Would you want to learn something about how to buy a home in Cottage Grove? Learning how to buy a home can be confusing for many buyers, especially if you are a MN first time home buyer. As this process can be quite complext I would like to take a moment to share with you some tips of how to accomplish your goal.

How To Buy A home in Cottage Grove

Most Minnesota home buyers start their search for the perfect home on the internet. There are many internet sites to begin this but a good place for you to start is to use the MLS search on my personal website. There are thousands of real estate sites out there but you will soon find that many of them lack some of the important details you need when finding a home. The large national websites, for example, do not show the county property taxes for each home which is one of the biggest factors your lender will need to determine what your monthly payments will be.

Search for a home in Cottage Grove on my website

When you search for homes in Cottage Grove on my website you will find all of the available listings from all of the real estate companies in the area. Because I am part of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), my property website will offer you complete details from every company. One of the other things I can do is to set up an advanced search for you so that I can notify you by email when listings in your price range come available.

Get Preapproved To Buy A home in Cottage Grove

How will you know what kind of price range you should be looking for? In order for you to know the amount of monthly payments you will get for a home in Cottage Grove you will have to get prequalified for a home loan. This is the important first step in the process for how to purchase a home in Cottage Grove Since there is no cost or obligation when you get prequalified by one of our local MN mortgage lenders, you should do this right away so that you can clear any roadblocks there might be in the process of getting a home loan.

Let's go look at homes!

After you have been preapproved by a Minnesota mortgage lender I will take you to available listings in your price range. I usually suggest that we look through at least 15 or more of these before you make your offer to buy one. By doing a thorough search you will know homes that are a great value to buy. When a home comes available that meets your needs you should be ready to make your offer since properties now sell fast.

After the purchase agreement, and before closing

Once you’ve made your offer it usually takes about 30 or longer before you go to your loan closing to finalize the purchase of your home. During this time your lender will collect all of the necessary documentation that they need from you to finish your loan approval. They will also order an appraisal on your home to make sure the price of the home you are buying is in line. They will also order a title policy from a title company to make sure the title to your new home is clean.

Closing on your home

After you receive your complete loan approval from your lender you will be ready to close on the purchase of your new home. At the loan closing everyone gets together to sign documentation, exchange funds, and to give up property keys and welcome you to your new home. Once you’ve closed on your home you will now be a homeowner!

Info about Cottage Grove

Conveniently located just 8 miles south of Saint Paul, the city of Cottage Grove offers all the best of suburban living along with the benefits of the Twin Cities. With a little over 34,000 in population Cottage Grove offers plenty of affordable housing. Cottage Grove high school students attend one of the 4 schools, Woodbury High, East Ridge High School, Alternative Learning Center, or Park High School. Middle school students go to Cottage Grove Middle School, Oltman MS, Lake MS, or Woodbury Middle School. There are recreational opportunities available for all ages with an well-developed Park and Rec department. If you are searching for Cottage Grove please send me an email or give me a call.

Are you ready to start the process of looking for homes? Please just send me an email or give me a call as I am eager to help you begin your search for a home in Cottage Grove!

Casey Anderson
Sales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota
IBR Realty
caseyanderson@ibrrealty.com
Cell 651-245-1820
Woodbury, MN 55125
With a focus on Woodbury homes for sale and surrounding communities.

One increasingly common mortgage option in Cottage Grove for Minnesota home buyers is available through the VA. This type of financing has increased nationally by about 20% over the last couple of years due in part to the sheer number of our returning veterans. Additionally with the loss of other options for zero down payment loans in Minnesota, the VA offers a benefit that offers eligible buyers a unique opportunity to buy their home with no down payment.

Many veteran home buyers misunderstand the fact that they may use their VA financing benefit multiple times. As a result veteran home buyers do not necessarily need to be a MN first time home buyer in order to use their VA benefit. This can be a perfect solution for current homeowners who want to sell their existing home to buy another but who don't have a lot of equity in their home. Since they will be able buy their next home with no down payment with a Minnesota VA loan they can more easily sell their home despite receiving no proceeds from the sale.

Cottage Grove VA Loans: First Determine Your Eligibility

Veterans must first determine 2 things to see if they are eligible for VA financing. First they should research if they are eligible for a Certificate of Eligibility through the Veteran's Administration. They can apply for the Certificate online or through their mortgage lender. There are several categories for eligibility and I encourage veterans to check with the VA or to research their eligibility online

The Certificate of Eligibility grants a guarantee to the lender which helps to offset some of their losses in the event of a foreclosure. This guarantee is paid for by the veteran in the form of the “VA funding fee” which is commonly financed within the mortgage loan. The funding fee is waived for Cottage Grove veterans who have experienced service related disabilities.

The second thing a Cottage Grove veteran should determine is if they can get prequalified for a VA loan. I encourage all Minnesota veterans to get preapproved for MN VA loans before we go out shopping for Cottage Grove homes. By going through the preapproval process the banker will review your credit, income, assets, and debts to determine if you meet the VA’s requirements for financing. This critical first step is usually free and requires no commitment to buy on the part of the buyer. In fact many MN VA lenders will do this right over the phone.

Cottage Grove Information

Conveniently located just 8 miles south of Saint Paul, the city of Cottage Grove offers all the best of suburban living along with the benefits of the Twin Cities. With a population over 34,000 Cottage Grove offers a wide array of affordable suburban housing. Cottage Grove high school students attend one of the 4 schools, Woodbury High, East Ridge High School, Alternative Learning Center, or Park High School. If you have students in middle school they would attend either Cottage Grove Middle School, Lake Middle School, Oltman MS, or Woodbury Middle School. There are recreational opportunities available for all ages with an well-developed Park and Rec department. If you're interested in buying Cottage Grove please give me a call to help you start your search.

If you are a Cottage Grove veteran and are interested in buying your first home please just give me a call. Whether you have a home to sell or are ready to buy your first, Cottage Grove VA loans are a great way to buy a home in today’s market. With record low rates and reduced home values many vets have found smaller house payments than what they are currently paying for rent!

Casey Anderson
Sales Executive, Licensed Realtor in Minnesota
IBR Realty
caseyanderson@ibrrealty.com
Cell 651-245-1820
Woodbury, MN 55125
With a focus on Woodbury real estate and surrounding communities.

Looking for a townhouse in Cottage Grove, MN? You might be wondering if it’s a good investment. The past five years of the real estate downward spiral in the United States has been discouraging for some, but surveys show that most Americans still believe that buying a home is a good way to invest their money. And with good cause, per the Wall Street Journal. There are indications that 2011 might be exactly the right time to buy:

• Mortgage rates are near 50-year lows
• ARMs are at record lows
• Homes are more affordable than ever
• The high number of foreclosures has created a buyer’s market

But it won’t stay this way:

Such conditions might not last long. Moody’s Analytics predicts that the number of distressed sales will begin to fall in 2013, and that prices will begin to edge upward then. Home building is at a virtual standstill, so the supply overhang isn’t likely to get much worse. Meanwhile, demographic indicators such as “household formation”—the number of new households each year—are on the rise, and promise to take a bite out of the glut in coming years.

No one predicts that the housing market will rebound in the next year, but if you’re making a longer-term plan for investing in a townhouse in Cottage Grove, the outlook is good. Rising rent prices and falling housing prices means that soon many who rent for financial reasons will likely take a hard look at whether buying wouldn’t be more to their advantage.

Analysts don’t expect housing prices or interest rates to get much lower than they are right now. Interest rates are, in fact, expected to increase. Even a half-percent increase in mortgage interest can add a hundred dollars or more to your monthly payments, depending on the amount of your loan. Because of these factors, now is a great time to invest in a townhouse in Cottage Grove, MN!

You want to sell your house in Cottage Grove, MN as quickly as possible. You’ve cleaned out your belongings to make it more attractive to potential buyers, you’ve painted the walls and done the repair work necessary. You’ve maybe even baked cookies before a showing to make the whole place smell amazing. But one key area is often overlooked by sellers focused on the interior of their home: landscaping.

Done well, landscaping brings a 100-200% return in its value. If you have the money and time to hire a professional, do so (you can find licensed landscaping professionals near Cottage Grove at GardenMinnesota.com). But if you’re short on time and want to add value and curb appeal to your home, follow the tips found in this article.

#1 – Keep the Green
Don’t get rid of trees unless they’re dead or otherwise extremely unattractive. Trees have an inherent value to most would-be buyers. And add plants around your home

#2 – Get Rid of the Brown
Remove as much dead plant/grass/branch material from your yard as possible. Green says “fresh and cared for”. Brown says “neglected”. Follow the tips in the article:

• Rake the lawn to remove any overwintering dead leaves or dead grass stems. It will instantly make the remaining foliage look brighter and more appealing.
• Shrubs — remove any dead branches first thing in spring. Put a thin layer of new mulch around all shrubs to freshen up the look. Do not use coloured mulches. People who don’t like them will reduce offers, but people who do like them can still tolerate natural bark mulches.
• Weed constantly because a single weed can reduce the impact you’re trying to create. Weeds say “neglect.”
• Avoid hanging baskets unless you can really grow them. By July they tend to look weather beaten. Pavers and pavement — clean them within an inch of their lives.
• Perennials — deadhead, deadhead, deadhead. Keep those perennial plants trimmed up and neat.
• Bulbs — cut them to the ground as soon as possible and plant annuals over top of them.
• Water gardens — clean out, get the pumps working immediately and toss as many clumps of oxygenators into the pond as needed to get rid of the spring algae bloom and get the water clear.

#3 – Find the “Wow”
Make your yard not only green, but lush and green by overseeding it. Keep your annuals well-watered and bright. Edge all your flower beds. These small steps add up to a big impression on buyers.

Make your home in Cottage Grove, Minnesota stand out from the pack with some basic landscaping. The numbers don’t lie – you’ll reap the benefits!