Amazing Property

What you don’t know about credit can hurt you, when you're buying a house and when you go to refinance. Use these tips to keep your credit in order before you start your refi. 1. If you’ve got good credit, keep it that way. This is no time to get lax. Even one late payment can impact your score and keep you from getting approved or securing a better interest rate. Stay extra alert while you’re waiting for your loan to close to make sure nothing can derail your refi. 2. Don’t change your habits. Think that laying off your credit cards will look like responsible spending to the bank? Don’t assume. They look at your long-term spending habits and they want to see steady patterns of behavior. A sudden change could trigger a red flag, so be sure to ask your lender before you do anything different. That includes overspending on your credit cards. You can always go on a shopping spree after your loan is closed. 3. Don’t open any new accounts. This ...

The risks of fire outbreaks in building and construction sector have been on the increase recently due to the harmattan in some cities.However, professionals in the built industry are urging homeowners and managers of buildings to adopt designs that mitigate impacts of fire outbreaks, get prepared and be watchful by putting in place other necessary safety measures that could prevent loss of lives and property.Globally, more than 71per cent of fire outbreaks in homes, companies and factories are reportedly caused by open flames especially electrical fire and cooking items like; hot plates, gas and heaters, smoking, and fuel flames. The fire accident in the 24-story Grenfell tower in London, in June 2017, which claimed over 70 lives and injured 79 people has brought to the front burner the need for fire safety in building. It also threw a light to the need for fire safety concerns on high-rise buildings across the globe.In most high-rise, which are classified as buildings above 15 meters...

Femi Akintunde One of Africa’s leading real estate solutions companies, Alpha Mead Group, has announced a new management structure to consolidate ongoing expansion across Africa, and meet the expectations of its customers. Under the new structure, the Alpha Mead Group will now be led by Group Managing Director –Femi Akintunde, an engineer and two Group Executive Directors – Wale Odufalu, Group ED Corporate Services and Amaebi Fiderikumo, Group ED Finance, while the following appointments have been announced: Wole Olufore, Managing Director, Alpha Mead Facilities; Damola Akindolire, Managing Director, Alpha Mead Development Company; Prof. Babatunde Green, Managing Director, Alpha Mead Healthcare Management and Erejuwa Gbadebo, Managing Director, Alpha Mead Real Estate Partners. According to Obi Nwasike, Co-Founder and Chairman of the board, the new structure is designed to strengthen the group and its subsidiaries as high performing organisations in providing solutions ...

Homeowners could be putting themselves in more danger as they increasingly tackle home repairs themselves. Using common household tools can be dangerous, especially when it comes to ladders. Accidents involving ladders landed nearly 200,000 people in the emergency room last year, according to a new analysis from Porch.com, a home repair and maintenance website.  Porch.com researchers analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System to determine which tools were responsible for the most emergency room visits. They found that hardware, such as nails, screws, and tacks, caused the second most injuries, accounting for 125,000 trips to the emergency room last year. Lawnmowers and power saws came in third and fourth, respectively, with a combined 170,000 injuries, the research showed. Cleaning supplies can also pose some danger. Improperly mixing chemicals together sent more than 45,000 homeowners to the hospital last year with injuries, according to the analysis. ...

When it comes to home loans, one size most definitely doesn’t fit all. Like everything in modern life, the way to get the best deal is to ‘go bespoke’ and get a custom product. That’s according to Ross Miller, general manager of leading lender, St.George Bank. “Everyone’s needs and goals are completely different when it comes to buying a home, so it’s never a ‘one-size-fits-all’,” Ross says. “It’s really important buyers take the time to do their research, and talk to an expert so they can personalise their home loan so it’s right for them,” he explains. Buyers should carefully consider what the home loan needs to do over its life, he says, and make sure the product chosen fits. “It’s really important to understand your needs and goals to help guide your decisions. This can include planning for the future; like whether you’ll need to renovate to make room for your growing family, or dow...

Your great-grandmother’s wedding ring that was left to you. Your computer—and every other electronic item you had in the house. Your (registered) handgun. There’s been a break-in. Your house was ransacked. And the thieves got it all. While whatever security measures you had in place to keep the burglars out may have failed here, you now have a better chance than ever of getting your things back, thanks to a cool new product from ProTech DNA called DNA for Property. And, the best part is: It’s free, courtesy of the insurance industry, who was smart enough to see the advantage of underwriting the product instead of having to pay to replace their customers’ stolen stuff. After all, according to safewise, “More than five million thefts occur nationally each year!” That’s a lot of money out of pocket for you, if you’re a victim of theft, and for the insurance company who has to pay out a claim. National investigative correspond...

Aerial view of Lagos High cost of commercial property rentals and other associated charges are staving off entrepreneurial spirit among prospective small business owners who need shops and outlets to thrive in Lagos and environs. The Guardian’s investigation reveals that exorbitant charges in the name of ‘agents and agreements fees’ have become source of worry to many residents and disincentive to businesses. Although, agency practice is a lucrative segment of the property industry, which allows for certain service fees, it has however, become an all comers affair. Standard of practice shows that agency fees for tenancy agreements is 10per cent of the tenancy rates. For instance, if the property is going for N500, 000 per annum, the agency fee will be 10per cent of N500, 000 which amounts to N50, 000yearly. Expectedly, if the agent is collecting 2 years rent, that’s N50, 000 x 2 years which is N100, 000. In terms of sales of property, the charge is usually 5per c...