Helpful Explainer Videos & Articles
On Stuff That Matters

Explore
Trending videos

Homes

Real estate buying and selling.

Law

Legal terms.

Mortgage

Mortgage and other loans.

Government

FHA, VA and other government programs.

Insurance

Auto, personal and business insurance.

Trending posts

Homes

The video puts this in more visual terms, but basically, a seller can respond to a buyers offer with changes - a counter - that improves the terms. You need to put yourself in their shoes and construct a modified offer that you think they might take that meets more of your needs. Then it is their turn - accept, reject, or construct yet another counter. It is an efficient market process, but beware: clauses and costs matter. Your broker should be closely involved in constructing a counter. Successful bargaining is best done with a win/win approach where each side is meeting their biggest needs and compromising others to reach an agreement. Remember that outside conditions like interest rates, and supply and demand, will keep evolving so you will need to be patient but decisive to craft an counter-offer that works for both sides.

Insurance

Home insurance claims are best made for significant damage or events with costs greater than your deductible. If your deductible covers the majority of costs, paying out of pocket may save you money. Compared with rate increases caused by added claims. A history of filing claims is not in your favor. If you file too many, your home insurance company could choose to drop your coverage entirely. Of course, claims should be related to covered damage in some areas. For example, flood and earthquake insurance are carried separately from normal home insurance. You'll have to file through the specific related policy for these types of damage. Remember, home insurance does not exist to cover ordinary maintenance. A claim to fix ordinary wear and tear, or something that could have been prevented by regular upkeep may not be covered. Finally, only make a claim when you have document. Everything. Do a walkthrough, take notes and photos, and list everything damaged by an event to ensure that you and the insurance adjuster are addressing the full set of issues in the claim.

Homes

Professional staging may include the exterior, but if you are doing it all yourself,try the five things outlined in this video. 1 - Landscape & lawn. Thats the first impression;make it a good one. Mow, prune, edge and get rid of junk! 2 - Paint And Clean! You do not have to do the whole house,but the front door and lintels should either be painted or cleaned. 3 - Leaks & Repairs Small visible problems can become large mental objectionsand change how someone feels about your house. Fix em beforehand. 4 - Pets Some people have allergies and concerns. Time for Fido to visit a friend. You werent including him with the house anyway. 5 - Get Fresh Eyes Have your realtoror a friend whos willing to be candidtell you what you missed.Or pay a staging professional for a report. We do not really see familiar thingswell - so let them be your test buyer so you can presentthe best first impression to the real ones.