Bellingham Homes & Real Estate

                 So, you’ve been searching for that perfect house to call a ‘home,’ and you finally found one! The price is right, and in such a competitive market, you want to make sure that you make a good offer so that you can guarantee that your dream of making this house yours comes true! Freddie Mac  covered  “4 Tips for Making an Offer” in their latest  Executive Perspective. Here are the 4 tips they covered along with some additional information for your consideration: 1. Understand How Much You Can Afford “While it's not nearly as fun as house hunting, fully understanding your finances is critical in making an offer.” This ‘tip’ or ‘step’ should really take place before you start your home search process. As we’ve mentioned  before , getting pre-approved is one of many steps that will show home sellers that you are serious about buying, and will allow you to make your offer with the confidence of knowing that you have already been approved for a mo

Do You Know the Cost of Waiting? [INFOGRAPHIC]  

Buying a Home? Do You Know the Lingo? Buying a home can be intimidating if you are not familiar with the terms used during the process. To start you on your path with confidence, we have compiled a list of some of the most common terms used when buying a home. Freddie Mac has compiled a more exhaustive glossary of terms in their “ My Home ” section of their website. Annual Percentage Rate (APR) – This is a broader measure of your cost for borrowing money. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees and certain other credit charges a borrower is required to pay. Because these costs are rolled in, the APR is usually higher than your interest rate. Appraisal – A professional analysis used to estimate the value of the property . This includes examples of sales of similar properties. This is a necessary step in getting your financing secured as it validates the home’s worth to you and your lender. Clos