5 Hidden Costs When Buying A Home

Your mortgage payments can also serve as your most significant routine expense. When reviewing your budget, it is best that you calculate in the potential hidden costs that come along with purchasing a home. Although you may have considered the extra costs, they can easily add up, particularly if you are a new homebuyer.

 Some of the fees and costs can include:

1. An application fee.

You may find some lenders will charge you a fee when you have your application processed. This fee also pertains to when your mortgage renews.

2. An inspection fee.

An experienced building inspector can assess your potential home if you are looking at a resale property. This may be best before your offer is submitted and agreed upon.

3. Legal fees.

Portions of the paperwork will need to be handled by an attorney.

4. A property valuation fee.

The bank will complete a valuation to make sure your soon-to-be new home is eligible for the mortgage.

5. Closing costs.

This includes fees the seller is compensated for from prepaid amounts. It may include utility fees, property taxes, school taxes, and maintenance fees.

Outside of the categories listed, you will also need to consider increased property insurance, the expense of moving, a property survey, and a possible warranty fee if there is new construction. There may be a default insurance premium if the down payment happens to be less than 20 percent.

To make a comparison, a resale property can be 1.5 percent to 2 percent of the total purchase price whereas a new home could increase to 2.5 percent. You may incur $4,500-$7,500 in costs from a $300,000 property. And don’t forget about appliances and furniture as well as carpeting and decor.

Overall, ensuring you add in all of the added costs will help determine what you can afford and what is within your budget. Looking ahead will ensure you remain in the most ideal and comfortable position financially for as long as you have your home.

TOP FITNESS APPS AND GADGETS FOR BUSY REAL ESTATE AGENTS

TOP FITNESS APPS AND GADGETS FOR BUSY REAL ESTATE AGENTS

       Gone are the days where busy professionals don't have the time or help to meet their wellness goals. Today, thanks to our increasingly data-focused world, with the help of smart phones, apps and activity trackers, it is now easier to reach your desired personal health and wellness goals. Here is our look at some of the top rated fitness apps and gadgets to keep you on track.

Fitness Apps

One of the most well-known fitness apps is MapMyFitness. This app has been tracking activities and logging food since 2007. It has an easy-to-use interface and accurate tracking capabilities. You can also set challenges (for yourself or friends) and track your equipment, so you know when it’s time for a new pair of running shoes.

There are also many apps available to track calorie counting, sleep cycles, productivity, nutrition and more.

 Some of the most popular fitness apps right now are:

FitStar Personal Trainer: This app fine tunes your personal training regime by assessing your needs and fitness level. At the end of each workout, you are asked a simple set of questions to tailor your workouts and activity levels.

 Nike+ Training Club: This app offers workouts for people of all fitness levels crafted by Nike master trainers. To use, you select your specific fitness goal and then find easy-to-follow workout plans. Each individual workout comes with video tutorials.

Runtastic Six Pack Abs: With this app, strengthening your core has never been easier. Users choose an avatar trainer, and then select from workout programs that last anywhere from 10 days to almost a month. The app offers instructional videos of each exercise so you learn beforehand and avoid injuries.

WOD Deck of Cards: Have fun with your next workout with this app where you choose the four exercises you want to focus on—one for each suit in the deck—and then see what comes up first in the deck.  Draw new cards until you finish the deck. You will be in shape before you know it.

Other popular fitness app include C25K, Sworkit and MINDBODY Connect. And, this list is just a starting point - there are dozens of tracking apps out there.  Try one today to be in better shape tomorrow.

To learn more about how KW Wellness is helping busy real estate agents stay in shape and how you can become a KW Wellness Ambassador, click the image below.

Fitness Trackers

FitBit is popular, and for good reasons. It offers a variety of quality fitness watches at price points ranging from $99 to $250. But, FitBit isn’t your only option.

The Garmin Vivosmart Activity Tracker is a favorite in part due to its long and smart notifications which display incoming calls, texts and emails. Garmin’s premium tracker also records sleep time and a number of other activities, including swimming.

Withings Activité is a fitness gadget game changer. The attractive Swiss-made watch combines time and activity tracking in a timepiece with a circular face and leather strap. This gadget is water resistant to 50 meters and offers a silicone watchstrap too.

Fitness trackers aren’t just wristbands. Other options for wellness tracking include sneakers and active wear clothing that monitors wellness and fitness. Umbro offers sensor-filled sneakers that track your workouts without needing a smartphone. Sensors embedded within the soles track where you’re going, the distance you’ve traveled and calories burned - all your details are transmitted to an app.

Scales, too, have come a long way from telling you just weight. Now called “Smart Scales”, you can track all manner of data including, BMI, body fat and heart rate. Track your progress on your smartphone too, and/or link with your fitness band for complete health monitoring.

A few other fitness items worth mentioning are:

The Ultimate Thermometer: Withings “Thermo” is a Wi-Fi connected, 16-sensor temporal artery thermometer that works by placing it close to the skin. It uses its infrared sensors to accurately gauge a person’s temperature and delivers that data via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to a connected app for analysis. The Thermo won two Best of CES awards in 2016.

Umbro “One”  is the bottle that functions like a water bottle, but with a push of a button, it can release up to1.5 scoops of your favorite protein mix. “It’s great for use in the gym during workouts and having that post workout drink right after without having to carry multiple bottles around.” (Umbro.com) The ‘ball’ that holds the supplement in also acts as a mixer for those harder-to-dissolve powder drinks.

Many apps are free via your smartphone, although some charge a nominal fee to upgrade to the ‘premium’ level. Fitness and wellness gadgets vary widely in price ranges, as well as quality and technology. Below are some of the most popular and best rated apps and gadgets today for wellness tracking.

Use today’s technology to benchmark and hold yourself accountable to fitness goals. And, with KW Wellness, Keller Williams’ associates gain access to events, resources and wellness merchandise. Contact your KW Wellness ambassador for information in your market center. 

What do you think of our breakdown? Did we miss any apps or gadgets you think should be on the list for busy real estate professionals? Let us know in comments below.

Fitness Apps

One of the most well-known fitness apps is MapMyFitness. This app has been tracking activities and logging food since 2007. It has an easy-to-use interface and accurate tracking capabilities. You can also set challenges (for yourself or friends) and track your equipment, so you know when it’s time for a new pair of running shoes.
There are also many apps available to track calorie counting, sleep cycles, productivity, nutrition and more.


 Some of the most popular fitness apps right now are:
FitStar Personal Trainer: This app fine tunes your personal training regime by assessing your needs and fitness level. At the end of each workout, you are asked a simple set of questions to tailor your workouts and activity levels.
 Nike+ Training Club: This app offers workouts for people of all fitness levels crafted by Nike master trainers. To use, you select your specific fitness goal and then find easy-to-follow workout plans. Each individual workout comes with video tutorials.
Runtastic Six Pack Abs: With this app, strengthening your core has never been easier. Users choose an avatar trainer, and then select from workout programs that last anywhere from 10 days to almost a month. The app offers instructional videos of each exercise so you learn beforehand and avoid injuries.
WOD Deck of Cards: Have fun with your next workout with this app where you choose the four exercises you want to focus on—one for each suit in the deck—and then see what comes up first in the deck.  Draw new cards until you finish the deck. You will be in shape before you know it.
Other popular fitness app include C25K, Sworkit and MINDBODY Connect. And, this list is just a starting point - there are dozens of tracking apps out there.  Try one today to be in better shape tomorrow.
To learn more about how KW Wellness is helping busy real estate agents stay in shape and how you can become a KW Wellness Ambassador, click the image below.

Fitness Trackers

FitBit is popular, and for good reasons. It offers a variety of quality fitness watches at price points ranging from $99 to $250. But, FitBit isn’t your only option.
The Garmin Vivosmart Activity Tracker is a favorite in part due to its long and smart notifications which display incoming calls, texts and emails. Garmin’s premium tracker also records sleep time and a number of other activities, including swimming.
Withings Activité is a fitness gadget game changer. The attractive Swiss-made watch combines time and activity tracking in a timepiece with a circular face and leather strap. This gadget is water resistant to 50 meters and offers a silicone watchstrap too.
Fitness trackers aren’t just wristbands. Other options for wellness tracking include sneakers and active wear clothing that monitors wellness and fitness. Umbro offers sensor-filled sneakers that track your workouts without needing a smartphone. Sensors embedded within the soles track where you’re going, the distance you’ve traveled and calories burned - all your details are transmitted to an app.

Scales, too, have come a long way from telling you just weight. Now called “Smart Scales”, you can track all manner of data including, BMI, body fat and heart rate. Track your progress on your smartphone too, and/or link with your fitness band for complete health monitoring.

A few other fitness items worth mentioning are:
The Ultimate Thermometer: Withings “Thermo” is a Wi-Fi connected, 16-sensor temporal artery thermometer that works by placing it close to the skin. It uses its infrared sensors to accurately gauge a person’s temperature and delivers that data via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to a connected app for analysis. The Thermo won two Best of CES awards in 2016.
Umbro “One”  is the bottle that functions like a water bottle, but with a push of a button, it can release up to1.5 scoops of your favorite protein mix. “It’s great for use in the gym during workouts and having that post workout drink right after without having to carry multiple bottles around.” (Umbro.com) The ‘ball’ that holds the supplement in also acts as a mixer for those harder-to-dissolve powder drinks.

Many apps are free via your smartphone, although some charge a nominal fee to upgrade to the ‘premium’ level. Fitness and wellness gadgets vary widely in price ranges, as well as quality and technology. Below are some of the most popular and best rated apps and gadgets today for wellness tracking.

Use today’s technology to benchmark and hold yourself accountable to fitness goals. And, with KW Wellness, Keller Williams’ associates gain access to events, resources and wellness merchandise. Contact your KW Wellness ambassador for information in your market center. 

What do you think of our breakdown? Did we miss any apps or gadgets you think should be on the list for busy real estate professionals? Let us know in comments below.