How much money will go into your pocket after your home is sold?
by Gabrielle Warnock
It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep that matters. This holds especially true when it comes to the sale of your home. The sales price you see at the top of the closing paperwork is rarely, if ever, the amount of money that ends up in your pocket as the seller. There are often a variety of costs and fees associated with getting a home sold, so it’s important that you understand exactly what you’re going to walk away with before you...
Read MoreHow much should you offer on the home you fell in love with?
by Gabrielle Warnock
You’ve spent the last few months looking for a home and now, the only thing that stands between you and having the right to negotiate full ownership of the home of you fell in love with is preparing an offer that will be acceptable to the seller. The purchase and sales agreement iis the first formal communication that leads to the final deal and eventually a closing when it’s time for you to take ownership of the property. The total agreement...
Read MoreHow to Find Bank Foreclosures and Distressed Sales
by Gabrielle Warnock
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 Gabrielle Warnock
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 Gabrielle Warnock
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 MoreWhy you should make a list of the top 20 features you love about your home when selling?
by Brittany Barry
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 Brittany Barry
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 Brittany Barry
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...
Read MoreProperty tax assessment too high...what you can do about it?
by Brittany Barry
An increase in home values is great because it increases the equity in your home without you having to invest more money in making it happen. Unfortunately, as the price of your home increases, so does the perceived value of your home in the eyes of your local tax assessor. When that happens, your taxes also go up. The bad news is that your tax rate - the annual percentage of your home’s value that you pay - is fixed by the state and/or municipality in which you...
Read MoreHow to sell a home that didn't sell
by Brittany Barry
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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