Even though rent to own may be good for a short period of time, it proves to be an expensive way for someone to buy something they intend to keep. The agreement is normally for around 15 - 20 months, which is where the company makes their money. Although you may be paying just a few dollars a week, the total amount quickly adds up to nearly twice the cost of the item.

In most cases, rent to own houses are put up on the market by the owner. This way, you’ll deal directly with the owner. It will start out as a traditional lease, then proceed to a rent to own basis if you decide you want to keep the home. You and the owner will then work out an arrangement, which will normally be quite a few years. Some owners are very flexible and will work with you just to get the price they want for their home, while others will charge you quite a bit more, in order to make a hefty profit.

If you have bad credit and can’t get approved for a mortgage, then rent to own would be your next best option. With rent to own houses you are paying money towards the home, instead of just paying rent. In some cases this is fine, although you should make sure to double check with the owner before you agree or commit to anything. This way, you’ll know how much you’ll be paying for the home - and for how long.

The two biggest expenses you will encounter are closing costs and a down payment. Your down payment will typically range anywhere from 3-15% of the price or the value of the property.It is a good idea to have 20% to put down. If you aren’t able to put 20% down, you will need to buy private mortgage insurance, which will cost you more in terms of your monthly payment.

Closing costs will cost you around 5-7% of the property price. Before you purchase the home, you should always get an estimate.

When you buy a home and get your monthly mortgage payment, it should not be any more than 25% of your total monthly income.

Keep in mind that there is always more money involved with a home other than the mortgage payment. You will also have to pay for utilities, homeowners insurance, property taxes, and repairs/maintenance.

Before you begin the home searching process, you should always look over your credit report and check for any errors. If you have an error on your credit report, it can cost you a lot of money in interest rates. Rebuilding credit can take time though, sometimes even years. You should always plan ahead - and give yourself plenty of time to fix your credit.

Buying a home will require a bit of commitment on your behalf. You should always strive to get the best possible deals, which means knowing your credit and where you stand.If you can help it, you don’t want to buy a home with bad credit, simply because you’ll pay a lot more money for the home. If you take the time to fix any credit problems and save up some money - you’ll be able to get a much better home for your money.

• Does the real estate agent listen to your needs? This is important as it will save you both a lot of time and money in the process of finding the perfect.
• Does he or she ask questions and provide appropriate feedback? This indicates a direct interest in your needs.
• Are you comfortable with the real estate agent you are considering? There are many realtors in most cities and there is no reason that you should deal with an agent that doesn't make you feel comfortable and secure.
• How well do they know the area in which you are seeking a home? You want a realtor that has their finger on the pulse of the city and the various areas of interest, growth, and decline within the city.
• Do they have an online presence- A website, blog, social media sites-Is there a way for you to learn more about them and their current and past transactions. This can give you a good guide for what to expect.

If you invest a little bit of time and energy shopping around for the right realtor to meet your needs, you will find that your real estate transactions will take much less time and effort for this small sacrifice. It is much better to make the decision based on a few careful interviews in the beginning than after looking at fifty or more homes that do not meet your needs or price range.

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

LIKE MODEL HOME--Wide plank hardwoods throughout bottom level, Floating Island, 3 cm Granite in Kitchen, Cherry Cabinets Throughout.

Mirrored Dining Wall, Welcoming Paint & Accents, Plantation Shutters, Upgraded Ceiling Fans with remotes, 3-M Window Tent, Radiant Barrier Decking, upgraded insulation.

Come see this phenomenally well kept property!

Tenant gets use of Twin Creeks Amenities Included!

A common online scam is with false web classified ads. Some of the homes listed on online ad sites are posted far below the actual sale price or they are homes posted that are not truly for sale.

How do you identify such scams? Here are some examples:

• A person claiming to be out of the country.

• Dealing only with wire transfers or money gram

• Requiring money before showing you the home

Some real-estate scammers would be able to show you a property, however, remain cautious and do some research first on the property before proceeding with any kind of payment.

Never provide any kind of personal or financial information to individuals or organizations that only send you emails asking for it. Verify the information provided by the person you are dealing with.

But the best thing that could help you avoid such problems is by getting a real-estate agent or a mentor to help you out and protect your best interests.

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

• Lower Utility Bills - Greener homes use less energy which means less money on bills. The price of fuel has constantly increased over the past years. Studies show about 15 to 20% of house energy can be lost because of poor construction.

• Healthier air quality - Indoor air is two to five times more polluted compared with outdoor air. Using home materials that produce better air quality are those materials (paints, stains, glues) that have low content of toxic chemicals. They may cost more in the beginning but are better for your health in the long run.

•Doing your part to help the Earth - Opting for greener homes and buildings means that you are helping save the earth. Less consumption of energy means you are consuming less fossil fuel, and less of a carbon footprint.

When thinking about making your real-estate property eco-friendly, you could always coordinate with a local or regional green building organization. They have network of architects and builders who would be able to help you improve your home. There are also guidelines when building green houses, so make sure that you are properly informed. Before proceeding with any green real-estate developer or builder, make sure to inquire about their previous homes.

Appraisal reports are actually very detailed. They include details of the property, the status of the real-estate market where the house is located, flawed characteristics of the house, how long the house has been for sale, and the type of the neighborhood where the house is located.

Appraisers should not be confused with inspectors. Inspectors check the chimney, test appliances, inspect fixtures and recommend repairs to increase the home’s value before putting it up for sale, or before the end of your contract option period.

When determining the value of the property, appraisers use three approaches. First, the value could be determined by the sales comparison approach - by comparing the property with other similar properties in the area. Second, the cost approach- determining and identifying needed improvements in the property. Finally, the income capitalization approach where the value is determined by the potential operating income that can be earned from the property. The sales comparison approach is most common in purchasing a home.

When choosing an appraiser, verify his background and identify if they were able to meet state licensing requirements. Appraisers have strict standards and codes they must abide by as well.

To get successful negotiation results, it is important to be informed, prepared and set realistic goals.  Your agent can provide you with a Comparable Market Analyses or CMA to know a realistic price range to begin your offer with-showing how local houses with similar features compare in price and size.

• Never let your emotions get ahead of you.
• Start with an offer that you know that they would not be able to refuse and not a quote that would make them angry or rolling in laughter. When presenting the offer, make sure to state how both parties would benefit from the deal.
• It is normal that the opposite party would ask questions and state their expectations, be confident when answering. Be cool and calm, even if the arguments are pushing you on your wit's end. Present the answers in a way that would help them see that they have a way of getting out of the deal.
• You do not have to say or show how desperate you are to purchase the property. If you would like to convince the other party to give-in, don't overreact with the offers or quotations or try bluffing with the other party. Be straightforward with your win-win solution and be prepared to counter their arguments. Look for loopholes and weaknesses which would help turn the table around.
• When starting with the negotiations, it is better to correspond with written documents. Oral commitments cannot stand or are not duly recognized as a binding agreement by some states.

In real estate negotiations, compromise is key.  Sharing a common ground makes it easier for both parties to come up with win-win solutions.

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

• Binders
• Book bags
• Calculators
• Cellophane tape
• Blackboard chalk
• Compasses
• Composition books
• Crayons
• Erasers
• Folders; expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila
• Glue, paste and paste sticks
• Highlighters
• Index cards
• Index card boxes
• Legal pads
• Lunch boxes
• Markers
• Notebooks
• Paper
• Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
• Pencil sharpeners
• Pencils
• Pens
• Protractors
• Rulers
• Scissors
• Writing tablets

Good luck to all the students going back to school on Monday morning!

If you have a garage, be sure to go though and clean out your garage before listing your home. Chances are that you store things in your garage, which can easily pile up over time before you realize it. Many buyers look for homes that are in tip top condition.

Most homes have some truly outstanding features inside of them. You should always do your best to highlight the best features of your home, instead of just hoping that the buyer understands what they are. The ideal way to bring out the best features of your home is to use the proper lighting and accentuate the best features.

When a potential buyer first pulls up to your home, if your lawn is trimmed and well taken care of, he will get a good impression right off the bat. If your lawn is a wreck, he may immediately pull away. Put some thought into this first impression. You can easily plant flowers around the walkway and throughout the yard.

Make sure the entrance into your home is inviting. The front door should be in great shape, as well as the entry area into the home. You can add plants, paintings, and rugs to ensure that your buyer gets a good first impression. When the buyer walks through the entry way into your home, you should make sure that the view he or she takes in is a good one.

Keep in mind that it may take some time to sell your home. These days, homes can be on the market for months at a time before they actually sell. If you are having trouble selling your home, you can always reduce the price or simply go back to the basics and take a look at your house through a buyers shoes.

Seriously, there is something cold about an empty house. It could be painted impeccably and meet every possible standard a family has and yet feel cold and anything but homey when walking through the home for a real estate tour or inspection. This can be easily overcome by contacting a local furniture rental store and picking out furniture that will match at least the primary rooms of the home in order to make the home appear leaved in and homelike.

There are few things that will turn off potential buyers more quickly than an overpowering fragrance however so keep this in mind when selecting the method of fragrance. Having some fragrance in the home also eliminates the problem of an empty house taking on the 'empty house' scent that so many do over time. In other words, this is yet another part of the staging process that works for many trying to sell homes.

The short answer to the question of whether or not staging sells real estate is "yes". Staging a home can absolutely lead to a higher offer and a quicker sell, even in today's sluggish market.

• Update Your Backsplash- There are two options: grout and tile or a new peel and stick tile that goes directly on a clean wall. Check your local hardware store for this quick one day home project.
• Refurnish Your Appliances - Home Depot and Lowe's sell appliance paint or stainless steel paint. Lightly sand your applicances, and then spray with these spray can paints for a new set of applicanes.
• Repaint/ Varnish Your Cabinets- One can of varnish goes a long way in giving your cabinets a whole new design, change light tan to dark cherry wood with a few paint strokes of varnish.
• Make Your Own Concrete Counter tops- This project will probably take you a couple of weekends and upwards of $500, but you can redo your counter tops at home with a kit from concreteexchange.com

Kitchen opens up to the living area which has a nice view of the big backyard. This property feels like a culd-a-sac lot with plenty of yard space.

Downstairs provides plenty of room. Second living area could be used a study, media, or extra game room.

All beds located on 2nd level. Master and Bed #2 are very large with bed 3 and 4 providing adequate space.

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

3 Bedroom town home in sought after West Allen. Master, Utility, half bath and Kitchen down. 2 split bedrooms, full bath and a game room up.

Just in time to move in before school starts as unit is ready now.

You will get full access to Award Winning Twin Creeks Amenities including pool, tennis court, sand volleyball, hike and bike, swan lake and much more.


Exemplary rated schools, close to Plano, Frisco, Hwy 121 and I-75

Allen ISD

Frisco ISD

Lovejoy ISD

McKinney ISD

Plano ISD

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

Before you sign a contract to refinance, sit down with a calculator to determine whether the savings from a cash-in refinancing are worth the cost. The most important issues:

•How long you plan to be in your home. With a conventional refinancing, you will generally cover your costs in a few months.  But with cash-in refinancing, it could take much longer. You should be looking at spending the next 5 years in your home to reap the rewards of refinancing.

•Where you'll get the money. If you have money in a bank account earning 1% or less, you could earn a better return by buying down your mortgage rate. But the ability to pay down your mortgage is key. You shouldn't spend your entire savings to lower your mortgage principal.

Remember, refinancing to buy down your mortgage comes with potential risks.  If the value of your home declines and you have to sell, you could lose the full amount you spent to buy down your mortgage.

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

Depending on the plan, home warranty plans can cover air conditioners, washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc.  Every plan is different, and you should be sure to read the fine print of each one you consider. Some plans will cover any and all damage done to a water heater, while others will only cover damage if it was from normal wear and tear.

Home warranty plans are good coverage for unexpected issues. If you do not want to have to worry about paying thousands of dollars for a broken air conditioner out of the blue, a home warranty may be the route for you.

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

• Do you want a fixer upper?
• Do you want a brand new home or previously owned home?
• Is a condo, duplex, or town home an option?