Statistics show that foreclosures are at the lowest levels since early 2008, the beginning of the housing crisis. This good piece of news may not mean much to you if you are on the brink of losing your home. In as much as foreclosure activity has decreased to the lowest levels in over a decade,… 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
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
It’s the middle of summer, the mercury’s rising and you’re under a lot of stress because you’ve absolutely positively got to find a house before it’s too late to get a closing date before school starts again. You’re not alone, home hunting isn’t an easy job, and as the still, stagnant heat of the… Continue Reading
A home is more than brick and stone and wood and nails and cement — there’s a spirit to the place that’s unique to each and every property you’ll visit as you shop for the right one. As I’ve told you many, many times before, buying a home is part brain — planning a purchase… Continue Reading
Well, it’s past Thanksgiving and another holiday shopping season is in full swing. I hoped you saved a bundle at the Black Friday sales because you’re going to need those extra nickels and dimes to buy your new home this winter. Wait, what? Did I say you should try to buy a house during the… Continue Reading
It’s been a few weeks since I checked in with you guys, and I apologize for the delay. When I wrote the piece on Closing Nightmares, I never imagined I’d have one of my own. Our home purchase was subject to one of the problems that we discussed in that piece and another that I… Continue Reading