6 Mistakes to Avoid When Trading Up to a Larger Home

We outline the six most common mistakes homeowners make when moving to a larger home. Knowledge of these six mistakes, and the strategies to overcome them, will help you make informed choices before you put your existing home on the market.

1. Rose-coloured glasses
Most of us dream of improving our lifestyle and moving to a larger home. The problem is that there’s sometimes a discrepancy between our hearts and our bank accounts. You drive by a home that you fall in love with only to find that it’s already sold or that it’s more than what you are willing to pay. Most homeowners get caught in this hit or miss strategy of househunting when there’s a much easier way of going about the process. For example, find out if your agent offers a Buyer Profile System or “Househunting Service,” which takes the guesswork away and helps to put you in the home of your dreams. This type of program will c ...

6 Things You Must Know Before Obtaining a Mortgage Before you commit your hard earned dollars to monthly mortgage payments, consider these 6 issues. 

Before you commit your hard earned dollars to monthly mortgage payments, consider these 6 issues. Effective consideration of these important areas can make your payments work much harder for you.

1. You can, and should, get preapproved for a mortgage before you go looking for a home. Preapproval is easy, and can give you complete peaceof-mind when shopping for your home. Your local lending institution can provide you with written preapproval for you at no cost and no obligation, and it can all be done quite easily over-the-phone. More than just a verbal approval from your lending institution, a written preapproval is as good as money in the bank. It entails a completed credit application, and a certificate which guarantees you a mortgage to the specified level when you find the home you’re looking for.

2. Know ...