"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential." Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize Winning Columnist
I love this time of year - starting with a clean slate and ready for improvement..(read more)
It may sound strange, but did you know that some home renovations may decrease the value of your home? Money magazine suggests avoiding these four renovations at all costs:
· A swimming pool.Unless you live in a hot climate, a swimming pool can be a liability, not an asset. In the Southwest, a pool can increase a home’s value by 11 percent. But if your home..(read more)
I'm not sure who actually reads my blogs, but in hopes that some of you might be first time home buyers, I wanted to explain the process for you!
I will show you homes for as long as it takes to find the one that suits your needs best! Once we find it, here is what will happen:
We will write up a sales contract (OFFER) which will include:
Purchase price you are offering
Amount..(read more)
out there I'm sad to say. As interest rates rise, the same group of people need to purchase the same group of houses and that means the price of houses must go down again. I have the most listings I have ever carried and I hate breaking news like this to all of my Sellers. None of mine are selling their homes "just to see what they can get and if it's enough, move on". ..(read more)
IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE A BUYER! PERIOD!!!! So many homes to choose from, and the ball is finally in your court to make an offer and get your price! What's the hesitation???
I know the "subprime crash" frightened many people...but we've talked about that - the loans that are out there now are NOT high risk. Just good old fashioned business practices - the scum bags..(read more)
Ask my clients how I'm doing - if they are Buyers, I nearly walk on water! If they are Sellers, I'm just not doing enough to sell their homes. Yikes.
Challenging marketplace we are in today to say the least. 85% of Buyers come from the internet, so that's where my emphasis in advertising lies - between my website, remax.com, realtor.com, homesdatabase.com, homesandland.com - and..(read more)
Favorite clients...definitely motivated to make a decision quickly, and a whirlwind it is!!!
Typically they are new to the area so it's a great opportunity to play tour guide while showing them homes that fit in their parameters. Once we've established some "anchor points" I try to make sense of where they are in relation to the homes we view. If they have children and..(read more)
While we are seeing interest rates at historical lows and not raising much at all over the past few years, what we don't see or maybe realize is that short-term rates have increased by more than 4 percentage points since 2004.
Buyers who bought homes with fixed rates are not at risk. Buyers who bought homes at adjustable rates are most likely at risk. Most of those programs..(read more)
How exciting - I made the front page of our local newspaper! One of my Leadership Berkeley classmates works for the Journal and asked if I would comment about the state of the market - gladly!
He went over statistics in great detail - comparing the real estate market today with one year ago. Which translates to 2006 market compared to 2005 market. Keep in mind that 2005 was..(read more)
Once again it's nearly time for the Annual Home Show in the Martinsburg Mall! Over 200 exhibitors will be there again this year. The theme is "green" - environmental products and services for your home. March 2nd, 3rd and 4th ...9 am to 6 pm.
I will be sharing a booth again with Brian Miller, of Miller Homes, LLC. Brian is the premier custom home builder of..(read more)
