Blog

Have you heard the “I can teach you how to successfully flip houses” commercial on the TV or radio? If you have thought about signing up, first think about this. Whether renovating a home for your personal use or flipping one for an investment, there are 9 things you absolutely need to know or have, in order to successfully complete a project. This project was very exciting because it set in...

Most of us actually “live” in our homes…they don’t look like a photo from Better Homes & Gardens or that anyone is coming for a photo shoot any time soon.  Our homes are used every day and it’s hard to keep them perfect…and perfectly clean.  But the #1 Buyer complaint will surprise you.  Think about your own home…the kids have been grabbing the door casings and swinging...

Not necessarily in order here are four important things that drive the sale of a home. Location, Amenities, Condition, and Price. Let’s look at two of them. Location usually relates to a home being in a demand area. But don’t forget that while an agent may say, “Wow, this home is in a great location”, it may not be your cup of tea. Look around; get a feel for the area. Ask yourself,...

Selling Your House…Got Cameras and Audio Recorders in it? You’d be surprised what buyers say about our darling homes. Naughty, naughty! But the fact is they have a right to privacy, so, if you have operating audio/video equipment in a home that you’re selling, make sure that your agent discloses that fact in the agent remarks section in the MLS listing, as well as other pieces of literature such...

Picture yourself walking into a home that you’re thinking about buying…what’s the first thing you want to see?  At the top of many people’s list it’s…Clean.  Well, that’s exactly what someone else is going to look for when they come into your home. After that comes the cosmetics and mechanical repairs of  proper staging, and the list goes on.  Wouldn’t you...

When buying a home, give serious thought to how easy or difficult it might be to sell that home, because someday you will probably do just that.  Your real estate agent should know the different factors that affect your home’s resale potential… so you can make your best decision, up front. Consider the neighborhood trend and relative safety. Flood zones are a big factor when calculating...

Owning rental property can return great profits, but buying a rental property requires some serious financial investigation before you part with your cash.  In short, before you buy, investigate the three major components of rental investment. Income Expense Finance Rentals are only money machines, and you deserve one that runs very well, so do your homework. Here are examples of...

There are many things to think about when people come a point in their lives where it’s helpful to downsize. Leaving a much loved larger home The emotional and financial pressure of staging that home for sale Finding a new home that meets the needs of older individuals Learning to live with less space Having to part with cherished items Moving away from friends, family, and a...

When it comes to actually doing business and making important decisions, as you go down the communication chain you loose something important at each lower level. The clarity of thought, the look in someone’s eyes, the subtlety of voice change, are all significant components of a human beings ability to read someone when they’re doing business with them.  No computer can replace that talent. The...

There are many reasons that prevent people from achieving goal #1 on the hierarchy of human needs, safe shelter. In addition to the challenges of finance, and finding the right home, determining the relative safety of a neighborhood is seriously important, yet not frequently enough addressed.  How would you feel, after spending a lot of money to buy or rent a home, if you discovered that you had...