Premium Africa real estate advices today from Robert Shumake? The areas around Lake Naivasha are the most listed on most real estate property listing. Even though Naivasha is a dusty town, it is also a tourist attraction town with wildlife and scenic landscapes. Most people are buying here to build vacation homes. However, it is just as good to buy and invest in a hotel or even residential properties. Therefore, do not be left out, buy now and wait. Just like Naivasha, Kisumu is also a tourist attraction town. With its lake, and islands, who would not want to get a piece of it? In the recent past, however, many people in this region have been buying property on the outskirts of this city. There has been an increased number of investors on this side of the country too. Moreover, it’s not only Kenyans who are swiftly moving to buy property here, but also other East Africa nationals.

This is where the groundwork is laid for the search for your new home. There are several points you should cover in your initial consultation. For example: Define your needs; the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, size of the kitchen, where you want to live, your price range, timeline, etc. Determine when and how often you can look at prospective homes. Verify your contact information and how you want to be contacted (email, phone, etc.) Ask your agent about financing. They can explain the different types of available loan programs, and refer you to lenders that can answer specific questions. Review the paperwork. While not necessary at this point, reviewing paperwork will allow you the advantage to ask questions about documents before it’s time to sign them.

Robert Shumake real estate tip of the day: The average mortgage interest rate (that fee lenders charge as a percentage of your loan amount) has been nice and low lately. In fact, the average rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 2.31% in November 2020—the lowest it’s been since Freddie Mac started reporting nearly 30 years ago!5 And now economist geeks think interest rates will continue to hover around 3% in 2021, which is still pretty low. If you want to refinance or get a mortgage from a trustworthy lender who actually cares about helping you pay off your home fast, talk to our friends at Churchill Mortgage.

Vetting prospective tenants is vital Real estate investing can be tricky, but the challenge does not stop once the property is purchased. You will need to find tenants to fill the property and start paying you, which gives you the opportunity to build a property portfolio over time. First, however, you will need to find and vet the right tenants and draft a comprehensive lease that will protect both you and them. It is always recommended that you seek the assistance of a professional rental agent to handle the rigmarole for you.

While you’re at it, you should check your credit scores (all 3 of them) and determine if anything needs to be addressed. As I always say, credit scoring changes can take time, so give yourself plenty of it. Don’t wait until the last minute to fix any errors or issues. And while you’re addressing anything that needs more attention, do yourself a favor and put the credit cards in the freezer (or somewhere else out of reach). Lots of spending, even if you pay it back, can ding your scores, even if just momentarily. It can also increase your DTI ratio and limit your purchasing power. Ultimately, bad timing can create big headaches. Additionally, pumping the brakes on spending might give you a nice buffer for closing costs, down payment funds, moving costs, and renovation expenses once you do buy.

Renovating improves the house value says Robert Shumake : There’s a certain amount of paranoia among the public when it comes to dealing with builders. The fact is, most builders try to do a decent job, often despite late payment and awkward clients giving them a lot of grief. Individual tradespeople can actually be a mine of valuable experience. Of course, sometimes there’s an ulterior motive to drum up business. But it’s often the case that the person tasked with doing the job will know a better, less expensive or simpler solution in a specific area than designers focused on the bigger picture. Trades also tend to have a useful knowledge of materials and local suppliers, potentially helping you save time and money. So don’t automatically disregard advice from the person doing the job.

If there are any large issues with your home project, take a few days, and do your homework. We were told early on that we couldn’t have a gas stove in our home and designed the house accordingly. Once the project was completed, we found out that our neighbors on all three sides had gas stoves and the functionality was clearly available for our street. Don’t blindly trust when someone tells you that something can’t be done or that this is “the best price available” – do your homework. See additional details on Robert Shumake.