Buying a home new or buying old

Buying Land and New Construction >Buying New or Buying Old New homes typically have a higher sales price than comparable existing homes, and buyers are usually willing to spend more on a new home because of lower maintenance costs. Builders' warranties on new homes, when combined with a new roof, appliances, and major systems, usually make major repairs unnecessary and help to counter a slower initial rate of appreciation. Census Bureau Housing Surveys suggests that operating costs are lowest for brand new homes and slightly higher for relatively new existing homes. Operating costs per square foot of living space are consistently higher for progressively older existing homes. Utility costs represent the largest factor in operating costs. Energy consumption per square foot depends on the size of the home, the insulation and quality of the windows, air leakage and the efficiency of the furnace. New homes require fewer expenditures for routine maintenance. The cost of maintenance first increases with age, then declines, so you will generally spend less maintaining a home built before 1960 than for a home built between 1970 and 1975.

Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: What Steve Jobs did for Real Estate

Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: What Steve Jobs did for Real Estate: Steve Jobs, Apple's guru and godfather for groundbreaking innovations, changed many industries, and he changed consumers' attitudes about te...

What Steve Jobs did for Real Estate

Steve Jobs, Apple's guru and godfather for groundbreaking innovations, changed many industries, and he changed consumers' attitudes about technology by making computers more accessible and friendly for the masses. He thought different. Real estate has historically been an industry characterized as being on the back burner when it came to embracing new technologies. Apple's iPhone and iPad represented a grand paradigm shift for the real estate industry, consolidating many devices, applications, and the power of the Internet. Such devices have empowered real estate professionals to be more mobile -- and more productive and efficient in the field -- than ever. And real estate professionals were early adopters in flocking to the iPhone, the iPad, and then to the copycat smartphones and tablets that jumped on Apple's bandwagon. Steve Jobs and Real Estate mosmanproperty profile mosmanproperty Steve Jobs Legacy: Real estate agencies now media companies http://ow.ly/6S4Pf 48 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite Join the conversation Those devices were a logical path on the innovation timeline for Jobs considering his previous breakthroughs in miniaturizing and simplifying technologies, and his skill at defiantly slipping through the fingers of other technology titans at just the right moments. His foresight, stubbornness and perseverance paid off, time and time again. Jobs led Apple's birth and rebirth, and whether you're in the PC crowd or the Mac crowd, you can appreciate the impact he's had on the way we interact with technology and the way that technology empowers us to interact with one another. Several Inman News columnists shared their thoughts on the passing of Steve Jobs: "The iPhone and the iPad have been real game-changers for mobile professionals -- especially REALTORS®. On a personal level, the first computer I ever owned was an Apple IIe. I cannot imagine life without an iPod. I think I have owned one of those since the year they were invented, whenever that was. I love music." --Teresa Boardman, Inman News columnist and real estate broker with Saint Paul Home Realty "Steve Jobs caused me 10 years of having to endure my husband's 'Get a Mac' rant every time my PC crashed -- until I finally converted. After shifting everything over to Apple three years ago, my PowerBook doesn't seem any more intuitive to me than the first punch cards I used to run my doctoral research on a giant mainframe. "And I would never, never go back to using a PC. No more crashes, no anti-virus software required, a bounce feature in email that helps me eliminate spammers, customer service that outshines anything else in the industry. Everything works together: my laptop, iPad, and iPhone. "Mr. Jobs, your vision has changed the world for the better for billions of people. Rest in peace." --Bernice Ross, Inman News columnist and CEO of RealEstateCoach.com "The world lost one of its greatest leaders and innovators. Steve's passion touched people and his products changed their lives. He truly put a ding in the universe." --Tom Flanagan, Inman News columnist and director of information technology for Residential Properties Ltd.

Washington DC one of the top areas in Real Esate

http://www.inman.com/news/2011/09/30/state-state-list-most-searched-real-estate-prices

Tips To Present a Stronger Mortgage Application

Tips To Present a Stronger Mortgage Application

Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Bank of America in charge of it all???

Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Bank of America in charge of it all???: "Bank of America for a new loan or Bank of America as a short sale lender? I can't believe that we've given so much to Bank of America. I'm ..."

Bank of America in charge of it all???

Bank of America for a new loan or Bank of America as a short sale lender? I can't believe that we've given so much to Bank of America. I'm the listing agent on a case that the buyer chose BOA. This was 60 days ago. Everyone in my office warned me against going with BOA. Unfortunately, since I was the listing agent, I had no choice in what lender the buyer chose. I told the selling agent in the beginning, please have your buyer use another lender. Here we sit after 60 days and still no approval. The file has been in underwriting and then it comes back out for conditions, then it goes back in and comes out with more and difference conditions that the buyer has to get to them. It's been a nightmare. I can't even imagine what the buyer is going through with them.
I also have BOA as a mortgage holder for a short sale. After faxing and re-faxing documents for 2 months in this process, I was told on Monday of last week that I have to start the process over because they've been giving me incorrect information and the file should have been sent through a different system. I literally felt like I was in the twilight zone. I couldn't believe what I hearing after dealing with the short sale department for two months. I just hope the buyer of the property stays around to see this through.
I hope everyone else is having better experiences with BOA.