Like almost every adult in North America, I buy things on Amazon. One of the reasons I like that platform is that I can read reviews on items and hopefully learn from other buyers’ experiences. I’ve learned to disregard the lowest and highest and try to see a majority opinion on an item. Why throw … More The importance of reviews – 5 STAR agent
The term “mix and match” might be good for fashion, but not so good for wiring and plumbing in an older home you may be thinking of purchasing. As the market has slowed in many area of the country, buyers waiving inspections (thankfully) is a very uncommon occurance. I believe that every home purchase should be … More Inspecting Older Homes
As the days get shorter and temperatures dip, there are some basic maintenance items that need your attention. Hint: it is about water! Clean your gutters of all leaves, needles and debris. Clogged gutters overflow and spill water behind the gutters to rot fascia boards. Over flowing or dumping water also can negatively impact on … More Getting Your Home Ready for Fall & Winter
It seems like home buyers and real estate professionals are in the same boat sailing and in unchartered waters. I refer to it as the “double whammy”. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know what has happened to mortgage interest rates – they’ve just about doubled. Simply put, a home buyer … More Market conditions: Double Whammy
There’s a lot of terms or “jargon” associated with buying and financing real estate. To those in the business or with lots of real estate experience, private mortgage insurance is a day to day term. But, to first time home buyers, it can be a head scratcher, so…in a nut shell, PMI is a fee … More Private Mortgage Insurance (or PMI)
One topic that comes up in both my daily job as a real estate broker and in my legislative role for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation is the HUD 184 Loan, also known the “Indian Home Loan”. I sometimes wonder if home buyers want to finance a home with this loan because it is cool and … More “Indian home loans” or 184 Hud programs
On the day we celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, I am thinking about Fair Housing as it relates to my practice of real estate services in Western Washington. I have been fortunate to say that I have not seen examples of racism or discrimination in my decade or so … More Fair Housing
Everyone remembers the old saying, “You only get one chance to make a first impression”. It goes without saying, but it can’t be stressed enough. Before selling: In my opinion, it is of paramount importance to do a detail cleaning and staging of the area OUTSIDE of the front door. As a buyers’ agent is … More Before listing your home for sale…
I’ve been asked to tell my clients FIVE things I am good at. Well, here it goes… One – I follow the Golden Rule of business – I treat my customers how I would like to be treated. I’ve got their back and try to keep as much money in their pocket if they are … More Five Things I am Good at…
Most buyers define the “fixer upper” as needing wall paint, flooring and possibly a bathroom or kitchen remodel. Unfortunately, that’s not really a fixer upper – that’s generally putting your mark on the house and making it comfortable for you. A real fixer upper is a home needing such things foundation work, electrical upgrades (possibly … More Buying a REAL fixer
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