When is the best time of the year to sell?
by Marlo McCartney

When is the best time of the year to sell? You want to sell your home, maximize the amount you sell it for and get it sold in a reasonable amount of time. While there’s no horrible time of the year to sell your home, there are better times of the year to put it on the market to get the best results for yourself. We’ve done the research and the results are in. Here’s the best time of the year to sell. And the winner is… Life happens...
Read MoreTop deal breakers for a home under contract and how to fix them
by Marlo McCartney

Your home is under contract, what’s next? Great news, you’ve put your dream home under contract and you’re excited to move in one day soon. That said, there’s a lot that has to happen before you can take occupancy: home inspection, appraisal, financing paperwork, contingencies and other requirements necessary to close. Here’s what you can expect to happen over the coming weeks. Due Diligence Now that the home is yours to negotiate exclusively with...
Read MoreHow to Find Bank Foreclosures and Distressed Sales
by Marlo McCartney

How to Find Bank Foreclosures and Distressed Sales Everyone wants a hot deal. For those who have the ability/desire to work with a home that is, in most cases, less than perfect, foreclosures and distressed sales represent some of the hottest deals out there If you want to locate distressed properties, the first thing you have to understand is that no one will usually advertise their home as a “distressed property” unless they are absolutely desperate to unload their home. Homeowners,...
Read MoreHow to handle a multiple offer situation
by Marlo McCartney

How to handle a multiple offer situation Over the last few years, buyer’s hunger for properties has been insatiable. As a result, properly priced homes were fetching multiple offers on a consistent basis. Though things have settled a bit recently, we’re still in a seller’s market, and that means the chance your listing will receive multiple offers on it is still very much a reality. But, as exciting as having a bidding war on your property is, it can also provide for...
Read MoreHow to Sell Your Home Fast and for the Most Amount of Money
by Marlo McCartney

How to Sell Your Home Fast and for the Most Amount of Money The market has been moving at a pretty good clip over the last several years and it appears that things are going to stay that way for a while. According to the Case Shiller Home Price Index across the United States have increased roughly 45% over the last 5 years. Despite all of the amazing things that have been happening in virtually every market across the country, including ours, one thing still rings true no matter...
Read MoreIf your home inspection report comes back bad, now what?
by Marlo McCartney

If your home inspection report comes back bad, now what? One of the biggest deal killers for any real estate transaction is the home inspection. It strikes fear into the hearts of sellers and buyers...even though virtually everything about a home can be repaired or replaced. The good news is that if you have a great real estate agent and a competent home inspector, you can usually handle a failed inspection report properly without having to panic in the process. The key thing to remember...
Read MoreWhat is the Interest write off deduction?
by Marlo McCartney

What is the Interest write off deduction? Tax deductible interest is a borrowing expense that a taxpayer can claim on a federal or state tax return to reduce taxable income. Mortgage interest for both first and second (home equity) mortgages, mortgage interest for investment properties are among the list of deductions you can take on your taxes. This is another reason why owning a home is more favorable than renting. In addition to building equity in a home that you can call yours, you...
Read MoreWhy landscaping can make your home sell faster and for more money
by Marlo McCartney

Why landscaping can make your home sell faster and for more money Plain and simple, the quality of your landscaping determines whether or not your home feels inviting from the outside. Curb appeal is what people call it and it’s a key ingredient in the decision to buy a home to more than 71 percent of homebuyers. As you know, landscaping plays a huge role in the curb appeal that you present to prospective buyers for your home. The first impression is key: if buyers don’t like...
Read More10 questions you must ask an agent before you list your home
by Marlo McCartney

10 questions you must ask an agent before you list your home Currently, there are over 1.61 million Realtors in the United States alone. The number of people that have joined the real estate sales force over the last 10 years is more than a half a million.. No two agents are the same and less than 10% of the total number of Realtors to 90% of the business. In fact, the average agent has sold roughly 4.2 homes for more than five years now. In addition to that, not all agents are created equally....
Read MoreHow to beat other buyers to hot, new listings (Before they even know about them)
by Marlo McCartney

How to beat other buyers to hot, new listings (Before they even know about them) Buyers want three things when they’re making a purchase: Selection: Have the largest number of options from which to choose Price: Get a smoking hot deal on what I want to buy Ease of doing business: Don’t make it hard for me to buy it It doesn’t matter if they’re buying shoes, a toaster or a house, all three of them matter and they usually matter in that order. And when...
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