Lali Astudillo, Realtor

Limewash is making a comeback as natural design continues to maintain popularity in the home trend space. While it looks organic and can even been done as a DIY project, you typically can't wipe it clean like you can with painted walls so it might not be ideal for high-traffic areas in your home. Do you love the limewash look or will you sit this one out?

Getting pre-approved gives you a solid understanding of what you can afford, what you’ll be able to borrow, and your overall budget.
You’ll gain a competitive advantage when making an offer - get a step ahead of other buyers by securing a mortgage pre-approval.
You’ll be alerted to potential financial problems that can all be taken care of before making an offer on a home.
Lastly, you’ll accelerate the home-buying process!

Today is the best day to decide to start saving for a house. Saving for a down payment can take time, depending on how much you’re able to save each month. If you’re not able to save as much, starting sooner will ensure you have enough time to save up for your down payment to buy a house when you want or need to.

Selling a house as-is can come with advantages. When you sell a home in its current condition, you don’t need to make any home improvements. Since you’re not making repairs, you can list your home sooner. An “as-is” property has a greater chance of receiving an all-cash offer. These offers let you skip the mortgage approval process and speed through a closing. Selling a home as-is can reduce contingencies and typically lowers closing costs. With that in mind, you can’t command market value for a home that needs work. You’ll have to reduce your price to compensate for necessary repairs. Not every buyer wants a project. Some want a move-in ready home, but your property may not fit the criteria.

Wondering what your home is worth? An agent can look at the current housing market and use a comparative market analysis to assess your home’s valuation. Having an agent assess your home’s value is less detailed than what you’d receive with a professional appraiser, but it’s still a good option to get an idea of what your home would sell for. Real estate agents can make recommendations, like ways to improve the aesthetic appeal of your house, in order to increase the value of your home.

While sometimes professional staging isn’t needed, it can often make the difference between a fast sale with competitive bids, and stale listings that force price reductions to stimulate action. Realtors and homeowners share a common goal: sell for the highest price, in the shortest time. Staging is one way to stack the odds in your favor, in both seller’s and buyer’s markets.

To calculate your equity at any given time, you’ll need to know the value of your home. Only a home appraisal can determine what your home is worth in today’s market. You can also estimate your home’s value by looking at comparable home sales in your area or by checking with online real estate listings that provide home value estimates.

If there is one thing that is consistent about the housing market, it is that it is constantly changing. If you’re a homeowner, we want to hear from you. When did you buy your home and what was the market like? Are you happy with your purchase?

Return on investment (ROI) is a performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency or profitability of an investment. Ask any real estate expert what the #1 upgrade with the greatest return is, and the answer will be the kitchen. The average recoup? 81-93%!

When applying for a mortgage, the down payment is your contribution toward the purchase and represents your initial ownership stake in the home. The mortgage lender provides the rest of the money to buy the property. Lenders require a down payment for most mortgages. However, some types of loans backed by the federal government, like VA loans, may not require down payments.

Wondering why getting pre-approved is important? You’ll put yourself ahead of the curve by getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Being pre-approved before you step into the housing market not only makes you a better-informed shopper, you’ll also be a more attractive buyer to potential sellers.

Wondering what to avoid when selling your home? Here’s a quick list of 7 common mistakes:
- Not expecting home-selling costs
- Selling without an agent�
- Pricing it wrong�
- Skimping on staging�
- Using bad listing photos�
- Taking a low offer personally
- Limiting showings

Your down payment isn’t all you need to bring to the closing table when you buy a home. Closing costs are expenses beyond the down payment, such as appraisal fees, attorney fees, and escrow funds that you pay on closing day.

There is a reason that a great majority of home sellers choose to use an agent. Having a licensed agent on your side simplifies the buying and selling process. We set up showings and help you with all the minute details of negotiation. Don’t spend any more time than you need to trying to sell your home - leave that to us!

The perks of homeownership are endless. From stable monthly payments provided by a fixed rate mortgage, to the opportunity to build equity, to the freedom to remodel and make changes to your property. If you’re ready to reap the benefits, let’s chat.

Funds or assets held in escrow are temporarily transferred to and held by a third party, usually on behalf of a buyer and seller to facilitate a transaction. It’s used in real estate transactions to protect both the buyer and the seller during the home buying process. Throughout the term of the mortgage, an escrow account can hold funds for taxes and homeowners insurance.

Curb appeal, at its core, is what your home looks like from the outside. That initial glimpse of its exterior is a big deal - it can either catch the eye of potential buyers or immediately stop them from considering your home as an option in their journey. Improving your home’s curb appeal can help you bring in buyers and get top dollar for your sale.

Don’t add another full-time job to your plate when it comes to buying and selling a home. Agents train and invest their time to be a major asset in the home buying and selling processes. With our experience, we know how to find a home you love, how to negotiate for the best deal, and how to make the process seamless. If you’re ready to buy or sell, let’s talk.

In most cases, sellers will ask for a good faith deposit which is also called earnest money. This safeguards the interests of both the seller and the buyer. Earnest money shows the seller you’re serious about buying the home, which can be reassuring to them if they agree to take the house off of the market while awaiting the appraisal and inspection results.

Markets in a Minute Enjoy this quick update on what's going on in the housing and financial markets.

Fair market value is usually determined by taking the average of three or more comparable homes in the area. The FMV helps both buyers and sellers get a sense of how much a home is worth. Real estate agents typically use this number to figure out a price or price range in which a home will sell. Are you interested in the fair market value of your home? Let’s talk today!

Depending on your needs, hiring a moving company may or may not be the right move for you. If you’ve moved before, did you hire movers? How was your experience if so? For those of you who moved yourselves, do you wish you would’ve hired movers? Let’s chat in the comments!

Pre-approval is as close as you can get to confirming your creditworthiness without having a purchase contract in place. You will complete a mortgage application and the lender will verify the information you provide. They’ll also perform a credit check. If you’re pre-approved, you’ll receive a pre-approval letter, which is an offer to lend you a specific amount, good for typically 90 days.

What’s keeping you away from homeownership? If you're going to pay monthly for your housing expenses, why not pay towards something you own? Somewhere you can make renovations, and potentially increase the value of your home over time. If you're ready to buy, contact me today!

If you’re a homeowner, think back to your experience being a first-time buyer. What do you wish you would’ve known? What would you tell first-time buyers before they enter the world of homeownership? We would love to hear from you!

When buying a home, it pays to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision. During the due diligence stage, you'll want to give every aspect of the transaction a once-over before closing. Among other things, you will want to review your appraisal and inspection before the due diligence period ends.

What are you in the market for? Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home, we can help. Our role in the process can look different depending on what your needs are. For some clients, an agent may be the listing agent for the home you are selling as well as your buyer’s agent if you are purchasing a different home. No matter what you need, we are here to help. Let’s chat!

When you start considering a property, there are a few key things you should always try to look at before making your decision. While some factors, like size, can potentially be adjusted in the future, others, like location, cannot. Here are 5 factors you should consider when buying a property.

Do you know the difference? Assessed value is the amount your local government thinks your home is worth - this is what is used to determine property taxes. Appraised value is the amount a professional home appraiser thinks your home is worth. This amount is typically used by lenders when considering a mortgage application.