Today, I wanted to talk to you about when to aggressively start paying off your mortgage. There are a few things you'll need to take care of first:

If you have any questions on today's video, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

has an excellent variety of homes within a vibrant market of both

buyers and sellers. If you're considering purchasing property in Omaha, GO HERE to perform a Full Home Search, or if you're thinking about selling your property, CLICK HERE for a Free Home Value Report.

For any other questions you have regarding current market trends or

your own home's value, please don't hesitate to call me at (402) 614-6922, or email me at [email protected].

Many buyers are unsure of what they're getting themselves into when buying a new construction home. Today, I share some of the most common mistakes new construction buyers make so you can take the steps to avoid them.

One of the biggest mistakes that can be made when looking at new construction properties is failing to hire an agent to represent you. An agent who works for you will do the necessary research and talk you through the process. They'll help you figure out what kind of home you want and what builder you want to use.

An agent is also going to help you read the fine print in the new construction process. You'll have a better understanding of the warranties included and whether the building is going to be there for you if something goes wrong. They will also ensure that the quality of the home is up to snuff. There may be certain problems that aren't clear on the surface, and an agent will be able to help with that.

An agent will

also help you to get a list of references who have worked with the

builder in the past. Giving some of them a call and asking them some

questions will give you a good idea of what to expect from a builder.

Most builders have no problem giving you past references and success

stories. This is a great way to set expectations and find the builder

who is right for you!

If you have questions about this or any

other real estate topic, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm

always available to help!

has an excellent variety of homes within a vibrant market of both

buyers and sellers. If you're considering purchasing property in Omaha, GO HERE to perform a Full Home Search, or if you're thinking about selling your property, CLICK HERE for a Free Home Value Report.

For any other questions you have regarding current market trends or

your own home's value, please don't hesitate to call me at (402) 614-6922, or email me at [email protected].

Right now, we are seeing a lot of multiple offer situations, and that means it's a great time to consider selling. There is a high demand for homes, and when you combine that with our low inventory, you see that every well-priced home gets multiple offers. When this happens, the sales price for your home gets driven up, netting you more profit. If you're considering selling, reach out to us. We can give you an idea of what your property may actually sell for on the market.

As a buyer, it can be tough to deal with multiple offers. Here are some things to remember before entering a market like this: 

1. Get that pre-approval letter, before you even start looking at properties. 
2. With multiple offer situations, homes may be selling just over asking price, so that's not a bad place to begin your offer.
3. Before you sign a contract, make sure the terms are favorable to both parties. We are experts in this and can help.

If you have any other questions, be sure to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

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has an excellent variety of homes within a vibrant market of both

buyers and sellers. If you're considering purchasing property in Omaha, GO HERE to perform a Full Home Search, or if you're thinking about selling your property, CLICK HERE for a Free Home Value Report.

For any other questions you have regarding current market trends or

your own home's value, please don't hesitate to call me at (402) 614-6922, or email me at [email protected].

Since the new year has begun, we've heard a lot of talk about interest rates. People have been constantly asking us where they are now and where they are headed, so we thought it was a good idea to update you on the latest facts and statistics in the mortgage world.

 
You can usually get a good picture of the status of interest rates by looking at the numbers for 30-year fixed mortgages. Back in 2013, we saw rates down to 3.875%, but by 2014, they had risen to nearly 4.5%.

These rates won't last, though. Most economists are predicting rates to rise in the next year, and we very well may be near 5% by the end of the year. Locking in a rate now is going to save you hundreds of dollars a month in your mortgage payment, not to mention tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

If you have been thinking about buying in the past few years, now represents your best opportunity to get an affordable home with an even more affordable interest rate. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this topic further, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Today we want to give you 5 key points about the 2015 real estate market that are being made by chief economists and forecasters across the country. These tips will give you a better picture of what will happen in the market this year, and help you navigate it better, whether you are a buyer, seller, or both.

1. Interest rates
They are probably going to rise this year. They have been kept down artificially in the past, but are going to rise as the economy continues to recover.

2. Millennials
Millennials, or people between the ages of 25-34, are going to make up 60% of home buyers this year. These first-time home buyers and those looking to move up will have the biggest impact on our market in 2015.

3. New construction
Another theme of 2015 will be the rise in new construction. We are seeing a ton of new construction right now in places like Elkhorn, Gretna, and Papillion. This will be another huge part of our market this year.

4. Credit
Credit is still going to be a huge factor in real estate. There are strict requirements on credit scores for buyers, but we can help. We have some great lenders who can help guide you and advise you on what your next step should be.

5. Foreclosures are gone
Those bargain, bank-owned properties we saw after the housing market bubble in 2008 are nearly all gone. If you are waiting for a steal, you will be disappointed. Don't miss the boat on low interest rates by being set on buying a foreclosed home.
 

If you have any questions for us, we would love to be of assistance. Just give us a call or send us an email and we will get right back to you.

Today I just wanted to make a quick video to talk about the 5 things I am most thankful for. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so what better a time to talk about what I am thankful for every day. Here is my top 5:

 I love my wife and my children, and wouldn't be where I am without them.

 I have an amazing team and without our team, we wouldn't be able to do everything that we do for our clients, which brings me to number 3.

 Our current, past, and future clients, you are what keeps us going and always wanting to improve and get better.

 I am extremely grateful for my health, and the health of my family.

 I am very lucky to have people in my life that are helping me learn, grow, and constantly get better. I am always thankful for people making me better so I in turn can help our clients and make their lives better.

Thanks for taking the time to check out our post. If you have any questions, or want to let us know what you are thankful for, give us a call or send us an email. 

 

With so many different mortgages out there it can be difficult to know which kind might be right for you. Because staying informed is one of the best ways to ensure you make smart real estate decisions, we have put together a list of 4 types of mortgages you need to be aware of to be a smart home buyer:

Knowing the difference between the many loans out there is an important step in being an educated home buyer. If you have further questions about borrowing, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to help you make the best possible real estate decisions.

When you are purchasing a home, you will probably need to apply for a mortgage. Lenders will then take many factors into account to determine how much of a loan you qualify for. What exactly are those factors? We are here to let you know so you can be prepared before you go meet with a lender. Here are the 3 main things that lenders look for:

 The first thing that lenders will look at is your credit score. There are 3 scores from 3 different bureaus. They range in value from 300-800 and the higher the score, the better.

 The 2nd thing lenders will look at is how much money you have coming in vs. how much money you are spending. If you are married, they will look at both you and your spouse's ratios.

 The last thing they will look at is how much you are going to put down for a down payment. There are a lot of different loan programs out there, from FHA loans where you can put 3.5% down, or conventional programs where you can put anywhere from 5%- 20% or more down. 

If you have any questions about financing or about real estate in general, be sure to give us a call. We'd love to help out with anything you need. 

Your credit score is complex combination of multiple factors that greatly affect your eligibility to take out a loan. Three companies - Equifax, Transunion, and Experian - provide information that your lender will use to determine whether or not a loan will be approved. These companies track where you spend money, what kind of debt you have, medical expenses, car payments, and credit card expenditures, among other things, to determine your score.

The range is between 300-800 and the baseline for eligibility depends on your particular situation and lender. To make sure you don't run into any problems, you need to err on the side of caution and work to build as good a credit score as possible. To do this, we recommend you check your score on a yearly basis, either through the IRS website or the many free credit score websites. This way you know what to expect before meeting with a lender.

If you are worried that your credit score is too low to qualify for a loan, feel free to reach out to us. We will put you in touch with experts in the field that can help you build your score to acceptable levels. We are also available to answer any of your questions about real estate in the Omaha area, so don't hesitate to give us a call. We would love to hear from you.

Pricing your home right is one of the most crucial things you can do if you want to sell it quickly in the Omaha area. How do you price your home correctly?

The media spends a lot of time talking about rising home prices, but that doesn't mean you can raise the price of your home substantially. If you put it on the market for too much, it's going to sit there for a long time. You'll have buyers come through to look, but getting a solid offer will be difficult.

If you want your home to sell quickly, you need to make sure it's put at a fair market price. This will lure more buyers, increasing the chance you'll get a favorable offer. It's important to remember that a good offer is not just about the price, but the terms of the deal as well. We've seen a lot of multiple offer situations lately when homes are priced right, which is good news if your looking to sell your house.

If you have further questions about pricing strategies or about the Omaha market, give us a call or shoot us an email. We'd love to talk to you!