RE/MAX Real Estate Insights

We cover what to expect in the local housing market 2022. From interest rates to housing inventory to home affordability, we discuss the various aspects that are currently impacting the market and will in the year ahead. We also talk about the mindset of buyers and sellers and what they should know if they are about to enter the market.

The holidays season means gatherings in your home with family and friends but these gatherings can also lead to an uptick in fires and slip and fall accidents in your home. To help you avoid holiday mishaps, we share tips to help you prevent fires in your kitchen from cooking and throughout the home from candles and fireplaces. We also share important things you need to know to avoid your Christma...

If you are a buyer that has been looking for a home and are feeling a bit exhausted, we have 7 tips for you to help you reinvigorate your home search. We share how working with an experience team of local professionals, understanding the current selling cycle and getting there early can work to your benefit. We also cover how to reassess your needs and wants and why you may need to tune out the ad...

Buying a home is exciting but you want to be careful so your afford and enjoy your home as well as other things travel and saving for retirement. We share three critical things you need to know like how much it costs to buy your home and the new items like homeowners insurance and utilities that will be part of your budget.

Fall is an important time to take of your home to prepare it for the harsh winter season to come. From cleaning gutters to draining and turning off exterior faucets we review the things you should be reviewing on the exterior of your home. With all the storms we had this summer, it is important to check the roof and siding now to look for any lose or damaged shingles and siding. On the interior of...

Homeowners insurance is one of those things we only think about when the premiums come due. That is, until something happens to your home and you need to file a claim only to discover something you thought would be covered is not covered at all. In this episode, we debunk 7 common myths about homeowners insurance including whether flood damage and mold are covered, whether everything in your home...

The cost of room and board at college and universities continues to climb. Add to that the complications that Covid have brought to group living on a college campus and you may be considering buying a condo or home for your college student a possible solution. We discuss the timing of making a purchase (you should be looking at year out from when you need the property), location as it relates to w...

Whether it’s the result of a storm or burst pipe, when your basement floods you are left with a mess to clean up. Taking quick action can help minimize the amount of damage and prevent mold and mildew and we share 9 key things you need to do. Starting with making sure your basement is safe to enter by turning off any power to removing the water, drying things out and reviewing the exterior of your...

If you are buying a home and getting a mortgage, or refinancing an existing mortgage, you will need to have an appraisal completed. You know an appraisal is an important part of the home buying and selling process, but you may know exactly what is covered during an appraisal. We share what an appraiser is looking for when they come out to your home, how they determine the appraised value of a home...

The home buying process is just that – a process! For some buyers it can feel like a long road to go down before you get success but knowing the steps involved and what to expect can make the process easier and more enjoyable. We share the 8 common steps that include finding the right agent and getting pre-approved to making and offer, negotiation and moving in.

There are a lot of moving parts during the home buying and selling process that could lead to a deal falling apart not the least of which are inspections, appraisals and even one party getting cold feet. The good news is that 96% of home sales make it to the closing table so that means the odds are in your favor that your deal will be just fine but it also indicates that 4% of deals have issues th...

Summer storms knocking out power can be inconvenient, but what happens when the home you are buying or selling becomes damaged by storms? We discuss what sellers should do in the event their home is storm damaged while on the market and in a word it is: disclosure. Sellers want to be sure to disclose any damage that was done and what repairs and remediation was done to the home. We share the optio...

We share 5 easy and proven upgrades you can make to help improve the aesthetics of your home and increase its value. From soft, neutral paint on the walls to resurfacing kitchen cabinet to shaping up your outdoor space, we give you idea to help you quickly update key areas in your home. We also discuss how to review your home as a buyer would to help you stage it more effectively.

There are several things you should do when moving into your new home to help insure you have a safe and secure environment. We discuss the importance of changing or re-keying your doors and resetting passcodes for digital entry systems to your home as well as changing the batteries and checking that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working. We share why you should check your hot...

Open houses have long been a method to market a home and keep sellers happy, but in today’s market and when done correctly, they can be an effective way to help buyers have a level playing field and sell a home quickly. We discuss what goes on to strategically market an open house home (it is more than directional signs and balloons), whether open houses on weekdays get results and what the future...

Some things get better with age, but if you are selling your home you should know that are things that can make your home look dated and out of style. Popcorn ceiling and vibrant wall-to-wall carpeting are two things that instantly age your home and we share what no to use for window coverings, what color light fixtures need to be updated and which one room can easily have multiple things making i...

Planning and organizing are important steps to help you have a smooth move. We talk about how you can use existing items around your home like suitcases, laundry tubs and even pots and pans to help transport items and using sheets, towels and blankets to wrap items to minimize the amount of purchased supplies you need. We also talk about the use of plastic wrap as a packing aid, the importance of...

If you envision a career that doesn’t require a college degree, has the freedom and flexibility to create your own schedule and has unlimited income potential then a career in real estate could be a great fit for you. While 87% of new agents fail in the first five years in real estate, our guest went in the opposite direction becoming a top agent in his first 5 years and he shares what attracted h...

As we approach the halfway point of the year, we take a look at the impact that loosening of Covid restrictions and vaccines being widely available is having on the real estate market. We also discuss inflation and the Fed’s recent announcement of hold steading on interest rates until 2023 and what that means for buyers and whether to expect more listings coming on the market in the second half of...

The shortage of lumber and microchips along with a shortage in skilled trades means there is plenty to talk about when it comes to the new construction segment of the residential real estate market. In our discussion with the CEO of the SE Michigan Homebuilders Association, we discuss what is behind the shortage of materials that has driven the cost of lumber up which has home prices up over $12,0...

With more Realtors in the US than homes for sale it is safe to say you probably know someone with a real estate license, but that doesn’t mean that is who you should use to buy or sell your home. We discuss how the relationships agents have with other agents can make a big difference in getting offers looked at and how in this fast-paced market you can benefit from the calm experience an experienc...

We discuss some of the less common but important that buyers should be aware of before buying a home. Radon is a radioactive gas that can enter a home through foundation cracks drains, sump pumps and since it is odorless you don’t know if it is present unless you test for it. If detected, it can be remediated but you want to address this before you move in and live in your home We also discuss wha...

You stare at their picture while waiting patiently for them to become available and perhaps you drive by to check things out. We could be talking about a romantic interest or searching for a home. In this episode we take a light-hearted look at the similarities of dating and house hunting that include the use of a matchmaker and online apps. We share how you can only tell so much from photos and a...

We cover buyers, sellers, appraisals, pop-taxes and much more during this free-flowing conversation. We take a look at the advice a recent first-time buyer was given to rent for now and wait to buy and compare that to current home prices and interest rates versus the same during the great recession to see if the math makes sense (it doesn’t!) and what sellers are finding that want to sell and buy...

There is something about a home when it has that certain put-together look and that is what you want when selling your home. We talk to a professional about how they can make your home look larger, cleaner and warmer. We discuss what you can do to help keep buyers focus on the homes assets and not your personal furnishings, the different types of services home stagers can provide to you – everythi...