Are you thinking about buying a home in the Spring and wondering what you can do now to get started? I've got 5 things you can & should do now so you're ready to buy a home this coming Spring. Still have questions? I'd love to set up a time to talk and get you on the way to buying a home. Reach out to me on Instagram @cindybennettrealestate

As you might have heard, we are in a shifting market. Rates are higher, and the economy is a little more questionable. Let's talk about pricing your home in this adjusting market and what you need to keep in mind. If you have more questions, I'd love to answer them. Reach out to me on Instagram at @cindybennettrealestate or via my website at cindybennett.net

If you're thinking of buying in this market, you're probably going to need a home inspection, but it might look a little different than a home inspection a year or so ago. Let's talk about it! If you have questions, I'd love to talk to you or help walk you through the process. Send me a message or reach out to me on Instagram at @cindybennettrealestate

If you're on social media at all, you've probably seen someone do this trend, "Five Things I'd Never Do As A..." Well, I definitely have thoughts on this, and while there are probably more, these are either the top 5, or the first 5 that come to mind, I'm not sure which. (If I think too hard about it, I'd probably have 50.) Anyway, without further ado, here they are: 1- I would NEVER start looking at homes without talking to a lender first. Knowing your numbers- not only what you qualify for, but also what your downpayment options are, your closing costs, and your monthly payment will be is invaluable info. I cannot stress enough how often people guess incorrectly at this and fall in love with a house that's more than they can (or want to) swing, or start looking at homes and get exhausted because they can't find what they want, and they can actually afford me. (I mean, my clients don't, because I don't show anyone homes before they're preapproved.) 2- I would NEVER assume that Zestimate is accurately valuing my house. These automated estimates are based on an algorithm, so obviously they've not been in your home. Renovated kitchen? They have no idea. No updates at all? Still, they have no idea. It's simply based on the amount of similarly sized homes in the area that have sold recently. That's it. No homes like yours have sold? The more opportunity for it being incorrect. There is no replacement for having a real, live Realtor® walk through and do a thorough assessment and comparative market analysis. 3- I would NEVER buy the most improved house in the neighborhood. Yep. If it's between the $500,000 turn key, HGTV "big reveal" style home, or the "needs a little love" home down the block that is $400,000 (caveat- I'm assuming that the homes in the neighborhood trend closer to that $400k range) I'm picking the $400k home and putting in the work. It will be what I want, probably not cost me $100k, AND give me some instant equity. 4- I would never RELY on a home warranty to cover me for everything. I'm not bashing home warranties (although I could- that's another post entirely), and I do think in some circumstances, they provide a bit of a safety net. But, having had lots of experiences with these, in most cases, you can get the small things done for the same price (or a bit more) with SO MUCH less hassle by just calling someone who does that work. Will they replace your heat pump if it conks out? Yes, but with lots of hoops for you to jump through. 5- I would NEVER expect the inspector on my listing or home to find nothing. There is literally ALWAYS something, and they are paid to find it. I can almost guarantee, too, that if you have one inspector over today, and they give a list of things to fix (and you fix them all), you can have another over the next day, and they'll find a whole new list. Do the best to get your repairs done, but don't expect nothing. And if you're buying? Remember- everything can be fixed. It's just a matter of what needs to be done, how much it will cost, and who pays for it. Did any of these surprise you? I'd love to hear something you'd never do after buying or selling one (or 100) homes!

Let's discuss what I mean by "referral platforms" and what happens when you start your home search using one. Have questions? I'd love to help answer them! Find me on Instagram @cindybennettrealestate or send me a message with the chat button below.

Are you thinking of selling your home in this shifting market? Well, the window where you could just throw a sign in the yard has probably closed and there are definitely five things at least that you need to do before you get your home on the market to maximize the value Number one, this is gonna sound really obvious but clean, clean, clean. Clean like your mother-in-law's coming like the queen is coming for dinner. Clean the windows, the baseboards, all of the surfaces, even the furniture that yeah, they're not buying, but just clean everything. Number two, paint or at least clean up the scuffs touch up the paint where you can see the wire around the corners, all those little spots that show that yeah, you've lived in the house and you've loved the house. But if your living room is hot pink, maybe you want to tone that down so they can visualize themselves there too. Number three, focus on that curb appeal. The first impression can't be redone. So your front door should be freshly painted. Make sure that the hardware is gleaming, and put fresh mulch, weed your lawn, cut the lawn, get all the cobwebs off the lights, and make sure that when people walk up, it feels like a new house, it feels welcoming and for heaven's sakes spend the $13 to get a brand new doormat. Number four prep for your photos. Make sure that even though the house looks great to you with your naked eye, the cameras gonna see the same thing that you think you see. So that means take your iPhone, go through, take some snapshots and see what your naked eye might not have seen. If the flip-flops had been left under the sofa. Your purse is still on the counter or that dog toy is laying in the middle of the living room floor because it's always there. So who notices it? Get those things out. And a good rule of thumb is if it's smaller than a softball, take it off the surfaces of your desks, dressers, and bookshelves, it just clutters the eye you want people to see that house. And finally number five, a great way to get a head start on the marketing of your home is to make a list of all the things that you love about it. If you love that there is a playground two blocks away, or that the sunsets from your deck are the best thing ever. Put that down on a list and let potential buyers see those things. But also make a little list of the things that you've done since you've lived in the home if you just put in a new water heater that might not jump out to the potential buyer but if you pointed it out to me it'll make a difference. If you want more tips on getting your home ready for market, give me a call, or shoot me a message. I'd love to come and help give you a customized walkthrough on ways to maximize your value.

We've all heard that old adage, cash is king many, many times. But what do you do if you're trying to buy a home in this market and you don't have a dump truck full of cash? Let's unpack that a little bit. Why is cash king anyway? Well, it's all about risk, right? The seller wants to make sure that what you offer them is what they're going to get at the end of the day, and it's guaranteed not going to have any unexpected loopholes throughout the transaction. There are some ways that we can make your noncash deal as competitive or close to a cash deal without you having to have piles and piles of cold hard cash. A few of those things that are going to help your noncash offer feel more like a cash offer to that seller are going to be waiving the inspection or making the inspection less of a question mark for them. Waiving the appraisal or making the appraisal less of a question mark for the seller. So that's coming up with a little bit of extra cash if the appraised price and the purchase price don't quite meet. And another is, and perhaps the most important make sure that you are well qualified with a local lender who might even talk to the listing agent to let them know how solid your offer and your qualifications are. If you have any more questions about writing the perfect offer in the seller's market, I'd love to talk to you. Give me a call, send me a message. Shoot me a DM and let's get started.

So you just saw that that house you offered on sold and it went for less than you offered, how the heck did that happen? Sometimes it's all about the money. And sometimes it's not having an agent that's going to do the research to make sure that your offer is best positioned to be appealing to that individual seller is going to make a huge difference in getting your offer accepted. Just like you may have an individual reason for buying a home, your family has grown, you're downsizing, you're moving to a new city, new job, things like that the seller is gonna have their own motivation as well. Knowing what those things are, are going to help you find that sweet spot that's going to dovetail your needs with theirs and get that winning offer. If you want to find out more ways to get your offer accepted in this market or get started on the process of buying a home give me a call send me a message I'd love to talk to you.

Is this house in a good area or a bad area? What do you think of this neighborhood? How are the schools? These are some of the questions that I get asked all the time. And I hate to tell you, I can't really answer them. Because of a little thing called fair housing, we really can't, as Realtors, tell you what's a good area and what's a bad area. One of the things that I can tell you just as a person and not as a realtor is, we all have a different perception of what that is to just like, my favorite pizza might not be your favorite pizza. Telling you what an area is or is not necessarily going to give you the data that you need. My goal is always to be the source of the source. So I can always provide you with enough information and reference sources to get you where you want to be. Whatever you're looking for in a neighborhood. Remember, what's good for you may not be good for someone else and vice versa. What I can do to help you when you're searching for a home is give you all the information and resources to help you make the best decision for you and your family. If you're thinking about looking for a home and you have questions about any part of the process, please reach out give me a call send me a message. I'd love to talk to you.

Selling Your Home During the Holidays So you've been thinking about selling your home, but time got away from you, you've been busy, there was a lot to do (and forget about any updates or repairs that required building materials this year), and now it's the holiday season. You may as well just wait, right? Not so fast! While generally it is true that the market slows a bit during the winter and around the holidays, this market is different. Yes, I know I sound like a broken record, but just stick with me, and I'll explain. Benefits to Selling During the Holiday Season There are a few benefits of selling around the holidays, in any year, and in any market. First and foremost, there is just not as much competition. While you may not have a flood of showings, you can rest assured that those buyers looking around the holidays are actually looking to buy, and not just curious neighbors or folks out for a walk. But this year? Well, it's all that and then some. As I've mentioned before, this market is not a bubble (like the one back in '07-'09), but really is driven by a housing inventory shortage coupled with interest rates lower than we've seen in years. That means we've not really seen any of the normal drops in the market over the last year. In fact, the days on the market for our entire MLS area is still hovering right around 7 days. (That's the average, too, not the median.) Additionally, we're still at only 1.1 months inventory throughout our MLS area. That's still a long way from a balanced market (6-7 months of inventory). Even though it's a seller's market, there are still some special ways to prepare when you're selling in the holiday season. Top Tips to Sell Your Home During the Holidays Focus on your curb appeal! It matters more now than ever, when things tend to be a little more brown, gray, and the light is not as warm. Clean, clean, clean! Clean those windows, the entry area, and yes, even the trim. Add a fresh, new door mat, maybe a wreath, and a couple of containers with something evergreen. Tone down the outdoor holiday decor, if over the top is your style. Don't go totally Clark Griswold on the house if you want buyers to actually see the house, and not be distracted by the decorations. (I literally cannot stress this enough.) Use a Realtor® to list your home. (I know, sounds biased, but it really does make a difference.) Let's amend that to, "Use a Realtor® who works with a great professional photographer." Having professional photos is a non negotiable these days. I don't care how good your phone camera is. Pro photos will show your house off better. Every single time. Knowing your "perfect buyer." Your agent will know not only "who" your target buyer is, but how to reach them. Especially this time of year, when inclement and chilly weather is the norm, having an agent who will do a video, multiple photos, floorplans, or the like definitely makes it easier for buyers to know whether it's a favorite or a maybe before they even ring the door plan. Go easy on the indoor decor too. The line between great decor and too much is not actually that fine. Think more "warm and cozy holiday cheer" and less "where are we going to put our 900 piece Santa collection." (Pro tip- keep those in the box so they're ready to go to your new home.) Make sure it's easy to move around, and doesn't look cluttered. Got loads of wrapped presents? Keep those to a minimum, too, and if you've got the hottest video game console to be wrapped, just tuck it in a closet. No need to tempt anyone unnecessarily. There's also the bonus of the kids not easily finding their gifts before the big day. Doing some holiday baking? Good smells sell! Keep the feast of the seven fishes to the restaurants this year, but go nuts with the cookies, rum cakes, spiced cider, etc. Again, warm and cozy is never unwelcome in the winter! Perhaps the MOST important, price it to sell! I'm never going to be the agent who wants you to underprice your home, but especially in the winter months, when there are in theory fewer buyers out there looking, not shooting the moon with the price helps position you better in the market. If you're working with me, or any good agent, we'll sit down with you to review the comparables, their sold prices, and how your home stacks up to that. We'll use all the data available to come up with a great plan to help you maximize your investment, your time, and get you to your goals. What questions do you have about selling your home during the holiday season? I'd love to help you determine if now is a good time for you to sell!