Double-pane windows have lots of great benefits and will increase the value of your home. But they also have drawbacks that window companies fail to mention when promoting them and touting their energy savings. As a REALTOR, I get to see how they function (or sometimes don’t) in homes.
Continue reading Double-Pane Windows: Pros and Cons
Where is real estate headed in 2022? Last year was definitely one for the real estate history books. The pandemic helped usher in a buying frenzy that caused home prices to soar nationwide by a record 19.9% between August 2020 and August 2021.
Continue reading The State of Real Estate in 2022
Homebuyers today are facing a huge dilemma. There simply aren’t enough homes for sale.
Continue reading New Construction or Existing Home?
Selling your home when you also are buying a new one can feel daunting to even the most seasoned homeowner. This is especially true when the demand for new homes keeps rising, but the supply feels like it’s dwindling. You’re not alone either if you’re already feeling drained by the complex logistics of buying and selling all at once.
Continue reading 9 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home at the Same Time
If you’re searching for drama, don’t limit yourself to Netflix. Instead, tune in to the real estate market, where the competition among buyers has never been fiercer. And with homes selling for record highs, the appraisal process is receiving more attention than ever.
Continue reading Appraisals: Why are They so Important in Today’s Real Estate Market?
Imagine the first place you lived as a young adult. Now imagine trying to fit your life today into that space. Not pretty, right?
For most of us, our housing needs are cyclical. A newly independent adult can find freedom and flexibility in even a tiny apartment. That same space, to a growing family, would feel stifling. For empty nesters, a large home with several unused bedrooms can become impractical to heat and clean. It’s no surprise that life transitions often trigger a home purchase.
Continue reading House Hunting? Don’t Forget these Lifestyle Considerations
Today’s real estate market is one of the fastest-moving in recent memory. With record-low inventory in many market segments, we’re seeing multiple offers on most homes. We’re also seeing bidding wars—for homes in the most sought-after neighborhoods. This has led some sellers to question the need for an agent. After all, why spend money on a listing agent when it seems that you can stick a For Sale sign in the yard then watch a line form around the block?
Continue reading Should I Buy or Sell a Home Without a Real Estate Agent?
The start of a new year always compels people to take a fresh look at their goals, from health and career to relationships and finance. But with historically low mortgage rates, increased home sales and price growth, and a tight housing inventory, the time is right to also make some homeownership resolutions for 2021.
Continue reading 9 New Year’s Resolutions for Buyers, Sellers and Homeowners
For years now, virtual home tours have helped real estate buyers far and wide find the perfect home. They help military personnel being relocated, investors expanding their portfolio, and homeowners looking for a vacation getaway. Virtual tours make finding a house that’s out of driving distance much easier. And for real estate agents, virtual tours have been a useful way to help buyers with their home search. They also allow us to assist sellers in creatively marketing their homes.
Continue reading 5 Secrets Buyers and Sellers Must Know About Virtual Home Tours
Traditionally, spring is one of the busiest times of the year for real estate. However, the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent stay-at-home orders led many buyers and sellers to put their moving plans on hold. In April, new listings fell nearly 45%, and sales volume fell 15% compared to last year.
Fortunately, as restrictions have eased, we’ve seen an uptick in market activity. And economists at Realtor.com expect a rebound in July, August, and September, as fears about the pandemic subside, and buyers return to the market with pent-up demand from a lost spring season.
But given safety concerns and the current economic climate, is it prudent to jump back into the real estate market?
Continue reading What’s Ahead for Real Estate?