Sunday, August 25, 2024 / by Steve Ticknor
Whether you plan on selling your Havasu home or wish to buy one, at some point, you're going to need to move. That may feel quite daunting. But it doesn't have to be. Follow these simple moving tips to make this day a little easier.
Moving Tips For a Smoother Day
Plan Ahead
As soon as you decide to either sell your home or start looking for a new one, plan for your move. Start with packing up all but the bare minimum you need for clothing, cookware, holiday decorations, etc. Make sure to label each box clearly. Then, store them neatly in the garage or rent a storage unit. After that, get rid of all the extra things you don't need. That includes books, old clothes, dishes, bedding, toys, etc. Throw out anything that has outlived its use. For a little extra money, host a garage/yard sale. Finally, anything left behind after that can be donated.
Part of planning ahead also includes deciding whether or not you plan to hire professional movers or go the DIY route. When hiring movers, cZ ...
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lake havasu real estate, home buying tips, home selling tips, havasu homeowners, moving tips
Sunday, June 9, 2024 / by Steve Ticknor
Congratulations on buying a Lake Havasu home. This very well may be the biggest financial decision you make in your life. As a new homeowner, there are a few very important areas you need to focus on right away.
New Homeowner Tips: What You Should Focus on First
Warranty Time
If the seller did not offer a home warranty when you purchased your property, you might want to consider buying one yourself. A standard home warranty covers the major systems of a home (electrical, plumbing, appliances, HVAC, etc.). Most warranties last for one year. This takes the stress off worrying about whether or not you need to shell out thousands of dollars if one of these systems breaks on you during this time. A warranty may prove worthwhile even if you purchase a brand-new home.
Change Out Your Locks
Another quick yet effective tip for new homeowners is to change the locks on your exterior doors. Even though the old homeowner handed over the keys at signing, for your safety and the safety of your fZ ...
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lake havasu real estate, home buying tips, havasu homeowners
Sunday, July 9, 2023 / by Steve Ticknor
You scrimp and you save for months...maybe even years...to buy a home. Finally, the time feels right. You're ready to dig in your heels and start looking. You prepared yourself for some of the basic expenses. But did you ever stop to think about the real cost of buying a Lake Havasu home? Hint: there's more to it than a down payment.
The Real Cost of Buying a Home
Before You Buy
Down Payment - Of course. This is probably the first thing you thought of when I talked about "cost". Unless you pay all cash or are a veteran using a VA loan to purchase your property, you need to come up with a down payment. FHA loans require at least 3.5% down. On a $500,000 home, that means $17,500 at the very least. But that is only the first in a long line of actual costs.
Closing Costs - Closing costs are the fees for services required to complete the sale of your home. They include prorated HOA and property taxes, title search, loan origination, appraisal, credit check, and sales tax, among others.Z ...
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lake havasu real estate, home buying tips, havasu homeowners
Sunday, March 26, 2023 / by Steve Ticknor
When asked about their least favorite subject in high school on a Thomas B Fordham Institute survey, students overwhelmingly chose math. But we actually do use math for all kinds of things as an adult. Balancing our checkbook. Making sure that we get the correct change back on a purchase. And when buying a home, to calculate its total square footage.
How Square Footage is Determined
What is Square Footage?
First of all, we've all heard this term before. But do you actually know what it means? In real estate terms, this is the total actual dedicated living space inside of a home. According to Bankrate, "livable space" must include walls, a ceiling, a floor, and heat. That means garages, unfinished basements, and patios/porches do not count as livable space. However, hallways and stairwells (for multiple-story homes) do count.
How to Calculate It
Determining the square footage for a whole house? Before you freak out, think about your house in terms of several smaller boxes. MeasurZ ...
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lake havasu real estate, home buying tips, home selling tips, havasu homeowners
Thursday, February 23, 2023 / by Steve Ticknor
Benjamin Franklin once said that "nothing is certain except death and taxes". Well, Uncle Sam expects you to file your 2022 income taxes by April 18th this year. Taxpayers needing more time may file for an extension. This allows you to file as late as October 16th, 2023. If you sold your Lake Havasu house last year, then you may be eligible for some home seller tax deductions.
Home Seller Tax Deductions
Well, "tax deductions" may actually be a little deceiving. Some of these affect your capital gains tax, not your taxable income. If you sold your home and made a profit, congratulations! However, the IRS calls this "capital gains" and views it as income. That means that it is taxable. But the following home seller tax deductions lower your capital gains. In turn, that lowers how much tax you may owe (if any) on this profit.
Capital Gains Exception
First, let's discuss capital gains. This is the difference between what you paid for your home and what you sold it for. So, if. ...
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lake havasu real estate, home selling tips, havasu homeowners
