First-time home-buyers might not be aware of something veteran homeowners assume automatically: those advertised mortgage interest rates are not necessarily the rate that will be offered. To Tustin consumers who usually assume that they are protected from false promises in ads, that can be pretty annoying. But as with some furniture store “interest-free” offers, those interest charges may suddenly appear if you don’t pay the balance in full by a certain date. It pays to read the fine print.

The reasons why the actual Tustin mortgage interest rate you are offered may be higher than what you saw advertised on TV or on the web lie in definitions and qualifications. They aren’t misleading to home buyers who know what to look for.

As you would expect, home loan ads promote the lowest rates that can be honestly stated. But that published rate might have qualifications that don’t apply to the loan you will be promised if you apply. That will be the promised rate, which may be higher if, for instance, the published rate was only available for homes in a different zip code. A home loan ad’s small print may specify other qualifications, such as an applicant’s credit score, debt-to-income ratio—or it might only apply to loans of a certain size.

Equally important is that the advertised interest rate itself does not tell the whole story. The cost of a loan may include points or partial points—and since a “point” equals 1% of the amount of the loan, that can be a sizable sum. When points are added onto the principal, the larger loan amount requires higher payments. Even for no-point loans, other fees—like processing, underwriting, appraisal, title and escrow fees—may be high or low, depending on the offer or.

What this means is what Tustin veteran homeowners assume: that a higher interest rate might still constitute a better bargain when all the bits and pieces are considered. All the “fine print” details need to be part of the calculation. It’s one reason I always recommend that more than one mortgage originator be considered before making a final decision. I’ll be happy to assist with these and all the other parts of your Tustin real estate endeavors!

The “hero shot” is what advertising agency folks call a photograph that makes a product the “star” of its surrounding layout. The product can be a cereal box or a Mack truck—large or small; it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that the product appears at its most appealing.

In local real estate terms, the hero shot for a home being offered for sale is the glamour shot that appears at the top of the Tustin listing. For professionals to create that photo, they use the latest equipment to capture the image, then refine it through top-notch processing software to enhance it further.

But when it comes to making sure your own home is represented by the best possible real estate hero shot, there can be exceptions to the wisdom of relying exclusively on a professional’s “eye” and experience. Sometimes the homeowner’s own photo is superior. The pros will readily admit it.

Those exceptions occur when alert homeowners seize on once-in-a-blue-moon conditions that make for an arresting photo. That can happen when a seasonal change in a property’s landscape happens to create a gorgeous backdrop—something that can’t be emulated at any other moment. In New England, that can occur at a magic moment during peak foliage season when the leaves are just so (and the sun cooperates). In Arizona, it could be a stunning sunset when the cacti are blossoming in the front yard. In Washington D.C., when the cherry blossoms are out, and the pool cover has just come off…

Homeowners know when their Tustin property looks its best—if that creates an image that is noticeably superior to what it looks like at any other time, that could turn out to be the single best hero shot for a future Tustin listing.

The important point is for Tustin homeowners to take their casual snapshot-taking more seriously. If you should decide to put your home on the market, the result might turn out to be invaluable. Today’s smartphones are actually capable of incredibly advanced image-making. So keep an eye out for those “magic” moments, and be ready to take some snaps of the house. Do be careful to hold the phone still—and to take several different angles, from up high and down low. If one of those once-in-a-blue-moon amateur shots turns out to be the hero, it can be worth its weight in gold!

Eye-catching photos go a long way toward creating a listing that captures prospective buyers—but that’s only a first step. Call me when it nears time to put your Tustin home on the market!

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