Posts in category 'Buyers'

Since June of last year, we have seen an increase in the inventory of homes for sale month per month. Every spring and summer, the inventory increases because people want to sell their home. For those with children, they may want to be in their new home for the beginning of the school year.

If you are one of those sellers, you may find these 4 tips helpful in getting your home sold more quickly.

1. Make buyers feel at home

Declutter your home! Pack away all personal items like pictures, awards, and sentimental belongings. Make them feel like they belong in this house! According to the Profile of Home Staging by the National Association of Realtors,

"83% of buyers' agents said staging a home made it easier for a...

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The basement of my house in Lincoln served the secondary purpose of being my garage as well. It was heavenly. For the first time in my life I could have my vehicle "under cover" during the more icky weather patterns we experience. As part of that design, as well as a desire to have plenty of natural light down there, the ceilings were nearly 11 feet tall. This was also critically important for the beer pong tournament we had down there for my 40th birthday! (Thanks again to my dad for playing the role of referee!)

In many real estate articles the advice given is about making a room look bigger. Cramming oneself into a closet, standing on a chair or outside of the room itself and arranging furniture "just so" are all great ways to accentuate a room's visible area. But what about the ceiling...

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I work from home and I love it. I enjoy staying inside on those nasty, cold winter days. Not having to scrape off my car is one of life's little pleasures that never gets old. I tend to spend a good amount of time talking on the phone so it is nice to not have to worry about bothering an office-mate with my gabbing. One of the downsides of this lifestyle is it does tend to get a little quiet (Dave Matthews Band in the background, notwithstanding). While I am a card-carrying introvert, I do sometimes miss the human interaction of co-workers. To that end, I make efforts to get out of the house (after changing out of my PJs) and seek out some of my peeps.

It turns out I'm not alone. As much as we hear about people being stuck "in" their screens all day, as a society w...

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My eyes are fantastic. They are especially great when I'm wearing my glasses! Truth is, I can't read a thing without them. Long gone are the days of wandering around town and stopping into a restaurant for a bite to eat, without having my glasses with me. Unless I can order from memory, that menu may as well be written in Greek. Of course, my standard go-to (a burger and a beer) is usually a pretty safe bet. When buying a new home, taking the time to "see" everything is critical to your success as a future homeowner. Today I'd like to highlight a few areas that often go unnoticed during the showing. Let's grab our glasses and dig in!

I'm assuming I got this from my mom, but I have a pretty good nose for errant smells. I've lived in (or walked-through) enough homes that h...

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A family friend, who had a long, successful career as a home inspector, once told me if he had to start today, he would have chosen a new path. He cited concerns about the litigious society we live in and taking on the liability of sue-happy buyers was just not worth the risk. I couldn't agree more. But if you are the one paying for the inspection, what can you expect? As a first time home buyer, where does your responsibility lie and where does the inspector's pick up? Let's explore what is involved with the home inspection and perhaps shed a little light on the whole subject.

First and foremost, you should get a home inspection. I don't care if the home is in the process of being built before your very eyes or if it is an historic home from the 1800s. Unless you are a trained, professional...

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