One common mistake that a lot of people make is to look for a home without first narrowing down a few Oklahoma City neighborhoods first. This can be a grave mistake because falling in love with a home in the wrong neighborhood is going to lead to heartache if you need to pass it up. Find some neighborhoods you’d like to live in before searching for a house and save yourself a lot of wasted time and energy.

How to find the right neighborhood

Your first contact should be with a real estate agent. An agent knows Oklahoma City like the back of his hands and can make some helpful suggestions. He can let you know which areas of Oklahoma City are best to be avoided, which ones are out of your price range and the ones that are right for your present lifestyle.

Seniors areas

There are some parts of Oklahoma City that are more geared towards seniors. There may be senior condo units in the neighborhood and special community centers there for seniors. Your Oklahoma City real estate agent may also tell you that there are a lot of seniors inhabiting the homes in the area. If you are a senior and want to be near facilities that are geared towards people in their golden years, let your agent know.

Singles

If you are single and are not yet ready to be in a family-oriented community talk to your Oklahoma City agent. There are a lot of areas in Oklahoma City that have a large population of singles or married partners without children.

Families

There are many family neighborhoods in the Oklahoma City area. Your agent can direct you to the best areas based on what you are looking for in the community and your price range.

When you are deciding on a neighborhood, drive around a few of the areas that have been recommended by your Oklahoma City real estate agent and get a feel for them yourself. You’ll know when you have found a good neighborhood because it will feel right and you can envision yourself living there.

If you are planning an Oklahoma City move in the near future, here are some helpful tips to help you find some free moving boxes. You can end up spending a fortune on specialized new boxes or take a look for some free ones that are just as good.

Bookstores

When you think about it, books must arrive at the bookstore in perfect condition in order to be sold. This means that the boxes need to be very sturdy in order to be able to transport all of that weight. Most Oklahoma City bookstores will be sending their boxes to be recycled anyway, so it doesn’t hurt to ask for boxes there. The best thing to do is to call them up and ask them when they are getting their next delivery and ask if they would be willing to part with their boxes. You can call up a few bookstores at a time and make a plan to pick up the boxes on the scheduled date of a book delivery. This will give you a load of free boxes that you can use for your Oklahoma City move.

Classified ads

Take a look through the free classified ads for Oklahoma City on the Internet and see if anyone has packing boxes listed. Most people are willing to get rid of these boxes for free and are anxious to see them leave their house once their move has been completed.

There are also environmental groups in Oklahoma City that congregate on the Internet and they are constantly putting up ads for free stuff. If you don’t see an ad for free moving boxes, you can join the group and put up an ad for boxes wanted yourself. This is a great group to get involved with anyway, since a lot of people get rid of a lot of good second hand items for free that are still in perfect shape.

Department stores

If you have an Oklahoma City move that is coming up very quickly, and you need boxes right away, your best bet is to head to a department store and talk to the manager. Department stores get a lot of deliveries and chances are you can head home with a load of boxes on the same day.

Buying boxes for an Oklahoma City move is something new on the scene. Your parents and your grandparents never spent money on boxes for their moves. Things got damaged back then and things still get damaged during moves today. As long as you carefully select your boxes and only choose the strongest for your fragile items, your move should go without a hitch.

Many first time homebuyers will rush into an Oklahoma City real estate agreement without thinking things through and this can end up being disastrous. Without properly assessing the residence or property first you could lose a significant amount of money. It is very common to see homebuyers simply fall in love with a house and purchase it without getting it properly inspected. In some cases the new homeowner may end up being stuck with a house that is beautiful on the outside but failing apart behind the walls.

Here are some of the other common mistakes that many buyers make when purchasing a new Oklahoma City home.

Not finding the right mortgage

Having the right financial institution to back you up financially can save you thousands of dollars over the course of years of payments. Most Oklahoma City homebuyers do not have the means to make a purchase on their own, which means that they will have to obtain a mortgage and pay it off over a certain number of years with interest. Never take the first mortgage offer you encounter. Always compare mortgages and consider using a mortgage broker. He will do the comparison shopping for you and in many cases find a deal you may have missed otherwise.

Failure to get the home inspected

This can be a very big mistake for first time and experienced homebuyers alike. Home inspections will reveal the good and the bad aspects of the house. You have to know the state of the Oklahoma City home before putting any money down. There is always the chance that there is underlying structural damage.

Property taxes

You need to learn about the property taxes you are going to have to pay once you own the home. There are a lot of costs involved in owning and maintaining a home and Oklahoma City property tax is one of them. You’ll need to make sure that your budget can accommodate these extras.

These are the common mistakes many people make when searching for Oklahoma City real estate. Take the time to learn about your taxes, get a home inspection done and shop around for the best mortgage. All of these things can end up saving you thousands of dollars in the long run.

An Oklahoma City house with a chimney is almost a necessity for some people. A chimney can help reduce the heating bill and can be very enjoyable. Many people like to relax in front of a warm fire in the comfort of their own living room. Keep in mind, however, that chimneys are not maintenance-free. They require regular cleaning because the wood and paper that you burn release chemicals and soot that can build up in the walls of your chimney.

Having a clean chimney is not an option; it is critical. Many chimney fires have started and destroyed entire houses because of a homeowner’s lack of maintenance. With chemical residue and soot building up on the walls of your chimney it is important to have it cleaned.

You may either try to do it yourself or contact a professional to do it for you. Doing it on your own may save you money in the long run, but the tools needed are quite extensive and can be very costly. Also the job is quite dangerous and can have long-term harmful affects on your eyes and respiratory system. Contacting a professional Oklahoma City chimney cleaner may be the better option if you do not have the motivation or willingness to tackle the hard and dirty job on your own.

When you are looking to buy an Oklahoma City house with a chimney, always remember that a fireplace is a beautiful and attractive feature but it also requires work. You must have your chimney cleaned on a regular basis. If a chimney fire should occur due to your failure to maintain the cleanliness of your chimney you may be held liable for all the damages. Your insurance may not cover it if damage is due to negligence.

An Oklahoma City house with a chimney and fireplace can be very rewarding as long as the upkeep and maintenance is regular and done properly. A few different techniques used for cleaning chimneys include doing it from the bottom up, doing it from the roof down, using a dual line with two people or a completely different method using weights.

Depending on the house you are looking to buy you may be better off using one method over another. For houses with hard to access roofs or steep slopes it may be best not to attempt to climb the roof. Other options should be looked at in this case based on safety reasons.

Shopping for a home can be quite fun and exciting. Owning a home can be even better. When you are looking for your ideal house in Oklahoma City do not overlook your the cost of cleaning the chimney regularly over the years. Without the proper cleaning and without a stainless steel chimney lining, the house can be in severe risk of damage.

Never purchase a house without knowing the state of the chimney and how old it is. Older chimneys usually do not have steel linings to protect the bricks and mortar holding them together. If you purchase a house that has no chimney liner, you may end up footing the bill for damage that occurred as a result of chemical build-up in and around the bricks and mortar, causing them to deteriorate.

Before signing the final papers for your purchase you should contact an Oklahoma City professional chimney inspector to survey the chimney and around it to ensure that everything is safe. Be aware that cracks in the mortar and brick surrounding chimneys with no liners can allow sparks and carbon monoxide to escape into your attic potentially causing a fire or putting your life at risk.

An Oklahoma City house with a chimney may seem very exciting and appealing on the outside, but you need to have it inspected to ensure that it is in safe working condition. Also, you should be aware of the costs of cleaning your chimney as well as the potential dangers involved in the cleaning process.

Many people love the feel and the warmth that only an Oklahoma City house with a fireplace can give. For them, it is worth the small cost of regular cleaning. As long as the chimney is in good shape at the time of sale, and you are willing to maintain it, there should be no problem purchasing an Oklahoma City house with a chimney.

When you are looking for Oklahoma City real estate for investment purposes, and you are having trouble borrowing money from the bank or other financial institutions, you may have to consider your other options. For some, these options might include not getting their ideal house or investment property. For others, they may contact a private lender. Should the lender feel interested and believe that the venture is relatively safe, they may lend you the money.

Promissory note

A promissory note is one of the papers that you will need to sign in order to obtain the loan. It is the agreement that has been reached by both parties and is considered a legal obligation once signed. The note contains important details about the transaction for both parties. You will have to pay back the amount loaned and interest in the time stipulated on the note.

Mortgage

This is another document included that ensures that you live up to the agreement and meet the required deadlines. This is known as the mortgage and usually lists the Oklahoma City real estate you are purchasing as security in the event you fail to make your payments.

A few things to consider including in the note if you are buying a house through a private lender are:

A substitution of collateral clause

The substitution of collateral clause means that should you wish to sell the property before the note has been paid off, you may substitute another property or asset of equal value. This means that if you are unhappy with your purchase, and wish to get rid of the investment or dwelling, you will be able to under the substitution of collateral clause. This is, providing you have the collateral.

Prepayment Clause

The prepayment clause is something that is very important in terms of paying off your loan and saving money. Over years of paying the money back to your private lender, the interest will amount to thousands of dollars. Having the prepayment clause included means that you can pay the note off before full maturity of the loan and save a lot of money in interest charges.

Insurance

You should include both the buyer and seller when you are looking for insurance on your Oklahoma City real estate property. The policies should be separate with an owner’s title policy and a lender’s title policy.

Disclosure Statement

Another thing that you should include in the agreement is a disclosure statement. This statement basically informs your lender of your exact intentions for the property.

When you are looking for an investment Oklahoma City real estate property, but are unable to obtain a loan from a financial institution, you may want to consider going through a private lender. The promissory note, mortgage, insurance and the note’s contents and clauses are what protect you and the lender from being cheated out of money and keeps everything legal and binding.

When you began showing an interest in real estate and start talking to a few agents you may start receiving some mail about open houses or new houses available in your area. Even if an interest hasn’t been shown, you will receive some mail from agents from time to time to let you know about different properties on the market. While you may not be interested in the properties that are brought to your attention, they could serve as excellent reference points for the properties that you are interested in.

Here is why Oklahoma City real estate agents send mail to you:

• To show you why they should be your real estate agent when you are ready to purchase or sell a property
• To spark the interest in the home they are advertising.
• To make you think about real estate in general and whether you are ready to sell or buy a home in Oklahoma City.

Real estate agents don’t send out pieces of mail very often and only do so when there is a particular property that they’d like to share. Sometimes something special comes on the market that is a good price or has a certain quality that makes it stand out above the rest. If you do receive some mail from an Oklahoma City real estate agent, don’t always assume that it’s junk mail. You may be missing an outstanding opportunity that the agent wants to let you know about.

Selling your property

A real estate agent may decide to send out a promo piece about your property to help sell it. This is a costly way of advertising, however, and is only used in certain circumstances. You can talk to your Oklahoma City real estate agent and find out whether there is a plan to use a mailing for your home to help it sell.

Getting the word out is the name of the game when it comes to Oklahoma City real estate marketing. Mailing out a promotional piece is one of the many strategies that your real estate agent may use to help sell your property faster and more efficiently.

The cost of owning an Oklahoma City home goes far beyond the mortgage repayment amount each month. In addition to paying your mortgage every month, you must consider the cost of insurance, property tax, and maintaining and improving your home. Many people only consider how much they can afford in terms of a mortgage and forget to consider other costs related to the home.

These are real costs that you will have to deal with and should be taken into consideration when you are purchasing an Oklahoma City home.

Home Maintenance

There are certain aspects of owning an Oklahoma City home that require regular maintenance. These include the heating and cooling system, the plumbing of the home, drainage, painting the exterior and the interior and too many more to mention.

Homeowners often forget to clear drainage pipes, which easily leads to blockages and leaks. Dryer vents can very easily lead to fires if they are not property cleaned and maintained. Maintaining the grounds and the garden should also be considered. You may need to purchase a lawn mower or outsource this work on a regular basis.

Home Improvements

You may need to make improvements to the home to meet your specific style and design preferences. This can involve painting the house, changing the flooring, adding an addition, etc. You’ll want to constantly improve your home both for the aesthetic appearance and to raise the value of your home with each passing year.

To avoid running into high maintenance and renovation costs, here are some of the things you need to watch for.

• Windows and doors. – Check the seals on your windows and doors routinely to prevent water from getting into the house. Water can ruin your finishes and furniture.
• Carry out repairs of minor issues before they develop any further. – Check bathrooms and toilets for any defects. Repair small cracks on walls before they get any worse.
• Remember, even a new house needs regular maintenance. -  While the issues of a new house are less, always carry out regular checks and repair things as soon as you notice a problem. Do not make the assumption that the new house is perfect and does not require any maintenance.

Owning an Oklahoma City home involves a lot of costs down the road. Make sure that your budget is set up to not only handle your mortgage payments but the true costs of home ownership as a whole.

If you have a Oklahoma City home loan you will be paying interest monthly on the whole balance that is still owing. At the beginning almost all of your payment will be put towards paying off the interest. As the years go by, however, less money is put towards the interest and more gets put towards the principal.

If you have a 30 year mortgage to pay off, for example, at a 7% rate, you will still be paying more towards the interest than the principal, even when you are halfway through the payments. When you are fifteen years into the mortgage only about 75% of your payment will apply to the interest. At this point only 1/4 of your payment is building up the equity in your Oklahoma City home.

You will not see more than half of your payments being put towards the principal until you are in your 22nd year. That is when the equity continues to build at a rapid pace and everything gains momentum.

With this 30 year loan, you do not own half of the home until the 22nd year or so. There are a couple of ways to reduce this time, however, if you can afford them.

Extra payments

As long as there is no clause on your mortgage for prepayment penalties, you can make extra payments when you have extra funds at hand. This will speed up the process so that your payments go towards building up equity in your home faster.

15 year mortgage

You will save an incredible amount of money on your Oklahoma City home loan by taking out a fifteen year loan at the beginning. If there is any way to afford it, this is your best option in terms of long-term savings.

As an example, if you have a Oklahoma City home loan at 7% for $150,000, a 15 year mortgage will save you about $117,000 dollars over a 30 year loan. This is a staggering amount of savings and makes a 15 year loan well worth your consideration when you are first looking for a mortgage.

You will have to take another look at your budget to see where you stand before making a final decision about your mortgage. If you can’t afford a 15 year Oklahoma City home loan, you’ll still have the option of making extra repayments when possible with a 30 year term.