Before you go to buy your next home, make sure you are getting the best deal! Want to learn the three essential tools to ensure a successful & smooth real estate transaction? Click here to read more!

​Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

​Seth & Alyce

Thanks to Dave Ramsey and The Lampo Group for this great information. To learn more about Dave Ramsey, please click here.

Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/three-essential-tools-for-getting-great-real-estate-deals/lifeandmoney_realestate/

When considering buying a new home, knowing exactly how much you are paying for it is extremely important. By knowing the difference between the price and the cost of your new home, you will be able to know if you are getting the best deal or not for your real estate investment. Click here to read more about the difference between cost and price and for tips on what to look for when you are purchasing your new home.

​Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

Seth & Alyce​

Thanks to our friends at KCM for this great information.

Source: http://www.kcmblog.com/2012/03/19/buying-a-home-the-cost-is-more-important-than-the-price/

Are you trying to fix up your home to increase the value? Many sellers make renovations that may not necessarily add value to their home. By knowing what renovations will increase how much your home will go for will save you time, energy, and stress. Click here to read more on some of the best home improvements for return on investment.

​Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

​Seth & Alyce

Thanks to Dave Ramsey and The Lampo Group for this great information. To learn more about Dave Ramsey, please click here.

Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/which-renovations-add-value-to-your-home/lifeandmoney_realestate/

A common theory is that renting is more economically smart than buying. And although this might be true in some instances, more often than not, buying a home will actually save you more money in the long run than renting. Before you jump into any lease agreements or purchases, read this article to discover the facts of renting versus buying.

Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

Seth & Alyce​

Thanks to our friends at KCM for this great information.

Source: http://www.kcmblog.com/2012/03/27/more-affordable-to-buy-in-98-of-major-metros/

​​Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

​Seth & Alyce

Thanks to Dave Ramsey and The Lampo Group for this great information. To learn more about Dave Ramsey, please click here.

Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/10-things-to-ask-a-real-estate-agent/lifeandmoney_realestate/

​Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

​Seth & Alyce

Thanks to Dave Ramsey and The Lampo Group for this great information. To learn more about Dave Ramsey, please click here.

Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/mortgage-calculator/lifeandmoney_realestate/

​Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

Seth & Alyce

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/rent-home-costs-more-buying_n_1402924.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

​Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

​Seth & Alyce

Thanks to Dave Ramsey and The Lampo Group for this great information. To learn more about Dave Ramsey, please click here.

Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/what%2Dyou%2Dneed%2Dto%2Dknow%2Dabout%2Dbuying%2Da%2Dforeclosure/lifeandmoney%5Frealestate/

We want to wish everyone a HAPPY SPRING and let you know that now may be the perfect time to buy! Americans are realizing that Springtime has more advantages than just the weather. The real estate market is looking extremely promising during this time of the year! Please click here to read more about the reasons why you should buy now, and what you need to know before you dive into your next real estate investment!

Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

Seth & Alyce​

Thanks to our friends at KCM for this great information.

Source: www.kcmblog.com/2012/03/28/spring-market-looks-very-promising/

We love sharing success stories and we're back again with another! Meet Brandon & Brandy who just bought their first home!

When we met Seth and Alyce in September of 2011 we were looking to rent a home. We weren’t thinking of buying, and we hadn’t even started saving for a down payment. Our current lease was up January 1st, so we needed to move, and fast! However, after our initial meeting, Seth and Alyce helped us realize that owning a home was more than a possibility!

Seth and Alyce connected us with a great lender and even looked into grant programs that offered assistance to first time homebuyers. Buying a home in such a short amount of time, and navigating the assistance programs was very stressful, however, we never had to deal with it alone. They helped us every step of the way, and we were able to buy our house and move in, all before the New Year! Our relationship with Seth and Alyce did not end after we purchased our home.

They have continued to include us in their group events, and enabled us to welcome our family and friends to our new home!

​If you or anyone you know is looking to buy (or sell!) in 2012, please give us a call! We're here to help you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART.

​Seth & Alyce

We've posted before on how Warren Buffet has said that now is the time to buy. A couple of days ago, Buffet was interviewed on CNBC's "Squawk Box," and he had the following to say about buying a house.

“If I had a way of buying a couple hundred thousand single-family homes I would load up on them.”

However, throughout the interview, he addressed the market from a few angles. Here is what he said:

Why invest in real estate now?

“It’s a way, in effect, to short the dollar because you can take a 30-year mortgage and if it turns out your interest rate’s too high, next week you refinance lower. And if it turns out it’s too low, the other guy’s stuck with it for 30 years. So it’s a very attractive asset class now.”

Is buying your own home better than investing in stocks right now?

“If I knew where I was going to want to live the next five or 10 years I would buy a home and I’d finance it with a 30-year mortgage… It’s a terrific deal.”

Should we buy multiple houses?

“If I was an investor that was a handy type and I could buy a couple of them at distressed prices and find renters, I think it’s a leveraged way of owning a very cheap asset now and I think that’s probably as an attractive an investment as you can make now.”

Over the last couple of months, there have been more and more financial analysts coming to the same conclusion: It’s time to buy real estate.

​Let us know how we can help you to Buy. Sell. Live. SMART today!

Seth & Alyce

"Warren Buffet: It's time to Buy Real Estate" The KCM Blog. Ed. The KCM Crew. 29 Feb. 2012. Keeping Current Matters. 29 February 2012.

Click HERE to view an article that has a POSITIVE outlook on lending practices in 2012.  

We are honored to serve you or anyone you know in the home buying or selling process. Give us a call today if we can be of any help!

Committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!

Seth & Alyce

Here’s a quick quiz:

True or False? Houses are not selling in this market.

True or False? Almost nobody can get a mortgage these days.

If you answered false to both of these statements, you are correct! Not only are houses selling, but the statistics show that the majority of the houses that are selling have mortgages attached to those transactions. 

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in their Existing Homes Sales Report, an average of 12,109 homes are selling every day in the United States. In other words, about 12,000 homes sold yesterday, 12,000 homes will sell today, and about 12,000 homes will sell tomorrow. 12,000 homes a day does NOT sound as if houses are not selling in this market!

Another fact emphasized in the report is that 72% of the transactions taking place are accompanied by a mortgage. In other words, about 8,719 people qualify for a mortgage daily in the United States. 

With over 12,000 homes sold and over 8,000 mortgages granted daily, the real estate market is doing better than most people would believe.

Are you looking to add your house to the list of 12,000 sold every day? Give us a call! We are honored to serve you and those you know in the home buying and selling process, and we are committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!

Seth & Alyce

Information courtesy of our friends from ​Keeping Current Matters.

"People are Buying Homes AND GETTING MORTGAGES!" The KCM Blog. Ed. The KCM Crew. 11 Jan. 2012. Keeping Current Matters. 11 January 2012.

First impressions mean a lot. Think about it. If you are about to meet a blind date, and he shows up wearing unwashed, stained clothing or hasn't showered in a week, your first impression will probably also be your last impression because it is unlikely you will go on another date with this person!  

The same is true in real estate. You can tell a lot about how an agent is going to market your home by how they market themselves. Since marketing (apart from price) is one of the biggest factors that is going to sell your home, you need someone who is going to market SMART. So what does that look like? Below are some things to consider before you select a seller's agent.

• How have they marketed their current listings? Check out your agent's website (hopefully they have one--if not, that may be your first indicator about their marketing strategies--or "lack of" marketing strategies!). What are they doing that sets their listings apart from the others? Does the photography highlight the great features of the properties or detract from the properties (because the pictures are blurry, or they did not have the clients remove clutter before taking pictures).  
• Are the photos they use for themselves updated and representative of them? You've seen it before...someone meets somebody "online," checks out their Facebook photo and upon meeting them discovers that the photo the person is using is not the most recent photo. Don't let this happen to you with an agent!  
• What does their print advertising look like? Does it stand out or does it look like everyone elses?
• What technology do they use to market houses? Do they use video?
• Is their website up-to-date, informative and interesting, or is it just a "cut and paste" of other real estate websites?  
• What is their professional presence like on social networks? Are they even professional on social networks? Are they even on social networks?
• Does their marketing reveal their expertise or is it just a list of qualifications?

While photos and videos are helpful in generating interest for your house, it is important how an agent drives the traffic to those photos and videos as well.  

Need a SMART marketer today? Check out our website to see how well we meet these qualifications. Then, give us a call today! We are committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!

Seth & Alyce

"How Your Agent Markets Themselves Indicates How They Will Market Your Home.” The KCM Blog. Ed. The KCM Crew. 22 Dec. 2011 Keeping Current Matters. 22 December 2011.

Many statistics are showing that more and more young people between the ages of 25-34 are still living at (or returning to) home.  Do you fall into this category (or have someone between those ages still at home with you?)?  Click HERE to read a compelling article about why it is a SMART decision for young families to buy now!

Give us a call today if we can serve you in any way in the home buying process.  We are committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!

Seth & Alyce

If you or someone you know is planning on buying or selling in 2012 in Baltimore (or elsewhere!), give us a call.  We are never too busy for your referrals, and we can refer some great agents in other states as well.  We are committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!

Seth & Alyce

"Where Are People Moving To and From.” The KCM Blog. Ed. The KCM Crew. 27 Jan. 2012. Keeping Current Matters. 27 January 2012.

Just in case you STILL don't believe that the housing market IS recovering, we've found yet another expert with a positive outlook. Click HERE to read what ​USA Today​ has to say about the housing market in 2012.

Want to hear more great news about the housing market? Give us a call today. We'd be honored to serve you or anyone you know in the home buying or selling process. We are committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!

Seth & Alyce

Schmit, Julie. "Housing Outlook is More Upbeat.” USA Today. 16 Jan. 2012.

While the news and media paint a bleak picture about the current housing market, we at The Dailey Group are (and remain) optimistic! We've given you lots of posts about why now is a good time to buy and how to sell SMART in this economy, but we know that there are skeptics out there. Today, we want to give you some statistics from a pretty well known and reliable source. Click HERE to see what The Washington Post ​has to say about the current housing market.

If you or anyone you know is thinking about buying or selling in 2012, give us a call today. We are committed to helping you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!

Seth & Alyce

"Housing Market and Economy Showing Encouraging Signs." The Washington Post with Bloomberg. 19 January 2012.

No matter which age bracket you fall into, we are honored to help you Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!  Give us a call today if we can be of assistance.

Seth and Alyce Dailey

"Belief That "Now is the Time to Buy" by Age Group.” The KCM Blog. Ed. The KCM Crew. 20 Jan. 2012. Keeping Current Matters. 20 January 2012.

We once had a friend who assumed that there was nothing behind her as she backed up.  The result? She backed right into her boss’s car. She learned very quickly that you should never make assumptions.

Generally, this is true, but for first time home buyers (who will someday become sellers as well), there is one assumption you want to make—a FHA assumable loan. 

What does it mean to have a FHA assumable loan? It means that when an FHA homebuyer of today is prepared to sell his home later on, a qualified purchaser can “assume” the loan at the interest rate given to the original buyer. 

It is likely that interest rates will rise to more of a “normal” range (between 6.5% and 7%) in the next few years. When you assume a mortgage, the mortgage terms remain the same. In other words, a buyer five or ten years from now can take advantage of the 4-4.5% rate you got now rather than the 6.5%-7% rate of the future. Since interest rates greatly effect how much house a homebuyer can afford, this makes your house even more marketable to the buyer of the future.

As an example, a $300,000 loan at 4% today carries with it a $1,432.25 principal and interest payment on a 30 year fixed mortgage. If offered for sale in five years, the purchaser could assume the $271,858.56 balance with the same $1,432.25 payment and remaining term of 25 years. The total payments over the 25 years would be $429,675.

Compare that to a new $272,000 loan at 6.5% for 25 years, which would carry a monthly payment of $1,836.56 (over $400 more a month than the assumption and more than $120,000 more over the 25 year term).

At 6.5% for 25 years, to wind up with the same payment as the assumed mortgage, our borrowers would only be getting $212,000…$60,000 LESS!

Basically, when interest rates do rise, those homes with assumable mortgages will have more value and will sell at higher prices in the future because they will be more affordable at the lower interest rate. An even greater bonus? Closing costs on houses with assumable mortgages are significantly less. 

As is the case with any loan, the borrowers must have strong credit and be approved for the financing, but the same qualifications would apply if they were trying to get a new, non-assumable mortgage as well.

FHA mortgages offer a ton of benefits (low down payment requirements, extended income ratios, lower credit scores, and easier sourcing of funds). Now, you can add the loan’s ability to be assumed to that list of benefits!

Know any first time homebuyers (or second, or third time home buyers) that need some assistance? Give us a call today. We are committed to helping you and those you know Buy. Sell. Live. SMART!

Seth & Alyce

Hartman, Dean. “The Power of Assumability.” The KCM Blog. Ed. The KCM Crew. 12 Jan. 2012. Keeping Current Matters. 12 January 2012.