City Properties Journal

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Selling your house is not as easy as one, two, three. Being a seller entails expenses too, that is why no one can readily answer when the question: what expenses do I need to shoulder when selling my house? is asked. A lot of factors come into play to be able to arrive at a definite figure. Here are a few costs to help you figure it out.
Before sales upgrading, maintenance and cosmetic costs. Go over all those essential things that need to be done to increase the value of your house. The price bracket of expenditures here is rather endless and it would help to ask yourself the following questions:

• Are there structural changes that must really be done? What further repairs will the home inspection uncover, and what do you and your broker think this/these will do to your asking price? The price of these sorts of small projects could be high and will take time to accomplish but it could also mean a higher sale price than what you paid for them.
• What kinds of budget priced upgrading can you do that will bring a warm glow to your potential buyer’s face? Renovating the kitchen or a bathroom could probably do that.
• What aesthetic changes can you make yourself or at a minimal expense? Some minor landscaping, planting a flower or bush in your yard could enhance your frontage or repainting a room are some of those changes you can do.

• Lastly, you could try “staging” your house. Staging is paying a professional company to set up your home( accessories, furniture, window treatments, etc.) and display it with its “best foot forward” - meaning the company will showcase your house’ best features and downplay its flaws.

However, the expense for these types of upgrading could range from a hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Be pragmatic about what your house really needs and be sensible in your expenditures.

• Transaction Costs. What expenses will I shoulder as the seller in the course of selling my house? Before sales upgrading definitely comes from the seller’s pocket while most of these transactional costs will be deducted from the proceeds of your sale.
• Real estate fees and commissions could be anywhere between 5% - 7% of the sale price and is normally handled by then one processing the closing.There could still be other discounts in this which means lesser expenses for you. This expense is sometimes split between the buy side agent and the sell side agent, and you make out the check to the real estate brokerage company where these agents works.

There are still other costs involved when you sell your house.

If you live in Paris, London, New York or Singapore, you’re probably feeling the high cost of living in these key cities. According the an article in the Global Property Guide: Most Expensive Cities In 2008, these cities have some of the most expensive apartments & condos. Because of these highly urbanized communities, space is a premium in these locations. This makes the apartment and condos the dwelling of choice for its lucky inhabitants.

Of course, there are certain advantages to living in places like Barcelona, Hong Kong, Tokyo or Shanghai. These cities are, after all, the center of commerce, government and leisure. These are the hub of cultural and political activity. These areas are also the site of rapid urbanization and economic development.

If you’re lucky enough to already own a property in one of these areas, hold on to it. You can even make pretty good money renting it out.

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The American Dream Down Payment Act authorizes $200 million in grant aid for each of the coming four years to low-income, first-time home buyers. It certainly is a dream come true for many people who have harbored the fantasy of buying a home but were not able to get the cash for it.It is a joint government and banking program to help people put together that initial down payment which is crucial in buying a home. Such ventures also uplift the economy of the country, when loans are more accessible to people and first time home buyers.

Interest rates are hitting an all-time low, and assistance professionals are urging you to come forward and avail of this opportunity. Not only do these grants help in that down payment, but also are tremendously useful when closing the mortgage. The sooner you pay it off, the better. Even bad credit doesn’t go against you if you are a first-time home buyer, in the sense that you haven?t had housing ownership in your name within the last three years.

The prefabricated pieceHomes line is a stunning collection of green modular home designed by Davis Studio Architecture + Design. Because the houses are factory-built using green materials, wastage of materials is drastically decreased. Modern, healthier and reasonably priced homes can also be customised. The nine available designs range from the Container House, a 320 sf 1-bedroom house with a covered deck to the 2610 sf 3-bedroom Rindge House, which has a 2-car garage. Solar panels feature in most of the designs. Balance living need not be a single family experience with pH: The Double has two units; 3×4 puts together 3 single family homes.

Laurel Park Ventures, Inc presents The Tatum, a hurricane-resistant green bungalow in historic Gillespie Park in downtown Sarasota, Florida. The details of this 1871 sf bungalow pay tribute to the area’s heritage. Finishes are luxurious and the classic accents do not give away the energy efficiency and healthy modern home that is The Tatum. Urban yet traditional, the two-storey residence is close to the main street and commercial establishments. The energy star rated appliances balances the old feel with contemporary technology. Well thought out and attractive, every inch of the house speaks of LPVI’s commitment to green building.

For contact info, visit LPVI

The CityLiving Home Program is a project jointly sponsored by the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. It gives homebuyers a chance to buy, build or renovate a property with a below-market-rate mortgage loan. It is limited to first-time homebuyers whose income and property price are below the set limits, except if the house is within the target area specified by the city. Limits may be increased if the home to be purchased is in the target area, the household is is at least five persons, the loan includes improvement costs, or the property is currently vacant. Interest rates vary, depending on the Down Payment Assistance Grant, which can be up to 4% of the mortgage amount.

This year, magazines CountryHome and Popular Science  came out with separate lists of the greenest cities in America. While rankings differ because of criteria, there are notable cities which make appearances on both lists, testament to their commitment to becoming environment-friendly cities. Making the top 20 in both rankings are  Portland, Oregon; Santa Rosa, California; Eugene, Oregon; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; San Francisco, California; and Seattle, Washington.

Popular Science based their results on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society Green Guide, and had 30 categories in total, including air quality, electricity and transportation habits, green living and recycling. Country Home looked at official energy policies, electricity, green buildings, and local food sourcing.

EcoBrokers are licensed real estate agents who are up-to-speed with the green real estate market. They are familiar with energy-efficient and environmentally sound building because of the ARELLO-certified training program they undergo. They differentiate themselves with their designation, which means that they are knowledgeable about Energy Star homes, sustainable design, and air quality issues, topics that are discussed during training. To find your local EcoBroker, properties and more information about green real estate, visit ecobroker. com. The website also gives information on Affiliates, suppliers of green products and services. EcoBroker is an Educational Partner of the Built Green voluntary program.

Every three years, leading experts and researchers on sustainable building gather for the Sustainable Building Conference in Melbourne to look for connected, viable and livable built environments and communities. How will this affect the average homeowner? Not directly now, but the innovations and studies to be presented over five days in September will influence policy globally. Or so we hope. The international panel of speakers gives a more global outlook to the conference. SB08 strives to be carbon neutral, with ‘zero net greenhouse emissions’ as its goal throughout the entire conference. That’s a good start if they also take into account the amazing pre-conference tours.

Austin, Texas-based Rick Black Architects is a partnership between husband and wife Rick and Cindy Black. A 2520-square-foot artist’s residence-cum-studio situate in Long Branch Valley was completed this year. Also upcoming is the Volkshaus, four upcoming single family houses with shared carports, also in Austin. Each residence is envisioned to achieve a five star Green Building Rating. Aside from houses, Rick Black Architects also works on buildings and commercial establishments, drawing on Rick Black’s experience with Frank O. Gehry and Associates. The residence they designed for a graphic designer and a choreographer was featured in the March 2008 edition of dwell magazine.