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How to Avoid Financial Pitfalls When Buying Your First Home

December 7th, 2023 Posted in Property Investment
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There’s no doubt that buying your first home, especially in this economy, is a major milestone, a very rewarding one. But this is something that has a lot of financial complexities to it. Even if you hire a real estate agent for you, it’s still going to be pretty challenging to navigate all of this, too. There needs to be a lot of financial planning put into this because there’s always a chance that you might actually be financially ruining yourself if you make the wrong decision. So, here’s how you can avoid financial pitfalls when buying your first-ever home. 

Avoid Financial Pitfalls When Buying Your First Home - nice house image

You Need to Have a Realistic Budget

With the idea of looking into houses, browsing online for home decor, conveyancing solicitors, real estate firms, you name it, you’re first going to need to be upfront with yourself on what type of budget you can realistically have. So, what sort of financial situation are you currently in? It’s best to consider not only the purchase price but also additional costs like closing fees, property taxes, insurance, and potential maintenance expenses. 

Seriously, a lot of money goes into this; you have no choice but to pay for a lot of third parties, too, and there’s no way around it either. So, just be sure to keep all of this in mind. 

Take Time to Save

When you’re saving up, you’re going to want this to be healthy; you don’t want to just barely get by or skip meals in order to save up for something like this. While there are loan programs that accept smaller down payments, saving for a substantial down payment is advantageous for this situation because the mortgage payments tend to be small. So, just give yourself time to save up, not just for a down payment, but all the third-party services, the furniture, the move, the inspection, and so on. It’s going to be really expensive in the long run. 

What Might Be the Total Cost of Ownership?

Just because you can afford an ugly fixer-upper doesn’t mean that you should get it. The same thing goes for a large house; just because you can afford it doesn’t mean you should get it. You just want to keep in mind that beyond the mortgage, you’re going to have to factor in all costs associated with homeownership. 

This includes property taxes, homeowner’s association fees, utilities, and maintenance expenses- and the list could continue. Every house is going to be different; even if the cost of the sale of the house is the same, the upkeep, taxes, fees, and bills could still heavily vary. 

You Still Need an Emergency Fund

Whatever you do, do not take out money from your retirement fund or even your emergency fund either. There’s always going to be unexpected costs that will rear its head, so do you really want to deal with that? You’re definitely going to need a financial cushion because you never know when home repairs, appliance replacements, or sudden maintenance needs can arise. Even these can cause you to get into financial ruin, so make sure your emergency fund is strong. 

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Smart Investment Strategies For Financial Growth

February 14th, 2023 Posted in Investment
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Investing can be a great way to build wealth and secure financial growth in the long term. While investing provides an opportunity to make money, it also comes with inherent risks. To best increase the chances of success, it is essential to understand the different types of investments and strategies that experienced investors utilize for financial growth. So here are a few of the most popular types of investments and strategies for successful investing.

Smart Investment Strategies For Financial Growth - close up of trading screen image
Photo by energepic.com:

1) Investing In Stocks & Bonds

One of the most popular ways of investing is through stocks and bonds. Stocks are shares of ownership in a company or corporation, while bonds are loans that you make to a government or business entity. When investing in stocks or bonds, you can choose individual securities or mutual funds, which pool money from many investors into a fund managed by professional investors who will decide what securities are included in the fund. This is often considered one of the safest forms of investments as both stocks and bonds have been around for many years and offer more stability than other investment types such as commodities or currencies.

2) Investing In Real Estate

Real estate has proven itself as one of the most reliable forms of investments over time due to its potential for appreciation over time and steady income streams from rental properties. Investing in real estate requires research into local markets, understanding trends, and finding a good deal on properties with potential returns on investment (ROI). It’s important to note that, unlike stocks and bonds, real estate investments require more hands-on involvement as they involve physical assets like buildings, land, etc., so it might be a good idea to get a property management company if you are not comfortable with managing your investments yourself.

3) Investing In Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency has become increasingly popular among investors because it offers greater anonymity than traditional currency trading platforms as well as greater opportunities for quick gains due to its high volatility levels compared with currencies like US dollars or Euros. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin promise significant returns, but they come with extreme risk due to their price fluctuations which can lead to huge losses if not properly managed. This form of investment should be utilized only by experienced investors who understand how cryptocurrencies work and who can develop effective strategies for protecting their investments against market volatility.

4) Investing In Commodities

For those looking for higher yields with potentially greater risks than traditional stock market investments, commodities may be worth considering. Commodities include things like oil, gold, silver and copper, among others which have been known historically as reliable stores of value during times of economic uncertainty; however, due to their high volatility, they should only be invested in by those with extensive knowledge about commodity trading markets since prices can go up or down very quickly depending on global supply/demand dynamics making them unsuitable for inexperienced traders/investors who don’t want too much risk exposure within their portfolios.

In conclusion, many different types of investments and strategies for successful investing exist. Understanding the associated risks and rewards with each type is essential before deciding which is best for your financial goals. A combination of low-risk, steady returns from stocks and bonds with higher-risk opportunities such as real estate or commodities could be an effective strategy for long-term financial success.

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Selling a Property? Check Out These 4 Tips To Increase Your Returns

December 26th, 2021 Posted in Property Investment
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In 2020, the pandemic and unstable economic climate have caused many families and households to gain interest in homeownership. In turn, this has caused a housing market bubble, which has caused the median home prices to skyrocket to 407,000 US dollars – an 18% increase compared to the previous year!

So, if you have decided to put your house or property on the market today, you can obtain great returns from your asset – especially as house prices are so high. However, the competition in the housing market has never been fiercer, and understanding how to make the most of your property is essential. If you are not sure where to start, check out the tips below. 

Selling a Property? Check Out These 4 Tips To Increase Your Returns - realtor with sold board
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

Consider Staging the Property

If you have an empty or older property, your real estate agent might have suggested you stage your property to close the sale faster. However, of course, this service comes at a cost – but is it a cost worth paying)

The 2015 National Association of Realtors Home Staging Report tells us that staging a property can increase its market value by 10 to 20%. And, if you are looking to close the sale fast, you should keep in mind that staged properties are sold 85-90% faster than others. 

While this isn’t necessary, your home can gain value and find a new owner in less time. After all, potential buyers will want to imagine themselves living in the property, and an unkempt living space might not be so appealing!

Hire a Marketing Agency Specializing in Real Estate

When deciding to sell your home, you will have to treat your property as an asset. Just like in the case of other industries and sectors, to close the right deal, you will need to tap into the right market, target the right buyers, and understand what channels of communication to use. 

Working with a specialized marketing agency that focuses on the property market can help you brand your home. The marketing agency will be able to target potential buyers by demographics, income, marital status, location, age, and time of day. 

Invest in High-Yield Renovation Projects

If you are looking to buy a home, you should look at your finances early and complete all the projects to increase the returns from your sales before putting it on the market. However, not all renovation projects will yield the same returns! For example, renovating a kitchen or a bathroom are expensive projects which can increase your family’s comfort level but can prevent you from recouping the money spent. 

Instead, redoing the sidings, garden, flooring, and repainting the property are inexpensive tasks that can increase your home’s market value.

First Impressions Matter!

Nothing boosts the value of a property like its curb appeal. Your potential buyers are likely to feel an emotional drive and make up their first impression of the property within seconds of seeing it. 

Luckily, you can improve the curb appeal of your home by painting the exteriors, fixing the roof, landscaping the garden, and improving your driveway. And don’t forget to repaint your front door! 

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Save Money When Selling Your Home

May 12th, 2021 Posted in Property Investment
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Most people, when selling their homes, are so focused on the money they are (hopefully) about to make, that they spend very little time thinking about all of the costs associated with doing so, and how they may be able to save a little money there.

Selling a house can be an expensive business, but if you’re sensible, you can make some serious savings.

Choose your estate agent wisely

Probably, the biggest way to save money when you are selling your home is to choose a great estate agent like Jordan & Halstead, for example, who are very affordable in your local area, as well as being good at their jobs, so that they can maximize the price you get for your home. 

That’s why you should take your time to check out local estate agents before making a choice, instead of just going with the first one you find. A lot of estate agents will tell you exactly what you want to hear and promise you things that just aren’t possible, all while charging a premium, If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; find the sweet spot where price and reputation meet and stick with that.

How to save money selling your home image white and brown concrete bungalow under clear blue sky
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Don’t do too much work

Many homeowners will try to maximise the return on their homes by renovating them before selling. Sometimes, this can work well because things like a new kitchen can add value to your home, but the thing is, this doesn’t always work, and unless you know what you are doing and have totally studied the local market, you probably shouldn’t make more than a few cosmetic changes and necessary DIY jobs. If you do what to carry out a bigger renovation, research how much value it is likely to add to your home, and if that figure is less than the cost, don’t get the work done.

Keep your emotions in check

So many homeowners have settled for a lower price simply because their emotions have gotten the better of them and they haven’t wanted to sell to a particular buyer, perhaps because they feel like they won’t look after the home or that the home is not right for them, and although this is totally understandable, it is not very sensible. If you get a good offer, not taking it is only going to cost you money in terms of the extra time and effort that will have to go into finding another buyer, not to mention the fact there’s no guarantee you will get a similarly large offer next time. Selling your home is a financial transaction and the more you can remind yourself of that the better.

Saving money when selling your home can be difficult because there are many costs that cannot be avoided, but it is, as you can see, still possible to cut costs and maximise your returns here and there. Stay calm, look fairly at the finances and don’t be too rash during the process and there’s every chance you’ll save.

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How to Make Your Money Work Harder

April 24th, 2020 Posted in Investment, Money Tips
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If you have spare cash that you want to invest or have inherited a large sum of money, you may be wondering what to do next. Deciding on the best place to keep your money can be a tricky decision to make. Not doing anything with the money and letting it remain where it is can be tempting, but you may decide that you want to make the money work hard and try to maximize it. Investing money is something that requires careful consideration, so you must explore your options before coming to a final decision. 

How to Make Your Money Work Harder - word dice on a newspaper image - profit, loss and risk
Image Pixabay CC0 License

There are many different ways to invest, but finding the right one for you requires some thought. You will need to think about how risk-averse you are, as well as considering whether you want to be able to access the money if you suddenly need it. Riskier investments typically have the potential to bring bigger returns, but the chance of losing your money is also higher. Low-risk investments will offer smaller returns, but mean you are less likely to lose your money. Here are some of the options to consider when deciding where to invest:

Savings

Putting your money into savings is the least risky option, but also potentially brings the lowest rewards. If you prefer to know that your money is safe, and are happy to forgo significant returns in favor of security, moving your money into a savings account could be the right option for you. It is crucial to note that not all savings accounts are the same, there are many available all offering different interest rates, so make sure that you shop around to find the best one for your needs with the highest levels of interest.

Property 

Property has always been seen as a solid investment, but it does bring its risks. In uncertain economic times, property values can fluctuate wildly, and you may have to keep hold of your investment for a long time before you can reap the rewards. Keeping the property as a longterm investment is fine if you plan to rent it out. However, you may decide to renovate and then flip a property to realize a profit, but this does require careful monitoring of the local property market, to ensure that you don’t make a loss. 

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency may have been around since 2009, but it is still a relatively new kid on the block. Many people believe that crypto is the currency of the future, but it is vital to do your research before investing. 

If you plan to start investing in blockchain, you may find it easier to use a buying and selling platform that specializes in cryptocurrency, such as https://bitit.io/buy/ripple-xrp

Stocks

Stocks are a common form of investment and involve purchasing shares in a publicly-traded company. Investing in stocks means that you can make money if you sell your shares at a higher price than you paid for them, or lose money if the stock price falls.

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