... Is a home buying strategy with many advantages

At a time when real estate inventory continues to increase

home buyers remain very particular in what they are looking for

and there is a real fear of the pressure that exists

when they only have a limited time to select a home

and its the exact reason that many choose to make their purchase

before they ever put their home on the market

and if you are open minded to doing so

you open the door to possibilities that wouldn't exist otherwise

imagine for a moment

being able to to renovate your new home

before you begin to move in

• new flooring
• fresh paint
• new kitchen cabinets and back splash
• updated bathrooms

all could be done relatively quickly

you could selectively begin to move in 1 room at a time

while the work is being done

and your final move in would be into a new home

that will need little, if any work done, for the foreseeable future

and in the process, your previous home will be empty and clean

making it much easier to complete any repairs or touch ups

to get the home ready for a profitable sale

that will very likely breeze through the inspection process

this opens the door to the widest pool of buyers

the hidden bonus is that this option relieves most of the stress involved

when trying to sell and buy at the same time

and removes the need to purchase with home sale contingencies

that can cost you money

or even worse

cause you to miss out on the home that you really want

as most sellers are averse to taking a chance that your home sale doesn't close

today's show gives your real life scenarios to guide you through the process

Did We Just Enter Into A Buyers Market...    

... A lot of home buyers are certainly feeling that way right now

We have seen a steady increase in the number of homes for sale

And homes are taking longer to sell

but does that actually mean that its a buyers market

most real estate experts consider 6 months of inventory

as the line of demarcation when determining what type of market it is

less than 6 months of inventory is a sellers market

6 months of inventory is a balanced market

more than 6 months of inventory is a buyers market

we are finding that many areas of the country are hovering

right around the middle 

and when this happens

those watching the market

are looking for signs of which direction

it will be heading in the short and long term

and during these times

both sides feel like they can win

listen in to learn more about what we feel is about to happen

Springtime Tips To Make You More Money At The Closing Table...  

... here are the Top things that you should do before you go on the market

start with decluttering the home

make decisions to store, sell, or donate

any items that are in the home currently

then get the home deep cleaned 

don't cut corners on this

kitchen and bathroom cleanliness

can make the difference between getting a solid offer

as opposed to a low offer 

or even no offers at all

then make a repair list

list the items can you repair on your own a little to no cost

and get that done quickly

then list the items do you need to hire out to avoid inspection issues

and get those scheduled right away

a home that is turnkey will sell for more money 

and also create a bigger pool of buyers

the exterior of your home should not be forgotten

it doesn't matter how nice it is inside

if it doesn't have curb appeal outside

then buyers may choose not to go inside

its super important to have the yard looking its best

and the same goes for the house paint, roof, gutters, and trees

these are all big ticket items

that most buyers would prefer to avoid paying for after closing

sellers making it easier and more convenient for home buyers

hold the winning ticket to receive

the most amount of money in their pocket at the closing table

today's show explains what to do and how to do it

The Fed Interest Rate Move...     

... Wasn't A Move At All

Interest rates, once again, remain unchanged

In all honesty, the real estate industry doesn't need it right now

At a time when market activity historically increases

It isn't necessarily important to the real estate industry

The time period right after tax season closes out

combined with the end of the school year

is an annual rewenal of interest for many home buyers and sellers

whether they are upsizing or downsizing their home

some may be getting ready to buy a retirement property

whiles others are seeking an investment property for additional income

regardless of the reason

this is the season where the most people are in the market most years

and with that, there will likely be an increase in new listings

which in turn will lead to a spike in home sales

most of which will close by the month August

According to the National Association of Realtors

More than 80% of Metro Markets nationwide (189 of 228)

saw home values increase in the 1st quarter of 2025

and there is a belief that this will continue over the summer month

today's show is a lively conversation regarding why this is happening

Delay Your Taxes Even Longer... 

... is something that almost everyone wants to do

A 1031 Exchange is something that I have spent a lot of time on over the years

Its a tax strategy used when selling a property

that allows the seller to defer (delay) the tax due

until a subsequent sale has been completed

this allows them to put more of the money to work

and pay the taxes somewhere down the road

I have discussed it in a number of forums recently

in the spirtit of contribution

to the real estate community

there is another layer that can be added

when a seller decides that they want to take their profits

and use them for something other than a real estate purchase

let's suppose that you have a need for some of the money now

but not all of it right away

and what you would really like 

is to have an income from the sale

for 10, 20 or even 30 years

you could "become the bank"

and finance the purchase for your buyer

they would give you a down payment

and make monthly payments

just like they would if they got the money from their bank

the difference is that you receive installments each month

and would only pay tax on what you receive in a year

based on your cost basis and profits from the sale

which allows you to spread out the tax due for many years

you should definitely talk to your tax planner

before you make any moves like this

but for some sellers and investors

this is the exact right strategy

today's show walks you through a number of scenarios

...its the time of year where things go faster and differently

tax season is now done

and there is an increase in real estate activity level

most people have a very clear financial picture

documents are readily available for those that will apply for mortgages

snowbirds consider selling their homes

those nearing retirement are looking for to relocate

landlords are looking to cash in

investors are looking to add to their portfolio

the school year has ended

which always add buyers and sellers to the market

so this is a time where properties that have lingered unsold

we find many sellers will be taking price reductions

so they can get a 2nd look from this new audience

a large number of home sellers

will be looking to purchase a different home

and lining up the closing dates

can be challenging to say the least

the usual speed bumps are more amplified

• inspections
• appraisals
• contingent on selling a property
• insurance delays due to tropical storms

today's show goes super deep into these scenarios

...1st and foremost, is your home properly insured

as I often say

It's what you learn, after you know it all, that really counts

you may want to examine your declaration page this week

look at what the policy covers

and more importantly, what is not covered

give some thought to how much coverage you want it $$$

think about how big of a deductible you prefer

are there riders that you need to put in place

you can add flood insurance if you don't have it

when a named storm enters in the region near your home

insurance companies will stop writing new policies

until the storm has passed

if you are currently under contract

and haven't locked in your policy by binding it

you run the risk of not being able to close your home purchase

get the yard tools out and trim all of the branches on your trees

before the storm comes along

otherwise you are stockpiling projectiles that can inflict damage

do you have a generator in place

if not then give some thought to your food supply and storage

while you are outside - get a look at your roof

is it missing shingles or has a leak that needs to be fixed

today's show gives you a roadmap to your preventative maintenance tips

as well as what you should really be stocking up on this season

...and home buyers and investors are winning

Let's Face it

Most people feel that new homes 

• cost too much
• take too long to build

What they don't always realize

is that there are high production builders out there

that release express homes every week

and you can purchase them 

and move in within 30-60 days

given the current real estate market conditions

some builders are offering discounts

unlike what we have seen in many years

at the peak of the market

there was little reason for a builder to negotiate

that has changed in a big way

and if you understand how things work

and you know what to ask for

the savings can be HUGE!

Investors in particular

are finding that they can get a great return on their investment

if they can close with cash quickly

many are using 1031 Exchange funds to complete the deals

delaying taxes due on sales

and maximizing their profits

today's show takes you behind the scenes

and gives you the goods on how it works

...and there are whispers of the market going negative

but one has to wonder

is it market movement

or is it market manipulation

we have discussed the big moves made by Rocket Mortgage

to acquire Redfin and Mr Cooper

and now is the time that we should take a look at Zillow

as they just shared their forecast that home prices

may go down nearly 2% next year

no has knows for sure

but I do find it interesting

that Zillow has acquired Follow Up Boss and Showing Time

in recent years in an effort to become

a seamless 1 stop home buying/selling portal

and lets face it - negative news gets clicks online

and if consumers belived that prices were about to drop

it would create new activity in the housing market

buyers would check more intently for deals

sellers would be more likely to sell quicker

if they felt the price would be lower each month ongoing

but here's the thing

is it smart for a seller to drop their price dramatically

when 1% of $400,000 is just $4,000

even 2% is only $8,000

knowing this, it doesn't make finanical sense

to drop their listing price 25k

unless they were glaringly over priced

I am not saying that the zillow forecast is right or wrong

thats for consumers decide

but I do find it interesting

that it appears to move the ball forward in their grand plan 

tune in to today's show for the details

...when you were sure that it would quickly sell for top dollar

Let's start with the basics

There are 3-4 things that really matter most

• location
• condition
• marketing
• price

did you nail down those 4 things ?

if you did not

you have your answer

if you got those 4 things right

then we need to dig a little deeper

how about the 4 point inspection ?

how well did the home do with regard to

• roof
• plumbing
• hvac
• electrical

let's suppose that you did well in all of those areas

now what ?

what about the wdo inspection (wood destroying organisms)

• wood rot
• termites
• is there a transferrable termite bond

any past evidence of flooding in the home?

has there been a hurricane claim on your insurance?

has a water line ever broken in the home and filled the house with water?

did you try to sell it on your own?

were you highly responsive when people called?

was the home proefessionally cleaned?

did you hire a company to pre-inspect the home?

I have given you the proverbial tip of the iceberg here

listen to today's show to hear whats below the surface