The Real Estate Purchase Agreement
Buying any piece of real estate property whether it be a home, condominium or building requires a written agreement. This is known as the real estate purchase agreement or a sales contract. It is called for in the U.S. Statute of Frauds that all financial transactions involving real estate be put in writing to be enforceable.
A purchase agreement is entered into by two parties the buyer and the seller. Being the principals in the transaction, both of their names and signatures should appear on the document.
Other important details that need to be specified in the contract include the following:
* Legal description and address of the property. This should state the physical condition of the home and its specific location.
* The purchase price the buyer is offering.
* The amount of down payment also referred to as earnest money or deposit and who will keep it during the transaction. Usually, a lawyer acts as the escrow agent. A condition may be included as well stipulating the return of the deposit if the sale does not push through due to the buyers failure to secure a loan.
* The time frame needed to respond to the offer such as 24 hours or 48 hours. The buyer may specify this to keep the seller from accepting additional bids from other buyers.
* The party in charge to keep the deposit and to close the transaction. The closing may be handled by either the attorney or the real estate agent whichever may be agreed upon by the two parties.
* Items included or excluded in the sale. These refer to the appliances and furniture that the buyer may want to keep or discard in the property concerned such as carpeting and lighting fixtures.
* Home warranty. This guarantees the buyer that the seller will provide a clear title to the property at the time of closing. The document may either be an abstract of title, certificate of title or a title insurance policy.
* The party to pay for the closing costs. Many sellers shoulder the closing costs as an incentive to buyers. Depending on both parties, though, the costs can also be split.
* Clause for inspection and appraisal. Buyers normally ask for a home inspection to ensure that the property they are buying is in good condition. The inspection also aims to find out defects and the presence of pests, if any. The appraisal, meanwhile, is meant to determine the actual market value of the residential property.
* Mortgage contingency. This may be specified by the buyer as a guarantee that the buyer obtains a mortgage loan before closing. This may also release the buyer from the offer in the event he or she fails to get a loan.
The real estate purchase agreement is initiated by the buyer. However, its not all the time that the seller accepts the offer in its totality right away. What usually happens is that a seller will respond by submitting a counter offer that proposes some changes to the buyers conditions. Negotiations will begin only after the buyer and seller agree to the contracts terms and conditions.
0 APR Credit Card Truths and Traps (Page 1 of 2)
If you are struggling with ever-increasing credit card debt, a 0 APR credit card could be the magic wand for you. There are a number of 0 APR credit cards in the marketplace. These 0 Interest credit cards offer cardholders zero percent on new purchases and certain 0 APR credit card offers also allow balance transfers, lowering the interest burden even further.
The Truth About 0 APR Credit Cards
These types of 0 APR credit cards are offered by popular credit card lenders including American Express, Citibank, Chase, HSBC, and Discover. These cards have many benefits to offer if you have a good to excellent credit rating.
Keep in mind, that the zero percent offered with these cards is not permanent. It is an introductory rate and is typically offered for ninety days to as long as 12 months. At the end of the interest-free or zero percent periods, cardholders will have to pay a higher ongoing interest rate. Generally, these rates could vary between 10 % – 14% and sometimes can be as high as 24%.
A 0 APR credit card is ideal when you want to purchase something expensive but cannot find another way to finance it. There will be no interest charges for the in and you will have the introductory buffer period to pay off the expense. But buyer beware … make sure you can pay the purchase off before the introductory APR expires.
Most 0 Interest credit cards allow balance transfers from your existing higher interest cards and many will waive the transfer fees. This is one of the best methods to pay off debts at a faster rate, leading to substantial savings on the interest charges incurred.
It is possible that a single credit card can have multiple APRs including the following: 1) One APR for balance transfers, one for purchases, and one for cash advances the APR normally would be higher for cash advances compared to balance transfers and purchases. 2) Tiered APRs Different APR levels can be assigned for different account balance levels or tiers, e.g., 15% for balances between $1 – $500 and 17% for balances higher than $500, etc.. 3) Introductory APR 0 APR as the introductory offer and a higher rate upon expiration of the introductory period. 4) Penalty APR A penalty APR rate may apply if you are late with your payments.
The Traps to Watch Out For: A 0 APR credit card is an attractive proposition, and often is too tempting an offer to resist. However, it is essential to be informed about the often-untold catches in these lucrative offers.
1. The 0 APR is a Limited Time Offer In general, the 0 APR offered is only for a limited period. The period could vary from 3 months to 12 months. This implies that purchases made during this period will not attract any interest. You need to be cautious about the expiry period and remember to pay off before the period ends inorder to avoid hefty interest charges.
2. Once the introductory period is over, the 0 APR credit card may have a ridiculously high interest rate like 20% or higher.