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Posts by loriballen

Questions to Ask when Finding a Real Estate Agent

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With over 2.5 million real estate agents out there finding the right one for your transaction is tough. Interviewing potential candidates is the only way to go when finding a Real Estate Agent with the personality, credentials, and experience to really fight your corner. 

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Questions to Ask when Finding a Real Estate Agent

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With over 2.5 million real estate agents out there finding the right one for your transaction is tough. Interviewing potential candidates is the only way to go when finding a Real Estate Agent with the personality, credentials, and experience to really fight your corner. 

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Home Security Tips | Burglar Proof Your Home

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Home Security Tips | Burglar Proof Your Home

One of the worst feelings in the world is the helplessness felt when the sacredness of personal space is disrupted by a break in to your home. Suddenly, your world is turned upside down with insecurity, anger, and a general feeling of uncertainty. How can a homeowner protect themselves against home break ins? These home […]

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How to Prepare for your Home Appraisal

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How to Prepare for your Home Appraisal

Most homeowners get nervous when it is time for an appraiser to inspect their property. After all, they are about to be judged for the appearance of their home. More importantly, they recognize that the asking price for their home is influenced by the appraiser’s evaluation. Fortunately, a few strategies can make it easier to […]

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Flexibility of the LEED Certification Process

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Flexibility of the LEED Certification Process

A basic challenge in developing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification was recognizing the complexity of environmental problems in building projects. The most significant problem in one project might be water conservation, and the reduction of energy use might be another project. It might be that both projects were equally friendly to the […]

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Offering Seller Financing when Selling a House

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Offering Seller Financing when Selling a House

It seems a bit counterintuitive for someone who is  home to allow a buyer to pay over time for their property with seller financing. After all, wouldn’t it be better to get all the money in one go thereby requiring the buyer to get financing from a bank? Well, sometimes it’s more lucrative for the seller to […]

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Top Tips for Creating an Energy-Efficient Home

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Top Tips for Creating an Energy-Efficient Home

Regardless of whether your home is newly built or has seen generations of people pass through its doors, it is important – for many reasons – to ensure that your house is designed to save energy and money for you and your family. New housing developments seem to be popping up like dandelions in spring, […]

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Fannie Mae Guidelines on Getting a Mortgage Loan after Foreclosure

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Fannie Mae Guidelines on Getting a Mortgage Loan after Foreclosure

Federal Housing Administration, Top Ten Facts about FHA LoansIt used to be that you had to wait four years after going through a bankruptcy or short sale before you could attempt to get approved for a mortgage, but that isn’t the case any longer. In fact, it is now easier than ever before to get […]

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Getting Ready for the Big Move — Creating a Smart Timeline for Your Out-of-State Move

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Moving across town is a relatively simple matter. You just grab a few friends, pack up the car and enjoy a celebratory dinner in your new home. Things get a lot more complicated, however, when the move is across the country instead of across town. If you are planning an interstate move, you need to […]

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Increase your Chances of Selling by Adding a Man Cave!

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How to Create a Man Cave to Help Your Home Sell Conventional real estate wisdom suggests that if you want to sell your home, you’ll need to make it as bland as possible so the potential buyer can see himself living in the home. Experts suggest taking down personal pictures and avoiding overdone personalization. While […]

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Flexibility of the LEED Certification Process

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A basic challenge in developing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification was recognizing the complexity of environmental challenges in building projects. The most significant problem in one project might be water conservation, and another project might be driven by the reduction of energy use. It might be that both projects were equally friendly […]

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Seven Tips for Selling Your Home to Millennials

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Numbering around 80 million, Millennials now represent the fastest-growing generation of consumers in the United States. Statistics tell us that those born between 1980 and 2000 are a tough sell – being location-unaffiliated and cash poor means they’ve been written off as a generation of renters. But don’t be fooled: young people are more eager […]

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Homeownership Rates Are At A 20-year Low – Great News for Home Buyers and Sellers!

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Lower homeownership rates are rapidly becoming the new normal and, according to some commentators, the decline may last until at least 2030. Before you start panicking, let’s put things into perspective. The homeownership rate peaked in 2004 at 69.2 percent. By 2010, that figure had fallen to 65.1 percent, according to a report from the Urban […]

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Traveling Baby Boomers are Buying a Condo for Peace of Mind

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After decades of working and raising children, many baby boomers are ready to hit the road – or cruise ship or bike trail. Taking care of a house and yard has lost its appeal. Endlessly shelling out retirement dollars for home maintenance is getting pretty old. Condos can be the perfect solution for these still-restless […]

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How to Keep Bugs off your Screen Doors and Windows

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When warmer weather approaches, the bugs often come out and want in. They are automatically drawn to window screens when you have the windows open, wanting to be close to the light you probably have on inside your home. Here are some tips for keeping the bugs away from the screens. Use an Insect Repellent […]

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What Does a Title Company Do?

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In most cases, you will need to choose a title company to work with for your home buying or selling plans early in the sales process. This information is often listed on the sales contract, and the sales contract and preliminary funds will need to be given to the title agent within a few days […]

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What is a Short Sale and is it better than a Foreclosure?

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In life, you may sometimes find yourself in a crisis that is beyond your wildest imagination. Events like a sudden illness, divorce, job loss or some major unanticipated expenditure can put your finances into total disarray. These are traumatic times in themselves, but the financial impact and the inability to meet your commitments make them […]

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4 Reasons for Getting a Professional Property Valuation

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1-800-805-8354 to Connect with a Top Real Estate Agent in Your Area – ANYWHERE! Unless you’re extremely familiar with the current condition of the local real estate market as well as have a thorough understanding of its recent past, you’ll probably not be able to come up with an accurate valuation yourself. The most common […]

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Avoiding Foreclosure with a Short Sale

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Foreclosure is an ugly word which is heard more often during uncertain economic times. Foreclosure means dreams destroyed, homes lost and families in chaos. Foreclosure seems to be an almost inevitable result of homeowners in debt too deep with more house than they can afford. But foreclosure can be avoided in many situations using a […]

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Types of Deeds for Properties

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Property deeds are the legal documents that are used to transfer real estate property titles from one party to another. The property deed must be executed in the presence of a notary in order for it to be legal. Plus, it must be recorded at the County Recorder’s office. Once both of these steps are […]

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The Home Buying Process – What Every Real Estate Buyer Must Know

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How much Can I Afford When Buying a House? Private Mortgage Insurance 101: What You Need to Know 11 Ways to get Cheaper Home Insurance Premiums 4 Mortgages with low Money Down 6 Steps to Buying a Home Buying A Brand New House? Keep these 7 Tips in Mind. Buying in a Particular School District […]

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House Not Selling? 5 Possible Reasons Why and How to Fix Them

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Selling a house in today’s market can be a gamble. You may sell within 30 days or wait a year to close. You may get your asking price right away or have several rounds of counter-offers before an agreement is reached. If you put your house up for sale months ago and have had no […]

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What is a C.L.U.E. Report?

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When selling or buying a home, a C.L.U.E Report may be of value. A C.L.U.E. report is a report generated by LexisNexis®, a consumer reporting agency. C.L.U.E. stands for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange. A C.L.U.E. report contains information from insurance companies regarding claims filed and/or paid against a personal property for the past five to […]

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The Worst (and Best) Home Improvements for Increasing Your Property Value

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If you’re embarking on a home improvement project to simply make your home more comfortable and enjoyable to live in, then when you’re looking at the cost it’s a matter of what you can afford, and what you’re prepared to pay for the benefits the improvements will bring. 1-800-805-8354 to Connect with a Top Real […]

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Choosing the Right Mortgage Lender When Buying a Home

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By the time you get the point where you are in need of a mortgage lender, you have done some research and understand the basics of a mortgage loan. This is one of the most important relationships you’re going to have during the process of buying a home. It’s important to choose the right mortgage […]

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3 Types of Motivated Sellers To Keep An Eye Out For

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If you’ve been perusing house listings online or have begun your search for your dream home, odds are good that you’ve run into the term “motivated seller” on more than one occasion. This is a somewhat strange term to use to describe the seller, since you would think that every seller would be motivated. If they’re […]

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5 Crucial Tips Anyone Buying a House Should Know

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You’ve made up your mind to purchase a new home. You’re tempted to start looking at online listings to get a feel for the types of houses that are currently available. Before you give into those real estate temptations, there are a few crucial tips you need to bear in mind. Know your Purchase Power Before […]

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5 Problems with a House A Seller Might Not Disclose To You

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When you are looking for a new home to buy, one of the things you’ll want to be vigilant about is finding any problems that the house might have. Although sellers are required to disclose any issues that they know of, there are some sellers out there that may try to hide certain issues. The […]

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7 Tips for Buying A Home With Your Significant Other

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There are few things more exciting than buying a house with your significant other. It shows that your relationship is strong and that you’re ready to take the next step. However, the homebuying process can be stressful, which means it can be quite a strain on a relationship if you’re not careful. Here are seven […]

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10 Homebuyer Tips For Making The Most Out Of An Open House

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The open house is one of the best resources a homebuyer can take advantage of. It’s a great way to go check out a house that you might be interested, ask some questions and inspect both the interior and exterior in person without feeling any kind of pressure or obligation from the seller or their […]

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Each Agent independently licensed with their own state and brokerage. Lori Ballen is licensed with Keller Williams Realty Las Vegas Summerlin
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