Home Sellers Recording Their Home, Is It Legal? Home sellers are doing something criminal in some states, As much as you feel it’s your right to spy and record conversations as home buyers walk through your home you may be violating the law in accordance to your state’s laws when it comes to surveillance and mainly recorded conversations. No home buyer wants to have the watchful eye of a surveillance camera hovering over them and they certainly don’t want a home seller to record their conversations with their real estate agent. In this video, I will cover how Louisiana treats recorded conversations, and how other states require certain permissions to record any conversation even if it’s in your own home.
?If you’d like some more tips on buying your next home check out my buying a home playlist here. https://bit.ly/2sw5Pu1
?If you don’t want to miss any tips on buying and selling your home so you don’t leave money on the table at a closing time click here https://bit.ly/2sHfDRr
?To look for properties in the Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish area click here: https://goo.gl/Pfi9W9
?To read my blog visit yourrealestatewhisperer.com ?To Send Mail: Kristina Smallhorn PO BOX 1271 Prairieville LA 70769 #yrew Kristina Smallhorn, Your Real Estate Whisperer
kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com,info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com eXp Realty LLC,2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401, Baton Rouge LA 70817 225-246-1812,Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149 Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana, License #0912122918 Disclaimer: All images and additional video segments contained in the Thumbnails and/or B-roll segments are used in strict compliance with the appropriate permissions and licenses required from https://pixabay.com and in accordance with the YouTube Partner Program, Community guidelines & YouTube terms of service. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you as a buyer.
What Is Title Insurance | Is Title Insurance Worth It?
What is title insurance | Is title insurance worth it | Title insurance explained
How Title insurance works, it’s a form of indemnity insurance that protects the holder from financial loss sustained from defects in a title to a property. The most common type of title insurance is the lender’s title insurance, in which the borrower purchases coverage only to protect the lender. Owner’s title insurance is often paid for by the seller to protect the buyer’s equity in the property and is available separately.
KEY TAKEAWAYS ➡️ Title insurance is a form of indemnity insurance that protects the holder from financial loss sustained from defects in a title to a property.
➡️ The most common claims filed against a title are back taxes that had been missed by a title company, liens (from mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, easements), and conflicting wills.
➡️ A one-time fee paid for title insurance covers pricey administrative fees.
?If you’d like some more tips on buying your next home check out my buying a home playlist here. https://bit.ly/2sw5Pu1
?If you don’t want to miss any tips on buying and selling your home so you don’t leave money on the table at a closing time click here https://bit.ly/2sHfDRr
?To look for properties in the Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish area click here: https://goo.gl/Pfi9W9 ?To read my blog visit yourrealestatewhisperer.com
?To Send Mail: Kristina Smallhorn PO BOX 1271 Prairieville LA 70769 #yrew
Kristina Smallhorn, Your Real Estate Whisperer kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com,info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com eXp Realty LLC,2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401, Baton Rouge LA 70817 225-246-1812,Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149 Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana, License #0912122918
Disclaimer: All images and additional video segments contained in the Thumbnails and/or B-roll segments are used in strict compliance with the appropriate permissions and licenses required from https://pixabay.com and in accordance with the YouTube Partner Program, Community guidelines & YouTube terms of service. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you as a buyer.
There are 5 top fears that home buyers have when buying a home that can cripple them from even making a home purchase at all. I will cover some of the biggest fears that home buyers face and show you how to overcome those home purchasing fears so you won’t be too scared to buy a home. These are the top Five Home Buying Fears we will cover:
Fear Of Value Loss
If you saw the collapsing home values of 2007-2009 you saw many families and homes that go into foreclosure making homes in neighborhoods plummet as fast as they went up in value, in some areas it went lower than the boom and took years to recover, so the fear of losing value in your home is real.
So how do you combat this fear, When working with clients that have this fear I ask them to pick a home they like in their budget, this doesn’t have to be the exact home they arepurchasing just one can use as an example, and I make a full report showing them the properties value since the big housing crisis of 2007 where the home value dipped and what the home value is now, In our area of Baton Rouge it’s clear to see that anyone who bought a home during that time and was able to hold on to it since then has gained a significant amount of money and this hold true for many other areas around the country.
You can ask your real estate professional for reports like these on any home you are interested in so you know you are making a smart financial decision.
➡️The 5 Home Buying Fears Covered In The Video Time Stamps
Some people see shows on HGTV of buying a great foreclosure or auction home and flipping into a home o6f their dreams but that’s after the investors sunk into a whole lot of money with unforeseen issues prior to purchasing the home. Getting a great deal on a home usually means you will be purchasing a fixer-upper in one-way shape or form. Whether it’s just some new paint and carpet or adding a new roof and fixing foundation issues.
If you are thinking of purchasing a home like this but are scared of the costs there are few things you must do prior to signing on the dotted line,
1. Make sure you have at least a 10 day inspection period so you will have enough time for the next two things I am going to tell you will need to do.
2. Hire an inspector to go through the home with a fine tooth comb have them review the report with you at the property so you can see for yourself the issues they found,
3. Find a couple of very good general contractors with lots of reviews and previous customers and have them meet you at the property to give you an estimate of the cost of repairs. ( Don’t go cheap with your contractor sometimes cheap contractors equals cheap looking work)
h4. once you have your bids in hand estimate an extra 10% for unforeseen issues or problems that might pop up.)
Fear of Buying When You Could Get a Better Deal-
This is one that has crippled some buyers. Years ago I worked with a couple who would go from house to house putting in purchase agreements well below asking price hoping that the sellers would take their offer.8 months and 14 purchase offers later they got stuck in a situation that forced them to buy a brand new home they weren’t really happy with but since their rental lease was up and the landlord was unwilling to extend there lease they had to buy “something” all the other homes they had lowballed were long gone.
I know everyone wants a deal, this is a great time to really have deep conversations with your real estate agent about the homes comparable value to others in the neighborhood. If the market is super hot you are most likely not going to be getting a lowball offer accepted but if you are in a market that sellers are willing to negotiate that it doesn’t hurt to test the waters. When you make an offer that’s below market value write in the offer how you came up with the sales price for the house, explain in great detail why you feel its worth that amount and not what the asking price is. I have used this to get offers accepted by sellers in the past even including repair estimates from companies to support the offer.
Fear Of Mortgages & Mortgage Payments-
Everyone has heard horror stories of people getting in way over there head and bought home that made them “house poor” where the homeowners could purchase the house and not much more than make house payments, or you may have heard about a mortgage package that could have saved you on making a large down payment after they have already purchased a home. Before you have mortgage remorse be sure to meet with several mortgage lenders and discuss all the loan packages that will fit not only for your best interest rates but also your monthly budget as well, make sure you factor in regular maintenance costs of your future home also renewals on termite contracts, HOA fees and extensions to home warranties if you chose to.
Fear of Buying won’t be as safe as renting-
Every housing market is different when it comes to the cost of renting in comparison to owning. Buying wins hands down here in Ascension Parish. Currently, you can buy a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom, 1300 square ft home for about $180,000 that’s less than 10 years old.
Mortgage Monthly cost maximum loan Mortgage amount
180,000$Interest rate (%) 4.5 ,Mortgage period 30 (years)
Monthly payments
$912, taxes 900 a year, and insurance is about 800 a year= estimated at $1054.00
Now for comparison you take that house you would pay $1350 a month in rent, never gain equity over the years and your rent always goes up as a mortgage payment always stays the same.
?If you’d like some more tips on buying your next home check out my buying a home playlist here. https://bit.ly/2sw5Pu1
?If you don’t want to miss any tips on buying and selling your home so you don’t leave money on the table at a closing time click here https://bit.ly/2sHfDRr
?To look for properties in the Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish area click here: https://goo.gl/Pfi9W9
?To read my blog visit yourrealestatewhisperer.com
CONTACT INFO: kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com,info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com eXp Realty LLC,2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401, Baton Rouge LA 70817 225-246-1812,Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149 Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana, License #0912122918
Welcome to 16394 ANNA BELLE DR In Prairieville Louisiana in the Ascension Parish Schoool district. This Meticulously Well Kept Home In Sought After Shadows Of Ascension, In The Ascension Parish School District. This one story home is over 2300 sqft that features 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths. You are greeted with an inviting front porch. Step inside to the large open great well kept room and kitchen with beautiful hardwood flooring, a gas log fireplace embellished with a granite, surround sound and built-in bookcases. The kitchen features 3 cm granite with a large kitchen island and two designer pendant lights, Personal coffee station, built-in microwave, single wall oven, built-in microwave, custom painted cabinetry, beautiful 1×2 subway tile backsplash, and upgraded 5 burner stainless steel gas cooktop. The formal dining area has ample room for entertaining and formal dinner parties. The large master suite is spacious enough for oversized furnishing and lets in loads of natural light. The ensuite modern master bath is breathtaking with its double vanity sinks, 3 cm granite, large soaking tub for relaxing, White painted wood cabinetry and spa-like stand-alone shower. On the opposite side of the home are three more bedrooms and 2 of the rooms share a jack n jill bath. All of the guest suites have large walk-in closets and are fully carpeted. There is also tucked away is a cozy bill desk. Finishing the inside of the home is a third full guest bath with painted cabinets and cool ceramic tile flooring. The backyard has an added covered patio, with beautiful fully matured landscaping, lush green grass, perfect for spending long evenings enjoying time with family and friends. This home also comes fully fenced, with an extended driveway and gutters have been installed.
☎️Call for your private showing today. 225-246-1812
?If you’d like some more tips on buying your next home check out my buying a home playlist here. https://bit.ly/2sw5Pu1
?If you don’t want to miss any tips on buying and selling your home so you don’t leave money on the table at a closing time click here https://bit.ly/2sHfDRr
?To look for properties in the Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish area click here: https://goo.gl/Pfi9W9
?To read my blog visit yourrealestatewhisperer.com
kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com,info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com eXp Realty LLC,2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401, Baton Rouge LA 70817 225-246-1812,Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149 Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana, License #0912122918
The Most Festive Home For Christmas (homes for sale in Gonzales, Louisiana)
Looking for a Christmas home just in time for the holidays? Once upon a festive Christmas home, There was a home for sale in Gonzales Louisiana. This open floor plan garden home for sale sits in a quiet one street community.
As soon as you go on this Christmas fairytale you will notice the gourmet kitchen with custom built cabinetry, slab granite counter tops, gas stove, and a large island/breakfast bar. Crown molding throughout the home gives it a classic feel. Master suite includes a 6’ jetted tub, separate shower, and water closet, double vanity and with a spacious walk-in closet. The extra large bedrooms have great closet space and fresh neutral paint. Tech Shield radiant barrier in the attic with decked area for extra storage space. Plenty of room for two cars in the garage. Move in ready as the previous owners have just painted throughout the home. The backyard is fully fenced and bigger than the typical garden home, Home is located at 41067 Garden Court Gonzales, LA 70737
For Full Details Of This Home ? https://myre.io/0DF4lp65Z9h78
For Questions On This Home Or Any In The Baton Rouge Or Ascension Parish Area:
☎ DIRECT: 225-246-1812
?EMAIL: info@Yourrealestatewhisperer.com
?Other Listing Videos Playlist ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2BTsekmR9k&list=PLL2NpJzFd3btUKNf0Uw8eZRnVkhbhbTjZ
?If you’d like to watch more videos ?about buying a home?, here is a very useful playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL2NpJzFd3bsErmLFniI8wy2jC1309S9J
? Visit my blog to read more buying and selling home tips: yourrealestatewhisperer.com
?To search for homes in the Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish Area:
https://bit.ly/2OdQw1s
??If you don’t want to miss important tips real estate tips, please consider subscribing https://bit.ly/2MEztWK
?If you have any questions about buying and selling your home feel free to reach out to me at by email or any respectable time by phone?. All my contact information is listed below.
My name is Kristina Smallhorn, Your Real Estate Whisperer and I tell you all this “Because YOU Matter”
Cell 225-246-1812
EXP REALTY, LLC
2900 Westfork Dr.
Baton Rouge, LA 70827
225-412-9982 ext 149
info@YourRealEstateWhisperer.com, kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com
yourrealestatewhisperer.com
Kristina Is a Licensed Realtor® with The Greater Baton Rouge Board of Realtors@ in the State of Louisiana. License #0912122918
Last week I told you about bidding wars (To Read That Article https://bit.ly/2LoaC7X ). This week I will be telling you when is the right time to lowball an offer on a home. This video will provide 5 useful tips to know when the perfect time is to lowball an offer on a house. There is often real estate lowball offer mistakes people make when making an offer and know how to construct your offer in a way not to offend the sellers by providing facts to why you made the lowball offer in the first place can be the reason why you win the deal of the century.
The first tip to consider if you are going to home buying with the idea you are going to lowball every home you make an offer on is not to be picky. DO NOT ask for items that are not important to the structure of the home, like washer, dryer, and refrigerator, Do not ask for lawn maintenance or items to be removed. Basically, you are purchasing the home as in the condition that it’s currently in and not anything more than that.
The second tip that can work in your benefit is knowing if the home you’re considering lowballing is grossly overpriced. Many sellers will have illusions of grandeur when it comes to pricing their home. If you can prove with comps that the home is overpriced to the seller they may see things your way.
The third tip that’s important to know when giving a lowball offer is to see how many times the home has been on and off the market within the last couple years. This could be a sign that the seller is in financial trouble and needs to get out. Check with your Realtor to see if the home has been put up on the sheriff’s sale website for delinquent payments or back taxes. This information could help leverage your lowball offer.
the fourth tip is to talk with the neighbors, neighbors love to dish out any secrets the sellers may not have disclosed that wouldn’t be pertinent to the structure of the home like a divorce, loss of a job or financial issues. Sometimes the neighbors can be the sellers biggest nightmare but a lowball buyers dream!
The fifth tip is to take a good look at obviously outdated items in the home to leverage your lowball offer. If the carpet is old and smelly, the kitchen looks like it from the set of the Golden Girls and every room needs a fresh coat of paint add up the cost to have those items that need remodeled and show the seller why your lowball offer was made. This could be the tip that seals the deal.
I hope you found these tips useful if you like to watch more video tips on buying your next home, check out my home buying video playlist here. https://bit.ly/2sw5Pu1
If you don’t want to miss any tips on buying and selling your home so you don’t leave money on the table at the closing time click here https://bit.ly/2sHfDRr
To look for properties in the Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish area click here: https://goo.gl/Pfi9W9
It’s Take a Tip Tuesday. Do you know what to do with your house when you’re going out of town? This is what you need to know when you are selling your home when you go on vacation, Hi, my name is Kristina Smallhorn, your real estate whisperer for Ascension Parish and we’re getting ready to go out of town. But do you know what to do with your house if it’s listed for sale and you’re going out of town? You’re going to want to know these tips.
Make sure you don’t leave any wash in the washing machine. Imagine leaving clothes in the washing machine for three days and what that smell would be like. Buyers wouldn’t really like that when they walk into your laundry room. I think we got everything. Oh, wait one second. You see this right here? These plugins that make your house smell so good? Either turn them all the way off or just take them straight out of the wall. The thing is is that when you’re not in the house and the air is not circulating a lot, when the buyers walk in the house the smell is just overwhelming and then they smell nothing but floral and they think that you’re hiding some kind of smell. So when you’re going out of town, just either turns them all the way down or just pull them straight out of the wall and put them in a safe drawer until you get back into town. So when you’re heading out of town you’re going to want to turn off your water. I’m going to give this case in point. That picture has been floating around Facebook since Christmastime and somebody left their water and of course, the water came through the ceiling and caused quite a problem. Even if you’re in a frozen tundra area where it’s going to freeze like a glacier, you’re still going to want to turn off your water. Look, you know if you have a ceiling the pipes are above you, anything can happen. Just turn off the water. All right so we’re going to attempt this, okay? Did it. All right so I nearly killed myself but I did get the water off. And when you turn the water off you’re going to want to let your real estate agent know that you turned the water off. ‘Cause what if your house goes under contract and you have an inspection? And then inspector goes in and says, “The water doesn’t work.” So you’re going to want to let your real estate agent and the home inspector know where that water turn on is. There’s one more thing I forgot to tell you. Make sure that you go ahead and give an extra key to a neighbor or to your real estate agent. If you don’t have time to go over to your real estate agent’s office, it’s always good to give it to a neighbor. Not only can they pick up the mail and the newspapers that have been left out, they can also water your plants. Sometimes these electronic lockboxes technology doesn’t work the way we want it to and it’s good to have an extra key that you’ve given to a neighbor so that way they can let in a buyer’s agent to show your home. I know when you’re heading out of town you are probably going to want to set your alarm system to your house. Make sure that your real estate agent has that alarm code ’cause it’s happened before that a buyer’s agent walks into the house, the alarm goes off and they didn’t give the alarm code to the selling agent. So make sure that you give that to them. All right, one last tip. When you’re getting on your flight, make sure you let your real estate agent know what time your flight’s at. You don’t want to miss any contract deadlines when you are on a flight and you never know if you get a contract when you’re on that flight, you don’t want to miss that deadline either. Bye. Bye. If you’d like some more information about buying homes in Ascension Parish area you can always visit my website at yourrealestatewhisperer.com. My name is Kristina Smallhorn, your real estate whisperer for Ascension Parish. And I tell you all this because you matter.
kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com,info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com eXp Realty LLC,2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401, Baton Rouge LA 70817 225-246-1812,Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149 Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana
Wiring Fraud Alert!!!!! Don’t Let These Hackers Steal Your Down Payment! Watch The Video To See How You Can Protect Your Money!
Wiring Fraud Alert For Home Buyers has become a real problem over the last couple of years. Imagine having your life saving for a down payment for your new home being stolen from you just days before the closing. It’s been happening all over the country even in Ascension Parish. The scam works like this, the hackers get a hold of either the title companies email account, the realtors’ email account or even the home buyers email account after one of these accounts are infiltrated the hackers sit and wait. They monitor the activities of all the parties involved in the transaction days beforehand they inform the buyer that wiring instructions have changed and they need confirmation they received the message so they can send the new instructions. These criminals are clever, by this time they have copied or even cloned the email addresses of the parties involved they really make these emails look very official. Buyers are of course in a panic and rush to there bank to give them the new wiring instructions, but the thing about it is, they just lost all their down payment and very little can be done to get that money back.
There are some ways to protect yourself. One is to change your email password often and have two code authentification. If you do get an email asking to change wiring instructions prior to closing make sure to call your REALTOR® to verify the title companies phone number. Never follow the phone number that is posted in the suspicious email. Lastly, Instead of wiring the funds, if possible, just go down to your bank and get cashiers check, it may take a little more time but could save you tens of thousands of dollars.
To Get My FREE EBook On Buying Homes In Ascension Parish, Click Here https://goo.gl/ux3mYz
Kristina Smallhorn
kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com, Your Real Estate Whisperer,
eXp Realty LLC 2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401 Baton Rouge LA 70817 225-246-1812 Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149 Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana
It’s Take A Tip Tuesday and in this weeks video, I discuss 5 big things that people should know when buying a home. Whether this is your first home or tenth home, these tips should always be helpful. In Ascension Parish, we have lots of people moving in and out an all around but people seem to forget what needs to be done when buying a home. Below I’ve listed 5 key tips to remember.
Get Approved!
I must say this about 1000 times in my past videos and I know if you have been following me for awhile I may sound like a broken record but I’m telling you, people jump the gun when home shopping and tend to forget all about being “pre-approved” prior to their home quest.
Size Doesn’t Matter!
This is another thing that some people can get hung up on. They want a HUGE home but did you know that if you have the largest home in a neighborhood you will get a lot less per square foot than your surrounding neighbors. Bigger doesn’t mean better and maybe an unwise investment.
Shiny New Toy Syndrome.
Imagine walking into a home that has all the bells and whistles, super thick granite, custom cabinets and all upgraded modern appliances. It’s your dream home but it’s over the budget you set for yourself. Delayed gratification can be better in the long run, especially for your wallet as well. Don’t get stuck with a home that you can barely furnish because you had to have the newest, latest and greatest.
Budget For Other Costs.
When you go on sites like Realtor dot com, Trulia, and Zillow, they will give you an estimated mortgage payment. Many of these sites do not factor in the other costs, like escrows, insurance, and taxes. Make sure you have more money set aside for these items.
Hire An Inspector.
I can’t say this enough, even if you are buying a brand new home you should have it inspected by a professional. Even though the new home has to pass building code inspections things get missed and the inspector you hire is looking out for your best interest. (To Read More About Inspections Click Here 3 Myths About Home Inspections)
I hope you found these tips useful If you’d like to read more about buying homes in the Ascension Parish Area, please download my free e-book https://goo.gl/ux3mYz. If you like to search for homes in the Ascension Parish Area Click Here. To watch all my tip videos please subscribe to my YouTube Channel by Clicking HERE!
Kristina Smallhorn
kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com
Your Real Estate Whisperer
eXp Realty LLC
2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401
Baton Rouge LA 70817
225-246-1812
Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149
Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana