🌸 Happy First (Full) Day of Spring! 🌸 The weather may have fooled us a bit, and it’s back to being chilly, but not for long! It’s definitely got me in spring cleaning mode (check the spring home maintenance list below for some very gratifying spring cleaning projects!) I’m also all about getting my outdoor spaces ready for warmer weather, and I'm focusing on native plants more than ever- if you’re curious about plants native to Central Virginia, and why it’s key to focus on them, check out this free guide for more info from the Plant Virginia Natives Initiative.. Today we're talking about: ✔️ Home 🛠️ Maintenance Tips ✔️ 📰 The Real Estate Headlines You're Seeing EVERYWHERE ✔️ March Events 🗓️ You Don't Want to Miss ✔️ 🙏 I Need Your Help! (And there's a chance for a PRIZE! 🎁) 🛠️ March Home Maintenance Tips FLIP MATTRESSES CLEAN KITCHEN BACKSPLASH CLEAN OUT AND WIPE DOWN CABINETS CLEAN UNDER APPLIANCES ORGANIZE PANTRY, THROW OUT EXPIRED PRODUCTS 📈 All the Things to Know About all the News in the Real Estate Industry And wow. There has been a LOT of news out there lately. You’ve probably seen the headlines over the last few days, about the “seismic” changes coming to the real estate industry. Lots of info out there is clickbait, to say the least, and in most cases, quite confusing. Here’s a little recap of what’s happened, what’s happening, what’s (likely) to come, and most importantly, how it might affect you if you are thinking about buying or selling real estate. Here are the super high level “how it might affect you” facts if you’re in the market, but for a more thorough analysis, click HERE. How this settlement might affect you… (IF it’s approved by the courts, these changes will take place in July of this year) If you’re in the market to buy a home, you’ll need to have a buyer’s agency contract in place with your agent prior to looking at any homes. If you’re selling your home, you should better understand what you’ll pay in commissions and concessions and why. Most important takeaways- Commissions are negotiable, and you always have choices! As always, if you have questions, I'm here to provide answers. Reach out and let's talk! 📅 What's Going on in the Richmond Area for the Rest of March… 🐰 Dominion Energy Family Easter Where: Maymont Park Carriage House Lawn When: March 30 from 9-3 Games, activities, live music, and of course, a visit from the Easter Bunny! More information HERE 👒 Easter on Parade Where: Monument Avenue When: March 31 (Easter Sunday)1-5 pm Started in 1973, this parade of both humans and dogs has been a springtime stable in the Richmond area since 1973. Dress up in your Easter finest, get a bonnet for your furry friend, and head down to the parade for some seriously Richmond fun! 🧑‍🍳 Chesterfield Restaurant Week Chesterfield is having its very own restaurant week this year, and it kicks off on 3/29 (until April 7) Loads of great restaurants are featuring special meals, with every meal providing a donation the Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center. Get more information HERE I have a favor to ask! 📦 Can you please help me help people moving here? 📦 I’m working on finishing up my updated 2024 Relocation Guide, and one of the things that I’d LOVE to include is a short quote from “real people” about why they like the county or area that they live in! So, if you love your county (or general area), PLEASE send me your “why” at cindy@cindybennett.net. All you have to do is submit a couple of sentences why you love where you live, and you can win a $100 Gift Card to Casa Italiana, one of my favorite spots in my own neighborhood. If your quote is chosen to represent that area, you'll also get a token of my thanks! 🎟️ Entries due by Friday, March 22, and winners will be drawn at random. You’ll be notified by email of your win by Monday, Mar 25, 2024

Happy March! Spring is nearly here, can you feel it? For me, that means all things spring cleaning, fresh spring energy, longer days, warmer weather, and spending more time outside. (Oh, and a busy real estate market! That’s already started!) Today we're talking about: ✔️ Home 🛠️ Maintenance Tips ✔️ “Beyond the House” Refresh ✔️ Spring Market Update ✔️ Old School Southern Peach Cobbler 🛠️ March Home Maintenance Tips Wash linens Wash windows and put on screens Spot clean furniture Swap out your front door mat for spring 🧹🏠 “Beyond the House” Refresh As we head into spring, it’s a great time for not only spring cleaning but also for a bit of a deeper “home” refresh. 📈 Did you know that home insurance rates went up 21% from May 22- May 23, and they’re on track to be up another 12% this year. (Money Magazine) Even if your insurance rates are paid as part of your mortgage, you can still shop around. If you have an agent who deals with multiple providers, they can shop it for you, or you can do your own legwork. Just make sure you keep your mortgage lender in the loop! 📑 If you’re like me, you’re neck deep in pulling together tax info, receipts, etc. While you’re at it, pull together any receipts, instruction manuals, etc, that you’ve put into your home over the past year. Collect all of these things in a binder, with maintenance records. Here’s a great one but you can also use a regular old binder! It’s a great way to stay organized or transfer info when you sell. Future you will thank you, and so will buyers. 🌸📈 Spring Market Update While the spring weather is still working its way to us, the spring market appears to be already here. In the Richmond Metro area MLS (Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, and Chesterfield), median home prices are up 5.3% year over year, and 8.3% over the last month. Things are definitely picking up, too, as the number of closings jumped from 655 in January to nearly 900 in February! Basically, the market in the Richmond area continues to be busy, tilted to favor the seller (as inventory is still low), and is likely to grow as we get further into spring. If you’re thinking about selling this spring or summer, give me a call now- making a plan to hit the market at the right time can make a HUGE difference! And if you’re thinking of buying but waiting for rates to drop, let’s talk- remember, you can always renegotiate your rate, but you can’t renegotiate the price! So, getting out there now (BEFORE rates drop and things become more competitive) is a great way to get a jump on that spring competition. Happy Spring! 🍴Old School Southern Peach Cobbler March is my late father's birthday month, and while he would eat cake, his favorite was always cobbler, and peach cobbler, more specifically. While March is just on the cusp of the start of peach season, this recipe is great with canned or frozen peaches as well, and incredibly easy. So, whatever you're celebrating, there's no excuse for not making this one! Click HERE for the recipe.