| Buyers Links & Info |
| Facts about Home Inspectors for Consumers This link provides you with facts about choosing a home inspector and how the process works. You can get a list of licensed inspectors from the website as well. I would highly recommend having an inspection at any property before purchase. |
| Town of Yarmouth Assessor's Field Cards Town of Dennis Assessor's Field Cards Barnstable Country Registry of Deeds |
| www.ma.gov Great site on the state-check especially FirstTime Homebuyer Tools (good for everyone) and Visitor Center. |
| www.realtor.com Search for homes all over the country-relocation help. I have great Realtor contacts all over New England as well and can refer you. |
| www.epodunk.com gives you info on towns & cities all over the country |
| www.greatschools.com info on area schools |
| Looking for financing? Call Mark Higgins at Cape Cod Cooperative Bank 800.641.1100 Cell: 508.631.3788 email mhiggins@capecodcooperative.com Say that I referred you when you call-he's very professional and has all kinds of loan opportunities. Cape Cod Cooperative is a local bank who has been in business on the Cape for years. |
| www.propertymaps.com Great site for Real Estate all over the country-all kinds of info and MLS listings |
| MASSACHUSETTS MANDATORY LICENSEE-CONSUMER RELATIONSHIP DISCLOSURE It is required by law that you know who is representing you in real estate transactions. You will be asked to sign this form at first meeting to determine representation. |
| Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification There are strict laws in MA regarding lead paint in homes. Homes built after 1978 are exempt from these laws. If you're considering a home built before then, please read this information. You will be asked to sign the form on the last page as part of any real estate transaction. |
Purchasing Bank Owned Homes Bank owned homes are already owned by the banks. They price them to sell quickly in a slow market. Most of them are going very close to asking price (within a couple of thousand). They will sometimes wait to respond and often multiple offers get submitted while you're waiting for an answer. They usually choose the highest and "cleanest" offer.If you submit an offer on a bank owned house, you need to give them extra time to respond. Often the bank has hired someone to represent them, and the paperwork goes through several people before they give an answer. Each bank handles the transaction differently. Some require you to be prequalified by their bank before you submit an offer to them. Some only require a small down payment. Most want to go to Purchase & Sales agreement right after they accept the offer. They often include a long detailed Bank Addendum which the buyer must sign as part of the agreement with their specific terms. Most bank owned properties are sold "as is" so you have to be careful. You can have them inspected, but they probably won't address most issues. Most banks price them low knowing there are issues to be dealt with. It often takes a long time to close on the bank owned properties as the paperwork has to go through approvals by so many people. You can get a good deal by purchasing a bank owned home, but the transaction requires patience and willingness to take on some work in most cases. The bank owned properties do not stay on the market long, so you need to be prepared to act right away. These properties are vacant and may have been vacant for quite awhile. Short sales are a little different. These are sales where the seller still owns the house, but the bank has control over the property. They may agree to take less money than the borrower owes to help them avoid foreclosure. It often takes a really long time to get a response from the bank's agent. They often keep them on the market for awhile to get the highest offer possible. These may often take quite awhile to close. The short sale properties seem to be in better shape than the bank owned, and are often in more desirable areas. Homes sold by the owner may be a little higher in price, but you have to compare what you're getting realistically. These may be a better deal overall than the bank owned as most of these homes don't need as much work. Private sellers may be more willing to negotiate off the asking price. The closings are faster as there are dates and deadlines that are agreed upon in the Purchase & Sales agreement. You are more likely to find properties near the water sold by independent sellers. |
| Check List for Home Buyers print to take with you to showings to evaluate properties |