What to Expect on Closing Day

Closing day is often an exciting and long-awaited day for both buyers and sellers. It can also be stressful. Both the buyers and sellers want everything to go right, and have invested time, energy, and money into this moment: transferring the house from one hand to another. In that tension, they may find themselves wondering what exactly to expect.

Of course, it’s different for buyers and sellers. There’s a different list of things to do beforehand and on the day itself.

Who Is Present at Closing

Obviously, the main characters in this are the buyer and seller, but these are not the only people who will be present on closing day. Both the buyer and seller’s real estate agents may be present (and the seller’s certainly will be), as well as a closing agent who works for the mortgage lender. If the closing agent is not an attorney, the lender will also have an attorney present. A representative from the title company and the lender will also be there for the big day. Closing will typically happen in the office of the title company representative.

Buyers

For buyers, closing day is the moment that your dream home actually becomes, well, yours. By now you’ve already applied for and been approved for a mortgage loan. You’ll want to read the closing disclosure from your lender, which outlines the terms of the loan as well as closing costs. You should have this at least three days before closing. Other than that, you’ll want to do a final walkthrough of the property and to have a home inspection and pest inspection done. Your lender should cover the pest inspection (and if so, it will show in your closing costs) and sometimes the seller will cover the home inspection.

When the closing day finally comes, you’ll need to bring a cashier’s check to cover closing costs and any necessary type of identification. Your state ID or passport will be a must, but more may be required so make sure to check beforehand. Other than that, you’ll need to sign legal documents transferring the house to you.

Sellers

For sellers, there may be less to do. You’re letting go of this house, so much of the burden falls on the buyer who is taking it on. However, you will need to pay off any outstanding loans as well as make any repairs that were promised in the sale. You may cover the home inspection as a show of good faith. Basically, you’re tying off any loose ends and settling anything unfinished with the house before you move on. You’ll also need to be out of the house so that the buyer can be ready to move in. It may not even be mandatory for you to attend the closing as the seller, although many do, and in some cases it is preferable. This is something you can discuss with your real estate agent.

Have any more questions about what you can expect on closing day? Contact your College Station Realtor today for more information.

Spring Home Maintenance Tips

Spring is finally here, and with it comes spring cleaning. If this is a new home in College Station for you, you may still feel motivated and even excited to get it into shape for the year. If you’ve lived there for a few years, you may need a bit of a push. Spring cleaning is perhaps most important for homeowners who plan to sell their home in the coming year, making sure that it’s in peak condition before you put it on the market.

But no matter what your reasons, there’s plenty of work ahead and never a better time. Here are a few tips for spring home maintenance.

Check the Roof

Winter can be a hard time for your roof, with brittle cold and winter storms. From the ground, look up and see if you notice any missing or broken shingles or tiles. You can also keep an eye out for dark spots on the roof, as this may be a sign of water damage or roof rot. You can also examine your roof from the inside. Go to your attic in the middle of the day and look up. If you notice light breaking through the ceiling, that’s a sign that you have issues with leaks.

If you need any repairs or a more thorough inspection, contact a roofer. This can also be a good time to clean out your roof gutters, which may have become full of debris over the course of the winter.

And the Air Conditioning

Before you turn on your AC for the warmer weather, make sure everything’s running smoothly there. Check and replace your air filters if need be and clean any debris off your AC unit. This may also be a good time to order preventative maintenance or an HVAC inspection. While you’re at it, you may want to check your water heater for any leaks or weak spots.

Change the Batteries in Your Smoke Detectors

It’s no secret how important smoke detectors are to the safety of your home. But just because you have smoke detectors installed doesn’t mean you should take for granted that they’ll always work. This spring, test your smoke detectors to make sure that they all still work and change batteries to make sure that they’ll continue to work throughout the year. If you’re short on smoke detectors, now is the time to add them. There should be at least one on every floor of your home.

Spruce Up the Lawn

Now that nature is beginning to return to life, it’s time to return your attention to your outdoor space. If you have any walkways, pave over cracks and make sure the path is smooth and clear. Ensure that your lawn mower and other lawn upkeep materials are all ready for use. Take a look at nearby trees. If you notice any that are rotting or dead, remove them, as well as trimming limbs to any overreaching trees.

Part of living in your dream home is the work you put in to ensure that it stays your dream home. But if you’re still on the first step of searching for your home in College Station, contact an expert College Station realtor today.

4 Best Coffee Shops in College Station

We as a nation love coffee. Many of us need it in the morning to wake up, as well as to make it through a long day of work. In a city like College Station, which centers around the Texas A&M student life as well as the lives of families and professionals, there are certainly a number of places where you can get coffee. But even without the caffeine, there’s just something about the ambiance of a local coffee shop. It’s a nice, calming place to sit and slow down for a bit, to have a first date or chat with a friend. Here are a few of the best in College Station:

1541 Pastries & Coffee

Coffee shops are beloved by artists and creatives, and 1541 Pastries & Coffee is the perfect place for a coffee lover with an artistic bent. You can have latte art done in any design you want, from a heart or a flower to the face of a cat or an elephant. There are a number of delicious sweets here to pair with the coffee, and you can find sandwiches and turnovers as well if you want to stop in for a quick lunch.

Harvest Coffee Bar

Downtown Bryan is known for its charming, quirky atmosphere, so it’s no surprise that you can find a charming, cozy coffee shop right there on Main Street. With ambient lighting and an earthy interior, Harvest Coffee Bar is a great place to sit for a while and sip your coffee slowly. You may bring your laptop and try to get some work done or simply pack a favorite book.

Gogh Gogh Coffee Company

The punny name of this coffee shop implies a love of art and that is what you’ll find here. There’s even a mural of Van Gogh’s famous “Cafe Terrace at Night” along one of the back walls as well as other Van Gogh inspired wall art. However, the main art displays come from local artists. In addition to coffee, you can find wine and beer here, as well as donuts from Babe’s Doughnut and Coffee Shop.

Babe’s Doughnut and Coffee Shop

Babe’s is more than simply a coffee shop (and even more than a coffee and doughnut shop). They also have a breakfast and brunch menu, with offerings ranging from an egg, bacon, and cheese croissant to a full country fried steak biscuit with sausage gravy. They have a creative offering of donuts, including a lemon meringue donut, a donut inspired by an old fashioned, and even rainbow donuts for St. Patrick’s day. And of course, there are muffins and the coffee and tea itself is delectable.

So next time you’re craving coffee, skip Starbucks and check out one of these local coffee shops instead. They’re just a few of the elements to the community of College Station that make it a great place to live. Talk to your College Station realtor today (maybe over coffee) about finding the home of your dreams right here.

3 Ways to Save on Closing Costs

When it comes to buying a home, you want to find the best value. Your realtor can help you come up with the best offer for the home of your dreams and negotiate for you with the seller. But even if you get the home for less than list price, you’ll still have to deal with closing costs.

These costs typically come from your mortgage lender — origination fees, application fees, credit report, title insurance, pest inspection, attorney and settlement fees, and so on. In fact, closing costs usually add up to somewhere between 2 and 5% of the purchase price of the home. But there are ways to save on closing costs.

Compare Lenders

Not all mortgage lenders are offering the same thing. When searching for a mortgage loan you should look not just for the lender who can offer the best loan, but the lender who offers the lowest closing costs. When you get a quote for the loan they can offer, ask for a quote of their services. This is not the only thing to take into consideration when searching for a mortgage loan, of course. It may be that the lender with the lowest closing costs also offers the least when it comes to your mortgage loan. But it’s something that should be taken into consideration and can help reduce the blow when it comes to closing costs.

Negotiate

Don’t be afraid to negotiate with your lender one you have quotes for the loan and their services. One of the most important things you’ll need to do is request a Closing Disclosure form, which lays out all of your closing costs. This will allow you to see what is and isn’t necessary, such as redundant or unclear costs, and to ask the lender to drop those costs. You should also compare this with your loan estimate in case there are any inconsistencies. Your realtor may be able to advise you on this and help you find the best ground on which to negotiate with the lender.

You can also negotiate with the seller. If they really want to sell their home, you may be able to talk them into lowering the list price or covering some of the closing costs. This allows them to close on the house sooner while removing some of the strain of closing costs from you.

Ask About a “No Closing Costs” Option

This isn’t for everyone, but it may be worth considering. Some lenders will offer a “no closing costs” mortgage. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the closing costs simply disappear. Rather, they’re added into your mortgage loan. So you’ll have a bigger mortgage to pay off, but you’ll also have more time to pay for those closing costs, rather than having to pay everything upfront. Again, your realtor may be able to advise you as to whether this is the best option for you.

Need help saving money on your closing costs? Talk to your College Station realtor about the best way to ensure closing goes over smoothly both in process and in terms of money.