One of the stresses of moving to a new area is giving up the familiarity that you have with your old neighbors and starting from scratch. Whether you’ve just moved to a different locale or you’re planning to relocate in the near future, there are some easy ways that you can make a home of your new neighborhood right from the start.
Stand Up and Smile
While there are neighborhoods where people are definitely friendlier than others, by making your presence positively known you can make an instant impression on those that live around you. When you’re walking around the neighborhood, make sure you use it as an opportunity to engage with your fellow dwellers by throwing a smile in their direction, saying “Good Morning!” or paying attention to their children or their pet. It may not start a conversation right away, but if you see each other a few more times you might soon have a new fast-friend in the neighborhood.
Become a Community Member
If you happen to have a community center specific to your area, it will be even easier to meet the people who live in your neighborhood and make friends with some of them. Look into the offerings of your local center and find some classes or events that appeal to you. Whether it happens to be a craft festival or a fitness class that interests you, this will not only help you meet new people, but will ensure that their interests are aligned with your own so you’ll have some new pals to pursue old hobbies with.
Knock on the Door!
This is definitely the most assertive of options, and seems a throwback to another era, but instead of leaving meeting people up to chance, bake a cake or a batch of cookies and take them over to your new neighbor as a gesture of friendship and kindness. Your neighbors will probably love the baked goods, but this can also be the first step in forming a relationship with them that will come to be one you can both rely on.
When it comes to a new neighborhood, forming new attachments can seem all-but impossible, but there are things you can do to begin a bond right from the start.
When buying a home, there are certain steps a buyer should go through before the home sale is official. First the buyer makes the offer, then the offer is accepted.
It is not uncommon for renters to pay more in rent than their landlord’s mortgage payment. This is because landlords are typically looking to make a profit on their rental properties, and they will often set their rent prices based on market rates rather than the cost of their mortgage.
March readings for the S&P Case-Shiller National Home Price Index showed that month-to-month home prices rose by 0.40 percent in March. The 20-City Home Price Index, which is considered a benchmark indicator by U.S. real estate professionals, rose by 0.50 percent month-to-month in March but posted a negative reading of -1.10 percent year-over-year. Analysts said that the slim supply of homes for sale drove up prices as demand for homes exceeded available inventory.
When you apply for a new mortgage, the lender will evaluate your creditworthiness to determine whether to approve your application and what terms and interest rate to offer you. Your existing debt can affect your creditworthiness in several ways:
Mortgage points, also known as discount points or origination points, are fees paid by borrowers at closing to reduce the interest rate on their mortgage loan. Each point typically costs 1% of the total loan amount and can lower the interest rate by anywhere from 0.125% to 0.25%.