Judy Sells The Shoals

The most important aspect of listing your home for sales is the asking price. Unlike many other items we purchase, home prices are based on what a willing and able buyer would pay for the property. Sounds complicated, right? This is why real estate agents bring comps ( short for comparable properties) information with them to the discussion. Yet are you using the right comps to successfully sell your home? The idea is to gather information about comparable properties that have sold recently that are similar to your own. The goal is to compare apples to apples. In other words, the properties should be as close to the subject home as possible. This includes things like: ·  Location – how far is the property from yours. ·  Size – square footage is an important aspect of value. ·  Number of bedrooms/bathrooms – even if the square footage is close, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms can have a large effect on price. · Style, view, street, yard – even the exact same floorplan...

  World events and government spending has led to soaring inflation. The Federal Reserve has only one tool in its arsenal to curb and reduce this trend – raising interest rates. While contemporary home buyers are accustomed to interest rates in the 2-4%, older homeowners remember being excited to get one as low as 8%. As yet, we have no indication such a drastic increase is necessary, home mortgage interest rates are creeping up and potential home buyers may be asking if they should still try to buy a home. One of the first things to consider is affordability. A higher interest rate will impact the amount of the loan each buyer can qualify for, potentially reducing their spending power. Yet, home prices are also beginning to soften, so it’s possible that this correction will reduce any possible impact from rising rates. Secondly, home ownership has been a strong hedge against inflation historically. Buying a home locks in the cost of the largest budgetary portion of your expenses –...

It may come as a shock that many people purchase a home before ever setting foot inside. These buyers may be moving to a new country or city far away, or they may not have the time or resources to visit for a home search before the big move. Not everyone has the option (or the desire) to rent for a few months while they find a permanent home in their new location. Most homebuyers would prefer to purchase a house before they arrive, so they can move their belongings and quickly get settled into their home. There are a few things you can do to make the process more manageable if you've considered buying a house unseen. The first step is to find a realtor in the area that you can trust. Let them know your circumstances and that you'll need them to help vet potential properties for you. They'll be able to provide you with a link to a virtual tour if it's offered, or schedule a meeting where they can walk you through the house via FaceTime or another video-based app. This ...