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So what do I do with my dog or my cat or my ferret or my bird or whatever if I'm getting ready to show my house? Your pets themselves. The physical beings. Make sure that you either have your, especially dogs, make sure that you have them created or in a comfortable spot where the potential buyers can actually see the home, but your animals are not going to be underfoot, scaring people, potentially running out the door, or anything else. My best advice, give them to a friend or family member or board them for a couple of days, at least when you first start the showing process. Get the dog hair off of everything. If you have pets that make a mess, or you've got dog toys, or cat toys, or giant cat towers everywhere that are distracting for a potential buyer, get those out of the way. Do a deep clean. Get the evidence of your lovely fur babies out of the way so that people can make an objective decision on their own. I'm going to go back to that same thing from number two and reiterate the cleaning. Lots and lots of people will run the vacuum and think that's good enough but I'm telling you a deep clean will really make a difference and get away some of the smells that we sometimes as they say become nose blind to. That goes to the backyard too. Trust me nobody wants to take a look at their potential new backyard and find that they have stepped on something on the way back into your house. That's not good for anybody. Trust me. If you're thinking of selling following these tips are really going to help you get your home on the market if you do have pets. It will make it easier for people to see your house for people to show your house and for your pets to not have to deal with strangers coming in all the time. If you have any more questions, I'd love to help you get your home ready and your pets ready to make the move that you want to make.  

Marry the house date, the rate, marry the house date, the rate. This is something that if you spend any time on social media, and you've even dipped your toe into thinking about real estate, you've probably heard or seen someone say. It's a phrase that I kind of hate because I think it minimizes the whole experience and doesn't really talk about all of the nuances, but let's unpack it a little bit and look at that phrase in terms of the current market, and why it might be worth digging into a little bit. So simple economic principles, say if inventory is low and demand is high prices are going to go up, we have been in a historically low inventory situation in housing in the entire country for a while now. And that will continue for a while longer. So while the high interest rates have sidelined, some of the I'd like to buy a house people, there are still lots of people who actually need to buy a house and it has not sidelined them. So there's still a good amount of demand, and not a lot of inventory on the market, which means prices will likely continue to rise, despite the fact that interest rates are high. So while they are expected to go down in the probably first/second quarter of 2024, they will first of all, maybe never go back to 3%. So if you're waiting for that, like as my father used to say, if you're waiting for that you're backing up. You're not going to get anywhere, because that's very unlikely to happen. But even if they go down, when they go down, those prices are not going to go down at the same time. Because obviously, interest rates go down, those prices are going to go up because all of those I'd like to buy a house people are going to come back into the market. So demand will go up, and inventory is not going to change radically. And those prices are going to continue to escalate. So if you're thinking about buying and you are particularly renting in the meantime, if you can afford it, if you're ready, buying now is probably going to be a better financial decision than paying rent until six months or a year down the road, when maybe rates are lower, but prices will almost definitely be higher. So if you're thinking about buying or you think, you know, hey, maybe I'll buy a house in the spring, I'm going to save up more money, or whatever your thought process is. If you're thinking of buying anytime in the next six months to a year, give me a call, and let's talk, break down the numbers, look at what the projections are for the area and the type of house that you're looking at, and the price range. All of those things go into figuring out these numbers, but I'd love to talk to you. I'd love to help you determine if now is the right time or if it's the good time to wait and help you make those calculations that fit your personal finances and life plan.

So believe it or not, even in this market, pricing is incredibly important. And if you're wondering why your house has been sitting or why a house hasn't gone off the market that you've been seeing over and over in your search, if you're buying, it is price, it is literally always price. When I was a pretty new agent, I remember sitting in the office, and there was an agent who had a listing that hadn't sold very quickly. And this again, was a long time ago when things didn't fly off the market like they do now. And she was asking everybody to take a look at her listing and see if they could tell why it hadn't sold. And even brand new, I said, I think it's the price. I think you need to drop the price. And she was indignant that it was not the price that it wasn't always the price. But, if you really think about it, think about you having a great house in a great location, but the condition of the house is rotten - price. You have a weird house in a great location, in great condition, what's going to move it - price. If you have any combination of those factors, and one is off, those are generally things that you can't change, or you can to some degree condition, yes, you probably don't want to totally renovate a house if it's got an unusual floorplan. So price is going to be a factor. And obviously, location, location location is something we say for a reason. And that's because it can't be changed, but what can be changed, is always the price. So this goes back to having a consultation and walking through with your realtor when you are starting to think about selling so that doesn't mean if you say I want to sell my house in September, that's when I want to sell that's when I want to move. You should be in a perfect world at least calling your agent a couple of months before so that we can come through, walkthrough, and tell you, Hey, you're going to get more bang for your buck if you paint, if you replace the front door, if you do a little landscaping. All of those little things can improve the condition which can maybe maximize an unusual floorplan and make it seem more livable. So if you're curious about what you might need to do to get your home ready for sale, or if you know you're going to want to sell your house in a couple of months I'd love to talk to you just give me a call. Reach out and let's set up a time to chat and I can walk through and give you a to-do list that will help you get more money for your home because it really is always price.

Dreams versus reality. Here are a couple of things that I implore you to please not do if you are thinking about starting to look for a home. In a perfect world, when we start looking for that perfect home for you we are able to find something that fits all of your needs, is going to be able to be your forever home, and is of course going to be totally Pinterest-worthy. The problem is that sometimes the Pinterest dream does not hit the budget reality. And if you're starting to shop for a home, whether it's your first home, your fifth home, or anything in between, our budgets are just a little bit less than what our dream looks like it's going to be. So while I do always encourage buyers that I'm working with to fill out a have-to-have list and an absolutely not list, make sure that those are actually giving you enough opportunity to be open to the possibilities that are actually available in your budget. Because otherwise, trust me it is a very discouraging process. Make sure that when you're talking about, thinking about, and writing down those must-haves they're things that are actually possible within your budget. And sometimes that really means looking at your whole house budget, your whole life budget, and talking to a lender to get that pre-approval number first. But remember, your first home doesn't have to be your forever home, your second home doesn't even have to be your forever home. So, spend more time with the lender and your budgets and looking at the houses that are actually available, rather than spending your time building your dream mansion that may be completely unattainable at this point in your life. Trust me, you can get there, but sometimes it takes a couple of houses to land where you really, really want to be. So when you're writing that list of must-haves and absolutely do not want to make sure it's a little more rooted in reality and a little less rooted in Pinterest. Sometimes it's really hard for those things to match perfectly, but we can usually get pretty close to the things that you need, the things that you want. And a lot of times a little special touch from you will get right back into that Pinterest or Instagram category. If you want a copy of my buyer's guide, or you're thinking about starting to look on your own, give me a call, reach out, or send me a message. I'd love to talk to you and help you get started building that wish list for that home that you might be ready to buy in six weeks, six months, or even a year. I'd love to talk.

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.