American Warranty

Home owners discribe the new home warranty inspection process and the home inspector.

Duration : 0:1:31

Continue Reading »

Technorati Tags: buyer, Home, houston, inspection, new

Tags: buyer, Home, houston, inspection, new

For those individuals who use realtors to buy or sell a home, the transaction looks fairly seamless. It goes something like this:

Buyers:

oContact a realtor, who elicits from them what type of property they wish to purchase.

oThe realtor shows them several properties, until they make an offer on one and it is accepted.

oThey go with the realtor to the mortgage lender, that the realtor may have lined up for them and set the appointment. The buyers provide any information the lender needs and signs the appropriate paperwork.

o The buyers and realtor meet at the closing to sign all the papers, get the keys, and go to their new home.

Sellers:

oContact a realtor, who discuss with them their pricing preferences and timelines for the sale.

oRealtor does a walk-through of the property, suggesting things that should be done before listing the property.

oSellers make the repairs or renovations.

oThe realtor lists the property.

oThe realtor, as well as other realtors, shows the property to potential buyers until an offer is made and accepted.

oInspectors and appraisers show up, then leave to make their reports, and the realtor gives the results to the sellers and buyers’ agent.

oOnce the realtor tells them everything is complete, the sellers move out before the closing.

oSellers and realtor meet at the closing to sign all the papers, sellers and realtor receive their checks, and they hand over the keys to the property.

This is very simplistic; yet when a realtor is handling your buying or selling needs, this is pretty much how it appears.

Of the homes sold across the nation, 20 percent are sold by the owners, without a realtor. Surveys show that the primary reason is money; the sellers wish to save the cost of a realtor’s commission, which usually ranges between five and seven percent of the purchase price of the home. Unfortunately, many of these owners end up regretting their decisions, because it costs them that five-to-seven percent or more due to unexpected pitfalls in the sale.

First, there is a lot involved in the sale of a home. Realtors assist with the before-listing preparation; help you set a starting and deal-killer selling price (the price level you will not accept); setup and hold open houses; set up and coordinate all home inspections and appraisals; and set up and coordinate a real estate attorney and the closing. Realtors market your home to a broad base of interested buyers and other realtors, show your home or coordinate with you for other realtors to show it, negotiate offers, and close the sale. They even coordinate the timing of the sale, when you are buying other property that is dependent upon the sale of your home.

For buyers, realtors first help you to determine just how much you can afford to pay for a home it is generally more than most people believe. They then weed through the myriad of homes that are on the market, matching potential homes to your purchase specifications. They arrange to show the homes to you, assisting in what to look for, what questions to ask, and after-showing discussions with you on possible problems or good points of the home. Realtors assist you in making an appropriate offer. They do all of the negotiations for you, representing your best interests especially important when a seller has a professional representing them. Once your offer is accepted, the realtor may even suggest mortgage lenders and accompany you to your first meeting. Your realtor then works with the seller’s representative to ensure all inspections, appraisals, title searches, and permitting is properly completed, negotiating for you resolutions to any bad inspections. Again, working with the seller’s representative, the realtor coordinates a real estate attorney for you, as well as the closing.

Realtors know the right questions to ask it is their job as professionals to keep abreast of the real estate market for their area. They handle any problems that arise, protect you as the buyer or seller, know what to avoid in real estate and during negotiations, and know what is/is not covered by the home warranty of the sale. They also ensure that all compliance and disclosure issues are dealt with properly, making sure that nothing is overlooked that could cause you a legal problem in the future.

Most importantly, a realtor maintains objectivity during an event that can be emotional for both buyers and sellers. Your realtor remains objective during negotiations, executing the best deal possible for you.

To avoid the pitfalls of selling or buying property, use a realtor, who may save you a lot of money in the long run.

One of the main points of this review is to basically avoid spending on “dinky” insurance. Remember that small policies are cheap because they really don’t cover much in losses. The following are insurance policies or programs (by Charles Myrick of American Consultants Inc ) that are designed to take your money, but are really a waste especially during this time and age where every dollar is essential.

Dental Insurance:

Take this insurance only if your employer is basically paying for it but forget paying for it yourself. Dental insurance is basically an expensive discount plan that basically covers a few teeth cleanings a year and offers a discounted rate for the more expensive work.

Credit Life and credit disability policies:

Credit life plans consists of paying a small benefit in case the covered person has an outstanding loan. A credit disability plan pays a small monthly income in the event the insured becomes disabled. These plans are extremely expensive when compared to the small amount of insurance being bought.

Home warranty plans:

This is one that really gets my goat. Only take home warranty plans if offered and paid by the seller or the real estate agent. Forget paying for this yourself because due to the particular fees if a contractor is needed to look at a problem, home warranty plans usually limits how much will be paid. Hey it’s cheaper to pay an inspector to find any potential problems before even buying the home.

Daily hospitalization insurance

This insurance pays a certain amount per day and are usually sold to older people. The money spent for these plans would be better toward a comprehensive (major medical) plan instead. The daily hospitalization plans don’t cover for the extreme big-ticket expenses.

Insurance can be very useful in times of extreme emergencies but not knowing or having the right insurance can be very costly. Always take time to review or request assistance from a trained and licensed independent broker or agent before buying insurance.

We are buying a 1930’s wood home in Miami and we have been told that it would be a good idea to get a home warranty. Which company is the best to go with? We are looking for complete coverage to cover basics to appliances, but we would also like a good deal.

Don’t go with American Home Shield
We had them last year and it was horrible
I recommend doing big research before buying one
The one we had looked good on paper, however after trying to use it we learned it wasn’t as good as we thought
We had a leak in our bathroom. We called the warranty co who sent a repairman out the next day. He diagnosed the problem and then the warranty co. said they didn;t cover it (it was a shower pan) Come to find out the repairman had misdiagnosed it completely. I fought with the warranty co. for hours over this. I ended up paying a plumber myself to come fix it even though it should have been covered
this is just 1 occurrence of many-Beware of these warranty companies. Reading their packet, I thought they covered almost everything, however things like a shower pan are not covered
It really is worth investigating before spending your money

powered by Yahoo answers

Jim Meyer from RE/MAX Gold in Fairfield California talks about the 100 most important real estate issues when buying or selling a home in America today!
MeyerJames@Aol.Com
1-888-JIM-7888

Duration : 0:1:48

Continue Reading »

Technorati Tags: 1jimbo1, California, deal, down, enginee, estate, Fairfield, foreclosure, Jim, Meyer, money, No, NOD, RE/MAX, real, sale, short

Tags: 1jimbo1, California, deal, down, enginee, estate, Fairfield, foreclosure, Jim, Meyer, money, No, NOD, RE/MAX, real, sale, short

There are some simple steps that homebuyers often miss when looking for their new home. Taking the time to consider these steps can save you thousands of dollars, but more importantly, can smooth the process of buying a new home, saving time and money, as well as alleviating stressful situations in advance.

1. Begin by being up front and honest with your REALTOR and lender about your credit history. Your credit, whether good or bad, affects everything from your down payment to your interest rates. Your REALTOR or a professional mortgage consultant can often advise you as to how you can get credit problems cleared up or completely eliminated from your credit report before you apply for financing or make an offer on a new home.

2. Getting pre-qualified for a loan by a professional lender before you begin your search for a new home will allow you to know in advance exactly what kind, and how much, mortgage you can afford. This makes it possible for you to make an offer on your new home with confidence that enough funding is available.

3. If the seller does not offer a home warranty on the house you want, ask your REALTOR to make it a part of the written offer that you make. A home warranty can save you thousands of dollars in repairs, and can often be obtained for a very nominal annual fee. A standard warranty covers the electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems as well as major home appliances.

4. Ask your REALTOR for a market analysis of the home, in comparison to similar homes in the neighborhood or throughout the city, before you make an offer. A home is not just a place where you live – it is also an investment. Take the time to view several homes before you make an offer so you know exactly what is on the market. Be certain you are making a wise investment.

5. Make your offer contingent upon a home inspection and ask the seller to make the required repairs. Hire a professional to inspect every aspect of the home thoroughly. This can save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs and many headaches in the future. A good inspection can also allow you to negotiate for any repairs prior to closing. If the seller is not willing to make the necessary repairs, remind them that the lender will also require the home to be in good condition before they make a loan for the purchase.

6. Take into account your present homeowner or renter status. If you already own a home and must sell it before you buy a new one, it is best to get a REALTOR to do a complete market analysis on your present home. This allows you to know how much you can sell your current home for before you make an offer on a new one. If you are leasing or renting, the lease’s expiration date will give you a timetable for your new purchase. Review this with your REALTOR well in advance of when you want to move.

7. Choose your agent wisely. Working with a full-time professional real estate agent is a must. Ask questions of your agent. Find out how knowledgeable he or she is about houses currently for sale in your price range and also of houses that have recently sold. Can your agent recommend a good lender that has the reputation of excellent customer service and low rates? Does your agent ask questions of you to have a full understanding of what you are looking for and to help you get the most home for the money?

Many Americans rely on their automobiles to get to work. No automobile means no job, no rent or mortgage money, no food. A single parent, struggling to make ends meet in the suburbs with 100,000 miles on the odometer, would presumably welcome the guaranteed opportunity for low-priced insurance that would take care of every possible repair on her auto until the day that it reaches 200,000 miles or falls apart, whichever comes first. Especially if the insurance is valid regardless of whether she even changes the oil in the interim.

So why aren’t the auto insurance companies writing such coverage, either directly or through used auto dealers? And given the importance of reliable transportation, why isn’t the public demanding such coverage? The answer is that both auto insurers and the public know that such insurance can’t be written for a premium the insured can afford, while still allowing the insurers to stay solvent and make a profit. As a society, we intuitively understand that the costs associated with taking care of every mechanical need of an old automobile, particularly in the absence of regular maintenance, aren’t insurable. Yet we don’t seem to have these same intuitions with respect to health insurance.

If we pull the emotions out of health insurance, which is admittedly hard to do even for this author, and look at health insurance from the economic perspective, there are several insights from auto insurance that can illuminate the design, risk selection, and rating of health insurance.

Auto insurance comes in two forms: the traditional insurance you buy from your agent or direct from an insurance company, and warranties that are purchased from auto manufacturers and dealers. Both are risk transfer and sharing devices and I’ll generically refer to both as insurance. Because auto third-party liability insurance has no equivalent in health insurance, for traditional auto insurance, I’ll examine only collision and comprehensive insurance - insurance covering the vehicle - and not third-party liability insurance.

Bumper to Bumper

The following are some commonly accepted principles from auto insurance:

* Bad maintenance voids certain insurance. If an automobile owner never changes the oil, the auto’s power train warranty is void. In fact, not only does the oil need to be changed, the change needs to be performed by a certified mechanic and documented. Collision insurance doesn’t cover cars purposefully driven over a cliff.

* The best insurance is offered for new models. Bumper-to-bumper warranties are offered only on new cars. As they roll off the assembly line, automobiles have a low and relatively consistent risk profile, satisfying the actuarial test for insurance pricing. Furthermore, auto manufacturers usually wrap at least some coverage into the price of the new auto in order to encourage an ongoing relationship with the owner.

* Limited insurance is offered for old model autos. Increasingly limited insurance is offered for old model autos. The bumper-to-bumper warranty expires, the power train warranty eventually expires, and the amount of collision and comprehensive insurance steadily decreases based on the market value of the auto.

* Certain older autos qualify for additional insurance. Certain older autos can qualify for additional coverage, either in terms of warranties for used autos or increased collision and comprehensive insurance for vintage autos. But such insurance is offered only after a careful inspection of the automobile itself.

* No insurance is offered for normal wear and tear. Wiper blades need replacement, brake pads wear out, and bumpers get dings. These aren’t insurable events. To the extent that a new car dealer will sometimes cover some of these costs, we intuitively understand that we’re ‘paying for it’ in the cost of the automobile and that it’s ‘not really’ insurance.

* Accidents are the only insurable event for the oldest automobiles. Accidents are generally insurable events even for the oldest autos; with few exceptions service work isn’t.

* Insurance doesn’t restore all vehicles to pre-accident condition. Auto insurance is limited. If the damage to the auto at any age exceeds the value of the auto, the insurer then pays only the value of the auto. With the exception of vintage autos, the value assigned to the auto goes down over time. So whereas accidents are insurable at any vehicle age, the amount of the accident insurance is increasingly limited.

* Insurance is priced to the risk. Insurance is priced based on the risk profile of both the automobile and the driver. The auto insurer carefully examines both when setting rates.

* We pay for our own insurance. And with few exceptions, automobile insurance isn’t tax deductible. As a result, the fear of increasing insurance rates due to traffic violations and/or accidents changes our driving behavior and we sometimes select our automobiles based on their insurability.

Each of the above principles is supported by solid actuarial theory. Although most Americans can’t describe the underlying actuarial theories, most everyone understands the above principles of auto insurance at the intuitive level. For sure, as indispensable automobiles are to our lifestyles, there is no loud national movement, accompanied by moral outrage, to change these principles.

Unsustainable Market

In contrast, similar principles are routinely violated in health insurance. To demonstrate this, let’s return to the same suburban mother from the opening paragraph. She’s busy working, driving to and from work, and driving her kids to school and activities. She ends each day exhausted, sitting on the couch with fast food. She’s obese, has a sedentary life, a bad diet, and hasn’t taken the time to go to the doctor in years. After a simple injury doesn’t heal for weeks, she turns up at the emergency room and learns she has type II diabetes. Although type II diabetes is controllable, changing diet and exercise habits and properly tracking her condition takes time and effort and she’s never quite successful in implementing the necessary lifestyle changes.

So the initial emergency room visit is only the first of a long list of health care related to non-controlled diabetes and other problems associated with obesity. Whether she has individual or group insurance, her insurance pays for each episode of care, without singling her out for a premium increase, and without charging her any more cost sharing than is charged to the healthiest and most medically diligent insureds. Her coverage continues until she voluntarily changes insurance companies and/or employers or becomes eligible for Medicare. If she’s covered under group insurance she may not even pay any premium. Her insurance continues unabated, even though the disease was caused by neglecting her body and she maintains her poor lifestyle even after the disease becomes known.

This just wouldn’t happen in auto insurance. This scenario is the auto insurance equivalent of guaranteed access to low-priced auto insurance that takes care of every possible repair, including damage already done, until the day the car falls apart so completely it’s unsalvageable (death) or reaches 200,000 miles (Medicare), regardless of whether she even changes the oil (takes care of herself) in the interim.

As a society, we don’t expect this in private-market auto insurance, but we expect it in private-market health insurance. Furthermore, there’s a chorus of national and state interests, which continuously pushes us further away from the auto insurance principles.

The current private health insurance market isn’t sustainable. Prices have been consistently increasing faster than inflation for decades. Each year, insureds use more health care than ever before and more people have no insurance at all. Most actuaries and other people in the private health insurance market don’t want national health insurance with its bureaucracy and one-size-fits-all benefits. Yet, we’re trying to sustain a private insurance system, which violates the very principles we know are necessary for private insurance markets.

Yes, health insurance involves the sacredness of human life and is therefore different from auto insurance. But if we’re to sustain a private-market solution to health insurance, actuaries need to explain to the larger society, in terms that society understands, the rationale for the following principles:

* As sacred as health care is, it’s still an economic transaction that has to be balanced by individuals and societies, against other economic choices. It can’t be unlimited. Sometimes it will be secondary to other choices. On a given day, for example, the mother in our scenario may value her car more than her health.

* Insurance premiums should be paid by the individual and tied to controllable risk factors. This will provide the best incentive for the control of risk factors.

* Although it’s hard to draw the line between abuse, neglect and ignorance, self-abuse shouldn’t be insured and we need to draw that line somewhere.

* The private market can’t provide unlimited, self-directed health insurance.

* Routine care and ongoing treatments of chronic conditions can be pre-funded, can even be subsidized, but they don’t constitute ‘insurable events.’

* Insurance can’t be expected to keep every human body in pristine condition. No amount of health care will prevent everyone’s ultimate death.

* Comprehensive, unlimited, non-subsidized private-market coverage isn’t possible for people with severely impaired health.

* The private health market can provide limited non-subsidized health insurance, such as protection from accidents, to even health-impaired individuals.

* Individuals who can afford to do so and who take good care of themselves should be able to ‘buy up’ to better coverage. People have the option of buying up for everything else in life.

Discussion of these principles is lacking from most of the current health insurance debate. If society can intuitively understand how similar principles apply to health insurance, then they should be able understand the principles in the health insurance context. We need to initiate the debate.

This commentary is solely the opinion of its author. It does not express the official policy of the American Academy of Actuaries; nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of the Academy’s individual officers, members, or staff

Contingencies, Jan/Feb 2007

I'm looking to get a home warranty and all the searches I've done lead me to believe that there are no good home warranty companies. Can anyone recommend one? Everyone I have looked at can be quickly dismissed with a million complaints of "fraud" or "scam" with a Google search.

So, either I'm not finding a good one, all of them have complaints, or home warranties are scams in general.

Any guidance would be appreciated.
Thanks,
RT

I'm a pretty handy person, as I've been doing all the maintenance work at three apartment complexes I own for the past five years. I take pride in being able to take care of most household repair and maintenance issues. But the one time I needed my home warranty company to help with an issue in my home (A/C replacement), they left me high and dry.

So I'll certainly not be recommending any home warranty companies. I do have two friends who have benefitted from their home warranties though, so, there you go.

I do know that a lot of people in my area use a company called American Home Shield. I think they're a pretty widely used home warranty company. Look them up and see what you think.

powered by Yahoo answers

Tip #23 in our series of 70 ways to save money when buying a house is to buy a home warranty.

Despite the love buyers show for their newfound properties, there could be things beneath the surface not foreseen or witnessed. From a cursory glance, homes may appear spotless with no maintenance required whatsoever, even on resale homes. The word of the seller may cloud enough judgment to avoid covering insurance costs on the home. There have been countless cases where a buyer moved into a home only to find pre-existing wear and tear on the home and leaks a couple of months later. For this reason, a home warranty should be considered.

In essence, a home warranty is a service agreement that protects your home’s major operations including its roof, water systems, structure, and appliances. They serve a dual purpose in the real estate game: for sellers to use them as a valuable marketing tool during their selling period and for buyers to rest easy knowing their potential home is secure. These plans can be geared towards any home from the spanking new to the 50 year old duplex. As long as your items are in decent working order and conditions arise after the issuance of the home warranty, you should be covered.

Many buyers make the mistake of interpreting home warranty plans as home insurance policies. They are both totally different things. Home insurance policies are plans providing coverage for burglary, theft, and natural disasters while home warranties cover breakdowns caused by wear and tear in addition to failed circuits, plumbing, or any other home malady. A home warranty is excellent for anyone that wants to gain a higher level of confidence when moving into a resold home. In addition, home warranties are touted by real estate experts as critical to after-sale problem prevention. Although buyers still have the right to file suit on sellers who fail to disclose construction and appliance problems, home warranties can lessen the blow.

Today’s home warranty policies usually have a standard 12 month term with the option for more. 6 months or more can be provided in seller coverage as well. In addition, many home warranty companies also offer complimentary inspections to ease the transition into the plan. When it comes to selecting a home warranty, make sure you compare multiple providers. Comparing means finding how which items are included in standard coverage, what items are parts of separate policies, the co-payment, and finding out the reputation/track record of each company. By shopping around, you are virtually ensured that you are getting the best coverage for a fair price.

As buyers, you can have the seller pay for your home warranty along with other concessions. This usually occurs when there has been concessions made by the buyer, such as paying for the house at slightly over market value or surrendering to owner financing. Check to see if you are eligible for a home warranty plan paid for by your seller today for better real estate terms.

We bought a new home that has a 1 year warranty. They said they will fix any problems we have the first year (unless we damaged it ourselves of course), but whenever I call they say the will take care of it and then never hear back from them. Any suggestions on how to get them to take care of it before the one year is up?

My husband has done warranty service for home builders. Unless you have water spewing out of a pipe somewhere most builders prefer to wait until you warranty period is nearly expired and make all repairs at the same time.

powered by Yahoo answers