Painless Moving
Don't let moving be a headache – plan ahead to make your move painless. Moving is a pain. Between packing the boxes, taking care of all the details, saying your good-byes, there’s not much that makes moving fun. But, by getting a head start and tackling the problem head-on, painless moving can be a possibility for your next relocation.

1. De-clutter
Still have clothes that fit three sizes ago hanging in your closet? Or, is there a drawer in your house that is so full of junk that it frightens you to even contemplate opening it? Why move stuff you don’t want or need? Go through your house and throw away or donate whatever you can. Not only can this help make your move painless, but it also saves you money. Less to move means less you have to pay the movers, or if you are moving yourself, less boxes to buy. And, less to move also means less of your valuable time wasted.

2. Cancel services
Don’t make the mistake of paying for the electric bill of your old residence after you’ve left. An easy way to make moving painless is to make a checklist of all the services that you need to cancel or transfer. Also, be sure to get confirmation numbers. If someone at the electric company forgets to turn off your account, it’s your word against theirs and guess who would lose that battle.

3. Set up new services
While you are canceling your old services, go ahead and set up all the services at your new residence. Keep in mind that you’ll probably have to be there for some services to be set up – cable, Internet, etc. Schedule these when you’ll actually be moved into your new home and able to take some time off work.

4. Pack
Unless you are lucky enough to hire movers who are going to pack for you, this is a task that you’ll want to get a head start on to ensure a painless moving day. Start packing with the rooms in your house that you use the least – guest room, formal living room, formal dining room, etc. Get a room packed as much as possible before moving to the next room. For rooms that you’ll use right up to the end, go ahead and pack as much as you can. Be sure to label very well. Clearly note if the contents are fragile as well as where the box should go in the new house.

5. Prepare children
If you have young children, it might be difficult for a move to be painless for them. They may not understand why you are boxing up all of their toys. Keep a dialogue going to ease any apprehensions they may have. If possible, show them pictures of the new home. Try to get them excited. Let them pick out the color of their new room. Also, reassure your kids that all of their toys and furniture will meet them in the new house.

6. Lock up pets on moving day
The last thing that you want when you move is to lose a beloved pet in the process. Be sure to lock up any pets so that they can’t get loose while loading the moving truck. If you’ve hired movers, keep the pets in an empty room that is clearly labeled “Do not enter: pets inside.”

7. Pack a bag
Keep an overnight bag with you that holds a few essentials to keep you going for a couple of days. Move out and move in dates don’t necessarily sync up – you’ll be glad you have a couple of days of clothes and even an air mattress if you get stuck in your new house waiting for the movers to bring your furniture.

8. Keep valuables with you
Pack one box with your valuables – jewelry, wills, important papers, passports, birth certificates, sentimental items, coin collections, etc. If something happens to your belongings in transit, you’ll feel better having these with you.

9. Put boxes in appropriate rooms
A trick to keeping your move painless once you arrive at your new home is to put boxes where they go. Don’t just unload as fast as you can, piling boxes into the family room or garage. Instead, take them straight to their final destination. That makes unpacking so much easier.

10. Set up beds first
Also, while you are unloading, set up the beds as soon as you can, complete with sheets, pillows, etc. You’ll be very glad that night when you’re completely exhausted and can crash in a ready-made bed.

11. Keep a close record of damage and follow up
If you have hired professional movers, document any damage to your belongings. This part continues as you unpack your boxes. Most moving companies give you a timeframe in which to file damage reports. Make sure all boxes are unpacked to give you enough time to evaluate any damage and report it.

12. Focus on finishing one room first
One last trick to painless moving is set up one room completely as soon as you can. Make one room box free, pictures on the wall, furniture placed just right. That way, in the weeks ahead of unpacking, you have one room where you can relax with a cup of coffee and just get away from all the cardboard boxes and chaos.

Should It Stay or Can It Go? What You Can Take With You When You Move
You've just sold your home and are preparing to move. But which items and appliances are you allowed to take with you? Personal property disputes are a common problem in real estate transactions. Some buyers who’ve fallen in love with a home’s decorative accents have moved in to find the chandelier, mirrors and even the doorknobs have been stripped from the house by the previous owners. Conversely, some sellers have discovered that items they assumed they could legally take with them are considered to have been sold with the house. How can you tell what’s yours and what’s not?

Real property
State laws differ on specifically what is and isn’t yours to take, but there are some general rules. “Real property” usually includes any improvements to the land or physical structure that cannot be easily moved. It includes such things as wiring, plumbing, roofing, masonry, staircases and in-ground pools. Basically, if it would require a contractor to remove it, it stays.

Chattels
“Chattels” are pieces of personal property purchased by the homeowner that can be easily moved. Chattels are not considered to be a part of the house. If an item can be unplugged or easily unscrewed from the wall or ceiling, it’s usually considered a chattel. Home appliances, potted plants, hanging mirrors, artwork and security systems are some examples of common chattels.

Fixtures
“Fixtures” are chattels that are physically attached to the house or property. These items are more permanently affixed than chattels but less so than real property. They are generally considered to be a part of the house unless it’s specifically indicated otherwise in the purchase agreement. Doorknobs, chandeliers, garden sheds, shutters and curtain rods are some of the items that qualify as fixtures.

Out of sight, out of mind
When selling your home, a good way to avoid problems down the road is to simply remove or replace any items that could be subject to dispute before you hold an open house. If a potential buyer never sees your antique chandelier, they’ll never miss it. Placing “does not convey” note cards on items is also acceptable, however, there’s a chance you may receive an offer conditional upon them being left behind -- or a request that you lower your price in order to compensate for taking them. Most residential sales contracts contain a checklist where the “staying or going” status of fixtures can be clearly indicated. If yours does not, consider drawing one up yourself.

Removing things like doorknobs or chandeliers after a buyer has viewed or even purchased the house may not necessarily be illegal, but it is unethical. If you remove them before the deal has closed, it could endanger the sale by forcing those buying to wonder: “If they took that, what else did they take?” If you remove fixtures from the house that are included in the purchase agreement after the deal has closed, it may qualify as breach of contract.

Don’t get burned
When a sale agreement is signed, the buyer’s agent should check the house and make a careful list of all its fixtures. Sellers should check this list very carefully to make sure they are in agreement with the buyer as to who owns what. In some cases, buyers have included things on this list that didn’t actually exist in the house to begin with, like a refrigerator with a built-in icemaker or a workshop tool bench. Since the purchase agreement is a legally binding contract, the seller will then be liable to supply these “missing” items.

Chattels and fixtures are often negotiable, depending on individual seller’s wants and needs and can be factored into the selling price of the house at later stages. The bottom line, though, is to always be prepared. A written agreement is the best way to determine who is entitled to what.

What typically stays (unless otherwise specified in writing)

• Wall-to-wall carpeting

• Permanent light fixtures

• Landscaping (patio stones, masonry, in-ground pools)

• Window coverings (shutters, blinds, curtain rods)

• Skylights

• Fireplaces and mantelpieces

• Garden sheds (with concrete foundations)

• In-ground plants and trees

• Mirrors permanently affixed to walls

What typically goes (unless otherwise specified in writing)

• Carpets and area rugs

• Household appliances (refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, washer/dryers, etc.)

• Non-permanent light fixtures

• Potted plants

• Curtains

• Hanging mirrors

• Paintings and wall hangings

For more information and advice, we recommend that you consult an attorney or real estate professional.

Tips on Finding the Right Neighborhood
When in doubt, check it out. Finding the right neighborhood when you’re buying a home brings out the Sherlock Holmes in all of us, requiring a little bit of detective work and a lot of instinct.

One of the first things you’ll want to do is decide whether you’re looking for a single-family or multifamily home, says Chika Obodozie, a real estate agent in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Lanham, MD. Narrowing down whether you’re looking for a condominium, townhouse or single-family home gets you that much closer to finding the right neighborhood.

When shopping for my own homes I drive by in the evening to get a feel for the neighborhood. No one is around in the daytime, but any unsavory characters that might be lurking around come out at night. If it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t.

If safety is a prime concern in finding the right neighborhood, there’s no better source than the local police department or precinct. Wood says she calls the police department to ask about things like the number of home break-ins and muggings. If you see an officer patrolling the neighborhood, stop and ask a few questions.

Schools are another huge factor in finding the right neighborhood. School quality is important even if you don’t have children because it can affect resale value. Call the local school board to get quick facts about things like test scores, graduation rates and percentage of college-bound students. You also can find out which schools your children would attend and whether they would have to take a bus.

The school district likely provides information packets to real estate agents to share with potential homebuyers. But don’t put your agent on the spot by asking how good the schools are – he or she can get in ethical hot water for recommending certain school districts. Some companies also compile and sell school district statistics.

For some people, the right neighborhood also has easy access to public transportation. If you plan to drive to work, it’s worth trying the commute at rush hour to see how long it would take.

If you’re looking for general information, the local Chamber of Commerce is a wealth of information about neighborhood businesses, taxes and cost of living, as well as recreation and entertainment that’s close by. Most chambers have packets ready to ship out, or provide quick access to information on the Web.

And since no one wants to buy a house in the flood plain or near where industrial water is dumped, check with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Environmental Resources site or Envirofacts, which is run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. You can enter the ZIP code of the area into the Environmental Defense Fund’s Scorecard to see its rating in terms of waste, air quality, land quality, water contamination, etc. Many county governments also maintain flood plain maps.

Avoiding moving scams
Moving company scams can cost you a lot of money and spoil the excitement of getting a new home, so know what you can do to protect yourself. Moving can be one of the most stressful times in your life. There are usually a great deal of memories and a considerable amount of money at stake, so the last thing you want to deal with is getting scammed. Here are some tips to follow so you can avoid getting ripped off when you move from one home to the next.

Check references
If you heard of a moving company from your real estate agent, chances are his or her other clients have used the same service and have been pleased. You may also want to ask for references directly from the company so you can see how satisfied other customers have been with the movers. If you are unsure about a certain moving company, it may be a good idea to check into your local chamber of commerce, as well as a community organization that specializes in relocation to see if there have been any complaints or reports of moving company scams. Another good resource is your local police department. An officer should be able tell you about any recent scams or what to look out for when contracting a mover to transport your belongings.

Be cautious
If you have found a moving company that you are interested in contracting for your move, here are a few things to consider: Do they give a local address? Did they give you an estimate for moving over the phone? Does the company require a large deposit? Are there company vehicles or generic rented trucks? All of these things can be red flags! Reputable moving companies should be able to give a local address and phone number, and your estimate should be given once a representative of the company has seen the size and the amount of furniture you have. You should also try to avoid paying movers until the move has been completed and the company should have their own vehicles with company logos, rather than trucks rented from another company. Another good idea is to look into licensure and insurance information, as well as consumer advocacy groups before you contract a company for your move.

Know your rights
If you feel you have been scammed, ripped off or treated unfairly by a moving company it is your right to react appropriately. A good place to start is with your local police department and chamber of commerce. It is also a good idea to report any scams or unsatisfactory activity to the Department of Transportation by calling 1-888-DOT-SAFT. Doing so can help recover your money or your belongings, as well as help protect other consumers from moving scams.

How to buy a house fast: Research first
Gathering information is crucial when you need to buy a home in a hurry. Your employer has asked you to relocate across the country, and you’ve agreed to make the long-distance move. Now, you need to buy a home in your new community, and you need to act fast! Where should you start?

Research your destination
Use the Internet to find out as much as you possibly can about the different communities in your new locale. If you have school-aged children, you’ll probably want to make information about the local schools your top priority. You’ll also want to pinpoint your new job location and figure out how far you’ll be willing to commute to get there.

Find a REALTOR®
A savvy REALTOR® should be able to help you shop for a home that will fit your budget and meet your needs. The REALTOR® should send you information about homes on the market that you might want to consider and arrange for you to tour those homes when you make your house-hunting trip to the area. Most employers will reimburse your expenses for one or two trips before you move, so you can find a place to live.

Research for-sale homes
Shop online to find out about houses that are for-sale in your new community and identify some that might suit your needs. Your preliminary research isn’t likely to yield the exact home you’ll eventually buy, but it will help you understand your choices and communicate your needs to your REALTOR®. Send a list of the homes you like to your REALTOR®, but be open to his or her suggestions as well.

People who relocate a long distance are often surprised and dismayed when they find out how much a comparable home will cost in their new community. Don’t underestimate the differential in housing costs between different parts of the country, and be sure to get pre-approved by a lender for your new mortgage so you’ll know how much you can afford to spend.

If you expect to move again within a few years, you may want to purchase a home that could have a better resale value in the local community, even if that home doesn’t perfectly suit your needs. For example, a larger family-style home may be easier to resell than a smaller or atypical style of home.

Be as open and honest as possible with your REALTOR® since you don’t have time to tour houses that aren’t in your price range or won’t meet your needs. Holding back information about your budget, housing priorities or time constraints is especially counterproductive when you need to make such an important decision in a short timeframe.

Consider your options
If you need to sell your current home before you can purchase a new one, you may need to obtain a bridge loan to finance your purchase or you may need to rent a home for a while when you first move to your new community. And keep in mind that you may need to rent if houses are selling slowly in your current community or quickly in your new location.

Make a must-haves checklist
A checklist is a great way to focus on your housing requirements. Do you need to live in a particular school district? How many bedrooms and bathrooms would you be willing to accept? Which amenities are necessities for your lifestyle? Take your checklist, a notepad and pen, and a camera with you when embark on your house-hunting trip to your new community.

Moving? Time your sale to avoid extra financing charges
Are you selling and buying at the same time? Follow these tips to avoid paying more than necessary. Buying a home can be complicated enough. But it can be even more challenging when you’re selling your home and buying a new one at the same time. And if things don’t go smoothly -- for example, if the closing dates on the two homes don’t coincide -- you can end up facing significant financing costs. Here are some ways to keep these costs to a minimum.

1. Get pre-approved for the new mortgage
First, get pre-approved for a mortgage for your new home. You can start by requesting a mortgage through LendingTree and getting pre-qualified with up to four lenders. You can then choose which offer you prefer and, contingent upon various things including verification of your assets and credit, get pre-approved with that lender directly.

The lender will commit to providing you with a loan of a certain size during a certain time period.

Getting pre-approved enables you to know exactly how much you can afford to spend on your new home and can make you more attractive to sellers as you will not have to make an offer contingent upon obtaining financing.

The other advantage of getting pre-approved is that it enables you to lock in the interest rate on your new mortgage so you won’t end up being charged a higher rate on your new mortgage if rates rise before you close on a home. Lenders will sometimes guarantee your rate for 30 days without a charge, or a three- or six-month lock-in may carry a fee.

2. Try to close the sale of your current home first
The best way to avoid a cash squeeze is by making sure you complete the sale of your existing home before you close the deal on your new home. That way, you’ll have the down payment from your present home to use as a down payment on your new one.

You don’t need to come up with all the money to pay for your new home until closing day. When your offer is accepted on the new home, you will have to post a deposit, called “earnest money.” This is typically 1 to 5 percent of the selling price, depending on the local market. The lender may also require you to pay some fees up front, such as mortgage application or origination fees and credit report fees.

However, most of the other money, including your down payment, the remainder of the purchase price, and all the other fees and taxes, will be paid at closing. So, as long as your old home closes first, you’ll have the money you need when you need it.

3. Avoid high-interest financing
If your present home doesn’t close until after your new one, you’ll have to come up with the down payment for the new one and carry the mortgages on both homes until the old one closes.

You could opt for a bridge loan. This is a short-term loan secured by your present home. It may allow you to borrow up to 90 percent of the equity you have in the home. But the costs are high: interest rates are typically 1 to 3 percent above the prime rate and you may have to pay six months’ interest up front.

4. Use a home equity line of credit
Another option is a home equity line of credit on your old home. The interest rate could be more than 1 percent lower than that of a bridge loan. There’s no up-front interest payment, and since you draw the money only when you need it each month, your total interest costs are lower.

There may be a penalty, however, if you sell your home within a year after taking the line of credit. And remember, a home equity line of credit is still secured by your home, so if you fail to repay the money, it can be seized. However, it can help you carry the load until your sale goes through, and possibly at a less onerous cost.

Help your kids cope with moving
It's hard to leave favorite friends, places and activities behind. But you can take steps to minimize the impact of a move. Moving is hard on all family members. Even if you are transplanting to a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood, adjusting is difficult. If the move is a result of divorce or some other familial misfortune, the accompanying loss of a parent or decline in standard of living will increase its impact.

No matter what the reason for a move, coping is especially tough for kids. Small children thrive on predictability and their sense of security is closely tied to familiar faces, places and activities. Older children are apt to feel the social impact of a move most. They miss old friends and worry about making new ones. For pre-teens and teens, fitting in is of the utmost importance and having to re-establish themselves in a new and possibly very different social environment is a scary prospect.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to make the move easier on your kids. Try some of these tried-and-true methods, geared to different age groups:

For all children, but especially pre-schoolers and kids in primary school, follow established home routines faithfully for the first few months after you move. This means having dinner at the same time, serving familiar foods, watching favorite TV shows, going to bed at the same time and observing the same bedtime rituals on a day-to-day basis. You should also try to observe special occasions like birthdays and holidays the same way as always.

For all children, consult with your child about the décor of his or her new room. Let your child pick the paint color, the fabric for curtains and bedspread and choose posters for the walls. Younger children typically resist change of any kind. If this is the case with your child, it may help to replicate the décor and furniture arrangement of his or her old room as closely as possible.

For school-age children, help your child keep up with old friends. Encourage him or her to write and exchange photos; arrange phone calls, visits and sleepovers on a regular basis. Kids who are struggling to make new friends find it very relaxing and comforting to be with old buddies they don’t have to impress.

For school-age children, make it easy for your child to make new friends by opening your home to other kids after school and encouraging your child to invite new acquaintances along on special outings.

For school-age children, reinforce your child’s confidence by enabling him or her to participate in extra-curricular activities. Whether it’s soccer or music lessons, continuing a favorite activity or starting a new one gives your child feelings of competence and self-esteem that don’t depend on how well he or she is fitting into the social order at the new school.

For school-age children, particularly pre-teens and teens, give your child a head start at the new school by doing some advance scouting. Contact the principal, the head of the PTA, the guidance counselor and the new home-room teacher to find out everything you can about the school:

• Official and unofficial dress codes

• Activities, sports and clubs

• Academic strengths and weaknesses

• Problems such as drugs, gangs or bullying

For school-age children, stay abreast of how your child is fitting into his or her new environment. Ask your child how he or she is doing and feeling in school and the new social milieu. Stay in touch with school officials and teachers to get objective information.

Tips on Buying and Selling a Home at the Same Time
With careful planning, buying and selling a home at the same time can be a lot easier than you might think. Here are some tips to get you started.

Preparation

• Hire a team of professionals who are experts in buying and selling homes. Ask family and friends which REALTOR®, lawyer, lender, appraiser, home inspector and mover they’d recommend. Meet with them and discuss your objectives, requirements and expectations right from the start.
  Communicate with your team of professionals efficiently and regularly. For instance, more and more buyers are asking their REALTOR® to e-mail new home listings to save time and ensure they don’t lose out on a property that sells fast.

• Ask your REALTOR® to keep you advised of important issues as they occur so you can resolve them together quickly.

• Help organize all your buying and selling information. Dedicate a notebook to documenting the many dates and details of phone and face-to-face discussions, as well as important transactions.

Selling

• Put your home up for sale far in advance of purchasing a new one. You may want to consider selling first, especially in a buyer’s market. You’ll know exactly how much money you have for your new home. Plus, you’ll decrease the risk of temporarily owning two homes at the same time.
  Ensure you have ample time to find a new home (in the event that you sell first) by negotiating a long close or convenient rent-back option, where you can stay in the house as a rental tenant until you take possession of your new home.

• Be motivated to sell; list at a competitive price. If you suspect your home has problems that may hinder its sale, work with a home inspector to coordinate repairs or ensure your asking price reflects the home’s condition.

• Look at the big picture. You may want to consider a slightly lower offer if it is unconditional, or an offer that gives you more flexibility with respect to the closing date, as is often the case with first-time home buyers who don’t have to sell their existing house first.

• Speed up the selling process by giving preferential treatment to offers without financing conditions, or insist that buyers be pre-approved within five to 10 days of accepting their offer.

• Get the buyer of your old house and the seller of your new house to commit in writing to a specific window of dates and negotiate financial penalties to encourage both parties to stick to those dates.

Buying

• Before you list your home, do a little digging and see what’s up for sale in your price range. Little within your reach? You may want to hold off on selling until you buy. When you do, negotiate a long close to give you the necessary time to sell.

• Don’t waste your time looking at properties you can’t afford. Do the math and determine your budget. While you’re at it, select a lender and get pre-approved for a mortgage.

• Once you’ve found a property that seems perfect, have it professionally inspected and ensure you can get insurance before you make an offer.
  Give yourself enough time to review all the paperwork. From the get-go, tell your REALTOR® or lawyer you’ll need ample time to see and sign the closing documents.

Moving

• Only move what you need and love. Donate old and seldom-used clothes, housewares and furniture to charity. Regardless of the season, do some spring cleaning so you’re not packing what should really be tossed out.

• Organize your move by utilizing to-do lists and home-inventory lists (available from your REALTOR,® mover or the Internet). Make a master list of the items you pack and code all the boxes to ensure nothing gets lost and the movers can carry everything to the appropriate rooms in your new home.

• Give your utility providers, postal service, associations and other contacts plenty of notice of your pending move and arrange new start dates for services at your new home.

• Make sure you keep all your moving-related receipts. They could be tax deductible, depending on why you’re moving. Talk with a tax advisor to see if you’re eligible.

• To make moving into your new place as easy as possible, pack a separate bag for everyone in your family containing clothing, toiletries, medication, work/homework, bedding and other items they’ll need the first day. Also, put together a moving-in toolkit for assembling furniture, etc.

Trouble-shooting

• Things don’t always work out the way we plan -- especially when buying and selling homes. Life can get stressful and costly when you buy a new home before you sell your existing one or sell before you find something you want to buy. The good news is there are options.

• In a situation where you need to carry two homes for a limited time, look into bridge financing. Backed by the equity in your old home, bridge financing is a loan to cover the down payment on your new home. It’s a great short-term solution, typically available for prime plus two percentage points.

• If you have good credit but your income isn’t high enough for you to qualify to carry a bridge loan plus two mortgage payments, consider a no-ratio mortgage, which doesn’t take into account your debt-to-income ratio. You’ll incur a higher interest rate but you can refinance later, once your situation is more stable.

• Alternatively, you could obtain extra funds by drawing on a line of credit on your old home. The interest rate is likely to be more than a point lower than on a bridge loan. The only downside is that you might have to pay a penalty fee if you sell the home within a year.
  Should you need interim housing, there are always short-term rental properties (some even come furnished) and affordable storage facilities. Or perhaps you can even stay for a short time with family or friends.

• Have children? Talk to school officials in both neighborhoods to work out the best schedule. For instance, if you’re not taking possession of your new home until the middle of a semester, with proper documentation, a new school may allow your children to start before you officially move in.