BUYERS

*WHY SHOUD I USE A REAL ESTATE AGENT ?

>A real estate agent is more than just a sales person. A real estate agent may act on your behalf, providing you with advice and guidance when buying or selling a home. Due to the constant changing of the market, the information available on listings is not always 100% accurate. There are times when you need the most current information about what has sold or is for sale, and the only way to get that is with a real estate agent.

If you are in the market to buy, it would be advisable to use a Buyer's Agent. They can make recommendations on what terms and prices to offer as well as negotiating a deal with your best interest in mind.

 

*WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "LISTING AGENT" AND "SELLING AGENT"?

>Listing Agents usually deal with sellers, and are the ones who will list a property for sale on the Multiple Listing Service.

Selling Agents (also Buyers Agents) mostly deal with the homebuyers, usually only listing just a few homes for sale. They will sell the homes (which have been placed in the MLS) via the listing agents.

The majority of agents will focus on one or the other. Some agents will also divide their time between sellers and buyers and are usually regarded as the best ones since they are dealing with both sides of the coin.

If you phone an agent from a magazine or newspaper ad, you are usually contacting the listing agent. These agents will place ads to show the seller that they are making an effort to sell their home. Also their advertising efforts can draw others who may decide to sell their homes.

 

*WHA IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "PRE-QUALIFIED" AND " PRE-APPROVED ?

>If you're prequalified it means that you POTENTIALLY could get a loan for the amount stated to you, assuming that all of the information you provide to the bank is accurate and true. This is not as strong as a preapproval.

If you're preapproved, it means that you have undergone the extensive financial background check, which includes looking at your credit history, previous tax returns and verifying your employment - and the lender is willing to give you a loan, basically meaning you're approved!

>You will usually be provided an accurate figure which shows the maximum amount that you are approved for. Most sellers prefer buyers that have been preapproved because they know that there will not be any problems with the purchase of their home.

 

*WHAT IS TITLE INSURANCE ?

>Title insurance is insurance that protects the lender and buyer against any losses incurred from disputes over the title of a property.

 

*WHAT IS AN ESCROW OFFICER ?

>An escrow officer is the person that walks you through the closing process. They are usually employed by the title company that you are working with. They are a neutral third-party, responsible for overseeing the escrow process. They typically perform the title searches, prepare final paperwork, witness the document signings as well as ensure that the transaction is executed properly and legally.

 

*WHAT ARE CLOSING COSTS ?

Closing costs are expenses incurred by buyers and sellers in transferring ownership of a property.

 

*WHAT IS A CONTINGENCY ?

>A contingency is a provision included in a sales contract stating that certain events must occur or certain conditions must be met before the contract is valid.

*WHAT IS HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION (HOA) ?

>Homeowners association is a nonprofit association that manages the common areas of a condominium or "planned unit development" (PUD). Unit owners pay a fee to the association in order to maintain areas such as a pool or playground that are owned jointly.
MORTGAGE
WHAT IS PRE-APPROVAL OR PRE-QUALIFICATION ?
>These are similar terms thrown loosely around by many loan officers. They essentially mean that a mortgage professional has reviewed your qualification ability from a credit, income, debt obligations, and assets available for the purpose of getting a home mortgage.
WHAT IS PITI AND IT STANDS FOR ?
>PITI is the total monthly payment you make on a house-Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance.
HOW CAN I AVOID PRIVATE MORTGAGE INSURANCE ?
>The easiest way to avoid PMI is by putting 20% down payment; however, PMI can also be avoided if you only have 5% or 10% for the down payment. The way to accomplish this is via a first and second mortgage combination commonly referred to as 80/10/10^s or 80/15/5^s.

These two methods combine a first mortgage lien for 80% of the home price with a second mortgage lien for either 10% or 15% of the home price leaving the remaining 5% or 10% as the down payment. Because the first lien is at the magical 80% loan=to-value, there is no PMI required, even though a second mortgage is being |piggybacked| onto the financing thus allowing for the lessor down payment.

While the second lien terms are not as attractive as first lien rates, the second mortgage is still home mortgage interest and thus deductible as such on your federal tax return where PMI is insurance and offers no deduction.

WHAT IS AN ESCROW ACCOUNT ?
>When borrowers make their monthly mortgage payments, they generally also pay one-twelfth of the anticipated annual amount needed to pay taxes and insurance premiums. These additional funds are deposited into an escrow account until the lender pays the taxes and insurance premiums as they come due. The borrower benefits for budgeting reasons because costs are spread through the year rather than as a lump sum. This method allows the lender greater control in avoiding tax delinquencies or lapses of hazard insurance coverage on the property. Mortgage documents often stipulate lenders that establish an escrow account.
WHAT IS UNDERWRITING ?
>Underwriting is the process of evaluating a loan to determine whether the loan is a good risk.
WHAT IS A LOCK IN ?
>A lock in guarantees a certain interest rate for a certain period of time.
WHAT DO I DO IF I RECEIVE A TAX STATEMENT ?

>Many tax authorities will mail an informational copy of the real estate tax statement to the homeowner in addition to the Credit Union. However, there are some statements tax authorities do not forward to the credit union, and in special cases we will need your assistance in obtaining the bill. If you receive a statement for any of the following, please forward it to our office by mail or fax.

  • delinquent real estate taxes
  • supplemental or additional real estate taxes
  • special assessments
  • if the tax authority will not honor a bill request from another party.

 

WHAT IS A GIFT LETTER ?

A gift letter is when an individual gives you money for a down payment as a gift, that person must write you a gift letter so that it can be included in your loan documentation.

 

CAN I PAY MY OWN TAXES AND INSURANCE ?

When a loan is originated, the mortgage documents specify the escrow conditions. This has become a standard practice for all mortgages, including FHA, VA and conventional mortgages. Occasionally on conventional loans, FRFCU waives the collection of escrow requirement at closing if the member has a minimum 20% equity position in the property.

 

 

SELLERS

WHY SHOULD I USE A REAL ESTATE AGENT ?

>A real estate agent is more than just a sales person. A real estate agent may act on your behalf, providing you with advice and guidance when buying or selling a home. Due to the constant changing of the market, the information available on listings is not always 100% accurate. There are times when you need the most current information about what has sold or is for sale, and the only way to get that is with a real estate agent.

You don't need to use a commissioned real estate agent to sell your home, but you may want to consider the benefits of having a real estate agent versus not using a real estate agent.

In addition, many people would rather use an Agent due to the complexities of modern Real Estate transactions since they usually incorporate legal and financial attributes, which takes them well beyond more simple transactions, such as the sale of an automobile.

There are several advantages when using a real estate agent to sell your home, such as - your listing will be added to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) so that large numbers of buyers will have access to the seller's property. In addition, your real estate agent absorbs all of the cost of advertising and marketing, and the screening that will be done of potential buyers by Agents. The Agent will also handle the details of negotiation.

Deciding whether to use an Agent or not depends on if you feel fully confident that you can handle all of the details, then you may well want to attempt selling your house on your own. If not, you most likely will want to use a real estate agent and leave the details to them.

 

 

WHAT IS AN "EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO SELL"?

>This type of listing is the most commonly used and is the most effective. With this type of listing the agent does the most work to sell your home they will usually advertise your home, place it into the MLS, market your home to other agents and even hold open houses for your home. Only with this type of listing does an agent expect to earn money back on their investments on selling your home.

 

WHAT IS AN "EXCLUSIVE AGENCY" LISTING ?

>An Exclusive Agency listing allows your agent to market your home and enter it into the MLS. The agent will receive a commission if your home sells through any real estate company or by another agent. He will NOT receive a commission if you, the seller, find a buyer on your own. Because a commission is not guaranteed, your agent may not be highly motivated to market your property. Thus, this type of listing is not common and should be avoided.

 

 

 

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