Aurilia McDonald-Your Real Estate Girl, Fathom Realty

Do you need an update on the current real estate market? The market is constantly moving but I am staying up to date! As a local expert and your professional real estate agent, I can give you insight into current buying and selling trends and help you navigate the ever-changing market. Message me if you're interested in getting updated on the current market!

One of the biggest benefits of buying a home is making an investment and building equity. When you buy a home, you are building equity over time. As you make mortgage payments, you accumulate ownership in the property, which can be a valuable asset. Over time, your home may appreciate in value, allowing you to potentially sell it for a profit.

Explore homes near local farmers' markets and embrace farm-to-table living. Proximity to fresh, seasonal produce can enhance your culinary experiences and support local agriculture.

A home inspection examines a property's safety and current condition. A buyer typically arranges and pays for a home inspection and depending on the findings may choose to move on to closing, renegotiate the sale price, request repairs, or back out of the deal. A home inspection is not the same as a home appraisal, which is required by a lender to determine the value of a property for which a buyer is seeking a mortgage.

Choosing to buy or rent a home is a big decision. For a lot of people, owning a home is worth it because it gives a sense of security and stability that renting won’t always bring. If you are on the fence debating whether it’s best to buy or rent your next house, read on. Below are some of the major reasons why buying a home might be better than renting for you.

Curb appeal refers to how attractive a home appears when a potential buyer walks or drives by, or looks at your home online. This includes exterior elements such as the landscaping, roof, front door and driveway. If you don’t take care of your home’s curb appeal, you could miss out on potential buyers.

When you’re buying a house and you’re nearly at the finish line, you’ll get to do a final walkthrough of your property before closing day. The final walkthrough is your chance to make sure everything is in order and that your new home is ready for you. Let’s take a closer look at what you might want to do during the final walkthrough.
-Check all the lights to make sure there are no electrical issues.
-Check all doors & windows to make sure they open, close, and lock properly.
-Test the HVAC system.

According to a national survey, if there’s one thing that all homeowners can agree on—from Baby Boomers to Millennials—it’s the love for a spacious back porch. What feature is most important to you?

The way you present your house matters - if it's cluttered and messy, buyers may assume you haven't taken good care of the house, even if you have. Don't assume potential buyers will overlook your clutter and focus on your house's potential. Get rid of the clutter, and make your house look as spacious and inviting as possible when you are getting ready to list your home!

Are you in the market to buy land? Maybe you aren’t finding the home of your dreams and you’ve decided to start from the ground up - literally. Once you’ve evaluated your finances and have some land you want to purchase, be sure to do these five important things before you buy.

Here are some pros and cons of fixer-upper houses to keep in mind.

PROS:�
- Usually a lower purchase price: Although you’ll likely need to spend more on renovating.
�-Less competition: Generally speaking, there is less competition for fixer-upper homes.�
-Chance to customize your home: Once you buy a fixer-upper house, you have the freedom to do whatever you’d like to it.

CONS:�
-Expensive renovations: Depending on the renovations, you may end up breaking even/spending more than you intended.
�-Unexpected issues: Even if you get an inspection, there can be unexpected issues, especially if the house is older.

Question time! Our job is to make sure you don’t have to choose when it comes to the things that matter most to you, but sometimes a house you love won’t check every box. When buying your next house, which of these is more important to you? Comment down below.

Curious how much your property is worth? All too often, sellers underestimate or overestimate the value of their home. When determining the value of your home, some of the most important factors that are considered will be:
-Neighborhood comps
-Location
-Home size and usable space
-Age and condition
-The local market

A lock period offers the borrower peace of mind when it comes to protection from rising interest rates while the lender processes the loan application. Processing times vary by jurisdiction, but the length of the lock should roughly mirror local average approval periods.

It goes without saying, getting pre-approved for a mortgage is one of the first things you should do when getting ready to buy a house. Here is a list of the documents you will likely need to ensure that happens! Requirements may vary but you can start compiling these items now to get a head start on the process.

It is common to see homeowners put a lot of attention into staging the main living areas of the home and brush off the bathrooms. While spots like the kitchen and living room are definitely very important, so are the bathrooms. Home buyers are going to do a lot more than just check off whether yours has enough of them or not! Put your best foot forward by sprucing up your bathrooms before you hit the market.

Spring has long been considered the best time to try and sell a home. After a long, tedious winter, many people are itching to get out. The days are getting longer, and the weather is more pleasant—not too cold, and not too hot. For buyers, springtime is often the best time as it allows for enough time to process a mortgage, move, and get settled in for summer.

If your dream home appraises for lower than the asking price, you may still want the home. However, your mortgage lender may not want to lend you the money for the asking price since the home may not actually be worth that amount. There could be a price negotiation, an appraisal rebuttal, or you may simply end up walking away under the protection of an appraisal contingency. Has this ever happened to you?

If a potential buyer sees your home online and likes your listing, there is a good chance they will drive by the property to get a feel for the area. Keep this in mind once your home hits the market as maintaining curb appeal will help keep those buyers interested.

Don’t count the dining room out! If you aren’t planning on using the standard dining room space in your home to eat, you can consider that a bonus room during your home buying journey. Keep that in mind if you are willing to turn the space into something useful for your family like an office or a playroom.

While it is important for your entire home to be welcoming, you should focus on your highlighted rooms when staging. If you know that your cozy living room is a selling point, be sure to stage it well.

A real estate agent can get broader exposure for your property, help you negotiate a better deal, and dedicate more time to your sale. Agents bring expertise to complex transactions with many potential financial and legal pitfalls. You don’t have to hire an agent, but the benefits speak for themselves. If you are ready to sell and want the perks of having an agent, contact me today!

Tax season doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Are you thinking about buying a home? If you getting ready to file and are expecting a refund, consider using it as a down payment! If you’re ready to put that money to good use and want to know what is available in your market, contact me today.

Have you ever wondered what property taxes are? Property taxes vary by area and can impact a buyer’s choice to buy and a seller’s choice to sell. If you are currently looking to buy and want to know what to expect with property taxes in your area, let’s talk!

Don’t let these items get lost in the chaos of a move. Make sure you check off this items ahead of time to make moving day much smoother. If you’re ready to move, let’s talk today.

A backup offer is a legally binding contract that ensures that if the first offer falls through your offer is next in line. Backup offers in real estate are great if you found your dream home and don’t want to miss your chance. If the initial offer falls through, the accepted backup offer, or the second offer, goes straight to contract.

Cash to close includes the total closing costs minus any fees that are rolled into the loan amount. It also includes your down payment, and subtracts the earnest money deposit you might have made when your offer was accepted, plus any seller credits.

Do you know the difference between being pre-qualified and pre-approved? This breakdown can help clarify how the two differ and what you will need to know for each process.

Earnest money is a deposit made to a seller that represents a buyer's good faith to buy a home. The money gives the buyer extra time to get financing and conduct the title search, property appraisal, and inspections before closing. In many ways, earnest money can be considered a deposit on a home, an escrow deposit, or good faith money.

There is no out of pocket cost to a buyer to hire an agent for the home buying process. Save yourself time, energy, and sleep, and hire an expert to walk you through each step.