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You may have heard the term House Hacking over the last several years. The popular investing strategy has become a great tool for those looking to get into real estate investing. During the heavy sellers market over the past few years, it was really difficult (although not impossible) in the Chattanooga area as many competed against larger, all cash investors. As the market shifts, house hacking becomes more accessible if you are purchasing with a home loan. We've broken down what exactly house hacking is and how you can make it work for you.

House hacking is a real estate investment strategy where you purchase a multifamily property (such as a duplex or triplex) and live in one of the units while renting out the others. The main goal of house…

Buying a home is a significant financial investment, and a home inspection is a crucial step in the process. A home inspection provides valuable insights into the condition of the property, helping you make an informed decision about your purchase. We’re here to guide you through what to expect during your inspection period so you can approach the process confidently.

Once a buyer is under contract to purchase a home, their inspection period begins. An inspection period (or “due diligence” period) is a specific number of days that has been agreed upon by the buyer and seller allowing the buyer to examine the condition of the home and still obtain their earnest money in the event the contract is terminated. 

Buyers typically hire a professional…

It’s crazy to think we are already half way through 2023! While the real estate market has been ever changing, it has still been a busy year so far. The most common question people ask is– how’s the market going? So let’s talk about how the first half of 2023 has been.

How is the current market?

It is still a seller’s market. WAIT! Don’t leave! It may still be a seller’s market, but it is not the same type of seller’s market that we saw in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Interest rates, inventory, days on market all look very different from this time last year. So what does that mean?

Interest rates are higher than they have been in the previous years. A significant amount of people either bought or refinanced within the last few years to take…

Real estate investment has long been recognized as a lucrative venture for those seeking financial growth and passive income. However, navigating the complex world of real estate requires knowledge of effective investment strategies. One such strategy that has gained significant popularity among investors is the BRRRR method. We've broken down its core principles, and how it can help you build a successful real estate portfolio.

What is the BRRRR Method?

BRRRR stands for Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, and Repeat. It allows investors to buy properties, improve their value through renovations or repairs, rent them out to generate cash flow, refinance to recover the money spent, and then repeat the process to continue to build their portfolio.

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Popular online real estate marketplaces often offer some sort of home valuation tool that tells you what your house might be worth. You might not know it as a home valuation, but maybe by a catchy name for their estimates (hint: put a Z in front of estimates). We, as real estate agents, often get asked about these estimates whether it is listing their house or they’re looking to purchase a house. We understand that real estate is a large financial investment and you want to make sure you’re getting the best price possible whether that is buying or selling. We are here to help you filter through what’s accurate and what is not.

To start, let’s make sure we understand what a home valuation is. Home valuations take the facts about your home (square…

As 2022 comes to an end, so does this historical time in real estate. As the market shifts, it’s important to talk about where we have been, where the market is headed, and what that looks like for you. There is a good chance you’ve seen something come across your TV, phone, or computer screen that can make you feel a little nervous about what is to come. Let’s break it down into facts and see what it actually means for you.

Where we have been

Even if you were not interested in buying or selling real estate over the past few years, you might have seen segments on the news, read an article, laughed at jokes on the internet, or screamed in frustration over the real estate market. To sum it all up, the market was crazy! We were in an incredibly…

Colder temperatures have officially hit Chattanooga and the North Georgia area. While you may or may not have been prepared since the temperatures have been back and forth, there is no time like the present to prepare your home for the temperature drop. 

Colder weather means higher risks for your home and potentially higher costs. As we are turning on heaters and dealing with freezing temperatures, the risk of fires or water damage increases significantly.  We've put together a list of ways to help you protect your home and wallet throughout the fall and winter seasons. 

1. Cover spigots & drain the hoses 

Now that the temperature has dropped, you won’t be needing much accessible water outside the home. Be sure to cover all of your spigots on…

Over the past couple of years, interest rates on home loans have been historically low and you may have heard a lot of talk about how it was a great time to refinance your home. In today’s market, with interest rates rising, you may hear less about refinancing now and more about buying now and refinance later. If you are wondering, what does it mean to refinance and how will it help me later, we are here to help! 

What is refinancing?

Simply put, refinancing is changing your current loan terms. Common goals for refinancing are to lower one's fixed interest rate to reduce your monthly mortgage payments, change the duration of the loan, switch the type of loan you have, or cash out on your home equity. Many people recently refinanced their…

Buying a house is an exciting time in your life regardless of if you’re a first-time home buyer or purchasing your fifth house. There are a lot of things to consider when buying a home like location, how many bedrooms you need, if are you looking for more storage space, if a yard is important, etc. While purchasing a home is a process, we feel that it is important to understand the upfront costs as you begin the process to help eliminate any surprises. 

To start, it is important to understand these costs are going to be separate from your downpayment. For example, if you’re preapproved for $350,000 and plan to put down 10%, the total amount that you are paying is $35,000 (10% of your loan) plus the following costs. It is also important to note…

In the recent months, the real estate market has begun to shift. What does that mean for you as a buyer? Should you wait for rates to go back down? Should you wait for house prices to drop? Here is what we are seeing in this market shift and why it is a good time to buy. 

1. Housing prices are starting to balance

You may have noticed some homes sitting on the market longer than 48 hours or sellers are dropping their prices in order to sell. This does not mean that the value of the home is decreasing. It means that we have reached the peak of this crazy, rapidly climbing market. Over the past few years, housing prices have increased faster than we've ever seen before. House values were increasing tens of thousands of dollars if not more in just a…