real estate agent

Dead lawn from the heat and drought? Think clover.

Having a clover lawn instead of a traditional grass lawn has been all the rage on social media lately. In fact, #cloverlawn has more than 65 million views on TikTok alone. A well-manicured grass lawn is a very traditional vision in the minds of Americans. These are the same people who spend hundreds of dollarsContinue reading “Dead lawn from the heat and drought? Think clover.”

AirBnb: Why Feeding this Beast is Probably Not a Good Idea in the Long Run

The short-term rental industry has been repeatedly accused of driving housing prices up by contributing to the housing shortage both in the U.S. and abroad. Some of the top travel destinations like Amsterdam, London, New York and Los Angeles gets the brunt of much of the criticism for the sheer size of their operations. InContinue reading “AirBnb: Why Feeding this Beast is Probably Not a Good Idea in the Long Run”

Why Staging is Still a Thing, Even in a Seller’s Market

While many homes are going under contract in the first few days they’re listed, most real estate professionals would agree that a property is more likely to stand out and receive the highest offers when that home is staged. The right staging can really impact the buyer’s perception and help earn the seller the highestContinue reading “Why Staging is Still a Thing, Even in a Seller’s Market”

What is an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM)?

An adjustable-rate mortgage is a home loan when an interest rate adjusts over time based on the market. ARMs generally start with a lower interest rate than a fixed-rate mortgage, so an ARM is a great option if your goal is to get the lowest possible rate up front and don’t wish to live thereContinue reading “What is an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM)?”

Rising Mortgage Rates While You’re Waiting For Your Home to Be Built

In the current market of high demand and low inventory, it’s common practice to be outbid numerous times when trying to purchase a home. Therefore, lots of homebuyers are opting to forgo the bidding wars and simply build a house. This can be an attractive option on paper but not necessarily simple. Labor shortages andContinue reading “Rising Mortgage Rates While You’re Waiting For Your Home to Be Built”

Is an Open House a Good idea in this Market?

So much has changed in the last 3 years when it comes to those tried and true real estate practices. With Covid, the open house has faced the most disruption. After all, a pandemic and inviting strangers into your home didn’t exactly mix well. But now that the pandemic is largely behind us, agents areContinue reading “Is an Open House a Good idea in this Market? ”

Is It OK to Use a Part Time Real Estate Agent?

Using part-time agents is not necessarily the worst thing in the world. As a full-time agent, I have had both good and bad experiences with them. This is not an indictment of their character or intentions, but much like any other profession it’s best to employ someone who lives and breathes their work rather thanContinue reading “Is It OK to Use a Part Time Real Estate Agent?”

OMG! My Appraisal Came in Low! What Now?

You’ve gotten the home under contract, you’ve negotiated inspections, you’ve started to call movers and plan for your next phase when all of a sudden a terrible wrench is thrown into your transaction that causes heart palpitations: “The appraisal came in low” Now to everyone out there who just read that last sentence and thinkContinue reading “OMG! My Appraisal Came in Low! What Now?”