Glossary

Earnest Money Earnest money is an amount paid in to escrow early in the home purchase process to essentially put a “hold” on the property for the buyer. The money is deposited once an offer has been accepted . It’s a way of showing serious intent that the buyer is going to stay true to their offer, and protects sellers from having to deal with buyers putting out multiple offers or going into negotiations on multiple properties. At closing, the earnest money payment is generally taken out of escrow and put toward the buyer’s down payment. A REALTOR®, title company, or an attorney can usually hold this deposit. The amount varies from community to community, and it becomes part of your down payment.

What Is Escrow? Escrow is when a neutral third party holds on to funds during a transaction. In real estate, it’s used as a way to protect both the buyer and seller during the home purchasing process. After a property is purchased, the new homeowner continues to put money into escrow as a means of paying mortgage and insurance payments. For example, earnest money is an amount paid in to escrow early in the home purchase process to essentially put a “hold” on the property for the buyer. It’s a way of showing serious intent that the buyer is going to stay true to their offer, and protects sellers from having to deal with buyers putting out multiple offers or going into negotiations on multiple properties. At closing, the earnest money payment is generally taken out of escrow and put toward the buyer’s down payment. The purpose of escrow is two-fold. It guarantees the seller that the buyer has the funds needed for the purchase and that the money will be handed over once the title is transferred, and it guarantees the buyer that they won’t be scammed by a fraudulent seller who actually holds no claim to a title. Ultimately, escrow helps ensure trust in a high-stakes transaction where neither party may be familiar with each other and where both have a lot to lose. Escrow vs Escrow Account Here’s a set of terms that are closely related but not to be confused with each other. Many people have trouble understanding real estate escrow because they mistake it for an escrow account, so it’s important to know the difference. An escrow account is a separate account managed by a lender to collect advance insurance payments and tax payments from a homeowner. Usually, a lender will add up the total amount due for these payments in a year, divide it by 12, and tack on that extra amount to each mortgage payment. When those payments are due to either a homeowners insurance agency or the IRS, the lender pays them for the homeowner out of the escrow account. Many states, but not all, require lenders to pay interest to homeowners on their escrow account. The simplest way to think of the difference is Escrow happens during the process of buying/selling the home. After the house is sold or purchased, Escrow Accounts are where your mortgage payments are partially paid to in order to pay for your PMI payments and property taxes .

Listing Agreement (Illinois)

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) Mortgage APR includes the interest rate, point and fees charged by the lender. APR is higher than the interest rate because it encompasses all these loan costs. APR Comparison APR is a tool that lets you compare mortgage offers that have different combinations of interest rates, discount points and fees. Comparing APRs is most useful if you plan to keep the loan for more than six or seven years. But if you plan to keep the loan for less than six or seven years, APR comparisons could be misleading. That's because the APR calculation assumes that you'll keep the loan for its entire term. But not every borrower does that. Most people sell the home or refinance the loan before it's paid off. As a hypothetical example, let's say you're comparing two offers on a $200,000 loan for 30 years: Loan A : You could borrow $200,000 with an interest rate of 4.25%, paying a 1% origination fee, no discount points and $1,000 in other fees. The 1% origination fee costs $2,000, and other fees are $1,000. Total fees: $3,000 . Loan B : You could pay a discount point to reduce the interest rate. In this offer, you could borrow $200,000 with an interest rate of 4%, paying a 1% origination fee, 1 discount point and $1,000 in other fees. The 1% origination fee costs $2,000, the 1 discount point costs another $2,000, and other fees are $1,000. Total fees: $5,000 . Conclusion : Loan A has a higher interest rate (4.25%) and lower fees ($3,000), while Loan B has a lower interest rate (4%) and higher fees ($5,000), because you could pay $2,000 to buy 1 discount point to cut the interest rate by 0.25%. As you see in the table below, Loan B has a lower APR, which means that you end up paying less over the 30-year life of the loan when you include principal, interest and upfront fees.

Your Real Estate Resource Helping home buyers and sellers in the Chicagoland area with all their real estate needs! Home Buying Process One-Stop Resource PadScouts' Real Estate Resource is here to tell you about all of the steps involved in the home buying and selling process. Our goal is to give you information about the processes so you can make informed choices for your real estate decisions. Personalized Consultation Home Buying Process Learn every step of the home buying process from start to finish. There are a lot of steps and many people involved. We want to make sure you're fully informed! Lease-To-Own Opportunities Not ready to buy a home? There are resources available that can help you secure the property before you can buy. Home Selling Process Learn every step of the home selling process and all of the costs associated so that you can make the best decisions when selling your home. Glossary There is a lot of terminology in real estate. Look them up here to learn about them before a real estate transaction. Reviews Our real estate experts are here to help you if the site doesn't have the answers you're looking for. See how they've helped others who've requested a free consultation. “This was a great resource to look up information about selling my home! I had a complex inheritance deal so I scheduled a personal consultation and spoke with Robin. He was amazing to work with and helped us navigate the resources available to help us buy the property! ” Gloria M. Contact

Home Selling Understand the Home Sale Process Selling your property is an important transaction. A home sale includes multiple third party involvement, even if you don't use an agent. Understanding all of their roles is important to ensure a smooth transaction. Home Selling Steps Step 1: Find A Listing Agent Professional Involved: Realtor The 1st Step to the home selling process is to find a listing agent that will serve your best interest. A good listing agent will be prepared to present a Competitive Market Analysis, and a provide marketing strategy. If you choose to work with the Realtor, you will sign a Listing Agreement . Step 2: Pick A List Price Professional Involved: Realtor The 2nd step occurs after you sign a listing agreement where you to select a listing price. Your Realtor can help you decide the right pricing strategy and to calculate your proceeds for different prices. But, at the end of the day, it is your home and you can select the price. Steps 3: Marketing Plan Professional Involved: Realtor The 3rd step involves you and your Realtor coming up with a plan to market your property. This is where you will decide if you'd like professional photography, videography, 3D tour, and where your listing will be displayed (i.e. Zillow, Realtor.com, etc.) Step 4: Prepare Home Professionals Involved: Realtor The 4th Step is your responsibility. Your Realtor can provide you with guidelines and details to help your property achieve a sellable look. Preparations include cleaning the exterior/interior, touch-up paint, removing personal decorations, eliminating pet odors, etc. Step 5: Show Your Home Professionals Involved: Realtor The 5th Step is where buyers will come and see your home. Most showings are conducted by your Realtor or the buyer's Realtor. Your Realtor will likely use a lockbox to allow the Buyer's Realtors access. You are in control of the scheduling. Step 6: Negotiate Final Price Professionals Involved: Your Realtor Buyer's Realtor The 6th Step occurs when a Buyer submits an Offer . Your Realtor will help guide you on how to negotiate the price. They will be the liaison to negotiate on your behalf. In this step, you will also negotiate the contingencies for the contract. Step 7: Escrow & Title Report Professionals Involved: Realtor Mortgage Professional Real Estate Attorney Title Company The 7th Step occurs after the offer is accepted. The buyer's earnest money will be placed into an escrow account and your realtor will order a title search . Step 8: Schedule Appraiser Professionals Involved: Realtor Mortgage Professional Appraiser The 8th Step is when the mortgage appraiser schedules an appointment with you to appraise the value of the property. The buyer is entitled to back out if appraisal results are negative. Step 9: Home Inspection Professionals Involved: Realtor Home Inspector Real Estate Attorney The 9th Step is where the home inspector conducts a home inspection . You may need be prepared to negotiate with the buyer if there are issues that need to be addressed because of the contingencies in the contract . Step 10: Closing Professionals Involved: Realtor Real Estate Attorney Mortgage Professional Title Company The 10th step is the closing. Your agent will walk you through the documentation. The title company will transfer the property deed and finalize the documents and cut the checks to the respective parties.

Mortgage Pre-Approval / Approval Mortgage Pre-Approval is a letter provided by a mortgage professional which shows you what you can afford to spend and what your monthly payment will look like. A pre-approval differs from a pre-qualification because a pre-approval means you have a conditional commitment by a lender for a specific loan amount. A mortgage Pre-Approval letter from a lender assures you, sellers and real estate agents that you have the ability to a complete the purchase of any home that meets the lender’s guidelines. You give your lender information and provide supporting documents as evidence. They will run a credit check and confirm the information you supply to provide an estimate of your borrowing limit. Application - Required Documents - To secure a mortgage pre-approval, you must complete a mortgage application and submit all required documents. These can include (but are not limited to): Social security number Proof of employment Last pay stub(s) W-2, 1099, or other income tax forms Pay stubs and W-2s (typically two years) Tax returns (typically two years if self-employed or you earn commissions or bonuses) Bank, retirement and investment account statements (two to 12 months, depending on loan) Financial statements (if self-employed) Letters of explanation for credit blemishes Divorce decrees, if you pay or receive spousal or child support 3 Factors Influencing Loan Approval - Once you provide a mortgage professional the documents, you might be wondering what they're looking for to approval a loan. These are the 3 Factors they're evaluating from the documents you've submitted: Willingness to pay back the loan Refers to your credit history or a measure of your ability to pay your consumer debt Each individual is given a credit score ranging from 400 to 850 from one of the credit reporting agencies based on this history An individual’s credit score is a key determinant in influencing loan approval Ability to pay back the loan Front Ratio = monthly housing payments/gross monthly income (should be <30%) Back Ratio = total monthly debt obligations/grow monthly income (should be <40%) Appraisal or Appraised value of the property - This part is not part of the pre-approval evaluation. This is the third factor that a mortgage company will evaluate to determine whether they will approve a long for the property you've decided to purchase. An independent appraiser is hired to complete a full appraisal and submit it to the lender for review Appraiser uses a comparable analysis to arrive at the value of the property The appraiser’s evaluation of the property being financed must report a value greater than or equal to the purchase price

Accepted Offer You will have a binding contract if the seller, upon receiving your written offer, signs an acceptance just as it stands, unconditionally. The offer becomes a firm contract as soon as you are notified of acceptance. As a buyer, if you receive a counter offer, you are able to accept the Seller's counter offer. Again, upon acceptance by both parties, the counter offer becomes a firm contract.

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PadScouts Investments We are actively looking to buy properties. PARTNER WITH US The Keys to Our Success Our investment company's keys to success are exceptional customer service, adaptability to changing market conditions, and dedication to delivering strong investment returns. With over a decade of real estate experience, our team of professionals has the knowledge and expertise to navigate the complexities of the market and provide our clients with the best possible investment opportunities. We are committed to helping our clients achieve their financial goals and building long-lasting relationships based on trust and transparency. Real Estate Experts Terms Flexibility In-House Construction Cash Offers Partner With Us Whether you are looking to sell a single family home, multifamily, or another real estate asset, seek a partner for a joint venture, or would like to offload an asset – we want to learn more about your property and deal. Invest With Us We Buy Homes Consulting We Fix Properties Anchor 1

Design Styles Need help figuring out where to start? FREE CONSULTATION Where to Start? Prior to reaching out to several remodeling services, we're happy to give you advice on how much you might expect to pay for your home update. In our investment business, we work with several trusted construction and remodeling companies and we love sharing information with homeowners. We can also help you get estimates from various vendors anonymously so that you don't get bombarded with sales calls. Get an estimate by filling out the form, call/text 773-389-5166 , or email us at remodeling@padscouts.com First and Last Name Email Description Phone Number (Optional) Upload up to 5 pictures (15mb or less) Select File Get Estimate Understand Your Reason The reason for why you want to start a home improvement or remodeling project is very important to how we advise you on the project. There are different factors to consider depending on the reason for the renovation. For example, an improvement project to increase the home's value is different than building out your forever home concept. Increase Value Forever Home Functionality Style Update Process Gather Information - Create a mood board Get Virtual Estimate - Call Consultation or Physical Estimate With Estimator(s) - Design Process & Receive Proposal(s) Accept Proposal & Sign Agreement Schedule Construction Dates Execute Construction Final Walkthrough & Sign-off Completion Timeline Budget Materials Design Styles Learn More Services The reason for why you want to start a home improvement or remodeling project is very important to how we advise you on the project. Timeline Budget Scope of Work Expectations Anchor 1