Georgia Homestead Exemption Due April 1st

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

Under Georgia law the Homestead Exemption offers a $2,000 reduction in your property’s net assessed value IF the property is your primary residence.

Homestead Exemption

If you want the homestead exemption to take effect this tax year the application must be completed by April 1st. The good news is, you only need to apply once. Once approved the exemption will stay effect year after year as long as you live in that home. Because you are limited to one homestead. If you move you will need to reapply. If you retainer ownership of the first home the exception will drop off.

If you miss the April 1st dead line this year you can always apply for next year.

Are you familiar with Stephens Day?

This a county specific law that was put in to place to protect people from being “taxed off their land”. Essentially meaning you can apply to have the value of your home locked in for tax purposes. Again this is only for primary residences and works in conjunction with the Homestead.

Chatham County HAS a Stephens Day

Effingham and Bryan Counties DO NOT have a Stephens Day provision

Reference:

McManamy Jackson Law

For more information about living in the Richmond Hill Georgia area please contact Melanie Kramer at 912-658-1390 or melaniekramer@kw.com.

Melanie Kramer Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

How to Make an Offer for a Home

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

When you find the home you want to buy the next step is to make an offer. A successful offer will have a few key components.

Know Your Price

Knowing your market will help you make an offer the other party will want to sign. As a real estate agent I help pull together information about the trends and statistical data of the neighborhood. I’m always happy to offer advice on an offer price. It is important to remember that the more competition there is for the home, the higher the offer should be – sometimes exceeding the asking price.

When we present the listing agent with a written offer and the seller accepts it becomes a legal contract. As this time you should be prepared to pay an earnest money deposit. This is to guarantee that your intention is to purchase the property. Securing a pre-approval for the financing before making the offer increases the chances of it being accepted.

Negotiating Terms

After we present your offer to the listing agent, it will either be accepted, rejected, or the Seller may submit a counter-offer to you through me as your agent. This is when we will negotiate the terms of the contract, if the contract is not accepted as we presented.

The step-by-step contract procedure for most single-family home purchases is standard. The purchase agreement used is a standard purchase and sale agreement contract approved by your local real estate board.

The purchase agreement or contract constitutes your offer to buy, and once accepted by the Seller, again, it becomes a valid, legal contract. For this reason, it is important to understand what is written on the contract offer.

Inspections

Once you have an accepted offer its time to have the property inspected. You’ll probably need a number of inspections.

Termites
Property Lines
Appraisals
Title Reviews
Structural

The Structural inspection is extremely important. It usually takes a few hours. This is a great opportunity to examine the property and learn about possible repairs that may be required in the next few years.

Please call or email me today for more information or questions about buying a home.

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

The Benefits of Committing to Your Real Estate Agent

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

Loyalty and commitment are the foundations of trust. You reap many benefits by committing to your real estate agent.

We build relationships with both local and out of state buyers and pride ourselves on being committed to find you the perfect home. We work with buyers in a buyer agency relationship.

What does this mean for you?

You will sign a Buyer Broker Agreement. This means we are working for you, our client, in your best interest. Otherwise, you are a customer. It all comes down to whether you want someone looking out for you. Our goal is to represent you in your real estate transaction and provide quality client service.

In Return We Ask You:

To communicate honestly and responsibly.
To willingly provide pertinent information as needed.
To promptly inform me of important changes of any time including timing, requirements, or other critical information that will affect your service commitment.
To request that you pre-qualify for a home mortgage loan if you are financing any portion of your real estate investment. (Local MLX co-oping agreements require that you be pre-qualified prior to showing you real estate properties for sale. Their sellers are being asked to make their home presentable, leave their home while we show it, etc. and I am to pre-qualify you before taking you to their homes.)
To submit a loan application and call lender – required information within the time frames of the contract when financing.
To enter into contracts in good faith and make every effort to adhere to all negotiated contingencies.
To inform all other real estate agents and For Sale By Owners that you are represented by Melanie Kramer of Keller Williams Realty.
Sign a Buyers Brokerage loyalty Agreement.

House hunting can be all consuming. You may come across a home during your daily commute or find yourself at an open house on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Please let them know that you are represented by an agent at open houses and sales offices.

Here are a few Do’s and Do Not’s to help you when you’re out and about.

Sale by Owner / Listings

DO Write down as much information as possible, pick up the hand out or save the ad.
DO Call us with the information. We can pull additional information and details for you.
DON’T Call the home owners agent or owner directly. And please do not approach the owner if you drive by.

Open or New Houses

DO Immediately share with the showing agent that you are represented by us.
DO Present my business card or my name to the agent or owner. If they require you to be accompanied by your agent, call me as soon as possible.
DON’T Disclose any information about your needs, motivation, likes or dislikes. Sharing this information could weaken your negotiating strength.
DON’T Enter the sales office without registering me as your agent representative. Call me as soon as possible to let me know what sales office you have visited.

Call or email me today to start the search for your perfect home in the Coastal Empire!

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Dream Home Questionnaire

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

The dream home questionnaire is a tool I use to help my team find you the perfect home.

The Savannah/Richmond area offers many styles of homes and budgets to fit most needs. From first homes to vacation homes to “I just gotta get away from this snow” homes, this questionnaire will break down your immediate desires for the perfect home. For those not exactly sure what they want, this exercise can help inspire great conversation.

Together, we will cover the type, size, style and location of your dream home and any other criteria that may be of interest to you. After extensive research on our part, we will preview the homes together that meet your needs. Sometimes we find a home right away. Others can take a diligent, patient search. No matter what the scenario, I am committed to the process from start to finish. Whether it be a 2 day search or longer.

Let’s get started. Take your time answering the questions and when you’re ready let’s talk.

Dream Home Questionnaire

Have you purchased and/or sold a home before? _____________________________

Price range and budget in which you would like me to concentrate for you to invest in your home purchase? (ex. $100,000 – $150,000). No matter what the budget, as your agent, I will stick to the budget and help you meet that goal!

$____________________________________________________________________

Number of family or non-family members living in the home? ___________________

Children?

Ages?

Grades in School?

Number of bedrooms needed? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Number of bathrooms needed? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Number of cars? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Number of recreational vehicles? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Type of recreational vehicles:

Motorcycle?

4 wheeler?

Boat?

Size/length of boat?

( Please note: some neighborhoods have covenants where you cannot park RVs, boats, etc. in your front yard; some in back) _____________________________________________________________________

Any extenuating circumstances your buyer’s agent should know about such as handicap accessibility, or where you may be stationed, etc.___________________________________________

Maximum commute time to work you would like? 45 minutes? 30 minutes? ________

Any pets? If so, how many? What types and number: __________________________

What lot size do you prefer? _______________________________________________

Do you need a fence? Privacy? Invisible? _____________________________________

Do you use a fireplace? If so, wood burning or gas logs as to preference?

Type of television in main room? Flat, large big screen (freestanding), none?

Any large pieces of furniture such as a shrunk or entertainment center that need to be placed?

Do you have a formal dining room set? If so, how many does it seat?

Do you want a formal living room?

What size is your master bed? King, Queen, Full/Standard?

Are you bringing a refrigerator or is a refrigerator needed?

Please summarize the top five criteria that are important for me to find in your new home with # 1 being the most important:

Please call or email me today. We looking forward to working with you and helping you find the perfect home. The Coastal Empire is a wonderful place to call home.

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct