Economically-Minded in Nixa

Along the same lines as the last post, another home has been located that represents the “good deal/good price” argument.

This one, in located in Nixa, was built in 1986, but should save someone a lot of money on maintenance and fixing up. While many of the houses in this price category in Nixa are short-sales or fixer-uppers, this house feels and looks almost like new. Great newer carpets, floor coverings, paint, fixtures should save buyers some significant amount of money!

It's About More Than Just the Price!

We recently added a new listing, which embodies the headline more than any house we’ve seen in a long time.

Many buyers think they’re buying a home for a good price, so therefore it’s a good deal. Think again.

Many, many times, a good price and a good deal are two different things. Consider the amount of time or difficulty it takes to purchase a home that is being sold as a short sale or foreclosure. And even more than that, think about the amount of time and cost of repairs or changes to bring the house to the level you would like to live in.

A good deal is one that might be slightly higher priced than others like it, but which is move-in ready and doesn’t bring with it much of a chance of costly repairs.

Take this new listing, for example. It’s located close to Bass Pro and all the major retail and entertainment districts of Springfield – including downtown. Since 2006, the owner has put on a new room, put in new air, windows, paint, floor coverings, and wood blinds (that look GREAT by the way). Add up the cost of any one or combination of these items and think about the money saved by purchasing a house with the work already done.

So when you think about deals, think about more than just the initial price. Think about savings, too.

To see the listing we’re talking about, located at 1157 W. McGee in Springfield, click here.

                                                                                                                            

For any information about purchasing your first home, visit our website at www.springfieldfirsthome.com or email us at firsthomebuyers@remhob.com. 

Home Inspections are for Everyone!

Never let anyone tell you that you don't need a home inspection. Period.

This post could have ended right there. But we'll go on just in the interest of explaining ourselves more.

There are some possible reasons why someone would tell you not to have a home inspection, but understand that none of them are legitimate. Here are a few we've heard over the years and our responses:

1. Everything looks fine - you're just wasting money on an inspection. We don't know who in each particular case has said this, but it's wrong. In fact, money that you spend on an inspection just might be the best money you ever spend, as noted on our website in the Homebuyer Guide. No, they're not cheap, but in the very best case scenario, when nothing is found (and we've never really seen one of those), at least it can give you some peace of mind that the biggest investment you've made in your life so far is pretty sound.

2. This is a brand-new home - no inspection is needed. Wrong. New construction homes should be inspected just like every other house, believe it or not. The added benefit of a newly built house is that almost every builder expects a "punch-list," that is, a list of items that needs to be completed before closing, which may not be the case with an existing home. Not having an inspection done assumes that because it's new, it's perfect. 

3. You're getting an FHA loan, so the appraiser does the inspection for you. NO. This is the one that bothers us the most because we've heard real estate agents (not from our company, thank you) actually say this to buyers. While FHA or VA appraisers, in addition to determining the market value of the property, do an additional assessment of the property to ensure that it meets government guidelines for that type of loan, this assessment is NOT a substitute for a professional property inspection. 

We're sure there are a lot of other reasons why people would tell you not to have an inspection, but we've yet to hear a good one. As we've said before, we can't require buyers to have a home inspection - but if we could, we just might. For more information regarding home inspections, visit our website at www.springfieldfirsthome.com, email us at firsthomebuyers@remhob.com, or call/text us at 417.872.9222. 

FYI: What is a Thermopane Window?

When looking for a home, you may hear this term a lot, depending on how old of a house for which you’re looking.

A thermopane, insulated, or double-paned window is one in which there are two panes of glass separated by air or inert gas, designed to insulate the window space better and make the home more energy efficient. Thermopane was actually the original name for this type of window. Most window manufacturers have their own name of them now, depending on the brand, but they all work pretty much the same way.

The only downside to this type of window is that the seal that keeps the original gas in the window may eventually get old and let it out and/or let moisture in, resulting in the “fogging” of the window. You can decide, if or when you discover this on a house, whether it’s something you want the seller to repair or replace. If the seal is broken, it at least means the window may be less insulating, but many people base their decision on how much fogging has taken place. In fact, this condition may be the only way you or an inspector knows that the seal on the window is bad.

Anytime you have a question about a home component, let us know at firsthomebuyer@remhob.com or check out our website at http://www.springfieldfirsthome.com, or even a call or text to 417.872.9222.

Springfield Public Schools

Having kids or not having kids has nothing to do with purchasing your first home or feeling the desire to do so. However, many first-time buyers do need to consider school district as part of their homebuying goals.

Springfield, Missouri is very fortunate then to be the home of such an outstanding school district, especially for a city of its size. This shouldn't be construed in any way to not acknowledge the excellence of surrounding school districts, but it's our bet that there aren't too many places with surrounding suburbs who also exhibit the excellence of the core city school district that ours does.

As a result, when homebuyers, first-time or otherwise put schools in the equation, they can feel comfortable with the quality of schools both outside and inside Springfield.

Springfield continues to be a unique place, not only in terms of it's quality of people and economy, but in the quality of it's schools as well. And we're old enough that we don't have to suck up to school administrators - it's just a fact.

For more information about purchasing your first home in Springfield, check out our website at http:/www.springfieldfirsthome.com, email us at firsthomebuyer@remhob.com, or give us a call or text at 417.872.9222.

Perfect First-time Home!

Okay, gang – where else but Springfield, MO can you buy a house that is almost all-brick, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car garage, one-owner for the last 25 years, and has had new shingles, a new furnace, and laminate flooring in the last 4 or 5 years, all for $89,900?

We haven’t seen a home like this at this kind of price for a long, long time. If you’re even remotely considering the purchase of your first home, this could be it! Check it out on our First-time Homebuyer website at www.springfieldfirsthome.com/1116036, or give us a call or text at 417.872.9222.