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Articles by Christopher Shaw

Browse published articles attributed to Christopher Shaw, with full-archive search.

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By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Are you willing to Work for Free?

I am a small business owner and sometimes just to break the monotony in the hiring regiment I will ask a prospective interviewee if they would work for free. I do this because I understand that the standard resume and usual interview questions are predictable. So, when I pitch this curve ball and inquire “would you work for free” I am trying to see if the prospect can think out of the box. Now I am aware that interviewing in itself is a stressful process but well thought out or rehearsed standard answers are not what I am looking for at all.

Primary topic: Real Estate

2,608 views2.3/5 (6)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Build Your Million Dollar Dream Team

Success is just a mindset; you hear this old saying all of the time or what about “Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. Did you ever stop and think about these words and phrases as you go about your everyday life? Have you ever paused and truly thought about the message that is being conveyed? If I had a nickel for every anecdotal quote that I have heard directed toward success and failure I would be a rich man by now. What I would like you to consider is how to achieve success and the advantages of being successful.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,593 views3/5 (8)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Security is Priority to Single Women Buying Homes.

As you may be aware the fastest growing demographic in real estate sales is single women second only to married couples. Previously we asked the question, “What are Single Women looking for ….. In a Home?” Well, high on the list of 10 things most desired by single women when purchasing a home was security. Coldwell Banker’s latest consumer survey found that a home’s security is a deal breaker! Sixty-four percent of women said if they found the home of their dreams but had conce s about its security, they would no longer be interested.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,691 views2.8/5 (4)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First time Buyers: Where To Find the Money To Buy A Home

One of the most important things you must do when preparing to purchase a home is assessing your budget. You must be clear on where you are financially. What can you afford in a monthly mortgage? But also realize that your mortgage payment will often include other fees such as loan interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance and in some cases mortgage insurance.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,718 views2.7/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

In an Infants Eyes

“Every baby born into the world is a finer one than the last one”. Charles Dickens I have had an eye opening experience this holiday season. I’ve been blessed to have my daughter and our first grandchild spend time with us. The other day my wife was quizzing me and she asked me if I wanted to have another child of my own, to which I emphatically replied, No! I just wanted to enjoy my grandson for the holidays. Which brings me to the point of why I wanted to write this article. Bryce is the king of the castle this weekend.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,540 views2.5/5 (4)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: How To Choose the Right Home Inspector

In view of the fact that you are reading this article, would it be safe to assume that you have made the wise decision to hire a home inspector? Great! As you probably realize buying a home is a big investment and you need to find out everything possible about it before you sign on the dotted line and pledge to love, maintain and pay for the next 30 years. Your new home should not turn into your “Nightmare on Elm Street” with costly surprises awaiting you in every dark corner.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,471 views2.7/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Financing Can Be A Single Women’s Best Friend.

If you read the newspapers or surf the internet you can’t help but notice the buzz surrounding the latest trend in real estate, Single Women! The reasons for this significant rise in single women buyers has many different components. This trend which is changing not only the face of home-ownership but the industry itself is making a significant shift.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,409 views2.7/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Home Buyers: Beware of Home Office Hidden Tax Obligations

Working from home definitely has its advantages. There is no commute, the dress attire is comfortable, and you set your own hours. Wonderful! However, just like everything else in life, it also has its draw backs or consequences. Filing taxes for most is already a real pain and for those who file for a home office it really puts your organizational skills to the test. You must maintain meticulous records to take advantage of your allowable deductions such as; rent or mortgage, property taxes, utilities and depreciation for the portion of your home used exclusively for business.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,773 views2.5/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Making The Offer To Buy A Home

Finally, you have arrived! You've found the home of your dreams! Take a deep breathe and remain calm. You must act swiftly but wisely. Take the emotions out of it and get down to business. You and your real estate agent must now decide on the best offer to make. Most deals are negotiable! The decision to submit a lower price offer or a full price offer will depend on many factors. * The comparables will give you a starting point when considering the price to offer.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,364 views2.7/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyer have You Found the Right Mortgage Professional?

Finding the right mortgage lender or mortgage broker is absolutely imperative. You are about to make one of the biggest transactions of your life, who you get to process your loan could save you money and stress. Here are a few things to consider when selecting your mortgage professional. Will you work with a mortgage broker or mortgage lender? Brokers get paid a fee to shop your application around to find the best lender to fit your needs. Lenders can only offer you the loan options specific to their particular institution (bank, credit union, etc).

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,345 views2.7/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Seven Ways to Make Home Buying Simple

The home buying process can be very stressful, time consuming and costly especially for those who have not a clue. Today’s market is definitely ripe and ready to devour for the home buyer with low interest rates and the price of homes at an all time low, now is definitely the time to buy. In an attempt to alleviate your stress, save you some time and hopefully some money as well, we have compiled our seven ways to make the home buying process easy hit list. 1. Self Credit Checkr First!

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,465 views2.3/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

What Every Home Buyer Should Know About Their Credit!

Your credit score is extremely important in the home buying process. It plays a huge role in how lenders view you as a borrower. Your score helps lenders determine how much of a risk you are, the lower the score the more of a risk they feel you will be to default on the loan. It also determines the interest rate (cost to borrow) and the type of loan you will be able to qualify for. Borrowers with a credit score of 700 and over are typically offered more financing options and better interest rates, and the No Money Down options.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,252 views2.7/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

A First Time Buyers Guide to Home Ownership

Today’s market has put many in an “urge to buy” kind of mood. Understandably so. It is definitely a buyer’s market with low interest rates, and the price of homes at an all time low. If you're wise you’ll want to buy now too. Since the demand for buying is high, we thought we would take the time to offer a little advice on how to navigate the process successfully. First! Review your budget and financial status along with your credit report which are all indicators of your ability to obtain a mortgage as well as how much you can borrow.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,593 views2.5/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: How To Jumpstart Your Credit To Buy A Home

Tis’ the season for gift giving, however, instead of spending all that time, energy and money on stacking gifts under the tree this year, why not try giving yourself the gift that keeps on giving. The 700+ credit score. Your credit history holds a very significant key to your new home. It determines your borrowing power, loan options and the interest you will pay. The higher the score the lower the interest rate which in turn saves you money in monthly payments.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,333 views2.3/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: How To Jumpstart Your Credit To Buy A Home

Tis’ the season for gift giving, however, instead of spending all that time, energy and money on stacking gifts under the tree this year, why not try giving yourself the gift that keeps on giving. The 700+ credit score. Your credit history holds a very significant key to your new home. It determines your borrowing power, loan options and the interest you will pay. The higher the score the lower the interest rate which in turn saves you money in monthly payments.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,283 views2.3/5 (3)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: Closing the Deal On Your New Home

At this point, you have successfully jumped through the many hoops put before you; you’ve searched high and low for your home, the offer has been accepted, your mortgage has been approved and all the other contingencies have been satisfied! Now the finish line is in plain sight with one last hoop to jump. The closing is the final step to your dream home. But hold on, don’t slip away to homeownership heaven just yet, there is still business at hand. Your Closing Statementr Approximately 3-5 days prior to the date of the closing, you should receive a HUD-1 settlement statement.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,436 views2.5/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

New Wave of Foreclosure Bus Tours Puts You First, Sale Second

August 2009-Investing in real estate has never been easier, nor more user friendly thanks to the newest wave of foreclosure bus tours. The Foreclosure Bus Tour offers exclusive, detailed and personal information about properties available to tour participants from real estate and investment professionals, removing the pressure to purchase. The concept of foreclosure bus tours has become quite popular in recent years. Many tours include a realtor whose properties are the ones being visited, giving the realtor a biased, more personal incentive based reason to make a sale.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,414 views2.5/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: Four Tips On How To Be A Savvy House Hunting

Now that you've been armed with a budget and a mortgage pre-approval from your lender, there are a few things that you must know before you begin hunting for that dream home. This is the time when communication between you and your agent is most critical since you must convey exactly what you want in a home to make your search go more efficiently. Here are some tips that can make you a smarter house hunter. 1. Wish Listr Make a list of all the things you want in a new home such as the style of home, fireplace, number of bedrooms and baths, breakfast nook, garage size, etc.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,383 views2.5/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First time Buyers: Play House Before You Buy The House

Are you seriously thinking about buying a home, but you’re nervous and unsure as to whether you can comfortably afford it? Then why not “try it before you buy it.” There are two experiments that you can conduct that will let you know if you are financially ready to take on the responsibility of home ownership. You can try adding to your current budget the additional cost it would take to purchase a home. Or you can actually test drive a home by renting one. The Budgetr First estimate how much the additional expenses of living in a new home would be.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,343 views2.5/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Claim Your Piece of the Tax Credit Pie

There is great news for those of you who did not take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit previously offered first time home buyers! It is back by popular demand with a few new features. According to the Internal Revenue Service, more than 1.5 million claims were processed from individuals and families who have purchased a home betwee January and September 2009, The analysts estimate that more than two-thirds of all current homeowners and nearly all first-time buyers will be eligible for the credit extension.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,454 views2/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Top 5 Reasons First Time Home Buyers Should Use FHA 203(k) Loan

I Guess I really can’t say this enough, today’s market is prime and ripe for the first time homebuyer. There is a surplus of homes on the market due to the overwhelming “down pour” of foreclosures. Included in that surplus are a lot of great deals, particularly “fixer uppers”. The FHA 203(k) Rehab loan could prove most advantageous for those who thought that home ownership was out of reach. There are many reasons to utilize this particular loan; however, we thought that we’d give you the top five. 1.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,448 views2/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: Finding a Needle in a Haystack

When searching for a home it can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. With a little pre-planning you can make your house hunting a lot more productive. For starters you want to make sure you can make a day out of searching for your home. If you can’t set aside a day, take a few hours daily, to work with a trusted reputable agent. Your agent will be the person that will do the majority of the footwork but will need your input as to what you want.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,354 views2/5 (2)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

To Rent or Buy? That is the Question.

The decision to rent or to buy a home is not as simple as it first appears. As you may already know, buying a home definitely has it’s advantages. However, the answer has more to do with your individual circumstances. For the first time home buyer who may be nervous and unsure whether to take the leap into home ownership you must analyze where you are financially and what your needs are. For example if you: *change jobs frequently. *enjoy changing your scenery every couple of years. *need your costs to be more fixed.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,429 views2/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyer -Dont put the Cart before the Horse

As I tell all my clients don't put the cart before the horse. In other word don't go shopping until you have the cash or you've secured financing. A lot of people do this which can sometimes backfire and lead to frustration and disappointment. First of all, say you start looking and find a house that you really like.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,420 views2/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: Go Green, Recycle!

You know, it wasn't until I saw an episode of the Oprah Winfrey show conce ing the growing problem of landfills that are full of materials that will never go away, that I realized how extremely important it is to recycle. Unfortunately many things that we use on a daily basis and simply discard ends up in landfills and in our water sources. Those plastic bags we get our groceries in, water bottles we buy, use and discard by the dozens and Styrofoam cups, utensils, plates and containers we get from our favorite restaurants are all detrimental to our environment.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,405 views2/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: Credit Tip of the Week How to Use Secured Credit Cards

First Time Buyers: Credit Tip of the Weekr Secured Credit Cards The use of a secured credit card can and will build your credit over time, it is not an ove ight fix to your past credit woes. What is a secured credit card: “a credit card that is issued to a consumer that is tied to their savings account? The amount in the savings account is used to determine the amount of credit available for a person to use. These are often easier to obtain than a traditional credit card”. How can it help you: you'll have to make all of your monthly payments on time?

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,387 views2/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyer: Can Full and Part Time Real Estate Agents Be Equal?

I know that I am going to step on a lot of part time toes, but I must speak on the facts. Would you want a part time obstetrician to deliver your baby? No? Then its highly unlikely that you would want a part time agent when you are buying a home. I know it may sound a little extreme however, let’s take a closer look. Your home is like your child in some ways, you want to love it, maintain it (nurture it) and you will of course be required to pay for it for some years to come.

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,359 views2/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers: Honeymoon or Homeownership?

Ah, love is in the air. That greatly anticipated question has been popped and answered, the invitations have been chosen and the wedding party is set! You are now preparing to embark upon a new life together. The happy couple have many important decisions to make during this time. One very pertinent question is should you start your life together buying a honeymoon or in preparation for buying a new home? Lets see, seven romantic days on the white sand beaches of the Grand Cayman Islands or a possible lifetime on tree lined Mayberry Street? Hmm?

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,321 views2/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Match Made in Heaven

I find it amazing that more Real Estate Investors are not aware of the benefits of working with First Time Home Buyers. As a successfully investor my goal has always been to find and educate the newcomer or “newbie” to the wealth of benefits that are available to home owners. Of course, ...

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,035 views2/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Dorothy Says, "There's No Place Like Home"

I have been in the mortgage /real estate business for over 12 years and I agree with Dorothy, "There is no place like home". It amazes me in the different mindsets between renters and home owners. Homer owners tend to take more pride in there surroundings. It means they can paint the walls, turn ...

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,511 views1/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers and Real Estate Investors Can Make a Great Team

If you are a First Time Home Buyer, a newbie/property virgin, purchasing that initial property can become an overwhelming project. Many first time buyers have been diagnosed with “Information Overload”. It seems that everyone and anyone has an opinion and or story about what you should do ...

Primary topic: Real Estate

956 views2/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

Why Buying Your First Home Should Be in 2009

If you are a first time buyer you should be salivating at the perks available to you. Barack Obama recently passed a bill that was created to assist individuals looking to purchase there first home. The reinvestment act of 2009 guarantees that if you meet certain criteria you will rewarded ...

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,162 views1/5 (1)

By Christopher ShawRecently published1 topic

First Time Buyers - To Rehab or Not to Rehab

Purchasing a foreclosed property can be a very profitable endeavor for the right buyer. The buyer should proceed with caution and consider whether he wants to purchase a rehab or finished property. There are many variables to be considered before making a decision as to which option will ...

Primary topic: Real Estate

1,066 views

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