Hot South Portland realtor advices right now with Chelsea Crawford: Starting in the Old Port district, the Eastern Promenade Trail follows the path of a railroad track along the waterfront at Back Cove and provides one of the city’s most beautiful places to walk. The 2.1-mile trail, which actually consists of twin paths (one crushed stone, the other paved), meanders along the edge of the 68-acre Fort Allen Park. From the main trail, many offshoots lead to other parts of the park, including uphill to excellent vantage points. The trail also leads to East End Beach, the city’s only public beach and a favorite spot for locals to sunbathe, swim, and picnic. There is also a boat launch here, as well as canoe and kayak racks for those arriving by water. Bicycles and leashed dogs are welcome, and there are restroom facilities at the beach and benches along the path. Read even more details on Chelsea Crawford South Portland.

Here are a couple real estate market opportunities: There are other loan programs that can make sense too, such as the 5/1 ARM, which often get swept under the rug. Make the choice yourself. If you’ve done your homework and are in good financial shape, you should be able to get your hands on a very low mortgage rate in 2024. In fact, mortgage interest rates are historically amazing at the moment and could even reach new depths depending on what transpires this year. Once again, the 2024 mortgage rate forecast looks excellent, so they may stay put for awhile longer or even hit new all-time lows. In terms of financing, it’s still a great time to buy a home. Consider that the silver lining to an otherwise pricey and competitive housing market. Of course, with home prices creeping higher and higher, even a low interest rate may not be enough to offset that growing monthly payment. So always make time to shop to ensure you get the best rate and the lowest fees, even if financing is on sale.

Any Realtor will tell you that homes that do not get shown have a tough time getting sold. The last thing you want to do is make it difficult for your agent to get their clients into your home. If you require buyers to make appointments during a restrictive timeframe or way in advance, they will more than likely go to other places that are easy to get into or even cross your home off the list.

Recommended South Portland real estate strategies today with Chelsea Crawford: One of the largest reasons some buyers walk away from a home purchase feeling remorseful is because they don’t consider everything about purchasing real estate before they jump into it. There are common buyer mistakes we address with all of our buyers upfront so they have a highly successful transaction. One thing that many folks don’t want to do is put in the upfront work, studying, and preparation that goes into buying a house. You need to prioritize your needs, and your wants – and if you have a partner you need to communicate together on everything. Maybe one person is ready to buy, and the other isn’t ready just yet.

Once you select a lender, you should speak with a loan officer as quickly as possible. At this point, there is one thing you should know. Pre-qualifying means absolutely nothing. All pre-qualifying does is determine the amount of the loan you could qualify for based on factors such as your credit, salary, etc. It does not guarantee that a lender will actually loan you the money. It’s more important to get PRE-APPROVED. Pre-approval means that your application has been submitted to a lender who is willing to extend you a specific loan amount, pending a property and appraisal. Being pre-approved lets you know that you won’t be denied for a loan, and it also provides you with leverage to negotiate the purchase price of a home with the seller.

The average mortgage interest rate (that fee lenders charge as a percentage of your loan amount) has been nice and low lately. In fact, the average rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 2.31% in November 2020—the lowest it’s been since Freddie Mac started reporting nearly 30 years ago!5 And now economist geeks think interest rates will continue to hover around 3% in 2024, which is still pretty low. If you want to refinance or get a mortgage from a trustworthy lender who actually cares about helping you pay off your home fast, talk to our friends at Churchill Mortgage.

Engineered wood and concrete flooring has become popular modern alternatives to traditional solid wood for several reasons. Unlike solid wood floors, engineered woods and concrete flooring are composed of multiple layers of compressed timber, before being finished with a top layer of solid wood veneer. ooking for waterproof flooring? Waterproof flooring is ideal for any room – especially bathrooms, kitchens and mudrooms. When it’s waterproof, it’s worry-proof.

Hot South Portland real estate advices in 2024 from Chelsea Crawford : Communicate With Your Significant Other: Notice how I wrote significant other; this financial tip doesn’t just apply to married couples. Money fights can affect any relationship. The best way to avoid fighting about money with your S/O is to talk to them about it. Remember that you’re a team! You should be talking to each other about your financial goals, and you should set a date once a month to go over your finances together. I recently started doing a monthly money meeting with my girlfriend and it’s actually been pretty fun. We get to see where each other are at with our financial goals and we keep ourselves motivated to accomplish those goals. The bottom line? Don’t let money ruin a great relationship.

Renovating increases the house value says Chelsea Crawford : Renovation can turn into a nightmare if your builders or subcontractors fail to do a good job. Always be suspicious of an estimate or quote that is considerably cheaper than all the others, or someone who is available for work immediately. Ask for references, and speak to their previous clients. The golden rule when refurbishing older buildings with solid walls is to use traditional materials that are compatible with the way they were originally built, i.e. lime-based mortars, renders and plasters, rather than anything containing modern cement. Old buildings with shallow foundations are affected by seasonal ground movement and because cement is very brittle it tends to develop small cracks. This allows rain to penetrate, which then can’t escape. Modern paints applied to walls can also cause trouble by blocking natural evaporation.