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Covering Georgia Foreclosure Homes in Most Counties, Including: Cobb Foreclosures, Fulton Foreclosures, Forsyth Foreclosures, Cherokee Foreclosures, Douglas Foreclosures, Bartow Foreclosures, Paulding Foreclosures, Gwinnett Foreclosures, Hall Foreclosures, Dekalb Foreclosures Winter Baserva, Atlanta Homes for Sale, Atlanta Real Estate, Atlanta Foreclosures, Atlanta Realtors, Atlanta Homes, Real Estate Agent in Atlanta, Dunwoody Realtor, Atlanta Short Sales, Roswell Real Estate Agent, Buying a Home Covering Georgia Foreclosure Properties in Most Cities, Including: Atlanta Foreclosures, Marietta Foreclosures, Smyrna Foreclosures, Vinings Foreclosures, Alpharetta Foreclosures, Roswell Foreclosures, Sandy Springs Foreclosures, Cumming Foreclosures, Woodstock Foreclosures, Canton Foreclosures, Kennesaw Foreclosures, Acworth Foreclosures, Cartersville Foreclosures, Powder Springs Foreclosures, Austell Foreclosures, Mableton Foreclosures, East Point Foreclosures, Forest Park Foreclosures, Grant Park Foreclosures, Inman Park Foreclosures, Candler Park Foreclosures, Virginia Highlands Foreclosures, Brookhaven Foreclosures, Buckhead Foreclosures, Douglasville Foreclosures, Hiram Foreclosures, Dallas Foreclosures, Lilburn Foreclosures, Snellville Foreclosures, Lawrenceville Foreclosures, Tucker Foreclosures, Decatur Foreclosures, Duluth Foreclosures, Suwanee Foreclosures, Gainesville Foreclosures, Buford Foreclosures, Lake Lanier Foreclosures, Lithonia Foreclosures, Conyers Foreclosures, Covington Foreclosures, Fayetteville Foreclosures, Peachtree City Foreclosures, Riverdale Foreclosures, Jonesboro Foreclosures, Dacula Foreclosures, plus many more cities! homes, real estate, realtors, investment properties, homes, properties, homes, realtors, county homes, Atlanta real estate, Atlanta homes, Atlanta Georgia homes, remax, Atlanta realtor, Atlanta real estate, Atlanta luxury homes, Atlanta top schools, Atlanta best schools, Alpharetta homes, east cobb real estate, intown Atlanta real estate, midtown Atlanta real estate, Atlanta homes for sale, As an experienced buyers' broker and expert on matching the property with the buyers interests, I'll make sure the process is streamlined and efficient! Preview my featured properties and listings all over the Atlanta area including Dunwoody, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Doraville, Chamblee, Woodstock, Canton, Ackworth, Stone Mountain and outside the perimeter. Also, let me be your ONE stop source for information about your new area. By filling out a dream home finder report, you can view details such as school reports, census, maps, mortgage calculators and more. As a top producer of the Pinnacle team of the Good Broker, our team is selling 90% of everything we list. Our services are defined as "full" meaning we supply all related support and marketing of your property to gain maximum exposure and connect you, quickly with prospective buyers. Since we also maintain a ready list of prospective buyers, we quite often are able to find an buyer or investor quickly. Allow us the opportunity to present our complete solution!! We realize that connecting our investors with the"right" type of property and in a timely fashion is critical to delivering a strong R.O.I. Searching for bank-owned properties, foreclosures, pre-foreclosures and distressed properties is time consuming. Let me handle those details, so you can focus on your next investment. We also maintain a portfolio of potential investments, including information on earning potential. Allow us to present our total solution. Compare our powerful sales numbers to the typical real estate agent and discover for yourself why we are selling 90 percent of everything we list!!! The real estate market has changed and we've adapted to meet the needs of the modern-day buyer and seller. Contact me for a free consultation and I'll share with you the techniques The Pinnacle Team is using to get homes SOLD!!! MYTHS OF BUYING, BUYERS AGENTS, THE BUYING PROCESS UNLEASHED Myth 1: I can t afford a buyers agent. FALSE. You can't afford not to!!! Georgia's "buyer agency law" means you can have an experienced REALTOR® working for you - absolutely FREE! Myth 2: Nothing in life is FREE. If I don t work with a buyers agent, then I can negotiate a better deal for myself and the seller will reduce the cost of the house for me saving them the brokerage fee. FALSE. Here s how it works: There are two halves to every real estate transaction - the seller's side and the buyer's side. Sellers contractually agree to pay their "listing agent" a full commission. As any listing agent places a home for sale on the listing services, they contractually offer to split that Full Commission with the "buyer's agent" who sells the home. So if you purchase a home without a buyer's agent, the seller's agent simply keeps the full commission without a split. Would the chance to keep both halves of that full commission cause a seller's agent "bias" to sell you their own listing? The answer is ABSOLUTELY! Since your buyer's agent is offered the same split on ANY Atlanta listing, there's NO BIAS to toward any particular home. This means, by working with a buyer's agent you achieve dramatically greater integrity of information and disclosure. That's what you're looking for, and exactly what I provide. I will protect and guide you to help you find the absolute best home for you! Myth 3: I ve been doing a lot of the work myself, I really don t need someone to help me. I can do this on my own. TRUE If you prefer having everyone in that transaction working on the seller s interests. You can guarantee that the realtor involved in the transaction will be representing seller. Why would you want to turn down the free help of a professional?? Myth 4: I ll do my own research and contact a buyers agent after I ve already looked at the place and I decided I want to buy it. FALSE. You MUST contact a Buyer's Agent FIRST, before contacting the seller's agent. This will ensure a smooth transaction for you should you decide to purchase the house. I offer Exclusive Buyer Representation and it's Free! It s your RIGHT to have someone represent you in the buying process and it doesn t cost a thing, but could end up SAVING YOU A FORTUNE!!! For more information on working with a REALTOR®, visit the realtor.com website at:http://finance.realtor.com/homefinance/guides/buyers/step02.asp The Housing Crisis Is Over!!! That's Right!! Read On: By CYRIL MOULLE-BERTEAUX/The Wall Street Journal May 6, 2008; Page A23 The dire headlines coming fast and furious in the financial and popular press suggest that the housing crisis is intensifying. Yet it is very likely that April 2008 will mark the bottom of the U.S. housing market. Yes, the housing market is bottoming right now. How can this be? For starters, a bottom does not mean that prices are about to return to the heady days of 2005. That probably won't happen for another 15 years. It just means that the trend is no longer getting worse, which is the critical factor. Most people forget that the current housing bust is nearly three years old. Home sales peaked in July 2005. New home sales are down a staggering 63% from peak levels of 1.4 million. Housing starts have fallen more than 50% and, adjusted for population growth, are back to the trough levels of 1982. Furthermore, residential construction is close to 15-year lows at 3.8% of GDP; by the fourth quarter of this year, it will probably hit the lowest level ever. So what's going to stop the housing decline? Very simply, the same thing that caused the bust: affordability. The boom made housing unaffordable for many American families, especially first-time home buyers. During the 1990s and early 2000s, it took 19% of average monthly income to service a conforming mortgage on the average home purchased. By 2005 and 2006, it was absorbing 25% of monthly income. For first time buyers, it went from 29% of income to 37%. That just proved to be too much. Prices got so high that people who intended to actually live in the houses they purchased (as opposed to speculators) stopped buying. This caused the bubble to burst. Since then, house prices have fallen 10%-15%, while incomes have kept growing (albeit more slowly recently) and mortgage rates have come down 70 basis points from their highs. As a result, it now takes 19% of monthly income for the average home buyer, and 31% of monthly income for the first-time home buyer, to purchase a house. In other words, homes on average are back to being as affordable as during the best of times in the 1990s. Numerous households that had been priced out of the market can now afford to get in. The next question is: Even if home sales pick up, how can home prices stop falling with so many houses vacant and unsold? The flip but true answer: because they always do. In the past five major housing market corrections (and there were some big ones, such as in the early 1980s when home sales also fell by 50%-60% and prices fell 12%-15% in real terms), every time home sales bottomed, the pace of house-price declines halved within one or two months. The explanation is that by the time home sales stop declining, inventories of unsold homes have usually already started falling in absolute terms and begin to peak out in "months of supply" terms. That's the case right now: New home inventories peaked at 598,000 homes in July 2006, and stand at 482,000 homes as of the end of March. This inventory is equivalent to 11 months of supply, a 25-year high but it is similar to 1974, 1982 and 1991 levels, which saw a subsequent slowing in home-price declines within the next six months. Inventories are declining because construction activity has been falling for such a long time that home completions are now just about undershooting new home sales. In a few months, completions of new homes for sale could be undershooting new home sales by 50,000-100,000 annually. Inventories will drop even faster to 400,000 or seven months of supply by the end of 2008. This shift in inventories will have a significant impact on prices, although house prices won't stop falling entirely until inventories reach five months of supply sometime in 2009. A five-month supply has historically signaled tightness in the housing market. Many pundits claim that house prices need to fall another 30% to bring them back in line with where they've been historically. This is usually based on an analysis of house prices adjusted for inflation: Real house prices are 30% above their 40-year, inflation-adjusted average, so they must fall 30%. This simplistic analysis is appealing on the surface, but is flawed for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, it neglects the fact that a great majority of Americans buy their houses with mortgages. And if one buys a house with a mortgage, the most important factor in deciding what to pay for the house is how much of one's income is required to be able to make the mortgage payments on the house. Today the rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is 5.7%. Back in 1981, the rate hit 18.5%. Comparing today's house prices to the 1970s or 1980s, when mortgage rates were stratospheric, is misguided and misleading. This is all good news for the broader economy. The housing bust has been subtracting a full percentage point from GDP for almost two years now, which is very large for a sector that represents less than 5% of economic activity. When the rate of house-price declines halves, there will be a wholesale shift in markets' perceptions. All of a sudden, the expected value of the collateral (i.e. houses) for much of the lending that went on for the past decade will change. Right now, when valuing the collateral, market participants including banks are extrapolating the current pace of house price declines for another two to three years; this has a significant impact on the amount of delinquencies, foreclosures and credit losses that lenders are expected to face. More home sales and smaller price declines means fewer homeowners will be underwater on their mortgages. They will thus have less incentive to walk away and opt for foreclosure. A milder house-price decline scenario could lead to increases in the market value of a lot of the securitized mortgages that have been responsible for $300 billion of write-downs in the past year. Even if write-backs do not occur, stabilizing collateral values will have a huge impact on the markets' perception of risk related to housing, the financial system, and the economy. We are of course experiencing a serious housing bust, with serious economic consequences that are still unfolding. The odds are that the reverberations will lead to subtrend growth for a couple of years. Nonetheless, housing led us into this credit crisis and this recession. It is likely to lead us out. And that process is underway, right now. For more information, visit the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/public/us Why choose WINTER BASERVA? My out-of-the-box approach and background in marketing, PR & advertising will GET YOU NOTICED!!! I empower my clients with all the information needed to make an INFORMED decision. My experience in REO, foreclosure and distressed homes will ensure you are getting the best price! My team of preferred experts makes getting financing, inspecting, and closing on a home easy! LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION followed by EDUCATION is the perfect recipe for success... I am Reliable.....Dependable......and Dedicated to YOUR needs!! More About WINTER BASERVA SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT WINTER: I had worked with several other realtors before who just weren't getting my needs. I was beginning to think that all realtors were all the same until I met Winter. She not only sold my home quickly, but she also found me my next home during the same time. She handled all the details in the process and saved me a lot of time and heartache. I would HIGHLY recommend Winter to anyone who wants a hardworking, reliable and overall STELLAR realtor!! -Richard Morea, Mercedes Benz of Buckhead My husband and I are long-time investors and worked with Winter in purchasing several REO properties. Her knowledge and expertise of the foreclosure market astounded us and she negotiated the best deals possible. Even though we were not purchasing very expensive properties, she treated each one with the utmost importance. I can honestly say it's been a true joy to work with Winter and she is definately our realtor for life! -Laurie & David Lackey, Investors Winter Baserva As an expert in all aspects of real estate from buying and selling to investing and REO properties, Baserva builds her business based on comfort, honesty, respect, and trust by empowering her clients with the education and tools needed to make an informed decision. Raised in Roswell, GA, she moved back to Atlanta in 2007 after working for a residential brokerage and commercial developer in Florida. Her career originally started out in communications, advertising, marketing and public relations. Baserva has previously held positions with the Miami Art Museum, Miami Children s Museum, Grove Garden Luxury Residences, West Gulf Real Estate & Development, and others helping them grow their businesses through publicity management and strategic marketing campaigns. Her public relations skills have received attention from highly-accredited publications such as Interior Design, Time Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and many others. She is active in many community organizations and donates to several community causes including Alzheimer s Association, Big Brother s Big Sisters of SWFL, Fraternal Order of Police, Girls Making It On Purpose and the Healthy Start Coalition. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Baserva graduated from The Florida State University with a bachelor of science in communications with an emphasis in public relations. Discounted commission, reduced commission Your home is probably your largest asset. When you decide it is time to sell your home, it is crucial that you hire an Atlanta real estate agent who is experienced and dedicated to serving your best interest. Your Atlanta Realtor must understand the local market forces in order to sell your home for the highest price and in the least amount of time. When the time comes to buy your next home you need to hire an Atlanta real estate agent who can guide you through the complex buying process. As your Atlanta Realtor, It is not only my job to find you the perfect home to suit your needs, but also to guide you from the time that you sign the purchase contract all the way through a smooth closing. I will continue to be available for years after the sale, as long as you own your home I will be there to help you! Whether you are looking for a new home in Atlanta, or one of the many surrounding suburbs, let us put our local real estate knowledge to work for you! Apply for a mortgage, mortgage calculator, Alpharetta real estate, Roswell real estate, buckhead real estate, Marietta real estate, east cobb real estate, ackworth real estate, Woodstock real estate, Kennesaw real estate, canton real estate, commercial real estate, Atlanta top realtor, top producer in Atlanta, realtor.com, zillow.com, search MLS properties in Atlanta Want to sell your home FAST and for TOP DOLLAR? Allow me to analyze and recommend the fastest way to get your home sold through professional staging, curb appeal ideas, and even aromatherapy!! Here are some other great tips to make your home irresistible and marketable to buyers. *Get your property listed on the MLS and work with a REALTOR® who will provide maximum marketing and online exposure! 90% of homes are found through the use of the internet and realtor-based programs!! Don t make the mistake of trying to sell on your own--you ll pay for it in the long run. *De-personalize: Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms and remove photographs from table-tops. You want to give the buyer the opportunity to identify with the house and they can t if you re there! *De-Clutter: Put away items that are sitting on countertops and tables, pack up those knickknacks, and clean off everything on the kitchen and bathroom counters. *Organize the closets: Line up shoes, neatly stack dishes, and make sure that all kitchen appliances (microwave, stove, etc.) are cleaned out. *Kill the offensive odors-They're the first thing buyers notice, and often a permanent turnoff. *Everything from floors to windows must be spotless!! -Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior -Clean out cobwebs -Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks -Polish chrome faucets and mirrors -Clean out the refrigerator -Vacuum daily -Wax floors -Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures -Bleach dingy grout -Replace worn rugs -Hang up fresh towels *Rent a Storage Unit- Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. *Check Curb Appeal-If a buyer won't get out of the agent's car because they doesn't like the exterior of your home, you'll never get them inside. -Keep the sidewalks cleared. -Mow the lawn. -Paint faded window trim. -Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive. -Trim your bushes. -Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number. REMEMBER--you only get one chance to make a first impression!! Check out this article from John Adams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution about how necessary an agent is in today's market! http://www.ajc.com/homefinder/content/homefinder/stories/2008/03/13/johnadams_0316.html TIP #1: DON T GO AT IT ALONE!!! Georgia's "buyer agency law" means you can have an experienced Realtor working for you - absolutely FREE! There are a lot of myths out there about having a REALTOR® represent you. Check out my blog on my home page for the common myths or visit www.realtor.com for facts on choosing a realtor http://finance.realtor.com/homefinance/guides/buyers/step02.asp I offer Exclusive Buyer Representation and it's Free! It s your RIGHT to have someone represent you in the buying process and it doesn t cost a thing, but could end up SAVING YOU A FORTUNE!!! TIP #2: Determine how much you can afford .aka ..GET QUALIFIED!! Don t waste your time searching for homes when you don t have an understanding of your price range. You could be looking at properties that will break your bank or looking a lower-priced homes, when you could actually afford something much nicer. Let me know if you would like a recommendation on how to get you qualified. Don t worry if your credits not the best, I can also recommend a credit repair specialist to help out too! To get an estimate of what the monthly payment would be, feel free to check out a mortgage calculator such as http://www.mortgage-calc.com/ Tip #3: Define your NEEDS versus your WANTS!!! There are a lot of choices out there right now and rather than waste your time looking at properties that fit some of your requirements, define WHAT IS A MUST for you and what is an "added bonus." From there we can establish a direct path to homeownership instead of a curvy one with lots of twists and turns. TIP #4: When interest rates are low opt for a fixed mortgage! Right now interest rates are at an all time low, so if you get a good rate, go for a fixed mortgage. Getting financing, interest rates, buy downs, and pre approvals could seem like another language at times. Allow me to put you in contact with a qualified, professional mortgage broker that can walk you through all those details. TIP #5: If you find a house you like make an OFFER on it! More and more I am seeing buyers find a home that meets all their MUSTS, but because there are so many options, wait to put an offer in. By the time they do, the home is under contract with another buyer or you now face the worst place to be in when you buy .bidding wars! Don t get caught up in the next best thing. The market is not as bad as the media makes it. Don t risk losing the home of your dreams! TIP 6: Don t get emotionally invested. Pick a price you are not willing to exceed and even if you are absolutely in love with the home, if its out of your budget MOVE ON. Don t get caught up in the emotional rollercoaster. TIP 7: Keep in mind improvement costs. If you find a home that has the structure, floor plan, yard, and overall meets your musts, but is outdated .simply improve. Kitchen renovations have become quite affordable and to lay some tile or wood floors in smaller areas can really change the appearance of the home without breaking the budget. Expect lower improvement costs with newer homes. TIP #8: Get a professional opinion. Even if the house was built in 2008, getting a home inspection is important in the buying process. Call for other great buying tips 678.463.3173!!! FREE C.M.A. Request! Have you ever wondered, "What's the current market value of my home in today's market"? By filling out the information below you will be furnished with a FREE Comparative Market Analysis Report that will give you a good idea of your home's current value. Or, allow me to present our complete solutions in person! I will come to your home and walk you through your free report! Please fill out the form below and one of our consultants will get back to you within 24 hours or the next business day. Attention: For Sale By Owners! Why People Are Afraid To Buy From You? Many homeowners believe that to maximize their profit on a home sale they should sell it themselves. At first glance, they feel selling a home is simple and that they shouldn't have to pay any broker fees for something they could do themselves? In fact, less than 25% of all the homes sold last year were sold for sale by owner (FSBO). However, close to half of the FSBO s said that they would hire a professional next time they sold. Thirty percent said they were unhappy with the results they achieved by choosing to sell themselves. Why? Many FSBO s told us that the time, paperwork and everyday responsibilities involved were not worth the amount of money they saved in commissions. For others, the financial savings were even more disappointing. By the time they figured the amount of fees paid to outside consultants: inspectors, appraisers, title lawyers, escrow and loan officers, in addition to marketing and advertising... they would have been better off having paid the broker s fee which would have included many of these charges up front. Also, they felt that they really spun their wheels with people they thought were "buyers," and they didn't posess the skills to properly "qualify" their prospects. So, they showed the home at all hours of the day and night in the hopes that one of them would stick. Only to find out there are many "lookers" out there. Selling a home requires an intimate understanding of the real estate market. If the property is priced too high, it will sit and develop a deep reputation for being a problem property. If the property is priced too low, you will cost yourself serious money. Some FSBO s discovered that the lost money as a result of poor decisions outweighed the commission. Before you decide to sell a home on your own, consider these questions and weigh the answers of assuming the responsibility versus employing a professional. A little time spent investigating up front will pay off tenfold in the end. Questions To Consider: Do I have the time, energy, know-how, and ability to devote a full-forced effort to sell my home? One of the keys to selling your home efficiently and profitably is complete accessibility. Many homes have sat on the market much longer than necessary because the owner was unwilling or unavailable to show the property. Realize that a certain amount of hours each day is necessary to sell your home. Am I prepared to deal with an onslaught of buyers who perceive FSBO s as targets for low balling? One of the challenges of selling a home is screening unqualified prospects and dealing with lowballers. It often goes unnoticed... how much time, effort and expertise it requires to spot these people quickly. Settling for a lowball bid is usually worse than paying broker commissions. Am I offering financing options to the buyer? Am I prepared to answer questions about financing? One of the keys to selling, whether it s a home, a car... anything, is to have all the necessary information the prospective buyer needs and to offer them options. Think about the last time you purchased something of value, did you make a decision before you had all your ducks in a row? By offering financing options, you give the home buyer the ability to work on their terms and open up the possibilities of selling your home quickly and more profitably. A professional real estate agent will have a complete team, from lenders to title reps for you to utilize...they ll be at your disposal. Do I fully understand the legal ramifications and necessary steps required in selling a home? Many home sales have been lost due to incomplete paperwork, lack of inspections or not meeting your states disclosure laws. Are you completely informed of all the steps necessary to sell real estate? If not, a professional would be a wise choice. Do I have the capability of handling the legal contracts, agreements and any disputes with buyers before or after the offer is presented? Ask yourself if you are well versed in legalese and if you are prepared to handle disputes with buyers. To avoid any disputes it is wise to put all negotiations and agreements in writing. Many home sales have been lost due to misinterpretation of what was negotiated. Have I contacted the necessary professionals....title, inspector (home and pest), attorney, and escrow company? Are you familiar with top inspectors and escrow companies? Don t randomly select inspectors, attorneys, and title reps. Like any profession there are inadequate individuals who will slow, delay and possibly even cost you the transaction. ATTENTION FOR SALE BY OWNERS: Allow me to present my complete solution and show you how The Pinnacle Team is selling 90% of everything we list!!! For more information, contact me or check out The Pinnacle Difference below! http://www.closerealty.com/storage/8005/documents/PINNACLESALESTEAM.pdf Seven Selling Mistakes You Don't Want to Make! Mistake #1 -- Pricing Your Property Too High Every seller obviously wants to get the most money for his or her product. Ironically, the best way to do this is NOT to list your product at an excessively high price! A high listing price will cause some prospective buyers to lose interest before even seeing your property. Also, it may lead other buyers to expect more than what you have to offer. As a result, overpriced properties tend to take an unusually long time to sell, and they end up being sold at a lower price. Mistake #2 -- Mistaking Re-finance Appraisals for the Market Value Unfortunately, a re-finance appraisal may have been stated at an untruthfully high price. Often, lenders estimate the value of your property to be higher than it actually is in order to encourage re-financing. The market value of your home could actually be lower. Your best bet is to ask your Realtor for the most recent information regarding property sales in your community. This will give you an up-to-date and factually accurate estimate of your property value. Mistake #3 -- Forgetting to "Showcase Your Home" In spite of how frequently this mistake is addressed and how simple it is to avoid, its prevalence is still widespread. When attempting to sell your home to prospective buyers, do not forget to make your home look as pleasant as possible. Make necessary repairs. Clean. Make sure everything functions and looks presentable. A poorly kept home in need of repairs will surely lower the selling price of your property and will even turn away some buyers. Mistake #4 -- Trying to "Hard Sell" While Showing Buying a house is always an emotional and difficult decision. As a result, you should try to allow prospective buyers to comfortably examine your property. Don't try haggling or forcefully selling. Instead, be friendly and hospitable. A good idea would be to point out any subtle amenities and be receptive to questions. Mistake #5 -- Trying to Sell to "Looky-Loos" A prospective buyer who shows interest because of a "for sale" sign he saw may not really be interested in your property. Often buyers who do not come through a Realtor are a good 6-9 months away from buying, and they are more interested in seeing what is out there than in actually making a purchase. They may still have to sell their house, or may not be able to afford a house yet. They may still even be unsure as to whether or not they want to relocate. Your Realtor should be able to distinguish realistic potential buyers from mere lookers. Realtors should usually find out a prospective buyer's savings, credit rating, and purchasing power in general. If your Realtor fails to find out this pertinent information, you should do some investigating and questioning on your own. This will help you avoid wasting valuable time marketing towards the wrong people. If you have to do this work yourself, consider finding a new Realtor. Mistake #6 -- Not Knowing Your Rights & Responsibilities It is extremely important that you are well-informed of the details in your real estate contract. Real estate contracts are legally binding documents, and they can often be complex and confusing. Not being aware of the terms in your contract could cost you thousands for repairs and inspections. Know what you are responsible for before signing the contract. Can the property be sold "as is"? How will deed restrictions and local zoning laws will affect your transaction? Not knowing the answers to these kind of questions could end up costing you a considerable amount of money. Mistake #7 -- Limiting the Marketing and Advertising of the Property Your Realtor should employ a wide variety of marketing techniques. Your Realtor should also be committed to selling your property; he or she should be available for every phone call from a prospective buyer. Most calls are received, and open houses are scheduled, during business hours, so make sure that your Realtor is working on selling your home during these hours. Chances are that you have a job, too, so you may not be able to get in touch with many potential buyers. The Nine Most Common Mistakes to Avoid When Obtaining a Home Mortgage! You are about to make what will most likely be the largest transaction of your life: your home mortgage. Unfortunately, many homebuyers do not take the time to research some of the little but weighty intricacies of mortgages. Researching the mortgage process takes little time compared to the tens of thousands of dollars it could save you. Doesn t it make sense to become as completely informed as possible before you buy your next home? This special report is designed to help you avoid nine common mistakes. Remember that the right lender can help you make good, sound business decisions based on your personal financial situation. Find a Reputable Lender - This is the most important choice you can make when starting the mortgage process. If you don t trust your lender, you are in for a long and stressful home-buying experience. Pricing - Don t be lured into a mortgage company strictly by promises of low rates. Find out how long the advertised rate is guaranteed for. Make sure there is enough time to close on your loan. Some companies may make these "promises" but will try changing the rate prior to closing. They may claim that your "lock-in" rate has expired so make sure you have the expiration date in writing. In some cases, the lender may even try to delay your closing to break the "lock-in" rate. In other cases the delay may be beyond the lender s control. Make sure to allow yourself plenty of time for closing. Delays in the process are common and everyone (builders, title companies, even yourself) is responsible. Programs - You will see several programs that offer special low-interest rates. Keep in mind that they may not be the best program for your situation. Make your lender explain what programs they feel best serve your needs and more importantly, why. Fixed or Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) - Conventional thinking is that fixed is always better and while this is sometimes true, it is not always the case. The key here is to ask, "How long am I going to live at this property?" An ARM can actually be a better choice if you are going to be in the home for a short time. The average for how long a first time homebuyer keeps their mortgage is less than four years. In general, the longer you plan on staying in your home, the better a fixed rate mortgage will suit your needs. Don t try to bottom out the market - Deciding when to lock in to a mortgage rate can be difficult. Many people will float, trying to guess when rates have hit bottom. Unfortunately, a lot of times they will wait too long and end up with a much higher interest rate. There is nothing wrong with floating but keep a close eye on economic indicators. Your daily newspaper or even the nightly news can be an excellent source of information on the latest interest rate activity. As closing nears, it might be worth locking in. Negotiate problems prior to closing Its common for a problem to arise before closing. Waiting until closing will rarely be in your best interest. For instance, if you accept $400 at closing in lieu of the seller making a repair and after closing you find that the repair will actually cost $600, you ve obviously made a poor decision. Whether the builder agreed to add an item and has not or the seller has made a repair that is not acceptable to you, discussing a solution prior to closing will give both parties time to analyze and determine options. Be prepared for closing costs In addition to the down payment, you will be required to pay fees and other closing costs at the time of the final transaction. Closing costs typically range from 2 percent to 6 percent but will be dependent upon your situation. Lenders must provide you with a "Good Faith Estimate." The "Good Faith Estimate" will breakdown all costs so that you may know what to expect at closing. Close at the end of the month When making a mortgage payment, you will be paying interest that has accrued from the previous month. Upon closing however, your lender will charge you prepaid interest for the date the loan is recorded through the end of that month. Therefore, one way to lower your closing costs is to close in the latter part of the month. This will lower the amount of prepaid interest that you must pay. Look out for hidden fees -- Check for certain miscellaneous fees such as inspection, notary, and document preparation. These types of fees can mean hundreds of dollars in closing costs. Remember that this is your money at stake. Never should you be afraid to ask for explanations of fees you are being charged. Current mortgage rate, how to apply for a mortgage, how to find a good realtor in atlanta, One Winter Real Estate and Investment Services has been established to empower sellers and buyers who are selling and buying homes to make an informed decision by providing all the information needed such as the ability to search MLS listings, list their homes for free and search homes in the state of Georgia that are for sale. Based in Atlanta, Winter Baserva serves the entire Greater Atlanta Area including Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Atlanta, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, East Cobb, Tucker, Doraville, inside the perimeter, Midtown, Downtown, Woodstock, Drew Valley in all types of residential properties including lofts, condominiums, homes, houses, single-family and multi-family real estate. One Winter is a full-service realtor practicing general real estate, foreclosures, reo properties, investments and committed to helping investors find the right investment. If you re selling your home, my out-of-the-box approach and background in marketing, PR and advertising will get you noticed and get your home sold. I ll also make sure you get a great deal and the best price based on my experience in REO, foreclosure and distressed homes. If you re buying a home, I take care of all the details and make sure your protected in your transaction. My team of preferred experts makes getting financing, inspecting and closing on a home, easy. Location, location, location, followed by education is the perfect recipe for success. I am reliable, dependable and dedicated to your needs. Contact Winter Baserva, 678-463-3173 or winter@onewinter.biz for more information. Or visit my website at www.onewinter.biz Selling Cobb homes, Fulton homes, Gwinnett homes, Forsyth homes, Cherokee homes, Paulding homes, Dekalb homes, Hall homes, Bartow homes, Rockdale homes, Fayette homes, Coweta homes, Douglas homes, Atlanta homes, Marietta homes, Smyrna homes, Vinings homes, Alpharetta homes, Roswell homes, Sandy Springs homes, Cumming homes, Woodstock homes, Canton homes, Kennesaw homes, Acworth homes, Cartersville homes, Powder Springs homes, Austell homes, Mableton homes, East Point homes, Brookhaven homes, Buckhead homes, Douglasville homes, Hiram homes, Dallas homes, Lilburn homes, Snellville homes, Lawrenceville homes, Tucker homes, Decatur homes, Duluth homes, Suwanee homes, Gainesville homes, Buford homes, Lake Lanier homes, Lithonia homes, Conyers homes, Covington homes, Fayetteville homes, Peachtree City homes, Riverdale homes, Jonesboro homes, Dacula homes, plus many more cities!