Daily Foreclosure and Distress Homes Report
 

Receive by e-mail a free daily report on foreclosures and distress sale homes in your area. 


Save Thousands of Dollars When Buying a Home
 

This FREE no obligation easy to understand report provides simple steps that will amaze you how easy it is to save thousands of dollars when buying a home. 


BEWARE!
13 Extra Buyer Costs You Need to Know About

 

This FREE no obligation report let's you know about 13 extra buyer expenses you need to know about before you start your home search.


9-Buyer Traps to Avoid
 

This FREE no obligation easy to understand report and DVD provides simple ways to avoid 9 buyer traps that most buyers fail to navigate before they happen. 


Buy a Home With No Money Down
 

"New Program" allows buyers to buy a home with NO down payment.


FREE Special Report
"6 Things You Must Know Before You Buy"

 

Discover how to avoid these costly mistakes. 


FREE Special Report "How To Stop Paying Rent and Own Your Own Home"
 

A new FREE Special Report entitled "How To Stop Paying Rent and Own Your Own Home" has already helped dozens of local renters get out from under their landlord's finger, and move into a wonderful home they can truly call their own. You can make this move too by discovering the important steps detailed in this FREE Special Report.


Questions Real Estate Agents Hate
 

10 questions you must ask when interviewing an agent.

 

Your Realtor:
Virtual Real Estate Store
January 2001 Virtual Realestate Store
Real
America's Real Estate Superstore
Copyright © 2001 Realty Times
All Rights Reserved.


How And Why To
Prepay Your Mortgage


     One of the best ways to have more cash, retire early, and enjoy debt-free living is to prepay your mortgage, an option which even lenders increasingly applaud.
      We live in a society where home debt is generally mounting. The Consumer Federation of America reported this month that between 1989 and 1999 home equity declined by $1,500, in part because of a greater willingness to increase mortgage debt.
      But for financial reasons and as a matter of personal preference, many


Mortgage Rates

U.S. daily averages as of December 29, 2000:

30 yr. fixed:   6.85%
15 yr. fixed:   6.53%
1 yr. adj:        6.77%
30 yr. jumbo:  7.44%

Source: Bank Rate Monitor


Get today's rates





people favor a home with less debt. Why wait 30 years to be mortgage-free, they reason, when the same goal can be accomplished years earlier without



Wondering What Your Home Is Worth?

Let us show you.





Use Contrary Timing to Maximize Home Purchase

     Being contrary can help maximize your home buying efforts. Not the stubborn kind of contrary, but the kind that positions you to purchase outside of the prime home buying time.
      If you're a first-time buyer or one moving up and want to avoid heavy competition from other buyers, now's the time to hit the market!
      Why does contrary timing work? It's due to three major factors of market flexibility, negotiating power and interest rates that can work on your behalf during the non-peak home buying season.
      First, market flexibility. By purchasing after school begins in the fall and prior to it ending in May, competition from other buyers may trim by fifty percent or more. This is vital if you're a first time buyer who needs to ask the seller to help with discount points or closing costs. It's also important if the type of property you desire is scarce and/or desired by move-up buyers since they usually wait until spring to sell their existing home.
      The second factor on your side in a non-peak market is negotiating power. The longer a house has been on the market, the more potential negotiating power you can wield. Motivated sellers




Home Inspections:
Not Just for Buyers


     Buying a home without having it professionally inspected first is about as risky as engaging in a game of Russian roulette. But buyers aren't the only folks who can benefit from home inspections.
      If you're a seller, your knee-jerk reaction to hearing that a home inspection for owners is a good idea might be "Why? I'm afraid the inspector will uncover a hidden problem that will cost me thousands to repair. Or, I'll have to disclose the problem and subsequently bring my asking price down to compensate the buyer for the necessary repairs."
      Well, actually, there's a good argument that owners are best served by having a home inspected prior to the sale.
      Why? Because if an inspector seconds your opinion that your home is in good condition, then you've got an excellent marketing tool that should help your Realtor sell your home more quickly and for the highest price possible.
      Your pre-inspection report is your negotiating tool that gives validity to your asking price. It also places confidence in the minds of prospective buyers, who know that they're not jumping into uncertain territory.
      Chances are good that a serious prospective buyer would hire his or her own inspector to conduct an investigation of your house, but your report signals to the buyer that you're serious -- that you're so confident in the structural integrity of



Taking Inventory on Safety
In Your Home


     The New Year is a good time to take stock of all kinds of things we tend to put off --our health, our relationships, our spending habits. Whatever needs tweaking seems to get its best start just after that glittering ball drops in Times Square, depending on the time zone in which you live.
      But how often do we stop to take a look around our house, room by room, and take inventory on just how safe it is? "A good routine to get into on a monthly basis is to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms," says Darrin Deany of Underwriters Laboratories. "You can do so very easily by pushing the button on the front of the unit. If you have battery-powered units, it's also important that you check the batteries. Make sure you put a fresh one in every year."
      "Smoke alarms definitely save lives," says Deany. "The fact is over the last 25 years, deaths in home fires have decreased steadily. In 1975, the year smoke alarms were introduced there were over 12,000 deaths. Last year, there were less than 3,000."
      It's a good idea to make up a checklist that includes once or twice-yearly projects, such as making




Daily News and Advice


Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.



More Articles

December Roundup: Housing Economists See Balanced 2001

Lighten Up: A Few Tips For Cheering Up Your Dark Living Space

Housewarming Presents that Keep on Giving

Calculated Home Improvements

Uncontrolled Noise Can Be Maddening
How to Find a Qualified Home Inspector
How to Get the Best Mortgage Interest Rate and Terms
Save on Homeowners Insurance
Should you List Your Home For Sale with a Friend?
Should You Use More Than One Agent to Locate a Home?

Free Online Home Valuation

 

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Your Home Didn't Sell. Do You Know Why?
 

Your home didn't sell or your listing expired. It likely wasn't your home. We can show you why with a FREE DVD and report, How to Sell a Home That Did Not Sell. 


How to Get Your Asking Price in a Buyer's Market
 

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27-Keys to Selling Your Home
 Quickly and for Top Dollar
 

Receive a FREE no obligation report and DVD explaining the 27-keys to selling your home quickly and for top dollar.


Sell Your Home For $ 27,584 More
 

Learn how you can sell your home for more money in less time with our Team


11 High Cost Inspection Traps You Should Know Weeks Before Listing Your Home For Sale
 

To help home sellers deal with this issue before their home is listed, a free report entitled "11 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection" has been compiled which explains the issues involved.


FREE Special Report - "The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar"
 

This report clearly identifies potential trouble-spots, and lays out an easy-to-follow step-by-step system to help you get the most money for your home


Divorce: What to Do About the House
 

Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your Home as a Result of a Divorce.

 

 

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Serving the northside of metro Atlanta, Georgia area

The information provided is by Alpha Team Realty, Inc. is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice. Alpha Team Realty, Inc. and business partners are not responsible for misinformation, misprints, typographical errors, etc. herein contained. There is no implied or expressed fiduciary, agency or agent relation between Alpha Team Realty, Inc. and any user of Alpha Team Realty's.  services or any services provided through the use of this web site, unless specifically contracted in writing. Alpha Team Realty, Inc. is a Georgia licensed real estate broker license number H-37835, Qualifying Broker David Gibbard.

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