Dan Gregor's Team Prudential American Realty Center

FOR THE WEEK OF: July 5, 2010

The "Gregor Team" Wants To Help You Take Advantage Of Today's Great Rates - Call For Help In Refinancing Or Finding A New Home.

CALL US TODAY FOR ALL YOUR BUYING OR SELLING NEEDS.

Let the Internet Be Your Guide for Home Buying Research

By Dan Gregor
Broker/Owner
Prudential American Realty Center

Would you spend $25,000 on a car without first researching to make sure that you are getting the make, model, options and price that best fits your needs? Of course not. But many homebuyers are willing to make one of the biggest investments in their life without finding out all they can about the process and their options. That's where the Internet comes in. There is a wealth of information out in cyberspace. Not only will it give you a better scope of what is available in your market, but also can save you time.
If you don't know where to start, Realty Times and Realtor.Com are two great resources. Both sites have tons of articles on all aspects of the home buying/selling process. You can get information on how to choose a real estate professional, purchasing a vacation home, typical closing costs and everything in between. Make sure you also check out The Wall Street Journal website's special section on homes Homes.WSJ.Com and other major newspaper websites.

Home Listings

With 85 percent of homebuyers using the Internet as an information source (according to the 2008 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers), it should be no surprise that a significant number of homes for sale are listed on there. Sites such as realtor.com allow you to conduct home searches throughout the country based on different criteria such as zip code, price range and square footage. Some search engines even allow you to find homes in other cities that match the neighborhood you live in currently. You can also find listings on individual real estate company's sites such as Prudential.Com Or request information on a specific area or home here by requesting a MLS Market Snapshot

Neighborhood Comparison

When you are moving to a new town, you more than likely won't be familiar with the neighborhoods. By using the Internet, you can answer questions such as: Which communities are the safest? What's the performance rating of the schools in the new area? How does the cost of living compare between town A and town B?

Short Sales Foreclosures Bank/Corporate Owned Properties HUD/FHA Reposessions

You've heard it on the news almost constantly... Real estate market values are declining... The foreclosure rate is the highest it has ever been... Homeowners that purchased homes with little or no down payment may now owe substantially more on their homes than they are worth. For homeowners in financial difficulty don't wait for the sheriff to come knocking on your door because of a forclosure action. Several better options are available. Such as loan modifications, forbearance agreements, short sales and a deed in leiu of foreclosure are possible. All of these options are less damaging to your credit score than going through the full forcelosure process. And, with some mortgages when doing a short sale your lender may even provide you some cash from the sale to assist yoiu with your move. For some online guidence we have a new site www.ShortSalesColumbus.com or feel free to give us a call.

Homebuyers wanting to buy in the near future may find some real opportunities here and may want to check into these specific situation properties. At the site mentioned above buyers can initiate searches for these properties in the specific areas of their interest.

Do You Have Good Credit?

You no longer have to wait until you are in front of a mortgage lender to find out what's on your credit report. You can get it instantly through various services on the Web. You can also visit the Websites of the three major credit-reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union to obtain your credit reports and tips on correcting your credit.

Financing Your Home

If you are like the majority of homebuyers, you will be applying for a mortgage loan. There are several sites that allow you to compare mortgage interest rates of lenders nationwide. You can also get personalized quotes. You may want to get pre-approved for your mortgage loan. We highly recommend Derek Good with Equity Resources PH: 800-270-7082. With Derek you'll find a really www.callequity.com. unique situation... the best rates, lower closing costs and excellant service. You can also apply online at