1.
Not having enough details & demographics about your
new hometown
Gather as much information as possible about your new
destination, from sources such as Mortgage 101's Power Relo
Tools, your RPS relocation package, Chamber of Commerce
newcomer packages, location magazines and your Realtor.
2. Not having your home priced and showable for selling
Check
your home thoroughly for all needed repairs before listing
it for sale. Pay attention to details such as gapped caulking,
chipped tiles, paint...it's often these little things that
potential buyers will notice. Also, have the home professionally
cleaned, including carpets. If you haven't had your home
appraised in the last two years, do it before putting the
home up for sale. Over pricing your home at the outset will
result in slow showings and a delay in selling.
3.
Poor research of what your money can buy in your new city
Many factors such as differing salary, cost of living,
taxes and housing prices affect what the same dollar can
buy in different parts of the country.
4. Not getting a mortgage pre-qualification letter before
house-hunting
While pre-qualifying with a mortgage company doesn't
provide final loan approval, it does give you a realistic
price guideline and shows sellers that you are a serious
and qualified buyer. Get
pre-qualified now.
5. Not protecting yourself with the best home inspection
possible
This goes for both the home you're selling as well as
the one you're buying, although who pays for the inspection
(buyer or seller) is negotiable in each separate contract.
A good inspector should be: A member of the ASHI (American
Society of Home Inspectors); bonded, licensed and insured;
able to provide references; up front about their fees and
what is included (are termite inspections extra, for example.)
6. Setting up the best interim housing between destinations
When you first arrive in your new town, you'll most
likely need to have temporary housing arrangements until
you can close and move into a new home. This may be anywhere
from a few days to a few months. If you foresee needing
interim housing for less than 30 days, the easiest option
is a suite
hotel geared for extended stays. For a month or longer,
corporate apartments or homes are much roomier, more comfortable,
and usually 20-60% less than paying a daily or weekly hotel
rate.
7. Moving your household and belongings safely
Depending on the size of your household and the distance
of the move, you may want to consider hiring a moving company.
Obviously, doing it yourself can save quite a bit of money;
however, the time factor, experience of professional movers
and the insurance they provide your contents may make hiring
the better choice. Moving
companies can give you either a binding or non-binding estimate.
Binding means that the cost is held to exactly the estimate
they give; this means that they will actually physically
inspect your home before giving the estimate. A non-binding
estimate is only an approximation and no guarantee that
the final billing won't be more. However, federal law sets
a ceiling of no more than 10% additional charges over the
estimate. You will also want a moving company that can guarantee
the pickup and delivery dates.
8. Having a trailing spouse who needs to relocate into a
new job
By the year 2000, 65% of all households had two incomes,
creating a
significant burden when losing one income as a result of
relocation. 27% of
companies provide spouse employment assistance; if yours
is one of them, take advantage of it. If not, try to begin
establishing a network before you arrive, contacting any
friends or acquaintances in your new city; subscribing to
the newspaper; contacting recruiters, placement firms and
career counselors; contacting the chamber of commerce and
employment commission; and joining organizations, especially
networking ones. If a job still hasn't been landed by move
time, consider volunteering or joining a temporary agency
- great full time careers have been started from both.
9. Finding the best new schools for your children
Concerns about family and children is the second
most frequently cited reason for reluctance to move. There
are many ways to find out all the information you need to
make a wise decision. If you haven't decided on a particular
area of town, the chamber of commerce can give you a wealth
of statistics on all local school districts, as well as
private schools. Using Mortgage 101's Power Rel Tools can
provide excellent information. If you have decided on a
particular area, your Realtor can get you a school district
information package.
10 .Concerns over your children making a smooth transition
In addition to educational concerns, we also worry
about the emotional effects of a major move on our children.
They may be resisting the move; may even be angry. Will
they adapt well...will they make new friends? Probably the
best way to ease the way is to involve the kids in the move.
Provide them with the same information about your new town
that you have. Rent or buy videos about your destination
to watch as a family. There are also many excellent books
geared to children of all ages.
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