Bismarck Real Estate: When I find the home I want, how much should I offer?

Answer: Again, your Bismarck Mandan Real Estate broker can help you here. But there are several things you should consider: 1) is the asking price in line with prices of similar homes in the area? 2) Is the home in good condition or will you have to spend a substantial amount of money making it the way you want it? You probably want to get a professional home inspection before you make your offer. Your real estate broker can help you arrange one. 3) How long has the home been on the market? If it's been for sale for awhile, the seller may be more eager to accept a lower offer. 4) How much mortgage will be required? Make sure you really can afford whatever offer you make. 5) How much do you really want the home? The closer you are to the asking price, the more likely your offer will be accepted. In some cases, you may even want to offer more than the asking price, if you know you are competing with others for the house. Take full advantage of all your realtors resources.

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Bismarck Mandan Real Estate: Welcome to the Valley.... Renaissance Women

Record Number of women buying homes If you're a single woman in Bismarck who wants to buy a house, the good news is the market is wide open for you. The stats from the Joint Center for Housing Studies say:
More than one in five home buyers is a single woman.
Twice as many unmarried women are buying homes than single men.
Single women make up more than one-third of the growth in real estate ownership since 1994.

Top Three Reasons Unmarried / Single Women Buy a Home
Strong desire to own her own home.
Need more space or want smaller home.
Relocate closer to job, school or family.

Real Women Who Buy Real Homes

Women home buyers come in all sizes, shapes and ages. They are divorced, never married, separated, widowed; some have children, others live with friends or partners and many live alone.

Trends for Single Women Home Buyers

*3 out of 4 women spend less than $200,000.

*Prefer 2 bedrooms or more.

*Less likely to choose new construction.

*Buy in city over suburban areas.

*Will compromise size & cost to get other amenities.

*Will not compromise on location or quality of neighborhood.

*Prefer condominiums over single family homes.

*Smaller spaces are acceptable.

*Desire security and / or gated access.

*Like to engage in social interaction with neighbors.

*Want close proximity to stores, shopping and fitness centers.

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Bismarck Real Estate: Helping Kids with the Move

Although relocating can be one of life's challenges, it is also an adventure. By guiding your child through this experience with knowledge and patience, the transition can be a piece of cake!

The home you are moving from may be the only one your child has ever known. There's a sense of familiarity there, not only with the house, but everything around it. The neighborhood friends, parks, and schools will no longer exist for them. That's why moving can be especially
troubling for children. But if parents understand what their child's concerns and needs are, a lot of distress can be avoided.

What are your kids concerned about?
· Preschool children tend to worry about being left behind or separated from their parents.
· Kids aged 6 to 12 can be concerned with how their daily routines will be affected.
· Teenagers are concerned primarily with fitting in and having their social life disrupted.

Ideas for easing their concerns include: Communicate with your child about what the new house will be like. Take them on a visit of the new home and neighborhood, but if you can't, take lots of pictures or videotape it to make them feel more comfortable with their future
surroundings.

Get information on the schools and childcare available in Bismarck Mandan. If you can, visit the school with your child and meet some of the teachers.
Try to get your child involved in the moving process. Have them pack some of their own special belongings and younger children can decorate the box with stickers and/or markers. Be sure to keep this "box of necessities" close at hand during the move.

Make plans together on how to decorate their room. You may want to leave their surroundings the same, but this could also be a great time for change. Maybe let them pick a color of paint for their new room or a new bed set.

Ask your child what some of the favorite things in their life now are and try to make those happen at the new house.

Most kids will have lots questions, so answer them in a positive way and be understanding of the fears they're facing. Focus on things for them to look forward to, like a first snow or their own room!

Starting over in a new place is never easy even in a great city like Bismarck. If possible, find pen pals in the new location before you move so your child will have someone to interact with and learn about the area.

Contacting the Bismarck Mandan Chamber of Commerce for pamphlets on the area is another great way for your family to sit down together and visualize what the new town will be like Leaving friends behind may be one of the harder things your child has to do. Throw a going away party with their friends and take lots of pictures to make a nice scrapbook for them to look back on. Give them a stationary set or prestamped cards so they can stay in touch with friends too.

Just think, when you relieve the stress your children are feeling, you reduce your own stress and are able to focus more on other aspects of your move!

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Important Information When Starting the Home Buying Process in Bismarck Mandan

One of the most common misconceptions that is shared by a large number of home buyers is that when working with a Real Estate Agent, he or she will "automatically" represent you as a buyer. As we will discuss, unless this is specifically disclosed in writing, in all probability the Agent will be representing the seller.

The traditional relationship (probably going back to when the first thatched hut was sold by someone other than its owner) has been that a Real Estate Agent's primary loyalty was to the seller of the property. This relationship was in effect whether the Agent was the listing agent or working with a buyer. This situation caused many home buyers to be confused: they assumed that the Agent that had been driving them around showing them houses for the last 3 weeks was representing them. In reality, the Agent was representing the owners of the houses they saw, and was bound to reveal to those owners any information he or she knew about the buyers.

Buyer Agency, which is almost universally available now, changed all that. The buyer now often has a choice in representation: the Agent with whom they were working could continue to represent the seller in the transaction, or the Agent could represent them as buyers. The buyer is now able to compete on a more level playing field.

Although there are state to state variations (please verify the situation in your particular locality), the following is a basic summary of the types of agency, and who the Agent represents.

SELLER AGENCY: The "default" situation. Unless disclosed to the contrary, all Agents involved in a Real Estate transaction (and their Brokers--with whom a listing agreement is actually with) represent, and owe their allegiance, to the seller. If you contact an Agent who has a property listed, that Agent will always represent the seller.

BUYER AGENCY: When an Agent represents the buyer, that Agent "rejects" the implicit seller agency and thus owes loyalty to the buyer. For more information on this subject, see the section devoted to Buyer Agency.

DUAL AGENCY: This occurs when 2 Agents--or the same Agent--working for the same Broker each represent a buyer and a seller in a transaction. This situation must be disclosed to both the buyer and the seller. Privileged information (e.g. the price that a buyer will pay or a seller will sell at) cannot be disclosed to the other party without the express permission of that party.

Good Luck!
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The future Looks Bright in Bismarck Real Estate

Buying A New Home in The Bismarck-Mandan Area

Dear Future Homeowner:

Homeownership is becoming a reality for more and more Americans even in the Bismarck Mandan. During 2000, the US homeownership rate reached 67.7%, the highest rate ever. Yet many Americans don't realize that homeownership is within their grasp.

A home in Bismarck is a financial asset and more: it's a place to live and raise children; it's a plan for the future; it's an investment in your community. That's why we at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development want all Americans to have an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of owning a home. And we are especially proud of our work to help first-time homebuyers: thanks to our special programs, more than 81% of FHA-insured loans went to first-time homebuyers during 2000.

Knowledge is said to open doors. This is literally true when it comes to buying a home. To become a first-time homebuyer, you need to know where and how to begin the homebuying process. The following questions and answers have been carefully selected to give you a foundation of basic knowledge. In addition to helping you begin, this brochure will give you the tools necessary to navigate the entire process - from deciding whether you're ready to buy, all the way to that final proud step, getting the keys to your new home.

If you are ready, contact a real estate agent, lender, or a housing counseling agency. They can help you decide your next step.

Good Luck!
Red River Home Guide
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