Real Estate at Lake of the Ozarks: Buying Homes Lake of the Ozarks

Showing posts with label Buying Homes Lake of the Ozarks. Show all posts

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Tips for Relocating to the Lake of the Ozarks

Relocating to a new place can be an overwhelming, yet very exciting task. The beautiful Lake of the Ozarks is a popular destination to visit, but many LOVE to call it home. If you have made a decision to relocate to this spectacular area, I would please to help during your transition. To help make your relocation a little easier, your trusted real estate agent at the Lake of the Ozarks has provided some helpful tips for relocating.

Find your Way Around The Lake

The Lake of the Ozarks has a unique dragon tail shape, as it curves through the Ozarks. This creates a bit of a challenge when it comes to navigating the area, don’t worry you will get used to it quickly! The Lake is not set up like a traditional town with square blocks, it is actually a lot of little towns surrounding the entire lake. To help get familiar the area, I recommend taking a drive around to see what each town or city is like. This can help you navigate the roads and find your way around, once you live here.

Get to Know the Home Options

Along with the highway system, the homes in the area are also unique! Where a traditional town has a few housing options available, we have single-family homes, luxury homes, apartments, and condos to choose from. To narrow down your dwelling type to fit the wants and needs of your family, I would be happy to show you around some various options in the area.

Find a Bank

It is important to get your financial presence established in your new location. The Lake of the Ozarks has a number of trustworthy banking options. With easy to access ATM locations, the area banks keep your convenience for money retrieval in mind.

Know the School Districts

If you have children, school districts may pay a role in your home location decision. With a number of districts surrounding the Lake of the Ozarks, you should research what each district has to offer for you and/or your children.

Familiarize yourself with the Area

From knowing where the hospital is to locating a grocery store, it is important to get familiarized with a new area in which you are going to live. Whether you are visiting the Lake before you move or relocating before coming to the area, driving around and locating important store and places can help you feel more comfortable, quicker.

Don’t Forget:

-Update your driver’s license
-Change your address with the Post Office
-Schedule new trash service
-Contact lawn maintenance / snow removal company

Now that you have read these tips for relocating to the Lake, you are ready to start looking for a home. If you are interested in buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks, the best real estate agent in Lake Ozark, MO is here for all of your home needs. From narrowing down the right property for you and your family to checking out homes on your behalf, I would be pleased to help you make your transition to the Lake a smooth one. To start your home search at the Lake of the Ozarks, contact me today!

Susan Spica
Professional REALTOR®

BerkShire Hathaway HomeServices
101 Crossings West, Ste. 202
Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office: (573) 365-6868
Susan's Cell: (573) 280-0484

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Top 6 Home Buying Tips For 2016

The start of a new year is a time for change. What are your plans for 2016? If part of your plans include relocating to the Lake of the Ozarks or buying a new home in Mid-Missouri, I would be honored to help you with the process! This week, I want to share with you some of the top home buying tips for 2016. By incorporating these strategies into your home search, you will be well on your way towards setting yourself up for success!

1. Begin Your Loan Application Process ASAP
Believe it or not, you do not have to have a specific home in mind to begin applying for a mortgage loan. By getting prequalified or preapproved before you even begin touring the homes for sale at the Lake of the Ozarks, you can greatly simplify (and accelerate) the process.

2. Start Tracking Your Budget... Yesterday
Owning a home is incredibly rewarding, but it requires a great deal of financial responsibility. If you are thinking about buying a house at the Lake of the Ozarks, I strongly encourage you to begin keeping detailed track of your daily, monthly, or weekly budget. You'll need to know exactly how much room you have in your budget for a mortgage payment, desired upgrades, and any necessary repairs.

3. Always Think Resale

It doesn't matter if you are planning on living in your new home for three years or for thirty; you should always consider the resale value when you buy a house. Odds are that at some point, you or your heirs will sell the home, and you want to be confident that you can get a great return on investment when the time comes.

4. Consider The Extra Expenses
When you're buying a house, you will have to cover a lot more expenses than the asking price of your new home at the Lake of the Ozarks. You will also have to cover the home inspection, the appraisal, the closing costs, any association dues, your new utilities, and any desired (or necessary) upgrades and repairs. Make sure you leave room for all of these costs in your budget.

5. Remember That You're All On The Same Team
Some people think of buying real estate as a combative experience. The buyers want to pay the lowest possible price, the sellers want to get the highest possible price, and the lender's want to secure the highest possible interest rate. However, it's important to realize that everyone is on the same team. The buyers, the sellers, the real estate agents, and the lender all want the sale to go through. There's no reason to make it combative.

6. Hire A Real Estate Agent
Your real estate agent at the Lake of the Ozarks will be your guide, your representative, and your advocate throughout the entire process. Buying a home can be a complicated process, and having an agent to help you navigate the process can be a huge weight off of your shoulders. I would be honored to help you in any way I can!

Susan Spica, Professional Realtor

BerkShire Hathaway HomeServices
101 Crossings West, Ste. 202
Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office: (573) 365-6868
Susan's Cell: (573) 280-0484
Gina's Cell: (573) 889-9477

Monday, February 23, 2015

Raising Your Credit Score - What NOT To Do

It's never too soon to start working on building a great credit score. Having a strong credit rating is essential in order to secure low-interest home loans for you and your spouse, which makes buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks MUCH more affordable. Raising your credit score takes time, so it's time to start preparing now if you're planning on buying a home in the next few years.

There is a right and a wrong way to go about raising your credit score. If you're trying to increase your credit rating, make sure you DO NOT do the following:

(Don't) Only Pay The Minimum Balance On Your Credit Cards
Your credit rating reflects how accountable you are at paying your bills on time. When you're applying for a home loan, mortgage lenders want to know they can count on you to pay them back for the money the initially spend on your home. Only paying the minimum balance on your credit cards makes it look like you cannot be trusted to make full payments, which will cause your credit score to drop. You should pay your credit card bills in full every month.

(Don't) Run Up High Balances On Your Credit Cards
This tip can seem confusing at first. It is a good idea to use credit cards and pay them off in full every month, because this shows creditors that you can handle debt responsibly. However, it is not a good idea to max out your credit limit every month. In fact, you should ideally only use 30% of your credit limit. For example, if your credit limit is $2,000, you should keep your outstanding balance at $600 or less.

(Don't) Run Up Small Balances On Multiple Cards
Your credit rating is supposed to tell lenders how responsible you are with your money. Having outstanding balances (even small ones) on multiple cards can make it look like you do not manage your money wisely. Pay off these extraneous balances and choose one or two cards to use exclusively in the future.

(Don't) Apply For New Credit Frequently
When you take out a loan for a car, open a new credit card, or take out a mortgage loan, it looks like you're doing so because you cannot afford to make these purchases without assistance. In some cases (such as car loans or home loans), this is probably true - and that's okay. Opening these new lines of credit causees initial hits to your credit rating, however, so do not apply for for new credit back to back. Space out your applications for new credit over time.

(Don't) Take Your Time
Rest and relaxation is wonderful, but it has its time and place. If you're applying for a new loan, it's important to act quickly. Every time a lender checks your credit score when qualifying you for a loan, your credit rating drops a little. Creditors understand the importance of shopping rates, however, so they have instituted a new policy to allow for this. Under the new agreement, multiple lenders can view your credit rating in a specific amount of time without hurting your score. Your credit rating won't be hurt by multiple lenders looking into your credit score, then, as long as they all do so within that window. When shopping for interest rates, act quickly.

I hope you find these tips helpful!
Working on your credit score now will better prepare you for purchasing a Lake of the Ozarks home in the future. When you're ready to start looking for homes in Lake Ozark, Osage Beach, Eldon, Linn Creek, or Sunrise Beach, give me a call! I look forward to helping you find the perfect home for you.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Take A Tour Of Our NEW Website!

I have an exciting announcement! I've recently launched a brand new website featuring great information about my real estate services at the Lake of the Ozarks. The website is designed to be a resource of prospective home buyers and home sellers alike. Here's a quick overview of the different information our new site has to offer.

HOME PAGE

This page offers everything you need at one glance. Buyer resources, seller resources, real estate resources, and links to more information about the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks are all at your fingertips.

FEATURED REAL ESTATE

On this page, you can find photos and descriptions of the properties I'm currently selling. If you're in the market to buy a home, be sure to check back often to see if any new properties have been added!

SEARCH REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

If you're looking to buy a home at the Lake of the Ozarks, this page is a GREAT resource. From this page of our new website, you can search all homes for sale at the Lake of the Ozarks (no matter who the listing agent is). You can also narrow your search be certain criteria, such as location, price range, and even the years they were built.

SELLING YOUR HOME

This page offers helpful resources for people trying to sell their homes. It explains how my 25+ years of experience selling real estate at the Lake can help you sell your home quickly and easily. It doesn't matter whether you are selling a waterfront home or condo, a second-tier property, or a small farm - I can help you!

Check out great real estate listings (like this one!) on our website.

BUYING A HOME

This page has great information for anyone thinking about buying a home at the Lake. I've been around the real estate scene at the Lake for a long time, and I would love to help you find your dream home at the Lake of the Ozarks! I know the area and am well-equipped to assist you in your home search. Commission for real estate agents is typically paid by seller, so I will probably be able to work with you at no cost to you!

ABOUT SUSAN SPICA

In order to better help them sell and/or buy their homes, I believe in getting to know my clients as well as I can. That process begins by giving you all the opportunity to get to know a little bit about me, first! This page on my website tells you about my experience and how I can use it to help you.

CURRENT LAKE MARKET INFO

Before you can know how to price your home or what price to offer as a interested buyer, you have to know the local market. This page offers immediate access to current real estate data for the Lake of the Ozarks, as well as future updates.

Stop By and Check It Out!

I would love for you to check out the new website when you have time! Find it at www.realestatelakeozark.com.

If you're thinking about buying or selling your home at the Lake of the Ozarks, please give me a call! I would love to help you with your real estate endeavors.