By: Dennis Norman
Back in July I did a post about Freddie Macs “Smartbuy” sales promotion for owner-occupants buying Freddie Mac Homesteps(R) Homes. The special offer began July 17, 2009 and ends October 30, 2009 so there is less than a month to take advantage of it.
Under this promotion people buying a Freddie Mac home for their personal residence will receive at no cost:
- A comprehensive two-year HomeProtect(R) Home Warranty
- Up to 3.5% payment by Freddie Mac towards buyers closing costs
- Homeprotect(R) Appliance discount (up to 30% savings on name brand appliances)
To take advantage of the HomeSteps SmartBuy closing cost offer, buyers must submit initial purchase offers on HomeSteps homes by October 30, 2009 and complete the closing by December 31, 2009. “Every home shopper should know there are only 30 days left to save potentially thousands of dollars in transaction costs when they buy a HomeSteps home,” said Chris Bowden, vice president of HomeSteps. “Combined with our offer to provide a comprehensive two-year warranty on unexpected repairs, we believe HomeSteps homes provide a tremendous long-term value in today’s competitive marketplace.”
Although the closing cost offer will expire on October 30, the warranty will be ongoing, Bowden added. The warranty is available only on single family HomeSteps homes sold through normal retail channels that are the purchaser’s primary residence for at least $25,000 in one of the 48 contiguous states or Washington, DC. Freddie Mac will pay for the first two years of the warranty after which buyers will have an option to continue the warranty on their own.
Home Protect, the two-year warranty provided by Cross Country Home Services, covers electrical, plumbing, air conditioning and heating systems, as well as ductwork and many major appliances such as water heaters, stoves, washer & dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators.
Cross Country Home Services will also guarantee each repair made under the warranty for 180 days and will replace appliances that can’t be repaired with comparable units. In addition, each Home Protect warranty includes a buying program providing discounts of up to 30 percent on the purchase of name brand appliances and up to 15 percent on their installation.
“We designed the Freddie Mac Home Protect warranty specifically to give HomeSteps buyers peace of mind and help them manage the costs of home ownership,” according to Ori Lapidot, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Product, CCHS. “We are pleased that Freddie Mac will continue making Home Protect available to eligible homebuyers even after the Buyer’s Closing Cost offers ends on October 30.”
The warranty and closing cost opportunities are not available on HomeSteps homes sold as investor properties, second homes, or vacation homes or in auctions and bulk sales.
For more information, visit www.HomeSteps.com or call 800-972-7555.
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