Hall You Need To Know!

So much has changed over the past few months with mortgage rates and the market. We have rates that have spiked up pretty fast and a small slowdown from buyers AND sellers. However, in no way have we arrived to a normal market just yet; the seller's market is still in affect but things are changing. Realtors, lenders and all Real Estate professionals are starting to see these changes all over the country. What are these changes you ask? Many reports are showing the market is in for some kind a shift in the next few months or so. This shift is going to affect prices, supply, and demand. I want to focus on the point that a shift is not a crash. Many prospective buyers and sellers are waiting for that moment of a full crash when in reality, this is more of a shift for the better.... think of it as a "market correction".  Fannie Mae reported that both homebuilding and home sales are headed for a slowdown. Zillow economist, Jeff Tucker stated that the slowdown has already arr...

In a seller's market, it definitely makes it easier to find a buyer for your home. However, to get the most profit from your home, you need to know how to prep the inside and outside to get the best sale you can get. Below is a checklist of the best items to focus on when preparing to sell.  1) Basic Updates - This includes both interior and exterior items.  Replacing broken bulbs, switches, ceiling fans, door knobs, leaky faucets, loose railings and steps, and much more If you have any holes, scratches or dents in your walls, get those repaired and freshly painted Fix and cracked windows Update fixtures and hardware in the entryway, kitchen, and bathrooms Updating appliances will help greatly. If you have outdated or less efficient appliances, updating those to newer models will appeal to buyers 2) Clean and Declutter Depersonalize your home by removing any family photos, personal collections and other items that may distract the buyer when walking through the home. Remember,...

On the daily, I hear from potential buyers and sellers that they are waiting for the right time to buy or sell. I also hear many people saying that they're waiting for the market to crash because we're in a bubble. Today, we'll dive into this question and see if we really are "in a bubble".  What are some warning signs of the market crashing? Typically you see the Federal Reserve taking some actions, high inflation, and a significant increase of prices in a short period of time. Simply looking at this on the surface, there are definitely some warning signs we need to take into account. However, there are so many other signs showing that it could go the other way too.  According to Keeping Current Matters  the different between the crash in the mid-2000s and now is that prices have skyrocketed due to a lack of inventory. from 2005 to 2007, the amount of homes in supply actually increased along with the prices too which is definitely not common. With inventory strug...

As solar panels become more and more and affordable, homeowners are opening up to investing in solar panels even more now. I'd like to point out that I call solar panels an "investment" because it truly is a large purchase that you invest into your home and future.  My husband and I just recently purchased solar panels for our home in Northern Virginia. There were many factors that made us consider this but one of the most intriguing points was that our roof was in a perfect position to soak up sun for the majority of the day. In addition, we were hoping to eliminate another bill every month since electricity companies can continue to increase prices as the years go on. Below, I'm going to go through some of the many things we learned throughout this process -  1) Get quotes, a lot of quotes. There are so many solar companies all over the country that claim to be #1. All of them claim to be the most affordable and the most reliable. Choose the quote that is best for y...

The holidays have come and gone so quickly that it was hard to reflect on how fast this past year went. With the new covid variant raging throughout the US, time with friends and family may have looked a little different these past few months. With that said, the start of the new year brought and exciting new start for many.  Within the first week, much of the eastern shore received a sudden snow storm that caught many off guard. Many were even enjoying the high 60 degree weather just days before. With temperatures so high and optimism in the air, the snow storm hit Virginia hard with 5-10 inches of snow throughout the state.  The snowstorm hit quickly but the affects lasted days. Thousands of power outages were reported all over and many were out of power for days. My husband and I got hit hard; our power was out for about 48 hours but we know many were hit harder. For some neighborhoods, power is still out here in Fredericksburg, VA.  This snowstorm has brought up much ...