Category: Articles of Interest

You might think that the living room or family room is the heart of your home, but in the eyes of potential buyers, there are at least three other rooms that will demand your attention as you prepare to sell your home for top dollar. Avoiding improvements in the following areas may cost you a…

As you consider buying your first home, you’ll get lots of advice, but you shouldn’t do anything without a complete understanding of your financial situation and how much home you can afford. So, where do you begin? There are two parts to financing – the downpayment (generally 20% of the purchase price) and the balance…

Have you ever heard of the “home staging” profession? These individuals assist sellers with presenting their home in a fashion that will increase the likelihood of a full price offer. While the value added by such professionals is often worth the investment, many sellers can put the basics into action themselves, and enjoy the same…

A country church once paid $1,500 per acre more than “fair market value” for two acres of land adjoining the existing church property.  In another transaction, a young couple agreed to accept $7,900 less than “fair market value” for their three-year-old tract home.  Once “fair market value” is established on real estate, other factors such…

Good morning Investors,  Question, can you do cash out refinance after your property has been place on the real estate market, but didn’t sell? The answer is no… and yes.  Yesterday, I talked with my home mortgage underwriting team. They stated that a property owner has to wait six months after their listing has expired before…

Good morning fellow investors, Have you ever noticed when you read the newspaper that it is mostly filled with bad news? Especially about real estate right now. Well, this morning it was nothing new with an article titled, “Valley New Home Sales Continue To Slump.” I have found the most pertinent information is from the…

We all know that homes in many markets across the country experienced substantial gains in appreciation over the last few years of heated real estate activity.While sale prices are currently leveling out, you may have experienced “sticker shock” if you recently got a property tax assessment that shot way up. As a matter of fact,…

If you’re planning the purchase of your first home, you’re probably experiencing two conflicting emotions – excitement and apprehension. The positive energy from your excitement is an asset in your home search, but the negative energy from your fear of the unknown is a liability you can leave behind once you’re armed with some basic…

When you start planning to put your home on the market, it’s time to show off! Try to imagine that your in-laws are coming for an extended visit, and then triple the effort you would put into preparing for their arrival. Sellers are competing for offers, and it all starts at your front door –…

If there were a health issue in your family, you would turn to your doctor with questions. Likewise, you would consult an attorney if you were facing a legal problem. Chances are, however, that you would first go online to any number of medical or legal websites to familiarize yourself with the issues and get…

How would you place a value on your home? More critically, how would you put a price on your home? Sounds like the same question, but it suggests the difference between price and value that’s important to understand as you prepare to sell your home. Two homes may have identical features and prices, but factors…

If you move out of your home while it’s on the market, you’ll expect your real estate agent to handle showings in your absence. But how do you avoid the unwanted attention that a vacant home can attract from uninvited intruders? There are many suggestions to offer to increase your security. While your agent likely…