I would never recommend comparing yourself or your life to someone else’s. However, I would recommend looking up the comps on your property or a property you’re interested in purchasing!  Comps (short for comparable) are formed from the value of a recently sold...

First things first, if you think you are ready to buy a house, you need to get prequalified. Getting prequalified may tell you more than just what you can afford, but also what type of loan you qualify for. Of course, understanding what each loan is will help you...

Picture this: You’re getting ready to buy a home. You’ve got all of your ducks in a row. You're prequalified. You hired a Realtor®. You've done your research on neighborhoods. You've discussed the terms of the offer in advance and you've brainstormed ways to get your...

One of the many reasons to hire a real estate agent is so they can help you understand lender and real estate jargon. If you’ve never applied for a loan before, you have likely never heard the phrase, “Debt to Income Ratio”. These words may determine whether or not...

Good deeds, bad deeds, and then there are real deeds. ”Real” deed you ask? Yes! As in Real Estate deeds! In this post, we will go over: Quit Claim deeds, Special Warranty deeds, and General Warranty deeds. According to Investopedia.com, “A property deed is a legal...

There are a lot of rumors that fly around the term “down payment," so much so that a lot of people don’t believe they can purchase a home without a sizeable chunk of money tucked away in their savings account. In reality you don't have to have a 20% down payment to...

There are two sides to everything: dark to light, morning to night, front to back. In real estate, there is buying and selling. With two parts of a transaction, that means there are two sides to be represented. Which brings us to Dual Agency.  Dual Agency occurs when...

All land must have access.  No property can be landlocked.  So what happens when the land around the landlocked property isn't owned by the same person?  If there is no other way to access the landlocked parcel then the owner of the adjacent property must give an...

Multi-family housing can come in many forms in the real estate industry. We are going to discuss one form in particular, the duplex. There are several reasons you may want to live in, or own one. A duplex essentially has one foundation with one structure but it has a...

Everyone likes their space, especially their personal space.  Personal space can be defined in many ways, today we are defining your personal space as it relates to your property. When you buy a house the lot that it is on has a legal description that defines exactly...

Equity.   E Q U I TY This is the word you want in your vocabulary when you’re looking for a home, when you own a home or when you’re selling a home. Equity is important because it shows the amount of the property that you actually own. A lot or a little, you...

Flood insurance, while no one wants it, can save you a lot of grief if you live in a flood plain.  So how do you know if you need Flood Insurance? Dave Ramsey’s article (https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/need-flood-insurance) offers a lot of great information regarding...