people don't mind a short drive everyday while other people prefer to be at work in just a minute or two.  If you have children, what is the reputation for the school district of the home you are considering? Do you like to shop or attend certain events like concerts or sports?  If so, how close are the available shopping and sporting venues?  Looking at the home's surroundings is also important.  Do you want to be in a well established community, next to a commercial development or out in the country with privacy?  The location is one of the prime indicators of a home's future value.  If you feel that you will sell the home in a few years then you need to take into account the home's potential for appreciation.

Mortgage Pre-Approval

Getting pre-approved for the mortgage loan is one of the best things to do before you start hunting for a house.  The maximum amount you can qualify for is based upon your credit, your down payment, the amount of income you earn and the available interest rates at the time.  Once you have your pre-approval letter from a lender you will be able to tell your Realtor the price range of the homes that you would like to consider.

Take Along a List

If you plan to look at multiple homes it can be difficult to remember important features of each home.  Take some pictures when you look at homes and make notes about the features you like as well as the features that are displeasing to you.  Having good notes can help you narrow down your choices to the home that actually meets your needs.

Listen to Your Realtor

It is good to ask questions of you Realtor and listen to their input.  Realtors have lots of information about the home's neighborhood, facts such as appreciation rates and average time to sale, as well as property tax information.  Ask lots of questions, take solid notes and use the data from your Realtor to help you make your purchase decision.

      

Tips on Buying Your First Evansville Wisconsin Home

Tips on Buying Your First Evansville WI Home


Getting that first home can be a really exciting time for anybody. However, it needs to be approached with realistic expectations. Going through a few of the following suggestions will make the whole process much easier.


Get Familiar with Real Estate Terms


Buying your first home will involve learning about the home market as well as loans. Therefore some terms may be unfamiliar to you. Here is a list of some common terms used in Wisconsin mortgage loans and real estate transactions.

• Closing Costs– These are fees associated with all mortgages. Amounts paid to a title company for the title search, recording the deed and mortgage at the court house, origination, credit report fees, appraisal fees and the fee from the attorney to close the loan are just some of the items involved.



• Warranty Deed – This document proves that the sellercan legally sell the home.



• FHA – This is a government organization known as the Federal Housing Authority. This organization authorizes lenders to offer FHA loans and enforces the guidelines for approving the loans.



• Bait Rate – Some mortgage companies will advertise an extremely low interest rate to entice borrowers to contact them and submit a loan application. However, it is later discovered that the advertised rate was for people with the absolute highest credit scores, along with a sizable down payment and a well established job history.



• GFE – This is an acronym for Good Faith Estimate. It provides an estimate of the costs associated with closing the mortgage loan.



• Underwriting – This is the process of approving a loan application. An underwriter will compare the borrower’s credit, income, savings and residence history to the guidelines of the particular loan program that has been matched with the borrower. The underwriter must make sure that the borrower meets the requirements of the loan in order to issue an approval.

Organize Your Finances


Before applying for a loan it is a good idea to ensure your credit rating is worthy of a mortgage loan. If you have some blemishes on your credit report then it is important to fix them before hand. Setting aside enough money for the down payment is also critical. You should plan on between 3% and 5% of the purchase price of the home. It is also a good idea to have another 3% to 5% for the closing costs.


Be Realistic About the Home


It is not a good idea to look at homes well beyond your affordable range. Talk to a mortgage company and get pre-approved for the loan. Then talk to your Realtor and ask to look at homes that fall within your price range. Looking at a home that may seem perfect, but is $10,000 more than you can afford, will make you unhappy with other homes and could lead you to make a bad decision towards an alternative mortgage.


Take some time to learn about the real estate market and get everything in order before house hunting. This will make it easier for your Realtor to find the right house for you and make the whole process less stressful.


At Rock Realty we want to make sure that your home buying experience is smooth and that you feel comfortable with your decision. It’s important that you buy the right home for you. Don’t forget about the great Wisconsin home buyer discounts that Rock Realty has to offer!


Home Buyer Discounts

View a home without leaving your house!

A new listing comes on the market that catches your eye. The interior photos look bright and inviting, while the exterior shots show well cared for landscaping that give the home great curb appeal. This could be the one you've been waiting for!

You immediately call your realtor and set up a personal showing for the next day. After taking off a little early from work to see the home in good daylight, you arrive at the property.

What awaits you is the dissapointing realization that your dream home is locating directly next to a busy gas station!

Of course this situation could have been avoided if you or your real estate agent had previously driven by the property, but often due to busy schedules it is hard to find the time. A more simple solution is to utilize a couple of online websites to view the exterior of most homes from your computer desk!

The first website I would recommend that you use is Google Maps. Simply type in the address of the location you are interested in. You will first be given an overhead street view of the neighborhood. This alone can help reveal the property's true location. I've included photos of the Capitol Building in Madison Wisconsin for dramatic effect!

Now, use the ‘+' sign on the left hand side of the screen to zoom to a closer overhead view. When you get close enough, Google Maps will actually convert your the view into a Street View. This will show you what the home looks like from street level. You can even turn left or right to look up and down the street.

For overhead shots, I actually prefer what Bing Maps has to offer. This site has more clear overhead views. You simply need to select ‘Birds Eye' from the menu at the top. On this site you are able to rotate your view by 90 degrees at a time. This can give you an idea of how large the trees in the backyard are, if the house has a fenced in yard, or where the shed is exactly located.

Using sites like these is just another tool a potential home buyer can use to narrow down the field of potential properties. I use this tool as a realtor almost every day and it really has helped me be that much more efficient. I hope it can help you as well!

Wisconsin Home Buyers, Sellers & Remodelers... Are you H.I.P.?

ARE YOU LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A HOME IN WISCONSIN?

INTERESTED IN BUILDING A HOME OR REMODELING YOUR OWN?

Rock Realty is now a member of H.I.P., a local WI discount program available to you!

From the HIP website
H.I.P. Is the Home Incentive Program for Buyers & Sellers. It is a program for everyone...first time, next time, last time... everyone! The HIP Program is here for you. We got together, and the ‘we' are participating member Realtors, Builders, Remodelers and Mortgage Bankers for anyone to take advantage of this new and exciting program.

What does ‘Advantage' mean?

Great question and here's our answer:

If you are a Seller

• You should get a pre-inspection of your home --- you get a discount




• You should get a complete top to bottom cleaning of your home --- you get a discount




• You might need new lighting fixtures --- you get a discount




• You might need a some plumbing done ---- you get a discount




• You might need storage --- you get a discount




• You might need --- call a Get HIP member, go through our web site, and Get It!

If you are a Buyer

• You get a special discount package from a Realtor!




• You get a special discount package from a Builder!




• You get a special discount package from a NARI Member!




• You get a special discount package from a Mortgage Banker!

Buyers & Sellers win! Everyone does. We're on our way to moving our market FORWARD. That's our stated motto and we're here, together, to make it happen. Join us and SAVE!

Are you looking for a discount on your home purchase now that the TAX CREDIT has expired? Rock Realty is now offering a 1% credit at closing. Click the above banner for details!