We all know a bit about real estate, because whether we rent or own, we all LIVE in real estate! What a lot of people don't realize is how the market changes buying/selling strategies. In a seller's market it's tempting to sell your home For Sale By Owner (FSBO) but even if you can save a few thousand dollars in commission, it's likely going to cost you money along the way. Let me tell you 'bout my best friend (and if you're not singing right now I feel sad for you! ;-) )  On July 26, I met with my best friend to talk about the possibility of selling her home. For this story, let's call her Janet. Janet has owned her house since 2007 and was basing her home's value on that purchasing experience and what she saw online when house hunting. After going over the improvements she has made over the years and talking marketing options, I headed home to do my homework. Reason #1 Janet is glad she has a Realtor: I worked up a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) bas...

You may have noticed some changes around here and on my  Facebook and  Instagram  pages.  It's because I've moved! Having grown up in Deaborn County and lived in Southeast Indiana all my live, I have strong connections to the community and love helping others develop the same. My husband and I recently moved to Batesville and I'm finding it even more important to make strong ties in my community. As such, we made the difficult decision for me to leave Sibcy Cline to find a brokerage better suited to myselve and my Indiana clients. It is with great pleasure that I announce I have found my new Real Estate home and have transferred my license to Lohmiller Real Estate. Not only is LRE an Indiana based, family owned company, they will allow me to cultivate my business in my new town, as well as even futher west and north. I am excited to see how my business, my experience and my expertise will grow with this new opportunity. My primary goal is to ensure that each client h...

Edited to add: this post turned out to be much longer than I planned.  While I apologize for the length, I really do think it's all important information.  I hope you learn a lot and don't hesitate to reach out if you have follow up questions! Can you buy or sell a home without a Realtor?  Absolutely!  But why would you embark on what is likely the biggest financial decision of your life without an expert?!  While there are many reasons to use a Realtor, here are the ones I think are the most important. The lingo We've already talked about how real estate has its own language .  While it's good to educate yourself, your Realtor already knows the lingo and is happy to be your translator.  She can also make sure you don't get misinformation along the way because someone else didn't understand the lingo.   I recently had a lender tell a buyer client she didn't need to schedule inspections, it would be taken care of for her.  Come to fi...

Every industry has their own language.  There terms they throw around like everyone knows what they're talking about but no one outside the industry really does.  In most cases it's okay.  I don't need to know what a faucet aerator or a backflow valve are as long as my plumbing works.  But in Real Estate, it's your money and your home we're talking about, so a little education can go a long way. There are a LOT of Real Estate terms, so I'll break them down by category.  Here are a few pre-house hunting terms to get you started. Realtor  (Pronouced Reel-tor) According to the National Association of Realtors, " REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics." In reality, a Realtor is someone who sells your home in record time, finds your dream home and solves problems you never knew exi...

Every industry has their own language.  There terms they throw around like everyone knows what they're talking about but no one outside the industry really does.  In most cases it's okay.  I don't need to know what inseams and darts are as long as my clothes fit.  But in Real Estate, it's your money and your home we're talking about, so a little education can go a long way. There are a LOT of Real Estate terms, so I'll break them down by category.  Here are a few pre-house hunting terms to get you started. Realtor  (Pronouced Reel-tor) According to the National Association of Realtors, " REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics." In reality, a Realtor is someone who sells your home in record time, finds your dream home and solves problems you never knew existed! First, a quick re...

Every industry has their own language.  There terms they throw around like everyone knows what they're talking about but no one outside the industry really does.  In most cases it's okay.  I don't need to know what barometric pressure and dew points are as long as the weather is comfortable.  But in Real Estate, it's your money and your home we're talking about, so a little education can go a long way. There are a LOT of Real Estate terms, so I'll break them down by category.  Here are a few terms specific to home owners and sellers. Realtor  (Pronouced Reel-tor) According to the National Association of Realtors, " REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics." In reality, a Realtor is someone who sells your home in record time, finds your dream home and solves problems you never knew exi...

Every industry has their own language.  There terms they throw around like everyone knows what they're talking about but no one outside the industry really does.  In most cases it's okay.  I don't need to know what amperature and inductor mean as long as my electric works.  But in Real Estate, it's your money and your home we're talking about, so a little education can go a long way. There are a LOT of Real Estate terms, so I'll break them down by category.  Here are a few insurance terms to get you started. Realtor  (Pronouced Reel-tor) According to the National Association of Realtors, " REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics." In reality, a Realtor is someone who sells your home in record time, finds your dream home and solves problems you never knew existed! Mortgage Insura...

I have relatively consistent set of closing gifts I plan for my clients but when I received notice on Thursday that a house was closing on Tuesday I didn't have time for my standard personalized seller's gift.  I took to the internet for inspiration and ended up coming across the coolest lists of gift ideas! One thing I saw that I had never considered - people buy closing gifts for their Realtor?  Is this really a thing?  Sure, who wouldn't love a personalized coffee mug or an engraved business card case?  But to be completely frank... As a Realtor, I'm here to tell you: a referral or a positive (and honest!) review is the absolute best gift you can give your Realtor!   Some friends of mine are buying a home that is for sale by owner.  Yes, they wanted to use me as their Realtor and we had even looked at a few houses.  But they came across this house through an old friend and the seller specifically doesn't want to work with a Realtor.  I ful...

Every industry has their own language.  There terms they throw around like everyone knows what they're talking about but no one outside the industry really does.  In most cases it's okay.  I don't need to know what a carburator and cam are as long as my car gets me where I need to go.  But in Real Estate, it's your money and your home we're talking about, so a little education can go a long way. There are a LOT of Real Estate terms, so I'll break them down by category.  Here are a few mortgage related terms to get you started. Realtor  (Pronouced Reel-tor) According to the National Association of Realtors, " REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics." In reality, a Realtor is someone who sells your home in record time, finds your dream home and solves problems you never knew existed! ...

Every industry has their own language.  There terms they throw around like everyone knows what they're talking about but no one outside the industry really does.  In most cases it's okay.  I don't need to know what megabits and RAM are as long as my computer works.  But in Real Estate, it's your money and your home we're talking about, so a little education can go a long way. There are a LOT of Real Estate terms, so I'll break them down by category.  Here are a few pre-house hunting terms to get you started. Realtor  (Pronouced Reel-tor) According to the National Association of Realtors, " REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics." In reality, a Realtor is someone who sells your home in record time, finds your dream home and solves problems you never knew existed! Pre-qualificati...