Category: News

Fall is officially here (even if it doesn't fell like it :) Here are a few tips for getting ready for the changing of the seasons and colder weather. First you'll want to rake up your leaves as leaving them on a lawn can cause mold and damage the grass. Next clean the gutters as leaves somehow have a magnetic ability to get stuck in them (if you do it yourself make sure to practice good ladder safety!) Check your windows and doors for leaks - this can you really help keep cold air out. If you find a leaky window, you may want to apply caulk to the frames. If you have a fireplace and chimney and haven't had it cleaned lately call a chimney sweep to clean it…

As some high-demand markets and areas are red hot with limited inventory, we are seeing bidding wars with multiple offers on a house or property which can result in a bidding war. Here are a few tips to win a bidding war and if you’re the seller how to pick a winner. Don’t forget to get feedback from your real estate agent as they may have important knowledge about the seller. And don’t get too frenzied where you bid yourself to a point where its going to break your budget! Up the Ante Of course if there are multiple bids on the property, increasing your offer is going to help. In addition you can make a larger down payment on the mortgage to make financing easier, especially if the purchase…

Many people are finding their house has turned into a virtual office and a virtual school. Making sure your kids are properly learning through zoom and at the same time making sure you are working productively can be a juggling act! 🤹‍♀‍ Here’s a few tips to help keep the balls in the air! Make Clear Schedules Your kids need to know your schedule and if there are important meetings not to interrupt and you need to make sure you know your kids schedule including online class schedules. A great way to do this is with google calendars you can make one for each parent and child and share them with each other. If the kids are younger you can make it old-fashioned and do it on a whiteboard for…

Have a safe and Happy Labor Day!

The federally chartered Freddie Mac is reporting that interest rates are holding near record lows below 3 percent! They reported an average rate on 30 year fixed mortgages of 2.93 percent with 0.8 percent average in closing costs. What does this mean for you? Well if you are considering buying – you have basically never seen better rates. And there’s a good chance you can refinance into a lower a rate with lower monthly payments. Contact us today and we can review your situation and calculate how much you may be able to save!

Should you remodel your bathroom? If you are planning on selling a home and want to know if remodeling is a good idea, generally the answer is actually no. Statistically, you will get about 70% of the price spent back in terms of purchase price. Now a remodel can help you sell faster and if you’re bathroom is very old or in bad shape, needing of repairs then it can be a good idea! If you are moving into a new house and want to remodel your bathroom that’s a completely different story of course, but either way here are some guidelines to start with…. Budget Set a budget first (this actually might be a good rule of thumb in most cases :) Bathroom remodeling can go from low to…

If you’re thinking about selling and want to sell your house faster at a higher price then curb appeal is one of the first things should focus on. And you can make dramatic improvements for only a few hundred dollars! First Impressions are important so lets focus on a few easy and low cost ways to boost your curb appeal. Check the numbers This might seem silly but if people can’t find your house, they can start the tour on the wrong foot. Look into getting new house numbers as it will make your house look fresher too. This goes for the mailbox as well! A beatup or old mailbox is an eyesore and a new one might only be $20! Keep It Clean If you’re sidewalk or driveways are…

Should you refinance for less than half a percent difference on your current loan? You’ve probably heard that interest rate are at record lows and if you’re current rate is one percent higher than today’s rates then we would usually say refinancing is a no-brainer. But what if you already have a low rate and its less than half a percentage point less than your current rate, should you refinance then? There are a few key factors to consider. 1. Do have an Adjust Rate (ARM) Mortgage? Getting into a lower fixed rate mortgage can definitely make sense in this case as you’ll lock in a lower rate, as the ARM rate may rise in the future. 2. Do you have a high loan balance? If your loan balance is…

A good credit score is something we all want and it can help you get a better interest rate as well. Before we get started though, the first thing you should do is get your credit report! You can order it free here - https://www.annualcreditreport.com Now that you have your report lets get to those tips! 🤓 1. Check for Errors! You want the report to be clean and mistake free. Check if there are misspellings of your name or addresses. Other things might be duplicate accounts, incorrect account information, closed accounts that are still listed as open, fraud etc! 2. Clean up the Errors! If you found something wrong the next step is to get the errors fixed. You can contact the major three bureaus directly to fix any…

Here is a top ten list of questions you should ask before buying a home 1. What is my budget? We mean total budget, not just the sales price. Remember to include property taxes, insurance, any HOA fees, renovations costs and ongoing maintenance. 2. Did I get preapproved? Most realtors want to see that your pre-approved (many won’t even talk to you until you are!). So get preapproved to show you mean business. And we can help! Contact us today for a preapproval letter! 3. Why is the seller moving? This can be useful in seeing how motivated the seller is and can help in negotiating the price. 4. What comes with the sale? Make sure you get in writing what is included in advanced – the washing machine, stove,…