MEMPHIS, TN -- First-time homebuyer manual offers step-by-step advice to help guide home-buying process Anxiety is a common emotion for first-time homebuyers. The cost of buying a home, the uncertainties of financing and the legalities of contracts can make anyone nervous - especially first-time homebuyers - a group that's expected to account for more than half of all homes purchased in 2009.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081231/CL55068)
American Home Shield (AHS) is helping to calm the nerves of jittery first-time buyers with their new website, www.FirstHomeExperience.com. The site helps explain the intricacies of buying a home so that new homeowners can have less stress and greater enjoyment during the exciting home buying process. It also features valuable money-saving offers, links to helpful resources, important maintenance tips and more.
Among the most useful tools on the site is the custom-written First-Time Homebuyer Guide. This free, 24-page publication serves as a guidebook through the home buying experience, offering a wealth of tips and checklists to help buyers navigate the maze of making their first home purchase.
It provides practical information on everything from tax credits and credit scores to tips on what to look for in a home inspection, home warranty, homeowners insurance and more. It even offers a checklist to help your real estate agent find just the right home for you, and also covers things like packing tips and ways to plan ahead so the move-in process is as smooth as possible.
"The First-Time Homebuyer Guide is great for anyone who is buying a home, especially first-time buyers," said Lelia Chapman, vice president of field sales for AHS. "It provides some insightful advice and takes you step-by-step through the home-buying process. It also explains many of the terms and phrases that may be confusing to someone who is buying their first home."
Four of the most common, but confusing, terms in the home-buying process all begin with the letter "C." Many first-timers are uncertain about the meaning of these words, and that only adds to the anxiety of buying a house. They are all clearly defined in the First-Time Homebuyer Guide.
Comparables - homes with similar square footage that have recently sold in the area. Comparables are very important because real estate professionals often use them to help owners set their asking prices, and the bank appraiser will use them to determine the home's value for the mortgage loan. You can download a Home Comparison Worksheet at www.FirstHomeExperience.com.
Contingencies - conditions that must be met for the contract to be executed. In real estate, contingencies may address appraisals, loan approval, home inspections, termites, radon, lead-based paints and many other possibilities. Contingencies sometimes include the sale of the buyer's current home as well, which won't apply to a ?rst-time homebuyer.
Closing costs - these may include the appraisal fee, attorney or closing agent's fee, survey fee, any loan discount fee (points), inspection fees, title fees, title insurance and closing fees. The real estate professional or lender can help estimate the amount of closing fees well in advance so buyers can have the money on hand.
The closing - this is the ?nal meeting, usually with the buyer's real estate agent, the seller (although the sellers may complete paperwork separately), the closing agent or attorney and sometimes a mortgage representative, where the buyer and seller sign the necessary paperwork including the settlement, make the monetary transaction, and the buyer takes possession of the house immediately or in a designated time period shortly thereafter. At closing, the property is officially transferred from the seller to the buyer.
In addition to the First-Time Homebuyer Guide and all of the great information found at www.FirstHomeExperience.com, visitors can enter to win a $100 Sears gift card each week by posting on Twitter. They also have the opportunity to win more than $4000 in prizes and gifts by submitting a limerick on Twitter - a Twitterick - describing their home-buying experience.
About American Home Shield
American Home Shield founded the home warranty industry in 1971 and remains the industry leader in home warranties, servicing 1.3 million customers across 49 states. The Memphis-based company operates three customer service centers, employs over 1,800 employees and over 11,000 approved, independently insured contractors nationwide. AHS customers have total accessibility to request service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and AHS will arrange for the contractor to call you during normal business hours to schedule an appointment. American Home Shield is part of the ServiceMaster family of brands, one of the world's largest and most versatile service networks. The company's brands include TruGreen, TruGreen LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic, and AmeriSpec.
About ServiceMaster
ServiceMaster currently serves residential and commercial customers through a network of more than 5,500 company-owned locations and franchised licenses. The company's brands include TruGreen, TruGreen LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic, and AmeriSpec. The core services of the company include lawn care and landscape maintenance, termite and pest control, home warranties, cleaning and disaster restoration, house cleaning, furniture repair and home inspection.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081231/CL55068
|
| Notes:
Source: American Home Shield
CONTACT: Heather Wilson, +1-901-597-7710,
heather.wilson@servicemaster.com
Web Site: http://www.firsthomeexperience.com/
About This Release
If you have any questions regarding information in this press release, please contact the organization listed in the press release. Issuers of press releases and not TCI are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
 | |
| Advertisement |
|
