What Do You Need to Remember When Getting Homeowners Insurance?

To get the best homeowners insurance possible for your new home purchase, I have a few tips for you to remember.

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When getting homeowners insurance for your new home, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

According to Megan Brooks of Liberty Mutual Insurance, you first need to make sure you’re getting a fair quote. Megan refers to these opportunities as “watershed moments” because they represent a good time to shop around. You can get a quote from whoever your rental or auto insurance provider is, but don’t be afraid to get a second opinion somewhere else just to make sure they’re competitive. You can always ask your Realtor for a referral.

Second, consider the replacement value of your new home. You might think you’re getting a really great deal, but the goal of any homeowners insurance policy is to make sure you’re replacing the home in full in case a disaster happens.

The goal of any homeowners insurance policy is to make sure you’re replacing the home in full.

The sooner you can start looking for homeowners insurance, the better—especially for the lender’s sake. This way, if there are any items the homeowners insurance agent needs, they can be provided quickly. A proposal only takes a few minutes if you have all the necessary information, and if they need anything supplemental, they can always request it online from another agent.

What kind of information does the agent need? Generally, they’ll want to know the home’s square footage, what kind of flooring and fixtures it has, whether the basement is finished or not, and other information that typically goes into the home inspection. If you’re there for the home inspection, you’ll get a good idea of what this entails.

Lastly, there are many benefits to bundling together your home insurance and your auto insurance. Bundles aren’t limited to auto insurance, either. You can also include life insurance and, soon enough, pet insurance.

If you have any more questions about homeowners insurance or you’re curious about any other real estate topics, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Also if you would like to speak with Megan directly please fell free to call or text her at 614-372-9858 or email her at megan.brooks@libertymutual.com We would be happy to help you.

Put Your Tax Return Towards a Central Ohio Home

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Did you know you could buy a home for as little as 3.5% down? If you’re receiving a tax return, consider putting your refund into a down payment for a house. Here’s why.

1. Build your own wealth. Right now, you’re paying rent that goes right into your landlord’s pocket. Why not put that money towards your own mortgage?
2. Owning is a form of forced savings. Each month, when you make a payment for your mortgage, you are building equity.
3. There are substantial tax benefits for owning. You can deduct mortgage interest and property taxes yearly on your tax return.
4. Property is a smart investment. Real estate is predicted to outpace the stock market and other investments in 2016, making it a safer place to build wealth.

Keep in mind that when we talk about real estate appreciation, that’s based on the total value of the property. That means you get appreciation on the $200,000 house, not just on the $10,000 down payment. You can’t do that with any other investment.

Ultimately, homeownership makes sense and it makes a long term impact on wealth. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

How to Compete as a Buyer in a Seller's Market

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

We're seeing a strong seller's market here in Central Ohio, but this doesn't mean your chances of finding a good home have disappeared. In fact, I have five ways in which you can compete in this hot market.

1. Pay cash or get pre-approved before submitting an offer.
When you're a pre-approved buyer, it's nearly as good as paying in cash. Sellers like to know that you can afford to buy their home.

2. Make your offer attractive to the seller.
Ask them questions about what they need. The best offer is often the one that satisfies all of the needs of the seller. The price of your offer is important, but not quite as important as you may think.

3. Don't monkey around with sellers.
They don't want to be working with a wishy-washy buyer. You need to get serious about buying, or sellers won't take you seriously either.

4. Ask only for the real estate. 

The homeowner may be flattered that you like their style, but they probably don't want to sell you their furniture with their home.

5. Work with a professional who has a track record of success when dealing with matters such as these. 

I've helped hundreds of buyers secure their dream homes and there's no reason why I can't do the same thing for you!

If you need help buying a home in Central Ohio, please don't hesitate to contact me! I would love to help you and your family purchase your dream home!