Making a move to Virginia Beach, or any other Hampton Roads locale, can be overwhelming. It doesn't seem to matter if your are moving across country or across town the details are endless. It pays to be oprganized and have your ducks in a row, so nothing falls through the cracks. Below are suggestions to help make your Virginia Beach move more manageable...
Subscribe to Virginia Beach's local newspaper, The Virginian Pilot, in advance of your move. It usually contains a large real estate section, which can be very helpful in giving you some idea of the type of housing available in the new city, as well as other useful information. Arrange for a house-hunting trip to your new city. When looking for a new home, take along a tape measure and a list of the exact dimensions of each of your major appliances and other large pieces of furniture. Measure the areas provided for them to be sure your appliances and furniture will fit. Establish credit in the new city. Ask your banker for a referral to a correspondent bank and to act as a credit reference.
Preplanning Your Move
Plan your move to Virginia Beach as early as possible. If you are able to move at any time of the year, don't wait until summer, the peak-moving season. Consider also that the first and last few days of the month are extra busy. If you plan to sell your house, get it on the market as soon as possible. If renting, give your landlord timely notice of your moving date. Keep a record of all expenses related to the move, some of which may be tax deductible. Fill out the Personal Household Inventory for each room. This is important for establishing the amount of declared valuation for the shipment and as a permanent inventory for insurance purposes. List, as nearly as possible, the year of purchase and original cost of each item. Attach any invoices or records of purchase to the completed inventory. Prepare a separate high-value inventory if the shipment will contain articles of "extraordinary" value. The following list includes items that might fall into this category:
* Antiques
* Art Collections
* Cameras
* China Collections
* Computer Equipment
* Crystal
* Figurines
* Firearms
* Jewelry
* Manuscripts
* Oriental Rugs
* Silver
* Stones Or Gems
* Tapestries
* TVs Or Stereos
Estimate of Virginia Beach Moving Costs
Unless you have been given a binding estimate where a firm cost is established in advance, the exact cost of a move cannot be determined until after the shipment has been loaded on the van and weighed. The weight on which charges are based is calculated by weighing the van before and after loading. The total cost of the move will include transportation charges, any charges for declared valuation, plus charges for any extra services performed at your request. All of these charges are based on tariff rate schedules.
Owner's Responsibility
It is the owner's responsibility to see that your mechanical, electrical equipment and appliances are properly serviced for shipping prior to the arrival of the moving van. For safe moving, have these items prepared by a licensed or properly trained technician. This service may be performed by a technician of your choice or by qualified personnel of the moving company. If the owner has failed to have an item serviced, the van operator may load and haul it, but will mark the inventory sheet, "Not Serviced-Loaded at Owner's Risk."
Tomorrow read: Six to Eight Weeks Before Your Move to Virginia Beach.
Start your move by searching Virignia Beach homes for sale. Or have new homes for sale emailed to your Inbox as they hit the market with our New Listing Alerts. Visit our blog, AllVirginiaBeachRealEstate.com.
The home buying process may seem daunting to someone who has never purchased a home before. But, with the assistance of an experienced loan officer and Realtor, a first-time home buyer can obtain a better understanding of their financing options, leading to a more positive home buying experience.
Whether you've been dreaming of owning a Virginia Beach home for years or you've just decided it would be a smart financial move to make, your first home buying experience will be a memorable one. It's important to learn about your financing options in order to find the mortgage that's right for you.
The following are tips for Virginia Beach first-time home buyers:
1. Educate Yourself About the Mortgage Process
By taking the initiative and learning about the mortgage process, you can be more confident in the financial decisions you are making. It's important to learn about different types of mortgages, how much you can afford, how your credit impacts your interest rate, and the benefits of home ownership. A mortgage tutorial is available at http://smartedgebygmac.com/, which breaks down the home buying process into easy-to-understand steps.
2. Save Just a Little Bit More
It's not only important to save money for the down payment and closing costs, but it's important to factor in some of the other costs of home ownership such as decorating, repairs and maintenance. Many mortgage lenders recommend that first-time home buyers have at least three to six months of additional savings in their possession in anticipation of these additional expenses.
3. Check Your Credit
An individual's credit score will have a significant impact on his or her mortgage loan approval and interest rate. A good first step in financing a home purchase is to check your credit history. You can request a free credit report from any of the three credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion or Experian. Carefully review your report and contact the credit reporting bureaus to correct any inaccuracies.
4. Shop Around for a Mortgage Lender
As you start thinking and preparing for the home buying process, start shopping for the mortgage lender from whom you would like to obtain a mortgage for your new home. Because this process is new, it's easy to go with the first lender or loan officer you meet. Instead, take your time and shop around. Don't know a mortgage lender, contact us, 866-222-0158 #550 or info@butlerteamhomes.com. We are glad to give you a couple of references. When you've identified two or three loan officers, ask for references. In addition to pricing (interest rate and closing costs), focus on customer service as well as other services and tools that a mortgage lender may be able to offer you.
5. Get Pre-approved
Before you start working with a real estate agent, consider contacting a mortgage lender to obtain a pre-approval credit decision. A loan officer will review your financial status, including your income, cash flow and credit score, to help you determine the maximum monthly housing payment for which you may be able to qualify, and, if qualified, "pre-approve" your mortgage before you've found a home. Armed with a credit pre-approval, you can start searching for homes with a much better idea of your price range, and in turn save time as you will know the right homes to focus on. Obtaining a pre-approval may offer more confidence and certainty to home sellers in your ability to purchase the home.
6. Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions
Once you've found your new home, the mortgage lender will help you through the details of the loan process. From application to closing, your loan officer will work through the financing process with you, just as your real estate professional should do in the home buying process. Throughout the process, read all loan documents carefully, and involve an attorney, if necessary.
7. Inspect
Before you commit to purchasing a home, don't forget to hire a licensed home inspector to conduct a thorough assessment of the property. An inspector can alert you to any major problems with the home, and/or help you understand potential short-term and long-term home maintenance issues.
Are you a first-time Virginia Beach home buyer...or want to be, but have lots of questions? Just give us a call. We can sit down with you and answer all your questions...no obligation!
Start your Virginia Beach home search by looking at homes for sale and get a list of new Virginia Beach homes for sale emailed to you as they hit the market.
Related Posts:
6 Ways To Beat The Stress Of Buying A Virginia Beach Home
Virginia Beach VA Real Estate: 7 Reasons To Own Your Own Home
Virginia Beach VA Real Estate Market Is Different
The Butler Team and Dave Macklin present the Virginia Beach Real Estate Radio Show and Podcast.
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If you would like to learn more about investing in Virginia Beach real estate, please call us at 866-222-0158 #550 or visit AllVirginiaBeachReal Estate.com. You may also begin searching for homes here!
What's The Value Of Your Home?
Simple. Automated. Dependable.
Just go to VirginiaBeachHomeSellers.com and complete the required information on your home and you will receive a COMPLIMENTARY Computer Analysis, indicating your home's approximate present value on the market today. You will receive this information quickly, by email, and WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEAK WITH AN AGENT!
Interested in what's for sale? Start your Virginia Beach real estate home search here. Or give us a call at 866-222-0158 #550.
Related Posts:
Virginia Beach VA Real Estate: How To Get Your Home Sold Fast
10 Things You Should Know About Today's Virginia Beach VA Real Estate Market
Virginia Beach Real Estate Market Report-Feb 2008
Virginia Beach Real Estate Market Is Different
This was the headline of a recent advertisement in the VirginiaPilot...
Our Real Estate Market Is Different.
The ad continued to read:
It is important not to interpret current home prices and home price appreciation only in the context of the housing market of 2004-2005. Over the long term, home prices in Virginia have increased moderately -- and steadily.
The average sales price for Virginia Beach real estate appreciated approximately 6% in 2007 compared to 2006. Read the full report.
Visit VirginiaBeachHomeSellers.com and have the current market value of your home emailed to you. And start your Virginia Beach home search here.
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Serving South Hampton Roads of Virginia including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Smithfield. www.ButlerTeamHomes.com
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