Month: October 2021

Renting Your Home: 6 Important Tips To Consider

The housing market has taken a nosedive. Selling your house seems impossible, due to the unexpected crash.

So you are left with the option of renting your house, which is a good choice and one of the best ways to cut down your mortgage.

While renting out your home might appear like an easy task, you should note that a little mistake here or failing to consider some factors before renting your home could leave you with loads of regrets.

To guarantee your peace of mind and the safety of your property after renting your home, I’ll advise that you consider these 6 important tips first.

1. Find a good tenant

If you aren’t leveraging the services of a realtor, the job of sourcing for tenants will rest on your shoulders. Sourcing for tenants isn’t a big deal, provided you know how to market your property.

You can source for tenants by placing ads in local newspapers, both print and online. Furthermore, you can get the help of friends, relatives, and coworkers in spreading the news.

After finding interested tenants, request that they fill out an application form, stating their basic information, such as their name, employer, salary, former landlords, including references. You’ll also need additional info like their Social Security number and signed authorization to examine credit reports and criminal background.

If performing all these tasks seems burdensome and you have some money to spare, don’t hesitate to contact an online agency to provide background checks. However, before you hire an agency, ensure it is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

You can conduct your background checks by:

  • Gathering credit reports: You can carry out your research via one of the credit reporting agencies, be it Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, provided you are conversant with the rules of the Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA.
  • Inspecting criminal history: Rummage through state and local records online or find an agency that conducts tenant screening.
  • Checking references: reaching out to employers and speaking to former landlords

2. Figure out how much rent to charge

Whoever will rent your house wouldn’t do so for free, so before you consider putting those ads out, it makes sense to sit down and figure out how much rent to charge.

You can get an idea of rent charges by checking sources like newspapers, online resources or probably neighborhood rental signs. When fixing your rent charge, don’t go overboard. Ensure you are realistic about rent levels to find tenants fast. Even if the rent is lower than your mortgage payment, you must stick by it to encourage potential tenants to check out your home and rent it afterwards. 

3. Prepare your home for renters.

Would you rent a home with a faulty heating system, cracks on the walls, a disgusting toilet, and a terrible lawn? I doubt that. If you can’t spend your hard-earned money on such a home, then the chances are that your potential tenants wouldn’t want to as well.

Therefore, before renting your home, it is important that you put it in order to encourage potential tenants to consider your home. You can hire a property management company to ensure that your property is in optimum condition and raise your chances of finding good tenants.

4. Protect your rights with a lease

A lease is simply a contract containing promises between you and your tenant. To avoid misunderstanding of any sort, it is important that you have a written lease that contains each term of the tenancy. Without this important document, it will be quite hard to enforce its provisions should your tenant violate the terms.

A good lease adheres to fair housing, rental, tenant and insurance laws of your region. Worthy of note that these laws are different in all states, counties, and cities. Ensure you contact a professional for advice.

A lease should contain the following:

  • Lease term: A monthly lease allows you to sell the property easily when you decide to. An annual lease, on the other hand, offers more stability if you are retaining the property.
  • Security deposit: Usually one month rent or more
  • Rental due date and penalties for paying late
  • Repairs including who is liable for what
  • Routine maintenance and its responsibilities, like lawn care
  • List of tenants
  • Rules and regulations regarding how tenants should act
  • Pet rules
  • Who pays homeowner association fees
  • Eviction terms like destroying property, being rude, failing to pay the rent.

5. Leverage insurance to protect your property

The reason you insure your car is the same reason you should insure your house. In a world where unforeseen circumstances happen daily, insuring your property is the best way to protect your finances in the event of a catastrophe.

Due to the important role homeowner’s insurance plays in protecting your home, it makes sense to consider having one before renting your apartment. If you insured your house under a homeowner’s policy, ensure you update it to rental home insurance once you become a landlord. 

Unlike a typical homeowner’s policy, rental home insurance covers your home’s structure, legal and medical costs, including loss of rental income, if repairs are required. Also, since you aren’t liable for the tenant’s belongings, you should encourage them to consider renters insurance.

6. Prepare well for evictions.

So a tenant willingly destroys a few appliances in your home for the second time and refuses to pay. Fed up, you decide to evict the tenants based on the content of the lease created. But, the unapologetic tenant is stubborn and refuses to go; neither does he own up for what he does.

What do you do in this case? You certainly cannot go into their room, move their property and kick them out. You may end up regretting such action.

So what’s the way out?

In this case, you’ll need the help of an attorney who’ll help you take the matter to court. Should everything go as planned, the uncooperative tenant should be kicked out of your home and forced to pay damages. Mind you, going to court should be your last resort due to the costs of the process.

Conclusion

If you wouldn’t be leveraging the services of a realtor when renting your house, expect a few challenges. But you shouldn’t fret, as these challenges can be overcome with the right approach. Your top-most priority when renting your home is renting it to the right individual. Though renting your home to the wrong person will guarantee a rent fee, it might leave you with loads of regrets.

Is it Possible to Get a Home Loan with a Bad Credit Score?

The chances of seeing a bad-looking credit report isn’t a difficult task, irrespective of the reason. Whether these are a reason for your youth or the occurrence of an unexpected medical procedure, witnessing a credit dip isn’t hard, especially when you aren’t careful. 

Preparing to get a mortgage is challenging when you have less-than-optimal credit. But, just because you have a sub-optimal credit score, it doesn’t mean your dream of house ownership in Texas cannot come true. 

Reading on, you’ll discover what a bad credit score is when you’re looking forward to buying a new home. And how you can manage to buy a house, irrespective of a bad credit report. 

Stick on to discover more:

Bad Credit Score- What does this Mean?

To determine your creditworthiness, interest rate, loan qualification, a mortgage lender looks at your credit score, in addition to other factors. And, then he calculates the score based on factors like:

  1. Payment history
  2. The amount you owe
  3. Credit history length
  4. Credit Types
  5. New Credit

If your credit score is low, it may be difficult for you to get a mortgage. And, even if you do, the loan terms will be less favourable and rates higher. However, the good news is there are still ways to buy a house with a low/bad credit score. 

Buying a House in Texas with a Low Credit Score- Is that Possible?

If you have bad credit and still decide to buy a house, here are some steps that will help you increase your success rate. Some of these can be:

Speak to a Home Loan Expert:

Sit with a home loan expert and shed light on all the credit issues. The chances are excellent that you have a high income or there was damage to your credit score due to past mistakes. Or, maybe you were a victim of identity theft. 

The experts generally consider these factors and work diligently to propose alternative solutions. For instance, they may enlighten you about fha loans in texas, which work wonders even with a low credit score.

What’s even better is that this loan type offers low down payments, lower interest rates, and low-equity refinances. Thus, the Federal Housing Administration provides a government-insured loan with easy credit qualifying guidelines in an FSA loan. 

Thus, ensure having your financial and income documentation in place while explaining your credit issues. Things like these will help you build a strong case and facilitate the possibility of a home loan with ease. 

Apply Individually:

Is the credit scores of your spouse preventing you from qualifying for a mortgage? Or is it driving a higher rate of interest? 

If yes, then the best that you can do is apply for a solo mortgage. However, know that using without your spouse qualifies you for a smaller amount. It is because only the individual assets and income get factored upon. 

The intelligent thing for you will be to apply together if your spouse has low debt and a relatively higher income. Thereby, reach out to an expert to explore your options for loan availability in the best manner. 

Key Takeaways

Some other options might be liquidating your assets or asking your family for help. 

Know that these tips are sure to help you get a home loan in Texas without even worrying about your credit score. And, once you know all about it, move forward and find the paradise of your dreams. 

Key Money Decisions You Should Make Before Hitting 30

Being in your 30s is an exciting time. First, you’re just out of your 20’s where you could easily get away with making wrong money decisions. Moreover, it’s probably the time you’re planning to start a family and build a future. This means you have to get serious about one thing—securing your financial future.

You’ll have to exercise self-deprivation among other personal sacrifices if you don’t have a clear plan to attain this financial security. However, going the extra mile and making bold financial decisions is what will have a bigger impact on your wealth. Here are a few crucial money decisions you can make to secure your financial future once you attain 30.

1. Plan Your Retirement.

Planning for your retirement even before peaking your career is a smart investment move that’ll benefit you in the future. The 30s serve as a perfect time to think about all your plans and making smart money decisions out of each plan. What most people don’t know is that this is the time where you’re at the peak of your health, productivity and with fewer responsibilities.

So, why not leverage all these advantages and make something important out of it. You can begin by putting together measures that’ll help you curb emergencies. In addition, having at least one long-term investment that guarantees better future earnings helps too. All you have to do is ensure this long-term investment has some guaranteed returns. 

2. Build Your Investment Portfolio.

Creating an investment portfolio isn’t a preserve of the few. You can also build one, albeit with the right guidance. Investing in stocks and bonds comes off as a viable option, given its huge payoff. However, be careful as there are no short-term guaranteed returns in this investment. 

Stocks are also a good way to build your portfolio for the long term since you have time to recover from setbacks. But first, ensure you understand how the stock investment works and all other investment options available for you. Also, seek a financial advisor’s help in evaluating your investment needs, risk tolerance, and other investments that’ll be good for you. 

3. Seek Investments that Appreciate in Value

A good investment decision that’ll benefit you in the future appreciates over time. Such investments only operate by allowing what you already have to earn more wealth.  The advantage of this investment decision is that there are lesser demands, and you probably won’t spend so much on maintenance costs.

For instance, investing in real estate in your 30s is a smart money move that guarantees huge returns. It affords you the security of homeownership and the option of converting it into cash whenever need be. You can also decide to earn passively from it through leasing.

4. Buy Home If Capable

Buying a home is probably a lofty ambition when still in your 30s. But why not acquire one if you have the means to do it. Having a place you can call home is far much better than staying in a rented place. You will be a happy homeowner and an investor with an appreciating investment that you can easily sell and earn big whenever the need arises.

However, ensure your decision to purchase a home is based on a logical reason if you opt for mortgage financing. That way, you can approach mortgage lenders in portland oregon, knowing all the pros and cons that come with this financing option. The homeownership decision bears a significant impact on your future as it’s probably the biggest investment you’d make in your lifetime.

5. Have an Insurance Plan in Place

When in your 30s, you have a long way to go in life. This also means you have a long journey that’s highly unpredictable. For that reason, things that we do not wish for may happen along the way and turn everything around. That’s why getting an insurance plan – mostly life insurance is highly recommended. 

The earlier you plan on insuring your life, the better for you. First, it comes with lesser premiums.  You’re also better off having a medical insurance plan in place to shield you from the ever-rising medical costs. Having all this covered will afford you ample time to plan for your other finances and make sound investments.

6. Live Within Your Means

There’s no crime in living a comfortable lifestyle in your 30s. The problem only comes when you have to borrow to finance that lifestyle. And this begins when you keep your standard of living above your paygrade. Using borrowed money to finance a lifestyle is wrong money that only drives you deep into financial struggles. Furthermore, it amounts to borrowing money the wrong way, which has its fair share of disadvantages.

As you grow in your career and probably find more ways to create money, keep your expenditures on the low. You can choose to maintain your current lifestyle even if your income increases and instead add the extra income to your savings. Remember, borrowed money should only be used when you’re assured of financial gain. This might be investing in a business or any other income-generating project.

7. Make Yourself an Investment, too.

You have plenty of time ahead to accomplish a lot when in your 30s. So, look at yourself as a financial asset rather than a burden. This means investing in yourself and any other thing that’ll make you a better person. It could be investing in your skills or adding on the knowledge you have.

Investing in yourself also means making smart career choices. Seek to learn new experiences and skills that make you more attractive to the job market. If you’re an entrepreneur, look for seminars and training that’ll equip you with the right knowledge. Making yourself an investment pays off, and it should be a continuous process even when you attain 50 years.

Final Thought

Securing your future while in your 30s is all about making smart money moves. It involves making personal sacrifices now, knowing your future is secured once you retire. Use the above-highlighted tips and see your future turn bright.