Moving

Moving Resources | Long Distance Mover Tools and Apps

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Moving can be stressful, whether you are moving across the country or town. Between packing, buying and selling homes, making lists to keep track of everything, and kids who want to know all about the new place, life can become cluttered and feel out of hand. However, many great sites and apps can help keep you organized and informed while you move.

Zillow

Whether you are looking to buy, rent, or sell, Zillow is a great site with a lot of different features. If you’re looking to sell, you can list your house here through a real estate agent or as the owner. You can calculate mortgages, refinances, and debt-to-income. You can even look at different designs for rooms of homes to get decorating or remodeling ideas. Zillow also provides an agent finder service for real estate agents, home inspectors, home builders, even house photographers.

Area Vibes

Area Vibes is a great site to find out the livability of towns or neighborhoods. It gives each place a grade for different things such as amenities, crime, schools, employment, and cost of living before giving it an overall grade. It also has in-depth demographic information. This helps you get to know your city before you move and will point out any red flags.

Yelp

A great way to find new restaurants, local businesses, nightlife, even home services is to go on Yelp. It provides customer reviews and ratings so you can see the local hotspots. You can also easily find places you would be interested in visiting.

Magic Plan

Magic Plan lets you take pictures of your empty home or apartment and then place objects to decorate and furnish your home. Instead of spending half your day measuring and moving around furniture, just snap some pictures and let the app measure for you. You can plan out your ideal floor plan without all the heavy lifting.

Move Planner

Move Planner may cost $1.99, but it comes preloaded with a list of checks for before you move. With suggestions such as “make sure you have all medical and dental records” and “make sure you have children school records,” you’ll be happy to have the reminder instead of keeping track in your head.

Great Guys Moving

Great Guys Moving helps you locate licensed, interstate movers and compare rates on a single platform. Now, instead of spending days calling moving companies and reading reviews, you can submit one quote form and receive quotes from multiple movers who have already been vetted by Great Guys.

Sortly

With Sortly, you can create a visual inventory of all you are moving. By printing off a QR code, you attach it to the box and then can scan the code to find out what is in the box and which room it goes. This gives you easy organization for you, so you don’t have to open up boxes to remember what’s inside constantly.

HireAHelper

Hire a Helper is a site that allows you to search local moving companies to compare prices, hours, and reviews. The site lists the businesses credentials as well the equipment lists of what the company will bring and what costs extra. You can then reserve the help you want for the day you are moving. This makes moving much less stressful than having to do everything yourself.

Thumbtack

Thumbtack is another source to find lower-priced moving companies. Many of the companies on Thumbtack are VERY mom & pop type shops. This can be good or bad, just know what you’re getting into. Many of the really small moving companies can offer better prices, terms, and availability. But, this often comes at a cost of less qualified movers, poor customer support, no recourse for broken/damaged items. This isn’t always the case though, so it’s worth looking into.

Dallas Real Estate Market

Dallas Real Estate Market Overview

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Dallas, especially Fort Worth-Arlington is the third hottest market in the United States. The region closely follows Vallejo-Fairfield and Oakland in California. Just like other places in the country, home prices in Dallas have remained high. According to the National Association of Realtors, the current prices not witnessed for over a decade. At the moment, it is clear that the real estate conditions in Dallas are leaning in favor of a seller’s market as prices continue to increase. If you’re looking for a great place to move, Dallas, Texas could be your next home. Take a look at the following information about the market.

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Future Market Trends

Economist and realtors are predicting that the Dallas real estate market could outpace other regions in the country in 2017. In August 2017, the market was ranked among the hottest markets in the country, based on the intensity of demand from buyers. The prediction further suggests that home prices will continue increasing even in 2018. The high demand for residential properties coupled with the limited supply of homes has put pressure on residential properties increasing their value.

An average home in Dallas costs around $230,000, a 16.6 percent increase from last year’s prices. The prices are expected to increase by 7.3 percent next year. The national average growth is estimated to be at 2.4 percent. This means that the Dallas real estate market is outpacing the national growth. For instance, a home purchased in Dallas a year ago has appreciated by $20,831 compared to national average of $15,781 over the same period.

Some Good News

Although the home prices are rapidly increasing, the mortgage front is expected to maintain its low rates. According to Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage rates will increase but will remain lower than four percent. You should, therefore, take advantage of the low mortgage rates and own a home in Dallas.

Great Neighborhood in Dallas

If moving to Dallas is part of your plans, you might consider living in some of the greatest areas in the region. Some of these great areas include Uptown, Preston Hollow, M Streets, Lake Highlands and Richardson.

If you are a young professional looking to rent, these regions will host you at favorable costs. In these areas, you will find cafes, grocers, bars, and boutiques just a few minutes away from residential areas. Average two bedroom condos cost around $300,000 to $400,000. However, the sky is the limit when it comes to luxurious homes.

Upcoming Regions in Dallas

Several parts in Dallas have not been explored completely. If you are an investor, you should consider purchasing and developing properties in these areas. Within few years, the land will appreciate, and home prices will as well increase. These regions include Elmwood, Downtown, Highland Meadows, Munger Place, Arlington, and Lockwood. If you buy land or renovated peace of properties in these, you won’t be the first or the last. The earlier you explore these regions, the higher you will reap in the future.

Conclusion

It is irrefutable that home prices in Dallas will continue to rise. Housing demand will also remain high due to the favorable mortgage rates and the attractive job market in Dallas-Fort Worth region. The rapid increase in prices could weaken demand if not regulated, as most buyers will be unable to purchase property in Dallas at elevated prices. As you plan your move here, don’t forget to scope out rates from local moving companies. Movers that are familiar with the Dallas market will be integral to helping you get settled in quickly.

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Cross Country Moves

Nationwide Moving Tips and Resources

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Out of the forty million Americans who change residences each year, over seven million will move across state lines. Moving is stressful enough, but a long distance move presents some unique challenges. If you will be calling a different state home shortly, here are some tips and resources to make everything go as smoothly as possible.

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Finding A Mover

Whether you’re choosing your destination or your move is the result of an employment relocation, finding the right moving company to transport your possessions is of utmost importance. An excellent resource is the Federal Motor Carrier Association, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its Protect Your Move website will give you up-to-date information on companies specializing in interstate moves and offers a handy checklist of what you need to do to ensure that you pick the best company for the job.

Costs vs. Service

It’s important to get written estimates from several movers before making your decision. Start by getting ballpark quotes from a handful of companies using an online tool like this site. Once you have a rough idea of moving costs, request an in-home estimate from two or three of your top company picks. A reputable moving company should come to your home and physically inspect your household goods, ensuring a reasonably accurate estimate. Remember also that you should never go strictly by price–a company may offer low rates, but often service will suffer as a result. Moving brokers, which are not moving companies but sell moving jobs to various companies, can seem inexpensive up front, but often tack on unexpected charges. The FMCSA has an informative guide which can help you spot potential problems with brokers should you choose to use one.

Finalizing and Insuring Your Move

Once you decide on a moving company, federal law requires that it provide you with the pamphlet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, which outlines everything you’ll need to know regarding an interstate move, including document and liability issues. While your mover is liable for the value of the goods you have it transport, many variables come into play, such as who packs the boxes and their contents. It’s a wise idea to personally transport any valuable and delicate items for both safety and security reasons, although you can purchase additional or third party insurance to cover them if desired.

If Something Goes Wrong

While most moves are smooth and uneventful, after everything has been moved into your new home, there may be the loss of or damage to items or an additional charge that you are questioning, or perhaps a law violation that occurred during the transfer of your goods. Interstate movers are required by law to offer an outside dispute settlement program, as well as a readily available tariff outlining their accessorial charges. While the FMCSA can’t resolve claims against a mover, you can file a complaint through its website in addition to the dispute process. Disputes and claims must be filed within nine months of the move’s completion and must be in writing.

With these resources at hand, your interstate move can be worry-free and seamless, allowing you and your family to focus on your new life in your new location.

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Moving

What to Do When Moving Before the House is Sold

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In some instances, you will need to move to a new location before your old house sells. You might have a job offer that you love in another city, or you might need to move to take care of an elderly relative. In any case, moving to another house before your old house sells can be a problem, but it can also be a tremendous opportunity.

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Your House Hasn’t Sold Yet

Homes do not sell quickly for many reasons. The housing market may favor buyers. Interest rates may have risen, making the house out of reach for your potential pool of home buyers. Your house may also need work, scaring away buyers. The house may also have other issues that can be less than ideal for buyers including a location next to a cemetery, a busy street or another place that buyers do not find congenial. It may also be because you are selling at a time such as winter when there are simply only fewer buyers.

Getting the House Ready

Moving out of your home before you’ve sold can be a great opportunity. You can now move all of your stuff from the house. One moving company (http://www.cheapmoverslasvegas.com) points out that if you don’t yet have established living arrangements in your new hometown, you can always have the moving company place your non-essential belongings in temporary storage. Then, once you’ve found a place to call home, they can deliver the items to you. Clearing out the house now means this is the perfect time to make any necessary changes to the property. You can paint it soft neutral colors buyers like. You can also make any needed repairs that you might have otherwise put off because they might have been too disruptive. Now is the perfect time to pull up stained carpeting, level out tilted floors and install entirely new windows.

Keeping an Eye on the House

Once you are no longer living in your house, you’ll also want to take steps to make sure that the house remains safe when you’re not there. You may need to rethink your homeowner’s insurance policies as your insurance may not cover you if you’re not there. Consider asking the neighbors to keep an eye on the property, especially if you are moving long distance and will not be in the area yourself.

Other Solutions

If your unsold home is a drag on your finances, then it’s time to look for ways to reduce your costs. For most homeowners, this means putting in a tenant. Putting a tenant in your home has many advantages but a few drawbacks. On the plus side, you’ll be able to rent out your home and avoid paying two mortgages. A tenant can help you take care of the property and alert you if something has gone wrong immediately. At the same time, a tenant may require additional costs. You’ll have to draw up legal contracts that are binding. You will have to put their deposit in an escrow fund. Showing a house when someone is already living there can be complicated requiring at least a day’s notice. But it may be worth it to help avoid fiscal problems.