Think back to your first big crush. He or she was perfect, right? When emotions run rampant, flaws become invisible, whether you’re falling in love with a person or a home. With familiarity comes the truth ― this perfect specimen of a human being isn’t perfect. None of us are. And houses aren’t either for […]

You aren’t the first person to be enthralled with the notion of drifting off to to the sound of rippling water, being greeted by a pelican’s splash as it plunge-dives into the sea for its breakfast and fishing from your living room window. All of this, and more is a dream come true when you […]

Learning about the home buying and selling process, when you’ve never been exposed to it before, is a bit like trying to get a drink of water from an open fire hydrant ― it’s completely overwhelming. Real estate professionals toss around lingo as if you’re expected to know what they mean when, in reality, it […]

If you’ve ever spent time bargaining in a Mexican street market, you may think you’ve honed your negotiating skills to a fine point. Haggling over the price of a curio, however, and negotiating the price of a home couldn’t be more different. Let’s take a look at some things to consider when determining how much […]

So, it’s finally happened: you’ve found the home you want to purchase. The next step in the process is to decide how much you want to pay for it and get a signed offer to purchase to the seller. While every single line in the purchase agreement is important, some are more critical to understand […]

If terms such as Art Deco, Italianate, Federal colonial and mid-century modern are floating around in your head, the chances are good that you’re considering purchasing a luxury home. Knowing the fine points of architectural styles is one thing, understanding the differences between the luxury home purchase process and that of lower-priced homes is something else. […]

In part 2 we looked at the contingencies in your offer to purchase and broke down those that are most common. When the last contingency is removed, you are fully obligated to go through with the purchase. From here on, you have only two final tasks: order a homeowner’s insurance policy and take a final […]

In part 1, we looked at what happens immediately after the seller accepts your contract to purchase. In part 2, we’ll cover contingencies ― those tasks you must complete according to the contract’s stated timelines. Contingencies Remember all those deadlines we set for you when I assisted you with filling out the purchase agreement? Those […]

The most anxious part of the process is over when we get word that the seller has accepted your offer. Oh, there’s still work to be done and time constraints, but at least at this point we know you’re ever closer to owning that house. Since there is so much to do from the time […]

What happens when you go to the grocery store on an empty stomach and without a list? You impulse shop, right? Your stomach takes control of the outing and whatever looks good at the moment ends up in the shopping cart – whether it’s something you need or not. Lists are the road map for […]