Common now more than ever are homeowner associations. Just in Idaho there are more than 3,000 homeowners’ associations. If you’ve ever found yourself touring adjoining neighborhoods, but one maybe looks more spruced up and well cared for versus the other? Chances are there might be a homeowner association involved.

Ever wonder why in some communities most of the houses are similar colors? Most likely a homeowner association. When looking at home for sale- an HOA can make or break the deal. It’s important to know how these associations work and understand what you’re signing up for when you buy that new home.

What is a Homeowners Association

A homeowners association is just that. When a developer begins building a new community, they usually

What Is a 1031 Exchange?

While a 1031 exchange (also called a like-kind exchange or a Starker) encompasses many different components, the short answer is that it is a way for people to buy and sell investment type properties in order to defer income tax on the financial gain of the property.

For many, this is known as the ultimate tax shelter when it comes to buying and selling real estate investments. While this is a beneficial vehicle for many, 1031 exchanges do not work for everyone.

An in-depth conversation with your tax advisor and attorney should be able to determine whether a 1031 exchange will work for you. There are many things to consider like your current tax profile and other financial transactions that you have taking place. In some

Recently, I drove by a duplex in my area. One side had caught on fire and the damage was pretty substantial. Not only was the building a mess but all the tenants personal property was destroyed. Smoke damaged belongings were just piled up in the yard. When you see something like this it makes you think about two things. Whether or not everyone made it out OK and how horrible to have something like that happen.

Fires happen and other natural disasters happen, all the time. If you’re living in a rental be it a duplex, apartment or a single family home, you trust that something like this won’t happen but sometimes it does. If you’re a renter you need to protect yourself and your belongings, you need renters insurance.

Renters insurance is known

So What Is an FHA Loan?

FHA stands for Federal Housing Administration. In simple terms, this is a loan program that’s popular with first-time homebuyers that is backed and insured by the federal government. Now it’s important to know that this isn’t who will make you the loan, your lender will do that, but this is an entity that oversees and helps folks get into new homes. Also worth noting – not all lenders are FHA qualified and not all FHA qualified lenders are the same when it comes to interest rate, fees, etc. Like anything else, always shop around to get the best deal.

What Are the Advantages of FHA Loans?

When it comes to an FHA loan- What’s in it for me? A much lower down payment! I don’t know about you but growing up I always thought

Reality Check: You’re Already Paying a Mortgage. Monthly rents have shot up throughout the area and now more than ever, folks realize that the amount of rent they’re paying every month could easily be paying an actual mortgage – for a home you own. There are many Idaho First Time Home Buyer Programs that can help you do just that.

National Programs & Grants

FHA

A significant portion of first time home buyers will utilize an FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan. An Idaho FHA loan is a loan that is backed by the government and buyers are required to put down at least 3.5% of the loan amount in order to purchase a home. Let’s face it, 3.5% can add up. What most people don’t know is that there are Idaho first time home buyer programs out

You are now an expert on how to buy a house – you went to open houses, put in offers and found the home of your dreams! Fast forward to the closing, the end of the road of your home buying experience. Now you’ve found yourself in a conference room- pen in hand, ready to sign away. While the closing home timeline varies for every closing, most likely in the next couple of hours, you will officially be a homeowner!

What is a Home Closing? In simple terms, a closing is where the home purchase is finalized and ownership of a property is transferred from seller to buyer and made official with the county.

Things to Expect During the Closing Process

Your lender will send all the mortgage paperwork to the title company- who acts like an impartial 3rd

It’s taken some deep soul searching, but you’ve finally come to the conclusion that you’re tired of giving a large sum of money to your landlord every month and not having anything to show in return. Congratulations- you’re on your way to becoming a homeowner!

Now the question remains, how do I get started? Maybe you’ve poked around at what’s for sale on the internet and have seen homes that you think would be a good fit, but where to begin? While there’s tons of information about how to get started on your new home search I’m going to break it down for you in 6 easy steps to help you on your way from becoming a first time home buyer.

Ask yourself, “what is owning my own home worth?”

Meet with a Real Estate Expert

Not to toot my own horn,

As life events go a Home Inspection, whether buying or selling a house, can be one of the more stressful ones. No matter where you’re at in the process, as a buyer- once you’ve written your offer or as a seller once you’ve received an offer the next step is for the home to be inspected.

For home sellers- it’s not required, but suggested you have a pre-listing home inspection done prior to listing your home for sale. A prelist inspection of a home can provide peace of mind knowing that any unknown issues could come up makes for a smooth transaction.

No matter how long you’ve lived in your home, you may have items that should be repaired prior to listing your home. Not only may it come up during a buyer’s home inspection but certain repairs may