Tagged : berkshire hathaway

Summer is traditionally a busy time for buyers and sellers. This year has been no exception—and with lower interest rates, many homebuyers are finding the competitive environment challenging. With multiple buyers competing for properties, even terrific offers are often being outbid. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make your offer more attractive to the sellers and increase the chances of getting the property.

• Have Full Pre-Approval – A step beyond pre-qualification, a pre-approval involves submitting your full application to underwriting. Your lender will collect all your financial data and submit for review. This is stronger than a pre-qualification; a pre-approval requires the buyer to provide the proof of their ability to

The popularity of home improvement television shows has increased the number of home projects. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of knocking down walls and retiling their kitchen on their own. If you’re one of these non-DIY-ers, you will need to find service professionals to help, but choosing the right person for the job is critical. Here are a few simple tips to help ensure you hire the best person for your project.

• Check References and Reviews – One of the easiest ways to verify the experience and professionalism of a contractor is to read online reviews. If someone has been in the business for a few years or longer, you should expect to find plenty of reviews to read on Yelp, Angie’s List, and other sites. Asking for local references is

If you love your neighborhood but need more space, you might consider an addition to your home. If expanding on the first floor is not an option, then adding a second floor might be an option. Unlike ground-level expansions, adding a second floor is more complicated—before you embark on this kind of project, there are some elements you should consider first.

• Cost – You already know that adding square footage will not be cheap, but adding a second story comes with additional costs. You will need to consult a structural engineer and plans should be drawn up by an architect. You’ll also need to add at least one staircase. You might need to relocate HVAC, ducting, and any other items housed in the current attic space.

• Construction – Living on

Housing was one of the strongest sectors of the economy for 2021, but rising interest rates and inflation are causing many to wonder if sales will continue as strong in 2022.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS, believes the number of home sales will decline in 2022 but will still outpace pre-pandemic levels, based on continuing demand from homebuyers. More inventory is becoming available from home builders and from homeowners who will no longer receive loan forbearance and may decide to sell their homes instead. 

Goldman Sachs economists predict that home prices will climb another 16%, reports Houwzer.com. Yet, Corelogic has lowered its forecast from 2.2% to 1.9%, according to Fortune.com. Fannie Mae is

Your home’s marketing begins when your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional submits your listing to the local multiple listing service, or MLS. Brokers share their listings with other brokers in the MLS, making it the best chance of selling your home quickly and for the most money.

During the critical first two weeks of marketing, your listing agent will schedule your home on the MLS tour for other agents to see as well as contact their network to let them know your house is coming on the market. The MLS distributes data about your home on the MLS website, your broker’s website, other broker websites, and third-party sites such as Realtor.com.

Other data such as mapping, satellite image, neighborhood information, tax roll data,

Spooky houses look like they haven’t seen a living occupant, gardener or handyman in years. Many so-called haunted houses are so dilapidated they look occupied by ghosts, or they’ve been on the market so long, buyers suspect there’s a skeleton hidden in the closet. But that house for sale that gives you the creeps may actually turn out to be a good investment. 

So what makes a house seem haunted? It could be the tumbleweed landscaping, paintless trim, broken steps or crooked roof—, material problems that can easily be repaired or replaced. But a house can also carry a stigma (which has nothing to do with the home’s structure) that evokes fear or repulsion, including a history of death within the home from murder, suicide or suspicious

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently revised its condominium loan policies to allow consumers greater access to mortgage loans that are federally guaranteed through the Federal Housing Administration(FHA). After Oct. 15, 2019, as many as 60,000 additional condo units will meet FHA-certification, making them eligible for buyers to purchase with an FHA loan.

The new guidelines will extend project certifications from two years to three, allow for single-unit mortgage approvals, allow a higher owner-occupant vs. renter occupancy ratio, and increase the number of units eligible to be purchased with FHA loans in a single project.

The FHA certifies eligibility for both condo projects and individual units, but according to

Crazy fashion trends do more than strain closet space. They can sometimes send the message that trendiness is more important than building wealth. Here’s to saving the money you spend on new clothes for something more rewarding – a down payment on your own home.

Reduce your wardrobe. Consign, donate or give away clothes you haven’t worn in a year or two. Keep anything that goes with at least three other items, like a jacket that works with a dress, skirt, and blouse, or jeans.

Take better care. Fast fashion doesn’t last, so when you wash clothes, turn pants, skirts, and blouses inside out first. Don’t use wire hangers. Fold knits instead of hanging them. Your clothes will look better and last longer.

Buy less. If you buy something for

If you find yourself saying any of the following, you may be hurting your chances of selling your home quickly and for the most money possible.

“I’m not making any repairs.” According to the 2018 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report from the National Association of REALTORS®, 47 percent of buyers under the age of 37 purchased new homes to avoid renovations and problems. If many buyers don’t have the will, skill or time to make repairs, you’re eliminating a number of buyers who would otherwise love your home.

“My home has to be worth more than that.” You may believe your home should be worth more than you paid for it and provide you with enough equity to move. Your listing agent will supply you with tools to understand current

Anything that gets as much use as your home shows wear and tear after a few years. Colors and decorative styles look tired and outdated, or you may need more room due to an addition in the family. So, do you sell? Or remodel and stay?

Ask me to show you homes for sale that have the size, features, and finishes you want, and let me create a comparative market analysis of homes like yours so you’ll know what you can reasonably expect to net if you sell.

You’ll pay about 12% of the sales price and more in closing costs to sell and purchase another home. Moving costs are about $2,300, (if you have four movers at $200 per hour) for an intrastate move and about 7,400 pounds of household goods, according to the American Moving and Storage