Frequently Asked Questions

At Estate Chase we pride ourselves in being much more than a place to search and list properties. We provide many different services to help each individual in many different way with their home buying or selling experience. We can help you list your house on our database for FREE, help you find your next dream home with our extensive listing database, connect you with real estate brokers, mortgage brokers, and many others that will be able to assist you with your buying and selling needs, help you promote your business by advertising with us, and much more.

Our main goal at Estate Chase is to focus on you, the customer, and what your needs are. We want to focus on your experience with Estate Chase and help you with your entire real estate experience. Below you will find frequently asked questions. Feel free to go through them, and if you don't find the answer you need, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page. Someone will contact you with the information you need, and your question could end up on our website to help others like you.

• Q:Why should I buy, instead of rent? A:Though it depends upon your individual financial and personal living requirements, buying a home has many advantages over renting. For those with a stable financial situation who know they are likely to live in the same place for a number of years, you'll find many benefits to purchasing a home. A few examples of benefits of purchasing instead of renting are the equity you will build, privacy versus landlords, maintenance independence, ability to customize, and tax benefits.
• Q:Can I become a homeowner even if I have bad credit and don't have much for a down payment? A:Just because you have bad credit does not mean you can't purchase a home, but you will obviously pay more than a borrower with immaculate credit. Bad credit alone isn't enough to deter some mortgage lenders and, for some buyers, it's probably not as bad as it seems. When purchasing a home with bad credit, you definitely have choices. The most important thing is to know your options. Estate Chase works with many different lenders and mortgage brokers to assist in matching the potential home buyer with the right broker. It's important to get pre-approved for a home loan, so you know how much you can borrow with the current credit and down payment. You can inquire with Estate Chase here or provide a detailed description on our Contact page.
• Q:Should I use a real estate broker? How do I find one? A:Although the internet has made it much easier to sell your home without a real estate broker, around 85% of people attempting to sell their homes by owner eventually use a real estate broker. Around 93% of all home sales are also done using some form of real estate agent or broker as well. Although you will pay a commission to a broker, there are many benefits to using one which include the following: education and experience, saves time and energy, guaging and negotiating offers, market knowledge, professional contacts, open houses, marketing, access to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) database, etc. Estate Chase works with a network of real estate brokers and can help match you with a broker in your area. You can inquire with Estate Chase here or provide a detailed description on our Contact page.
• Q:How much money will I need for as a down payment to buy a home? A:The amount of money you will need depends on a number of factors, including the type of mortgage you get and the cost of the house. In general, you need to come up with enough money to cover three costs: earnest money - the deposit you make on the home when you submit your offer, to prove to the seller that you are serious about wanting to buy the house; the down payment, a percentage of the cost of the home that you must pay when you go to settlement; and closing costs, the costs associated with processing the paperwork to buy a house.
• Q:How do I know if I can get a loan? A:You will want to start by consulting mortgage calculators to see how much mortgage you can pay. This will help you judge the total cost of homes you can afford. Another good idea is to get pre-qualified for a loan. That means you go to a lender and apply for a mortgage before you actually start looking for a home. Then you'll know exactly how much you can afford to spend, and it will speed the process once you do find the home of your dreams.
• Q:How can I find a lender? Can Estate Chase help? A:You can finance a home with a loan from a bank, a savings and loan, a credit union, a private mortgage company, or various state government lenders. Different lenders can offer quite different interest rates and loan fees; and as you know, a lower interest rate can make a big difference in how much home you can afford. Estate Chase works with many different lenders and mortgage brokers to assist in matching the potential home buyer with the right broker. You can inquire with Estate Chase here or provide a detailed description on our Contact page.