Renting or buying a house is always one of life’s biggest expenses, but lately it’s been even more difficult than usual for many people to afford, which has led to a lot of young adults (and even some older ones) to move back in with their parents. In the past, once you graduated from high school or college, it was common to get your own place to live and move out of your parents’ home. It was a natural sequence of events, and living at home beyond a certain age was often seen as “wrong” in some way. But according to this Yahoo Finance article, living at home — or moving back in after being o ..read more

You’re supposed to leave your house in “broom clean” condition for the buyer when you sell your house, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation. It often boils down to sellers feeling like they left the place looking immaculate, and buyers wondering if the seller even owned a broom. The point is, it’s kind of subjective. Which is probably why so many sellers think they’re being super thoughtful when they leave certain things behind, but buyers end up feeling like you just left them something to figure out what to do with or get rid of. So here’s a list of 5 things you shouldn’t leave behi ..read more

Many first-time buyers could use some help qualifying for their first mortgage, which is why the government and financial institutions have developed specific first-time homebuyer programs to help ease the burden and make the dream of owning a home a reality. By the sounds of it, a first-time homebuyer loan probably sounds like it’s only available to someone who’s never bought a home before. But what about people who could use a second chance at getting some of those benefits in order to buy a home? For instance, perhaps you once owned a home, but life threw you a curveball, and you need to s ..read more

If you’re curious about whether you can pay your mortgage using a credit card, it’s probably for one of two reasons: You want to capitalize on perks offered by your credit card company, like cash back, points, or travel incentives. You’re tight on cash and need a way to pay your mortgage. Either way, while there may be some exceptions, it’s not something most mortgage companies allow for a number of potential reasons, such as: Transaction Costs: Credit card transactions typically incur fees for the merchant. Mortgage companies, which often deal with large sums of money, would face signific ..read more

Real estate agents are very familiar with making offers on behalf of clients, since they’re often writing them for buyers. But very few agents are great about making offers in their marketing, in order to gain clients. Many agents take a fairly passive approach to marketing. It often amounts to more of a branding effort, than an attempt to get someone to take action. For instance, there’s the classic “Contact me if you or anyone you know is thinking about buying or selling.” But that’s not an “offer” or very effective call-to-action; it’s a request. It relies on someone seeing that message of ..read more

When you get married, you’re supposed to be together for better or worse, through good times and bad, and in sickness and health. But nowhere in most vows does it say you have to share a bed! Yet most couples do sleep in the same bed once they move in together, whether they’re officially married or not… and whether they like it or not. It’s funny how couples are often depicted on TV and movies cuddling as they sleep blissfully through the night together when the reality for many people is quite the opposite. For example: Many couples don’t actually go to sleep at the same time. One stays up ..read more

Every agent needs a lead list. They are compilations of prospects you can reach out to when you are trying to drum up business. They may include network referrals, past clients, and even friends and family. If you’re a new agent, your lead list may be a blank sheet. But everyone has to start from somewhere. This article will provide advice on how you can build a lead list from scratch and get your career rolling. How to Build a Lead List Before moving on to tips for generating prospects, let’s discuss how to physically build a lead list. Your lead list should include the prospect’s: Name Pho ..read more

If you invite a real estate agent to your Halloween party, don’t be surprised or offended if they show up looking like they just came from a listing appointment or showing a house! It’s a hectic career, and they might just have to swing by with what they wore for the day and their name tag still on. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t in costume! For example, besides just saying they came as a real estate agent, they could also say they’re a project manager, negotiator, or marketing expert, since those are all things a real estate agent does on a daily basis. But they could also get creative and ..read more

Whether you’re buying a car, choosing a hotel, or shopping for groceries, people often buy things based upon the brand name. So when it comes to buying or selling a house, many people think that they should hire an agent who works for a nationally known brand. It’s understandable logic, since brands and franchises are supposed to provide consumers with a consistent, predictable experience from one location or product to the next. Plus, brands tend to be the most top-of-mind and available choices on the market, so it’s no surprise that they tend to seem like the most popular or best selling pr ..read more

A recent survey found that 59% of people who’d bought a home in the past year felt that buying a home was more stressful than dating! It’s true, buying a home can be stressful… but more stressful than dating?! “More” stressful seems a bit unfair. Dating and buying a home are actually pretty similar — you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, and slip on a lot of glass slippers before you find your Cinderella, whether you’re referring to the perfect mate or house! But it’s all worth it once you finally find “the one.” But neither dating or house hunting has to be that stressf ..read more