Posted by Rebecca
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:13:00 GMT
In my first “Buying a Foreclosure” post, I advised potential buyers to get out and drive the neighborhoods to get an idea of where they’d be willing to buy a home if a great deal were to arise. With gas prices what they are, I imagine this is easier said than done.
A great way to start your search without spending a dime on gas is to use Google’s Street View. I did a post on Street View about a year ago, when it first came out, but at the time street-level photos of Savannah were not yet included.
Now they are. You can zoom in and out, rotate 360 degrees, drag the icon to go to a new location, drag the photo to move from left to right, or or click the directional buttons to “drive” down the street.
You can check out most of Savannah’s neighborhoods this way, viewing actual pictures of houses, streets and businesses. It’s still a good idea to see the neighborhood in person, but at least you can eliminate or include some areas without ever getting in your car.
Here’s the street view of my office below, located on 24 E Oglethorpe Avenew in downtown Savannah. Check it out. You can navigate around zoom out to see more streets. If you want to do your own search later on, just go to maps.google.com, put in an address and click the “Street View” button.
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Posted in Buyers, Downtown Savannah, Savannah Neighborhoods, Google Maps, Buying a Foreclosure | leave a comment
Posted by Rebecca
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:13:00 GMT
Click here to read Part 1 of this story.
At the end of my last post, the bank had verbally accepted our bid on the home. In a traditional home purchase , the seller accepts an offer by signing the original purchase and sale contract. The two parties would then have a binding agreement at that time.
In this case, the bank didn’t sign anything, but sent us an unsigned “addendum” to fill out, sign and return to them, at which point they would sign it and the original purchase and sale contract. Not until then would we have a binding agreement.This addendum is basically a large packet of papers written by the bank’s attorneys to protect them in the transaction. It outlines the terms already stated in the original offer, as well as the length of time you have to get inspections done, title transfer information, etc.
The verbiage can be very one-sided in the favor of the seller.Where does that leave you as the buyer? Unprotected if you don’t have your own Realtor.
And I don’t mean the listing Realtor, because he is representing the bank. You need your own representation. Your Realtor should be able to help you decide which concessions you’ll need to make in order to play ball with the bank and which terms are worth negotiating.
After we filled out the addendum and sent it back, we were back to waiting on a signature from the bank.
More waiting. This is an emotionally challenging process for the buyer. The ball is seemingly always in the bank’s court, but if you’re getting a great deal, it’s more than worth it.
In our case, our home appraised at 52% more than we paid for it.
Read more...
Posted in Buying a Foreclosure | Tags foreclosure | leave a comment
Posted by Rebecca
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:07:00 GMT
About a month ago, my husband Rob and I bought a foreclosure as our primary residence. We were living in a small but comfortable condo at the time and weren’t in a huge hurry to move, but we’d been keeping a casual eye on a few neighborhoods on Wilmington Island.
We liked one island neighborhood in particular and were riding through when we noticed the home. 
Being a Realtor, I’d seen the listing online already, knew it was a foreclosure, but for some reason had it in my head that we wouldn’t be interested in it.
Since it was vacant and on lock box, we decided to check it out anyway and were pleasantly surprised at the interior.
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Posted in Buying a Foreclosure | Tags a, Buying, foreclosure
Posted by Rebecca
Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:06:00 GMT
Current market conditions make this the ideal time to BUY, and everyone is looking for a good deal.
How do you find one of these deals, you ask?
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Posted in Buying a Foreclosure | Tags foreclosure | 1 comment
Posted by Rebecca
Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:32:00 GMT
I co-hosted an open house this weekend at charming 340 E 50th St. in Ardsley Park. Built in 1946, it is endowed with so many of the unique features of that era: arched doorways, fireplace with embellished mantel and separate carriage house with 2 car garage and studio apartment above…
And not-so-pretty gray carpet over gorgeous oak floors. When the owner’s Realtor (Alice Pollak, friend and fellow CBTR agent) agreed to list the home for sale, she asked the owner to pull up the carpet in the back bedroom just to see what was there. They did, only to reveal the beautiful floors in the photo to the right!
Apparently, during the time the house was built, wood flooring was an FHA requirement, but carpet was the style. So, people would put the wood floors in to meet the requirement, then immediately cover them with the highly fashionable (for the time) carpet. Years later, home owners are pulling back the worn wall-to-wall carpet to reveal wood flooring that was never trod upon. What a find!
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Posted in Savannah Neighborhoods, Ardsley Park | leave a comment
Posted by Rebecca
Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Most people know that Savannah boasts the largest historic district in the nation. Its rich history is what draws so many to our beautiful city, but there is much more to Savannah than a walk through the past. Brimming with old-world elegance and beauty, Savannah is the perfect blend of southern tradition and artsy, contemporary quirkiness.
You can’t help but be wooed by Savannah’s irresistible ambiance. Strolling down brick-lined sidewalks, flanked by flowering azalea bushes with spanish moss draped lazily over mammoth-sized live oak branches, you’ll find yourself drawn in and never wanting to leave.
Savannah works its way into the very fiber of your being. The smell of the marsh, the sound of the saxophone player warming up in the bustling square outside your window each morning, the clip-clop of horse hooves on the street below.
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Posted in Wilmington Island, Whitemarsh Island, Tybee Island, Downtown Savannah, Savannah Neighborhoods, Beach | leave a comment
Posted by Rebecca
Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:27:00 GMT
We all know that plastic bags hurt the environment, and paper bags use a ton of energy and resources, so the question of “paper or plastic?” at the grocery store makes me feel awful either way. Especially since I shop several times a month, and the baggers at my store rarely fill each bag up, even when I ask them to. Rob and I save most of ours, but really. How many plastic grocery bags can you realistically use around the house?
So, I’ve been wanting to bring my own bags to the grocery store for a while, but never did get around to getting any. Plus, I wasn’t really thrilled about looking an old lady, whipping out my canvas bags (stupid, vain stereotype, I know, but I can’t help it).
Anyway, I came across these very cute, stylish bags from Red Envelope. A set of 5 is $35, and they’re washable, hold the same amount as two plastic grocery bags, and all 5 roll up in a little pouch that fits in your purse. I love them! I ordered mine last week.
Our baggers won’t know what to do with me, as I’ve never seen anyone bringing their own bags in our grocery store, but someone’s gotta start it, right?
I thought I’d give them a quick push in case you, like me, were looking for a way to cut down on a little waste. By the way, if any of you carry the canvas bags, I totally love you. No disrespect intended. On the contrary. You’re braver than I, and I bet you look great doing it!
Posted in Our Planet | leave a comment
