If you're on social media at all, you've probably seen someone do this trend, "Five Things I'd Never Do As A..." Well, I definitely have thoughts on this, and while there are probably more, these are either the top 5, or the first 5 that come to mind, I'm not sure which. (If I think too hard about it, I'd probably have 50.) Anyway, without further ado, here they are: 1- I would NEVER start looking at homes without talking to a lender first. Knowing your numbers- not only what you qualify for, but also what your downpayment options are, your closing costs, and your monthly payment will be is invaluable info. I cannot stress enough how often people guess incorrectly at this and fall in love with a house that's more than they can (or want to) swing, or start looking at homes and get exhausted because they can't find what they want, and they can actually afford me. (I mean, my clients don't, because I don't show anyone homes before they're preapproved.) 2- I would NEVER assume that Zestimate is accurately valuing my house. These automated estimates are based on an algorithm, so obviously they've not been in your home. Renovated kitchen? They have no idea. No updates at all? Still, they have no idea. It's simply based on the amount of similarly sized homes in the area that have sold recently. That's it. No homes like yours have sold? The more opportunity for it being incorrect. There is no replacement for having a real, live Realtor® walk through and do a thorough assessment and comparative market analysis. 3- I would NEVER buy the most improved house in the neighborhood. Yep. If it's between the $500,000 turn key, HGTV "big reveal" style home, or the "needs a little love" home down the block that is $400,000 (caveat- I'm assuming that the homes in the neighborhood trend closer to that $400k range) I'm picking the $400k home and putting in the work. It will be what I want, probably not cost me $100k, AND give me some instant equity. 4- I would never RELY on a home warranty to cover me for everything. I'm not bashing home warranties (although I could- that's another post entirely), and I do think in some circumstances, they provide a bit of a safety net. But, having had lots of experiences with these, in most cases, you can get the small things done for the same price (or a bit more) with SO MUCH less hassle by just calling someone who does that work. Will they replace your heat pump if it conks out? Yes, but with lots of hoops for you to jump through. 5- I would NEVER expect the inspector on my listing or home to find nothing. There is literally ALWAYS something, and they are paid to find it. I can almost guarantee, too, that if you have one inspector over today, and they give a list of things to fix (and you fix them all), you can have another over the next day, and they'll find a whole new list. Do the best to get your repairs done, but don't expect nothing. And if you're buying? Remember- everything can be fixed. It's just a matter of what needs to be done, how much it will cost, and who pays for it. Did any of these surprise you? I'd love to hear something you'd never do after buying or selling one (or 100) homes!

If you’ve been thinking about buying your first home, chances are you’re getting tons of advice from everyone you've mentioned it to. It can be pretty overwhelming, and that's why I want to share 3 home buying myths you need to know if you’re considering homeownership. These will help debunk some of the things you may be hearing from people who probably have great intentions, but probably aren’t professionals. MYTH #1: You Have to Put 20% Down to Purchase a Home This could be the biggest home buying myth of all time! Putting a minimum of 20% down on a house does have some financial benefits .. BUT it isn’t required. There are several options when it comes to financing your home so you’ll want to meet with a local lender to discuss these options before jumping head first into the process. There are loans that require as little as 3% down as well as resources for buyers struggling with down payment money and first time home buyer programs. MYTH #1 Tip: Do not get pre-approved from an online lender. Find someone local who you can actually sit down with, understand your options and make the best decision for your financial future. (I can refer you to some great ones.) MYTH #2: It Doesn’t Matter if I Don’t Have a Real Estate Agent Some buyers prefer not to commit to working with one specific agent. That means they don’t take advantage of hiring a buyer’s agent to help them with their home purchase. That means they’re on their own for scheduling showings, being alerted of new listings, and when it comes time to negotiations, they won’t have anyone working in their best interest. This is not a great combination- especially in this market. It can prevent you from getting an accepted offer on the house you really love because you haven’t been educated on the market or how quickly you need to make a move. Right now, that's QUICK! It could also result in you losing money or overspending because you don’t have anyone negotiating on your behalf. I don’t know about you, but if I’m buying my first home, or any home, for that matter, that does not sound like a great situation. MYTH #3:Prices probably won't keep rising forever. But a market crash isn't likely, based on who's buying homes now: people with low debt-to-income ratios who put a lot of money down after losing out on a few homes to other buyers. "They will not be the first to abandon their homes if there is a downturn in the economy," said Kenneth ErI of Climb Real Estate. "These homes are owner-occupied and not highly leveraged like in the run-up to the last crash."   There are certainly a few more myths, but I'm here to help you navigate them. If you think you're ready to purchaase, give me a call, or email me here. I'd love to help!

If you’ve been thinking about buying your first home, chances are you’re getting tons of advice from everyone you talk to. It can be pretty overwhelming. I’d love to share with you 3 home buying myths you need to know if you’re considering homeownership. These will hopefully help debunk some of the things you may be hearing from people who want to give their advice with the best of intentions, but who probably aren’t professionals. MYTH #1: You Have to Put 20% Down to Purchase a Home This is probably the biggest home buying myth of all time! Putting a minimum of 20% down on a house does have some financial benefits .. BUT, contrary to popular belief, it isn’t required. There are a number of options when it comes to financing your home so you’ll want to meet with a local lender to discuss them before jumping head first into the process. Did you know there are loans that require as little as 3% down as well as resources for buyers struggling with down payment money. First time home buyer? There are some great programs out there just for you. MYTH #1 Tip: Do not get pre-approved from an online lender. Find someone local who you can actually sit down with, understand your options and make the best decision for your financial future. I have some great lenders locally who I work with regularly. Trust me- I’ve been doing this a minute, and the ability to have someone locally is invaluable! MYTH #2: It Doesn’t Matter if I Don’t Have a Real Estate Agent Some buyers prefer not to commit to working with one specific agent and therefore don’t take advantage of hiring a buyer’s agent. This means they’re on their own for scheduling showings, being alerted of new listings and when it comes time to negotiations, they won’t have anyone working in their best interest. Not having an agent on your home buying team can even prevent you from getting an accepted offer on the house you really love. You may not be educated on the market or how quickly you need to make a move. It could also result in you losing money or overspending because you don’t have anyone negotiating on your behalf. I don’t know about you, but if I’m buying my first house, or any house for that matter, that does not sound like a situation I want to be in. Finally, as a buyer, you don’t pay the buyer’s agent a thing. While some folks think that means they’ll save money, they usually don’t- the commission is set by the homeowner and the listing agent (so no agent often just means they get it all) in addition to all of the value you get from a buyer’s agent listed above. MYTH #3: Wait Until “Spring” to Start Looking For Homes Real Estate Agents hear this ALL. THE. TIME. I want to share why you shouldn’t wait for a specific time of year to start your home search, especially Spring. There is less competition when you’re not in the prime months for buying and selling real estate. Buying in the “off season” could save you money because there are less buyers out which means less potential competition when writing an offer. It’s best to start your home search when you are ready rather than waiting for a certain time of year. There are always new listings coming on the market and you could be missing your perfect house if you want to start your search until a specific time of year. If you’re considering homeownership, you’re already ahead of the game by knowing about these 3 myths. Your next step should be to sit down with me. I’d love to go over the entire process with you and set you up for success. What questions can I answer?