| Mortgage fees, mortgage rates, loan-to-value ratio, down payments, private mortgage insurance, adjustable rate mortgages, home equity loans vs. lines of credit, FHA loans, points, and fixing credit scores – there is a lot to mortgages! The mortgage process is an important aspect to many real estate transactions. Home buyers have many considerations when purchasing a new property, and should be thinking about mortgages and loans with a lender or accountant early in their process.
What is YOUR mortgage IQ? If you have questions, feel free to contact me. I’m not a lender or an accountant, but I can provide you with a free list of local lenders to choose from. |
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Harrisonburg Mortgage Process: A Mortgage IQ Test
December 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The Springs at Osceola Opening in Summer 2010
December 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Springs at Osceola Master Plan (Source: Old Dominion Realty)
Springs at Osceola Master Plan Phase 1 (Source: Old Dominion Realty)
The Springs at Osceola is now taking reservations for 120 premium homes, ranging from $159,000 – $200,000. Each lot is between 1.2 and 5 acres. This is the first phase of the new development, located between Port Republic Road, Spaders Church Road, and Pleasant Valley Road. The community will have an Architectural Review Committee, and feature views of Massanutten Mountain.
Gary Crummet and Sons is the local recommended builder for the lots. According to their website, The Springs at Osceola will feature natural ponds, a running spring, sidewalks, bike paths, walking trails, and more.
In this economy, it has been rare to see new developments of this scale move past the planning and into the building and selling phases.
If you are interested in exploring a lot for purchase at The Springs at Osceola, please contact me at (540) 442-0316 or contact me via email at Kai.Degner@KlineMay.com.
The Springs at Osceola are listed by Old Dominion Realty.
Kai’s Homebuyer Questionnaire
November 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
My goal is to help you find the right property at the right price to fit your needs. To help us get started, I have designed Kai’s Homebuyer Questionnaire for you to tell me what is most important to you in our search for the perfect property.
This quick, four-page questionnaire will let me listen to your needs early in the process so we can get started on the right page.
Please download and print Kai’s Homebuyer Questionnaire (PDF), and take some time with anyone critical to your homebuying decision (like a spouse!). If you like, I can even meet you and we can fill out the Questionnaire together in an “interview” style – just let me know!
Download: Kai’s Homebuyer Questionnaire (PDF)
2326 Breckenridge Court – Great Townhome Deal in Harrisonburg!
November 8, 2010 By 1 Comment
I’m excited to share with you a new listing in Harrisonburg: a top-notch three bedroom townhome for $134,500!
Recent renovations and upgrades make it absolutely shine. There is new flooring throughout the whole home. New counter tops and appliances in the kitchen, brand new fixtures in the kitchen and the bathrooms. There is a new privacy fence in the backyard, too. There are three bedrooms, one and a half bath, a storage shed and small deck in the back.
My favorite part of the home is the high, sloping ceilings in the bedrooms upstairs, which I would be happy to show you!
The location in this quiet neighborhood is convenient for the new hospital, Harrisonburg’s commerical district, or JMU.
This townhome is entering the market priced extremely competitively – one the best priced townhomes in Harrisonburg for its high quality! Due to changes in the market, please call me for specifics about up to date pricing information: 540-442-0316.
JMU Students: There’s a Better Option than Renting
October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Kai Degner, Harrisonburg Real Estate Agent. Call me to discuss which properties are the best to buy for your JMU student. (540) 442-0316
I went to JMU and lived off campus for three years, all in Sunchase. Tack a graduate school year in a downtown house, and that’s four years living off campus. My average rent was $350/month, for a grand total of over $16,000.
Sixteen THOUSAND dollars spent on rent – that’s about two years worth of in-state tuition! And the average rent has increased considerably since I went to school.
There must be a better way to finance living in the ‘burg while you you or your child is getting a degree at JMU, right? Of course!
If you and/or your parents are in a position to pay a down payment and qualify for a home loan, you could purchase a house and rent out rooms to one or two friends to help pay the mortgage.
The result is you redirect the rent money to a mortgage, but build equity at double or even triple that amount.
The right scenario can save you thousands of dollars – and even MAKE you money!
After graduation, if the home has increased in value, it can be sold for a profit, and you make back some of that expense!
Why buy now?
- It is a buyers market right now – interest rates are at all-time lows.
- Buy before you sign another year long lease!
- Start looking for a roommate or two to join you
- Stop the annual stress and expense involved in worrying about moving
Here is a snapshot of townhomes on the market between $100- and $200,000. They are all close to JMU, within a short walk, bike ride, or car ride – and many are on the bus route.
Interested? Questions? Contact Me Today!
Take a look, and if you are at all interested, shoot me an email at Kai.Degner@KlineMay.com or call me at (540) 442-0316.
Stop paying rent – buy a home and build equity!
Contact me today to start thinking through how this might work.
Cabins for Sale in the Shenandoah Valley
September 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I spent the day yesterday with a propective buyer touring cabins in the Shenandoah Valley and around the Harrisonburg area. She is looking to take advantage of the buyers’ market and purchase a vacation property in the mid-$200,000 range.
The Shenandoah Valley is within easy driving distance from northern Virginia, Maryland, and even North Carolina, and the many activities it offers does, indeed, make it a prime location for a vacation property.
We saw a handful of cabins, including Ponderosa Lane in Fulks Run, CC Turner Trail in Timberville, and Kilmon Road in Basye/Bryce Resort. Each had their own combination of wooded privacy, cabin “feel”, views, and inside amenities. Click on the following addresses for more information about each:
5006 Cc Turner Trl, Timberville, VA 22853
302 Killmon Rd, Basye, VA 22810
12630 Ponderosa Ln, Fulks Run, VA, 22830
Contact me for more information about any of these cabins – or let me do a custom property search just for you!
Affordable Townhouses in Harrisonburg under $150,000
September 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
If you are in the market for an affordable townhouse in Harrisonburg, you’re in luck: there are dozens of townhouses for sale under $150,000 right now! Most of these multi-story townhouses have at least 2 bedrooms and bathrooms and ready for a new owner. While there are also townhouses priced higher, there a number of great values available $150,000 at this moment.
Use the map below to see where they are, and click on any icon for more information.
Low(er Local) Mortgage Rates: Another Reason to Buy Now
August 14, 2010 By 2 Comments
My friend Danny Uribe at Good Wealth Management recently tweeted this link to a recent Wall Street Journal article:
@dcthinker Mortgages: How to Pay Less. A Wave of Consolidation Is Forcing Smaller Banks to Offer Better Terms Than Ever [read article]
The article paints a picture of how unprecedented the low mortgage rates are today, which should be very motivating for anyone considering to buy a home.
The interest rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are in free fall, averaging just 4.44% on Aug. 12, according to Freddie Mac. Not only was that down from 5.07% in January, it was the lowest since Freddie began keeping records in 1970.
Interestingly, the author also points out that the more local and regional banks frequently offer the best deals.
But even better deals can be found at smaller banks and credit unions.
“I’ve found that my clients can get routinely better rates by heading to a more regional lender and forgoing the bigger lenders,” says Sean Satkus, a real-estate agent in the Washington, D.C., area.
The differences can be stark. On average, the three biggest banks—Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co. and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.—offer rates of 4.66% on 30-year fixed mortgages for home purchases, according to Bankrate.com. By contrast, St. Louis’s Heartland Bank is offering a rate of 4.50%. Acacia Federal Savings Bank comes in at 4.25%. And Rockland Trust Co. in Boston is offering just 4.13%. (None of these offers include “points,” or extra fees to secure lower rates.)
Read the rest of the article here, and please be in touch with me for more information about why now is such a good time to buy. See the many local choices by using the Live Shenandoah Property Search.
Kline May TV
July 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Sellers need a competitive advantage to be noticed in a market with many choices, and Kline May Realty Showcase can provide an edge. Each week, properties listed with Kline May’s agents are featured in a 30-minute show airing each Sunday morning on WHSV TV3 at 7:30am.
If you happen to miss a week, just visit this page and view the latest show.
Each week we highlight many of the newest listings by Kline May Realty. We also host two featured homes, which includes a video walk through of each selected home.
