Have you ever tried to make your way through a maze at an amusement park or farm field? If you don’t know the layout, it’s probably going to take you a long time to find your way through. You’ll hit a lot of dead ends, go around in circles a few times, and maybe even become frustrated before you finally find your way out. The same can be said about buying or selling a home. Rea...Read More

As you may know, it’s common to include a home inspection as a condition of an offer you make. It protects you from issues that you might not otherwise see during a viewing. What do you do if the home inspector finds something wrong? The inspector might find a leak in the foundation, or windows that are old, drafty and need replacing. Must you pass on a property that you otherwise like? N...Read More

What kind of stool is most likely to keep you from toppling over when you sit on it? Of course, two-legged stools won’t even stand on their own. Three-legged stools are okay, but still unstable. Four-legged stools are rock solid. What does that have to do with shopping for a new home? Well, if you want to find the right home quickly and for the best price, you need to have four things in p...Read More

You turn on the television and watch a news story about housing prices going down. Then you receive a flyer in the mail about a property around the corner that sold for a decent price. Next you read a newspaper article about the housing market on the upswing again. It’s a little like being on a roller-coaster ride! Unfortunately the ride isn’t much fun if you’re thinking of buy...Read More

After purchasing a new home, buyers are often focused on securing a good mortgage, hiring a reputable moving company, and preparing for moving day. Those are all important. Just don’t forget about home insurance! It’s an easy detail to miss. If you wait until the last minute to make those arrangements, you may not have time to shop around and get the best policy and rate. When is the...Read More

Before shopping for a new home, people often create a “wish list” of the features they desire most. That’s a good way to ensure you choose a home that best fits your needs and desires. For example, you might want an extra bedroom for guests, ample space for a home office, a local playground for the kids, and so forth. However, many buyers don’t make their lists complete en...Read More

Let’s face it. When you visit a home during a scheduled viewing or open house, you’re usually seeing it at its best. The rooms are tidy. The sinks are clean. The closets are organized and uncluttered. Even the lighting is set to its brightest. That’s just good old-fashioned marketing. However, not every house you see will actually look this way. For any number of reasons, a hou...Read More

You’ve heard of curb appeal. It refers to the good impression buyers tend to get when they first see your house “from the curb”. The greater the curb appeal, the more enticing your house will seem. But there’s another type of appeal you may not be aware of: Foyer appeal. That’s the impression buyers get when they first walk in the door. Think of what happens when so...Read More

Remember the last time you were in a furniture store or other major home retailer? Remember the fully decorated displays of furniture, appliances and other products? Some of those may have even been organized as model rooms. What did most of those displays have in common? Chances are, they were well lit. In fact, in the retail industry, there are professionals who specialize exclusively in disp...Read More

It’s great when you have lots of time to prepare for something important. But life doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes you have to move quickly, and do the best you can with the time you have. Say, for example, you had to get your house ready for sale, and you only had a week to do so. What could you do in those few days to make your home as attractive as possible to potential bu...Read More