Buyer Tips

Can You Get Your Earnest Money Back?
Writing earnest money checks is the first real commitment you make when you purchase a home. It tells the seller you are serious, and it hits your pocket book if you bail. You may be hesitant putting a lot of money on the line. That's understandable. Rest assured that...

Top 5 Reasons Why Pending Contracts Fail
You probably heard that new listings get multiple purchase offers within days. Did you know that many of these contracts fail? Contract terminations are common. They are very unnerving for the seller. The house has to be relisted and future buyers will ask why the...

How to Win When You Have to Compete Against Other Buyers
The Columbus housing market is very competitive. Quality listings attract droves of buyers. Most of the time you will have to compete against other offers. Every week my agents tell stories of frustrated buyers who just lost another bidding war. What does it take to...

Unique Home Loans: Zero Down or Zero Monthly Payments
If you are holding off buying a home because you don't have much of a down payment you need to continue reading. There are numerous loan programs that don't require any down payment at all. Then there are specialty loans to help you with construction and renovation...

Does the Huge Drop in Interest Rates Increase Affordability?
Last week the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 4.06%. A year ago, it was around 4.40%. According to CNBC this is the largest decline in 10 years. The drop-in interest rates was somewhat surprising. Most experts have predicted rates above...

New Home Prices Skyrocket – Where to find Deals
A few weeks ago, I read an article in Business First stating that Columbus "is not even coming close" to meeting housing needs. They are quoting a report commissioned by the Building Industry Association (BIA) which shows how new construction lacks far behind its peak...

Three Types of Builder Incentives You Don’t Want to Miss this December
New construction is booming in Central Ohio. Home builders had an excellent year, but sales traditionally slow down over the winter. To keep the momentum going, builders offer their best discounts in December. 1. Discounts on Upgrades The most popular buyer incentives...
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