When you’re selling a luxury property, the usual rules about how to market a home tend to go out the window. For starters, not all sellers want the universe to know that their home is going on the market, so you might not have the option of advertising the home on a real estate portal or even listing it on the multiple listing service (MLS). And depending on whether or not the seller (or the home) is noteworthy locally or nationally, there could also be quite a few “interested buyers” who don’t have the means to purchase a home but who still want to come inside and look around. But that doesn ..read more

Buying a house – whether it’s your first or fifth – can be a bumpy process. Between the financing, the availability (or scarcity) of homes on the market in your price range that meet your needs, the offer process, the appraisal and the inspection, there’s a lot that can go wrong between deciding that you are in the market for a new home and turning the keys for the first time in your new front door. But there’s a lot that buyers can do to make the process smoother. Here are ten tips. 1. Check your own credit If you’re like most Americans, you’ll need a mortgage loan in order to purch ..read more

So you’re finally a homeowner – congratulations! This is an important step in anyone’s life, and it’s absolutely normal to feel somewhat (or wildly) unprepared for the realities of owning a place of your own. What if there’s an emergency, or what if something breaks? Do you know what to do? Here’s the good news: Like so many things in life, it’s not what you know; it’s who you know. Some homeowners take years to get all of these names and numbers in their mental address books or their smartphones, but if you start trying to find these essential people in your homeowners’ network early, then yo ..read more

One of the very best things about owning your own home is that you can change it to fit yourself and your lifestyle. Home renovations are more popular than ever before, and there are countless shows, blogs, magazines and other resources where you can indulge your dreams of a perfect home – if you’re willing to jump into renovating. But a home renovation project isn’t a journey for the faint of heart. It’s expensive and time-consuming, and there’s a lot that can go wrong before the finished product is, well, finished. To ensure that your home renovation process goes as smoothly as possible, mak ..read more

Just as you wouldn’t dream of using your soon-to-be-former-spouse’s attorney in your divorce proceedings, so should you not use the seller’s real estate agent when you purchase a home. Sure, buying a home isn’t quite the adversarial process that a divorce is, but real estate agents, like divorce lawyers, are trained to be committed to the interests of only one party in a negotiation. They have certain ethical principles they must abide by that, most of the time, preclude them from representing both parties. It is a clear conflict of interest. And, the practice is either illegal or heavily regu ..read more

  Seven in 10 real estate consumers work with the first real estate agent they interview, according to studies by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). I don’t know about you, but I find that statistic shocking. Whether buying or selling a home, you’re dealing with one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your lifetime. Why wouldn’t you take the time to ensure that the person that assists you in this transaction is experienced, knowledgeable and equipped with the skills required to get you where you want to be both financially and personally? Even more surprising, according to ..read more

  Seven in 10 real estate consumers work with the first real estate agent they interview, according to studies by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). I don’t know about you, but I find that statistic shocking. Whether buying or selling a home, you’re dealing with one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your lifetime. Why wouldn’t you take the time to ensure that the person that assists you in this transaction is experienced, knowledgeable and equipped with the skills required to get you where you want to be both financially and personally? Even more surprising, according to ..read more

  Seven in 10 real estate consumers work with the first real estate agent they interview, according to studies by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). I don’t know about you, but I find that statistic shocking. Whether buying or selling a home, you’re dealing with one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your lifetime. Why wouldn’t you take the time to ensure that the person that assists you in this transaction is experienced, knowledgeable and equipped with the skills required to get you where you want to be both financially and personally? Even more surprising, according to ..read more

  Seven in 10 real estate consumers work with the first real estate agent they interview, according to studies by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). I don’t know about you, but I find that statistic shocking. Whether buying or selling a home, you’re dealing with one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your lifetime. Why wouldn’t you take the time to ensure that the person that assists you in this transaction is experienced, knowledgeable and equipped with the skills required to get you where you want to be both financially and personally? Even more surprising, according to ..read more

  Seven in 10 real estate consumers work with the first real estate agent they interview, according to studies by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). I don’t know about you, but I find that statistic shocking. Whether buying or selling a home, you’re dealing with one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your lifetime. Why wouldn’t you take the time to ensure that the person that assists you in this transaction is experienced, knowledgeable and equipped with the skills required to get you where you want to be both financially and personally? Even more surprising, according to ..read more