A Few Things All Buyers Should Know

If you’re buying a home for the first time, listen up. Here are a few things you’ll need to know.

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We have noticed a big increase in first-time homebuyers out in the market. A lot of them don’t even know where to start, so we wanted to share a few different things to consider if you’re in the same situation yourself.

First, you need to get a loan. That’s the golden rule. He who makes the gold makes the rules. In most cases, the lender is the one who makes the gold, so you’ll need to get approved by them first.

Secondly, you need to understand what the loan is going to cost you, both in terms of the down payment and the monthly mortgage payment. You have a few different options for both of them.

You’ll need money for closing costs as well.

You’ll also need some closing cost money. We can actually negotiate with the seller and get them to cover some of them, but not all.

It’s crazy to go out looking for homes without getting qualified with a lender first. Let’s start there and with a conversation about your goals, the steps you need to take, and how we can get there together.

If you have any questions for our team in the meantime, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

We Have the Tools You Need to Succeed in Omaha Real Estate

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here to contact me for a Home Market Analysis
Call me at (402) 680-2500 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

We're still building picnic tables, and I'd like you to know that it takes the right tools to build these tables. We have a T-square, a saw, a measure, and more. 

To make a proper picnic table, it takes someone who knows what they're doing, and selling real estate is no different.

My team has the tools and resources that you need in order to succeed. We are always happy to help, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with anything that you might need assistance with. 

We're equipped to help you buy the home of your dreams, or sell your home for top dollar!

Why Is Investing in Omaha a Good Idea?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here to contact me for a Home Market Analysis
Call me at (402) 680-2500 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Today I want to talk to you about investing in Omaha. Omaha is such an awesome city with a great and diversified economy. We are blessed to be able to have both corporate Omaha and a large military base right here in town. 

In 2006 and 2007, the rest of the country took a major economic hit, and unemployment skyrocketed. However, in Omaha, we remained at less than 5% unemployment. As of now we are under 2.5%. We have companies moving here constantly and one major international corporation is looking to put their global headquarters here. And of course, you can't forget about the College World Series. 

So if you have any questions about investing in Omaha, or know somebody who is, give us a call or send us an email. We would be glad to help you discover the benefits of owning property in this wonderful city!

The North Shore Neighborhood Is Filling Up Fast!

There are many great Omaha area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (402) 680-2500 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

We're back at North Shore to give you some more great information on this fantastic new subdivision. It's a 300-lot development just north of highway 370 and south of the Lincoln Highway. The easiest way to find it is to head to Warner Park and go to the far Northwest corner of the parking lot. There, you'll see all of the construction going on around Prairie Queen Lake. 

We would love to give you a complete list of the 18 builders working here, as well as a list of the available lots. North Shore is the first of 13 new subdivisions that will be developed in Papillion and Gretna. Some developers in other new subdivisions are getting greedy and raising lot prices well above what they're worth. Here, you'll find higher-quality lots priced from $45,000 to $60,000, which is a steal! 

There are a few homes with a view of the lake available, as well as a handful of walkout lots. There will also be a new elementary school just across the street, Prairie Queen, so stay tuned for more information on that.

Visit our Facebook page for more information. If you're interested in this fantastic area, don't hesitate to give us a call. We would love to help you get a place in North Shore before it's all filled up! 

North Shore is the Place to Be in Papillion!

There are many great Omaha area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (402) 680-2500 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, we show you the site of the new North Shore neighborhood. It's located near Werner Park just off of Highway 370 in Papillion. There is a large, beautiful lake great for fishing and canoeing, among other outdoor activities. Papillion is gaining some national attention of late, having been voted one of America's Top 10 Best Places to Live by Money Magazine and CNN.com.

While most of the lots overlooking the lake have been sold, there are still some available throughout the subdivision. Up to 18 different builders will be working to fill the area with brand new homes starting around $350,000.

You can get more information by liking us at Facebook.com/NorthShorePapillion. If you're interested in the area, you need to act now - these lots are going fast. Give us a call or shoot us an email today so we can start the process of getting you in this fantastic new neighborhood.

How Local Architects can Make Your Omaha Dream Home a Reality

There are many great Omaha area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (402) 680-2500 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. 

Today, special guest Rebecca Harding of TACK Architects talks to us about different things architects can do to help make our lives easier. For one, if you have property you are interested in, they do a site evaluation - which entails looking at the benefits of the property, the views, and the different buildings in the surrounding area, among other things. Architects are the professionals to go to for a comprehensive look at a potential building site. 

They can also do a property footprint, which takes into account the rules and regulations, including zoning and planning laws, that apply to a given area. TACK looks at your needs and what you would like to do with a property, and sees if they can make it work within regulation.

Once an architect gives us an idea of what is possible, we can then figure out what the square footage is going to be, the parking situation, and get bids to find out what everything will cost.

If you are interested in a property and want to have an architect have a look at it, call TACK at (402) 505-9778. Of course, The Bill Black Team is always available for all your buying and selling needs, especially with Omaha new construction. Contact us and we'll help you secure the Omaha area property you have your eyes on!

What Happens During the Closing Period of a Home? Let Me Explain...

There are many great Omaha area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (402) 680-2500 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

What Happens During the Closing Period of a Home? Let Me Explain...

I've had a lot of people come to me wondering why it takes so long to close a contract on a home and get it sold. The main reason is that the title companies must perform a wide array of research on the necessary documents. However, here is a more comprehensive explanation.

To start, you must take these steps in order to close on a property:

1.  Get your loan approved.

2.  Have a termite inspection completed (or any other inspections).

3.  You need to have an appraisal done.

4.  You also need to have the title work done:

     -  This is going to take the longest out of all the steps.
     - Title companies search for names associated with the transaction as well as research the property itself. The goal of this process is to ensure that the seller gives the buyer a good, clean title.
     - If there are any liens (including child support or tax liens) against the owner of the property, they must be paid off.
     - After all the research has been completed by the title company, they open up communication with the buyer's lender in order to calculate the final numbers of the purchase including the cost of the title work, inspections, insurance, and any other work associated with the contract.

In the state of Nebraska, it is customary for the seller to sign the deed before the day of closing. Often times people will be leery of signing it so far ahead of time, but this is simply because it makes the paperwork much easier for the title company when the seller signs the deed ahead of time.  Regardless of when the signing happens, the deed will not be filed until the property closes.

This is a short summary of what happens in the titling process, but if you have any more questions feel free to contact me at (402) 680-2500 or shoot me an email at bill.black@cbshome.com