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So, you’re ready to list your home and go on a new adventure? How exciting! We know that the process can seem a little intimidating, but a great realtor will walk you through each step and leave you feeling confident about what’s next.

Once your home is “market-ready”, it’s time to spread the news. Of course the listing will emphasize all the fantastic details, but for potential buyers, the photos are what will seal the deal. With the incredible photo capabilities of smart phones, you may be questioning whether professional photos are necessary. We can assure you the answer is yes! 

Your listing agent will schedule a professional real estate photographer to tell a visual “story” of your home. An experienced photographer will have an eye for detail…

In the competitive world of real estate, it's essential to make a lasting impression on potential buyers. One highly effective method to achieve this is through home staging. We've put together a few reasons of the importance of home staging in the real estate market and how it can significantly impact the selling process.

Enhances visual appeal

Home staging involves arranging and decorating a property to showcase its best features and create an inviting atmosphere. By decluttering, organizing furniture, adding tasteful décor, and maximizing natural light, staging helps enhance the visual appeal of a home. A well-staged property captures the attention of buyers, making it more memorable and increasing the likelihood of a sale.

Highlights the…

If you’ve kept up with the real estate market over the last few years, you’ve probably noticed it has been anything but what we would consider “normal.” Historically low interest rates, property values increasing exponentially, and houses selling within hours! In the last half of 2022, we saw an increase in interest rates which caused the market to shift a bit. 

We are currently still in a sellers market as there are still many buyers looking for a home and not enough sellers. While it is incredibly unlikely that we will see interest rates drop to 2% and 3% again, those low interest rates seem to still have an effect on our current market. Many people who purchased or refinanced in the last several years locked in the lower rates and now they…

The past few years have been something else when it comes to selling your home. In a heavily weighted market, sellers were getting top dollar and then some for their homes with very few negotiations happening. As 2022 comes to an end, we have shifted away from a seller’s market and things have balanced out between buyers and sellers. What this means is there are more options for buyers and longer days on the market for sellers. This is what most would consider “normal” when it comes to buying and selling real estate.

Now that buyers have more options, pricing your home correctly is key when it comes to selling your home. Here are our top 6 ways to help you find the right price to list your home.

1. Consider the current market

Knowing what…

We are just a few days away from the first day of fall which starts Thursday, September 22nd! While the temperature won’t immediately change, we have begun to feel some cooler mornings lately which makes now prime time to prepare your house for the new season. Regular home maintenance is important not only to help prevent damage which can potentially cause major home expenses, but also creates far less projects for you if/when you decide to sell your home. 

We put together a fall home maintenance list to get started on to help keep your home in tip top shape!

1. Clean gutters

The leaves haven’t quite started to fall just yet, but it seems like once they start they just don’t stop! Keeping your gutters clean and clear is very important as…

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…

It’s that time of year again when the summer break has come to an end and families are gearing up for the beginning of the school year. Whether your children will be attending school in person, online, or home school, preparing your house is one of the best ways to set your child up for success. Here are our top 6 favorite ways to prepare your home for your students to have the best school year yet!

1. Message board/family calendar

Between your work schedule, appointments, sports, and after-school activities keeping up with everybody’s schedule can be chaotic and overwhelming. The best way to organize your week is with a family message center. Keeping a family calendar will help keep up with everybody’s events and also make sure you don’t have…

Buying your first house is a huge step into adulthood. And as most of us know, it’s an expensive one! In fact, a 2017 Zillow survey of 13,000 adults found that only 39 percent of millennials are able to make the standard down payment on a home, and just one in five can pay the minimum to secure a home loan. Ouch. 

The good news is, there are definitely ways to cut down on the cost of buying your first home. Here are 7 of our best tips:

1. Choose an experienced Realtor

This is first on our list because it’s the most important! And it’s not just because we’re biased. You might be amazing at searching sites like Trulia and Zillow for potential homes, but what you probably don’t know is sometimes that information is totally incorrect. So you can find…

Your twenties is the time when you’re still trying to figure it all out. You may or may not have found your dream job or even decided what that is. Even though some things may be up in the air, that doesn’t mean you can’t start investing in your future now! 

One mistake that a lot of twenty-somethings make is thinking that they can’t afford to buy a home. Surprise—oftentimes rent is more expensive than a mortgage payment!! Rather that throwing money away on rent, here are some tips to help you buy a home now! 

1. Start working on your credit 

Many twenty-somethings have low credit or no credit at all. If you have no credit, try opening up a credit card with a small limit and paying it off every month. If you already have credit, make sure to…

Many people think that renting is less expensive than owning their own home. But as it turns out, it’s actually cheaper to pay a monthly mortgage payment than a month’s rent. 

According to a study done by the personal finance website GOBankingRates.com, the median monthly rent price for a single family home was $1,195, while the average mortgage payment was $934—a difference of $261! What could you do with an extra $261 a month?

Taking the leap from renting to buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions a person can make, but mortgage rates are still historically low, making now a great time to buy. It’s also gratifying for homebuyers to see their mortgage going towards something that is theirs, as opposed to throwing away money…