Directions: Read the reading sample and the writing sample. Is this something you can read or write today with a little help? Click on “too easy” and “too hard” buttons to see reading and writing examples from other levels. Choose “just right” to select your level.
Reading Sample
Buying a Home
Home buyers can spend up to three months, and possibly more, looking for and purchasing a home. Their search begins by looking at housing ads, driving through neighborhoods they are interested in, and walking through open houses. Many first-time buyers will meet with a real estate agent to get help finding and buying a home.
Home buyers should know how much they can afford before they start looking for a home. It isn't worth your time to look for a new home if you can't really afford to buy one. So, it's a good idea to look at your financial situation first. You might be surprised how much money you can borrow, especially if the interest rates are good. Also, if you have some money for a down payment, your monthly payments may be lower than you think. You should never make an offer on a home without looking at other houses in the same neighborhood. Just as you would shop around for a car or computer, you should do a cost comparison on different homes for sale. You can do this by researching recent sales of similar properties, which you can find on real estate websites or by talking to a real estate agent. Also, if you can find something out about the seller and his or her motivation for selling, it will put you in a better position to negotiate. For instance, maybe the seller needs to sell quickly and would accept a low offer.
Once you have found the property that you want and can afford, you are ready to make an offer. A low-ball offer is an offer that is much lower than the asking price. Depending on the market, unless the house is really overpriced or the seller needs to sell it quickly, they will probably not accept a low-ball offer. Once you make an offer that is reasonable to the seller, they will either accept it or make a counteroffer. If the seller makes a counteroffer, the negotiating process has begun. You may have to go back three or four times before an agreement is reached.
Being a good negotiator can be tricky. Take your time when making your decision. This is a very important decision and you don't want to be rushed. Sometimes, you can negotiate for repairs to be done to the home before you move in, or you can ask the seller to pay for some of your closing costs. As soon as a written agreement is signed by both parties, the document becomes a legally binding contract.
One of the first things that usually happens after the contract is signed is a home inspection. You need to hire a professional inspector to inspect the home, searching for defects or other problems. The inspector usually represents the buyer and is paid for by the buyer. The contract that you sign with the seller protects you as a buyer by allowing you to cancel closing on the deal if an inspector finds problems with the property that the seller is unwilling to have fixed or give the buyer credit for.
Once the contract has been signed, the lender (usually a bank) starts processing the loan. Once all the inspections are done and any repairs are completed, the final papers for the transfer of the title are prepared. Finally, the closing takes place on the date agreed upon in the offer. On that date, the title comes to you and you can begin enjoying your new home!
Writing Sample
One of my goals is to buy a 2-bedroom house for my family. However, there are some obstacles that prevent me from achieving this goal. The first obstacle is the high price of houses in my area. The second obstacle is my low credit score, which makes it hard to get a loan from the bank. To overcome these obstacles, I have come up with some possible solutions. The first solution is to save more money every month by cutting down on unnecessary expenses. The second solution is to improve my credit score by paying my bills on time and reducing my debt. The third solution is to look for houses in cheaper areas, or consider renting instead of buying. By following these solutions, I hope to buy a 2-bedroom house for my family in the near future.
Pick one of the options below:
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I don’t understand anything. I want an easier class. No entiendo nada. Quiero una clase más fácil. |
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This is a good class for me. It's not too easy. It is not too hard. Esta clase es buena para mí. No es demasiado fácil. No es demasiado difícil. |
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I understand everything. I want to see the next level. Entiendo todo. Quiero ver el siguiente nivel. |