Many of us are still deeply ensconced in winter, up to our eyeballs in snow, dodging icy rain, or just fighting temperatures that are far colder than usual. Likely, most people aren’t yet thinking about spring yet – except perhaps dreaming of warmth and sun – even though it’s technically only about six weeks away as far as the calendar is concerned.
However, those who are considering putting their home on the market soon are probably thinking ahead towards March and April, knowing that the spring season is often an excellent time to find an interested buyer. Spring brings not only renewal to the earth but also a renewed invigoration to most humans, who are eager to welcome the trees and flowers, the start of baseball season, and a time of year when
If you’re fairly new to the world of the real estate agent, you’ve probably noted that marketing a property is easier than ever, thanks to technology. If you’ve been around for a while but aren’t tech-savvy, maybe you’re still grasping the intricacies of the technological world and stumbling through social media platforms, recognizing that technology is the name of the game but feeling a little behind in the race.
But, as far as marketing your services goes, no matter how old you are or how experienced you might be, you still need to generate, attract, and win leads so that your business is a successful one. And, certainly, with today’s booming technology, you can do that better than ever before. But how do you use technology in your marketing
You’ve taken the plunge! You’ve purchased your first home, a bigger home, or maybe the home of your dreams. Perhaps you’ve given some thought to decorating, upgrading systems, and making your home the perfect oasis for you and your family.
As many of us now frequently consider the environment when making important decisions that could indeed affect “Mother Earth,” the time in your life when you’ve purchased a new property might be the time to start thinking about living “green”. There are a number of small – and large – things you can do to be kinder to the environment and to keep your family healthy, and right after you purchase a home – when you’re adding your own touches and so forth – is a good time to institute some of those green things.
These days, we seemingly do everything online. We communicate with one another, shop for gifts and groceries, learn about new things, and even find out who’s related to us. So, why not look for your next home online rather than waste all that time driving back and forth to possible homes that might interest you?
Makes sense, right? Most homes are now advertised online, so it seems the logical first place to go when it’s time to start shopping for that perfect house. You can do it from the comfort of your own home, from work, on your phone. It’s convenient and allows you to do some “trimming down” before you make a list of houses you’d like to see.
However, there are some caveats to online house shopping, and it’s important to be aware of these
As we’re just about 60 days into the new year, many of us have already begun plugging away at those New Year’s Resolutions. Some of those plans were personal, but, often, others tend to be related to our homes.
How many of you have said, “This year, I’m going to renovate the powder room” or “In the spring, I’ll think about getting new carpets”?
Indeed, we all want to live in the nicest environment possible. But if you’re thinking about selling your home in the not-too-distant future – maybe 2 to 5 years – you should know that there are some improvements you can make that will help you earn extra cash and others that likely won’t add anything to your sale price.
So, if selling soon is a consideration for you, you’ll want to spend your money on
While in many markets, young real estate agents seem to be the exception rather than the norm, there are still many young folks – straight out of college or high school – that are determined to make their mark in the business. Some of these individuals grew up with parents that are/were agents, while others simply have a love for houses and the real estate business in general.
The young agent certainly faces a lot of challenges. The first, of course, is simply their age. Do clients take a 22-year-old seriously? Will they doubt the young person’s ability to lead them in the right direction, or will they simply pass them by in favor of a more seasoned agent?
It’s a tough world for a young agent, but age does not need to be a stumbling block…as
A startling number of consumers have had bad experiences with moving companies. We’re not talking merely inconsiderate or clumsy movers who break an item or two but, instead, those companies that scam trusting clients out of extra money, holding your treasured household goods hostage until you pay them what they want, which is often hundreds of dollars more than what was quoted.
It sounds scary. But, sadly, it happens all the time, and most people pay the money just to get their stuff back. Even if it’s reported later, there’s no guarantee the funds will be returned.
So, to avoid such scenarios, it’s necessary to follow a series of steps when choosing your mover. If you do these things, chances are moving day will go off without a hitch, and
So, you’ve bought a house. It’s your dream home…at least, for now, it’s the perfect home for you and/or your family. The seller loved your offer, and you were pre-approved for the mortgage, so the deal’s in the bag, right?
Not so fast!
Even if you’ve gotten over the hurdles of financing and perhaps even the home inspection, a tricky little thing known as the home appraisal still potentially stands in the way of your happiness.
What is a home appraisal?
Simply put, an appraisal is an estimate of the value of your home, including all the fixtures on it and all the property on which it sits.
You cannot get financing – a mortgage – on your home until a licensed appraiser has seen the property and determines its value. Why? Because, like any
When you purchased your home, you had to choose how you were going to pay for it. In some cases, if you’ve been in the market for a while or are perhaps scaling down to a less expensive house, you may have paid cash for your new home.
However, in the year 2017 – according to the National Association of Realtors – 88 percent of all home buyers took out a mortgage of some sort when they made a home purchase. It may have been a “conventional” mortgage, or it may have been an FHA or VA loan. Regardless of the type, however, money for a home purchase was borrowed by nearly 90 percent of all those who made a home purchase that year. That’s a lot of loans!
Mortgages are certainly a convenience…but they’re also expensive, and it usually takes decades to
Yup, we all get them. The difficult client. Why, we wonder, did they wind up with me? Why wasn’t someone else on the up desk when they called? Why did I prospect them at that party? How am I ever going to get through this process with them?
Whether they’re buyers or sellers, demanding clients can make our lives…well…difficult! However, it’s essential to know that you can conquer the tough client if you can recognize what it is that motivates them and, then, decide how to handle them.
Difficult buyers and sellers come in a variety of shapes and sizes but are most often identified by the following traits:
The one who knows everything – This client knows EVERYTHING there is to know about real estate sales and purchases. As a matter of
