Happy Birthday, Lance!

Today is the birthday of the most wonderful husband and greatest dad! Lance is 39 today. We will probably have lunch somewhere and then we will go to dinner with the boys and have presents and cards.

Buying and Selling in Today's Market

Due to the current economy people are very unsure whether or not to buy or sell real estate. The thing is, it is a buyer's market right now. If you are currently renting or leasing and you are about to come up on the end of that contract you may want to consider buying. The market is overloaded with homes and because of that sellers are reducing prices to try and get their homes sold. Sometimes you will find that a house note is even lower than a rental note. There are so many financing programs out there to help buyers. (Now, here goes a shameless plug) My husband, Lance, is a mortgage lender and he could help in that financing process. Also, many people don't realize it, but a buyer doesn't pay a real estate agent to help them find a house. The agent is paid by the seller. So, my service would be free to you, the buyer.

As far as selling your home, that is a little tricky right now. You want to find an agent that will do more than just stick a sign in your front yard. Your choice of real estate agent is important because you will need to trust their advice. Pricing your home correctly is crucial! The value of your home is not determined by how much you owe on it or how much you think it's worth. A good agent will do research on what other homes in your area have sold for (not what they are currently listed for) and price your home based on that. A good agent will also market your home in many different ways. For instance, I provide my sellers with a website for their home where people can look at their home on the internet. I also hold open houses, put their home in real estate magazines, just to name a few. Your agent needs to provide as much exposure for your home as possible.

Hopefully, our economy will be on an upswing now that the election is over and the housing market can begin to rebound. With that said, don't be afraid to buy or sell. (Here's another shameless plug.) If you are at that point, give me a call and I'd love to help you out. If someone you know is at that point, please give them my name and number or just let me know and I'd be glad to call them myself.