Posts tagged: mortgage

Do You Really Need a Credit Card at the Age of 25?

need a credit cardA 25-year old is done with college and is probably into his first job. At the threshold of adulthood, he wants to fulfill several dreams in a short period of time. Most people believe that having a credit card is an important factor of becoming an adult. However, there are many individuals who think such cards are unnecessary. Just like investing is not necessary, having a card is also not a necessity. So then why would a 25-year old need one?

Here are five reasons why having a credit card at the age of 25 is beneficial.

1. Deposits are Not Necessary

Some merchants who accept debit card payments require the customers to also pay a higher deposit at the time of booking. In case a person is unable to execute the plans, the merchants are still able to earn some of their cash deposit amounts (because there fund is done after deducting a certain sum). These are similar to security deposits and may become inconvenient. A credit card eliminates all such difficulties for the users because merchants do not require deposits for such transactions.

2. Deferred Payment

When an individual uses a debit card to purchase any product or service, the money is immediately deducted from his bank account. On the other hand, a credit card purchase does not have to be paid until the next payment due date. For example, if a cardholder purchases something using his card on the 1st of a month and billing due date is 31st of the month; he enjoys an interest-free period of 30 days. Although this may not seem like much, being able to make purchases without the need to pay upfront cash may help users save a lot of money over a longer period of time.

3. Affordable Home Loan Interest Rates

Many people think that they may receive better discounts and close a home purchase faster if they pay in cash. However, if a person has used his credit card responsibly and made timely payments, this is reflected in his credit score given by a credit rating agency like Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL). A higher credit score is beneficial in reducing the interest cost on home loans and other types of borrowings. This makes it less expensive for people to buy their dream home. Furthermore, paying the mortgage installment with a card reduces the actual cash outflows and helps prevent financial difficulties.

4. Reward Points

Most card companies provide excellent reward-based credit cards for their customers. These issuers allow the cardholders to accumulate reward points on their spending. These are redeemable against several offers, such as travel deals, air miles, or purchasing some products and services. In addition to the reward points, users may enjoy cashback offers and benefit from signup bonuses that make credit cards more beneficial.

5. Develop Credit Score

A 25-year old may not have any credit history. However, he may need to avail of a loan in a couple of years to purchase a home or any other asset. This period may be used to develop a good credit score using a credit card. When an individual utilizes his card responsibly and has no delays in payments, it has a positive impact on his credit score. Having a strong credit score has several direct and indirect benefits, such as increased possibility of receiving approval on loans and lower interest rates.

People often find lots of information on how using a credit card may have severe outcomes, such as financial distress and debt traps. However, using a card wisely also has many benefits. However, before applying for a credit card, it is important to check credit card eligibility and understand the terms and conditions related to credit cards.

Best Kept Secrets Of Buying A Home

buying home ideasBuying a home involves a lot of fun and games and by fun and games, we mean trials and tribulations. Once you find the home that you want to buy and that you can afford, you might think your troubles are over. Not so, because you still need to put an offer in on the home and get it accepted. Then, you’ve got to find a mortgage lender to get the rest of the money to pay for the property. When you have that finalized, you still need an inspection, solicitation and a moving team. Do you see what we mean by fun and games? But, if you know how the market works most of the problems can be avoided, so let’s get started.

Likeability Is Important

Did you know that whether or not the homeowners like you can be very important when buying a home? Estate agents aren’t usually swayed by different personalities. But the property sale might be represented by the owner. In these cases, it’s important to try and make a personal connection. Find similarities in your situation and try to relate with issues you’ve both experienced selling. If you do this, there are two things that might happen. First, they might give you first refusal on the home, no matter what other offers come in. Second, if there are two or more similar offers at the same time, they might choose you over other buyers.

Brokers Have Additional Access

Getting a mortgage can be like getting a book deal. If you want to get a book deal, you need a literary agent. Otherwise, publishers aren’t going to look at you at all. If you want to get a mortgage, you need a broker you to get through the gates lenders have. The best mortgage deals are behind these metaphorical gates, and you’ll only gain access if you find a mortgage broker. These deals are not even advertised or spoken of if you ring up the lender yourself. This is just one of the advantages of having a professional on your team when you’re buying a home.

Gazumping Is Common

Gazumping is still common and legal in most places. When you put an offer down on your house, and it is accepted, the house might stay on the market. At that point, buyers can still put in offers and outbid the price you’ve agreed with the seller. It’s a nasty practice, and it happens more often than estate agents would care to admit. There are a couple of ways to avoid it. Ask the estate agent to take the home off the market after the offer is accepted or refuse to make an offer. Make sure the buyer likes you enough that they wouldn’t want you to go through being gazumped. Finally, get your paperwork and solicitation sorted out as quickly as possible. Do all of these things and you should avoid being outbid after an offer is accepted.

Estate Agents Have, To be Honest

If you want to find out if there are any issues with a house, an estate agent must tell you. However, they are only legally required to tell you if you ask the question. An extreme example would be a house where someone has been murdered. Unless you ask if there have been any crimes on the property, they don’t have to say. That’s why you must make sure any questions for estate agents are direct and specific.

What You Should Know About Selling A Property For A Profit

signing document for new homeAnyone that invests in property wants to sell it on for a profit. That is rule number one in the real estate investment handbook. Yet, it is something that lots of investors can seem to do for neither love nor money. In fact, thousands of investors in the real estate market end up losing money. Why? They lose money because they don’t make the right moves. Selling a property is a like a game of chess, and only the grand masters win. If you want to sharpen your skills, take a look at the following.

Think About The Resale Value

The fact that you have bought the property for X amount of money means you need to upgrade it to get your money back. Houses are like cars in the sense that no one will pay the same amount for it if it is second-hand. The only way to boost the price is to add features that homeowners want and will pay extra for to save them the hassle. For example, a conservatory will add a lot onto the value of your home. But, it saves them from paying for it and having to build one. In the end, everyone’s a winner. The trick is to find the features that add money and don’t cost a fortune.

Sell It Quickly

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but a slow sale isn’t good for business. That is bad news because properties don’t tend to go that quickly anymore. In fact, some can stay up for sale for months and years. The longer it goes on, the more you have to cut the price. Otherwise, you won’t be able to entice a buyer into making a bid. The perceptive among you will understand that you have to sell your home fast to make a profit. A quick sale prevents the sale from going down dramatically. For more info, follow the link above.

Find A Good Realtor

A good realtor is worth their weight in gold. The first thing to note is that they are professionals with skill and experience. So, they know how to sell a property. And, they also know how to spark interest in a property. From your point of view, that is brilliant. It is brilliant because the demand bumps up the cost of the property. When you have a multitude of interested parties, you can start a bidding war. At the end of the war, the one with the most money wins. Can you already see money signs in your eyes?

Choose When To Sell

Just like a chess game, you have to decide when to make the right move. You want to make a move sooner rather than later. At the moment, people are feeling better about their finances. As a result, interest in the housing market is starting to boom again. If you leave it too late, you could miss out on this initial boom. That will leave you with negative equity on a property that you can’t sell for years.

These tips won’t assure you a profit. But, they will make it more likely to happen.

Why Your House Is Worth Next To Nothing, And What To Do About It

home improvement businessHomes are a tricky business. They’re all unique in one way or another. And there are hundreds of factors that come into play when determining their price.

The problem is that for a lot of these, there isn’t much the average homeowner can do. If your house is a long way from the best schools, this is going to affect its price, unfortunately. The same goes for if you happen to live in an area that has already seen a lot of foreclosures. Sorry, that too is going to cause the value of your house to tank.

Then there are neighborhood problems that can wreak havoc. A bad area with a high crime rate can also reduce the value of your home. And there isn’t anything you can do to stop it (unless you are the criminal).

Finally, there are just bad neighbors. Perhaps your next door neighbour has erected some sort of ostentatious extension that ruins the look of your property. If it’s legal, then there’s not much either you or any future owner can do about it.

It all means that when you find out how much is your house worth today, you might be in for a shock.

That said, many sellers could do a lot better. In fact, some are making outright mistakes when trying to sell their home. Take most bathrooms for example. They’re grimy, dingy places, that don’t have much curb appeal.

Sprucing up the bathroom can help persuade potential buyers that your house is the one for them. Don’t go mad though. You want to decorate the bathroom in neutral colours so that it will appeal to the widest range of people possible.

It’s all about updating the look. Old vinyl flooring is a definite no-no. And these days, so is wallpaper in the bathroom. Leave the wallpaper in the 1970s where it belongs.

The reason that it is so important to focus on the bathroom before you sell is that it is one of the hardest rooms to change. Buyers usually don’t want to have to rip out a bathroom when they move in. They’re rather it served their purposes to begin with.

The same applies to kitchens. Kitchens are a famously hard room to redecorate, especially if that means pulling out kitchen units. But tired old kitchen units are a turn-off for potential buyers. Refacing them, rather than removing them entirely is a cheaper option. So consider this if you are having people to look around.

But if you want to create a truly stunning impression, fitting out a new kitchen may be the only route to go. Just make sure that the increase in the value of your home that results is more than the cost of the new kitchen.

You also want to make sure that there aren’t unsightly stains around the kitchen area, like on the stove splash panel. When buyers look around, they don’t want to see that the house has been lived in by somebody else. They want it to be truly theirs. Clearing up mess helps to improve the appeal of your home markedly.

4 Things You Should Know About Buying A Home

home buying detailsBuying a home is a big undertaking. You might be young and looking for your first property, or you might have been renting for years. Whatever the case may be, this is an important step in your future. By having somewhere new to call home, your life will change. There are lots of things to consider when you’re ready to start purchasing, so let’s have a look at some examples.

Location Is Important

It might be tempting to buy that property in a bizarre location to suit a potential job offer, but is it worth it? How often will you be able to see family and friends if you live somewhere like this? You also need to think about facilities near the location. Your kids (or future kids) will need good schooling, does this place have that? Think about easy access to supermarkets, petrol stations and city centres. Are you going to be happy living in a busy place or do you need the solitude of a quieter location? Take all of this into account when you’re picking a location for your home.

Do It Properly

Buying a home requires some support from the people that know what they’re doing. Before you even start trying to purchase a property, do your research. You’re going to need a reputable agency to help you through the process. Go online and visit places like http://www.choi-realty.com/neighborhood/kailualanikai/ to make sure everything goes smoothly. You’re looking at spending a lot of money when it comes to buying a property, so it’s not worth cutting corners. Do it properly and get the best home you possibly can.

Think About The Future

We’ve already mentioned that kids will need good schooling in a place that you’re moving to. But maybe you don’t have kids. Maybe you’re just looking for a nice retreat for yourself? The thing is, you’re spending a lot of money to do this, and you need to consider the future. Are you planning to settle down and start a family? Will your elderly family be able to stay at your home or will they find it difficult to get around? Will you be getting enough rooms to support your potential requirements? There are many things to consider about the future that needs to factor into your decision. While it might not matter now, it almost certainly will down the road.

Finances

Before you make any decision, you need to have a plan in mind when it comes to finances. Look at what you’ve got saved away. Factor costs like agencies and insurances into your decision. It’s best to plan a budget and stick to it. Don’t get carried away if you can’t afford something. That’ll create stresses in your life, and you won’t be able to enjoy your new property. Download software from places like https://www.budgetpulse.com/ to help you plan your budget effectively.

Once you’ve got all these things in place, you’ll be almost ready to buy your new home. It’s an exciting time, so cherish it and enjoy your new surroundings!