Buying a Home After College

Are you a recent college graduate interested in buying a home? Even if the ink isn't dry on your diploma yet, taking on homeownership could be a good move. You can build equity and set yourself up for a bright financial future.

You'll also gain a comfortable place to decompress at the end of the workday. But the benefits — and responsibilities — don't end there. Read on to find the complete guide to buying a home as a recent college graduate!

The Unique Challenges of Being a College Grad

When you're young, you could face some disadvantages as a homebuyer. You won't have the same work history or experience. So you'll need to take stock of your financial picture first. First-time home buyers have many advantages

What Does Contingent Mean in Real Estate?

When searching for a home for sale, you may have encountered a variety of different sales statuses online including contingent real estate listings. Beyond just “for sale” and “closed,” you may have also seen other common sales statuses such as “pending” or “contingent.” These phrases indicate where in the sales process the home is in. Understanding the differences between these statuses can help you identify properties that may still be available for purchase, and will help you better understand how to move forward if you’re interested in putting in an offer on any of them.

A contingency clause doesn't necessarily mean all hope is lost for prospective buyers. Different states have different laws as it

How to Sell a House By Owner (FSBO)

Before selling your home for sale by owner, it's important to understand the pros and cons, what's involved, and what to expect throughout the process. The question should I sell my home for sale by owner or without a Realtor® is likely one asked by every home seller with the thought of trying to save money.

Do you really save money though when you sell by owner? Let's find out:

We have over three hundred thousand people visiting our website each month looking at homes for sale in Raleigh and almost all of them want to work with a top local Realtor®. We would imagine it's the same in most real estate markets around the country as we have found the same to be true of homes for sale in Charlotte as well.

The three most important factors when buying a home are location, location, and location.

Too often I hear people talking about making decisions based on the home itself, instead of the location, and that is a mistake. 

What is it about the location that makes it so vital to real estate investing?

The condition and price of any home can be changed. You can even change the size of the house. The one thing you can't change is the home's location. A great location can change an entire neighborhood seemingly overnight as happened in Downtown Raleigh.

Supply and demand are two factors that will always play a role in real estate appreciation. Housing supply in great locations is limited to the number of homes in that location.

The location

How to Sell a Home in Bad Condition

Chances are you came across this article because you're wondering how to sell a home in bad condition. 

Homes with beautifully updated kitchens, impeccable landscaping, in new condition will receive thousands of views online and will likely sell in a matter of hours instead of days. Homes in bad condition will be harder to sell - they can still be sold though!

So how do we go about selling a home in bad condition?

This topic is more complicated than it might sound, because "poor condition" is really a spectrum rather than a set description. Additionally, other factors like the real estate market and your location can impact what it means for you to sell a house in bad condition.

Let's take a deep dive

Does Selling Your Home With a Realtor® Net You More Money?

Selling your home For Sale By Owner (FSBO as it’s referred to in the Real Estate world) makes a lot of sense for homeowners on the surface. It’s an opportunity to save on the commission you’d normally pay a Realtor® to sell your home. It’s the number one reason someone sells their home For Sale By Owner, to save on the commission. By saving on the commission, the data shows you’re actually losing on the net and that a Real Estate Agent is worth their commission. Here's the data:

You Net More Money When You Use A Realtor®, Numbers Don’t Lie:

For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Statistics

It’s interesting why the founder of Craigslist, Craig Newmark, openly says he loves his Realtor®,

What Are the Best Paint Colors to Sell a Home?

If you're searching online for the best paint colors to sell a home you've likely come across Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray, Repose Gray, and Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter. These are the best selling paint colors and have been for quite some time. They are used on the interior walls by almost every production builder when they sell new construction homes. These builders have done a lot of research to determine what is the best paint color to sell their homes.

With nearly infinite home paint color options, however, this choice can feel completely overwhelming. This is why we decided to analyze the best paint colors in both a general sense and to break it down room by room.

Let's take a look at what

Millennial homebuyers are on the rise and for good reason - interest rates are low. With the rise of student loan debt, frequent career shifts, and living through the 2008 housing crisis, many may consider millennials to be financially insecure and averse to home ownership. However, research surprisingly points in the opposite direction. According to a 2018 Bank of America survey, the vast majority of millennials, more than 72%, consider homeownership to be their top priority. The only live event that ranked higher was retirement, at 80%. Getting married and having children fell lower on the list, at 50% and 44% respectively. To the millennial generation, owning a home is not only a wise investment option – it is a fundamental value intrinsic to the

7 Home Improvement Projects That Add Value to a Home

Home improvement projects are one of the best ways to add value to a home. Every year, Americans spend more than $400 billion on repairing and renovating their residential homes. Not all home improvement projects will add value though so place close attention to the ones that are likely to do so!

Whether you are looking to make upgrades for yourself and your family to enjoy or you are doing so before putting your house on the market, an important consideration is a return on investment. From curb appeal to kitchen remodels to the best flooring options, we are going to dive into all the ways you can add value to your home with home improvement projects!

So, which home improvement project can

7 Things to Know About a Home Inspection

Many buyers and sellers will ask us as their Realtor® what do we need to know about the home inspection?

Let's jump in and take a look at everything you need to know about a home inspection:

1. What Is a Home Inspection?

A home inspection is a part of the home buying process in which an inspector will observe the home and include their findings in a written home inspection report. 

After you go under contract, it is common for the buyer to hire a home inspector in order to perform a visual observation of the house. The home inspector will identify safety, health, or major mechanical issues in line with the standards of the state ensuring everything is to code.

A home inspector will look for things