• Explain why you want the property.
• Tell the seller why you love their home and why it’s an excellent fit for your family. For instance, if the seller has lived in their home for 20+ years and raised a family of their own there, they may be focused on selling their home to someone who will take good care of it.

• During your walk-through take note of some items in the house. For example, did you love their garden? Was your alma mater’s flag hanging in the garage?
• Big or small, by sharing a common interest in your letter, you’ll make yourself more relatable.
• Don’t go overboard – keep it short and sweet! The key is to be sincere in a sentence or two.

• In your letter, make sure to include your offer price, earnest money deposit, loan status and the amount of your down payment.

• Having a pre-approval letter is more important than ever.
• A pre-approval letter is an official letter from your lender (Greenway Mortgage) that provides documentation of exactly how much you are approved to borrow.
• Note: A seller may not consider your offer without a pre-approval letter.
• Sellers look for buyers that are pre-approved because it gives them confidence that you can secure the financing needed to complete the home purchase.

• Contingencies are the conditions that must be met by either the buyer or the seller before the home buying process can move forward.
• Common contingencies include securing financing for the property, a home inspection and home appraisal and sale of the buyer’s existing house. 
• Be transparent about your expectations. Include the proposed closing date.

• Before you deliver your award-winner letter, make sure you proofread it thoroughly. Mistakes may make the seller think you don’t take your offer seriously.

• Remember what we said before? Short and sweet. No one wants to read a lengthy letter of your personal history.
• Keep your letter to one page, even if you have to make a few edits.
• Focus on a few of the most important reasons why you are the BEST buyer for the home.

• Don’t forget to close with a thank you!
• Finish the letter off by expressing your appreciation that the seller is considering your offer and reiterate why you are the perfect buyer.

• Any names on the loan
• Social Security numbers
• Property address
• Loan number

As animal lovers, Greenway Mortgage wanted to match donations on a given day of up to $3,500 for the local Monmouth County SPCA to help these innocent cats.  Greenway made a special visit on October 29^th (National Cat Day) to the Monmouth County SPCA located in Eatontown, NJ to present a donation of $3,500. We even toured the MCPCA to check out all the adorable cats and kittens up for adoption and fell in love!

• Learn More About the Monmouth County SPCA here.
• Make a difference! Donate today. Your donation will care for thousands of homeless, abandoned and abused pets that come to the MCSPCA every year. A little goes a long way! Click here to make a donation.

Finding a house you want to buy is very exciting! The house you like may appear great in photos and it feels right when you visit. However, many houses hide darker secrets that might not be immediately obvious, especially some older homes. 

Older homes can be high on charm and built to last, but they may also be hiding unexpected secrets. There’s no need to worry! A little vigilance before you buy can prevent you from falling into an expensive trap. 

Here are some things to watch out for when you’re on the hunt for an old charmer!

In today's blog (Part 4), we'll take a look at Condominium Ownership.  In case you missed Part 1 through 3 of this 4-part series you can find them here:

Part 1: Forms Of Homeownership: Fee Simple

Part 2: Forms of Homeownership: Leasehold

Part 3: Forms of Homeownership: Housing Cooperative

Moving on to condominiums! A condominium is one of a group of housing units where the homeowners own their individual unit space, and all the dwellings share ownership of common use area (hallways, parking lots, roads, etc). The main difference between condos and regular single homes is that there is no individual ownership of a plot of land. All the land in the condominium project is owned in common by all the homeowners. Condominiums frequently levy monthly “common charges” to each owner to help pay for the maintenance of the commonly owned areas.

Condominiums manage their properties through boards and/or associations with members being elected from all owners, and can also be assisted by a management company. Rules and regulations governing the condominiums are established by the rules of the development’s incorporation and may be modified by these boards.