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

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 MoreWhen is the best time of the year to sell?
by Alexander Green

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 MoreHow to handle a multiple offer situation
by Cynthia Golpe

Over the last five years, properly priced homes have been fetching multiple offers on a consistent basis. It is, without a doubt, a seller’s market. But as exciting as having a bidding war on your property is, it can also provide for some confusion and even anxiety in figuring out what to do with all those offers. Your natural instinct might be to choose the one that lets walk away with the most amount of money, but there are many...
Read MoreHow to Sell Your Home Fast and for the Most Amount of Money
by Cynthia Golpe

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 33% over the last 5 years. Despite all of the amazing things happening in virtually every market across the country, including ours, one thing still rings...
Read MoreIf your home inspection report comes back bad, now what?
by Cynthia Golpe

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 is that when the home inspection report...
Read MoreWhat is the Interest write off deduction?
by Cynthia Golpe

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...
Read MoreWhy landscaping can make your home sell faster and for more money
by Cynthia Golpe

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 what your home looks like from...
Read MoreWhy you should make a list of the top 20 features you love about your home when selling?
by Cynthia Golpe

Who knows your home better than you do? The short answer is nobody. And because of that, you should take the time to make a list of the top 20 features you love about your home before you put it on the market. You see, if you like those things about your house, then so will someone else. And, in an effort to help your agent get your home sold faster and for more money, it will help if you point out the things you really dig about your home that...
Read MoreMarketing Strategies: Luxury homes vs average priced homes
by Cynthia Golpe

As you can imagine, driving up demand for a luxury home takes a uniquely different approach than does selling a regular home. From the word, go, you need a strong, clear and focused strategy that details how it will position your luxury home above the ordinary, illustrating and marketing its unique features in proper manner to perfect buyer at the perfect price. There are some very different ideas, thoughts and strategies around marketing a luxury home, which in...
Read MoreOwning vs. Renting
by Cynthia Golpe

Making the decision to own a home versus renting one is no small decision. Not only does it affect your expendable cash, but it also has a huge impact on your lifestyle and how much money you’re able to save over time. Sometimes, the goal to achieve the “American Dream” of owning a home clouds some people’s vision for the future and they buy a home when they should really be renting one. Similarly, there are people who...
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