Mortgage Monday

It's Mortgage Monday!

It's Mortgage Monday!

Hi everyone and Happy Monday! Check out this week's pick:

 
Meet Edwin Plata from Ambersky Mortgage:
I'm a mortgage professional with Amber Sky Home Mortgage (Direct Lender) in Elmwood Park, NJ. For the last 10 years I've been using my finance/economics background and attention to detail to serve northern NJ residents in obtaining the lowest rate/fee mortgages available using our wholesale model of doing business. My clients are my top priority and from start to finish I am there to guide them and answer any questions so that they choose the best mortgage for their situation. I help my clients put their best foot forward in obtaining their mortgage and help take the anxiety and worry out of the home buying process by working closely with the buyers and their agents, 7 days a week. Call me for the best rates and best home buying experience.

Happy Friday! Get Social with Golden Image Realty

Happy Friday!
We are live on twitter today answering any and all real estate questions for Find-Out-Friday! Tweet us your real estate question(s) @goldenimagenj #fof

Visit our Open House in Lodi
Saturday, May 17th 11-2
Send an inbox message or email us at goldenimagenj@gmail.com for more info and details.

NEW listing coming this week! Updated 1 family home in Elmwood Park with 3 bedrooms, spacious layout, garage and parking. A must see! Check in daily for more info!

Be sure to check in on Mortgage Monday for Mortgage info and advice. We will be featuring a new Mortgage Rep every Monday.

Have a great Friday everyone and enjoy your weekend, from your friends at Golden Image Realty! 

Get Social with Golden Image Realty:

www.goldenimagerealty.blogspot.com
www.instagram.com/goldenimagerealty
www.twitter.com/goldenimagenj
www.facebook.com/njgoldenimagerealty

Moving this Summer? Here are 10 Tips!

10 Summer Moving Tips by realtor.com

How to prepare for a seamless transition

If you're moving this summer, the busiest season for moving, you know how daunting it can be. But if you create a blueprint for your move, the transition from house to house will go more smoothly.

 

Here are 10 things you can do to prepare for a seamless transition.

 

1. Full serve, partial serve or a do-it-yourself move.  Can you do it alone or should you hire a licensed moving company for a full-service or partial-service move?  This is one of the first and often most difficult questions soon-to-be moving households face. The answer depends on your lifestyle, household size, budget and amount of time you have to get everything accomplished. Get written quotes from at least three licensed moving companies so you know you’re getting the best deal based on your specific moving needs.  Moving yourself or doing a partial-service move?  Packing calculators can make it easier to estimate the amount of boxes and packing materials needed.

2. Plan to unpack BEFORE you pack. Take photos of each room in the new home before you arrive with furniture, plants, appliances and family in tow. Write down on a clip board where each item should go in your next home before packing, and carry it with you on moving day. List out the major items that need to be assembled first. As you place each item in its new room, cross it off the list and you will be one step closer to enjoying your new home.

3. Be strategic about packing.  If you have more than a month to ‘pick up and move’, start early.  Complete a free change of address and schedule utilities ahead of time at Moving.com.  Start packing early.  Whether it’s one room, one cabinet or a drawer at a time, weed through what may be years of accumulation.  As you’re going through your belongings, divide everything into these helpful categories:  donate to charity, give to a friend, recycle, trash, pack now, or keep handy until moving day.  You’ll be surprised at how much you can donate, recycle or give to friends.  And, you’ll not be overwhelmed with the task at hand three days before you move. 

4. Moving is NOT child’s play. Plan ahead. Consider daycare on moving day, or get help from a friend or family member.  Provide lunch or some other appropriate thank you gesture if you do call in a favor. If that’s not an option, prioritize setting up safe places for your children to play in the new home on moving day so they’re not underfoot.  This will help everyone remain happy and calm on moving day.

5. Don’t fight with Fido. Sometimes we forget that all the packing and constant in-and-out of visitors is stressful for animals. Consider checking your pet into a daycare facility, or setting up a time for a friend to take them or check them into petday care. Don’t let your four-legged best friends get lost in the shuffle and remember to make day-of moving arrangements.

6. Keep track of small parts. Some items need to be broken down into pieces when moving, but do you know what to do with the small screws and washers that you end up with? Rather than tape them to the furniture, which can result in losing them, put everything in a baggie that is clearly marked and sealed. Keep all of the separate baggies together in one box on moving day and personally take it with you to your new home.

7. Take pictures of electronic hook-ups. Hooking up TVs, DVRs, home theater systems and computers can be challenging. Before unplugging any wires for the move, take a photo of the connections, print them out and label them in detail. This will create fewer headaches when setting up technology in the new home. Keep track of all loose wires using baggies or boxes that are clearly labeled, and personally carry these easy-to-lose items on moving day.

8. Packing cleaning products and toxins. Products such as detergents, pesticides and paint are heavy and unwieldy to pack. Dispose of as many as possible before the move in an eco-friendly way.  Call your city’s waste disposal department for guidance on proper disposal. For items that must be transported, pack them in a small box within a larger box for protection against leaks. Don’t overstuff boxes with these items! Consider marking these boxes in a different color, and seal them extra tight. Keep them separate from the rest of the boxes, particularly if you have kids and pets.

9. Consider getting full value insurance protection. If using a professional mover, it may cost a few dollars extra, but it provides peace of mind and eliminates later annoyances. Investing in full value protection means any lost or damaged articles will be repaired or replaced, or a cash settlement will be made at current market value, regardless of age. It's important to note that the required minimum coverage of 60 cents per pound would not cover the replacement cost of more expensive items such as a flat screen TV if damaged in transit.

10. Know your rights. If using a professional mover, research your rights as a consumer with either the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for interstate moves or contact the state agency within the state in which you reside for moves within state. Also, enlist the help of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or local law enforcement if the moving company fails to live up to its promises or threatens to hold your belongings hostage. FMCSA requires interstate movers to offer arbitration to help settle disputed claims.

Golden Image Realty

Realtor.com

 

A little about Golden Image Realty...

Golden Image Realty was founded by Nicholas Todaro in 1987. After working as a Real Estate Salesperson, Nicholas had a passion to open up his own office, where he can help people and share his achievements with his clients and future customers, with a satisfying outcome. Now with a family like environment, expertise quality service and the most updated access to Real Estate information, he has built a winning brand of Real Estate.

Our main goal at Golden Image Realty is SUCCESS! We believe that accomplishing results comes from knowledge and experience. We are ready to help you reach your purpose, in any kind of economical market. Our Real Estate Consultants and Sales Representatives strive for excellence. We are not a huge office where you will just be another number, we take pride in every client and customer that comes through our doors.

Call us for all your Real Estate needs today; we are only a phone call, email and/or text away!

3 NEW LISTINGS!

3 New Listings!

Buying or Selling? We can help!

Call Nick to show and for more information at 973-278-3600

24 Hours Notice.

2 Two Families & 1 Three Family

1007 Madison Avenue

18 Pennington Street

87 Sherman Avenue

5 ways to boost Credit Scores

Thinking of buying but having trouble getting qualified for a loan?
Here's 5 Ways to Boost Credit Scores
If you have bad credit, you may struggle to get approved for a loan. Here are some ways to help you boost your credit scores and get a better rate: (click on link)
 http://www.realtor.com/advice/5-ways-boost-credit-scores-apply-loan/

Have you improved your credit score before? If so, what was the best advice you were given?

Call Golden Image Realty for more info. WE can help with all your Real Estate needs!

Buying 101 - TOP 10 TIPS for Buyers!

 Check out this article from: www.money.cnn.com 

The top 10 things you need to know when buying a home.

1. Don't buy if you can't stay put.
If you can't commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner - even in a rising market. When prices are falling, it's an even worse proposition.
2. Start by shoring up your credit.
Since you most likely will need to get a mortgage to buy a house, you must make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. A few months before you start house hunting, get copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you discover.
3. Aim for a home you can really afford.
The rule of thumb is that you can buy housing that runs about two-and-one-half times your annual salary. But you'll do better to use one of many calculators available online to get a better handle on how your income, debts, and expenses affect what you can afford.
4. If you can't put down the usual 20 percent, you may still qualify for a loan.
There are a variety of public and private lenders who, if you qualify, offer low-interest mortgages that require a small down payment.
5. Buy in a district with good schools.
In most areas, this advice applies even if you don't have school-age children. Reason: When it comes time to sell, you'll learn that strong school districts are a top priority for many home buyers, thus helping to boost property values.
6. Get professional help. Even though the Internet gives buyers unprecedented access to home listings, most new buyers (and many more experienced ones) are better off using a professional agent. Look for an exclusive buyer agent, if possible, who will have your interests at heart and can help you with strategies during the bidding process. Call a Real Estate Professional here at Golden Image Realty 973-278-3600 to help you get started!!!
7. Choose carefully between points and rate.
When picking a mortgage, you usually have the option of paying additional points -- a portion of the interest that you pay at closing -- in exchange for a lower interest rate. If you stay in the house for a long time -- say three to five years or more -- it's usually a better deal to take the points. The lower interest rate will save you more in the long run.
8. Before house hunting, get pre-approved.
Getting pre-approved will you save yourself the grief of looking at houses you can't afford and put you in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house. Not to be confused with pre-qualification, which is based on a cursory review of your finances, pre-approval from a lender is based on your actual income, debt and credit history.
9. Do your homework before bidding.
Your opening bid should be based on the sales trend of similar homes in the neighborhood. So before making it, consider sales of similar homes in the last three months. If homes have recently sold at 5 percent less than the asking price, you should make a bid that's about eight to 10 percent lower than what the seller is asking.
10. Hire a home inspector.
Sure, your lender will require a home appraisal anyway. But that's just the bank's way of determining whether the house is worth the price you've agreed to pay. Separately, you should hire your own home inspector, preferably an engineer with experience in doing home surveys in the area where you are buying. His or her job will be to point out potential problems that could require costly repairs down the road.
Call a Real Estate Professional here at Golden Image Realty to help you get started!