Does Your House Hunt Have To Be So Stressful?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a first time home buyer or on the hunt for your fifth property; There’s just something incredibly stressful about the entire process. It’s a complicated experience, with a number of large costs to consider, and the emotions that come with finding a place to call home can be difficult to deal with. All that being said, it is possible to make the process easier to handle. Here are six ways you can reduce your house hunting stress.

Get Pre-Approved First

Before you start looking for any sort of home, you need to understand exactly what you can afford. Unless you have enough cash available to buy a property yourself, you’ll need to borrow this money from a bank or mortgage lender. Getting pre-approved for this loan is a sensible decision, especially if you have poor credit, as it means you won't be disappointed later on.

Start To Save Early

Unbeknownst to many first time buyers, a mortgage loan doesn’t actually cover all of the costs you’ll need to pay throughout the buying process. There are also legal fees, inspections, and a deposit that need to be covered. To ensure you have enough cash when you want to place a bid, you should start to save up early. This is made easier if you reduce your household expenses.

Work With A Professional

Buying a home is an incredibly complicated process, so it helps to have someone by your side who knows what they’re doing. For this reason, you should consider working with a real estate agent. Make sure to check that they have a real estate licence and plenty of referrals from happy clients. If you choose the right person, you can save yourself a lot of time, money, and worry.

Know What You Want

Real estate agents can be a lot of help, but they’re definitely not mind readers. If you want them to find the house of your dreams, then you need to know exactly what this looks like. Ensure you write a list of things you absolutely need from a property, such as a certain number of rooms, as well as other things you would like. If you’re co-investing, make sure that your priorities match.

Keep An Open Mind

As much as your realtor can help, chances are, they won’t find a house that exactly matches what you’re after. In fact, they’d probably only be able to find this property if you build a home of your own. Because of this, you must ensure that you keep an open mind throughout the house hunting. Just be sure you don’t settle for a house you know you’re not completely happy with.

Always Expect The Worst

There is a lot that can go wrong when house hunting, so it helps to expect and plan for the worst. Be sure you always have other property options if your first choice doesn’t accept your bid and never agree to move out until you know for certain that you have somewhere else to move into. You should also have an emergency fund, in case things get more expensive than you expected.

House hunting will never be a stress-free process, but, with the advice above, you should be able to enjoy it a little more.

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3 Ways to Share the Road Safely with Scooter Riders

Road safety is everyone’s responsibility; it matters little what sort of vehicle or amount of space you occupy on the road. Pedestrians, scooter riders, motorcyclists, car drivers and truck drivers all should be aware of the safety tips that ensure everyone using the roads is as safe as possible.

Driving ensures that all of your senses are keyed in to your surroundings, and as a driver, you must have the ability to properly and correctly navigate your vehicle, while keeping other road users in mind. Unfortunately, many drivers seem to be unaware that there are vehicles which share the road with them that may not be as big, and fail to look out for scooters and motorcycles as they make turns or throw open car doors. In fact, one of the major causes of accidents incurred by motorcyclists is a vehicle turning in front of an oncoming motorcycling.

Here’s how road users can share the road safely with scooter riders;

Give enough Space

Cyclists and scooter riders are privileged to be in possession of vehicles that can easily cut traffic, and the size of their rides allow them easily make sharp cuts, weaving in and out to avoid potholes, pedestrians and sometimes other vehicles. Due to their somehow unpredictable driving, it is often best to give them as much space on the road as is possible to avoid suddenly running into them or the other way round. It is best to remember that most times, in the case of an accident, the scooter rider will be the one to suffer the major injuries, as their gear offers so little protection from harm. Make sure to leave at least three feet between you and the scooter rider.

Look before opening doors

There are more cases than there should be of vehicle drivers or passengers carelessly opening their car doors and a scooter or motorcycle rider slamming into them. Make sure to always look into your mirror to ensure there is not any oncoming rider before opening your parked car door. Again, the injuries that could be incurred by the rider could be fatal, while your car door would suffer little more than a dent and scratch.

Stay Alert

Drivers often do not see cyclists and scooter riders until it is perhaps too late to avoid a crash, so it is important for them to always check their mirrors for blind spots and also scan the road thoroughly before cutting any corners, or making an exit. The riders are also more prone to slipping on the road in case of bad weather, so it is very important to be aware of the rider in front of, beside and behind your vehicle.

In the case of getting a ticket for a traffic violation, by law the person on the scooter or motorcycle would have more protection than you. If you think you were unfairly ticketed, you may want to consult a traffic lawyer for assistance. Depending on your location, you may want to search for a lawyer who specializes in motorcycle accidents, or just traffic violations in the state the accident occurred in. In California, for example, looking up traffic ticket lawyer in Banning should direct you to a lawyer who can help with citations. Plus, most lawyers provide free consultations and can give you an idea about what your legal options are.

These tips may be meant for vehicle drivers, but scooter riders should also follow these rules;

·       Always wear a helmet

·       Keep off riding on the sidewalk

·       Give yourself space from motor vehicles

·       Always stay on the bike lane

·       Follow all traffic rules

·       Properly signal to other road users

Conclusion

Make sure you always stay safe while driving. If you ever face any traffic related charge or traffic ticket, find a traffic ticket lawyer to represent you.  If you are from San Francisco, traffic ticket lawyer San Francisco can help you get out of the trouble quickly without worrying much about it. Know different ways you can share road safely with other road users and enjoy your rides.

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Douglas Elliman’s David Montville Team Taps into Upstate NY Market with HGAR Memberships

Douglas Elliman,  has announce that members of The David Montville Team, currently based out of the firm’s 774 Broadway office, will soon be joining the Riverdale office, as the team looks to grow its services in both the NYC and upstate New York markets.

David M. Montville, Bart Platow, and DeWayne A. Powell will be dual-licensed with the two brokerage offices, and Montville and Platow will soon join Powell as members of the Hudson Gateway MLS, the Mid-Hudson MLS and the Columbia Greene Northern Dutchess MLS.

“As a team, we focus on first-time homebuyers and the HDFC market in NYC, and by joining the Riverdale office, we will be expanding our practice to include servicing the second- and weekend-home market in Northern Dutchess County, Columbia County, Ulster County, Greene County, and other points north,” said Montville. “These regions are quickly evolving, and we’re excited to take this next step in pursuing business in beautiful upstate New York.”

Powell, who owns a ca. 1850 center hall colonial farmhouse set on 50 acres in Ghent, New York, that provides hay, wheat, barley, and cattle grazing for nearby Hawthorne Valley Farm, added, “You can’t pick up a newspaper today without reading a mention of the Hudson Valley’s being a top destination. Buyers we are seeing include millennials who are continuing to rent in New York City and making their first real estate purchase upstate, buyers looking for affordability paired with great culture, food and experiences, and buyers seeking out land at higher ground due to climate change.”

David M. Montville, a 15-year veteran of the industry, pivoted to real estate after a successful career in finance and banking, from which he gained his vast network of connections in the New York business community and leveraged his much-respected analytical savvy.

Bart Platow, a former mortgage banker, is known for his unparalleled customer service, his cutting-edge market insights, and his expert knowledge of NYC’s most desirable neighborhoods. A strategic advisor and powerful negotiator, Platow holds many longstanding and strong relationships with lenders, attorneys, appraisers, inspectors, title companies, and all of the other professionals that are essential to a transaction. 

DeWayne A. Powell has over 25 years of experience in real estate, law, and the financial services industry. In addition to his block-by-block knowledge of New York City, particularly the Upper West Side, he is especially skilled at working with non-U.S. residents seeking property investments in the New York area and in advising city residents looking to invest in the Hudson Valley.

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