Posts from May 2019

There are plenty of awesome things about buying a home, but it brings new worries too – like home security.

It is now up to you, rather than your landlord to protect your home against dangers like burglars. According to Nationwide Insurance, a burglary happens every 15 seconds in the United States. Use these seven tips on how to prevent a burglary in your home.

1. Invest in a security system – A good security system is an excellent deterrent to would-be burglars. According to Nationwide Insurance, homes without security systems are two to three times more likely to be targeted by thieves than those that have them.
2. Beef up your exterior doors – Make sure your exterior doors are solid metal or wood. If they aren't, replace them. Install deadbolt locks on exterior doors, and if those doors ha...

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Tips and Tricks for First Time Homebuyers

• Start with a REALTOR® that you trust. You might be spending a lot of time with this person. Make sure it's a good fit.

• Get Pre-approved or at the very least pre-qualified. Make sure you know how much house you can afford BEFORE you start looking. Shopping for anything without a budget will only set you up for failure and disappointment.

• Know your deal breakers. It's important to know your WANTS vs. your NEEDS and to remind yourself of them while you're looking for houses.

• Take pictures! Start each photo with a picture of the house flyer with the address...

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Finding a home, like finding the right partner, is not for the faint of heart.

For most of us, looking for the "perfect" home can be an emotional roller coaster. Like hunting online for the perfect partner in life, it's hard to know what you're getting even after studying the dozens of photos in any particular listing and reading all the copy contained there. A person (or a house) can look and sound so incredibly appealing on the surface, but you know better than to let the seduction of a good-looking landscape or gorgeous fireplace make you want to tie the knot without a proper courtship.

Truth be told, very seldom does everything about your proposed mate match your wish list. Things you love at first may later get on your nerves, like the bad girl/bad boy who had such a great gift of gab at first...

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There are few people you can learn better from than the ones who have been there/done that...

There are few people you can learn better from than those who have been there and done that. In her Forbes article outlining her first-time home buying experience, Julia Dellitt names a few things she did not expect during the process.

Dellitt and her family were living in an apartment, finally ready to make the big move. So, they did their homework — checking their credit, getting pre-approved for a loan, finding a Realtor they wanted to work with, and doing the rounds at open houses on weekends. On that first weekend, they made an offer, only to find the experience not quite as simple as it had looked on HGTV.

While they eventually found just the right house, here are a few things she says they learned. A big one was not even a consideration at the beginning of their hous...

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Besides the work you do before the open house, it's a good idea to make a quick trip through just before your real estate agent arrives. When you're selling your home, its appearance makes a measurable difference in how people view it, whether it's online or in person. The neater and cleaner it is, the better the home comes across to buyers.  

Just before the open house, make a pass through your home to check its condition by area. 

1. Kitchen
   Make sure the dishwasher is empty and the refrigerator and freezer clean and organized. The real estate agent may want to chill bottled water for people attending. Home shoppers will also open its doors, assuming you include the appliance with the house. If you're taking it with, you might put a sign on its door saying so. 
   
   Make sure all the counters are free from clutter and crumbs. It's especial...

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