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3 Finance Items to Handle BEFORE Shopping Homes

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When starting the process of  buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks , it's important to not get ahead of yourself and secure your finances before you start looking for a home. If you don't have your finances in order before you start looking, you risk making a rushed decision on your mortgage which could cost you a higher interest rate or you may find your dream home and not be able to make an offer because you don't have your finances squared away. Read on to get some advice from the  Fran Campbell Team  for dealing with your finances for  purchasing a home at the Lake of the Ozarks . 1. Get Pre-Approved The last thing you want to do is fall in love with a home that you can't afford. That's why it's so important to know what your budget is before you start looking at homes. You can avoid a lot of wasted time and energy by getting pre-approved so you have an idea of what lenders will loan to you. This will help you and your agent pinpoint homes within your bud...

Get Handy with Our Fall Home Maintenance Checklist!

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Whether you are currently a homeowner, or in the market to purchase a home very soon, Fall is a great time of year to do some seasonal maintenance on your home. Keeping up with necessary home maintenance each year helps to keep your home in tip-top shape. Read on to get a handy list from the  Fran Campbell Team  for your fall home maintenance checklist. Reverse Your Ceiling Fan By remembering to reverse your ceiling fan, you can redistribute the warm air from the ceiling back down to your living space. Cover Your Air Conditioners Vacuuming out the internal parts of your air conditioners and then covering them with an appropriate cover can help your unit last longer and protect it from the elements. If you have a window unit, you can take them out or cover them up according to their instructions. Caulk Windows One of your main goals through the winter will be to retain heat and keep the cold out. One of the most cost-effective ways to do this is by caulking the windows and door...

8 Loan Programs for First Time Homebuyers

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As a first time homebuyer,  buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks  is a very exciting time. It can also be a very stressful time - especially when you're trying to figure out your financing options. For those who don't have the best credit or a lot of money saved back to put toward a down payment, buying a home can seem impossible. Fortunately, there are several programs available to first time buyers that provide them with  great mortgage opportunities . This week, we'll look at 8 common lender programs that help first time homebuyers get into their first home: 1. FHA loan Best for: Buyers with low credit and smaller down payments Insured by the Federal Housing Administration, FHA loans typically come with smaller down payments and lower credit score requirements than most conventional loans. First-time homebuyers can buy a home with a minimum credit score of 580 and as little as 3.5 percent down or a credit score of 500 to 579 with at least 10 percent down. Unfortunat...

Real Estate Investing: Here's What You Need to Know

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Investing in a condo, apartment, or single family home  can have big potential, and can be a great way to plan for your future. As such, buying any property should be approached as any significant investment, requiring focus, diligence and careful research into local property, economic and demographic trends. Let's learn a little about what investing in these types of properties entails: What are the differences between condos and single-family homes? Using appreciation as a measure, condominiums in some areas have been as profitable an investment as single-family homes in the past five years. And in some markets, condos appreciated even more, according to some experts. While single-family homes have been the preferred investment by homebuyers, changing demographics are helping make condos more popular, especially among single homebuyers, empty nesters and first-time buyers in high-priced markets. Also, the condominium community has worked hard in the last few years to overcome ima...

6 Benefits of Lake Living

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Whether you buy a home at the Lake of the Ozarks as a full-time residence or as a vacation home - your lake house will probably be your favorite house you'll ever own. Lake homes offer several great benefits that can't be found in any other type of property. Keep reading to see what benefits you could be reaping as a lake home owner! Photo Credit:  FunLake.com 1. There Is Always Something Fun To Do With private lake access, you'll never sit at home wondering how you should occupy yourself ever again. As the owner of your own lake home, you'll constantly have the water at your disposal. Boating, tubing, swimming, fishing, water skiing, wakeboarding, riding the jet ski, canoeing, kayaking... Countless fun activities are always mere seconds away. 2. You Will Never Have To Go To Someone Else's House As the owner of a lake house, you'll hardly ever have to pick up and drive to another friend or family member's home - because YOUR HOUSE will be where the party is...

6 Tips for Child-Proofing Your Home

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Ask any parent or grandparent; children provide an endless source of joy in the household. Children have a uniquely positive view of the world, and their enthusiasm can be infectious. Underneath all the joys of raising children, however, comes a great deal of responsibility.  Fran Campbell Team  wants to remind you that it is absolutely crucial to ensure that your home provides a safe environment for the little ones in your life. If you're expecting children in your home soon, consider following these tips to childproof your home. 1. Electrical Outlets At best, electric shocks are unpleasant - at worst, they're dangerous. Block electrical outlets in your home from inquisitive fingers with plugs, electrical tapes, or safety latches. 2. Heavy Objects and Furniture Toddlers have a knack for unintentionally knocking things over. If possible, bolt heavy desks and dressers to the wall. Push televisions or other heavy objects farther back so they are out of reach of the youngsters. T...

5 Disadvantages of Using the FSBO Method

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Often, homeowners consider selling their home as "for sale by owner" because they don't want to pay a real estate a commission. However, did you know that more times than not when you don't use a  real estate agent at the Lake of the Ozarks  it could actually cost you more? Hiring a  real estate agent at the Lake of the Ozarks  often see a higher return on their home and significantly reduce legal issues associated with selling a home. Read on to find out why sticking a "for sale by owner" sign in your front yard might not be the best idea. #1 Agents Have Access to the Multiple Listing Service A real estate agent has access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is a database of current homes for sale. By hiring a real estate agent, information about your home will be instantly available to agents all across your area. They can conduct searches in the MLS for potential buyers to locate properties the buyers might be interested in. If you try to sell ...