When it comes to down payments, do you know what your options really are? Most people assume the amount of money they need for a down payment has to be 10% or greater, but that’s false. The nationwide median for a down payment is actually 6%. If you’re a renter and you want to be a homeowner, there are loans you can qualify for with little-to-no money down. To find out more, watch my latest video.

If you are planning on selling your home in the 2017 real estate market, then there are a few things that you should know. For instance, you have probably heard that inventory levels are historically low. In some markets, homes draw multiple offers and sell within a week. However, that doesn’t mean you should panic if your home doesn’t sell overnight. To learn more about selling in the 2017 market, watch this short video.

The Louisville market is hot with a lot of pent-up demand from buyers who can't buy their next home because of how competitive things have been. The best way to get out of that slump as a buyer to be as prepared as possible when the right home comes onto the market. We want to start by getting your qualifier so that you can write a strong offer early in the process. Then, we can do a number of things to appeal to the seller of the home you want. To find out more details on how to accomplish this, watch my latest video.

Why do home sales sometimes fall through? There are actually a few reasons, both emotional and financial. For example, buyers might become overwhelmed during the process and back out of the contract. The appraisal might come back low, and there might not be extra money to bring to the table. To learn all the reasons a home sale can fall through and how you can prevent them as a buyer or seller, watch this short video.

Today I want to talk to you about equity—what it is and how you can improve it. Equity in your home is the amount of additional money you have from the amount that you owe on it. How can you build equity? One way is through your down payment. For example, when you purchase a house, the bigger the payment you put down, the more equity you will have that house right off the bat. To learn more about how to improve equity in your home, watch my latest video.

How do you plan on bettering yourself in 2017? As we look to progress forward, one of the things we all try to do is set goals. I wanted to reach out to you today to talk about how we at the Todd Martin Group can help you accomplish your goals. Whether your goal is to make $1 million or go to Disney World, the first step is working backwards. To learn more about how we can help you accomplish all your goals in 2017, watch my latest video.

Having a high credit score is great when buying a home. The higher your score is, the better deal you are likely to get on a mortgage interest rate. When you get in the 640 and above range, you will generally get a good rate. There are other ways to lower that rate even further.

On a lot of those shows on HGTV, you may have seen home buyers make offers to sellers expecting the seller to counter their offer. Many home buyers think that this is the way to negotiate in the real-life real estate world, but this is actually a bad idea. In today’s seller’s market, you have to put your best foot forward and write a strong offer right out of the gate. Failing to do so can cost you time, and in some cases, may even cost you the house you want. To learn more about why you shouldn’t expect a seller to counter your offer, watch this short video.