What to put in your hurricane ready kit
September 06, 2019
Hurricane season is still among us and with Hurricane Dorian potentially riding up the east coast, it’s important to have a hurricane ready kit.First and foremost, pack water and non-perishable food items.FEMA recommends having one gallon of water per person per day. They say to have a three day supply for evacuation and a two week ...
Emergency Preparedness Grocery List
September 05, 2019
Emergency Preparedness Grocery List Zero-Prep Food:1 Gallon of drinking water per day per personDry cerealCanned fruitsCanned vegetablesCanned juiceReady to eat canned soups and meatsCanned pastaCanned beansPeanut ButterBreadBananasApplesOrangesCrackersNutsGranola and energy barsMinimal-Prep Food:RicePastaPasta SauceSeasoningOatsSupplies:First aid kitToilet paperMoist towelettesGarbage bagsDish soapAluminum foilPaper towelsPaper plates and cupsPlastic utensilsFood storage bags or containersFlashlightTool kitMosquito RepellentRain gearPlastic sheetingRopeDuct tapeGrillCharcoalLighterLighter fluidCashManual can openerFully-charged cell phoneStrike-anywhere matchesPet ...
Get Ready for Bigger Home-Price Increases Next Year, Except in These Two States
September 05, 2019
Real Estate News By Jacob Passy | Sep 4, 2019https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/get-ready-for-bigger-home-price-increases-next-year-except-in-these-two-states/Just when it looked like home prices may have hit a ceiling, low interest rates could give them another boost.A new report from real-estate data firm CoreLogic suggests that annual home-price growth will increase by 5.4% by July 2020. That would represent a shift from what ...
Mortgage Rates Increase Slightly, Pumping the Brakes on the Refinance Boom
September 03, 2019
Mortgage Rates Increase Slightly, Pumping the Brakes on the Refinance Boom Mortgage rates increased for only the ninth time this year — putting a damper on refinance activity in the process.The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.58% during the week ending Aug. 29, up three basis points from the previous week, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Nevertheless, mortgage ...
Going Green Starts in the Kitchen
September 02, 2019
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Homeownership Will Always Be a Part of the American Dream
September 02, 2019
Homeownership Will Always Be a Part of the American DreamOn Labor Day we celebrate the hard work that helps us achieve the American Dream.Growing up, many of us thought about our future lives with great ambition. We drew pictures of what jobs we wanted to have and where we would live as a representation of a secure life ...
The Confusion Over Closing Costs Versus Down Payment
September 02, 2019
Some borrowers get confused over the differences between closing costs and the required minimum down payment of 3.5% needed for FHA home loans.The confusion often comes over what is considered a down payment versus what is considered to be part of the borrower’s closing costs.The most basic thing to know is that the FHA home ...
12 First-Time Home Buyer Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
September 01, 2019
1. Not figuring out how much house you can affordWithout knowing how much house you can afford, you might waste time. You could end up looking at houses that you can’t afford yet, or visiting homes that are below your optimal price level.For many first-time buyers, the goal is to buy a house and get a loan ...
Home Maintenance Tips for New Homeowners (A Money Saving Guide)
September 01, 2019
When you become a first-time home buyer, you gain an entirely new appreciation for the amount of work that landlords and homeowners do to keep up their properties.When you were renting, your landlord hopefully took care of all of the building maintenance, yard work and any indoor issues that came up. As a new homeowner, this responsibility now ...
The Heat on Is
August 29, 2019
The weather is hot and so is the housing market. You can tell this by the fact that rent is more expensive than buying your own home. The number of HUD properties that are available are probably fewer than they have been in the last 20 years. Taking advantage of the opportunity is more important now than ever ...
Worksheet for New Homeowners
August 29, 2019
This link has a worksheet that is helpful for new homeowners. https://www.houselogic.com/buy/first-time-home-buyer/first-things-to-do-after-buying-a-house/...
Top 5 Landscaping Tips to Increase Property Value
August 23, 2019
by Rick Ryan Landscaping is one of the most important ways to increase your property’s value quickly. In fact, a gorgeous landscape design can increase the value of your home by at least 5 to 11 percent—and maybe more. The best part about landscaping is that even though it’s one of the most valuable home improvements ...
HELOC: Understanding Home Equity Lines of Credit by Holden Lewis
August 23, 2019
A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, is a second mortgage that gives you access to cash based on the value of your home. You can draw from a home equity line of credit and repay all or some of it monthly, somewhat like a credit card.With a HELOC, you borrow against your equity, which is the ...
Do I Need a Home Inspection?
August 21, 2019
Do I need a Home Inspection?Some buyers opt to save the home inspection fee and take a chance on exactly what repairs are needed to move into a new home. While a home inspection is an optional item for a buyer, the wise buyer does in fact need a home inspection in order to determine any immediate ...
Is It the Right Time to Sell My Charlotte NC Home?
August 17, 2019
Post by: Nancy Braun, Showcase Realty Are you ready? Or not?One of the most commonly asked questions I often hear from sellers is “Is it the right time to sell my home?”If you’ve been considering it for a long time but cannot let go, perhaps it’s time to put your courage to ...
MS Gulf Coast July 2019 Industry Insider
August 15, 2019
July 2019 Market StatisticsAVERAGE HOME SALESAverage MS Gulf Coasthome sales are lower at 583 inJuly 2019 from 648 for June 2019AVERAGE SALES PRICEThe average sales price is down to$182,552 in July 2019 from$186,112 in June 2019. AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKETAverage days on marketis slightly up from 63 days inJune 2019 to 65 days in July 2019 ...
5 Negotiating Tactics That Can Hinder a Sale
August 15, 2019
Negotiation is a subtle art in real estate, but skilled negotiators can usually find some common ground that satisfies all parties. On the other hand, using the wrong negotiation tactics can sink a deal pretty quickly. Here are some negotiation tactics buyers (and real estate professionals) may want to avoid:1) Lowball offers: Going far below market value when you ...
How to Determine Your Ideal Retirement Savings at 30 and Beyond
August 15, 2019
RETIREMENT PLANNING PLANNING BY DECADEHow to Determine Your Ideal Retirement Savings at 30 and BeyondSharePinEmail •••BY SCOTT SPANN Updated August 06, 2019Figuring out how much money you'll need for retirement can be challenging, particularly in the early stages of your career. Fortunately, there are some helpful retirement planning benchmarks to help you ...
Knock on Wood (Flooring) For Its Timeless Appeal
August 15, 2019
Wood floors still rank high on a homebuyers’ wish lists. Let your sellers know about today’s design trends and product improvements so they might earn the best return on their investment. Knocking on wood is a superstition intended to bring good luck. Coincidentally, wood flooring improves the odds that a listing will appeal to more buyers and ...
Still a Seller's Market... And be Prepared
August 15, 2019
Our marketing area in SE Tennessee is a big-time seller’s market. This should ensure that buyers are fully prepared to provide supporting documentation for offers. It would be a good idea to have either the Pre-Qualification letter for financed offers or a proof of funds letter for cash offers. If either of these documents are over 30 days ...
Life in The Great Smoky Mountains by Sandra C Brown
August 15, 2019
Life In Sevier County TN Gateway to the Smoky Mountains by Sandra C Brown, Broker Owner Dream Catcher Realty, Sevierville, TN Fun Facts About Sevier County TN IE The Smoky Mountains Present day Sevier County was settled by the Scotch Irish who came from southern Virginia mainly arround Newport News, Norfolk and Hampton VA in the early 1800s. ...
Reasons to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
August 15, 2019
Before you start your home search, you want to know how much you can afford, right? There are two ways to do this: with a mortgage pre-qualification and a mortgage pre-approval. As a home buyer, the pre-approval is more valuable to you during your home search.How Pre-Approval Helps You as a Home BuyerOne of the main differences between ...
Safety Tips for REALTORS
August 15, 2019
Safety Tips for REALTORS1-Show propertys in the day light not at night.2-Park on the road. Do not let customers park behind you.3-When needed check in with office.4-Have a saftey word.5-There is a app you can share to know your gps.6-Take a picture of buyers car tag and share if in a area that you ...
Builder confidence rises in August
August 15, 2019
The National Association of Home Builders' Housing Market Index rose to 66, up 1 point from JulyBYVERONIKA BONDARENKO Builder confidence for newly built single-family homes rose to 66 in August, up one point from July, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo.The Housing Market Index (HMI) is a weighted ...
What to Ask When Choosing a Lender
August 13, 2019
AboutTiffany Howard of Nicole James Real Estate Group is a top 1% agent and has participated in a variety of real estate transactions, including residential properties in the secondary home, REO, new construction markets in both the Triangle and Atlanta areas. Tiffany prides herself on maintaining a high level of professionalism and being a tireless advocate of her ...
