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So you've decided to list your home and need someone to do the heavy lifting to get it sold? Maybe your family is growing or you're ready to downsize? Looking for the ideal space to call your first home? It's time to call a real estate professional! Choosing the right agent can seem like a daunting task, but we've put together a guide to help keep things simple.

Do I Really Need a Real Estate Agent?

Although you can list and sell your own home, there are many benefits to hiring an agent. A realtor is working in the local market every day, so their knowledge of current pricing trends is invaluable. This can ensure you make the highest profit possible on your home. They know what buyers are looking for and how to stage your home to grab the…

It has been quite the whirlwind of a real estate market over the last few years here in Chattanooga, TN. We hit all time lows with interest rates as well as all time highs with home value increases. Homes were selling in less than 24 hours and with little to no contingencies. Throughout 2022 and 2023, we started to see that change a bit as the interest rates began to increase which changed a lot of people’s buying power. It has been all over the news and social media lately that interest rates are expected to drop in 2024 which would mean a lower mortgage payment for buyers. While you may be saying to yourself, “I’ll wait to buy a home when the interest rates drop,” we’re here to discuss why that may not be in your best interest. While we can’t…

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…

Is moving into your new home on your to-do list? Not just I-have-never-lived here-before new, but no-one-has-ever-lived-here-before new? Whether you're a current homeowner or a first-time home searcher, a newly constructed home could be just what you need to make your property dreams a reality this year. Here are four reasons why new builds could be worth your downpayment and/or putting your current living space on the market.

1. Unleash Your Creativity

If you've ever played the popular computer game The Sims, you know how much it is to design your own space. Depending on when you enter the building process, new home construction can be just like that, but in real life! Whether you're working with a contractor to fill an empty plot or you're…

One of the most common questions we hear from first-time homebuyers is, “How will the realtor be paid?” Beyond not knowing how the realtor fees are covered, many buyers and sellers also don’t know exactly what a realtor does (even though they know they need one). 

The good news is, if you’re buying a home, you do not have to pay the realtor to help you. Typically the seller pays all of the fees in a real estate transaction. At no expense to you, you can have a local real estate market expert be your advocate during the home buying process. There is a lot that goes into the home buying process, and your realtor will help you every step of the way. 

Another surprising fact to some home buyers and sellers is that your realtor will not get paid…

If you’re looking to buy a home, it’s time to check that dreaded credit score! While to us our credit score doesn’t mean too much, to a lender who’s considering whether to approve your mortgage loan, a low credit score can indicate you’re a risky borrower. And for most of them, that’s not a risk they’re willing to take. 

So, what do you do to get your credit score up and get ready for your home purchase? Let us help with these tips. 

1. Get a current copy of your credit report

Knowing is half the battle when it comes to your credit. If you know where you stand, then you know exactly how much work it’s going to take to make that good credit score happen for you. You're entitled to one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each…

Buying a home can be an overwhelming thought—especially for first time buyers. We’ve compiled a list of our most frequently asked buyer questions to help you get started on the home search! 

Q. What is the first step in the home buying process?

The first step in buying a home is to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan. The pre-approval process includes talking with a mortgage broker and providing them with information like pay stubs, bank statements, credit report, etc. to help them determine exactly home much of a home you can afford. This is important to do BEFORE you start the home search. If you start looking at homes but can’t get approved for a loan, it’s a waste of both yours and your realtor’s time. Not to mention, if you are approved…

Trying to decide what type of home to buy can be daunting for a new home buyer, particularly when you don’t know what your life might look like a few years down the road. Let us help you narrow down the potential possibilities by looking at the advantages and disadvantages of all the options. 

Townhouse

What makes a townhouse a townhouse? First off, a townhouse is attached, sharing at least one common wall with another, similar-designed home. And, living up to their name, townhouses are usually clustered in core areas within a city, directly within all of the hustle and bustle. Because of their close proximity to downtown, they generally have less yard and square footage than detached single-family homes. This can be a bad thing for some, but…

Is it bad to sell your home during the holidays? It’s a question we get a lot. 

There is a myth surrounding the idea of listing that sellers should wait until spring to put their home on the market. In reality, this couldn’t be farther from the truth! 

A study by online brokerage Redfin found that on average, sellers net more above asking price during the months of December, January, February and March than they do from June through November. Not only that, but the study found that homes listed in winter sold faster than those posted in the spring! 

Although there are a lot of buyers beginning their search in the spring, there are just as many looking for homes in the winter. But the advantage to listing in winter months is that inventory is…

House hunting is about more than finding the right home at the right price. You can find the perfect house … but if it’s not in the right area of town to match yours and your family’s lifestyle and needs, you won’t be happy there in the long run. 

Here are our tips for narrowing down neighborhoods:

1. Think Ahead

How far are you willing to commute? If you don’t have children now, do you plan on having them in the future? How important is it to you to be able to walk places? How long do you plan on being in this home? If you’d like to be in your future home for an extended period of time, it’s important that you consider what you want your life to look like a few years down the road. A longer commute may seem ok now, but will you feel the same…