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To Stage or Not to Stage Your Home for Sale

by Ken VanDyck


To Stage or Not to Stage Your Home for Sale

        Up until the early 2000’s, most home buyers would have only experienced the eye-popping appeal of home staging if they went and visited a model home at a new construction site. Builders know that it’s much easier for people to make a home-buying decision when they see a home decorated beautifully and set up like someone lives there. These days, staging is highly recommended whether the home is brand new or currently occupied because it has...

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What's the right amount of money to spend in upgrading your home?

by Ken VanDyck


What's the right amount of money to spend in upgrading your home?

  You’re wanting to freshen up your house a little bit and you’ve already determined what you think you should do to make it amazing for you to really enjoy it. Before you jump into your renovation project, make sure you set a budget so you can spend the right amount of money upgrading your home. Without a plan and a budget, you can spend tons of money on all kinds of neat options — from a new marble island-top for your kitchen to a swanky hot tub for your backyard...

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When is the best time of the year to sell?

by Ken VanDyck


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 and sometimes, you just don’t have a say...

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Your home is under contract, what’s next?

by Rena M Ripp


Your home is under contract, what’s next?

    Great news, you’ve put a home under contract and you’re excited to move in one day soon.  There’s a lot that has to happen before you can take occupancy: home inspection, appraisal, financing paperwork, contingencies and other dates to be met. Here’s what you can expect to happen over the coming weeks. Due Diligence Now that the home is yours to negotiate exclusively with the seller, you have a due diligence period that allows you to...

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What will be your payment on your new home?

by Rena M Ripp


What will be your payment on your new home?

    Buying a new home can be overwhelming. Between understanding the financial aspects of your loan and all the paperwork required to buy your home, things can get a little crazy. One of the biggest parts of getting a new home is figuring out the terms and conditions of your mortgage. Two of the biggest areas that impact your loan are credit and your down payment. In this post, we’ll cover both and also explain how to determine the down payment on your new home. Understanding...

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How to sell a home that didn't sell

by Rena M Ripp


How to sell a home that didn't sell

        The housing market is faring much better than it was a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean every home sells for top dollar or for that matter, sells at all.   So, if your "for sale" sign has been sitting on your front lawn a lot longer than you expected, you might be wondering how to sell your home that didn’t sell when you thought it would.   As a best practice, it ideal to consult your real estate agent, assuming that...

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To Stage or Not to Stage Your Home for Sale

by Rena M Ripp


To Stage or Not to Stage Your Home for Sale

        Up until the early 2000’s, most home buyers would have only experienced the eye-popping appeal of home staging if they went and visited a model home at a new construction site. Builders know that it’s much easier for people to make a home-buying decision when they see a home decorated beautifully and set up like someone lives there. These days, staging is highly recommended whether the home is brand new or currently occupied because it has...

Read More

What's the right amount of money to spend in upgrading your home?

by Rena M Ripp


What's the right amount of money to spend in upgrading your home?

  You’re wanting to freshen up your house a little bit and you’ve already determined what you think you should do to make it amazing for you to really enjoy it. Before you jump into your renovation project, make sure you set a budget so you can spend the right amount of money upgrading your home. Without a plan and a budget, you can spend tons of money on all kinds of neat options — from a new marble island-top for your kitchen to a swanky hot tub for your backyard...

Read More

When is the best time of the year to sell?

by Rena M Ripp


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 and sometimes, you just don’t have a say...

Read More

Top deal breakers for a home under contract and how to fix them

by Rena M Ripp


Top deal breakers for a home under contract and how to fix them

    Selling your home, while exciting, can also be extremely stressful. Even the best of real estate agents have to deal with complicated issues that arise with a home sale. In fact, you’ll find that even when seller and buyer get along great and the sales process is humming along smoothly that challenges can crop up requiring lots of negotiations and may delay the transaction weeks before you can close on the transaction.  Conversely, some deals are complicated...

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