Your financial health - your credit and home affordability. Is now the right time financially for you to buy a home? Would you rate your financial picture as healthy? Is your credit good? While you can always find a lender to lend you money, solid lenders are more skeptical if your credit history is not good. Generally, a couple of blemishes on a credit report will make you a good credit risk and could qualify you for the lowest interest rates. If you have more than a couple of blemishes on your report, lenders like Quicken Loans may still provide you with a loan, but you may just have to pay a higher interest rate and fees. Some say that you should refrain from borrowing as much as you qualify for because it is wiser not to stretch your financial boundaries. The other school of though... 09/02/2007

How long the home will meet your needs. What features do you require in a home to satisfy your lifestyle now? Five years from now? Depending on how long you plan to stay in your home, you'll need to ensure that the home has the amenities that you'll need. For example, a two-bedroom dwelling may be perfect for a young couple with no children. However, if they start a family, they could quickly outgrow the space. Therefore, they should consider a home with room to grow. Could the basement be turned into a den and extra bedrooms? Could the attic be turned into a master suite? Having an idea of what you'll need will help you find a home that will satisfy you for years to come. 09/02/2007

Thinking About Buying Your First Home? Thinking about purchasing a home of your own? Keep these critical considerations in mind: How long you plan to live in the home. If you purchase a home and get a job transfer or decide to move after only a short time, you may end up paying money in order to sell it. The value of your home may not have appreciated enough to cover the costs that you paid to buy the home and the costs that it would take you to sell your home. The length of time that it will take to cover those costs depends on various economic factors in the area of the home. Most parts of the country have an average of 5% appreciation per year. In this case, you should plan to stay in your home at least 3-4 years to cover buying and selling costs. If the area you buy your home in ex... 09/02/2007

    A qualified, competent real estate agent will help you navigate the myriad of decisions that arise when buying and selling a home. An agent provides value to the homeowner in many ways: Pays for all marketing and advertising costs. Adds experience and expertise in all aspects of the sales process including marketing, financing, negotiations and more.Handles all showings. Brings a network of known, trusted real estate professionals. If your agent doesn't have the answer, he or she likely knows someone who does. Always has your interests in mind so you always have someone on your side. Can handle and advise on all price and contract negotiations. Provides you with all the possible options and opportunities without holding back. Gives an unbiased, realistic view of your home and your ... 09/02/2007

There are a total of 288 Single Family homes currently listed for sale on the MLS in Andover, Minnesota (as of August 13th, 2007).  The city is located in central Anoka County.  Andover is a growing exurban community which has many new residential developments, parks, and public spaces.  Much of the city retains its rural feel and there is abundant small wildlife in the area.The "Cumulative" days on market reflects the total days on the market in the past 12 months and may include days from previous listings.  This may occur if/when a property is relisted (for any number of reasons) within the 12 month time frame.Based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE OF MINNESOTA, INC for August 13th, 2007. 08/13/2007

There are a total of 288 Single Family homes currently listed for sale on the MLS in Andover, Minnesota (as of August 13th, 2007).  The city is located in central Anoka County.  Andover is a growing exurban community which has many new residential developments, parks, and public spaces.  Much of the city retains its rural feel and there is abundant small wildlife in the area.This data was collected for homes currently listed for sale only and may not include the full annual property tax amount that will be due in the coming year.Based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE OF MINNESOTA, INC for August 13th, 2007. 08/13/2007

There are a total of 288 Single Family homes currently listed for sale on the MLS in Andover, Minnesota (as of August 13th, 2007).  The city is located in central Anoka County.  Andover is a growing exurban community which has many new residential developments, parks, and public spaces.  Much of the city retains its rural feel and there is abundant small wildlife in the area.This data was collected for homes currently listed for sale only.Based on information from the REGIONAL MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE OF MINNESOTA, INC for August 13th, 2007. 08/13/2007

There are a total of 288 Single Family homes currently listed for sale on the MLS in Andover, Minnesota (as of August 13th, 2007).  The city is located in central Anoka County.  Andover is a growing exurban community which has many new residential developments, parks, and public spaces.  Much of the city retains its rural feel and there is abundant small wildlife in the area.  Some of the properties listed for sale have larger lots (over a acre), while others are regular sized "city sized" lots.  This may skew some of the data slightly.  For example two identical homes, one on a city sized lot and one on a 3 acre lot, will have vastly different costs per square foot.  This calculation is done on the size of the home and the price of the property.  At first glance, the home on the larger... 08/13/2007

#10 Post-Closing   Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! Now that you have taken ownership of the property you will need to have your local services such as electricity, cable, and phone set up. Also, you should already be aware of the expenses that are typically associated with owning a home. Neighborhood Association fees, landscaping costs, and annual taxes should be budgeted for throughout the year to keep from getting into a financial bind.   Your agent can save you time and money by helping you coordinate the set-up of these local services. No doubt your agent already knows who the local vendors are for such services as water and electricity, as well as others, so he or she can help provide you with a list of contacts.     For more information contact Stephanie Antes 6... 07/21/2007

#9 Closing   Closing is where ownership of the home is legally transferred from the seller to the buyer. It is a formal meeting in which most parties involved in the buying/selling process will attend. Closing procedures are usually held at the title company's office or lawyer's office. Your closing officer coordinates the document signing and the collection and disbursement of funds.   In order for the closing to go smoothly, each party involved should bring the necessary documentation and be prepared to pay any related fees (closing costs). There may be more than one form of acceptable payment for your closing costs so ask the closing officer which form of payment will be required and to whom it should be paid.   Sellers sometimes pay for a portion or all of the closing costs, depend... 07/21/2007

#8 Pre-Close Preparation   A the closing date draws near you will need to be in contact with the escrow company or closing attorney and your lender to make sure that all the necessary documents are being prepared. You will also need to confirm that the documents will be delivered to the correct location so they can be reviewed and that they will be ready on the appropriate date. At this point, you should find out what form of payment you will need to bring to the closing for any unpaid fees. Make sure that your payment is made out to the appropriate party.   Your agent can save you time and money by coordinating the necessary documentation with your closing officer. They can work with the closing officer as your consultant to insure thoroughness, accuracy, and timeliness. Making sure t... 07/21/2007

#7 Vendor Coordination   After your offer has been accepted, the property will need a thorough examination. Working with your lender, you may need to have a formal appraisal and a survey done for the property designated in the contract. A property inspection, a foundation inspection, and an environmental inspection may also need to be completed to make sure that the property is up to the standards set forth in your written agreement. If there are issues or inconsistencies brought to light during this time, it may delay or even nullify the contract depending on the contingencies set forth in the contract. Having these procedures done in a timely and professional manner is a must. Investigate each vendor to make sure that they are reputable and have a clean operational history.   Homeown... 07/21/2007

#6 Negotiating to Buy   Once your offer is made there may need to be some negotiating in order to reach an agreement. Keep in mind that almost everything is negotiable when you are buying a house. This can give you a great deal of leverage in the buying process, that is, if you have adequate information and you use it in an appropriate manner. Some of the things that you may have to negotiate on are:   - The price - Financing - Closing costs - Repairs that need to be done - Appliances and fixtures - Landscaping - Painting - Occupancy time frame   The key to successful negotiating is keeping in mind that the end result must make both you, the buyer, and the seller happy. Otherwise, negative feelings will persist throughout the remainder of the process and someone may walk away feeling t... 07/21/2007

#5 Making an Offer   Now that you have found the home you would like to purchase, it's time to make an offer. Taking into account the recent sales of homes in that neighborhood which are similar in size, quality, conveniences, and amenities, what are you willing to pay for the home?   Make sure that you have everything down in written form... no verbal agreements. Present the seller with a written document detailing what needs to be done by both parties to execute the transaction. The contract should protect the best interests of all parties involved and should be comprehensive in nature. Once it is accepted by the seller, it may be too late to make any changes, so make sure review your offer thoroughly before submitting it. The contract, though not limited to this list, should include... 07/21/2007

#4 Home Search   There are a few ways to go about doing this. You can access local publications highlighting available real estate in the area, you can contact local Neighborhood Associations, visit the local Chamber of Commerce, look on the Internet, and you can even drive through neighborhoods that you feel would meet your needs. Driving around a particular area looking for a home that is for sale is good because you can actually see the house, but it can be very time consuming and very "hit or miss."   Your agent can save you time and money by keeping up-to-date on available properties that possibly meet your criteria and your agent will screen these properties for you. You can eliminate the haphazard searching through papers and the Internet and let the listings come to you through... 07/21/2007

    #3 Neighborhood Information   Now that you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can afford to spend, it's time to look at some houses! Well, not just yet. Step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. People don't just buy a house, they buy the neighborhood the house is in. Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was in a neighborhood that was not to your liking, would you make an offer on it? Most likely the answer would be, "No."   So, you will need to make another list of what type of neighborhood you want to live in. You will most likely want to consider things like how living in the neighborhood will effect your drive time to and from work, what amenities are offered (swimming pool, tennis courts, park, etc.), and, if you have ... 07/21/2007

#2 Preapproval vs. Prequalification   Now that you have your list of features you want in your new home, you are ready to start looking! Well, not just yet. You are going to need to know in what price range to look. There are two ways to go about this. You can get prequalified or preapproved for a mortgage. Either way you will need to contact a mortgage company.   There are some key differences between prequalification and preapproval for a loan that you need to be aware of. Loan prequalification is a simple process. It takes into account very basic information regarding your financial status and gives you an amount for which you may qualify. This can be done strictly on a verbal level or electronically over the Internet. The prequalified amount is based solely on the information you p... 07/21/2007

#1 Needs Analysis   Congratulations on your decision to purchase a new home. Your first step toward buying your new home will be to analyze your needs. By analyzing your needs you will be able to get a clear picture of exactly what you want your new home to look like and how it should function for you.   First, you should write down why you are looking for a new home. For example, are you currently renting and would like to have a home where you can begin building equity? Maybe you recently married and have outgrown your current residence. Or, maybe you have just gotten a promotion which requires you to move to a new city. These factors will all have a bearing on how you approach your home search.   Second, establish a time frame that you would like to stay within for buying your home. ... 07/21/2007

Hi, My name is Duayne Weir I am a local REALTOR I reside in Ham Lake.I decided to write on  the beautiful city of Andover because I know they have a history together and currently share the same zip code. Please check out the great city of Andover, included on this post are some links for more information. Also check out my website: www.duayneweir.com  for listings in this area if you are looking for a new home. If you have any questions regarding Andover please feel free to email me : duayne@investmentrealities.com . Also if you are in the area drop me a line and we will get together for a cup of java and a smile on me :) Good Day!!History:First off I want to clear up a myth about how Andover got its name. The myth goes a train tipped over in a swamp, and as a eyewitness, told the stor... 03/21/2007

 In today's market place foreclosures are rampant due partly to the amount of adjustable rate mortgages that were given to people who were then unable to refinance at the time the mortgage started to adjust upward . Match that with declining home values and it becomes a disaster or an investors heaven. If you or someone you know is behind on mortgage payments the first person you should call is your mortgage company and ask to speak with someone who handles their REO division or default division. At this time tell them your ability to repay and they possibly may be able to offer you a forebearance or loan modification depending on a great deal of circumstances which encompass the entire process. Be prepared to fill out  paperwork and get it back to them very promptly . If there is no ab... 02/15/2007