Are you thinking about buying an investment property? Do you already own an investment property and you’re considering refinancing, either to reduce your rate or to take out some cash? Perhaps you already own your own home where you live, and you’ve gone through the underwriting process a few times so you’re familiar with what… Continue Reading
Last week I laid out my best advice for choosing a Buyer’s Agent. It’s shopping season again, I hope you’ve applied those lessons and have been interviewing agents. In this article, I will go into the actual Agency Agreement and what it is and what it isn’t. Signing an agency agreement with a Realtor is… Continue Reading
When I am an old woman and look back on my life, I don’t think there’s anything I’ll remember more fondly than the years I spent working as a buyer’s agent. This is often considered an entry level position, but for me it was the ultimate in the helping professions. I could tell you about… Continue Reading
Hello! Did you miss us? I’ve been contemplating how to begin again here at USMC. It’s been a while and the last thing I want to do is publish self-serving drivel, but at the same time, if the story of my last couple of years can help to better explain how to go about a long… Continue Reading
In my long career as a Realtor, one of the most common problems I encountered was homeowners who had absolutely no idea what their homes were worth. That was before things like Zillow and Trulia popped up, but it’s not like the Internet has been able to make a huge dent in this problem. The… Continue Reading
As housing values increase across the country, more people are thinking about tapping into that hidden potential in their homes. Home equity is becoming a thing again, guys, and there’s no denying that it’s a great solution for life’s problems, both big and small. If you plan on staying in your home for the long… Continue Reading
Earlier this summer, a friend of mine was looking to buy a house and although their Realtor assured them that it was a slam dunk and everything was fine with their paperwork and they had a legitimately significant down payment, there were complications. In fact, their appraisal came in a little over eight percent short.… Continue Reading
When I was in real estate school, one of the concepts we discussed in great depth was the very real way that neighborhoods grow and die — how real estate is more like a living thing than a simple concept. Instead of a straightforward life cycle, neighborhoods go through growth, decline, decay and rebirth as… Continue Reading