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Home » Family Articles » The American Dream Home Ownership

The American Dream – Home Ownership!

Everyone would like to become a homeowner here in the USA. I know I did! There is nothing like closing escrow on your home and knowing that it took a lot of effort, research, and determination to purchase your home! But after spending many months and viewing all the number of homes it was all worth the effort! You purchase a place you are proud of!

Today we are very lucky to be able to find the home of our dreams right on the Internet. Almost everything today is at your fingertips? This is why real estate searches on the World-Wide-Web are such a big deal these days. Everyone is turning to his or her laptops and notebooks to search for that perfect home. Believe me; it is out there. You just need the right tool to find it.

Have you ever tried real estate searches online? This is actually a fun routine. I enjoy doing this sort of thing in my spare time. So far I've narrowed down my ideal location to a spot in New England. Okay, so that's not too impressive. On the other hand, do you have any idea what region you want to purchase or build your dream home in? Trust me when I say, a lot of people do not. It's just so difficult to decide on one perfect place.

There are so many factors to consider when you're doing real estate searches. Are you married? Do you have any children? Does your spouse enjoy the same type of setting/amenities? These are all valid queries to consider when searching high and low for a wonderful house.

You should decide on a number of factors before starting your search:

1) Affordable price range?

2) Number of bedrooms and Bathrooms?

3) Size of the home, (square feet)?

4) Year the home was built?

5) Should we use a Real Estate Agent?

These are probably the basic questions you should have answers for, before proceeding forward.

Here is another list of questions that many homebuyers don't even think about once they have located possible candidates?

1) Is the home well maintained?

2) Are the neighbor's maintaining their homes?

3) Numbers of miles from your place of work?

4) Numbers of miles from the nearest school?

5) Numbers of miles from your place of worship?

6) The distance from the nearest Fire Station?

7) Where is the nearest fire plug/hydrant?

8) Is the home near a train track, freeway, park, or prison?

I'm sure you will think of many other questions as your search continues.

For me personally, a great deal has to do with schooling. Since I already have a child, who is now seven years old, I must make sure that I provide her with an ideal school. You know, one that's perfectly safe and truly values education. These are essential factors. You should also think about the local colleges in the area, unless you think that your child will be attending college out of state?

There are many places you can start your home search, the Internet, newspapers, Realty signs, For Sale By Owner signs, MLS, etc. If you don't have much time you could locate a reliable real estate agent in your area? But, sometime this can become a search in it self? You'll want to work with a full time agent! There are many part-time agents who would in the industry as a hobby or just something to do to kill time? The more years of experience the better; a veteran agent would be your best bet! You can find a good agent right online.

So start your search today! Take your time and do the research, it will pay off for you in the end....

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Credit Counseling – Six Tips to Avoid Counseling Scams

Credit counseling is a useful service for anyone with problem debt. A good counseling agency can provide advice regarding money management and debt consolidation. They can also help arrange a repayment plan with your creditors to help you get out of debt. A bad agency can charge excessive fees, pocket money that was intended to pay your bills, and steer you into greater debt than before. Predatory credit counseling has become a multibillion dollar industry, and with the recent passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act, credit counseling will soon become mandatory for anyone filing for bankruptcy. How can you avoid becoming a victim of credit counseling scams? How can you choose a helpful and reputable credit counselor?

Here are a few tips that can help you avoid becoming a victim of predatory agencies:

# Many agencies claim to be nonprofit, but that doesn't mean they don't charge money or work with for-profit companies. Inquire about the fees the company charges. Is there a setup fee? Monthly payments? Does the company keep the first payment, or does some of it go towards your debts? Fees should fall within your ability to pay, and any agency that is trying to help you will know this. A company that charges hundreds or thousands of dollars in setup fees is probably not interested in anything other than your money.

# Ask the counselor how he or she is compensated. A salary or hourly wage is a good answer, but you should be suspicious if they are on commission or earn incentives by steering you towards expensive debt consolidation programs. A good counselor should direct you towards solutions that help you, not solutions that earn them more money.

# Will your creditors work with this agency? Call your creditors directly and ask them if they will negotiate with the specific agency you're seeing. Counselors often state that they can get your creditors to lower fees, restructure debt or lower interest rates. Can they? Call the creditors yourself to be sure.

# Make sure that you get all of the counselors promises and terms in writing. Anything that he or she tells you verbally isn't binding, so don't believe it if it isn't written down.

# Make sure your agency provides you with monthly reports that state how much you have paid them and who is receiving the payments. Don't take them at their word that your bills are being paid; verify it.

# Check with your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau to make sure that there are no outstanding complaints against this agency. The counseling business is full of fraud, and complaints are common. It's smart to inquire.

By taking your time, asking the right questions, and doing proper research, you should be able to find a helpful and reputable credit counselor who can help you reduce or eliminate your debts. Thousands of Americans are victimized each year by predatory counseling firms, but there's no reason why you should become a victim of one. If you have problem debt, you have trouble enough already without looking for more.