One of the biggest considerations when you're purchasing a home is the crime rate. High crime rates mean low property values, high insurance rates, and (of course) a greater risk to yourself and your family. Many neighborhoods are rated by how safe they are. When looking at homes and condos, there are some signs that the area you're looking in is low in crime.
New Surveillance Systems
Is the surveillance system brand new and well-updated?
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Is the lease on your current place going to be up in the next few months? Are you thinking about taking advantage of this fact to move to somewhere else that better fits your family and/or your lifestyle? Not everyone is able to live just anywhere. Sometimes the crime rate has gone up since you moved in, sometimes you don't get along with a particular neighbor, sometimes you need to upsize or downsize your living space, and sometimes it's for entirely different reasons.
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Buying a home is a huge undertaking, and most buyers do everything they can not to make mistakes. One confusing aspect of the home-buying process is the home inspection and whether or not it has to be done or not. Read on to find out more about this important issue before you begin your home search.
Is it Required by Lenders?
The short answer is "no", at least in most cases.
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Shopping for a new home can be overwhelming, whether you're doing it on your own or working with a buyer's agent. While seeing homes in person and touring them is incredibly important, a major part of the process is looking through listings. If you are like most homebuyers, then you are handling this process primarily online. This puts a huge number of homes for sale at your fingertips, which can be both a benefit and a curse.
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Those who are relatively new to residential real estate investing may be unknowingly jeopardizing their potential for success. One of the most common ways in which this happens is when a new investor tries to carve out time to research new property opportunities while also trying to provide all the services and duties involved in finding tenants, moving them in, and keeping them satisfied during their lease periods.
This can lead to situations where important tasks get neglected and profitable opportunities are lost due to time constraints and inattention.
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