Confused with the Home Buying Lingo?

Buying a home can be intimidating if you are not familiar with the terms used during the process. To start you on your path with confidence, we have compiled a list of some of the most common terms used when buying a home.

Freddie Mac has compiled a more exhaustive glossary of terms in their “My Home” section of their website.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) – This is a broader measure of your cost for borrowing money. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees and certain other credit charges a borrower is required to pay. Because these costs are rolled in, the APR is usually higher than your interest rate.

Appraisal – A professional analysis used to estimate the value of the property. This includes examples of sales of…

885 Views, 0 Comments

I Think 2019 Will Be a Great Year for Buyers AND Sellers

Many homeowners believe that rising interest rates and home prices have scared away buyers and therefore have not listed their houses for sale. However, the truth is that buyers who were unable to find a home last year are out in force, and there are even more coming!

NerdWallet’s 2018 Home Buyer Report revealed that:

“Approximately one-third (32%) of Americans plan to purchase a home in the next five years. Millennials are most likely to have such a purchase in their five-year plan (49%), versus 35% of Generation X and 17% of baby boomers.”

As we can see, buyers are optimistic! According to the report, here are the top reasons Americans plan to buy:

855 Views, 0 Comments

#77 Monday Morning Mortgage Tip: Justin Froiland with Fairway Mortgage

Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Justin Froiland from Fairway Mortgage. Listen as Justin explains the importance of researching credit repair companies prior to working with someone to build up your credit.  You can reach Justin at 605.695.1429 or justin.froiland@fairwaymc.com.  His office is located at 412 5th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.BrookingsMortgage.com 

 Researching "Credit Repair" Companies

- Good morning everybody, Shane here from the Brookings Home Team powered by Century 21. Apologize, we are a…

867 Views, 0 Comments

How to Have a Unique Open House

According to the National Association of Realtors, total inventory has been growing for six months straight, as has the number of buyers looking to find their dream home. In a market where inventory is increasing, you want to stand out in the crowd!

This quote from Grandscope puts it well:

“You can differentiate from competition by WOWing or exciting customers, not just trying to compete on price.”

What better way than to be creative with your Open House!

Here are a few ideas for how to do this in this era of technology.

1) Facebook Live Virtual Open House

This can also work as a ‘preview’ before an official Open House. Let your agent walk potential buyers through your home using a webcam or cell phone, highlighting the…

855 Views, 0 Comments

Daktronics Turned 50!

This week, I’m going to tell you a little bit about a local business that started in a garage just off main street in Brookings – Daktronics. It was founded in 1968 by two South Dakota State University professors – Al Kurtenbach and Duane Sander. Little known fact, when they started the business they didn’t have a product!

 In their early years, they looked at making medical equipment before seeing the need for an electronic voting system. Next, they were asked to design an electronic scoreboard for wrestling. The Matside, a three-sided truncated pyramid, was born and the rest, as they say, is history.

 Daktronics is now a world-leading designer and manufacturer of scoreboards, large scale video displays, digital billboards and message…

1093 Views, 0 Comments

#76 Monday Morning Mortgage Tip: Andrew Jallo with Dacotah Bank

Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Andrew Jallo from Dacotah Bank and discussed loan estimates. You can reach Andrew at 605.692.8600 or Andrew.Jallo@dacotahbank.com.  His office is located at 1441 6th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.dacotahbank.com.

 What is a Loan Estimate? 

- Good morning everybody, how you doing? Shane here from the Brookings Home Team powered by Century 21. It's Monday morning, 8:15 on the dot. We're right on time, it's not a holiday, so this guy is working his regular Monday shift, so thank you for…

962 Views, 0 Comments

Couples Lead the Way.....Get Married and then Get a Mortgage

According to the National Association of REALTORS most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, married couples once again dominated the first-time homebuyer statistics in 2018 at 54% of all buyers. It is no surprise that buying a home is more attainable with two incomes to save for down payments and contribute to monthly housing costs.

However, many couples are also deciding to buy a home before spending what would be a down payment on a wedding. Last year, unmarried couples accounted for 16% of all first-time buyers.

If you’re single, don’t fret! Single women made up 18% of first-time buyers in 2018, while single men accounted for 10% of buyers. One recent article pointed to a sense of responsibility and commitment that drives many…

937 Views, 0 Comments

What are the Benefits of Becoming a Homeowner?

Every family has a list of important dates. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, pet adoptions…and the list goes on. For 64.4 percent of households in the United States, this list includes the day they became a homeowner for the first time!

Why is this date important? Homeownership is not just a roof over your head! It represents shelter, stability, wealth, and pride! For decades, homeownership has been an important part of the American Dream!

However, many question if the next generations see the same benefits of homeownership as their predecessors.

In case we have forgotten, some of those benefits are:

Non-Financial Benefits

1) Educational Achievement: Homeownership has a positive impact on academic achievement, including…

834 Views, 0 Comments