Buying real estate is one of the most complex undertakings of your life. Success is much easier to live with than failure, so decide from the start what “success” means to you in terms of purchasing real estate. Then, be prepared to learn everything necessary to achieve it. Savvy buyers take two approaches when preparing to excel at buying real estate, especially in hot markets and sought-after neighborhoods: 1....

    Buyers and their agents need to feel welcome to look at the property at their leisure without danger or distractions. So while you adore your sweet-tempered pit bull rescue, he could turn territorial, barking and growling at potential homebuyers. And it could cost you the opportunity to sell your home. Think of buyers as guests and work to make them feel comfortable as they consider your home for purchase. If you have a protective...

This can be a tricky question to answer – partly because our needs change over the years and decades. After kids leave home, maybe smaller is better but prior to that, maybe a bigger home is what you’re seeking–room for the kids, dog, and tons of the kids’ sleepover friends. The trends reflect our indecisiveness, too. Sometimes McMansions are on the rise and then there’s the complete opposite: tiny, tiny homes. In fact, you...

Mortgage giants unveil lending rules to let more Americans buy homes with 3 percent down WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Americans will soon be able to buy a home with a down payment as low as 3 percent, compared with the current minimum of 5 percent, the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac say. The new lending guidelines announced by the companies Monday are designed to help more low-income and first-time buyers afford homes. Millions of...

Home price gains are slowing, credit is thawing and more first-time buyers may be hitting the real estate market in 2015. Better balance in the housing sector is “in” next year, as far as trends go. That’s likely to put buyers and sellers on a more even footing. Some prospective sellers sound especially bullish on housing. In a recent Trulia survey, the biggest chunk of consumers – 36% – said they expect next year to be much...