10 Questions to Ask Mortgage Lenders
Trying to buy a home without a mortgage approval is the equivalent of putting the cart in front of the horse. You are being shown homes that you possibly might not be able to afford, or that...
The Failed Sale Report from Trulia and Lessons From Failed Sales
This week, Trulia released a report on the increase in Failed Sales. Those are homes that go under contract and then for some reason, whether it be financing or inspection issues, go back on the...
Absorption Rates for South City and What They Mean for St. Louis Buyers and Sellers
The absorption rate measures how many months worth of homes are currently on the market. It is calculated by dividing the total number of homes for sale by the average number of homes sold per...
7 Reasons You Should Consider Staging Your Home
If you are thinking about selling your home, don’t forget about the importance of staging your home! Staging your home can help you sell your home quicker and easier. Here are seven reasons you should stage...
How To Sell Your Home and Buy Another at the Same Time
Buying and Selling Simultaneously is a tricky process, but people literally do it everyday. I met with three home sellers last week who were just beginning to parse out this puzzle. Here is a great...
How To Make Your Offer Stand Out in a Multiple Offer Scenario
After several seasons of low inventory and historically low interest rates, buyer demand is at a high. This means more competition for the available homes. And therefore it is likely that as a Buyer in...
Real Estate Investing Offers Only One Likely Outcome: A Low Return
On October 6th, 2014 the New York Times published this article, Real Estate Investing Offers Only One Likely Outcome: A Low Return, by Carl Richards. Someone sent it to me and asked me what I...
Should I List My House While My Tenants Are Still Living There
I have some clients who are getting ready to sell a property that they have been leasing for the past two years. Their tenants’ lease is up this May but they weren’t sure if they...
The Benefits of Living as an Owner Occupant in an Investment Property
My first purchase was a two-family home where I lived with my roommate on the first floor and rented the second floor. The loan required little down payment since I intended the purchase as my...
Ten Things I Learned in 2012
Disclosure is a SELLER’S best friend. A St. Charles County family was awarded $472,000 after suing the former owners of their home for failure to disclose a brown recluse infestation. SELLER’S remorse does exist and it is...
Moving to St. Louis with Children
I just read this great article in Parents Magazine: Smooth Move: Make Moving Easier on You and Your Kids. Here is the gist: Get Them Ready…Don’t just tell them what will be different. Tell them...
Improving Indoor Air Quality for Better Smelling Houses
Not long ago, I showed a house to a set of clients. They loved it in an irrational way. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great house. I really liked to it too. But...