A few weeks ago, I wrote about Assumable Loans in the 21st Century. In that post, I explained how in certain circumstances, an assumable loan could be the way to sell a home for the highest and best outcome for the seller.My listing closed this week. As Paul Harvey would say, here is the rest of the story.I received numerous calls the first day I promoted the home as "assumable".  Most callers didn't have the necessary down payment; others (including other Realtors) didn't understand how the process would work. I must have explained the process dozens of times. Finally, two buyers submitted offers and the seller accepted the most attractive one. (That in itself is a story for another day).The mortgage was through PennyMac. I researched reviews about how the process might proceed. Across... 08/23/2024

If you follow real estate articles, podcasts, etc., you may have heard that FHA, VA, and USDA loans are assumable. If you are a real estate agent, I'm sure you are aware of it, but not everyone has fully embraced the idea or comprehends the dynamics of this opportunity.Recently, I successfully acquired a buyer by marketing a lovely home with an assumable mortgage, but first I had to explain the benefits to the seller, then to other Realtors, and lastly to potential home buyers. Once the seller understood the process, we had the home under contract within a week or so, with multiple offers.With this particular home, it was only a couple of years old, but we were in competition with a lot of new construction.  We had a good number of showings, but came up shy of any reasonable offers. Tim... 08/09/2024

You know the phrase, right? It's part of the Fifth Amendment of the Miranda Rights.Law and Order may not be standing at your door with handcuffs in hand, but if you are house hunting, the seller may have surveillance devices or Ring doorbells, which could record any comments you make while viewing the home.We know you are excited, but if you make negative or derogatory comments while viewing the house, the seller could be listening. He may be offended and subsequently reject your offer. On the other hand, extremely positive comments might hurt your negotiation strategies.Be aware of this technology. Hold your comments until you are safely back in the car, away from earshot from a prying seller. 07/02/2024

Today's tip is about housekeeping. Not my favorite topic, but one that is important for obvious reasons.When do you clean house? Do you have a routine? I'm curious... do you have a set schedule? Do you tackle everything in one day? Or do you do one chore each day of the week? Is your home always "picture perfect"? If you have kids at home, do you assign chores to them?For me, the answer is easy. I clean when the cats are asleep! If they are awake, they want to be where I am; either trying to get into the dryer, on top of the washing machine, or climbing into the dishwasher, etc. They are fast so I have to stay sharp!I imagine it's the same for those with small children. Do your chores while the baby is sleeping; for me, it's when the fur babies are napping. If your home is on the market... 06/25/2024

My job is to help people move.I've helped sellers downsize not only their home, but also their possessions. Sometimes I post items for my senior clients in Facebook Groups because they don't use Facebook and I do what I can for my clients.A friend saw all my furniture postings, and asked if I was moving.It was a logical assumption, but NO, I'm not. I'm helping a senior client get rid of things as she prepares to move out of state. But the question made me think... statistics say the average American moves every 7 years (or 9 times in their lifetime). How many times have I moved?So I counted....Thirteen!I have purchased 13 primary residences in my adult life. I did the math. In my adult life, I have moved every 3.5 years. Wow!And that doesn't count the FOUR times I lived in temporary hou... 06/23/2024

Congratulations! Your home is under contract, and the buyer has ordered the home inspection. As the seller, you are probably busy packing for the big day. A hundred details are running through your mind. But take a few minutes to prepare for the home inspection.If your home is in need of repairs, hopefully you addressed these items before putting your home on the market. If not, now is a good time to remedy these concerns.  See this oldie but goodie inspection checklist.Remember, the inspector needs access under the kitchen sink**, as well as all the bathrooms sinks to check for leaks. It may not occur to you to tidy up these spaces before the inspector arrives. The inspector will not move items out of the way, so be sure the area is clear of cleaning supplies, detergent, and other item... 06/18/2024

Today's Tip is of a cautionary tale; if you have dead or dying trees on your property, it's better to face the problem head-on rather than let nature take its course.Thousands of acres of Mississippi forests were affected by last year's drought, then many of these weakened trees were hit again by a devastating pine beetle infestation. Not only did the drought and pine beetles affect our forests, individual homeowners and landowners were also affected. Our golf courses and neighborhoods sustained a large loss of trees, many of which have yet to be removed.The danger, of course, is a dead or dying tree falling during severe storms and high winds, causing serious damage to property or life and limb.In these photos, you'll see dead trees near homes in my neighborhood. I would have a hard ti... 06/11/2024

Many people are oblivious to how their homes look or smell. We live in our homes, and as owners we sometimes neglect or don't notice deferred maintenance or odors that can knock a visitor down as they walk through the front door.Cooking odors, pet smells, musty odors, and smoking are some of the worst offenders. As people age, they either become used to these odors or have lost their sense of smell. So what do you do?In the case of elder homeowners, a relative or family friend is tasked with bringing the issue to the forefront. If the home is for sale, the Realtor is often the one who will delicately mention the unpleasant smell.For health reasons, and if your home is for sale, there are several things you can do to eliminate foul odors. For one, open the doors and air things out! Homes... 06/04/2024

Today's maintenance tip "Keep Your Gutters Clean" comes from practical experience in the life of a Realtor.On occasion, I have viewed homes with small gardens growing in the gutters. It's ok to have roof-top gardens if they are designed as such, but vegetation growing in gutters is not ok.The number one purpose of gutters is to direct water away from your home. If gutters are clogged with leaves, dirt and debris, you could soon face an unsightly and damaging situation.Clogged gutters can also be the "root cause" of other issues, including foundation and roof issues, fascia rot (I've witnessed this first-hand), and insect infestation. Do yourself a favor; keep your gutters free from debris by having routine maintenance performed on your gutters. All you need is a sturdy ladder and a pair... 05/28/2024

Termites can infiltrate your home at any time, but we tend to notice those little buggers in the springtime more than any other season. Perhaps that's because as homeowners, we are outside more, doing yardwork after a cold winter or are spring cleaning inside our home and notice the tell-tale signs.This past week I had calls from two family members who had discovered termites. In one instance, termites were already chomping the sheetrock inside the home; in the other case, termites were discovered in landscaping timbers while doing clean up in the yard.My advise to both relatives was to call a termite inspector. For the first relative, there is visible damage, but it's too early to tell how extensive the damage will be. In the second situation, perhaps the termites were only in the land... 05/21/2024

Happy Tuesday!Todays' home maintenance tip is timely, especially with the high rate of insurance premiums and early cancellation of policies by insurance companies...MAINTAIN YOUR ROOF!It's fairly easy to take care of your roof. Perhaps the easiest thing you can do is keep debris from accumulating on top of your home. You'll need a ladder and someone who isn't afraid of heights.  You can usually clear the gutters from the ground, but if you have pine trees or other trees in your yard, you'll need someone to get high enough to remove the debris. Debris can accumulate in the valleys of the roof and cause rain water to seep into the crevices and create a leak.The first photo is a pic I took this Spring while showing homes in a nearby neighborhood. This roof is a disaster waiting to happen!... 05/14/2024

Flowood MS is home to a new, exciting neighborhood called Bristol Crossing. Bristol Crossing is located off Hugh Ward Blvd and Manship Road on the northwest side of Lakeland Drive (see map below).Phase One is in the early stage of development with a dozen or so homes under construction. The first homes are slated for completion in March 2024. The starting price point for homes in Bristol Crossing is $399,900, with a minimum square footage of 2,000 heated and cooled square feet. All homes are four bedrooms with standard amenities you will appreciate like luxury vinyl tile or engineered flooring, soaker tub with separate shower in the primary bedroom, double vanities, and open floor plans.The first video below shows the current status of construction of the neighborhood while the second v... 03/24/2024

My phone rang bright and early this morning. On the other end of the phone, a lady said "Do you want to sell my house?" Well, certainly I do. (Let's find out more about the mystery caller).Turns out, it was a nonagenarian (I'll wait while you look it up) calling to sell the home she had lived in for 31 years. When we met in person, I learned today is her birthday.She woke up this morning and decided today was the day. Her "gift" to herself was to list her home with me, a Seniors Real Estate Specialist.I am pleased Miss Martha decided to call me to list her home. The mystery was solved when she told me where she lived. I had canvassed her neighborhood six months ago and she saved my contact info.Happy Birthday, Miss Martha. Now let's get your home sold! 11/16/2023

It doesn't take much to make a good first impression, right? A little effort can go a long way, regardless of the situation. Today my buyer client saw her new home "in person" for the very first time.  We went under contract about five weeks ago. Since the purchaser lived several states away, we did a video conference during my initial showing appointment.The house was stunning. It was obvious the seller took excellent care of this home, and it had a warm, happy feel.Although the home had multiple offers, we were the successful bidders and went under contract.The buyer was naturally nervous to buy a home sight unseen, but when we walked through the front door of her new home today, all fears dissipated. The first thing I noticed was a pleasant clean scent. The hardwood floors were gleam... 09/26/2023

Excitement has been swirling around the construction and Grand Opening of the new Aldi Supermarket on Lakeland Drive in Flowood.  Since today was Opening Day, I had to see what the buzz was all about. I brought my reusable grocery bags and a quarter for the shopping cart. The parking lot was full when I arrived. I grabbed my cart and immediately was bumper to bumper with other shoppers. It seems everyone got the memo that today was Opening Day. The store was full of friendly, smiling faces, but as I mentioned, shoppers and grocery carts were everywhere. If you couldn't go down the produce line, you went down the center isles, which is where the seasonal goods and "Aldi's Finds" are located. I went a little wild as I found gardening supplies at great prices.Before I knew it, my cart was ... 06/08/2023

Three months ago, I checked my renewal status as a licensed Real Estate Agent. I needed to take a couple of CE classes to complete my Continuing Education requirements for the next two years, so I hopped online and promptly ordered the required Agency and Law Classes. I had 90 days to complete the courses; plenty of time, right?As usual, life and work (and procrastination) got in the way. June arrived and I was facing a deadline. In my mind, I had until June 15th to complete the courses. Not ideal, but eleven days was plenty of time to tackle the two 4-hour classes.Except when I found the link for the classes, I discovered I had four days to finish both classes, plus exams to get my certificates for the MS Real Estate Commission.FOUR DAYS! Ouch!Sunday afternoon, I quickly started the fi... 06/05/2023

My little plot of land in Brandon MS provides a very small space for a garden. In fact, when I moved here a few years ago, absolutely nothing was planted in the back yard. The front was filled with crepe myrtles, Indian Hawthorn, Lorapetalum,  and a Japanese Maple; all of which I loved, but the back yard is where I spend my time.So before I even moved in, I brought some potted daylilies from my previous home and built a new daylily bed. It gives me such pleasure in May and June. The blooms replenish themselves each year and though the initial planting was labor intensive, I am rewarded with the steady supply of blooms in late spring. As the plants multiply, I have added daylilies around my mailbox and on one side of the house.Because I have such a small yard, and because Central Mississ... 05/26/2023

Today was Realtor Open House Day in my neighborhood. Three homes were on preview, all priced between $399,000 - $420,000.As I was leaving the first home on the tour, a car pulled up and rolled down the window. The driver asked if I was showing the home or if it was open to anyone, as the Realtor Open House signs were posted on the property. I explained it was for Realtors, but she appeared very interested, so I agreed to show her the home.While we toured the home, the prospect told me more about what she was looking for, the number of bedrooms and baths, etc. Coincidentally, the other homes on the schedule fit the criteria, so I offered to show her the other two homes as well.The theme of the Open House was Cinco de Mayo, and a Mexican lunch was served at the last house. Since I picked ... 05/04/2023

Step into the time machine and travel to the mid 70's. Young and in love, my boyfriend and I were engaged to be married. I'm not sure how the topic of buying a house came up; I'm not sure we even discussed it. My parents had always owned a home, so we assumed we would own a home one day, too.My dad worked for the largest employer in town, the local factory, so he knew a lot of people. He came home from work one day and mentioned an older couple wanted to sell their home. He asked if I was interested. It was an incredible opportunity to own a 3 bedroom, one bath home for the AMAZING price of $9,500! We said YES to seeing the home, and YES to the address.What is more incredible than purchasing a home for $9,500 is the seller offered us all their furniture for an additional $1,000. So for ... 04/13/2023

We closed yesterday on this gorgeous 3 BR/2 Bath home in Rankin County. I'm happy and thankful for my client, but it is a mixed blessing because my friend/seller is moving four hours away.The home sold with multiple offers (yes!) and we accepted the one most favorable to the seller. Price isn't the only consideration when submitting an offer with multiples on the table; terms and conditions play an important role in being the winning bid.My seller was the ultimate client. She knew she needed to make the home as attractive as possible. Honestly, the house showed great before she implemented any staging techniques, but her efforts combined with our marketing and pricing strategy, we received top dollar for my clients' property.A few details about the home:Gorgeous and move-in ready, this ... 03/30/2023