Bug Season: Pest Control. This podcast is for homeowners or soon to be homeowners with the upcoming warm weather now knocking on our door. We are joined this week by Dan Giachetti from All Organic Mosquito & Tick Control (www.allorganicmtc.com). We talk with Dan about his organic application of mosquito and tick control for you yard. Safe for children and pets, Dan fogs your yard with an organic solution to repel mosquitoes and ticks so that you can enjoy the yard this summer. Contact All Organic Mosquito & Tick Control this season to enjoy the summer. Thank you Dan Giachetti for joining us this week!

Proper Presentation of a Home For Sale. This weeks episode touches on a few proper ways to market a home for sale. From photos to video there is a right way and a lazy way to present a home that is to be sold. Proper photos and videos should be used to represent the house for what it is without hiding or sugar coating what is really there. You don't want to disappoint prospective buyers by showing one thing in a photo or video and when they come look at the house its completely different. We also make sure that your house is presented on different platforms as in search engines like Zillow and Trulia, and we also use the power of social media to target your home to the right audience. When selecting a agent to represent you as a seller of your home, make sure that the agent does the proper preparation to sell your home the correct way.

The First Step: Pre-Approval. Our special guest today is Chris Devin, Branch Manager of CrossCountry Mortgage in Norwell, MA. You can find more information at chrisdevin.com 

Today we go over with Chris what the first steps of getting a pre-approval are. We talk about when to get a pre-approval, what it takes, and what your options are after application. It is always best to talk to a lender before shopping for a home so that you know what you can afford and know what price point to shop at. Chris also goes over three lender options that are available to you be it a bank, a broker, and a lender and what may be best to use. If you have previously been denied from a bank, talking to a lender might be worth your time as a lender has a lot more flexibility and have more programs that you may fit into.

Chris Devin brings a lot of great information to anyone that has had questions about pre-approvals and where to find the best help knowing what you can best afford when buying a home. We thank Chris for giving us his time to answer a few questions we receive from our clients. You can contact Chris at his website chrisdevin.com his team will be able to help you with any questions you may have. Thank you Chris Devin and CrossCountry Mortgage.

What is a Move Mentor? A common question we get is what is a Move Mentor. We are people who mentor you on moving. Move Mentors do not agree with the branding of "Realtor" and what it stands for. Move Mentors don't pay Realtor dues, instead we use that extra money to train and educate our Move Mentors further each week to be a mentor to their clients. This weeks podcast goes over what a Move Mentor is, does, and the best way to help clients.

The Truth About Foreclosures. Foreclosures and Pre-Foreclosures can be found online and even on places like Zillow. The most common misconception is the Hidden Foreclosure List. Zillow lists Pre-Foreclosures but these are listings of homes who ahve missed a payment on the mortgage. These homes may never hit the market and could be more than a year to be foreclosed on if payments are not caught up. We go over the Pre-Foreclosure and Foreclosure, what they are, and what they mean in Real Estate.

A Home Seller's Guide to Staging. When selling your home it is a good idea to stage your home and you do not have to hire a professional to do it. From outside to inside with a little time and work you could really attract more offers from buyers. In this episode we go from the yard, to the house, top to bottom. Removing unneeded items and showing your home for what the next person can use it for can really help selling your home. If you can twist it, turn it, screw it, hammer it, nail it, paint it, oil it, or grease it then do it. Just don't go crazy spending money to stage the home. We go over the best ways to stage your home right when your home goes up for sale to show the buyers that you are ready to move and are ready to sell.

Writing and Reviewing an Offer to Purchase Real Estate. This week we review a process that can be exciting for both the buyer and seller of a home. This is the offer. We go over what to expect as a buyer and seller when making or receiving an offer on a home from start to finish. Each section of the offer, or the Contract to Purchase Real Estate as it is known here in Massachusetts, has it's own requirements. We talk about each section of the form and what to expect to put there as a buyer and what it means to the seller.

A Step-By-Step Guide to the Home Selling Process. Just like the last podcast where we went step-by-step through the home buying process, this week we go through the step-by-step of the home selling process. Before jumping into selling your home there are a few things that you should consider. Where are you going next? Should you have an attorney represent you on the sale? Who do you get to sell the home? Do you need a lender?

We go over step-by-step the process of selling your home from start to finish. From finding the right agent to needing a attorney and a lender we discuss how the sale process goes if you are either living in the home or need to sell another place. We also talk a bit on analyzing the price you should set for your home using a Comparative Market Analysis which should be provided by your agent, and how to price based off the history of your area.

Now that you are selling your home there are some things that you should do to prepare for Open Houses and other agents who want to take clients through your home. Cleaning and organizing should be a priority as you want your house to look its best for the possible buyers. Review all offers with your agent and decide who's offer you will accept.

The buyer now, based off any conditions in the offer, can have an inspection done on your home to make sure there is no underlying issues. If you went with an attorney, which we suggest, they will work with the buyers attorney to finalize the Purchase and Sale Agreement. Final steps now need to be taken, like getting final readings for all utilities and the fire department needs to do a smoke inspection.

Now head on over to your closing and finalize the sale. Once the attorney or agent goes to the registry of deeds and reports the sale you will receive your money and you can close on a new place if needed. Remember if you or someone you know has any questions of selling a home or needs to sell a home reach out to any of our agents. They will be more than happy to help.

A Step-By-Step Guide to the Home Buying Process. This week we go over buying a home, piece by piece, so that you understand the entire process. We go over current housing, do you need to sell, and are you a renter, can you break your lease. We also step into the costs of buying a home from the down payment to the closing costs.

Talk to a lender, get pre-approved so that you know your price range. Then you can choose a real estate agent to represent your best interests and needs. Review with them your must haves, where you want to be located, and time frame to purchase. Visit homes and ask your agent questions. Schedule showings with them and find a home you want.

Check up on the house, make an offer, and wait for negotiation or acceptance. Get the home inspected and move forward. Finalize your mortgage application and get ready for the appraisal. Receive your commitment letter, change over all utilities, and attend the closing.

Proper Representation in Real Estate is one of the misconceived things out there. We touch on Sellers Agents, Buyers Agents, and Dual Agency. Do you want to call the number on the sign in front of a house you are looking to buy? NO. The person on the sign represents the seller of the house and is looking out for the sellers best interest. You as a buyer have the right to a Buyers Agent who is there to represent you the buyer and is looking out for your best interests. This episode goes over this more in detail. We also go over how to find a Sellers Agent to sell your home, and a Buyers Agent to help you buy a home.