realtor: 5 Shams and Scams You Should Be Leery of as a Homebuyer or Seller - 11/22/22 10:45 AM
At this point everyone knows not to fall for the email from a Nigerian prince promising to share his fortune with you if you just send him your banking information. After all, that scam has been around almost as long as the Internet has existed, and most people have seen it at least once!
But people don’t buy or sell a house all that often, so real estate scams and shams can be easy to miss to the untrained eye.
So let’s take a look at 5 things you should be leery of as a homebuyer or seller that may be an outright … (1 comments)

realtor: Timeless Tips to Sell Your Condo in Any Market - 11/07/22 02:20 PM

When it comes to real estate, not all sales are created equal—and if you’re planning to sell a condo, there are tips and tricks you’ll want to use to make the sale as fast and profitable as possible.
So what, exactly, are those tips and tricks?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined selling tips for homeowners preparing to sell their condo, including:
Use appropriate comps to determine your pricing strategy. Looking at recent sales in an area is typically a great tool for determining how to price a property. And that’s especially true for condos—as other units that have recently sold in your complex are likely … (2 comments)

realtor: If Your Buyer Makes Home Inspection Requests, You Might Not Want to Say No Right Now - 09/26/22 11:09 AM

It’s an industry joke that some buyers request the seller to repair even the most minor issue found on a home inspection, like a leaky faucet for example. But over the past couple of years, most sellers could list their house and it would quickly sell for over asking price — and buyers would often waive the home inspection — so sellers wouldn’t have to worry about that at all. Even if the buyers did have an inspection, sellers could easily reply with a firm no, and the buyers would be fine with it.
So if you’re about to put your house … (2 comments)

realtor: Summer Is Almost Over: Here’s How to Keep Rodents Out of Your Home as the Temperature Drops - 09/19/22 11:50 AM

With record-high temps and near-constant heat waves across the country, it may feel like we’re in the height of summer. But the truth is, fall is right around the corner. And while the change in temperature will surely provide some much-needed relief from the heat, cold weather can present a new problem for homeowners—rodents.
In an effort to escape the cold and harsh weather, rodents (like mice and rats) often try to make their way into homes.
So how, exactly, do you keep these unwanted guests out of your home this fall and winter? A recent article from realtor.com outlined steps you can take to … (1 comments)

realtor: Thinking About Buying a Home? Keep an Eye Out for These Red Flags the Property May Be Overprice - 09/13/22 02:29 PM

Over the past few years, the US has been in an unprecedented sellers’ market. Fierce competition and bidding wars caused prices to skyrocket, with the national median price for a home currently sitting at $449,000.
But with recent economic changes and rising mortgage rates, it looks like this unprecedented seller’s market is (finally!) cooling off.
That being said, many sellers are still pricing their homes as if we were still in the peak of the sellers’ market. So, as a buyer, the question is—how can you tell if a home you’re considering is currently overpriced?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined key signs a home may be … (0 comments)

realtor: Autumn Is Around the Corner—Budget-Friendly Ways to Transform Your Outdoor Space for Fall - 09/07/22 11:40 AM

Fall is right around the corner. But just because temperatures are dropping doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying your outdoor space! Fall is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors, but the decor you had for summer might not feel like the right fit as you head into fall.
So the question is: how can you update and refresh your outdoor space for fall, without breaking the bank?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined this season’s affordable outdoor decor trends to help you transform your outdoor space and make it feel more seasonally appropriate, including:
A vintage tablecloth. Is your outdoor table looking a little rough around … (0 comments)

realtor: 94% of Sellers Don’t Disclose These Issues When Selling Their House (And Why YOU Should) - 09/07/22 11:36 AM

It’s highly possible that an experienced home inspector could fail to find something wrong with your house. So it isn’t out of the question that you might not know about something wrong with it. But considering you live there, unless it’s something truly lurking below the surface that only a trained eye could find, the chances are you know a thing or two that’s wrong with your house.
And if you do, you should disclose the issue(s) to potential buyers. But, according to a recent REALTOR Magazine article, 94% of homeowners do not disclose known issues with their home, hoping buyers wouldn’t notice. Well, … (3 comments)

realtor: Have a Home Inspection Coming Up? Here’s What the Buyer’s Inspector Is Looking For - 09/07/22 11:27 AM

If you’re thinking about selling your home, chances are, you’ll have to get an inspection when you sell. Understanding what the inspector will be looking for can be helpful; that way, you can evaluate the current state of your home, identify any problems, and think about fixing them before you list.
But what, exactly, are inspectors looking for during a home inspection?
A recent video from relator.com outlined some of the potential issues home inspectors are looking for during the inspection process, including:
The foundation. One of the first things many inspectors will look for are potential issues with the home’s foundation. For example, can they see any visible … (0 comments)

realtor: Getting Ready to Buy a Home? Use These Tips to Boost Your Credit Score - 09/07/22 11:06 AM

Your credit score plays a major part in your ability to secure a mortgage—and to secure a competitive interest rate on your loan. So, before you buy a house, you’ll want to do everything you can to get your credit score as high as possible.
So how, exactly, do you do that?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined strategies potential buyers can use to boost their credit score before they purchase a home, including:
Increase your credit limits. If you can’t pay off your credit card debt, one trick to boost your score is to ask your credit card company to increase your credit limit. Increasing your … (1 comments)

realtor: How to buy a house for the first time - 05/16/22 10:57 AM
Qualify for a Mortgage and get a pre-approval (what it is, what to look for, and how to get it)Qualify for a Mortgage and get a pre-approval (what it is, what to look for, and how to get it)
Mortgage pre-approval is a great tool when you're house hunting because it ensures that the buyer will be able to actually obtain financing for the home. The term "pre-qualification" is often used interchangeably with "pre-approval," but there are key differences between them:
Prequalification vs. Preapproval: A lender gives a borrower a general idea of what they can afford when they prequalify them; however, … (1 comments)