Daydreaming about owning your own home is one of the most intoxicating practices known to modern man, especially now that HGTV is a thing. But when the time comes to actually put your money where your daydream is, it can be challenging for first-time buyers especially to understand how a home that doesn’t currently come anywhere close to “dream” status could be whipped into shape — and how a home that they think is perfect now will end up feeling like a mistake in a couple of years. To avoid that unfortunate scenario, first-time buyers will need to think carefully and weigh all of their option ..read more

It’s no secret that the U.S. housing market has been tearing lately. Home prices are up, inventory is down, and buyers scramble to find their perfect home before someone else snatches it up.    Housing Inventory Predictions But what does the future hold for the housing market? Will the good times keep rolling, or is a crash on the horizon? Of course, predicting the future is never an exact science. But some experts have looked at trends and data to give us their best guesses of what we can expect in 2022.    Here’s what they had to say: The pandemic has created “pent-up ..read more

You don’t need to put 20% down These lenders offer low-down-payment or no-down-payment options: VA loans: 0% down*  USDA loans: 0% down FHA loan: 3.5% down Some conventional loans: 3% down   *Must be a veteran or veteran’s spouse … But you do need to put any new credit line plans on hold Your mortgage rate and ability to secure a mortgage will depend on your credit score — ideally, at least 580, if not higher.   You’re not locked into one particular lender Talk to a few different mortgage brokers and ask them what their best deal is. Your monthly mortgage payment inclu ..read more

In nine out of ten discussions among real estate agents about how they level up their business, someone somewhere mentions a coach. The coaching phenomenon has exploded in real estate in recent years, and it seems to be taken as a given that real estate agents who are at the top of their game are also the agents who have coaches. If you don’t have a coach yet, it can be hard to know what a real estate coach can do for you, or whether you need one at all. Ask yourself if you could use some assistance with any of these parts of your real estate business planning — if the answer is an honest ..read more

You hear it on the news all the time: “It’s a buyer’s market,” “It’s a seller’s market,” or “The housing market is on the rebound.” And while you probably get the gist of what these folks are talking about, having a deeper understanding of the housing market and how it works can help you immensely during the homebuying or selling process.   Let’s start with the basics The housing market refers to the general market of houses being bought and sold between buyers and sellers. These houses are either bought or sold directly by owners or indirectly through brokers. Like any market, the h ..read more

The original American Dream will always be to own a home, but there’s a variation on that standard for 2018: the dream of owning your own vacation home. Platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.com revolutionized the world of vacation rentals, giving everyday homeowners an easy and relatively risk-free way to take advantage of the short-term rental market. If one of your dreams is to buy a home and then rent it out short-term, then there are some things you’ll need to know before taking the plunge. An ideal vacation home typically doesn’t look exactly like a typical permanent residence, so you’ll wan ..read more

After a long, hot summer, autumn has finally arrived, and winter is just around the corner! Many homeowners wait until the cold weather hits to start preparing their homes for the season, but if you take some time now to winterize your home, you’ll be able to avoid any nasty surprises down the line. In this blog post, we’ll go over 18 different ways that you can winterize your home. So please read on and get started! And even if you skip some of the items on this list, make sure that creating early isn’t one of them. 1. Check and clean your gutters and downspouts to ensure they are f ..read more

There weren’t many nice things to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, but one thing we can appreciate is the increase in remote work. More and more employers realize that you don’t need to rent commercial business space to have a productive workforce! On the employee’s side, of course, is the question of how to create a comfortable workspace where they can focus on work. Here are our best tips for setting up home offices to maximize productivity.   Carve Out Your Space Whether you work from home occasionally, on a hybrid schedule, or every day, it’s a good idea to keep the workspace sep ..read more

When you move into a new house or apartment, you’ll want to clean it. This is especially important if you’re moving into a place that’s been lived in before. Even if it looks clean, there could be dust, dirt, and other allergens lurking in the nooks and crannies. A deep cleaning will eliminate all of that and leave your new home sparkling clean. Make a list, then divide and conquer One of the most overwhelming parts about deep cleaning is undeniably when you realize just how much there needs to do. Before letting yourself go there, stop and list everything in your home that requires attention ..read more

Today, more than ever in human history, some things can be done to make our homes feel safe and secure. But with all the time we spend indoors looking at screens instead of making connections with neighbors, it also makes sense that many homeowners today feel less safe and secure than they did a few decades ago. Violent crime rates have decreased even as our feelings of danger lurking around every corner increase. So what can you do to help assuage your fears — and make the community safer in return? Plenty! Establishing yourself as a member of your society and working together for its better ..read more