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13 Extra Costs to be Aware of Before Buying a HomeWhether you're looking to buy your first home, or trading up to a larger one, there are many costs - on top of the purchase price - that you must figure into your calculation of affordability. These extra fees, such as taxes and other additional costs, could surprise you with an unwanted financial nightmare on closing day if you're not informed and prepared.Some of these costs are one-time fixed payments, while others represent an ongoing monthly or yearly commitment. Not all of these costs will apply in every situation, however it's better to know about them ahead of time so you can bud-get properly. Remember, buying a home is a major milestone. Whether it's your first, second or tenth home, there are many important details to address, during the process. The last thing you need are unbudgeted financial obligations cropping up hours before you take possession of your new home. Read through the following checklist to make sure you're budgeting properly for your next move. 1. Appraisal Fee Your lending institution may request an appraisal of the property, which would be your responsibility to pay for. Appraisals can vary in price from approximately $175 -$ 300. 2. Property Taxes Depending on your down payment, your lending institution may decide to include your property taxes in your monthly mortgage payments. If your property taxes are not added to your monthly payments, your lending institution may require annual proof that your taxes have been paid. 3. Survey Fee When the home you purchase is a resale (vs. a new home), your lending institution may ask for an updated property survey. The cost for this survey can vary between $190 - $1,000. 4. Property Insurance Home insurance covers the replacement value of your home (structure and contents). Your lending institution will request proof that you are insured as it protects their investment on the loan. Beware! Some homes may not be insurable. Make sure you have an insurability clause in your purchase contract. 5. Service Charges Any new utility that services your hook up, such as telephone or cable, may require an installation fee. 6. Escrow and Document Preparation Fees Escrow fees are split between the buyer and the seller in Colorado. However, additional fees will be charged for the buyer's mortgage closing. This can include first and second mortgages. In addition to the "Doc Prep" fees charged by the lender, some lenders will e mail the loan documents and therefore the escrow or title company may charge a electric to paper fee. 7. Mortgage Loan Insurance Fee Depending upon the equity in your home, some mortgages require mortgage loan insurance. This type of insurance will cost you between 0.5% -3.5% of the total amount of the mortgage. Usually payments are made monthly in addition to your mortgage and tax payment. 8. Mortgage Brokers Fee A mortgage broker is entitled to charge you a fee in order to source a lender and organize the financing. However, it pays to shop around because many mortgage brokers will provide their services free to you by having the lending institution absorb the cost. 9. Moving Costs The cost for a professional mover can cost you in the range of: •$50-$100/hour for a van and 3 movers, and •10-20% higher during peak demand seasons. 10. Maintenance or HOA Fees Condos charge monthly fees for common area maintenance such as grounds keeping and carpet cleaning in hallways. Costs will vary depending on the building. 11. Water Quality and Quality Certification If the home you purchased is serviced by a well, you should consider having your water checked by your local experts. Depending upon where you live, determines whether or not a fee is charged, to certify the quantity and quality of the water. 12. Local Improvements If the town, city or county you live in has made local improvements (such as the addition of sewers or sidewalks), this could impact a property's taxes by hundreds of dollars. 13. Metropolitan or Special Tax Districts This is a unique tax district set up by the developer to finance all aspects of the physical infrastructure such as streets, sewer and even recreation centers or golf courses. The developer only has to put up a small percentage of monies for these costs and the rest are floated with bonds and added to the homeowners tax bills until paid off. The arrangement can work nicely when there are plenty of homebuyers to pick up the tax bill. But, in a down market, watch out...you could end up holding the bag when there are not enough buyers to fund the bonds. Are you looking for Real Estate in Denver Colorado? Visit http://www.realtyoasis.com to find current information and resources about home sales in Colorado. Realty Oasis Metro Brokers offers the top realty expertise and resources to help you find your dream home. Also check out our current home listings in Colorado at http://www.realtyoasis.com/listings/residential.asp. We have extensive home listings in Parker, Highlands Ranch, Aurora, Centennial and all cities in Colorado's Front Range. About the author: Mark Eibner is the cofounder and Broker owner of Realty Oasis. When you hire Mark you also hire an entire team of professionals. Each staff member performs a specialized part of the buying and selling process. This support team helped place Mark among Denver's Top 5 Realtors from 1997 through 1999, and in the ##1 position in 2000. Circulated by Article Emporium Real Estate Inspection - Do It Yourself Why should you do your own real estate inspection? To get a better deal. It isn't necessary to learn building codes, and you probably should use a professional inspector in any case. The point of learning what to look for is to have negotiating points. Home Inspection Chec... 13 Extra Costs to be Aware of Before Buying a Home Whether you're looking to buy your first home, or trading up to a larger one, there are many costs - on top of the purchase price - that you must figure into your calculation of affordability. These extra fees, such as taxes and other additional costs, could surprise you with an un... The Right Time to Buy Your First Home There are many real estate market forecasts and predictions available - however the bottom line is that if you want to buy your first home—there is no wrong time. This is because the motivation to buy is not determined by regional market conditions or by location, but rather by yo... How to Create a Simple Real Estate Business Plan Becoming a full time property rehabber is actually a very easy process. So why do so many investors get it wrong, or even worse, do nothing? Simple: NO BUSINESS PLAN! 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If you work with a broker, the legwork is done for you. When you work as a F... LIGURIA, MAY 2004. In a small, hill-top village home, overlooking the sea in the Italian region of Liguria, one can find the heartbeat of a vibrant, new, online marketplace, which - up against some of the world's e-shopping giants LIGURIA, MAY 2004. In a small, hill-top village home, overlooking the sea in the Italian region of Liguria, one can find the heartbeat of a vibrant, new, online marketplace, which - up against some of the world's e-shopping giants, like E-Bay and Amazon – is quickly becoming a for... Fix And Flip - A Real Estate Formula Making money with a "fix and flip" property is a great way to make money in real estate. However, it isn't about repairing drywall and planting flowers. It's all about how you do the numbers. People often buy and sell a fixer-upper without a definite plan. They buy a house... Real Estate Appraisal - Do Your Own For single family homes, there are two basic methods used in real estate appraisal. They are replacement cost analysis, and using comparable sales. A third appraisal method, based on capitalization, is used for income properties, and is covered in another article. In figur... Negotiating the Sale of Your Home Negotiating a successful sale of your home requires good communication skills. You must sustain the buyer's interest and trust during the process. Many of our clients have been very experienced negotiators, and from them we have learned that the goal is to reach a “good agreement... Hard Money Lenders -- "No Money Down" The Easy Way Would it help you as a real estate investor to be able to "Close For Cash in Days," even if you're tapped out financially? Hard money lenders are perhaps the best way to get 100% financing with easy qualifying, money for fix- up, and fast closings.
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