Home Buying

,

Why a Home’s Permit History is Important

,

During the home-buying process, you will receive a lot of information about the history of the house as well as its current condition. The home inspection and disclosure statement can give you peace of mind before closing on a property.

However, an inspector can only provide information on what they can see, and the homeowner may only be able to provide you details from when they lived in the home—and only to a certain extent. You may want further confirmation that the home is in the condition you think it is. By obtaining the home’s building permit history, you can be confident in the home’s repairs and alterations.

, , ,

Buying and Selling in the Summer Season

, , ,

In most markets, the Spring season is the most important time of year for buying or selling a home. However, with stay-at-home orders imposed in many markets by mid-March, some new listings never saw the light of day. In addition, tightening in the mortgage markets and job uncertainty discouraged many buyers from looking for a new home this year.

,

How to Choose the Ideal Home Location

,

It’s time to buy a home, and while you know the style and layout of the kind of home you are looking for, you’re unsure of where to begin looking for your dream home.

This is the moment where the home buying motto comes into play—location, location, location.

, ,

Downsize or Upsize—Which Is Right for You?

, ,

At one time, it seemed that everything you read in the newspaper’s real estate section had to do with downsizing—the practice of selling off the family home and moving to a small, low-maintenance villa or condominium. The favored communities for downsizing were often located in the South, offering good year-round weather and no more snow shoveling. It sounded like a great deal—pre-pandemic.

, , ,

Moving Tips for First-Time Homebuyers

, , ,

If you thought moving into your 900 square-foot apartment was tough, moving into your first home can be a real challenge. It’s hard to make the transition into your first home—knowing what items should be replaced and what needs to be purchased to fill a larger space.

Keep these moving tips (plus a helpful checklist) for first-time home buyers in mind for a smooth transition.

, , ,

New Places to Look for Your Next Home

, , ,

For many buyers, one of the most challenging aspects of buying a home in 2020 turned out to be finding a home in the first place. Low inventory in many markets, as well as the struggles associated with local restrictions and virtual home tours, meant that some enthusiastic buyers found themselves unable to find the right space when they were ready to move forward with their purchase.

, , ,

What to Expect from the Closing Process

, , ,

When you watch a show on HGTV where an eager young couple is looking for a home, it usually ends when the offer is accepted. In real life, however, that is only the beginning of the story. The closing or escrow process has its own rules and challenges. By being prepared for each step of the process, you’ll be able to stay calm, cool, and collected—even if the unexpected occurs.

, ,

Preparing for a 2021 Home Purchase

, ,

While you may have been ready to buy a home during the 2020 spring market, the uncertainties caused by the pandemic may have put a damper on your plans. At this point, you may be uncertain about your post-COVID-19 real estate goals and unsure whether the opportunity to work from home will inspire you to move to another market or another type of home.

,

Finding a Home in a Low Inventory Market

,

One of the most common refrains that has come out of the very hot 2020 real estate market is the message that this is a perfect time to sell a home. Record low interest rates combined with a low inventory market and a shortened spring market means that demand is high and, in many areas, homes are selling for prices well above asking with multiple offers.

,

Top 7 Things You Need to Know Before House-hunting on Zillow

,

Just as Kleenex has become the name for any brand of facial tissue and “to Xerox” is used as a verb for making copies, Zillow is the first name in online home search with 196 million unique visitors last year. That’s about double the number that Realtor.com enjoyed during the same period, making Zillow the platform that, in many ways, drives the real estate industry.

If you or someone you know is in the market to buy or sell real estate, I would appreciate the opportunity to earn the business. Thank you!