First Steps in Preparing to Buy a Home

Organize Your Finances

Thinking of buying a home and wondering where do I start?  The first step is to deal with the financial issue. First figure out how much can you afford in a monthly mortgage payment. Although this may seem obvious it is crucial in determining where and what kind of home you will be shopping for. When doing your calculations on this remember to include taxes, homeowners insurance and any other monthly payments attached with the mortgage payment. Also it’s important to include all your expected utilities water/sewer, trash collection, plus the usual. In some cases you may want to pick a lender and get
pre-qualified for a mortgage. A lender will consider your debt-to-income ratio, which is a comparison of your gross (pre-tax) income to housing and non-housing expenses. (Credit card debt, car payments, school loans etc.) A lender will want to know how much cash you have available for a down payment. They will most likely ask for bank statements that go back at least a month or two. If a large amount of cash suddenly on your bank statement they will want to know where the money came from. Lenders frown on borrowing money for a down payment, so be prepared to show proof of any income, inheritance, or gifts.

Make A Must Have & Wish List

Now you know what you can afford, think about how much space you need. Think about what areas of town you might want to live in. Talk to friends and family and drive through some of these neighborhoods during the day and in the evening to get a good sense of what they are like. Based on your spending range you may want to give thought to what features in a home are most important and which ones you would be willing to live without. In making this determination consider your family’s lifestyle, what kind of features fit for your family? Do you need to be close to certain schools, how far of a commute will living in a certain neighborhood involve? What kinds of amenities are you looking for in the home and neighborhood? Establish which things are essential, and which are on your ‘wish list’.

Choose an Excellent Realtor

The next step in home buying is the least talked about, and yet one of the most important, choosing an agent that will represent you. Most likely you will hear friends say they know so-and –so who can recommend an agent who was ‘OK’, just pass on these! Buying a home is one of the most important events in your life, and it can be a stressful process. Given this you want someone who is more than ‘OK’ you want someone who is excellent! So what does an excellent Realtor mean? To keep it simple here are a few pointers in what to look for in obtaining an excellent Realtor.

• A full time professional Realtor. Someone who has extensive work history in the industry. The number of years a person has been in the business does not necessarily reflect the level of service you can expect but it’s a good place to start.
• Do they have any professional awards or professional designations?
• The agent should have past clients that are able to provide a reference on their reliability. Also ask the agent to provide a list of what they've listed and sold in the last year.
•  Is there a team or staff that works with them, such as a personal assistant?
• Do they have their own website with a property search feature?
• They should be very familiar with the area in which you wish to buy.
• They should be willing to show properties other than the company they work for.
• They should have the ability to negotiate effectively on your behalf. Everyone has different styles, but you don’t want an agent who is too shy to press an issue when needed.
• Your agent will want to keep in touch with you daily or weekly to tell you about properties that meet your criteria.

Here a few more tips on getting a good real estate agent to represent you.

• Check with your state's regulatory body to find out if the person is licensed and if there have been any disciplinary actions or complaints.
•    Select an agent with the right credentials. The alphabet soup after the name can be an indication that the person has taken additional classes in a certain specialty of real estate sales. Here's what some of the designations mean:

o   -- CRS (Certified Residential Specialist): Completed additional training in handling residential real estate.

o   -- ABR (Accredited Buyer's Representative): Completed additional education in representing buyers in a transaction.

o   -- SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist): Completed training aimed at helping buyers and sellers in the 50-plus age range.

o   If the agent calls himself a Realtor with a capital "R," that means he's a member of the National Association of Realtors.

“The most important thing is that you want an agent who formally pledges to support the code of ethics.”  -  Ron Phipps, past President of the National Association of Realtors, 2011.

Historic Savannah Beautiful City for Visiting or Living

Savannah  is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a wonderful place to make your home or vacation destination. The city was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe and served as the first capital of the Georgia colony and state. The enduring charm of the city is visible in historic downtown with its Spanish moss-covered live oaks lining the streets and horse drawn carriages carrying tourists around some of the 22 beautifully maintained historic squares. Savannah's Historic District is a National Historic Landmark, so there are an abundance of historic buildings. Notable buildings include the Owens-Thomas House built in 1818 (Oglethorpe square) the Spencer Woodbridge House built in 1795 (Habersham Street), and the 1853

Gothic Revival Greene House (Madison Square), and the Drayton House the city's first restored historic building. Along the cobblestone paved River Street along side the Savannah River, musicians, galleries, and shops compete for attention, while iron bridges and the old Cotton Exchange attract visitors to Factor’s Walk. The art scene flourishes, thanks in part to the Savannah College of Art & Design, which is sprawled throughout the city.

Historic Squares

One of the biggest attractions of living or visiting downtown Savannah are it's beautiful squares and parks. Each square has been named after notable military men, or leaders in the native american community. The city of Savannah maintains the squares on a daily basis making sure they are clean, fountains flowing and shrubs and flowers kept healthy. You can download a walking tour of the squares at https://www.citywalkingguide.com/squaresofsavannah  Forsyth Park, Savannah's version of Central Park, is the largest park in the city and has a small cafe, playground, tennis courts, and an amphitheater where nearly every weekend there is an activity happening during the summer months. Bordering the park are numerous beautifully restored historic 18th and 19th century architecture Victorian homes. The beautiful Victorian manor like homes boast wrap around porches, wrought iron fences stately entrances, and mature fauna. Currently there are over 30 homes for sale in downtown Savannah, where walking to your favorite restaurant is a delight!

Victorian Historic District

The Southern half of the park is surrounded by the Savannah Victorian Historic District, which runs from the south side of Gwinnett Street to Anderson Street, bordered by MLK and Broad Street to the west and east, respectively. South of the Victorian District is the Thomas Square Historic District; a much larger district which also includes Victorian-era homes and is thus sometimes also erroneously included when people speak generically about the "Victorian District." The Victorian District and Thomas Square District have become popular in recent years as an alternative to the more expensive Landmark Historic District directly to the north.

Best Walking Neighborhoods

Different from the Downtown Historic District with it's squares, the streets of the Victorian district were arranged on a grid pattern with a green planting area between the sidewalk and street and a small garden in front of each house. The old frame construction abounds in the Victorian District, sturdy wood frame houses dating from the 1870s and 1880s are a mixture of several Victorian styles of architecture embellished with ornate brackets and cornices. The Victorian District is one of Savannah's best walking neighborhoods and is ranked "Very Walkable" by WalkScore.com. Prices in the Victorian District can range from $100,000 for renovation projects to $1,000,000 for a home on Forsyth Park. You can search for homes in the historic districts here.

Add Appeal To Your Home With Shutters

What people remember about homes are the charming details that give it away as a house that was built 50, 60, 70 years ago. Shutters are one of these often overlooked details that help make up that first impression of a home. Well done shutters will add interest and texture to a house.  Cheap shutters, which are so common that many people don’t even question the look, can give a flat, pasted-on appearance; authentic ones can make all the difference.

Shutter Basics

So if you are looking to add some extra curb appeal to your home and you want to add or change shutters to your home what should you look for? Well there are some basics on shutters that you should know when shopping around. For starters the size of the shutter in relation to your window is important. Every shutter on the home doesn't have to be the same size as the others; all that matters is that each shutter properly fits its adjacent window. Each shutter should be exactly one-half the width of the window; this is the first cardinal rule to follow, regardless of how wide the window is. The whole idea is that you must give the believable appearance that they could actually be closed over to protect against sun, storms, or cold; therefore they should always be mounted on the side window trim rather than against the outside edges of it. The length of the shutter needs to be exactly that of its particular window, this is the second cardinal rule. So when shopping for your shutters make sure you know the size of the windows they will be placed adjacent to.

Shutter Styles

So now that you know the size, style is the next decision to be made. There are as many styles as one can imagine, however there are some more popular, main stream styles that may match the style of your home. Here are a few of the more popular styles.

1. The most commonly used shutter style is the Louvered.  Louvered window shutters offer a tasteful signature styling and a timeless accent to homes. Look for well-made versions of wood or a high-quality synthetic material. Not the cheapest on sale at the mega-hardware store. It will cheapen the look of your home. 
2. Raised Panel shutters add that traditional colonial look. With a traditional 2 panel to custom 3 panel shutters, imagine the graceful yet enduring beauty that these exterior shutters can bring to your home. 
3. The Combination shutter which originated in the New Orleans area has a unique combination of both louver and raised panel. It offers the beauty of both styles, and provides a second glance appeal to traditional styles. You can mix and match your styles with a variety of louver and raised panel combinations to make your own unique look.
4. In its simplest form the Board-n-Batten shutters has been rumored to be the first style of shutter invented. The vertical members are referred to as the boards and the horizontal members are referred to as the battens. This classic style is perfect for ranch style homes or homes that want to reflect historical significance and simplicity.
5. Flat Panel shutters are inspired after the Shaker design where clean lines and simplicity define style. These shutters are perfect for Arts & Crafts or Craftsman style homes. 
6. The combination of both Board-n-Batten and Flat Panel shutters, the Framed Board-n-Batten shutters add a unique look. Commonly used on traditional style homes, the Framed Board-n-Batten shutter has been growing in popularity against the traditional louver, raised panel, and board-n-batten shutter style.
7. Rustic, Rough Sawn window shutters can be seen throughout times past. Rough sawn lumber is lumber that is left in a rough, non-finished state. These shutters have a rich, rustic look to them, complete with the gouges and scrapes associated with traditional rough sawn lumber. The grain of the rough sawn shutters is also exaggerated to intensify the traditional rough sawn look. 

Material & Color

To make the best of your curb appeal using shutters make sure to choose a quality material the shutters are made from. There are several different long lasting materials on the market these days.

• Vinyl
• Wood
• Composite Wood
• Premium PVC & aluminum 
• Fiberglass Premium Composite

Color is also an important choice for shutters. Will you want to paint or stain your new shutters? Which one will best represent the look you want to create with your home? Although most people choose a color the beauty of stained-wood shutters is hard to beat.  Choose neutral colors if you want your home to blend in with the surroundings. For a house that stands out, opt for a bold color palette. When making this choice you might want to take into consideration the color of your landscape. Once they are up stand back and take a good look, you've just increased the appeal of your home!