It seems that for the longest time, first-time home buyers invested in a starter home – a smaller, more affordable property that they intended to live in for a few years before their growing family needed more space. Typically, starter homes might be one, two or three bedrooms, a single bath, and have a price tag in our area of $150,000 or less.Read more
Ask O: What’s the Difference Between a Real Estate Agent, a Broker, and a Realtor?
Dear Olivia,
I often see various titles after people’s names in the real estate industry, like broker, real estate agent, and Realtor. What do these titles mean?
Thanks!
Curious About Real Estate
Though people outside the real estate industry might look at the various titles we carry as being interchangeable, there are important differences between them.
Ask O: Can I Contact a Listing Agent if I’m a Buyer?
Dear Olivia,
I always see that for sale signs say to contact the listing agent for the home to get more information. But shouldn’t my Realtor get details on my behalf? What gives?!
Sincerely,
A Very Confused Buyer
What a great question! I’ve actually been asked this a lot by casual buyers who simply don’t know how to proceed with the home-buying process. And the answer to this question is that it just depends.Read more
Surprising Things You CANNOT Take When You Sell Your Home
Your favorite ceiling fan, the rose bush by the front door, your kids’ basketball hoop – all of these are surprising things you cannot take Read more
Ask O: How Do You Know How to Price My Home?
How to price my home is a common question sellers as themselves. It’s an important question to ask, too, as getting it wrong could reduce Read more
3 Reasons to Sell Your Home in 2019
If you’ve been on the fence about listing your home for sale, you might want to take action soon. That’s because 2019 is shaping up to be a great year to sell your home.
Though deciding to sell your home is a big step and requires that you weigh your options, spending too much time waffling back and forth could mean that you miss a prime time to get the most value for your property.
That being the case, consider the following as top reasons to list your home sooner rather than later.Read more
Ask O: What Should I Know Before Buying My First Home?
Dear Olivia,
I’m thinking about buying my first home, and a friend told me that whatever I do, do not take out any loans or spend large amounts of money so my credit isn’t impacted. That makes total sense! I was wondering, though, what else should I know before buying a home for the first time?
Read more
Ask O: Myths About Selling Your Home
Dear Olivia,
I always hear that kitchens and baths sell homes. Does that mean I should invest in updating those spaces before I put my house on the market?
Sincerely,
Eager to Sell
Yes, you’re right – kitchens and baths often sell homes.
But that doesn’t mean that you need to spend tens of thousands of dollars gutting those spaces and starting from scratch.Read more
Vlog: Don’t Be Afraid to Buy a Foreclosed Home
As many of you already know, a foreclosure starts with late payments, then the bank repossesses the home, and the property is offered for sale, usually in an auction at the county courthouse.
Typically, though, the bank that owns the property will list it for sale through a local brokerage.
As Katie and I discuss in this week’s Let’s Get Real With Real Estate, though foreclosures are certainly a bad thing for the previous owners that didn’t make their house payments, for buyers, a foreclosure can represent an excellent opportunity.Read more
Vlog: How the Government Shutdown is Affecting Real Estate
As the partial government shutdown continues on, you’ve no doubt heard how many federal workers are furloughed or working without pay.
Government shutdowns like this can have a number of impacts on the real estate market too, and on you as a homeowner or prospective homeowner as well.
In this week’s vlog, Katie Vroman and I take a look at some ways that the government shutdown is impacting the real estate market in Fremont County, as well as take a look at a number of real estate-related programs that are still up-and-running.Read more