Top realtor in Lehigh Valley? Founded in the 1700’s by Moravians, the “Christmas City” is known for its rich colonial and industrial history. It’s experiencing a cultural and economic renaissance ongoing with rich farm markets and brunch spots, wineries and chocolate shops, romantic date nights that have dinner and a show, or a reservation at 2021’s #1 Historic Hotel of America, The Hotel Bethlehem. Sports venues, concert halls, museums, chic restaurants, ski resorts, and even a hidden ivy league university considered the best in research in the nation. Find extra details on a lot of info here. Ranked in the top 1% of Berkshire Hathaway agents nationwide, Rebecca L. Decker Francis and her team specialize in the Lehigh Valley luxury home market. Mixing their professional marketing expertise, business acumen and extensive relations both locally and abroad, Rebecca and her team can help buyers and sellers alike achieve their goals. Whether buying or selling a fine home, their access to the latest technologies and market research, along with their ability to network with other top luxury agents will benefit clients and enhance their buying or selling experience.
This is where the groundwork is laid for the search for your new home. There are several points you should cover in your initial consultation. For example: Define your needs; the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, size of the kitchen, where you want to live, your price range, timeline, etc. Determine when and how often you can look at prospective homes. Verify your contact information and how you want to be contacted (email, phone, etc.) Ask your agent about financing. They can explain the different types of available loan programs, and refer you to lenders that can answer specific questions. Review the paperwork. While not necessary at this point, reviewing paperwork will allow you the advantage to ask questions about documents before it’s time to sign them.
Have an Emergency Fund: If you lost your job tomorrow would you have enough money to live off while you look for a new one? If not then you’re not alone. This study found that although Americans are doing a better job at saving, around 24 percent of them (57 million people) don’t have an emergency fund. Now I don’t want to be a negative Nancy or a Debbie downer, but emergencies happen all the time. They may not happen to you, but it’s always good to be prepared. You can’t predict an emergency, but you can prepare for one. The best way to do so is to set up an emergency fund of 3-6 months living expenses. That means if you lost your job tomorrow, you’d be able to live off your emergency fund for 3-6 months while you look for a new one. Net worth can seem like a tricky topic, but it’s quite simple. Your net worth is how much money you are worth. If you were to sell everything you own, then pay off everything you owe, how much money would be left?
This should be a necessity for anyone who is buying real estate. You don’t want to buy a home that has a crack in the foundation or needs a new roof. A home inspection can spot these and other things that are wrong with the house, which gives you far more negotiating power, and it gives you a reasonable idea of what to expect in terms of expenses for the future. What type of storage space does the estate have? Is it a luxury home with plenty of space, or is it going to be a tight squeeze when you move all of your stuff in? This is important as you begin your home search, you want to set proper expectations for how much room you’ll really need.
Consider the possibilities of added free time in your schedule when your door-to-door commute is cut in half and your spending power is multiplied thanks to an affordable cost of living. Picture the opportunities for learning—ranging from numerous public, charter, and private K-12 offerings to nationally-ranked colleges and universities—that will enable you and your family to thrive. To top it off, you’ll be surrounded by world-class healthcare providers offering everything from general practice to specialized surgery, rehabilitation, athletic performance training, and more. All that (and more) is Made Possible in Lehigh Valley. The region has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation, and is just a short drive away from major mid-Atlantic cities including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.
Speaking of that home being out of your price range, you may want to get pre-approved with a bank or mortgage lender ASAP. First off, real estate agents won’t give you the time of day without one, especially in a red-hot market. And secondly, if you don’t know how much house you can afford, you’re basically wasting your time by perusing listings and going to open houses. This is especially true if the homes you’ve got your eye on are consistently going above asking since you’ll need even more purchasing power. It’s not hard or all that time consuming to get a mortgage pre-approval, and it’ll give you more confidence and perhaps make you more serious about finally making the move. Tip: Look for an online mortgage lender that lets you generate a pre-approval on the fly in minutes (and know you don’t have to use them if and when you proceed with a purchase!). See extra details on rebeccafrancisteam.foxroach.com.