I'm working with several buyers looking for their next home, so every day I scour the Multiple Listing Service and hotsheet to see what was listed overnight. I'll check several times daily, and set up searches based on clients preferences to be automatically emailed to both them and me. I network with other Realtors to see what they have coming soon to stay ahead of the fast paced market.Lately I've seen a fair number of sales fall through, as the house shows back up on the market as "active" or available. Invariably, the comments read "buyers financing fell through" as the reason the home is back on the market. (Buyers want to know if something was wrong with the house but that is rarely the reason).It happened today. I received a notification that a house I showed to a buyer a month a... 07/08/2022

What a crazy Sunday it turned out to be.The day was going to be lazy, catch up on rest and watch a little mindless TV. Everything changed around 2:00 pm when I received a text from a past client, cryptically saying "Call me please".After the usual pleasantries, my client expressed interest in a home she found online. It was already in a multiple offer situation, and the deadline for "highest and best" was in 2 hours. I quickly called the agent and begged for an appointment so I could Face Time my client. Once I had permission, I raced drove across town to view the house.Fortunately, my client is familiar with the current real estate situation, as they sold and moved a year ago. They understood what was needed to make a favorable offer in this hot sellers' market (and listened when I adv... 06/29/2022

If you live in metro Jackson and have never heard of Repeat Street, you owe it to yourself to spend an afternoon browsing the merchandise. I found myself Saturday afternoon with a little free time on my hands. The closer my car got to the destination, the more excited I became. My adrenaline was working overtime.Repeat Street is one of the largest consignment shops in the area, and they have virtually anything you can think of. Quirky, fun, retro, collectibles, furniture, clothing; you name it, they probably have it.My house is full so I have to be VERY SELECTIVE about what items come in by way of shopping. I am filled to the brim (to the point of clutter), but adore walking down memory lane, and Repeat Street is the perfect place to do it. Remember the stemware received as a wedding gi... 09/20/2021

August and September 2021 have been a whirlwind of real estate activity. Many of you enjoy Central Mississippi's weekly report, so I am sharing the stats so you can tell at a glance how the month of August shaped up. The graph shows the number of listings taken each week per county, the number of closings, median sales price, and list to sale ratios.Also shown is the supply of homes on the market for sale, the "inventory", and if no other homes came on the market, the "supply" of homes before we are completely sold out. Inventory changes constantly. Realtors check the hotsheet daily to see what new listings are available. It isn't unusual for a home to sell the first day with multiple offers. If a buyer says they can only look on the weekend, but a new listing hits the market on Tuesday... 09/19/2021

What a busy week it has been in real estate! Listings, closings, negotiations, and more of the same this weekend. So while the weekly market update is late getting to you, here it is. The graphic above shows  the closings for Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties in Central MS for the week of July 30 - August 5. The number of closings appear on the left; median sales price, current inventory, list to sale price ratio, and supply of homes are shown on the right. Keep in mind this is a snapshot of one weeks performance. You would want to look back at previous weeks to see the trends, and some of the prior weekly reports are shown below. It is important to note that inventory has ticked up ever so slightly, with a supply between 1 to 1 1/2 months. This remains a strong sellers market. I'd li... 08/13/2021

Central MS Realtors has published the closing information for the last week of July 2021. The report runs a week behind so the last two days of the month will be picked up on next weeks report. The volume of closings is up as expected the last week of the month. Many home buyers choose to close as late in the month as possible so you'll notice a sharp increase toward the end of any given month. Inventory in all three Central MS counties remains low, and homes are selling at an average of 100% of list price.  Look at the supply of homes. There is less than one months inventory. This equates to a strong sellers market with low inventory, homes that sell fast with multiple offers, at list price or above. I must stress the importance of hiring a Realtor to represent you in a sellers market.... 08/04/2021

Closings have been reported for the second week of July for the three primary counties in Central MS. Here's a look at the numbers:You can tell by the chart above that Hinds County (Jackson, Clinton, Byram, and Terry) had the most closings, coming in with 60 closed sales for the week, followed closely by Rankin County (Brandon, Flowood, and Pearl) with 54 closed sales. Madison County had 27 closed sales. Although Madison County had the fewest number of closings, they led with the highest median price range, $276,000.All three counties had an average list to sales price ratio of 100%, and each county has less than a one month supply of inventory.Not all closings are published through the Multiple Listing Service of Central MS. Some new construction closings were never registered through ... 07/21/2021

WATERFRONT! Fabulous waterfront living and a fisherman's dream located on a picturesque 3.51 acres in Madison County. Custom built for a multi-generational household. The main home has 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, the attached in-law suite contains 2 bedrooms and one bath, plus full kitchen and beautiful hardwood flooring. There are two screened porches and water views from throughout the home. This property was built with TONS of storage, includes a huge laundry room with lots of cabinetry, a pantry that doubles as a safe room, and additional storage throughout the home. One bay of the three car garage is oversized, long enough to hold a generous sized boat of your choice. There is plenty of paved parking for your guests, plus a circular driveway. Lakefront property in Madison County 3.51 ac... 02/05/2021

Many of you know that about 50% of my business is new construction. In my part of the country, we are faced with construction cost increases that we have not seen since Hurricane Katrina, many years ago. These cost increases are created by the tarriffs placed on building materials, the shortage of materials, created by the storms that have hit Puerto Rico and Florida. It's the old law of supply and demand. There is more demand than there is supply. So, what does this mean? If I'm showing a home in a neighborhood that is complete or almost complete, but it is sold, the buyer wants tthe same home on another lot in the new phase that hasn't started yet. The same home, with the same amenities is going to cost him $3-$4 per square foot more. "Why?" the buyers asks. It's due to the rising cos... 12/08/2018

Are you a teacher, nurse, or EMT? Perhaps a firefighter or police officer? If so, a new loan program is available in Mississippi that offers 100% financing. That's ZERO DOWN PAYMENT!I'm excited to share this mortgage program, available through Liberty Financial MS Mortgage Department, to our local hometown heroes. What's the catch? Your credit score has to be at least 720. If your number falls short of this goal, Liberty Financial has a trained credit counselor to help improve your score. There is no charge for this service. The maximum loan amount for this program is $453,000. There are no income limits. It would be an honor to assist you with your home purchase. If you are in the market for a new home in the Metro Jackson area and want more information on this program or are ready to ... 10/02/2018

The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity. ~ Lewis Grizzard Let's face it. Football is HUGE. And what goes better with football than tasty appetizers? My September postcard has a football theme along with an easy to prepare jalapeno and cheese dip recipe that is sure to please. (Scroll to the bottom for the recipe) Bon Appetit!Jalapeno Popper Dip 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened1 cup mayo1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies1 can (4 oz) diced jalapeno peppers1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs1 T olive oil In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayo, cheddar, chilies, peppers and 1/4 cup Parmesan until blen... 09/13/2018

My clients and I were on the hunt for a home large enough to accommodate their baby grand piano.After viewing a dozen or so homes, we found "the one". We knew it would accommodate the piano because the seller already had one in the formal dining room.The offer was written and accepted. My clients house was under contract so this would be a back-to-back closing. Things got interesting on closing day. . . At 8:00 a.m. we learned that the sellers daughter couldn't pick up the piano before closing. No worries; my clients said they could pick it up later in the week. A piano mover was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to move my clients piano... except they didn't show up!My clients received a text stating there was a delay and they rescheduled for 10:00 a.m. Once again, the movers failed to show. Aft... 08/17/2018

Beautiful Cypress Lake is located in the heart of Madison, MS, just off Highland Colony Blvd. and a stones throw from Madison Central High School. Cypress Lake is a gated residential neighborhood with home prices starting in the upper $200s. Different sections within Cypress Lake offer varying price points, but one thing is certain, the peaceful setting, the gorgeous lake and waterfall provide a serene backdrop for all residents to enjoy. Health care, shopping, schools, and recreational activities are all nearby. Search Active Listings in Cypress Lake RECREATION: There's plenty to do in Madison. If you live in Cypress Lake, you have easy access to Hwy 463 and I-55. Several parks in the area provide recreational activities. Nearby Liberty Park has 5 lighted baseball fields and soccer fie... 08/16/2018

Thanks to a generous out-of-state seller and the perfect timing of blueberry season, I've had the opportunity to make several blueberry cobblers for friends and family to enjoy. One of my vacant listings has two mature blueberry bushes and the time is right for harvest. At the sellers insistence, these delicious and nutritious blueberries have found their way into smoothies, yogurt and pies, instead of dying on the vine or being left for the birds. My grandmother shared her easy cobbler recipe with me when I was in my early 20s. I'm not big on baking, but every now and then I prepare a cobbler, and there's no better time to do it than when fresh fruit is plentiful. This is my grandmothers simple and easy recipe. I usually make it with canned peaches, but it is equally good with most oth... 06/10/2018

Imagine being awakened at 2:00 a.m. by a loud, persistent banging at the door, with the sound of a roaring evacuation vehicle in your driveway. Quick, what would you do? Would you have time to grab important papers, valuable mementos, or family pets?This happened to me one spring morning last year. I left home with nothing but the clothes on my back and my 35 pound rescue dog in tow.Fortunately, my house did NOT flood, but it was a scare nonetheless. The reality does not hit until you come face to face with the fact that you are being evacuated from your home and you do not know what will happen next. It is unimaginable to know what to expect until you have lived through a disaster, but many have experienced the aftermath of flood, hurricanes, and fire damage.By all means, if you are in... 06/04/2018

Oakmont Subdivision is a gated Garden Home community located between Old Canton and Rice Roads. Homes in the neighborhood typically are priced in the low to mid $300,000 range and are generously sized between 2500-2800 square feet. Oakmont is situated on a private tree-lined street in the heart of Ridgeland. The community has a neighborhood pool and clubhouse, and homes have amenities you would expect at this price point. Some features include high ceilings, granite countertops in kitchens and baths, bonus rooms, etc. The home pictured comes with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, a built-in home office, large bonus room, pool and hot tub in a private back yard.  View Homes for Sale in Oakmont School aged children would attend the schools in the Madison County School District, which includes Ann... 03/28/2018

 Easter Egg Hunts in the Jackson MS Metro Area - 2018     Here comes Peter CottontailHoppin' down the bunny trailHippity hoppin', Easter's on its way   Bringin' every girl and boyBaskets full of Easter joyThings to make your Easter bright and gay     Brandon - Thursday, March 29, Shiloh Park Don't be late for a very important date: The Brandon MS Easter Egg Hunt starts promptly at 6:00 p.m. at Shiloh Park Baseball fields. Over 6000 eggs will be "hidden", as well as special beeping eggs for visually impaired children. The egg hunt is for children aged 1-9. The Easter Bunny will be a special guest at the event.Visit www.brandonms.org for additional information Florence - Thursday, March 22, Hemphill Park Beginning at 6:00 p.m., children ages 0 – 12 are invited to come and enjoy inflatable... 03/15/2018

After weeks of gloomy wet cold weather, spring it on its way to central Mississippi. Although we are still getting more than our fair share of rain, the Bradford Pear and Tulip trees are in full bloom. Daytime temperatures have hit the mid 80s already, so get ready for a red hot summer!The spring and summer real estate market is warming up, too. If you're in the market to buy or sell a home in central Mississippi, contact me for a no-obligation consultation.  #WordlessWednesday#FrontGateRealEstate  03/01/2018

A few weeks ago I got the call all Realtors dread. The week before closing, a buyer with a bad case of cold feet walked away from their obligation to purchase one of my listings. I took a moment to let the news sink in. How do I handle this? What is the seller going to say? I knew I had to call the seller and deliver the bad news, but my Realtor brain told me to review my prospect file first. Someone had inquired about the house a few weeks earlier when it was pending. I could have blown that email off at the time. After all, the house was under contract and it looked solid, but I followed up anyway.  They were disappointed the house was sold, but I assured them I would let them know if anything happened. Before calling the seller to tell them their sale fell apart, I called this prospe... 02/26/2018

As a Realtor, I've seen hundreds of buyers and sellers negotiate costly home inspection repairs. The home inspection can create undue stress and conflict for the parties involved. By taking a few simple steps BEFORE the inspection, some of the drama and cost of repairs can be avoided.  Remove clutter beneath the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Home inspectors are not required or expected to move things around, and if they can't SEE what's beneath the sink, they can't INSPECT it. You may have to pay for a second inspection or worse, correct an obstructed leak at the last moment before closing. Besides, don't you think BUYERS look under the sink? Clear the obstacles to selling your home, and if you find a problem, repair it. Replace the HVAC filter and remove dust from fans and vents. This is... 01/03/2018