Nick's Blog

Right now you probably read that title and thought "What is he talking about?"  Please allow me to explain.  Picture this:  You're sitting there, watching your favorite movie on the TV and you think, "I want some popcorn."  So what do you do?  Like most Americans, you go to the cupboard and grab ...

Ethics in Real Estate As your agents, we promise to adhere to a strict code of ethics in conducting any and all activities related to your sale or purchase of a home.In some businesses, simply doing what is legal may be good enough.  But in my real estate practice we demand an ethical standard th...

Mello-Roos TaxesMello-Roos taxes are assessed to special tax districts, known as Mello-Roos Districts or Community Facilities Districts, for the purpose of financing public services and/or facilities including streets, police protection, fire protection, elementary schools, parks, libraries, muse...

Whether you are just beginning to think about a career in real estate or you are a seasoned veteran, we want you to think about working with us here at Hoddinott Real Estate Consulting.  If you are just beginning to contemplate a career in real estate you should know that I have made special arra...

Dear Friends,We have got some exciting news! We have found a first time home buyer program, (that is a person who does not own a home right now) that is wonderful. We just felt that we had to share it with you. We have made arrangements with a lender that is running a special program specifically...

 If you have been checking the internet to see what houses are going for in you neighborhood, you have probably run into the term "short sale."  That is what we will be looking at for this week's column.  What is a short sale?  Does it cost anything?A short sale is a sale that comes short of payi...

With the current glut of foreclosures in the market place, everyone wants to know how to cash in.  This weeks questions deal specifically with foreclosures and the unique real estate terminology that goes with them.  What is an REO?REO stands for Real Estate Owned.  This is a home that has alread...

Hire a Real Estate Consultant NOT a SalespersonPeople don't talk about it a lot. But finding the right real estate agent can be the difference between a happy, stress-free home buying or selling experience, and an unhappy, stressful experience. We are NOT salespersons.  We are consultants.  Why d...

When purchasing a home, dealing with the inspection process can be very daunting.  Many times what you are handed doesn't even look like a representation of the home you thought you were buying.  The thing to remember is that each inspector is looking for specific things. From a liability standpo...

With housing prices as high as they are people often tend to think that there is no possible way they could ever buy a home.  They feel the dream of home ownership is simply too far out of reach for them.  Nothing however, could be further from the truth in most cases, which leads us to two very ...