Are you nose blind to those smells in your home? You may not want to put your house on the market until those smells have dissipated. Let's talk about how that may affect the sale of your home and what you can do to fix it. Have questions? Ready to talk real estate? Send me a message via Instagram at CindyBennettRealEstate or via my website www.cindybennett.net.

With the NAR Settlement and changes to the real estate industry, you may be wondering if you can just sell your house yourself. Why do you even need a Realtor®? Technically, you don't, but before you make any decisions you may want to think about why it may not be the best idea.

Hi there! - Hope you're enjoying the last few weeks of summer! The biggest thing on my mind this week is the changes coming to the real estate industry in August. You may have heard some mention of it on the news, and wondered if, or how, it might affect you if you're buying or selling. I'm breaking that all down for you, but if you have questions, let me know. I'm always here to help! Today we're talking about: ✔️ 📑 More on the Changes Coming to Real Estate ✔️ 🍒 Cherry and Biscoff Semifreddo ✔️ 🛠️ August Home Maintenance 📑 The Big Changes Coming to Real Estate and You You may have heard something about all of the changes coming to real estate, and depending on how close you are to the process you are, you may have wondered if it will affect you, and how. If you're buying or selling, it likely will, and HERE, I break down how. 🍒 August's Recipe to Help You Beat the Heat With the heat the way it's been, who doesn't love a sweet treat that's cool, refreshing, and doesn't require any baking? Semifreddo is kind of like ice cream that doesn't need churning, and can be adjusted to whatever fruit and flavors you are in the mood for. This one features delicious cherries and the ever popular Biscoff cookie. Let me know if you try it! Recipe HERE 🛠️ August Home Maintenance For me, August is just too dang hot to do outside home tasks, unless they're absolutely necessary. But, it's a great time to start organizing closets to prep for fall. That's my home focus this month. For the full list of August Maintenance Tips, click HERE.                           Do you have home questions, need contractor referrals, or are you (or someone you know)                                   thinking of buying or selling a home in the Richmond area? Reach out! I'd love to help. In the meantime, follow me on social! Instagram | Facebook | TikTok ............. Did you miss last month's newsletter? Click HERE to see what you missed!

If you've been thinking of buying or selling a home, or you watch, read or listen to the news at all, you may have heard changes are coming to our industry this month. In fact, these changes take effect nationwide on 8/17, but will start to be put in place here in Central Virginia 8/6. So what are the changes, and how might they affect you? The who, what, and why... The biggest change is the "decoupling" of commissions. What the heck does that mean, anyway? For decades, real estate commissions have worked this way: An agent would list a home, negotiating and setting the commission with the seller, and a portion (usually half) of that commission would be paid from that listing brokerage to the buyers' agent and their brokerage. This year, a class action lawsuit filed against the National Association of Realtors and a few larger players in the industry, was settled. The suit was brought by some home sellers who felt that they had not had any choice to negotiate or change what they were paying to the agent who brought the buyer for their home. As a major part of this settlement, the National Association of Realtors agreed to change the way buyers' agent commissions were paid- "decoupling" them from the commissions negotiated by the listing agent and the seller. Forever (at least during the 21 years I've been in real estate), agents have been able to see the buyer's agent commission that is being offered on a particular home in the MLS (multiple listing service.)  Effective 8/6 here in Central Virginia, that will no longer be the case. It's not that commission won't be offered. In some cases it will, and in some, it may not. It just cannot be visible in the MLS anymore, effective August 6, 2024. Now, having said all of that (which I hope makes sense) Here's how it might affect you: Before you are able to view a single home, you will need to sign a buyer brokerage agreement with an agent. This is a change for many people. While buyer brokerage agreements have been "a thing" in Virginia for years, to say that it was a loosely enforced rule is an understatement. This agreement lays out what the agent is going to do, what you are obligated to do, and hopefully, brings some clarity to how and what we get paid in the process of your home purchase. This fee is, and always has been, negotiable, and there are a variety of options available in the market. It also states quite clearly that you, the buyer, are committing to pay this agent you're retaining at the end of the transaction. Somehow, and in some way. HUH? When you decide you want to purchase a home, you should have a "buyer's consultation" with the agent you are thinking of working with. You may even interview more than one. That agent(s) should review not only the buyer brokerage agreement, but also how they work, what they're going to do for you, and give you clarity on what they charge for their services. This is not new. (For me, at least.) Here's the NEW part. Previously, as these agreements were only loosely enforced, and in many cases, signed only after you might be under contract, most buyers didn't understand that they were liable for that buyer's agent commission if the seller/listing broker was not paying it. It was also often written to read "buyer's agent accepts whatever is offered in MLS," so buyers' agents didn't always have to have those icky money conversations with their clients, because they could clearly see the commission on every house in MLS. So how is this NEW?? The new agreement does not have that option, as there will be no commission listed in MLS. The commission must be discussed and agreed upon before any home is shown. Because while commission has been "paid by the seller" for years, we all know the seller is not paying anyone anything until the buyer actually buys the home. So who's really paying? Yep. The buyer. (So yes, it seems like it's changed, but in many ways, for many people, it won't make much of a difference.) Agents will not be able to show preference (in theory, at least) to homes that are offering higher commission. I've never done this, but I'm sure it's done. Does this mean I'm going to have to pay my agent if I'm buying a home?? Maybe. In most, or at least many, cases, there will be all or some commission still offered by either the listing brokerage (as has always been the case) or the seller. This may be offered in the form of a straight payment of commission, or might be negotiated in the offer in the form of closing costs that you can use to pay your agent. In the event the seller is paying less than you've agreed upon with your agent, you will have the option to either make up the difference or ask the seller (in your offer) to pay more than they've initially stated, either directly, or to you through concessions (closing costs). If the news, etc, has led you to believe that if you are selling, you no longer have to pay a buyers' agent, that's both true and not true. The truth is, even before this, you could have offered as little as $1 to the buyers' agent, so technically, you never "had to" pay a buyers' agent. Is that a good idea? Well, It's probably not the best way to get the most people into your home, because IF people are working with a buyers' agent, which most still will be, they will have to pay their agent out of pocket if you are not. That means, if they don't have the cash to do so, they may have to pass on seeing your home. What if you don't have the money to pay your agent and the seller won't contribute/help?? Unfortunately, this will likely be a problem in some circumstances, and one of the concerns I have about the whole situation, especially for first time or low cash buyers. If a seller refuses to contribute, we can always ask them to increase the price to allow for the concessions in the contract to cover your buyer's agent, but if not, if you cannot pay your agent, you may need to find another house. (This is definitely one reason why most sellers will likely offer some compensation). "Okay, so if I want to get the best deal on a house, should I just go to the listing agent directly, and represent myself?" Not so fast. There are a couple of things to remember here. First, and perhaps most importantly, the listing agent represents the seller, first and foremost. They are hired to get the seller the best and highest offer, with the best terms, for the seller. They have no duty to you, other than to be honest (not lie) and at best, facilitate. It's also good to be aware that the agent has likely made an agreement with the seller that in the event someone comes in with no representation, they'll make more money. So your savings, or the idea that you can offer less to the seller because they're saving money, may not even be a real thing, and you will have had no representation. "But can't they do dual agency, and represent both of us?" Weeeelllll, they can. It's legal. (For now) But think about it- they're working for the people who want the most money, and the best terms for them, and now they're going to also work for the people who want to pay the least amount of money? Hmmmm. (Oh, don't forget, this is not free, either.) Here's the thing: as a dual agent, the agent usually makes more money, but they now can't advise you, the buyer, OR the seller. What?? If that sounds crazy to you, join the club. Seems like the agent in this scenario is working for no one so much as themselves, right? That's exactly why I don't like it, and why I have never done it.   Just want the high points with no yakity yak?  1- Buyers will need to sign a buyer brokerage agreement before they view any home. 2- As commissions are "decoupled," you as a buyer may have to pay your buyer's agent, as the seller may not always offer concessions in the amount you've agreed on with your agent. Make sure you understand what you've agreed to. 3- Yes, you can go to open houses without having a sign an agreement. (That only comes when you have a real conversation about the property.) 4- Sellers will still be able to offer compensation to buyer brokers, and in many/most cases, they will.   My take? This will be a confusing, and likely slightly rocky, time, but change is often where good things happen. When it all shakes out, I do think it will be good for everyone- more clarity, more education, and better service for consumers. What questions do you have? Let me know.        

Semifreddo had been off my radar for a while. Years, in fact. Until I had one in a restaurant recently and remembered what a delicious treat it is (and a great way to do a "wow" homemade ice cream sort of dessert without needing a churn. This is a simple semifreddo, with the addition of rich, sweet Amarena cherries and a little crunch from the Biscoff cookies. Give it a try and tell me what you think! 3/4 cup cold heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 4 large eggs 1 package Biscoff cookies 1 jar Amarenda cherries Line a 9 x 5 x 3-inch metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang of several inches on all the ends. Place the pan in the freezer to chill. At least 20 minutes before you are ready to whip the cream, place a large bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer in the refrigerator. Pour the chilled heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract into the chilled bowl and whip the cream at high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Return the bowl to the refrigerator and proceed with next steps. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. In another large mixing bowl, beat the eggs on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly add the hot sugar syrup into the eggs in a thin stream. Continue beating until the mixture is very light and fluffy and feels cool to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Gently fold the chilled whipped cream into the cooled egg-syrup mixture. Remove the prepared loaf pan from the freezer. Spoon about 1/3 of the mixture into the pan. Create a layer of Biscoff cookies, followed by a layer of cherries, without their syrup (reserve syrup for serving). Spoon the rest of the mixture into a pan, and add a final layer of the Biscoff cookies. Cover securely with the overhanging plastic wrap and place in freezer. Freeze until set, at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, invert onto a plate or platter, and slice into servings. Drizzle with the cherry syrup and sprinkle with crushed Biscoff cookies. Enjoy!

How do you sell a house if you still have a mortgage on it? A lot of people have this question and it's understandable because most people have a mortgage on their home. The good news is you don't have to have completely paid off your home to sell it. So here's how it works. When you go to sell your home, you have to continue paying your mortgage. Once you accept a contract on your home and you get closer to closing, what are the things that your closing agent, whether it's a title company or an attorney's office is going to do is make sure that they have a payoff for the date of closing. So let's say, for example, you're going to close on July 10. They're going to get the payoff of your mortgage effective July 10. When the buyer brings their money to closing, however, they do it, that money gets paid off to your mortgage company, so you are now free and clear. What's left is what you get, but also what goes to pay your transfer taxes, et cetera, et cetera. Long story short, your mortgage gets paid off by your settlement agent effective the date of the closing. Now, one of the things you may not even think about until you're going through that whole process is the escrow account you set up when you first bought your house. From that escrow account, your taxes on your home, and homeowner's insurance get paid. So usually they have a buffer in that escrow account so that you don't have to get an updated mortgage payment every time the tax rate goes up, or your insurance goes up.  The buffer amount depends on your escrow account, your individual circumstances, and how much is left in that. The leftover amount gets mailed back to you from your mortgage company and it usually takes about six weeks. Sometimes you need to check with them because as you probably know, nobody likes to give up money very easily. So make sure that you're looking for that check once you've moved and that they have your updated address so that it doesn't go to your old address. So if you're thinking of selling, you want to sell your home and you're wondering if you can even do that because you still owe money on it, yes, you can. Give me a call. Let's talk about it. Look at that whole scenario and figure out what you need to get your home sold. Give me a call, send me a message, and let's get talking.

Here are the top 10 things that you might not think about (but should) before you get ready to put your house on the market. Make sure that you've cleaned and tidied up before you leave the house in the morning. If you've got showings (or potentially might have showings) getting those crumbs off the counter, making sure all the toilets are flushed, etc. Those little things go a long way into making your home go from really appealing to "ew, you wouldn't believe the house that we saw today". Make sure that you have something to do with your pets when your home is being shown. Don't leave your dog or cat in a space and then expect the buyers to either not be afraid of them or do something with them (don't let the dog out, don't let the cat out, etc). When you ask people to do chores, it becomes less appealing and then they're very distracted thinking "Oh my gosh, am I gonna let the cat out? Did I let the cat out? Where's the cat?" They're not looking at your house, they're looking for your cat because you've told them that that's what they need to do. You don't always have to have your closets impeccably clean, but 110% people will open your closets. So make sure you're getting stuff off the floor, and that the closets are at least well organized and not packed full of stuff. When people see your home packed full of stuff, they immediately think, "Gosh, I have this much stuff and they are bursting at the seams. Where am I going to put my stuff?". That's not what you want buyers thinking when they're looking at your home. Put all your cleaning materials away. When you leave things like sponges, sprays, etc. out it just looks unfinished. Put all your medicines and valuables away, or better yet, take them with you. You don't know who's coming into your house and while nobody's going to be able to come in and tour without having an agent, you don't know who the people are. Your refrigerator. Maybe you're going to take it with you, maybe you want to leave it but people are still going to open it. So if it looks filthy, it's going to give an impression of your whole house. So make sure your fridge is clean and that it doesn't smell because that sort of thing does leave an impression. People are probably going to use your bathroom. It would be great if they didn't, but often they will. If people are looking at four or five houses in a day, they might have to go and if you're trying to sell your house, you don't want them saying "I can't look at this, I have to go to the McDonald's to use the bathroom". You want them to keep looking at your house. Make sure that your front door/entrance area is neat and tidy on the outside.  Have a fresh doormat, make sure there are no cobwebs, etc. Trust me, in the Richmond area, if you walk away after cleaning cobwebs, there's already a spider doing a new cobweb before you come back. So that's something you need to do all the time. It's not a do it before you put your house on the market and then leave it alone. Give it a look every day as long as your home is on the market and make sure that it's swept off and it looks neat. As we always say, you want people to visualize themselves coming into their (future) home, not yours. The more clues that it's yours, the less they're getting attached and engaged with your home and the idea of it being theirs. Keep your grass mowed and lawn care, neat and tidy. It doesn't have to be a fancy European garden-style situation. It just needs to be mowed, trimmed, neat, clean. If you've got a lot of leaves, get them up because nobody wants to look at a house and all they see is work. Because it's all they see is work, they are not buying your house. Get a friend, your realtor, or somebody to come through before you go on the market, as well as periodically while you're on the market, and give it a once over to tell you if you have weird smells. Do you need to freshen something up, clean it up, or straighten it up? Get somebody that has a more objective vision and viewpoint that can give you an honest assessment of how your home shows to people, and make sure that your agent is getting feedback from the people who come to take a look at your house because that's going to make a big difference. The overall impression and the overall way your home appears is what's going to sell or not sell it. If you have any questions about ways to get your particular home ready, or maybe you are just starting to think about getting your home on the market and you want to know what you need to do, give me a call. I'd love to talk to you and help you make that little checklist that's unique to your home and where you want to be.

Your August Homeowners Checklist: Clean and store summer essentials Clean bathroom vent fan Clean refrigerator coils Clean carpets and floors Organize the garage and add shelving Clean the gutters Prep closets for fall wardrobes Get chair covers and outdoor storage ready Glean out summer shoe shelf Check emergency kits - refill first aid supplies For a printable checklist, click HERE.

So one of the old adages about choosing a contractor is you can get fast, cheap, or good. You can usually get two of the three, but you can rarely get all three. Lots of people ask me all the time if I have somebody who can do xyz. If you are in the Richmond metro area, you can always reach out to me and I'm happy to put you in touch with a great person to do those things. But remember the same person who might be great for one might not be so great for the others. So if you want to get an idea of what questions to ask, get my free guide on how to hire a contractor. In the meantime, here are the top three things that I think you should know. Ask about their license. Make sure their license is active and that they don't have any claims against them with the Better Business Bureau or anywhere online. Check their Google reviews, or ask them for references, and call a past client and ask them what their experience was like. Don't necessarily go with the cheapest contractor, because sometimes they're cheap for a reason and often it's going to be because they're slow or there is a reason they can go in cheaper because they are using inferior materials. So make sure that you are getting a lot of clarity on the actual work that needs to be done. Have a good grasp of your scope when you get started. Before you even hire somebody make sure they're clear with what you need, and that you are also clear with what you need and what they're going to do. Because if you hire somebody to renovate your bathroom, and they're thinking all they're doing is tile and you're thinking they're going to also do all the trim work and finish it and do drywall and plumbing, there's going to be a lot of bad miscommunication and disappointment along the way. So those are a few things to think about if you're hiring a contractor in this busy like "home improvement" season, but if you need a contractor in the metro area, anywhere in Richmond or surroundings, I'm happy to help. Give me a call, let me know, and if you want to know what things you can do to your home to add value and make it more sellable, I'm always happy to come out, and give you some ideas on that as well.

Hi there! - Hope you're keeping cool! We're definitely in the dog days of summer. I'm currently in the phase of summer where I still love it, but more in the morning and evening than the middle of the day! Is that slowing down the market? Not much, it seems. Check out the market update I've included below, and let me know if you have questions I can answer for you or someone you know! Today we're talking about: ✔️ ♥️ What I'm loving this month! Txtur in Manchester ✔️ 📈 Market Update ✔️ Behind the Scenes with Cindy ♥️ What I'm loving this month! If you know me, you know I love checking out new places - whether it's a new restaurant, a fun shop, something to do, or anything like that, I'm always down to check it out, so be on the lookout for more of those here! This week, I finally got down to Txtur in Manchester. Based in Roanoke, Txtur is not only a furniture store and showroom but a manufacturer as well, with all of their pieces being made right here in Virginia. I love this concept of more sustainability, quality craftsmanship, and USA made. Oh, and did I mention you can customize so many things when you order? Also important - their pieces are gorgeous! If you go to their showroom, you'll also be able to check out Stock Bistro, open for lunch and dinner, right there in the showroom. Nordic fare, great cocktails, and a really unique vibe. We took a little “field trip” the other day, and it was fun and delicious! ( I had the wedge salad and the Swedish meatball sub, and both were 10/10.) Check out my reel HERE on Instagram, or visit the Txtur website HERE. 📈 Market Update The idea of the slow slow slow market of summer has changed over the past few years. Those cycles we could always count on like clockwork had already changed a bit, but the pandemic really wiped them off the map. That means that even though July is historically slow, now it's definitely less so, and there are fewer extreme peaks and dips seasonally. Soooo… that being said, here's what's going on in Metro Richmond real estate this summer. Despite the fact that rates have been bouncing around 7% for months (!), we're still seeing lots of sales and lots of activity. You may have heard me say that a balanced market is when we have 6 months of inventory, and it's been a while since we've been there. As of June, we were at 1.6 months. With the exception of a few months last fall, this is the most inventory we've had since before the pandemic - that's good news, especially if you're buying. More inventory means more choice and less demand. In many cases, we're still seeing multiple offer situations, but generally, that is on homes that are “DONE." (That means there are opportunities out there for buyers who don't have to have that perfect, brand-new renovation!) What else does it mean? If you're selling, the closer you can get your home to "DONE", the more money you're likely to net, and that's good too. Read more on the blog HERE. Want more customized information to your neighborhood, home, or where you want to call home? Let me know, and I can give you a personalized market report with projections.                           Do you have home questions, need contractor referrals, or are you (or someone you know)                                   thinking of buying or selling a home in the Richmond area? Reach out! I'd love to help. In the meantime, follow me on social! Instagram | Facebook | TikTok ............. Did you miss last month's newsletter? Click HERE to see what you missed!