Real Estate

What do they look for in a home appraisal? If you’re selling your home, having it appraised can be a bit intimidating.  We take pride in our homes and having an outsider come in to judge what it's worth can feel weird. If you’re selling your property it’s most likely going to be appraised.  The only time it might not be appraised is if the buyer isn’t financing and they’re paying cash. ...

What is earnest money when buying a house? How much is it? How does it work? What’s the difference between an earnest money deposit and a down payment? Earnest money, also known as a home deposit, escrow deposit, or good faith money is one of those terms in real estate that can be a bit puzzling, especially if you’ve never heard it before. The term earnest money is what’s given by a buyer to...

Putting enough money together for a down payment to buy a house is the biggest obstacle for most home buyers. How much do you really need?  How much is a down payment on a house? Most people try to save up as much as they can for a big down payment. However, the days of most people making a 20% down payment are over. In fact, the research shows it’s about half of that.  According to the National...

So you want to buy a home and you’re being asked if you’ve been pre-approved or pre-qualified for a mortgage.  What’s the difference between the two?  Is it even necessary to take this step and which is better? It doesn’t matter where you’re buying a home, when you make an offer every seller and their agent is going to want to know if you have the financial means to buy their property.  So...

It's surprising how many different things can go wrong when you’re buying a house.    Suppose you’ve shopped for loans, compared interest rates, and got pre-approved by a lender. Now it’s just a matter of picking out the house, agreeing to a price, and moving in. You’re done!  You’re now a homeowner, right?  Unfortunately, not yet! There are so many things that can happen when buying...

Buying your first home can be very exciting and overwhelming at the same time. People always say “buying a home is the single most important financial decision you’ll ever make”. For most people that is true!  You want to make sure you have all your ducks in a row and know what to expect when buying. There are multiple things you need to do before you actually start looking at homes or make an...

Is for sale by owner worth it?  It might be. As a homeowner, you obviously want to make as much money as possible from the sale of your home. If you don’t have to pay a commission you put yourself in a nice position to do that. Real estate agents get paid well so I don’t blame homeowners for trying to save a big pile of cash. Just keep in mind that selling your home on your own can be more...

When selling your home it can be very emotional considering all the moments, memories, and experiences had in it. We can also be excited about the home we're moving to and the future we're going to create there. It’s important to be mindful during times of high emotion because, unfortunately, when emotion is high logic is low. It's important to keep a level head when selling so to achieve the highest...