Autumn is officially upon us. There are a number of reasons people are fond over the season from hayrides, chilly days with warm soup, and football weekend. You can't forget the plus of enjoying pumpkin flavored anything! But, it's not just the cooler temperature that should get you excited. House hunting can be very successful in the fall, as autumn proves to be a great time to buy a new home in Ohio. So, why is fall the best time to buy a house?

Home Sellers Are More Serious

Although there may be a little less inventory, those in the market are serious about selling their home before the holidays, otherwise, they would wait until spring. A motivated seller brings the potential of negotiating offering prices. Fall also brings a lower competition from other interested buyers, giving you an advantage of having first dibs on a home.

Less Competition for Home Buyers

Previously mentioned, fall comes with lower competition in the real estate market. This means you will not feel rushed during the home buying process, having more time to look and attend open houses. This also allows an appropriate timing for negotiating a great deal for a price that suits your needs, without the worry of competing against multiple buyers.

Lower Home Prices

Moving during the Autumn often means paying slightly less than usual. Due to it being the off season for real estate, pricing is less competitive as homeowners are looking to sell fast before the holidays. To add to this, homeowners who list their home during the fall and winter months are usually on a timeline, making them a motivated seller. 

Choice Properties offers you a chance to find the home of your dreams. We work with your budget and ideas in mind to support your ultimate vision. Call us if you are ready to check out the available inventory or to speak with a reputable agent who can assist you with your home buying needs.

Homeownership is known as the American Dream. Perhaps this means you are transitioning into a new phase of life with a family, and you desire to own a home. For others, it might mean no longer paying rent and gaining home equity. Homeownership is quite an achievement, but also comes with a large amount of responsibility. There are many considerations to take in, such as being financially and personally ready to tackle this new adventure. Explore these signs that you may be ready for homeownership.

You Are a Responsible Renter

Renting is a good option for those who are looking for a short term plan. However, once you have settled down you may begin to feel the downsides to renting. If you pay rent on time, along with utilities and other bills, you should have no trouble paying a mortgage every month. Making timely and consistent rent payments proves you hold financial responsibility. However, it is important to also factor in state and local taxes into the monthly budget of homeownership.

You Have Job Security

A clear sign you are prepared for homeownership is job security. It's important to make sure you are financially comfortable before signing a 30 year mortgage. If you are set in your career and don't plan on having drastic changes in the next few years, now is the perfect time to buy your first home!

You Know What Kind of Home You Desire

If you know the style of home you are looking for and have been looking in the right market, your gut is leading you in the right direction. If you are unsure of what you seek in a home, consider asking yourself these questions:

• How many bedrooms do you need?
• What do you find important to your family?
• What kind of neighborhood do you prefer?
• Are you willing to commute to work? If so, how far?

Your Credit Score is Ideal

Another sign you are ready to purchase a home is excelling in a high credit score without carrying a large amount of debt. Your credit score affects the likelihood of getting a mortgage loan, and the better your credit score the better your interest rate. It's suggested to check your credit score 12 months prior to starting the home buying process.

You Are Aware of the Home Buying Process

If you are somewhat familiar with the home buying process, you're ready to take the leap. Researching how buying a home works is suggested, ensuring you're aware of each step throughout the process. The main steps include finding a trusted lender, affording a down payment, and finding a trusted real estate agent.

Choice Properties offers you a chance to find the home of your dreams. We work with your budget and ideas in mind to support your ultimate vision. Call us if you are ready to check out the available inventory or to speak with a reputable agent who can assist you with your home buying needs.

5 Tips for Finding Ohio Property for Sale

Buying a new property can be a daunting task. The sheer amount of Ohio property for sale is overwhelming, and you may not know where to begin. Our years of experience in real estate in Ohio have taught us the best tips and tricks to find the perfect property for our customers. Using our tips will help you do the same.

Buyer's Best Interests

Naturally, you have your own best interests in mind when you're looking to make a big purchase. Consider here whether the seller's listing agent will also have your best interests in the transaction. Probably not. The dual agent representation scenario is the most common one in Ohio, however you can ask a different realtor to represent you exclusively. A buyer's agent will look out for you, and the seller should have no objection because it won't cost them anything. Beyond negotiating a transaction for you, a buyer's agent can also help you locate and look at properties within your budget, if you haven't been able to find one.

Professional Appraisals

When you apply for a mortgage, the lending institution will ask for a professional appraisal of the home you want to buy. This is to make sure that the agreed upon price is justified according to the current market value of the property. A professional appraiser will look at comparable Ohio property for sale, and arrive at a value. It's a cost that's well worth your while, and using a third party professional appraiser will ensure that you get an unbiased opinion.

Know Your Budget

The mistake a lot of buyers make, is finding a property they love first, and then finding out that it's out of their price range. The smart way is to figure out your budget first, and then look only at properties that fall within it. It is not advisable to buy so close to your target amount, that you become anxious at the thought of any further fees or repairs. There are a couple other approaches you can use, like adjustable rate mortgages to increase your budget and get you into a home you really want, that might be a little bit beyond your price range.

Buying Out Of State

Ohio property for sale is in demand, and you may be a buyer from out of state. In this case you will be concerned about how you will be able to monitor the purchase of a home long distance. You can look up the National Association of Realtors which is a nation-wide network of real estate sales professionals. You'll be able to find a real estate agent in the area where you are looking to purchase. Choice Properties can help you select the perfect home for you in Ohio and assist you to strike a deal when you have made that selection. Working with our agency will give you a real advantage as we have local knowledge.

Commission

It won't cost you more to be represented by a buyer's agent when it comes to commission, because the listing agent will split the sales commission with them. Commission is usually paid by the seller of the home. Only in one circumstance would you, as the buyer, pay commission to your agent, and that is when the house you are purchasing is FSBO, ie for sale by owner. This is where the owner has not listed the property with any selling agents, and would not want to pay the commission. In this case, it would be fair to expect the buyer to pay it, in consideration for the agent finding the home.

For more information on finding Ohio property for sale, give us a call today to speak with our award winning realtors!

Finding the Best Lake Houses for Sale in Ohio

Lake property sales are on the rise. Whether you had a lakefront cabin growing up, or have always dreamed of buying one, or are just looking for your next investment, you might want to consider lake houses for sale in Ohio. Start looking now, and you could have your own lake house by next summer. We have some great tips for you to begin your search.

Choosing The Right Lake

Before you go out and start viewing lake houses, ask yourself why you want to buy a waterfront property. How do you intend to use the lake on an ideal weekend? Are water activities in your plan? If so, you want a lake conducive to water skiing or wakeboarding. Or perhaps fishing is your choice of sport. These are the kinds of questions to ask yourself and have answers to, before starting your search. With lakeshore properties, somethings are static, while others can be modified. For example, you cannot change the elevation or the lakeshore quality that is nature made, but you can of course, modify the structure subject to zoning provisions.

Location, Location, Location

You'll find a lot of different locations for lake houses for sale in Ohio. As mentioned above, the first step is to figure out the kind of lakefront property you want, and then consider the best location for it. Do you need it to be a short drive away from where your primary residence is? Or are you ok to make a trip of it. Keep your starting point in mind when you begin your search, and also how often you want to go to your lakehouse. There are some great locations near bigger cities in Ohio that would fit the bill perfectly, such as Indian Lake and Lake Erie.

Learning The Rules

Owning lakefront property comes with its own set of responsibilities. Water is a precious natural resource, and it's important that if you own a lake side property that you take great care of the lake or river it is on. Most places will have building ordinances in place to protect the water and prevent homeowners from building too close to the shore. If you're not sure as to what the laws are, your Choice Property agent will be able to walk you through the guidelines.

Financing

So the time has come and you've found some perfect lake houses for sale in Ohio, and all you need to do is decide which one is the one for you. There's still the little matter of financing. Most people can't put down the entire asking price in cash. Connecting with a mortgage loan office early in the process is something we can highly recommend. In fact, we recommend finding out initially how big of a loan you qualify for, before starting to look for properties. There are many ways to raise a loan to buy a home, and working with a good mortgage loan officer will help you find the best loan option, making it possible for you to buy your lakefront property.

Choice Property Real-estate has award winning agents to help you find your dream home. Check us out! 

So you're checking out homes for sale in Indian Lake Ohio. You've been given some great leads and the agent explains that time is of the essence. What do you do now? Of course you go take a look at the home, take a few notes, and decide that you have enough information to make your home buying decision. However, there are a few other considerations to factor in before you make a decision. If you buy a property without doing a thorough inspection, you'll be discovering problems after the sale is done. And that is a scenario you want to avoid. Here are ways to properly evaluate a potential home for your family right here in the beautiful Indian Lake, Ohio area!

Start Outside

Pause a minute before you go indoors. The exterior of a property hides thousands of dollars of value. A good place to start is with the most expensive exterior upgrades, like the roof. Roofs come at a substantial cost and many homeowners do not replace them until absolutely necessary. Even just looking at the roof should give you an idea of its age and condition. Will you need to put in a new roof when you buy, and if so do you have the budget for it?

Walking the entire exterior is also a good idea, as you may be able to see if there are any cracks or shifts in the foundation, a major issue in itself. Check out the basement or a crawl space. Look closely at the siding or the paint. Does the house need a new paint job or new siding? You may decide against the home without ever going inside just based on the condition of the exterior elements. The property should be well kept and something you will want to maintain for the next ten years.

Step Inside

Most homes for sale in Indian Lake Ohio are staged these days, so it can be easy get dazzled by the furniture displays and interior concepts but fail to notice anything that should be a red flag. So ignore the bells and whistles for a moment, and focus on some essentials; like the windows. New windows are a great value to any home and if the windows in your prospective home are in good condition, that's a clear sign that the previous owner took home insulation and energy costs seriously. Next look at other big ticket items like the furnace, water heater, septic tank, and the electricals. Old electrical wiring will need replacing and that can run into a lot of money.  These things are the nuts and bolts of a home and should be in good condition if you're going to assume responsibility for them. 

A home's value is not always on the function, however. When evaluating homes for sale in Indian Lake Ohio, consider the spaciousness of the family room and the proximity of the bedrooms to one another. Learning how your family will live in the home and utilize the space can give you a complete perspective on the home's value to you and your family in the long run. There are many homes for sale in Indian Lake, Ohio, and you want to get the best one for your family.

Upgrades

The big selling points in homes are usually the kitchen and bathrooms. It's not enough for them to be in good working order, as you need to take interior upgrades into account. What sort of appliances come with the purchase? Do the cabinets stand out? Is the backsplash recent? Ask relevant questions to find out how much work you'll need to put into the house once it's yours. This goes for the bathrooms to. Inspect the flooring and the shower, and pay attention to drainage. These are little things that can add to your budget if water leaks go unnoticed for a long time. There are ways to save, but savings cannot come at the expense of the kitchen or bathrooms.  

You will find many great homes for sale in Indian Lakes, Ohio, but you may have only one opportunity to inspect a new property. This is why it is important to go prepared, take as many notes as possible and even pictures if the owners allow it. Checklists are readily available and should be taken with you each time to go to see a new property. Finally, you can run your notes by an experienced contractor to get an estimate of what renovations will cost you. At the end of the day, the better organized you are, the easier it will be to pick the right home for you.

For more information about homes for sale in Indian Lake Ohio,
contact the real estate agents at Choice Properties Real Estate today!

Commercials, renovation shows and other commercialization of real estate can give people a false impression of what to expect out of home ownership. A quaint historic house, cabin by the lake or beautiful home in the suburbs are all great aspirations. The idealized version is often different than the realistic concept of finding (and purchasing) the home of a person's dreams. Learn some tips to feel at home no matter where you may live.

Meaning of Home

Home can be best understood as a place to live, reside and put stuff. However, a home is more than that. It embodies a sense of comfortable, familiarity which many desire but it seems few achieve. Some people travel for work, are in military families who move frequently or spend less time at home than expected. Being between homes when things are tight can change the meaning of home when changing spaces with some frequency. Finding a creative way to cultivate a sense of home can be important to feeling that home is a place that resides within, rather than in a particular place.

Downsize

Many people live with materialistic goods and carry it from place to place. The rule of the day seems to be 'less is more,' focused on the idea people should curate what is really important and pare down all the belongings to only what brings true joy and happiness. Throwing out items or donating them can free up space and make a person feel more at home. Selling or giving away old books and furniture can feel good as well.

Keep Photos

A creative way to make a house feel like a home is to print photos. Visual histories are not kept online mostly through social media accounts or on phones. Some photo frames with conceptual feel and a little organization can really brighten up any space, no matter where a person resides.

Making Scents

Nothing smells sweeter than a mild fragrance that adds a pleasant aroma to a space. Scents play an important role for people socially and emotionally. It is one of the senses people rely on to determine how appetizing food might be (or not be) and even to assess danger. Any smell that brings up a sense of home can be done with candles, flowers or even special cleaners to keep a space neat and tidy.

Finding "Home"

When an individual moves spaces alot whether for work or because home ownership is not in the cards at the present moment, it can feel as if people live in other's spaces. The familiar sights may not be present but it should not shy a person away from exploring neighborhoods and trying new things to make a place feel like home. Check out local places, engage neighbors and find a way to connect with the area. Whether indoors or outdoors, being in and outside a space can elevate ideas for how to build a sense of belonging and home.

Choice Properties is locally owned and operated, focusing on serving the communities in and around Indian Lake in Logan County. Our award-winning agents will focus on meeting your needs to help get you the results you need. Call us to get started.