Thursday, July 15, 2010

Free Housing Grants

There are lots of people, who find it hard to buy homes, because of the financial constraints that they face. People often do not get mortgage on the houses, because of bad credit history. For all such people, who have dreamed about owning a house, or renting the perfect dream house, there are numerous free housing grants available. This money from the free housing grants can be used to pay the rent, or to buy a new house. The money can also be used for renovating an existing house, or for down payment purposes. The government of the United States, in its stimulus package, has set aside millions of dollars for providing free housing grants to the people, in an effort to boost the economy. Renovations for the homes can also be subsidized with these free housing grants. These can be used for the repairs of the cooling and heating systems, present in the house. The government is paying a lot of attention to this aspect, as by repairing the cooling and heating systems, a lot of energy can be saved. This is an aspect on which the stimulus package too, emphasizes on.

There are numerous advantages of the free housing grants. These are not loans and hence, the money will not have to be repaid at all. The person who will make use of these grants will never have to worry about foreclosure. Getting these grants does not require a good credit history or a co-signer. These free grants can be got by anyone, who is a citizen of this country. These grants will also help people, purchase houses that were not affordable without financial assistance.

Getting these grants is also not all that difficult. The entire process of application can be done within a period of 10 minutes. After the application is given, the agency will process the application. Selecting the right kind of Free Housing Grants is a very crucial step. The selection must be made, after considering the eligibility criteria. The person applying for the housing grants, should also consider visiting some websites, which will have a list of housing grants providers. With the help of such a list, it will be easier to know the agencies, which can help you out.

There are also some companies, which will help people get the grants with out any hassle. The companies will take care of the entire procedure, and keep you informed about the progress. There are also some First Home Grants that are also provided for people, who are buying houses for the first time.

Free House Plans - A Realistic Perspective

We all like free stuff. However, some products need to meet certain quality standards, and in those cases you do actually get what you pay for. Are free house plans a realistic option as a basis for building your house? First, let's define what free house plans are and what they are not.

Countless websites selling house plans have put their catalogs online, and of course there are also print catalogs of house plans. These plans are are accurate enough to help you make a buying decision, but lack the necessary details that architects and builders need for construction and customization. Some companies advertise free house plans, but in practically all cases, these free offers are merely hooks to get your attention or your email address. The real house plans, the actual blueprints of a house, cost around 400 - 2000 USD, with most ranging between 700 - 1500 USD, depending on the delivery options (hard copies or computer files) and other extras.

Before you buy a house plan, you should make sure that your plan meets your and your family's requirements for a new home as well as local building codes and the limitations of plot on which you want to build. Virtually all purchases of house plans are non-refundable, so choose wisely to avoid wasting money. House plans are not something to buy on impulse, there is simply no rush.

There are alternatives to buying stock plans. You could design your house yourself, but that is not a realistic option for most people, as it requires a lot of skill and time. Another option is to work with a company to create a custom design from scratch. This option is much more expensive than buying stock plans and only suitable for people with the additional cash to spend who require or desire a very individualized design.

While even stock plans cost a decent chunk of money, their price is very moderate considering the total cost of building your home. And if you make sure you only buy a plan once you know that it meets everybody's needs, you will have a one-time, predictable expense.

The main additional expense around house plans you should budget for is any customization to the stock plans you may want. Once again, you should get a green light and clear cost estimates from all involved parties before you buy your plans. That way you won't exactly get free house plans, but at least you will spend as little as possible on your plans.

Free house plans provides practical information for people in the complex process of choosing house plans for their dream homes.