Blog

I've worked with a lot of folks that are moving here from other parts of the country and often I have to condense into an hour or so all of the things that I love about Richmond. So just in case you're thinking about making a move, I thought I would condense them even further into my top five things that I love about Richmond and the Richmond area and why you might want to move here.  The food. Yes, the food, the food, the food. We have got so many literally world-class, world-renowned restaurants here and there is always something new. Almost any type of food that you like, anything that you have heard about or is interesting, you can find here somewhere. Except Moroccan food. I don't know why there's none. If you know of any let me know. But lots and lots of fantastic food and always something new to try. Getting outside. We have some fantastic green spaces, outdoor parks, playgrounds, dog parks, anything down by the river, and so many things to do if you love the outdoors. Whether it's biking, hiking, ziplining, all sorts of things. We've got a place for it. So if you love to get outside and you have a family who loves to be outdoors, this is a fantastic place to live. Festivals and events. We love a festival here. If you can give us an opportunity to have maybe a crowd, music, food trucks, probably some beer. We're in, all in and we're all going to be there. So if you want to find an area to live where there's always something to do always a great way to meet new people, try new things, hear new music, drink new beer, eat new food, we've got you covered all year long. Bored of the Richmond area, if you could ever, but if you do want a little day trip or a weekend trip or just a little change of pace, within two hours, you can be in Washington DC, at the beach, in the mountains, at the river. The world is your oyster really. Virginia has tons and tons of options and lots of places just outside of Virginia too. In six hours hop on the train, and you can be having breakfast at your home in Richmond and at a Broadway show that evening 20 minutes. That is about how long it would take you to get just about anywhere in the whole Richmond area. You're in Chesterfield, how long does it take to get downtown for most places? About 20 minutes. How long does it take to get to the airport from just about anywhere? About 20 minutes. If you're coming here and you tell me that you want your commute to be no more than 45 minutes to an hour, I'm going to tell you that you can do much better than that. And if you have a 45-minute commute, it's usually because you have a horse farm or some other very exceptional life reason that you want to live that far out. So if you're contemplating a move, and you're thinking about moving to the Richmond area, I'd love to talk to you and tell you all of the other things on my list that I love about the Richmond area and help you find that perfect place to call home here. Just give me a call, send me an email, or message me here.

Whether you love fall or you're sad to see summer go, there is a decor trend that will work for you this year, without you having to go with traditional fall colors and themes. Pumpkins everywhere is just not everyone's cup of tea. I'll confess- I'm a summer lover, and am sad to see colors fade, days get shorter, and temps grow cooler, but at home, there is something to be said for fall decor- more colors, textures, and warmer tones. Cozy is always a key component of fall, and that's never a bad thing when it comes to home. Remember too, that you don't have to take every component of the trends and go all in. Take a look at some of the trends and see how you can incorporate them in a way that feels comfortable to you. If your home is on the market, or is going to be, thinking less about yourself and more about how it appeals to the masses is definitely the way to go. Either way, I bet you have many pieces that can bring your fall decor to current trends without having to buy much! Without further adieu, here are all the trends that we're seeing in home decor this fall... Warm Neutrals and Earth Tones We're continuing to see more neutrals, and heading into fall, we'll see more and more earth tones as well. Think taupe, ivory, linen colors, but paired with rusts, olives, coppers, and rich browns. (Yes, we can skip orange completely if we want!)       Textures I always think one of the easiest ways to transition into fall and cooler weather is to incorporate more textures. Put away those lighter fabrics, and bring out the chunky knits, weaves, boucles, and flannels, and add in some natural wood pieces to add in a little more warmth and texture.   Natural Wood Adding in some natural wood tones is a logical step when you're trying to warm up a space, and you can accomplish this even if you don't want to replace all your furniture. Add in a Tonal Color Palettes Another trend we're seeing this year is the use of tonal color palettes. That's basically using various tones of the same color- sometimes with an accent color, but not more than three colors in a room. This is one that can really create a calming, "unbusy" space, while being striking at the same time. It all depends on how far you want to take it. Generally you'll see this trend used with neutrals, but that's not how it has to be. Pick a bolder color and your room takes on a totally different look. Mixing Vintage and Modern This is always a trend, in my book at least, and is one of my favorite types of decorating. I tend to call this style, "storied" because you are folding in pieces that may have a story, that add interest, and in my case, at least, pieces that mean something to you or that you just love. It definitely keeps things interesting, and ensures that your space is unlikely to look like anyone else's.   Is there a style you particularly love? Anything you are planning to try and incorporate into your home decor? Tell me!

When I was thinking about the recipe to include this month, I got pretty far in the weeds trying to think about the perfect thing, but really, what I wanted to include was something that was pretty easy to put together, is usually a hit with all ages, and that makes great leftovers. Why was I overthinking? This is the one to have when you don't want to overthink (or think at all.) It's just delicious. Weeknight Baked Ziti 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 whole large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb. Italian sausage 1 lb. ground beef 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, with juice 2 14.5 oz. cans tomato sauce 2 tsp. Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes Kosher salt, to taste Ground pepper, to taste 16 oz. ziti or mostaccioli, cooked until not quite al dente (don't overcook it!) 15 oz. tub part skim ricotta cheese 1 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated and divided 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese 1 whole egg Fresh minced parsley Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for several minutes, or until they start to soften. Add Italian sausage and ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off excess fat. Add tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove approx 4 cups of sauce to a different bowl to cool down. Preheat oven to 375˚. Mix together ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Stir together until just blended. (Don't overmix.) Drain the pasta and let cool slightly. Pour into a bowl and add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine. Fold cheese mixture in just barely. You still want large lumps throughout. Add half of the coated pasta to a large casserole dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half of the remaining mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta, the sauce, and the mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. (Sprinkle chopped parsley over the pasta before serving for a little freshness.)

In terms of the real estate market, this summer was definitely a bit different than the last two, in large part because the interest rates went up by 2x since last year, and that's had quite an impact (to no one's surprise) on the market as a whole. Where will it be this fall? Here's a little breakdown of where we are as we head into the fall market. As always, if you (or anyone you know) are thinking of buying or selling, or you simply have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to help! While the average sales price of a home in the area has dropped a bit from its high of $399,990 (June '23) to $390,000, it's by no means a large drop and tracks pretty well with seasonal trends. August always dips a little in numbers simply because the heat, vacations, back to school, etc., generally cause the market to take a bit of a breath before "back to business" in the fall. That average sales price number is up from $380,000 this time last year, so if the national media has told you things are cooling in some areas, we are not one of them that is. One bright spot in the housing affordability stress is that while our prices have gone up, they do not (generally speaking) appreciate the insane rates that some parts of the country has, and that's definitely welcome if you're buying.   We're definitely still feeling the inventory shortage, with closed sales for August totaling 1140, vs last year's 1507. We still do not have enough homes to sell, despite the interest rate increases sidelining some of the people who would have liked to buy. As a result of this inventory crunch, we're still seeing homes sell for 102.3% of the list price, generally due to multiple offer situations. This is down only ever so slightly from last August when it was 102.5%. Sort of crazy when you do consider the 100% increase in rates since then. In fact, neither the days on the market until a home sells nor the number of showings until a contract has been received, has changed at all since last year. So when will this get better? It's going to get better, right?? The good news is yes, it will. The bad news? We're not sure when, or how much. Given that we were already in an inventory shortage prior to the rate increases, that's gotten considerably worse. According to Redfin data, 66% of homeowners in Virginia have rates below 4% (and 28% have rates under 3%). That means that for many of them, they'd nearly double their rate by selling and buying another home. There are always reasons that will make people need or want to do this, but the casual "I'd just like a new home," sellers/buyers are in most cases sitting this market out. If you're thinking of buying, you may be tempted to wait until rates drop, and I totally understand. Just don't think that prices will drop at the same time. With the inventory shortage likely to continue into the foreseeable future (most experts say that nationwide it may take a decade for our housing shortage to catch up), prices are likely to continue to go up. If rates drop a good bit, the prices are likely to go up even more. (That's just Econ 101- low supply will push demand higher). According to many experts (those experts again!), including Fannie Mae, rates are likely to drop to around 6% or so in 2024, but probably not until the second quarter. They're very unlikely to drop this year, though, so the market this fall is going to be... well, interesting. Historically, rates hover around 5-6% and that's certainly likely again, but please please please don't continue paying rent, and waiting for those 3% rates again. They will most likely never return. If you have questions about any aspect of the real estate market, I'm happy to help. Just drop a comment, send me a message, or give me a call!   *All numbers and stats here are from info found in the Central Virginia Regional MLS, and based on numbers for the Richmond Metro area.

So you want to buy a house and you definitely want to have a home inspection, but how does that whole thing work? So for the last few years, I've been saying, we're in a weird market, and a lot of people have waived home inspections. We've seen different sorts of clauses for home inspections, but sometimes you just want to have a regular old full home inspection and you're able to do it with the contract that you have. So let's talk about that really basic, such is the home inspection process. What is a home inspection gonna do? Well, I always look at a home inspector as sort of like your general practitioner. Keep in mind that in most contracts, and in our basic boilerplate contract here in central Virginia, it's going to give you the ability as the buyer to have as many inspections as you want to pay for. But the default home inspection that most people think about is your general home inspection. So that means they're going to go in the crawlspace. They're going to check out the insulation. They're going to make sure the structure looks generally good. They're going to run your faucets, flush the toilets, look at the electrical panel, and test your outlets. All of those things that you're going to be using and living in the house all the time to make sure that they look generally good. So a couple of things to know. Make sure that if you have a question about something, the HVAC looks old, the roof looks old, or you're concerned about the crawlspace, point those things out to your inspector. I have never met an inspector who is not happy to take a closer look at something that you have a particular concern about and just give it an extra once over. I personally usually try to do the home inspections sooner in the timeframe so that if there is something that we need a specialist for, we can get them over there to take a look. So remember, just like you can go to the doctor on Monday and get a cold on Wednesday, the same thing can happen with your home inspection. Your home inspector's gonna have a contract that's gonna say don't hold them liable for things that happen later, because things will always happen later and there's no such thing as a perfect house. Even a house that was finished, new-build, yesterday. So obviously, always get a home inspection if you can. But make sure that you understand what that inspection entails. Make sure that you understand that that inspector is going to answer your questions, they're going to look out for you, they are working for you. Make sure you're comfortable with the inspector and get any specialized inspections that you need, if it's something that you're concerned with. So ideally, whenever you're buying a home, you're gonna get to have a home inspection. If you have questions about great home inspectors or buying a home in general and you want to find out more about that whole process. I'd love to talk to you. Give me a call or reach out to me here or an email and let's set up a time to chat.

Should you even really buy a house in 2023? The market seems like it's totally crazy and interest rates are bananas. Even in this high-interest rate environment, there are some really good reasons why buying a home still may be a better option than renting. Probably the biggest one is that owning a home really is kind of an inflation buster. So what does that mean? Well, if you notice, if you rent or you're looking at rentals, you probably see that rentals continuously go up almost every year, rents are going up in almost every area. So if you're renting, you are hoping that you're going to continue making more to get maybe a nicer place a bigger place, whatever, or to just stay in the place you are, that's going to continually get more expensive. When you buy even with interest rates being a little higher, you are locking in that payment for usually a 30-year term, a 15-year, 20-year, or 30-year term, you kind of can't beat that if your payment is say $2,000. Today, it's still going to be $2,000 in 20 years. Whereas if you rent something that maybe costs $1,500 today if you stayed in that same place, I couldn't even begin to tell you what you're going to be paying in 15 or 20 years. Now, that's not to say that there aren't some extra expenses and things that come along with owning a home. So over time, you do gain appreciation, which is a really great investment when you're living there anyway because you're always going to pay to live somewhere. And the benefit of sort of stockpiling that money for yourself rather than paying someone else's mortgage, as you often hear it referred to in a rental. There's a value in there not just monetary, but a pride of ownership. Additionally, sometimes your landlord may not be really keen on you painting the kitchen cabinets, a mural in the kid's rooms, making some renovations to the bathroom, that sort of thing. And when you own your home, you really can customize it to just what you want it to be. There are also tax benefits that come with owning a home as opposed to renting. But always consult a tax professional when you're thinking or talking about any sort of tax-related things because I am not one. And remember, even though interest rates are higher right now if you can afford the payment right now, you are pretty, I'm not going to say guaranteed but almost guaranteed, that at some point rates will tick down and your payment is likely to become less rather than more (if you refinance). Whereas with renting it is 100% guaranteed to go up over time. So if you're thinking maybe I would be interested in buying a home, I'd love to talk to you and help you walk through all of the steps. Look at all the information and see if it is the right choice for you right now. Or maybe it's something you want to do in the next six months to a year. I'd love to talk to you give me a call. Reach out via email and let's set up a time to chat to see if it is the right decision for you.

But won't I have to pay capital gains tax if I sell? This is one of the most frequent questions I hear. And I hear it from literally all ages, all demographics, everything. Capital gains taxes are some of the most confusing aspects of selling a home and everybody seems to have a slightly different interpretation. What are capital gains taxes? First of all, very simply, it's a tax that the IRS takes on the sale of an asset. So if you've made a profit on the sale of an asset, that is going to be taxed, just like your profits from anything else will be. Long-term is if you've held the asset for more than a year. Short-term is if you've held the asset for less than a year. Obviously, short-term gains are going to come into play if you're flipping a house, but let's just talk about regular home ownership. Selling a house, short-term gains are going to be, even if it's your primary residence that you haven't lived in for a full year, you're going to take what you paid what you can sell it for, but then you're going to subtract those things that you added or changed. And that's going to be your gain. You're only paying tax on the profit. So consult a tax professional, but that's just going to be taxed as part of your regular income, just like you made money on anything else. Long-term gains are paid on any home that you've owned for more than a year. Now, that's going to include your primary residence and a rental property, second home, that sort of thing. And again, I'm going to tell you to consult a tax professional, because I am not a tax professional. Long-term gains become a little trickier because there is an exemption for your primary residence. And I'm not going to get in the weeds here, but that exemption is going to be basically $250,000 if you're a single individual, and $500,000 If you're a married couple filing jointly. So if you have lived in your home as your primary residence for two of the last four years, you are going to be exempt from those caps for the sale of your primary residence. But what if it's not your primary residence, it's a rental property a second home, or something like that there are different tax rates based on your income for those capital gains, again, consult a tax professional, I'm not one, but those rates are gonna differ based on your income. And if you're in a lower income tax bracket, like you make under $43,000 a year, you're not going to pay gain at all. But the long and short story is capital gains are not as scary as they seem. And just make sure you have all the information before you're putting your house on the market. So if you're curious about selling your home, I'd love to talk to you more about the actual sales process. But I am going to tell you to consult a tax professional if the gains and the tax on them are something that concerns you. If you need a good tax professional, I know lots and I'm happy to refer you as well.

When you're getting your home ready to sell, not all dollars are created equal. Obviously, you want to be doing maintenance all along as you're living in a home. So things like maintaining your house and maintaining the exterior of your house. But when we're looking at getting a home on the market, even if it's six months from now, there are some things that you're going to have to put money into that are not going to feel like the high ROI you would like them to be, I'm going to list a few of the maintenance and then I'm going to list a few of the high ROI items that you can do. A balance of those is gonna give you a really good outcome when you go to sell. So here are my top four in each category. Trees and yard. You want to make sure that your trees are not dead, they don't have dead limbs, they're not hanging over the roof, they're not hanging over your driveway or shed or garage. Because as soon as somebody sees a dead tree or a tree that's threatening the house, they're going to add that to their list of projects. And right now, when people are adding to that list of projects, they're not necessarily coming in at a lower price where they would negotiate. Often they're just backing right out the door and getting in their car to get to another house that seems like less work. Plumbing and electrical is the number two and probably in my opinion, the most important. Make sure everything flushes that your outlets work, lights work fans work, and that things look like they're in generally good condition. Your systems. Your HVAC, your water heater, and any sort of systems you have, really need to be in good working order too. Finally the roof. Make sure you don't have any roof leaks, make sure that there's no debris on your roof, and that it doesn't look stained or damaged. And certainly that it's not damaged so that buyers feel really solid when they come in and get excited about the things that you have to offer. Rather than making a list of things that they feel like they need to do. Here are some of the things that add value very definitively. do a little bit more to that landscaping. Make it actually look good. Put mulch down, plant some shrubs, that type of thing. That generally returns about 100% on your investment. That is just a no-brainer. The minor kitchen remodel. So that may be painting your cabinets and maybe just adding new appliances. Maybe it's just putting on a new countertop. It doesn't mean gutting redo the whole kitchen. But that minor kitchen remodel has an ROI of about 98%. Ideally, you do this a few months before you move and you actually can enjoy it as well. A minor bathroom remodel. Same thing. it actually has an average ROI of about 102% anything that gives it just a little extra update a little extra pizzazz, brings it into 2023. You're gonna be in good shape on those. And finally, did you know that you can get a 90% ROI on just replacing your front door? Make sure that you're not only focusing on those ROI things, you're also focusing on the things that are going to negatively impact you if you don't do them. I always will take the time to come to visit your house, and make sure that we've got a solid list that's prioritized other things that you should do when you're getting ready. And that means call your agent, ideally me, before you're even really ready to sell. Six months away, four months away, so we can get all those things done to give you the highest net result possible.

So great, waving an inspection is a great way to get your contract at the top of the heap in a multiple-offer situation, but should YOU do it? I am going to tell you that if you don't have some sort of risk tolerance, don't do it. But if you do have a little bit of risk tolerance, there are ways to get around it. So you can pay an inspector a couple of hundred dollars to walk through the property with you and give you a general idea of how those systems, that you may not know how to assess, what kind of condition they're in. But at the end of the day, you are 100% going to have something happen, whether you have an inspection or not. I call these oh s**t moments, it might be six weeks, it might be six days, it might be a year. You can also buy a home warranty, the seller can buy a home warranty for you, or you can buy one yourself, but they're not going to cover everything. So you're still going to need a buffer. It is always a bit of a risk when you have a home that things might go wrong. So if you are on a razor-thin margin, a razor-thin budget, and you can only afford your mortgage payment, that may not be the house you want to buy anyway, inspection or not. But ultimately, your options are probably to pay way more than the asking price and ask for that inspection, giving the seller some sort of security, that they're going to have still a higher offer, even if they end up with items that they have to repair. Or you're gonna still probably pay more than you want in this market and waive the inspection. It's kind of up to you and where your risk tolerance is. But remember, at the end of the day, if everything is equal, that seller is always going to pick the offer that is the least risk for them. So the more risk you can take on the better price you are going to get on the house that you're purchasing. If you want to take a look at more ways to build an offer, write an offer, or buy a home in general, check out some of my other YouTube videos. Or better yet, give me a call. I'd love to talk to you and I'd love to help you find your dream home.

If you are under contract, and on your way to closing, you're super excited, you've started packing, and you started envisioning how you're going to design your space, here are a few things that you don't want to do if you actually want to close on your house and close on time. First of all, don't buy a car. Please, for the love of all that is holy, don't buy a car. If your car dies, and I have had clients for whom this happened, they have had to bite the bullet and buy a car in between contract and closing. But call the lender, let them know the situation, let them know what's happening, and ask them what to do before you go off half-cocked and do it. Because that can really impact your debt-to-income ratio and that can throw your loan way off track. Second, don't drag your feet on getting information to your lender. They do not want to ask you for a thousand documents and have to keep up with all of those things any more than you want to provide them. But they will not ask you for something they don't need. And as frustrating as it is. And as much as you want to yell at, you know, Marjorie that called you yesterday. And now she wants three more documents. It is not her. So don't yell at her. Just give them the documents they need because there is a process that they have to follow. And their systems going to tell them, oh, now we need this. And yes, sometimes that's the last minute. Third, don't quit your job, even if you get a fantastic job offer. Try to wait out the old job until closing and then take the new job. Yes, you can get a loan if you've been in the same career, same field for the last couple of years. So it may be fine, but it also may not. The best rule of thumb is to try to keep everything the same as it was when you made a loan application. And keep it that way until closing. If you have any more questions about the financial process or what it takes to get a loan and get into a home, I have some terrific lender partners that I'd love to put you in touch with and they would be happy to help you with that side of things. If you have general questions about buying or what it takes to go from contemplating a purchase to contract to close. Give me a call. I'd love to answer any questions you might have. And obviously, I'd love to help you get into the home that you want to be in.