How long does it take to close when buying a house in Marion Ar? It depends on what forms of finance and lender you are using towards the purchase of the house, that will make a difference in the time it needs to close.  The most common ones used in buying a house in Marion, Ar. are:   Rural Development : about 30 days FHA with Down Payment Assitance : about 30-45 days, buyers also need to take a DPA class before closing FHA : about 30 days ADDI : 45-60 days, this is a government backed loan, http://www.arkansas.gov/adfa/programs/American%20Dream%20Downpayment%20Initiative.html Conventional : 2 weeks to 30 days VA : 30-45 days There are always exceptions in every transaction, various reasons for any delay.  How efficient a lender, a real estate agent, a title agent works can definitely ... 02/14/2011

I have a client called me today and we were talking about looking at houses.  She is actually not in position to buy, I am helping her to improve her credit, give her some directions.  She will need quite a bit of time before she can buy.  But this story is not about her, is about her friend. I have shown her friend a house last year, I will call her Ann here.  Ann was referred to me from this client, Ann didn't tell me she was working with an agent on and off until I met her at the house.  She apologized and I let it go.  That was then. When my client called me today and we brought Ann up, she told me Ann fired 2 agents last year while looking for a house, she got fed up and continued the lease of her apartment.  Ann is still planning to buy this year, and my client told me Ann is so f... 02/09/2011

You believe what a total stranger tells you about their house FSBO in Marion Ar? FSBO means For Sale By Owner Hello, Buyer, You have doubt in real estate professionals. You think most of us are not reliable. You think all we care is money, how much we make in a deal. You think we don't disclose everything in a house to you. You think you can get a better deal by going on your own. Let me ask you, so, you'd rather choose to believe a total stranger who puts a FSBO sign in their yard, shows you their house, without a property disclosure to tell you what you need to know about the house? Ever wonder why they want to FSBO?  Simple, they want to make more money.  They think by not listing with an agent can save them money, and have more money in return.  So, who is the one here who cares mor... 02/05/2011

I am a first time buyer and I don't know what I need to do to buy in Marion Ar I have been getting quite a few calls like this lately, many first time buyers are planning to buy their new home during tax return season.  They all have one question in common, "I am a first time buyer, I don't know anything about buying a house, what do I need to do first?" Basic, simple and straight forward question, and the answer is just the same way, Talk to a lender first.  You can't buy unless you know you can borrow a loan to buy, right?  This step is called getting a loan pre-approval.  The lender will need your social security number/card, recent 2 years of tax return (W-2), recent 2-3 months pay stub, recent 2-3 months check stub, driver license.  Your lender will run your credit report to see if... 02/01/2011

Should I put my house on the market for sale before I find one to buy in Marion Ar? You are thinking to buy your next move up home in Marion, Ar, and wonder if you should put your house on the market and look for your new home at the same time?  Is the thought of doing both at the same time scaring you?  Why?  Let's see what a seller and a buyer thinks under the same situation. Seller :  My house is on the market for sale, I am hoping the buyer is ready and pre-approved to put an offer on my house. My house is on the market for sale, I am hoping the buyer's house is on the market for sale and already got a buyer under contract and waiting to close. My house is on the market for sale, I am hoping the buyer's house is at least already on the market for sale. My house is on the market for ... 01/31/2011

Are you ready to buy your next move up home in Marion Ar? You have been saving some extra money to get ready to buy your next move up home, do you have any idea where most of them are?  Here they are, are you ready?   Hearthstone Place, Southern Oaks :  they are right next to each other.  Close to the high school area, homes are priced about $160,000 to $170,000, mostly 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, about 1,500 to 2,000 square feet Wind Song : these are some bigger homes, they are about 1,800 to 3,000 square feet.  Mostly are 3-4 bedrooms to 2-3 baths, priced around $180,000 to $200,000. Whispering Wind : this new subdivision is about 4 years old.  Homes are priced from $160,000 to $180,000, and they usually are 3-4 bedrooms and 2 baths.  It is also close to the high school. St. John's Landing... 01/30/2011

Choice of homes for first time buyer in Marion Ar It really depends on what is the price range you are looking for.  There are a few choices of homes for fist time buyer in Marion, Ar.  Prices go from $60,000 to sky is the limit.  Most first time buyers are usually looking at prices under $100,000 to $130,000 in Marion, Ar. If this is the same price range you are looking for, here is the list for you. Forrest Park, Baioni, Brunetti area : these 3 areas in Marion, Ar are mostly under $100,000. Forrest Park is a 'doll house' area, and it is priced under $80,000 most of the time, Baioni and Brunetti is usually priced around $100,000.  Homes are usually less than 1,300 square feet.  Hickory Hollow, Harding Village : These 2 areas are usually priced under $120,000.  They are mostly 3 bedroom... 01/29/2011

Housing in Marion Ar Part IV Now, we reach our last post of our series of 4 about Marion, Ar.  I hope it helps to give you a better idea where, how, and what Marion, Ar. is about.  Maybe you decide to move to Marion, Ar now, I will think you need to start looking for a house to call it your new home.  Let's tour some of our subdivisions, shall we? Hickory Hollow :  This small subdivision is located close by the high school.  It is a quiet neighborhood, 1st time buyer popular choice, price range around mid $110,000 to $120,000.  Houses are mostly built in the late 1990 to early 2000, but occasionally there is some brand new home selling in Hickory Hollow, too.  Most of the houses are 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, around 1,200 to 1,300 square feet, smaller yard.  Kids can definitely walk to sch... 01/28/2011

What do I need to do as a first time home buyer in Marion Ar? It is very exciting when you decide it is time to buy your first home, so many things to know and do, where do you start? Regardless you have been preparing to buy for a little while already or the buying bug just landed on you.  The steps you need to take to be a first time buyer is the same. Let me walk with you step by step, just give you some ideas of how to buy your first home, how's that sound?   First and foremost, you need to talk to a lender first.  You would want to know how much you can be pre-approved to buy before looking, wouldn't you?  Just because you think you can buy, you still need to find out exactly how much you can borrow from a lender, how much will your monthly note be, how much is the closing costs.  ... 01/26/2011

Location and its surroundings of Marion Ar Part I This is going to be a short series of 4 that I am gathering for you to know more about Marion Ar., my new hometown for the last 9 years. I hope this will help you to understand more about Marion Ar. and why families are choosing to move here. Marion, Ar. is located in Crittenden County.  Marion, Ar. is not a big town, but it is full of big opportunities to call it home for many new families who are planning to move to Marion, Ar. We are mainly a residential town, we have a wide variety of subdivisions for families to choose from, its price ranges from low $100,000 to about $600,000 homes. No matter what you are looking for, there is something for everyone. Our population is about 11,000, and growing. I remember the population was under 9... 01/25/2011

Jobs in Marion Ar and its surrounding areas Part II We have talked about the location of Marion, Ar., we are going to talk about jobs opportunities in our areas. Marion, Ar is more a suburb residential town, most of the residents commute to work in our surrounding areas are Osceola, Blytheville in Ar.  and Memphis, Tn.    ©2011 MapQuest  Portions ©2011 NAVTEQ, Intermap Within Marion and West Memphis, Ar., some of the bigger employers but not limited to and not in particular orders are: Marion School District City of Marion Hino Motors West Memphis School District City of West Memphis Crittenden Regional Hospital Bosch Schneider Trucking Company Family Dollar Warehouse Walmart In our surrounding areas, most common commutes are going to Osceola, Blytheville, both in Ar., and also to Memph... 01/25/2011

Lifestyle in Marion Ar Part III Marion, Ar. is a family friendly place for many of us to call it home.  If you have kids who love sports, Marion, Ar could be an ideal place for you and your family to call home.  There are all kinds of sports activities fill up the weekends for parents and their kids.  Many parents will gather up at the football field, baseball field, basketball court, volley ball, and cheering up for their daughters in their softball game. There is always something going on in the weekends. How about golf?  We have 2 clubs in our area; the Meadowbrook Country Club in West Memphis, and Marion Golf and Athletic Club in Marion, Ar.  We also have golf team in Marion School District.  Other than golf, we have tennis, soccer, football, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyba... 01/25/2011

Will I be nominated for the Best Seller award in Marion, Ar? Alright, all the holidays are over, the new year has just started, it is time for me to think about putting my house on the market to get ready for the Spring buyers.  Mmmmm, I think this is what I will do: Pack all the Christmas decorations up Declutter all the things that I either don't want or don't use, give it away, donate to charities, there's got to be someone can use them Do I need to paint the walls, if they look dingy or the loud lime green may not be everybody's cup of tea, yeah, I may need to paint Anything broken inside or outside the house?  Hmm, yeah, there are a few things in the kitchen, the bathrooms, the window screens, etc. needs to be fixed.  I guess I will need to take care of that Well, it is still cold ... 01/01/2011

Short sale 729 Lackey Road Marion Ar Open House this Sunday March 6th from 2-4 pm                                                                   SHORT SALE is Pre-approved                                   This house will be opened for you to view this Sunday, 3/6 from 2 pm to 4 pm. This is a short sale.  It has been approved by the bank for short sale already.  All it needs is a buyer.  Asking price is $128,000, there are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with a spacious eat-in kitchen, there is 1528 sq ft, hardwood floor throughout the house except carpet in the bedrooms and tile floor in the bathrooms and kitchen.  Backyard is already fenced.  It is located at Pleasant Plains on Airport Road. If you have any questions about purchasing short sale property, please stop by this weekend and ... 12/30/2010

Another new construction ready for you to semi customize  in River West Estate Marion Ar. 2011 will be here in just 3 days, new plan, maybe a new home? In a very short time, we have sold this one Do you want to semi-custom build your new home in River West Estate, Marion,Ar? SOLD .  The buyer is doing the exact thing like I suggest on the post, he semi customizes their new house in River West Estate in Marion, Ar.  He is a happy home owner in 2011, because he acts fast. Another new construction just came out in River West Estate, and waiting for you to put in your personal taste to pick your choice of color of paint, floorings, may be even light fixtures.  Remember the key to do that is to act fast, before the builder orders the items. Like this one here, we don't even have the exterior... 12/29/2010

Marion Ar is a good choice for relocation again December is definitely not slow for me this year.  I am currently working with 3 clients who are relocating to Marion, Ar. from different areas.  They like the feel of a suburb, quiet, a wide selection of housings, school district, the convenience so close to Memphis, Tn. for city life, shopping and dining.  Marion is a residential town, population just slightly over 10,000.  A friendly small town where there is only one main business/restaurant area along the Intersection of I-55 to and from St. Louis, MO, Osceola, and Blytheville, Ar.  Also I-40 to and from Memphis, Tn., Little Rock, Ar.  I-40 is the busiest State highway in the country. Other than families relocating to Marion, Ar. on their own, we also have corporate job relocation, to... 12/23/2010

I was asked by a couple of buyers recently that they don't understand why can't they borrow the amount of the house they want to buy and their credit score is good. First, let me explain I am not a mortgage lender and I am not an expert in financing.  I am a real estate agent who helps my clients buying and selling their house.  I have a little knowledge which I can share with my clients and explain to them the reason. Lender is not just looking at your credit score.  Good credit score is only good enough to let your foot in the loan application process.  There are many factors can affect how much you can borrow.  First and foremost, how much do you make per year?  How much are your debt?  Like car notes, furniture notes, student loans, anything on a monthly installment plan.   What abo... 12/21/2010

Don't wait till too late before calling your real estate agent to do a short sale in Marion Ar. As of today, there are 389 listings on our local Board of Realtor website, most of them are re-sale homes.  Foreclosures and short sales do not occupy a big chunk of our market, which is good.  At the same time, short sales are rising lately in our market. If you are facing personal financial crisis, and currently behind on your monthly mortgage payment, please call a real estate professional who have experience handling short sales before to help you.  Don't wait till you are months behind the mortgage before you call us.   We have a couple of clients waited too long (like more than 6 months behind) before calling us to do a short sale on their house, it was too late.  We only listed the hou... 12/12/2010

These Christmas trees were taken from the Marion Christmas parade last Thursday, December 2.  The weather was nice, not so cold, it was kind of pleasant actually.  Each year, there are local organizations enter the Christmas trees contest and they will be displayed at the Marion Christmas parade. There are also choir singing in front of the Marion Court House, pictures taking with Santa.  It is a nice community event.                                                                                                                                                                       12/10/2010

Have you bought your Christmas tree yet?  If not, what are you waiting for? lol If you have a big wagon like this one, it will be nice to haul it home in it, what do you think?  It is like your mini parade through your neighborhood, that may be fun! Now, go out and buy that Christmas tree you like, hope you take it home in a wagon! :) 12/01/2010