Open houses are a real estate tradition, and sometimes (in an era of hot home sales and strong seller’s markets, especially) they might be a buyer’s only opportunity to walk through the house they end up buying. As a seller, the pressure is on to ensure your home looks its best, which is why working with your real estate agent on an open house plan is critical to success. What should you expect from the open house? What are your responsibilities as the seller, and what should you leave to your agent? This quick guide to organizing an open house with your agent will help set reasonable expectat ..read more

How do you know if a home’s price is competitive as either a buyer or a seller? The only way to know for sure is to talk to a professional — either an appraiser or a real estate agent — but if you want to do some research on your own, here’s where to start.   Online calculators Tools (such as Zillow’s Zestimate) estimate home value based on data and proprietary algorithms Pros: These are cheap (free!), easy ways to assess a home’s value Cons: They aren’t always reliable; if the home’s information is outdated or it’s a neighborhood outlier, the value will be off   Size and features Wh ..read more

Upgrading your house isn’t exactly a dollar-for-dollar investment. You probably aren’t going to make all of the money back that you sink into an improvement. So think about how long you’re likely to stay in the house and which upgrades you’ll enjoy the most before you start renovating.   Kitchen Average remodel cost range: $22,000-$24,000 New appliances New (laminate) counters New flooring Updated cabinet fronts/hardware For $64,000: New appliances New (laminate) counters New lighting New flooring New wood cabinets New island New sink and faucet $80,000-$126,000 ..read more

Establishing yourself as a community and working together with your neighbors is one of the best ways to increase feelings of safety while actually reducing crime in your area. Here’s how to get started. 1. Form a Facebook group or get active on Next-door  Form a community safety Facebook group and use Next-door to assess which neighbors might want to help with safety efforts. 2. Create clean-up groups Sometimes all it takes to make an area safer for everyone is a little coordination and elbow-grease. 3. Meet your neighbors and talk to them Learn who your neighbors are, the cars ..read more

Like so many things in life, it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. Find these essential people for your homeowners’ network.   Insurance agent To protect your largest asset from risk, you’ll need homeowners’ insurance.   Cleaner If you’re ever in a bind (maybe you’re sick), you’ll want to have a cleaner on hand to help out.   Landscaper It’s never a bad idea to have a landscaper or two on call in case you need them.   Painter Keep your house and fence looking nice and crisp by hiring a painter to touch them up every now and then.   General contractor You want a co ..read more

If you’ve never owned a home before, cleaning it from top to bottom for the first time can feel like a daunting task. Here’s a guide to deep-cleaning your house.   Declutter Before you start cleaning, get rid of as many items as you can — then you’ll have less to do! If you haven’t touched it or worn it in the past year, ask yourself: Do you really need it? Start at the top Gravity can be your friend — or your enemy. Start cleaning at the top of each room and work your way down so that you aren’t knocking dust and debris onto your freshly cleaned floors. Let there be light When ..read more

It’s that time of year again — when agents start taking stock of their business over the past several months and start deciding what next year is going to look like. Some agents thrive on business planning and don’t need to be nudged to work on an outline for their profitability and goals for the year … but others don’t find real estate business planning nearly as fun or enticing, and they need a little kick in the pants to get going. Don’t wait until December to decide that you’re going to get on board the real estate business planning bus. If you know that it takes you a little bit of tim ..read more

There’s a general worldview that the younger generations will never be able to achieve homeownership because housing values have outpaced wage growth for decades. This is absolutely true, and we’re not downplaying the seriousness of affordability issues … but, actually, you can become a homeowner well before 30. In fact, if you want to, there’s little to stop you from buying a house before you turn 21; you can legally obtain a mortgage loan at 18, though your ability to do so isn’t at all guaranteed. Is that really for you, though — and how would you do it? Ask yourself these questions to d ..read more

Real estate investing is gaining popularity, and if you’ve been giving it some thought, this guide will give you an overview. The goal of any real estate investor is typically to make money. This means purchasing an investment property at a good price so you can rent it out and maybe eventually sell it for a profit.  Real estate investing is an ever-changing game. To get and stay ahead and make consistent money, you’ll need to do your homework. Here are 10 things to know:   1) Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage When you get a mortgage pre-approval first, there are some benefits y ..read more

Your kitchen is more than just the heart of your home. It’s become the hot-spot of most households as a multi-functional space for entertaining, work, of course, dining. A well-designed kitchen will go a long way in increasing your home’s value and upping the enjoyment of the room you spend most of your time in. While many trends come and go, some stand out. Here are five gorgeous kitchen trends you’ll love.    1) Rethink Standard White Cabinets With Gray If you’ve grown tired of looking at white cabinets, the next color that’s ready to pass white as a favorite kitchen cabinet c ..read more