DEEP CLEANING

If you are not doing THIS as a home seller, you are missing out BIG time. And this is not some secret formula or magic bullet.

It’s cleaning and decluttering.

Simple and cheap. But not very much fun. I get it - deep cleaning is not glamorous but it is sooooo important.

When you clean and declutter buyers can literally start to envision themselves in your home.

When your stuff is junking up a space they shut down. I even have buyers that refuse to see homes that seem dirty or cluttered just from the photos!!

In a market like this, with limited inventory, that is a huge statement about the importance of a clean-show ready home.

EXPERT ADVICE FOR FREE

EXPERT ADVICE FOR FREE!?! YOU HEARD ME RIGHT

Did you know that in most cases buyers don’t pay their real estate agents?? Buyers agents are paid by the listing company who is paid by the seller.

What does this mean for buyers?

It means you get my expertise, skill and knowledge at no cost to you.

In this short video I’ll share all the advantages of working with a real estate agent.

Consider These When Selling Your Home

Hold or Sell.

Should I stay or should I go?

Here are a couple of things to consider if you are thinking about selling your home.

1. If you’ve bought your home within the past 12 months you might not have enough equity in your home to end up ahead.

2. If you’ve not lived in your home for at least 2 years you might be subject to prorated capital gains even if it was your primary home.

3. If you’ve had a significant life change (divorce or death of a loved one) most experts would say not to make any changes to your living situation for at least 6 months if possible.

4. If the market is trending downward (not the case in today’s market) and you can stay put it might be a good idea to do so.

5. If none of the above apply to you and your home no longer fits your needs give me a call, I’d love to help.

Invest in YOU!

“We are all on the stairs, my friend; some of us are going down, some us are going up!” - Mehmet Murat ildan.

Did you know that 47% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing?

It might be time to invest in YOU!

With rates still historically low it’s worth looking into the pros and cons of homeownership.

*** P.S. rates are supposed to go down in September ***

Client Testimonial

I really love my job. 🥰 I know lots of people feel that way but for me there are so many gratifying aspects of real estate. 🏠
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And testimonials like this are what keep me coming back on the hard days.
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If we have worked together in the past just know that I value our relationship and your trust in me. I am forever grateful.
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With gratitude 🙏

What's The Value Of Your Home?

Let’s do something fun.

I want you to look up your Zestimate.

This is Zillow’s estimate of the value of your home. Just go to the website and type in your address.

Let me know what you think of the value. Too high, too low or just right?

CO2 Detectors

Do you have one of these bad boys installed in your home?

If you don’t, I BEG you to go to the hardware store TODAY and pick one (or two, or three) up.

As a guideline, Colorado law requires carbon monoxide detectors be installed within 15 feet of all bedrooms upon the transfer of property. But even if you are not selling your home it’s imperative that you are protected.

Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless. It steals oxygen from your red blood cells and can steal the life right out of you. You essentially drown without getting wet.

The weather is getting colder and folks are turning on their gas powered heating, so please don’t take a chance.

This is serious stuff. If you read just one of my posts all year, this is the one I want you to really take to heart.

With gratitude.

5 Things That Will Make You Wealthy By Dave Ramsey

5 things that will make you wealthy by Dave Ramsey one more from me.

1. Have a written budget. You have to have a written game plan with money or you’re going to lose.

2. Get out of debt. When you don’t have any payments, do you know what you’ve got? MONEY!

3. Live on less than you make. In the house of the wise are choice food and oil, but a fool devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20.

4. Save and invest. 100% of people who don’t save money don’t have any money saved.

5. Be generous. Follow the 7 Baby Steps and you can be outrageously generous!

And 6. Buy a home! Long term renting will not create wealth (actually it will but for your landlord). It can be scary but its one of the BEST investments you can make for yourself. And you don’t have to have 20% down - that is an old wives’ tale. And remember the interest rate on rent is 100%.

New Normal

New normal. Don’t you just despise this phrase? Its become so cliche.

But I cannot think of a better way to describe to you what is happening in the real estate market.

In 2021 I could literally list a house and expect multiple offers (over asking) within days. That was the norm. The rates were historically low and buyers were chomping at the bit.

Reset. New normal.

Homes that are priced correctly are getting one (maybe two) offers within 60-90 days of listing.

That seems like a really long time to be listed but let me tell you. When I first started in real estate in 2004 I had some homes listed for YEARS! Literally years.

So while it might seem like the bottom has fallen out of the market it really hasn’t. We are all just adjusting to the new normal.

Real estate markets ebb and flow. We wouldn’t ever expect it to stay static. And buyers remember, the interest rate on rent is 100%

Was three years ago a better time to buy a house? Maybe - the rates were lower. BUT, buyers waived home inspections, paid over asking, covered appraisal gaps, etc.

And you can’t beat yourself up over something that you can’t change.

I’m encouraging both my buyer and seller clients to not wait. Don’t wait for rates to change, don’t wait for prices to come up or down, don’t wait on what the economy is going to do.

This is YOUR time. Do what you need to do because I don’t have a crystal ball and cannot advise you on the future with any kind of certainty. Even the so called “experts” are just guessing.

Get micro on your life, not macro. Make sound decisions that are impactful for you and your future. Cut out the noise and DO YOU!

With gratitude.

You Are On Target

Do you ever have days that you are IN THE ZONE?

These are the days that everything is clicking. You are feeling confident, your hair is looking amazing, your outfit is on point and every conversation is flowing with tangible intelligence on your behalf.

You are ON TARGET This is how you want to feel when you go for a job interview

I love these days because I feel acutely aware of how blessed I am. Everything is vibrant and full of life. There is a new swing in my step and I feel so much love for those around me.

There’s so much contrast in life. Ups and downs. Back and forth. So the good days are especially sweet, and literal life preservers in the seas of bad days.

With gratitude!

Why Is My Home Not Selling?

Here are the three reasons your home is not sold yet.

1. Price: buyers know the market. They have access to tons of data online and while the market is still crazy buyers are not in the mood to grossly overpay for your home.

2. Condition: too small, too dated, too smelly, major repairs, dysfunctional floor plan, you get the picture.

3. Location: too close to the road, in town, out of town, on a mountain, in a valley, again, you get the picture.

Two of these things you can change, one you cannot. So if your home is not selling you will need to have a closer look at and and see what adjustments need to be made.

The But Factor

The but factor. Not the butt factor, the but factor.

This is the thing buyers say when they decide not to buy your house.

- I love it BUT, the master bedroom is too small.

- I would make an offer BUT my payment will be too high.

- I think it could work for me BUT it needs too much work.

Okay so what’s a seller to do? Time to bring in the WOW factor.

1. Master bedroom is too small? With correct staging and appropriate furniture even a small bedroom can be workable. P.S. Home styling and staging is included with my listing package

2. Payment is too high? Sellers can help buyers buy down their interest rate to make the home more affordable.

3. House needs too much work? Correct pricing for condition is critical.

Factors To Consider In Selling Your Home

How to pick the right offer when selling your home.

This might come as a shock, but the highest price is not always the right offer to accept when selling your home. There are other major factors to consider.

How is the buyer paying for your home?

Cash or loan?

When do they want to close?

Are they flexible if you need to stay in your home for a month after closing?

Do they have any major contingencies, such as having to sell another home before buying yours?

When evaluating offers, I present my sellers with a spreadsheet of the nuts and bolts of the offer and then we talk about the pros and cons of each offer.

Here’s a quick test, which offer would you pick

Offer A: $20,000 over asking, buyers have a small downpayment and need possession the day of closing. Property will need to appraise for the over asking purchase price.

Offer B: $5000 under asking price but buyer is cash, can close in 15 days and will rent back to you for 30 days after closing.

The goal isn’t always to accept the highest offer, but to maximize your chances of getting to the day of closing.

Earnest Money

Show me the money!

Let’s talk about earnest money. When a buyer makes an offer on a property, earnest money is tendered shortly there after.

If everything goes as planned, the earnest money is applied towards the purchase price at closing.

However, sometimes the wheels fall off the bus! Sometimes a buyer might decide to cancel their contract, typically this is because of inspection items.

If this happens, and the buyer cancels before their specified deadlines, their earnest money is 100% refundable.

So, when might the earnest money be non-refundable? Only if a buyer passes their loan approval deadline and cannot or will not close.

This is very rare and in 700+ transactions have only had a handful of buyers end up losing their earnest money.

Questions? Please leave them in the comments or DM me

Home Improvements for BIG Returns

3 small home improvements that yield BIG returns for sellers.

1. Paint the interior of your home a popular but neutral color. Repose Grey by Sherwin Williams or Oyster Pearl by Valspar are great options. Now I can hear you arguing with me - “its just paint, the buyer can choose their own colors and paint it themselves”. Here’s the issue, when the buyer sees the navy blue walls in your kids room they add it to their “to-do list” which means less money for you.

2. Some elements of home staging. A new rug, beautifully framed artwork (this doesn’t have to break the bank), a few strategically placed artificial (or real plants). A couple hundred will make a huge difference if the right pieces are purchased. The thrift store and a can of spray paint can go a long way too. For inspiration check out Pinterest.

3. Deep clean and declutter. This is probably the most important aspect. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Have a trusted friend over to help you “see” your everyday clutter.

On Cloud 9

You bought your first home

You were feeling like you were on Cloud 9.

You had so many great ideas on your Pinterest board to make this place your own.

But now several years have gone by and nothing has changed. Your space is feeling cramped and tight and you are dreaming of a new home.

But how could you swing it?

Everyone knows this market is nuts. You would have your current home sold in a heartbeat but wouldn’t be able to find a suitable replacement.

Prices have gone up so much, it wouldn’t make sense to buy a new home now.

Does this sound like you?

If so, we need to talk. I’ve got proven strategies to help you with this kind of move. Please reach out for a free copy of my Pathway to Peace guide or with any questions.

When Buying A Home, Check These 5 Things

5 things to always check out when buying a home

1. The roof. Two things here. What’s the condition of the roof and how many layers of shingles. If there are already two layers of shingles you will have to tear off all layers and re-roof. If there is just one layer you can probably re-roof over it.

2. The septic system or sewer line. It is possible to have a septic issue and not know it, especially if you are buying a home that has been used as a second home.3.

3. Latent moisture. Looks like an old leak, and it might be. But there still could be mold behind the wall.

4. Water quality and quantity. Will you have enough water and is your water drinkable? Not as much of an issue when you have city water but if you are on a well its important to understand quality and quantity.

5. Radon levels. Radon is an invisible gas that the EPA reports can cause cancer. Its has been around since the beginning of time. Some homes have very high radon levels and while it might not be a concern to you, you will have to address it when you go to sell your home.Thing

If you have questions, hit me up!

Mortgage Insurance

Show me the money!

Let’s talk about earnest money. When a buyer makes an offer on a property, earnest money is tendered shortly there after.

If everything goes as planned, the earnest money is applied towards the purchase price at closing.

However, sometimes the wheels fall off the bus! Sometimes a buyer might decide to cancel their contract, typically this is because of inspection items.

If this happens, and the buyer cancels before their specified deadlines, their earnest money is 100% refundable.

So, when might the earnest money be non-refundableOnly if a buyer passes their loan approval deadline and cannot or will not close.

This is very rare and in 700+ transactions have only had a handful of buyers end up losing their earnest money.

Questions Please leave them in the comments or DM me.

Lost A Potential Listing

I lost a potential listing the other day. They decided to go with someone else which is totally okay. You can’t win them all, right?!

In this market it’s incredibly hard to price property. Homes are regularly going for over asking and often with multiple offers.

Sometimes I feel like an agent turned fortune teller, trying to predict the future for my clients.

I am a data freak. In other words, I rely on the data to guide me. So when you ask me to list your home, I am coming prepared with the facts.

What are homes selling for?

How long are they on the market?

What’s the price per square foot?

What’s the available inventory?

How much more can I add to the list price knowing the current market conditions?

At the end of the day, I told these sellers a list price they didn’t like.

I want all my clients, both buyers and sellers, to feel heard, not pressured and above all respected. But part of my job is delivering professional advice.

I can promise you I won’t blow smoke.

I will tell you the straight facts.

I value transparency and being honest.

I will give you my honest opinion on price but ultimately the the list price is up to you and I will likely support it even if its over what I think is appropriate.

And I will advocate for you every step of the way. With gratitude

Agent Reputation

Agent reputation. Does it matter/

I think it does and let me tell you why.

If your agent is unprofessional it could hurt YOU in the long run.

Does your agent have a reputation of honest and transparent dealings?

Are their buyers prequalified and ready to buy?

Are their sellers serious and straightforward?

Has your agent set proper expectations with YOU, their client, so everyone is set up to succeed?

Is your agent easy to work with?

Does your agent return phone calls, text messages, and emails?

All of this can effect YOU when the rubber meets the road because in multiple offer situations, who you work with might make or break the deal.

So how do you know if you are working with a professional? Read reviews online (Zillow is a great resource), ask your friends and neighbors but most of all, interview your agent!

What did you sayYes, interview your agent!

Any time someone allows us to help them with buying and selling we have in some way or another “got the job”.

Its okay to talk to multiple agents and then decide who you feel most comfortable working with. True professionals welcome the chance to shine and earn your trust and business.