Maple Leaf, New Homes Are Available Now!
Don't delay, we have pre-sale pricing now, on the best built new homes in  
Fort Mitchell Alabama.  Frost was seen on the roof of the first home being built.  Maple Leaf New homes are built with energy efficiency in mind.
These homes come standard with features that will be an upgrade in other communities.
In other words, upgrades cost more, thus raising the payment, maybe raising the cost of the home above the buyers budget.  Come by
and I will be more than happy to walk you through the homes so you can
see for your self the Maple Leaf advantages.  Don't forget to hurry up and take advantage of
pre-sale pricing.

I am so glad to annouce that the Cash Back Program has been approved for Georgia buyers.  See the link that says CASH BACK PROGRAM for the details. 
       This program is set up and can help people on the purchase of a home in the Columbus GA area.  I have found that when people first purchase a home their money seems to be a little tight.  They have just put money down on the purchase of a home and are looking at the cost of moving  There for the Cash Back Program was created to enable more people to make their dreams of home ownership a reality.

Call me, Keith Bennett to set up a time for a consultation on this program.  706 984 1168  I look forward to talking with you.

he How a First-Time Home Buyer Can Rate Inventory

• Bring a digital camera and begin each series of photos with a close-up of the house number to identify where each group of home photos start and end.
• Take copious notes of unusual features, colors and design elements.
• Pay attention to the home's surroundings. What is next door? Do 2-story homes tower over your single story?
• Do you like the location? Is it near a park or a power plant?
• Immediately after leaving, rate each home on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.

By, Elizabeth Weintraub

These are some excellant points to keep in mind when looking at new homes in Fort Mitchell or any new home comunity.  With the amount of inventory of new homes in our area right now, a camera is a great tool to keep them organized in your mind.  

After leaving, rating the homes is extremly important.  I like to go one step further.  First rate the home, find a number one home and a number two home, then when going through more homes if they do not compare to number one or number two, go to the next.  When is becomes time to make a decision it is much simplier to decide between two homes, instead of 30 homes.  The simplier the process the more enjoyable.

Maple Leaf subdivsion in Fort Mitchell Alabama will be starting new homes this week.  These homes will be an amazing value for the money.  The new homes will come standard with jetted tubs, covered back patio's, 2 car garages, Kitchen appliances, and a grilling patio in the backyard.  Call Keith Bennett 706 984 1168, to see the plans and fantastic features.   Dont let the introductory pricing get away from you.  These homes will raise the bar for new homes in Fort Mitchell, AL.

Military may still quilify for the homebuyer's tax credit when buying a house in Fort Mitchell AL.
Call Keith Bennett at 706 984 1168 to learn what houses quilify.


San Diego, November 11, 2009

The National Association of Realtors® today thanked the many members in the U.S. military on active duty for their services to America, and reminded them of special benefits for them in the recent extension and expansion of the homebuyer tax credit law.

NAR was the main proponent in getting the homebuyer's tax credit extended into 2010 and expanded to include present homeowners.

"NAR is the leading advocate for private property and homeownership issues, and firmly believes that those who are in service to their country should be full participants in the homebuyer tax credit law," said NAR President Charles McMillan, broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. "These men and women are often hindered by hardships from full participation in the American Dream of homeownership because their duty disrupts them in the buying and selling of a home."

Two special provisions in the present tax credit law assist members of the military, intelligence and foreign services in taking advantage of the homebuyer tax credit, said McMillan.

Armed services members, as well as intelligence service and foreign service personnel, who are on active duty and out of the U.S. for 90 days during any part of 2009, get an additional year to buy their homes, to May 1, 20ll.

Another benefit is a waiver on the time of occupancy of the home purchased with the tax credit. Homebuyers who purchase their home using the tax credit must use that home as a principal residence for a period of no fewer than three years, or must forfeit the entire credit. Military, intelligence and foreign service members do not have to repay the credit if they have to sell their home after fewer than three years occupancy due to official business.

First-time homebuyers who are eligible can obtain a tax credit of $8,000. Current homeowners are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit, provided they have lived in the home they are selling, or have sold, as principal residence for five consecutive years in the past eight years.

Income limits for eligible home buyers are expanded to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for couples. The purchase price of the home cannot exceed $800,000. To help guard against fraud, buyers are required to attach documentation of purchase to their tax return.

The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

From NAR

Posted on Wed, May. 05, 2010

Buying new construction is a different game:

• Everything is new
• You're buying from the person who built it, not the person who called it home
• Often, the property is just one of many they are trying to sell

Here are ten things to consider, if you're looking to buy a new house or condo:

1. Hire an agent
   One that isn't affiliated with the builder and has experience in new construction.
   
   
2. Be creative during negotiations
   Builders don't like to drop their prices. Instead, ask your agent what other options are available.
   
   
3. Get it in writing
   Don't sign until everything has been negotiated, agreed upon and written into the contract.
   
   
4. Be wary of upgrades
   They're where builders make the most profit. Don't take upgrades you don't want or can't afford.
   
   
5. Research the builder
   Visit other developments and talk to home-owners. Google the developer for reviews, testimonials and news.
   
   
6. Ask if there's a guarantee
   Some builders may reserve the right to change the completion date if the home you're buying isn't completed. Ask if there's a guarantee that the home will be ready on time.
   
   
7. Get the house inspected
   New homes have problems too. Hire an inspector to make sure the house is safe and up to code.
   
   
8. Bumper-to-bumper coverage
   New homes should come with a warranty from the builder. Know what is and isn't covered and for how long.
   
   
9. Look to the future
   Check with the city to see what is planned for the surrounding area. If you have a view, will it still be there in 5 years?
   
   
10. Research financing options with the builder's lender
    Talk with your agent about using the builder's lender for your mortgage. Builders often pay the lender to offer lower interest rates, but it's important to shop around for the best loan for you, not the builder.

1. Use a Realtor Who Has New Home Sales Experience
   
   Many people think that they can save money by not using, or don't need the services of a Realtor when buying a new construction home. This couldn't be further from the truth! New homebuilders typically try to monopolize a transaction - they only give you their attractive incentive packages if you agree, in writing, to use their lender, their title company, and sometimes even their insurance company! A Realtor will walk you through the transaction and will make sure that you're protected every step of the way. If you've agreed to use the builder's lender, your Realtor will make sure that you get a fair interest rate & fair closing costs. Your Realtor will know what the industry standards are, and will make sure that the builder doesn't try and stretch beyond these. And best of all, a Realtor with a lot of new home transactions under their belt will have established relationships with your homebuilder. Because of this, the homebuilder will be on their "best behavior." The homebuilder doesn't want to run the risk of getting a bad reputation in the Realtor community, who can potentially bring the builder lots of homebuyers in the future.
   
   
2. Don't Sign ANYTHING Until You've Worked Out Every Detail of the Sale
   
   Buying a home can be very emotional - and it should be. You're not simply picking out a house; you're picking out where you'll spend the holidays next year, where your parents will come visit you, and where you might raise your children. However, the on-site sales agent will try and play on this emotion and get you to "write up the contract so that no one else can get your house." That's just fine, as long as you understand what you're signing, and everything is okay with you. Just remember - no matter what is said, everything will be done as it is outlined in the contract.
   
   
3. GET A HOME INSPECTION!!!
   
   Most people who buy new construction homes don't bother to get a home inspection. Most new homes come with a one year "bumper to bumper" warranty that includes everything, and many homebuyers feel that they can find out if there are any construction flaws during those 12 months. The problem with this mindset is that many problems won't surface until well after the 12 months. Remember, your home was built by humans, and humans make mistakes. And, no matter how much experience and reputation a builder brings to the table, it's still next to impossible for that builder to double check every part of the job their subcontractors have completed. A licensed inspector will go through a very thorough checklist to make sure that everything has been accounted for. At the very least, get an inspection so that you can sleep soundly at night, knowing that an independent third party has given your new home their stamp of approval.
   
   
4. Don't Agree to Use Their Lender
   
   Production builders (builders who can develop whole communities on their own) are now large corporations, many of them traded publicly. The corporations have realized that there is much more money to be made than simply selling you your new home - they'll also try and sell you a loan. Builders will offer HUGE incentives to get you into your new home, sometimes up to 15% of the value of the home. However, they will typically put one BIG stipulation on those incentives - that you use their lender. There are many problems that will come up when you pigeon-hole yourself to one lender - higher rates and higher closing costs are the two biggest. The on-site sales associates will typically tell you that their hands are tied, you have to use their lender to get the incentives. I can tell you, from experience, that this is seldom the case. Remember, the builder's job - first and foremost - is to sell homes. If you refuse to sign on the dotted line unless this stipulation is removed, you will be successful - most of the time. There are rare occasions when a builder will lose sight of the fact that they build and sell homes - and will absolutely insist that you use their in-house lender. In these circumstances, walk away, no house is worth taking a bad loan and paying THOUSANDS more for that house in the long run.
   
   
5. Research the Builder
   Most builders are "good" builders. They take simple steps to protect their neighborhoods. Research your builder, or ask your Realtor if your builder takes these simple steps to make sure that your neighborhood won't instantly go down in value:
   
   1) Limit the # of investor purchases - this makes sure that the neighborhood doesn't turn into a "rental" neighborhood & allows the "pride of ownership" to shine through.
   
   2) Continues to build equal or greater value homes in the same and surrounding neighborhoods. Builders who avoid doing this create a "vacuum" in home prices and instantly devalue new home purchases.
   
   
6. Choose Your Appraiser
   
   You're going to pay for an appraisal one way or another! The lender will require that you have an appraisal in order to loan you the money for the home! Additionally, most appraisers charge about the same of money for the service - so why not choose your appraiser? Ask around until you've been referred to a good appraiser and request that they perform the service. Ask for a copy of it and read it! Call your appraiser if you have any questions. This will give you an in-depth knowledge of the market area - and it's something you would pay for, regardless!
   
   
7. Research City Plans
   
   New neighborhoods are typically on the outskirts of town - the land is readily available and less expensive, which means that you can buy a bigger house for the same amount of money. In these outskirt communities, it's very important to know what the city has in store in the way of roads, zoning, public transportation, parks, and schools. These factors will dictate whether your new neighborhood will become the next "big thing," or the next "cheap thing." If you've decided to use a reputable Realtor, your job will be easy! Simply ask your Realtor and he/she will be able to provide you with lots of information about city plans that have been approved, and city plans that are still being talked about.