What Are the Benefits of Using an Agent?

There are many great Birmingham area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 205-536-9194 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

We know what you're thinking: "You're an agent, OF COURSE you think it's a great idea to hire one." However, it's not that simple - there are a number of reasons working with an agent is in your best interests.

• Safety: We ensure that you only work with qualified buyers. You don't want to invite a stranger to your home who has not proved they're serious about purchasing your home.

• Every buyer wants a deal: Buyers and their agents are going to do everything in their power to beat you down and get the best deal possible. Having a listing agent on your side makes all the difference.

• Your best interests are represented: If the buyer is working with an agent and you're not, they will have the upper hand in negotiations. An agent will help you negotiate and will keep your wants and needs in mind.

• Experience: An agent will ensure that all the "i's" are dotted and "t's" are crossed. They will oversee all the details of the transactions and work to complete the sale successfully so you can move on to your next venture.

These are just a few of the reasons working with agent is beneficial. If you're still not sold, give us a call or shoot us an email - we would be happy to show you everything we can do for you!

Looking for a Safe Investment Opportunity?

There are many great Birmingham area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 205-536-9194 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

There are a lot of places where you can invest your hard-earned money - but not all of them are guaranteed to make you money. Purchasing real estate, however, is a pretty safe bet for a few reasons. Here are 4 reasons why becoming a home owner is one of the best financial decisions you can make:

1. You're going to pay to live somewhere: If you are renting, you are basically throwing your money away. By purchasing a home, you are not only paying to live somewhere, but nurturing an investment that will be of worth to you down the road.
2. Forced savings: By making monthly mortgage payments, you are saving yourself future living expenses.  You are building equity, which is invaluable.
3. Great way to hedge inflation: When you buy a home its value increases as time goes on. If you lock in historically low interest rates now, you will be protecting yourself against future inflation.
4. Tax savings: You can deduct your mortgage interest from your taxes, which is a benefit you don't get when you rent.

These are only a handful of the many benefits of home ownership. If you have any questions about this topic or are interested in making a move here in Birmingham, give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to make your dreams of home ownership come true! 

Take the necessary steps before making your offer

There are many great Birmingham area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 205-536-9194 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today's topic is of the utmost importance, especially if you find yourself in a multiple-offer situation. If you want to ensure you get the home of your dreams you need to get full-approval before making an offer (note: some lenders might call it conditional approval). Here's why:

• Makes you look like a cash buyer to the seller.

• Can help you negotiate a lower price.

• Makes your offer look better.

• Lets the seller know you are serious.

• Gives you a lot more leverage in negotiations.

All of these things make you a more competitive buyer, which is important if you want to get your offer accepted. The pre-approval process doesn't take too much extra effort. It's simply a matter of being proactive about getting the necessary documents to your lender before you start making offers.

You should know that all lenders won't necessarily give you full-approval. We can put you in contact with lenders that will because we are 100% committed to making sure you take every measure to get the best possible scenario when buying a home. Give us a call or send us an email to take the preemptive measures necessary to avoid losing the home of your dreams.

Start Your Home Search the Right Way - Hire an Agent!

There are many great Birmingham area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 205-536-9194 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, we're going to talk about the home search websites Trulia and Zillow. While they provide some value during the information gathering stage, they are ultimately full of inaccuracies and misinformation.  These sites are not intentionally misleading but they can ultimately lead you astray for a number of reasons:

• There is often a lag in the information they provide - sometimes as much as 3 days.

• Evaluations are often inaccurate, as they don't utilize the same information an agent does.

• Homes are often listed on these sites that are either under contract or no longer unavailable.

These are just a few examples that demonstrate why it's wiser to hire a trusted real estate adviser in your market. Sit down with an agent and let them establish your home search - they can help you determine what you're looking for in a home, and have access to information Trulia and Zillow do not. We're a great team to work with in the Birmingham area and would love to help you out. Give us a call or shoot us an email, we will give you a care-free but professional real estate experience.

Do You Want to Sell Your Home Quickly?

There are many great Birmingham area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (205) 281-6641 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Hello,  I hope you are enjoying the weather and having a great summer. Like the temperature outside, the Birmingham housing market is heating up.

We're here to let you know that selling your home quickly and at top dollar can be done painlessly.

We've got the numbers to prove it:

• 4 of 7 of our new listings have recently received offers within their first 30 days.
• One home that just went under contract in less than 7 days was on the market for 6 months prior with another company.

It's really quite simple: homes are going under contract quickly in the Birmingham area when they're priced right.

It's important to know that you don't price homes, we don't price homes, but our market prices homes.

Because the market can be a difficult thing to judge, we want to help you come up with a pricing strategy that will get you top value for your home.

Not only that, we will help you market your home by making it more attractive to potential buyers. We do this by hiring professional photographers and bringing in stagers to make your home look irresistible.

You shouldn't have to stress about selling your home.

Come in for a no hassle consultation and let us help you!

Birmingham Real Estate Market Update for June 2014

There are many great Birmingham area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (205) 281-6641 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Birmingham Real Estate Market Update for June 2014

Today I wanted to provide you with a very short market update for the Birmingham area.

April was actually a very good month for home sellers in Birmingham. There was a 7% increase in the number of homes sold this year versus last year. There was also a 3% decrease in inventory, which hints to me that property values will be on the rise this summer.

We had a 6% increase in the average home price in Birmingham.

Overall, this is a very exciting time to be involved with the real estate market in Birmingham. It looks as if we're in for a busy spring and summer, so if you're thinking about buying or selling a home, please do not hesitate to contact me.

You can contact me via phone or email with any further questions.

Thanks for tuning in!