When you are selling your home, you want it to look its very best. The better your home looks, the better impressions would-be buyers will get from your home. The better the impression, the more money they are likely to offer you when placing a bid to buy your home.

Because of these things, whether you decide to do it yourself, or hire an outside professional company, staging your home is a critical element to making your home stand out from the other homes for sale in your area and maximizing your ultimate sale price.

The numbers don’t lie. According to a 2017 report from the National Association of Realtors® on home staging, 38% of seller’s agents stated they stage every home they list. Additionally, of that group, 39% said staging not only got

Are You Being Held Back?

There are many misconceptions when it comes to buying a home. Whether you are doing it alone or with a partner, the first step is to get the facts. From finding out your credit score to choosing the right loan program, it can't be denied -- this is one big decision. There are many things to fret about but these 3 myths shouldn't be on the list.

Myth #1 - Mortgage Rates Are Getting Too High

While it's true that rates are higher right now, it is also true that mortgage rates are constantly fluctuating. If buying a home right now is what aligns with your long term goals, then now is the right time for you. Due to hesitating, you could end up missing out on a great rate if they spike by even a quarter.

The Importance of Homeownership to the American Dream

For centuries, people in this country have seen homeownership as part of the American Dream. Whether they were born here or immigrated from another country, they wanted to own a piece of America. With so many prominent societal changes over the last few decades, it is fair to ask if people in America still feel the same way about owning a home. The answer was made abundantly clear in two separate reports released earlier this month.

In their market trends report, As Housing Trends Shift, So Does Renter, Buyer and Seller Sentiment, Trulia revealed that:

“After two years of no change, the share of Americans who say that homeownership is part of their personal “American Dream” ticked up

Do You Prefer the Charm of an Existing Home?

When homebuyers begin their research, they want to see all their available options! In many cases, they will include both new construction and existing homes in their search; but is a new construction home really the house of their dreams?

According to a recent survey by Zillow, of the 38% of total buyers that added new construction to their list, only 11% ultimately purchased a newly constructed home!

They added that 71% of these buyers are repeat buyers who are financially secure, with 45% using the money from the sale of their previous homes to make a purchase.

Below are some reasons why buyers are interested in purchasing a new build:

• Everything in the house is new/never used

When selling your home, you're obligated, by law, to disclose certain information about your property. Most states require that all sellers complete a written property disclosure form. Majority of the forms have a required set of questions that must be answered. 

THE BASICS

Most states require sellers to complete this form when listing for sale. Nearly all of the questions are a basic yes/no/unknown response. The questions will address material facts, major defects, special disclosures, and federal disclosures. All forms vary by state and require different information. 

MATERIAL FACTS

These include the age of the property, it's condition, known problems, and defects. These are all of the information that would influence

In 2017 alone, 60% of women millennial buyers were single! Buying a home seems to come with the idea that it’s the step AFTER you get married and have a family - but that simply isn’t true! Not only is home buying an incredible investment, it provides stability. If you’re worried that a home is too much of a commitment, while you still enjoy travelling around the world, having a great Realtor on your side can help ensure you aren’t tied down by a home.

No one ever said your net worth is a burden. Build your net worth by owning your own dream house and recoup your investment when the day comes to sell. If you’re paying the same amount on rent as you could on a mortgage payment, doesn’t it make sense to put that monthly amount into a home you could

Although the internet can be a great resource for a variety of information, a lot of that information is incorrect. One of the most important and expensive decisions in your life, home buying, tends to circulate a lot of misinformation. Most of that misinformation is in regards to how much of a down payment you need or what your credit score needs to be. Let's go over the real facts about buying a home and knock those myths out, so they don't hinder your ability to purchase!  

CREDIT SCORES

Though it may come as a surprise, you don't need a perfect credit score to purchase a home. Traditional bank lenders will work with credit scores as low as 640, but your agent can also get you connected with local lenders that accept credit scores as low as 580.

Before you put your home up for sale, you'll want to ensure it's clean for all of the buyers that will come through. A dirty house isn't appealing, and you won't get a good offer, if you get one at all, if your home isn't in tip-top shape. Cleaning your home doesn't have to be overwhelming, below we've listed the top things to remember to clean for each room.

FOYER:                                                                                                                                                                                                   

+ Clean the door and hardware.

+ Wipe off all fingerprints on windows/furniture. 

+ Clean off scuff marks on floors and door.

+ Replace all light bulbs and

This is my 25th year to work in Real Estate.  Here is advice I can give you when looking for an agent:

Find one you can trust.

Find one with experience-that has sales and the experience to take care of you.

Find a full time Realtor.

Find someone that will be there to answer questions even after the sale. This is one of the largest purchases you will ever make so you need to make sure you are choosing wisely.

If you have a Realtor that you are happy with-stay loyal.

If you are looking for a Realtor with the qualities above, please don't hesitate to call me. 318-572-1122