I’ve got a helpful tip for all of the Augusta homeowners out there. Traditionally, we tend to think that we should wait until after The Masters to put a home on the market. However, the opposite has been proven. Inventory is actually much lower before the event than after, and you can stand out and capture more buyers’ eyes by listing now. You can always postpone your closing date until after the tournament, but you can also have the advantage of having it on the market when there’s not as much competition.
Wonderful news: We are hiring! We’re looking for a go-getter—someone organized who can manage time well and has excellent technical skills. If this sounds like you, click on the link below for more information if you’re interested. Will you be the next person to join our team?
Alzheimer’s disease is the nation’s sixth-leading killer—there’s no prevention, and at the moment, and there’s no cure. It’s very serious business. Alzheimer’s robbed my children of their grandmother, and my good friend Cathy Mosner is battling it right now.
They say that dance is the shortcut to happiness, so at the 2020 Dancing Stars of Augusta fundraiser, we are going to use dance as a powerful weapon to help Alzheimer’s associations across the country raise money for research and community services.
You can help us bring research and awareness to this serious issue. Click here to vote for Vinny “Boom-Box” and “Muggsy” McManus in the 2020 Dancing Stars of Augusta fundraising event. Every dollar you donate equals a vote—so vote now and vote big, because we intend to win.
Get your friends and family to vote for us, too! The more votes we get, the more money goes toward treatment, research, and resources to benefit those who suffer from Alzheimer’s.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to hear from you.
Outdoor kitchens are all the rage at the moment, especially among luxury homebuyers. For them, it’s an important feature in a home because you could spend anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 on it. I’ve seen it!
When it comes to putting in an outdoor kitchen, think about its timeliness and style. Those that aren’t as taste-specific will typically resell better than those that are distinct to the homeowner’s taste. If you decide to rent your home, people will love the outdoor space, possibly leading to added income.
I’m not saying that outdoor kitchens don’t add value to your home, but you cannot expect to get all of your money back if you go over the top.
If you’re thinking of selling your home and are wondering about the value of an outdoor kitchen or any other additions, reach out to me. I’d love to give you my advice about what your additions and upgrades could add to your home.
For more information check out this HGTV article on outdoor kitchens and if you’re interested in getting your own outdoor kitchen installed give me a call at (706) 481-3800.
Today I’m going to talk to you about one very specific point that I think everyone needs to know about.
I spend the weekend showing houses and it grew more apparent to me that a lot of times when I’m working with people new to the area or buying their first home, they don’t realize that all square footage prices are not the same.
These buyers will come in with numbers from Zillow and Trulia and want to see certain houses, but don’t do enough research when it comes to the price per square foot. It is critical that you look for the value in the price per square foot for any home you’re interested in buying.
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Quality, location, and condition all play a factor in the price per square foot.
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You could find something that’s $73 per square foot here, and nearly $200 per square foot somewhere else. What’s the difference? Quality, location, and condition. These are all important factors to keep in mind as a homebuyer. I see a commoditization of real estate that is a little alarming because there’s so much data out there. Instead of focusing on every little thing, it’s important to focus on the important things like the price per square foot.
To help you navigate this, you need the help of an expert in the market. You also need to ask yourself why a home is more or less expensive than another similar property based on square footage.
If you have any questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Today’s subject can sometimes be tough to talk about, but it’s important to address anyway: helping mom get her home ready for sale. Depending on where her next move will take her, it can sometimes even be overwhelming.
However, there are three points to keep in mind to help the process go smoothly and with as little stress as possible.
1. Timing. Be sure to time the move appropriately, but don’t wait too long if she needs to maximize the outcome of the sale to improve her lifestyle moving forward.
2. Phasing. Selling a home and moving are processes, and there are certain phases to go through, including decluttering the home, packing up her belongings, and preparing her current home to look its best.
3. Maximize her return on investment. This can involve staging, sprucing up the landscaping, and making general updates on the home to improve its market value so that buyers will be inclined to make an offer.
You can start this process by clicking the “Interested in buying” link above to look at all the available homes on the market. You can also click to receive a market analysis from me, where you’ll get an estimation of the home’s value.
If you have any other questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to helping you!
I just wanted to reach out to you today to invite you to our office open house. Our newly remodeled suite of offices is all finished and we’d love for you to come see them. Join us at 3519 Wheeler Rd. on Thursday, September 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. We can’t wait to see you all there and talk about all of the exciting ways we are ready to serve you in the years to come. To hear the full invitation, watch this short video.
I recently noticed there was a demand among buyers and sellers for easy-to-access, specific information on the varying lifestyles here in Augusta and for the ability to check out specific neighborhoods. Luckily, I’ve built some brand-new tools into my website to satisfy that demand. From neighborhoods to counties to lifestyles, each new tab on my website allows you to explore properties and areas based on the specifications you’re seeking. If you have any questions related to real estate that you’d like to ask me directly, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help!
Today I’d like to take just a few minutes to talk about trends and statistics that have caught my attention in our higher-end market.
By virtue of my certification with the Luxury Home Marketing Institute, I like to keep a watchful eye on the upper-end market—homes priced at $500,000 or higher for the Augusta area. The stats we’ll observe today come from the Aiken County, Richmond County, and Columbia County market, and we’ll compare the year-over-year numbers between January 1 to June 30.
At the midpoint of this year, our overall number of sales have come down slightly from where they were a year ago. By the end of June last year, 70 luxury homes had sold compared to 61 this year.
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The average luxury home is spending 143 days on the market right now, which is the lowest market we’ve seen in our Augusta market in quite a few years.
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This is because of a dropoff in inventory, and on top of that, luxury homes are spending fewer days on the market; between 2018 and 2019, the average number of days on market went from 154 to 143, respectively.
In fact, 143 days is the lowest mark we’ve seen in our Augusta luxury market in quite a few years. Given the fact that our luxury market is moving well, now’s as good a time as any to jump into the market if you’ve been thinking about downsizing or if you’re ready to move up into a luxury home.
If you have any questions or you’re interested in luxury homeownership, please give me a call at 706-481-3800. I look forward to talking to you!
Staying safe online is more important than ever these days. Juanita McDowell joined me recently to talk about some of the top tips for protecting yourself on the internet.
Today I’m very excited to be joined by national trainer Juanita McDowell. Just about four years ago, I heard her speak about the importance of getting good, local, reliable information out to our databases through video. Really, I’m here today because of her.
I was just in a class with her for a few days receiving the e-pro designation, which is a designation through the National Association of Realtors that’s based on technology and with a heavy emphasis on data breaches and how we can protect our client’s information. I asked Juanita to join me to talk about three tips for maintaining good cybersecurity:
1. When you open an email, hover over the address and any links to avoid being taken to the wrong website. If the links or addresses don’t match up, don’t click them. Phishing emails are always a threat, so make sure you hover before you click.
2. Freeze your child’s credit by going to equifax.com, experian.com, or transunion.com. Most kids don’t have credit, but that doesn’t mean their info isn’t vulnerable to getting stolen. You can ensure this won’t happen by freezing your child’s credit on the three websites listed above.
3. Avoid using free/public WiFi networks unless you have a VPN. If you’re in an airport or coffee shop, stay away from the “free” WiFi network unless you have a Virtual Private Network. Honestly, it’s a good idea to get a VPN anyways to encrypt and protect your information.
Thanks so much to Juanita for joining me to explain these tips. If you have any questions for her, you can reach her at (404) 401-6209 or send her an email to Juanita@InMotionConsult.com.
If you have any other questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
