Bryan Vogt's Metro East Illinois Real Estate Blog: January 2010

Metro East Illinois Scott AFB IL Real Estate | Bryan Vogt
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Maintenance Free Brick Ranch Home in Swansea

MLS# 3000460

$165000

A great chance for family and/or friends to be entertained in this lovely, maintenance free, brick, ranch home located on cul-de-sac. This one owner home has nice sized rooms with an eat-in kitchen and a pantry. Family room has gas fireplace, skylights & cathedral ceiling. This home has crown molding, walk-in closet and lots of storage space. Stained glass French doors lead to heated sunroom and attached enclosed porch and patio.


http://www.PropertyPanorama.com/87664

http://www.bryanvogt.com.idxre.com/idx/detail.cfm?cid=4294&bid=72&pid=3000460&ff=1



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Bryan Vogt
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate
(618) 355-5824
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O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Swansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Bellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Scott AFB PCS Relocation
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# posted by Bryan Vogt @ 1:54 PM

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

963 Dunberry Dr, O'Fallon, Il



$150,000

MLS# 3000277

From the minute you enter the foyer with hardwood floor, you will fall in love with this beautifully maintained ranch home. The spacious feel of this home is aided by the open floor plan and a cathedral ceiling. The dining area has a sliding door to a lovely sun room that is an inviting space for relaxing and perhaps enjoying some time with family and/or friends. Plenty of counter space in the kitchen makes preparing a feast and/or entertaining easy. The master bedroom has a large walk-in closet and full bath with separate shower. Both front and backyards are nicely landscaped.

For more information on this property go to the link below:

http://www.bryanvogt.com.idxre.com/idx/detail.cfm?cid=4294&bid=72&pid=3000277&ff=1

Bryan Vogt
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate
(618) 355-5824
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O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Swansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Bellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Scott AFB PCS Relocation
---

# posted by Bryan Vogt @ 10:24 AM

Friday, January 08, 2010

A CRITICAL GUIDE TO HOME LOANS: YOUR OPTIONS AND HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR FUTURE

DON'T BE STUNG BY UNEXPECTED FEES

One of the most common errors I have seen borrowers make is not considering the various fees they will end up paying in figuring on the final cost of a home. Let's take a look at what you can expect.

LOAN APPLICATION FEE: This is what the lender charges you for applying. It is not refundable, even if you are refused.

APPRAISAL FEE: This flat fee is usually charged by the perspective lender to pay an independent appraiser to inspect the home and estimate its fair market value. This fee is also non-refundable whether or not your loan goes through.

LOAN ORGINATION FEE: This charge, which covers the lender's administration costs, can either be a flat amount or a percentage of the loan amount. It is paid in cash at closing.


Bryan Vogt
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate
(618) 355-5824
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O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Swansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Bellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Scott AFB PCS Relocation
---

Labels:


# posted by Bryan Vogt @ 10:34 AM

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

A CRITICAL GUIDE TO HOME LOANS: YOUR OPTIONS AND HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR FUTURE

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHILE SHOPPING FOR YOUR LOAN

Before you can effectively compare mortgages, there are a number of questions that you need to ask the loan officer. Some are obvious, others are not. Be sure to ask them all.

KINDS OF FINANCING: Fixed? Adjustable? What about government backed programs? Any special deals you should be aware of? Make sure you have the complete picture of the product menu.

INTEREST RATES: Rates differ not only between different types of loans. The same loan at three different lenders could have three different rates.

TERMS: There are options beyond 15 and 30 year terms. Find out how different terms affect interest rates and how they impact the final cost of your home. This is especially important if you plan to be in the home for a long time.

DOWN PAYMENT: What is the minumn required for different loans? Today's down payment can range from as high as the old standard 20 percent to nothing at all in certain programs.

LOAN LIMITS: Many lenders set limits on a loan to value ratio. For example, with an 80 percent loan to value ratio(LTV) you can only borrow $80,000 on a $100,000 home.

LOAN QUALIFICATION: Different lenders may qualify you using different formulas. Make sure you understand how you are being evaluated.

POINTS: Think of these as prepaid interest charged by the lender. One point equals
1 percent of the face amount of your loan. In some cases points are paid up front; in others, they are bundled into the loan. The latter saves you money up front but costs you more over the life of the loan. No-point loans also save you money but lenders usually charge one quarter to one half point more than in the case of loans with points. Be sure to look at what your total costs will be over the life of the loan.

PREPAYMENT PENALTY: If you decide to pay off your mortgage before the term is up, or refinance when the interest rates go down, you may have a prepayment penalty.

SPECIAL DEALS: Some lenders reduce interest rates for customers who avail themselves of other services offered. For example, your bank might take a quarter of a percent point off if you agree to automatic prepayment from your checking account.

TIME TO APPROVAL: Find out how long it will be before you have a decision on whether or not your loan application has been approved by the lender. A week or two is pretty normal.

LOAN COMMITMENT PERIOD: Make sure you know how long your lender's loan commitment is good for. The last thing you need is to decide on a loan amount at a certain rate, find the right home, and discover your interest rates went up in the meantime.

Many lenders offer a lock in program. This means that the lender will guarantee in writing your loan at a certain rate for a certain period of time. Common locks are for 10,12,21,30,45,and 60 day periods. The longer the lock-in the more time you might have to shop and iron out hitches in the loan process. A lender might charge you more in points for a longer lock-in. Then again, a shorter period may be next to useless given the amount of time the loan process can take. The lesson here is to be very clear of what a lock-in offers and does not offer.

Once you have this and other information on various loan programs from different sources, you can make an informed decision as to where to shop for the best mortgage.



Bryan Vogt
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate
(618) 355-5824
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O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Swansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Bellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Scott AFB PCS Relocation
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# posted by Bryan Vogt @ 11:31 AM


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Bryan Vogt A Vote of Confidence in Real Estate
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate Direct: .. (618) 355-5824
4505 North Illinois Fax: (618) 355-7790
Swansea, IL 62226 Send Email to Bryan
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Metro East Illinois Scott AFB IL Real Estate | Bryan Vogt
About Bryan Vogt's Metro East Illinois Scott AFB, IL Real Estate Website: The www.bryanvogt.com web site provides St. Louis Metro East Illinois Suburbs of O'Fallon, Shiloh, Swansea, Belleville, Fairview Heights, Troy, Millstadt, Mascoutah, Lebanon, New Baden, Freeburg, Scott AFB Air Force Base and St. Clair County, Illinois real estate information and resources to guide homeowners, homebuyers and real estate investors through the process of selling and buying a house, condo or other realty property in the Metro East Illinois Scott AFB area. Bryan Vogt (sometimes spelled as Brian Vote) has services to help you get the best value for your Metro East Illinois Scott AFB home and this website offers home buyers and home sellers a superior comparative market analysis (CMA), a way to view real estate and MLS IDX listings including virtual tours, prepare your home for sale, and more. Investors looking for real estate investment properties to invest in need look no farther. Anyone selling a home, buying a home or seeking housing can learn more about our realty services, and will appreciate working with a  Metro East Illinois Scott AFB REALTOR who knows  the area so well. Through trusted partners, we also provide real estate and financial services to consumers looking for houses for sale or selling their home in Metro East Illinois Scott AFB, IL, such as mortgages, credit history, new homes, foreclosures and other services. If you've already tried to go the for sale by owner (FSBO) route and find you are needing a partner who you can trust in the sale of your most precious asset, Bryan Vogt can take care of your special needs. It really doesn't matter if you spell it REALTOR, Realator or Realter, realty, realety or reality, real estate or realestate, Bryan speaks  your language.
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