Category Archives: For Buyers

New Orleans Mortgage Rates | 1/28/2012

Mortgage rates

Just a quick update on current mortgage rates in New Orleans. The Fed has indicated that based on economic factors, rates will remain low well into 2014. HUD has brought back the $100 down payment program.  Details on this program can be found here. The number of new loan applications has been increasing in the last…

New Orleans Mortgage Rates | 1/23/2012

Graph

Just a quick update on current mortgage rates in New Orleans. The big financing news this week is that HUD has brought back the $100 down payment program.  Details on this program can be found here. Remember loan amount, loan-to-value and credit scores will always play a part in the rate that home buyers qualify…

New Orleans Moving Tips: Donate or Recyle When Packing for Your Move

PickUpPlease

One of the most common complaints I hear when people have to start the packing process before moving is “I have so much STUFF”.   We all have a tendency to accumulate things/stuff/junk in our homes.  If you are one of those people that never keeps something just in case, then this is not for…

New Orleans Mortgage Rates | 1/13/2012

Mortgage rates

Just a quick update on current mortgage rates in New Orleans. Remember loan amount, loan-to-value and credit scores will always play a part in the rate that home buyers qualify for. All 30 year loans Rural Development 100% financing:  3.75% with 0 points FHA: 3.75% with o points Conventional Loans: 3.875% with o points VA:…

The Risks of a Counter Offer

The risks of counter offers when buying or selling a home

While everyone assumes it is just a part of the negotiation process when buying or selling a house, what often gets lost in the back and forth is that technically, a counter offer is a rejection.  And rejections have risks that buyers and sellers need to weigh against their goals. For a seller, the goal…

Your Home Buying Experience Should Be Better Than This

I clipped this from the Times-Picayune because I wanted to be sure that home buyers realize that not all of this is true (or it shouldn’t be, anyway).  While the advice might be really relevant to buying a car, some of it misses the mark when it comes to home buying. Know the home-court advantage: …

New Orleans West Bank Real Estate Mailbag | Is That Neighborhood Safe?

home security

We often get the question “is this neighborhood safe?”.  Unfortunately, we aren’t allowed to answer it no matter how tempted we are to give our own opinion. That’s probably for the best. Your definition of a “safe” New Orleans neighborhood might not be the same as that of your agent.  If you are moving from…

When Family Gets Involved in Your Home Purchase

Family struggles when buying a home

We’ve sold a lot of houses over the years.  During that time, we’ve seen families that came together to support someone during their home purchase.  We’ve, unfortunately, also seen people walk away from what they thought was the perfect home just because of something mom or dad or Uncle Charlie said. When family gets involved…

Rate Wait – Mortgaging Our Future

Mortgage rates

From the boardroom to the man on the street, there is so much discussion on interest rates.  People who couldn’t spell the word refinance are trying desperately to take advantage of these current rates, and rightly so.  The question is: how long are these rates going to last?  We’ll spend some time today discussing a…

Are You and Your Agent on the Same Page?

girl holding house

One of the perks of choosing to work with a great buyer’s agent is that they have the chance to get to know you and find out all of the little things that make you swoon when you see a house.  Finding a home for you that has everything you were searching for and more…