Check Your Credit

Be sure you check your credit before you start searching for a home. If you have bad credit, you will most likely need someone else to co-sign, or to put their name on the mortgage with you, unless you pay for your home in full cash.

For a conventional loan you will need a higher credit score typically around 660 or higher while an FHA loan will give you more wiggle room typically down to about a 580 score. Don’t give up if your score is lower than the required amount because there are also ways of increasing your score to get you where you need to be.

Look At Your Income

Also be sure you look at your income so you know just how much you can afford monthly, and yearly. Don’t spend everything you have all at once, be sure you have enough money left over for other payments and bills you may have.

Typically there is a 40% or higher ratio that mortgage lenders will be looking for but we suggest a bit lower so you still have money for other things. Being house poor doesn;t make for a happier life. It’s nice to own a home but it’s also nice to be able to enjoy going out, or buying some new clothes once in a while.

Get Preapproved For A Mortgage

To get preapproved for a mortgage, first you must visit a lender. The mortgage lender will look at things such as your credit reports, your employment history, and your income very closely and carefully. After that, they will figure out which loan program you qualify for, the maximum amount you can borrow, and the interest rates you will be offered.

It is important to get this done before you start looking for South Nashua houses for sale, so you know just how much you have to spend. You don’t want to start looking at houses that are above your reach as it will make the houses you can afford not look as appealing. Be realistic and make your budget work for you. You can always build equity and get the larger house next time if you can’t afford it the first time around.

Find The Right Real Estate Agent

Finding the right Real Estate Agent is important because they can help take some of the stress off of you when you are looking for your South Nashua dream home. Searching for and purchasing the right home takes a lot of time that you may not have, as well as a lot of work that you may just not want to deal with. An agent can deal with the time, and work while you sit back and relax, that is their job!

If you are looking to buy or sell a home, call Harmony Real Estate today at (603) 883-8840. One of our qualified agents will be more than happy to help you find your dream home.

Here are five things you should do when you are buying a home for the first time:

Decide on the location versus space when searching for a home!

When you are looking for your first home, be sure you decide on a location first. Sometimes the location of the house for sale can have a bigger impact on your life, versus the spaciousness of the home. If you find a big beautiful home in the country, but you’d prefer to be closer to the city sometimes you need to sacrifice a little bit of space to get what you want.

You can never change the location of your house but you could potentially add on or finish your basement.

The School District Will Affect Your Home Value

Before purchasing a home it is always good for you to look into the school district, even if you don’t have children. If it is a sought after school district with a high grade point average, people will be willing to pay more for you home when you do decide to sell it.

South Nashua homes for sale are located in the best school district within the city. The homes in South Nashua are highly sought-after, have the highest resale value and attract the wealthiest buyers.  

Put Some Money Away For Home Improvements

Home Improvements can be very expensive, and sometimes unexpected. There are a lot of things you can do by yourself, rather than hiring a company to complete the repairs in your home. Your house is your most valued asset so make sure to keep it in good repair.

Fixing up your home yourself will same you a ton of money and add sweat equity which equates to an added resale value of your South Nashua home for sale!

Don’t Overlook The Landscaping!

The exterior curb appeal is the first thing anyone will look at in regards to your home. Updates to the exterior of the home you decide to purchase can add up just as quickly as the interior improvements. If you don’t want to spend any money on the landscape, or you don’t have much to spend due to your budget try finding a home that already has the amenities you desire.

Make sure to take a good look at the exterior and evaluate the true  condition before you purchase a South Nashua home for sale.

Don’t Max Out Your Qualification Budget

If you try to use every last cent that you qualify for, odds are you will have a smaller number of options. If you are willing to come down in your price range, more options will open up for you once you purchase. This means you will have money left over for any renovations or decorating you’d like to do to make your new place truly feel like home.

You don’t want to feel like you are house poor. If you can’t ever go out for dinner or buy a pair of shoes will you truly be happy just living day to day? If you don’t overextend your budget ultimately you will be happier down the road.

Looking for your first home can be very nerve wracking, so don’t try to do it on your own. Our agents’ job a Harmony Real Estate is to take the stress off of you, and make purchasing a home a bit easier for you.  

Give our agents a call at Harmony Real Estate (603) 883-8840 for more information on buying a South Nashua home for sale. We would love to be instrumental in your new purchase.

Hiring a home inspector is a very important part of your home buying process. Don't let the house inspection kill the deal! When you are choosing an inspector to check out your South Nashua home for you, be sure to ask them how much experience they have. You don’t want to hire someone with a poor inspection background because they may miss something very important.

Typically, an inspection report is 20 or more pages long. Most inspectors, and Real Estate agents think the buyer should use the inspection to generate a list of repairs that should be accomplished. If the seller is aware of these issues beforehand they should work on any major repairs before they sell their South Nashua home to make it more valuable. If the buyer doesn't like the results of an inspection report, they have the right to ask the owner to fix the items, keep it as is or exit the contract and look for a new home. Typically the buyer and the seller will come to an agreement on what repairs will be remedied and move toward a closing on their South Nashua home for sale.

What a buyer usually doesn’t always realize is that once they find a new home, they will have to pay for that home to be inspected as well. Inspections range from about $300-$500 and they are non-refundable. If there are problems with the home you want to purchase, you should decide how much those repairs will cost before you leave the contract. If yo can't come to a reasonable agreement with the seller it may be better to find a new South Nashua home for sale and pay for another inspection. However, you never know if the next home you find will have more issues than the previous one, or not.

When purchasing a home that is being sold to you by the owner, you need to remember that it is not a brand new home. Used homes that have been lived in will have some wear and tear on the home. If you are looking for something perfect, definitely consider looking into a brand new home. Instead of breaking a deal over repairs, it would make more sense to buy a home warranty in the event that something breaks. There are home warranties available for under $500! Some sellers may even be willing to pay for a home warranty instead of repairs.

Unfortunately, some home inspectors lack people skills, and fail to explain their findings properly. There have been some complaints about home inspectors who use verbiage in their reports such as “may in the future,” or “could potentially.” The words “may” and “potentially” mean that there is a possibility of something happening, not a guarantee. When people are getting houses inspected, they want to know exactly what is wrong, and what to do to fix it. What inspectors don’t seem to understand is that buyers take these statements as “ you’re house is falling apart” or “don’t buy this!”

To be sure a home inspector won’t kill your South Nashua deal, it's important that buyers and sellers use an experienced agent. Also, make sure you ask questions about the inspection. If they use words like “may” or “potentially” ask the inspector why they said that. Have them explain to you why they think something could go wrong with whatever object they stated, in the future. Be sure your agent shows up at the inspection to help you ask those needed questions.

The purpose of a home inspection is not to have the seller fix every single item in the contained report, that would be unreasonable, but more so to help the buyer see any huge issues that make the cost of the house go down. Buyers have the right to ask the sellers to fix something, but sellers also have the right to say no. There are always going to be a list of repairs that need to be fixed in your South Nashua home but the sellers are not going to be willing to fix every leaky faucet or toilet flange but more likely to fix a leaking roof or failed septic. It is more reasonable to understand this information about your South Nashua home for sale at the onset.

Don’t let the home inspector break your deal! Be sure that the home inspector and the buyers agent are present for you as a buyer to ask questions. They can help you understand things you don't understand about the home. It could be as simple as where a light switch may be, or how to turn on the lights to the pool or more complicated like finding the shut valves or changing the settings on your water heater. That way you don't worry about items that may not even be broken. 

If you are looking for more information on selling your South Nashua home or would like a list of homes for sale in South Nashua give our agents at Harmony Real Estate a call at (603) 883-8840. We are here to help you through your South Nashua home sale process!

When it starts to get cold outside bats may look to find comfort in your warm Southern NH home. I know how scary it can be to think the bats are going to harm you, or your family. What if they turn into vampires? You’ll be surprised to learn that vampires aren't real, and bats are actually harmless, and sometimes even cute. When they aren’t in your home, of course!!! Below are some suggestions to get rid of bats in your home.

There are about 40 different species of bats in the United States which can inhabit your Southern NH home for sale. The most common Bats found in North America are The Little Brown Bat, The Big Brown Bat, and The Mexican Free-Tailed Bat. Those are the three species of Bats that are most likely to reside in your home and likely in the attic.

Here are several different ways to keep bats out of your Southern NH home for sale:

Start by finding out how they are getting into your home!

If you have bats in your Southern New Hampshire home, they are getting in somewhere! Figure out where they are getting in, wire mesh, board up and close the area and set up a one way exclusion device to get them to leave your home. This is a small tube where bats can get out of your Southern NH home for sale but can not re-enter. Denying bats reentry is preferable to trapping them, because they are an endangered species and also because they can be dangerous.

Exclusion devices can be purchased online, or at a home improvement center! They are also fairly easy to install in your Southern NH home. 

Be Careful Not To Harm The Bats

There are many different species of bats that are endangered. Please be careful if you manually remove them from your Southern NH home yourself. If you harm the bats and anyone finds out about it, you could have a hefty fine to pay or face jail time. Make sure to always remember that bats are endangered and it is illegal to kill them.

Dispose of Any Waste They Create

Bat droppings are small round pellets called guano which can be harmful. The guano can grow a type of fungus that can cause the lung disease histoplasmosis in humans. Guano has a very powerful, musty smell that can often overpower your Southern NH house. The bat droppings and urine are corrosive to wood and metal, and can compromise the structural integrity of the building.  The droppings and the scent will lure in other animals and insects, so be sure to clean everything thoroughly. 

Call A Professional

If you are questioning whether it is bat guano or just don't know what it is call a pest professional. If you do not think you can remove the bats from your Southern NH home for sale safely and efficiently without harming them or yourself, please call a professional! Exterminators are trained and have the proper equipment. They can get rid of the bats safely and board up all the entrance points that they can squeeze through. And trust us when we tell you, they can get through some small openings.

For more information or a list of Southern New Hampshire houses for sale give our experienced agents at Harmony Real Estate a call today at (603) 883-8840 or visit our website www.Harmony-RE.com for more information.

Here are a few things you can do if you’ve listed your Southern NH home for sale and it just won’t sell.

What can you do to get buyers to look at your Southern NH home? 

• Take Good Photographs

Make sure when you list your house you have good quality photographs of the house you are selling for buyers to look at. If you only have one photo or if the photos are blurry they look careless and buyers will be less interested. Remove excess clutter from the pictures and make them look better. Clear off the kitchen counters, hide all the electric cords, close the toilet lids, turn on all the lights and open all the blinds. If you have a fireplace you can even light it for a warm feel.

The first impression a buyer makes will typically be based on the photos they see online. 80% of home buyers start their search online and it may deter them from even driving by. Hiring a professional may be necessary if the photos don’t look good.

•  Update Your Curb Appeal

Would you want to purchase a home if the yard looked like it hadn’t been maintained in years? Neither would anyone else! Give the exterior of your home a nice facelift by trimming the trees and bushes, mowing the lawn, and picking all the weeds. Adding some color with flowers and fresh mulch can also do a lot for the exterior appeal of your home.

You listed your Southern NH house for sale with the hopes that someone would fall in love with it just like you did, but it just won't sell! Try a fresh coat of paint to the front door or shutters. You may even want to power wash the home, put up a new mailbox or a some outdoor light fixtures. Take a look from the road and see if there is anything that looks dirty and clean it up, remove or replace it.  

• Get Rid of the Clutter

Buyers want to see a clean, open living space when they are searching for their new home. If there is visible clutter in the photos, or during a showing of your house they may be turned off and think you don’t have enough storage space for their family.

Don’t let them get mislead by this mornings mail. Pack all the extra stuff or throw away anything unnecessary and make your home look as big and inviting as possible.

• Depersonalize Your Home

Paint your walls a neutral color, rather than that bright color you love. Take down any family pictures or artwork that your children made you art class, as cute as it may be. Pack away any personal touches and put them up at your new house after you move.

If buyers can’t imagine themselves living in your home they won’t make an offer. Try your best to make the house you’re selling look like a model home.

• Remove ALL Evidence of Pets

Whether they’re allergic to them or they’ve had a bad experience in the past, some people don’t like animals!  Even though your pets are your babies and you love them, you need to hide remove all of their messes from your buyers.

Put their crates in a closet or hide them in a box in the garage or basement. Be sure to put toys, food and water bowls out of sight as well. Always be sure to remove all signs of pet fur or dander as that may turn people off from making an offer. Also, don’t forget to deodorize and get rid of any gross pet smells.

• Freshen Up Your Home

Smell is one of the first things a buyer will notice when they enter your house. Nobody likes to walk into a house and smell an animal, old trash, musty smells, or even smoke. Clean your home thoroughly to get rid of any unwanted smells before it kills your deal.

You can always light candles or place automatic air fresheners around your home, or bake some cookies or a pie, even essential oils have a nice inviting scent as long as it doesn’t seem to be covering another smell. Be sure to choose a subtle scent that can brighten up your living space!

• Renovate 

Not everyone will purchase a house that needs cosmetic updating. Many buyers won’t want the hassle of more work after an exhausting move. However, even small renovations can make a large enough impact on the way a buyer views your house to make them consider it. Fixing small repairs like leaky faucets, broken drawers and faulty lighting fixtures before a buyer sees it is worth the trouble.  

Install a smart thermostat, or a new ceiling fan or lights in your home. Get your carpets cleaned to remove any stains, and fix any holes in your walls, and give the house a fresh coat of paint. The kitchens and bathrooms are where most buyers will spend their time looking so make sure they are clean and organized. While replacing cabinets may be necessary other times repainting and adding new hardware could be enough to keep a buyer interested.

• Staging Works Wonders

Once you’ve depersonalized, renovated, and decluttered your house it’s time to stage like an expert! Most buyers want to look at simple but new things in a home they may be thinking of making their own. Minimal is always best, cut back on furniture and wall hangings to make the rooms appear larger.

Try placing a bowl of fresh fruit or a cookie jar with some delicious cookies on the counter in the kitchen, or a few books and reading glasses on an end table in the living room. Clean off the counters and put some new towels in the bathroom, as well as a candle or two. 

• Consider Your Price

If you’ve done everything listed above and your home still isn’t selling, it may be time to talk to your Real Estate agent about adjusting the price. This is where your agent's knowledge and business savvy will come in handy.

Many times this is the problem and a very obvious suggestion. If you overprice your house buyers might not even consider it. They will not feel you will be reasonable to work with even if you might be willing to work with their numbers. Sometimes all you need is a small reduction to make your buyer feel as if they are getting a great deal.

• Make Your House Available for Showings

Last but not least, if you make your house available for showings more buyers will be able to view your home. If you limit yourself to pre-scheduled viewings, your house won't sell as quickly as you’d like and some people may not even be able to look at it.

If you are flexible with the times when buyers can view your property, you will have a better chance of getting more viewings. More viewings means more potential buyers of your home and that is always a plus.

If you would like to sell your Southern NH home, or just get a market analysis on what your Southern NH house is worth call us today! There is no obligation to work with us and the Comparative Market Analysis is free of charge.