Deciding to buy your first home is an exciting move that many people devote serious time and effort to reaching. However, you may find yourself unsure of how to even get started. Purchasing a home can be a more complex process than reality TV series might portray, and first-time homebuyers may find their home buying experience more stressful than they imagined. 1. Calculate How Much Home You Can Afford Determining how much you can afford to spend on buying your first home is a crucial decision that should never be made lightly. To calculate how much home you can afford, you’ll need to review y ..read more

The days are getting longer, temperatures are going up, and flowers and fresh leaves are starting to pop up — spring is just around the corner. Sure, you’ve heard of spring cleaning, but it’s also a great time to tackle some small tasks around the house. Read on for 9 ways to give your home some love this month. 1. Lawn Care The first thing that a potential home buyer sees is typically your front lawn. Once the snow melts, you’ll probably need to take some steps to get your yard back into shape. Start your lawn work by raking away any leaves, branches, and clutter that was hidden under the sno ..read more

Have you put salt on your driveway this winter? Did it work? Which salt should you actually be putting on your driveway? No one likes slipping on ice, but some of the more effective de-icing salts can damage the cement of your home. Find out the advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of driveway salt in this quick guide! How Does Salt Work? It’s a common misconception that driveway salt melts ice, but that isn’t the case at all. Putting salt on your driveway doesn’t actually melt it but instead alters the chemistry of the water. Water freezes at 32° F. When you mix salt into the water ..read more

You’ve found your dream home, the seller has accepted your offer, your loan has been approved and you’re eager to move into your new home. But before you get the key, there’s one more step — the closing. Also called the settlement, the closing is the process of passing ownership of property from seller to buyer. And it can be bewildering. As a buyer, you will sign what seems like endless piles of documents and will have to present a sizeable check for the down payment and various closing costs. It’s the fees associated with the closing that many times remain a mystery to many buyers who may si ..read more

First Impressions are Lasting Impressions. The exterior of your home often determines how buyers will view the interior, so: Make sure your front entrance is clean and inviting. Paint or replace your front door if it’s faded or worn. Add some paint to shutters, trim, and any other outside features showing signs of wear. Add vibrant plants and put down some fresh mulch. Accentuate the Positive. “How we live in a home and how we sell a home are often two different things.” Try to see your home with a fresh perspective and arrange each room to bring out its best attributes, including: Keep win ..read more

Ever wondered what steps our agents take to effectively market your home and get it sold quickly? Here’s a short breakdown: MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE Your home is immediately listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which updates a daily catalog of homes for sale through its member brokers and an online computer network, available to its members, with photos and descriptions of all listed properties. After our real estate photographer has photographed your property and delivered the edited photos, we personally submit those photos and the descriptive elements of your home to ensure that you ..read more

Pricing your home is both an art and a science. Achieving the optimal price is the result of both objective research into comparable properties and a gut feeling about your property and the current market. The right price should: Attract buyers Allow you to earn the most money possible Help you sell as quickly as possible The simple fact is, price is the number one factor that most homebuyers use to determine which homes they want to view. And it’s important to remember that, although the price is set by you, the value of the home is determined by the buyer. Try to avoid allowing your enthus ..read more

Before the offer to purchase is created, it is very important that you have been at least pre-qualified or better yet pre-approved by a lender. This is one of the best negotiation tools a buyer can have. It shows the seller that you are financially able to purchase the home. After you have found the right home, it is time to prepare the offer. When you are buying a home, there are many problems that the seller is obligated to disclose. For example, in most states, it is illegal to withhold information about major physical defects on the property, but these disclosures don’t always paint the en ..read more