Important Questions to Ask Your Mortgage Banker

Although there are many questions that home buyers have when getting a home loan, there are some basic questions that are always important.

How much downpayment do I need to buy a house? If you are a veteran or buying in a rural area you can get 100% financing and seller can pay closing costs. If you are Native American you may be eligible for a Hud 184 loan. This loan requires as low as a 1.25% downpayment, depending on the amount of the loan. FHA requires a 3.5% downpayment, Conventional a 5% downpayment, and Investment loans a 20% downpayment.

What are Points/Origination Fees? Point and Origination Fees are additional fees paid at closing to lower your interest rate. 1 point is $1000.

How do I find out exactly what my closing costs, fees, and other things are when I am comparing mortgage companies and their rates? Ask for a Good Faith Estimate. Look at fee lines 800-900. Compare the rate, points/origination fee, and other items within that range.

What constitutes a rural development loan? It is all based on the population of an area. Owasso and Glenpool are still rural and are eligible for a rural development loan. The USDA Rural Development website can give you more information about an area you are interested in.

How do Mortgage Bankers get paid? My commission is based on the volume I produce. The more I produce the higher percentage I make.

Whether you are a first-time home buyer or have purchased before, no question is stupid. Remember that rules and regulations change and some requirements and information from your previous mortgage may not be the same. Always ask first rather than be sorry later.

If you have questions about a Tulsa, OK. mortgage, contact Karen Heston at BOK Mortgage, 918-230-9432 or http://kheston-boklo.mortgagewebcenter.com

Title Insurance??

Title insurance protects your claim of ownership of your property. When you buy Tulsa area real estate, you count on the paperwork being properly reviewed. One of the important parts of a mortgage transaction is the Title Opinion. When you get a "title opinion" from an attorney, that "title opinion" is simply the opinion of the attorney you hired. It is important however, it does not provide any insurance against errors made by the attorney or insurance against a later claim of error in the title. This is where Title Insurance comes into play.

If you purchase title insurance and someone later questioned your ownership of the property, the title insurance company would be required to come defend your title.

A few things to note:

• Title insurance only covers the period of time before your purchase of the property. It does not cover from the time you purchase and beyond.
• Sometimes "exceptions" can be listed in your title policy. These would be things that were known when the policy was written such as, your driveway or storage building being on the neighbor's property.
• Title problems are often called "clouds" which mean your ownership is not completely clear - someone could raise questions about it. Even if your ownership would not be lost, it can be expensive to remove the "cloud" on your title.
• Title issues can arise from forgeries, improper paperwork filing at the courthouse, incorrectly completed forms, deaths and bankruptcies, lawsuits between other parties, and many other unknown circumstances.

For more information about title insurance in Tulsa, OK, contact Karen Burnette, at FirsTitle, 918-493-2241 or www.firstitle.com.

Having Tulsa, OK. Title Problems? Contact Chuck Richardson of Richardson, Richardson, Boudreaux at 918-663-5070 or www.rrblawok.com.

For all your Tulsa, OK. area real estate needs, contact Darryl Baskin, McGraw Realtors, 918-258-2600 or www.darrylbaskin.com.

An Easy DIY Firepit..

With the cooler weather here, it is the perfect weather to enjoy a nice outdoor fire. For many, a cozy firepit is the ideal solution. Follow the steps below to add a great surround to a purchased or existing firepit! (The first 4 steps can be found at the following link http://www.lowescreativeideas.com/)

1. Find the right location, away from trees and building. Make sure the spot is level.
2. Place the screen on the ground to use as a guide to laying the blocks for the surround. (Lowe's recommends using OldCastle blocks.) *If you have a built in firepit or one that runs on natural gas, make sure you turn off the gas first!! If this is the case, you likely won't be able to move your firepit, check the height first to ensure that the blocks will work with your firepit.
   
3. Stack the blocks and make 3 layers (or more to ensure the appropriate height for your firepit).
4. Place your firepit into the ground.
5. If you have a Natural Gas firepit, for added sparkle, try using glass mulch, in your firepit.
   

For information on glass mulch in Tulsa, visit www.gardenglassofoklahoma.com

For information on buying and selling your Tulsa area home, visit www.homeguidetulsa.com.

Fraud in Title Insurance...

Handling fraud in any situation is difficult. When it comes to title insurance, there are some things to keep in mind. First, let's define title insurance. Title Insurance is insurance that covers financial loss as a result of a defect in a title to real estate. Second, we need to know what period the insurance will cover. When we buy home or auto insurance, we are covering our home or auto from the time we purchase the policy until that point in the future that the coverage is canceled. With title insurance, though, it works in reverse. Title insurance covers from the moment you purchase your home and into the past. If you are sued after you close on the property, then the title insurance may not cover you. Finally, title insurance issues can be quite trick. To ensure that you are covered for everything you need, talk to your attorney or your title company. You may even consider asking for extended coverage on your title insurance to cover you from your real estate purchase into the future.

If you have legal problems with your Oklahoma title, contact David Keesling at Richardson, Richardson, Boudreaux, Keesling at 918-492-7674 or www.rrblawok.com.

To purchase Tulsa title insurance or if you have questions about Oklahoma title insurance, contact Karen Burnette of Firstitle at 918-493-2241 or www.firstitle.com

For all your Oklahoma property, auto, and life insurance needs and more, contact Mike Tedford, Tedford Insurance at 918-299-2345 or www.tedfordinsurance.com

For all your Tulsa, Oklahoma area real estate needs, contact Darryl Baskin of McGraw Realtors at 918-258-2600 or www.darrylbaskin.com

Are There Bugs in Your Bed??

Okay. I know you are probably saying "Bugs in my bed? There are no bugs in my bed!" Actually, there are. There are two types of bugs that you are likely to find in your bed: Bed Bugs and Dust Mites. Dust Mites are microscopic bugs that eat dead skin cells that are shed from humans and animals. They can be found in lots of places, but are especially prevalent on mattresses, frequently used furniture, and carpeted areas. Humans slough off 1/3 (or 10 grams) of dead skin a week and cats and dogs produce even more. More than 100,000 can be on your mattress and in one square yard of carpeting. Many of us can actually be allergic to dust mites and their feces, which is a large component of dust.

Some of us might also discover Bed Bugs. Exterminating Bedbugs can be a difficult task. If you don't treat them they will move through the walls into another persons apartment or condominium (if you have shared walls). These bugs can come from buying things 2nd hand, letting someone spend the night in your home, using someone else's moving equipment plus many other ways. Bed bugs need a blood host- people or animals. They will usually be within 15 feet of a blood host and it only takes them 5 minutes to travel that far. They can sense our carbon dioxide when we exhale. When the population starts to get big, they become a part of your clothing. If you are trying to get rid of bedbugs, wash clothes and everything you can, weekly. They will be in mattresses and many other things. If you start to get bites or look like you have a rash, you might have bedbugs. They look like a tick but are smaller.

I know you're probably saying "That's enough, tell me how to get rid of the nasty things!"

We can't completely get rid of dust mites, here are some ways to reduce dust and Dust Mites in your home:

• Cover your mattress with a plastic cover or mattress cover made exclusively for reducing dust mites.
• Use Hardwood Flooring instead of carpeting since it is easier to reduce and clean dust from hard surfaces.
• Clean regularly. Wash your sheets and blankets at least once every two weeks and clean areas where they are likely to be every week.
• Reduce fabrics on your furniture by purchasing leather furniture, which is less inviting to Dust Mites.
• Use quality air filters and replace them often in order to reduce dust and allergens in your home.

To treat for Bed Bugs treatments are completely different. We don't use heat, we use pesticides to treat for Bed Bugs. Treatments range from $500-1000.


For all your Tulsa pest control needs, contact Mother Natures, 918-362-2000 or www.mothernaturesinc.com.

For more information about hardwood flooring options in the Tulsa, OK. area, contact Jim Ecrette of ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings at 918-252-7711 or www.prosourcefloors.com/tulsa. (Don't forget to ask for Darryl Baskin's flooring discount!)

To purchase quality air filters contact Rick Butefish of Filters 4 Me at 918-292-8600 or www.filters4me.com.

Simple Ways to Incorporate More Green...

When building, remodeling, or replacing products in your home, eco-friendly or green ideas can be very easy and often inexpensive to implement. Here are some easy ways to incorporate green products into your home:

• When building a new home, face the widest part to the north or south.
• Place doors and windows where you will receive good cross-ventilation.
• Ensure your attic space is well ventilated by using roof ridge vents, lighter colored roof materials, lots of insulation, and by placing A/C ducts in the attic to help absorb the heat.
• Install an energy-efficient and properly sized heating and A/C system for your home, make sure that duct work is correctly sealed, and use a programmable thermostat.
• Utilize landscaping materials, plants and design that is appropriate for the climate and rainfall levels in your area. Consider eco-friendly mulch, such as glass mulch. Glass mulch is tumbled to be smooth and never need replacing.
  
• Use low-flow toilets and showerheads and energy-efficient appliances.
• Recyclable and renewable materials can be used for decking, siding, interior and exterior trim, and more.
• Choose flooring materials made out of concrete, bamboo, or recycled wood.
• Replace your air conditioning filter regularly to enhance the performance of your air conditioning system and to reduce pollutants in your home.

For more ideas or estimates on incorporating green products and ideas into your home, contact the professionals below:

Tulsa Roof Installation and Repair: A-Best Roofing, Judy Smith, 918-587-1426 or www.abestroofing.com
Heating and Air Conditioning Installation and Repair in Tulsa: Air Assurance, contact Stephen Taylor at 918-258-HEAT or www.airassurance.com
Tulsa Building and Remodeling: US Building Systems, contact Rick Oberlender at usbs@att.net.
Air Conditioning Filters: Filters 4 Me, contact Rick Butefish at 292-8600, rick@filters4me.com, or visit their website at www.filters4me.com.
Tulsa Flooring Products: ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings, contact Jim Ecrette at 252-7711 or prosourcejim@tulsacoxmail.com (ask for Darryl Baskin’s preferred pricing).
Tulsa, OK Glass Mulch - contact Leigh Murray, Garden Glass of Oklahoma, 918-232-0210 or www.gardenglassofoklahoma.com.


To find energy-efficient, eco-friendly, or green homes in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area contact Darryl Baskin, McGraw realtors 918-258-2600 or www.darrylbaskin.com.

Laws Affecting Your Oklahoma Move

Did you know that the Oklahoma Corporation Commission requires insurance coverage and licensing for moving companies?

Not too long ago, an inter-city moving company was exempt from licensing and insurance laws but now faces penalties and fines for not holding these policies and coverages. Although the law took effect in 2009, homeowners are still sometimes deceived by companies who present a low bid but offer no coverages for damage or loss. Before you hire a mover, research their company and reputation carefully. Make sure that you can trust them with all of your belongings.

For more information on these regulations affecting your Tulsa move or for an estimate contact Mike at 918-459-6683 or www.relocationllc.net.

For all your Tulsa, Oklahoma area real estate needs, contact The Baskin Real Estate Specialists of McGraw Realtors, 918-258-2600 or visist www.homeguidetulsa.com.

If you have questions regarding Oklahoma legal issues, contact David Keesling with Richardson, Richardson, Boudreaux, Keesling at 492-7674 or www.rrblawok.com.