Though the real estate industry is changing every day, mistakes made by first time homebuyers seem not to change that much. The mistakes range from managing their financial picture, to finding the perfect home before being qualified, to choosing the wrong lender. Below are the top five mistakes first timers keep making: 1. Wrong moves in terms of credit management: This is confusing for many and it can be tricky especially in preparation to buy a home. Don’t open new credit […]

If you thought that selling a home would take time, think again. These days in many markets, you can sell your home at blazing speeds, which is a clear indication that there has been an increase in the mobility that goes hand in hand with the country’s economic restoration. For many of us that have been stuck in our homes for the past half dozen years, this is great news. There comes a time in our lives that we need […]

Smoking is no longer vogue. Get your favorite golden ring and place it on top of a burning candle – It will quickly be covered with soot. This is what happens to every inch of a home when you smoke in it, which results in a loss of value. If you thought it was about your health alone, realize that your cash ‘health’ is at stake too. It a consensus among our top gay realtors that people hesitate from buying […]

When you think of great places to call home, Denver, Colorado is quickly becoming the nation’s new hot spot! With a hot job market, and support of entrepreneurial spirits, this city is on the verge of an explosion. Tech, oil and gas, spirits, medical marijuana and more ~ let your creative juices flow in the mile high city! Perfect weather (yes you can often golf year round), with 4 seasons and more sunshine than any city in America, behind San […]

When purchasing a new home, many buyers ask our gay realtors if they should take out a 15 or 30 year mortgage. If the 15 year is affordable, it’s always a better choice, and there are many good reasons why. Generally speaking, 15-year mortgages charge less interest. For example, one popular mortgage lender offers a 30-year mortgage at 4.6 percent, whereas the interest on a 15-year loan is only 3.6 percent. For a 30-year, $200,000 at mortgage at 4.6 percent, […]

Our San Francisco Gay Realtors are seeing more and more apartment to condo conversions with the RED HOT Bay Area Real Estate Market. Some condominium complexes opened at the worst possible time – in the depths of the real estate downturn when home buyers were few and far between. They coped by becoming for-rent apartment buildings instead. But now, as the housing recovery accelerates, several East Bay and South Bay developments are switching back to for-sale condos. “The pendulum has […]

Now that the component of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) that refused to recognize gay marriages has been ruled as unconstitutional, many gay couples are wondering how this is going to benefit them when it comes to state tax exemptions.  The bottom line is that life does not change much for those couples still living in states that do not recognize gay marriage. Even though that is in conflict with the federal ruling of the Supreme Court, there is no […]

With interest rates low, and home prices rising, we have many of our Gay Real Estate .com clients asking if now is the time to buy a second home ~ we think the timing is great IF the investment is affordable to you… also after the recent crash, we’d prefer you not have all your eggs in one basket. With housing markets heating up and interest rates still low, it can be a great time to invest in residential homes […]

The Federal Housing Administration is giving some former home owners another shot at home ownership. The FHA sent a letter to mortgage lenders stating that it would offer mortgage insurance to borrowers who had one of several serious issues with their bank. Things like having filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy with the help if a bankruptcy attorney, or for those who lost their homes through foreclosure with their bank or short sale during the recession. The reason a bank may be […]

Gay Realtor confirms LGBT Couples and service providers all over the country are awaiting guidance from the IRS in reference to tax filing, which includes important areas like; Marital deduction ~ Joint filing ~ Health Benefits ~ Time Constraints and others. Here’s a snipet of what Bloomberg News recently had to say on the matter. Proceed with care. That’s what bankers, accountants and wealth managers are telling same-sex couples considering financial changes because of the Supreme Court’s rejection of a […]