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Quick tidbits of advice and ideas about real estate.

In years past, heated flooring was a truly luxurious home feature, available in only high-end properties. In this century, though, heated floors are more affordable and reliable, and have gained popularity in every type of home. Tiny houses, apartments, single-family homes—even vans and buses—have either been designed with heated flooring or have been converted in recent years. Still, it’s not all good news when it comes to these comfort-boosting systems. Read on to learn more about some pros and cons of heated flooring.

Pros

1.) Compatible With Many Types of Flooring

Let’s first debunk the notion that heated floors can only be installed under tile or stone flooring. While these materials are excellent at conducting radiant heat, a skilled…

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Buying a second home is a dream come true for many. Whether it’s a retirement home, a vacation home, or your first step toward real estate, investing in a second property is a notable achievement in your portfolio. Like a first-time home purchase, a second property requires a down payment, and many consider using their home equity as seed money for funding the investment.  

The short answer to whether you can use your home equity to buy another home is yes, you can. Let’s look at the whole process to see how this works.

Steps For Getting a Home Equity Loan To Buy Your Second Home

1.) Determine How Much You Need

Before using your equity to buy your second home, determine how much you need for the down payment and closing costs. Next,…

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Owning a home is still very much a part of the American dream. However, did you know that non-U.S. citizens can also enjoy this? While there are challenges to homeownership if you are not a citizen, know that lenders are open to extending credit to non-citizen homebuyers.

Let's look at how you can qualify for a home loan even when you are a foreigner residing in the U.S.

Residency Status

Permanent residents with green cards have a better chance of getting a loan since they represent less risk for lenders due to their immigration status, which indicates they are in the country for the long haul.

Nonpermanent residents may encounter more challenges getting approved since their ability to work in the U.S. is tied to their visa. However,…

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Given the option, you would most likely choose not to stage your home while you’re still living in it. However, it’s not uncommon to have to prepare to show your home before you’ve closed on your new home. Don’t despair; while it is definitely more challenging to keep a home show-ready while it’s occupied, it’s certainly doable. 

First, let’s look at why staging a home is so important. According to recent research conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR),  31% of realtors reported that home staging greatly reduced the amount of time a home remained on the market. 23% of both sellers and agents reported netting up to 5% more than the asking price, while 18% of sellers’ agents said they closed for up to 10% over asking. 

None of the…

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Buying a home is an exciting, yet complicated process. You will have many decisions to make along the way, including your ideal neighborhoods, budget, and timing for your move. Whether you are buying your first home or purchasing a home in a new location, you should know: one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing your real estate agent.

In today’s article, we’re sharing our tips for selecting the right agent for you. While there are hundreds of qualified, personable, hard-working agents in Middle Tennessee, the following tips will help you narrow the field.

1.) Invest Your Time

Some buyers spend more time choosing a hotel for their vacation than they do researching their real estate agent. Yet for most homeowners, their…

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Upon request, I can send you massively long documents with lists of reasons to use a listing agent including everything we do for you! For the sake of this post, I will attempt to keep it... semi-brief... maybe ;)⁠

Selling a home can be an emotional process for even the least sentimental of folks. You have way more tied up in your home other than just money. There are memories of gatherings, growth, change, and impactful times tied to your home address. Even when you're ready to move onto the next chapter of your life, there are still phases of processing the close of your previous chapter!⁠

Opening your home for sale opens up the door for challenging questions you may not be prepared for. Your listing agent can help to filter the stressors that can…

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We know that getting a mortgage as a self-employed individual can be more challenging than a W2 employee. This is not a reason, however, to let go of your dream to own a house. Follow our tips below for a smooth mortgage approval experience as a self-employed home shopper.

What Lenders Are Looking For?

Self-employed home buyers submit the same application forms as everyone else, the only difference is lenders have more rigorous requirements when it comes to proof of income.

In regards to your self-employed income, you’ll need to prove the following:

  • Business stability

  • Nature and location of your self-employment

  • Financial strength of your business and its ability to generate sufficient income for the foreseeable…

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If you want to know if FHA loans permit cash back to the borrower, then you’re in the right place. Here’s what you need to know about getting cashback on this popular government-backed home loan.

How Cash Back Works With Refinancing

A cash-out refinance is designed to give the borrower more than $500 cashback at closing. The FHA’s cash-out program allows you to cash out a portion of your equity and loan up to 85% of your home’s value.

You can receive less or up to $500 cashback when closing either a “no cash-out” refinance or a streamlined refinance. These refinance programs change your monthly payments with the streamlined program resulting in lower monthly payments or better loan terms.   

Note that in cases where an FHA refinance loan…

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Powering your home with solar energy, whether fully or in part, is certainly eco-friendly. Most of us are looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint, and switching to solar power will help you achieve great strides toward your goal.

Let’s go over a few pros and cons you may wish to consider as you determine whether converting to solar power is right for you.

Pros

1.) Solar is Sustainable

When compared to consuming non-renewable fuels, it’s clear that solar power is infinitely more sustainable. Long after we’ve ceased powering our civilizations with fossil fuels and other combustibles, we will have access to solar, wind, and water power. By switching your home to solar now, you’re helping to move your community toward…

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A home purchase is one of the biggest investments you can make so adding a layer of protection against property ownership issues makes sense. That’s where title insurance comes in. As a quick refresher, a “title” serves as proof that you are the owner with rights to the property. Read along to find out how title insurance works and why it is vital in a home purchase.

Why do you need title insurance on your new home?

Title insurance is meant to protect home buyers and lenders from any damages or losses due to a “bad title”. A title can become “bad” due to code violations, back taxes, liens, and conflicting wills. Another common situation where after the sale of a property, it turns out that the seller does not have any legal claim to it or the…

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