Welcome to the Good Life Blog

Ann Marie is your real estate expert! With a career spanning over 30 years Ann Marie knows what it takes to deliver results! Check out her videos below for some valuable information on buying and selling a home!

When’s the Best Time To Enter the Market?

Here’s my advice for those trying to “time” the market.

I’m back again with some timely, relevant, and local real estate information. Lately, people have been asking me when the best time to get in the market is. Today I have some tips to help you make the right decision for you and your family.

“Buyer demand remains high for the moment.”

First, every market is different. There could be different seasons where more houses come on the market than others. That’s this time of year in Augusta, right after The Masters. Timing is something that you always want to consider.
 
The second important thing to talk about is the cost of money. Interest rates play a large role. They’ve already climbed, and they will probably climb more. Buyer demand remains high at the moment, but it may taper off if rates keep rising.
 
Finally, you have to consider your motivation for moving. A lot of my peers are downsizing or right-sizing. Others are on the opposite end of the spectrum.
 
Having been in this business for 36 years, I know that moving is a process. If you have questions about the processes of buying, selling, downsizing, investing, or anything else related to real estate, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
 

Augusta Luxury Housing Market Update

Here’s what you need to know about Augusta’s luxury market.

Saint Patrick’s Day is behind us, and spring is here! I thought now would be a great time to give you a quick update on what’s happening in Augusta’s luxury market. 

What constitutes the luxury market in Augusta? The average starting luxury home sits at around $750,000. The market was very strong last year, and many homes sold for over $2.5 million. Despite rising prices, interest rates are keeping houses relatively affordable, so now is a great time to purchase a luxury home. 

I’ll talk more about this topic in the coming weeks. In the meantime, feel free to call or email me with any questions. I look forward to hearing from you!

The Latest Color Trend

Will this latest paint color trend be the one that takes over?

Every year, we wonder what trends will fade away and what new trends will be picked up. Today I’ll talk about the paint color trends in 2022.

I’ve just received a staging designation as a real estate professional  through Staging Studio. We talked about the significance of paint colors as a selling point.

Each year in the design world a Pantone color is selected for the color of the year!!

This year the color is Veri Peri, a shade of periwinkle blue.

You’ll love this!! The color is described as 

“A New Pantone Color Whose Courageous Presence Encourages Personal Inventiveness And Creativity”

Grey and cool colors are headed out!  
We are seeing a use of a lot more color move into design.  
 
Of course, Augusta is still Classic!
 
Your safest bet in staging in Augusta is just to warm up those neutrals 
We will watch to see how this trend evolves throughout the rest of the country, so be on the lookout!!  

If you have staging questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me by phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you!

Market Update: What keeps Augusta’s listed to sales price high in every market?

Here’s what you need to know about the future of Augusta’s housing market.

The best way to predict the first quarter of 2022 is to look back at the end of 2021. That’s why today I want to share the numbers from December 2021.

We all know the average sales price in Augusta has been increasing for some time, but last December, it hit a new high of $279,796. Meanwhile, the median sales price was $249,973. As far as activity goes, we had 907 pending sales and 724 active new listings. We currently have very low inventory, and that’s driving up the average list-to-sales price ratio, which was 99.2%. My clients received an average list-to-sales price of around 103%, so there’s still room to get a fantastic deal in this market. 

Augusta has always had a very high listed to sales price. Fortunately, Augusta has a broad economy, and our market has never been flooded with too much inventory. These factors mean that our market will likely remain strong throughout 2022. 

If you would like any specific information about Augusta’s real estate market, please call or email me. I’d love to hear from you! 

Why You Should Always Have a Home Inspection

Here’s why you always need an inspection, even for a brand-new home.

If you’re a homebuyer, there’s one piece of advice you need to get in your head now: Don’t skip that home inspection!

The market has been hot. If you’re buying a new home or one that was built in the last few years, you may be tempted to waive the inspection and buy the home as is to win against other buyers.

A home inspection is always important because you need to know exactly what you’re purchasing. Even a brand-new home can have issues. If something needs attention, you want to be aware of it before you move in.

The choice of who makes repairs has changed drastically. These days, we’re adjusting the paperwork monthly to address these changes. If you have an experienced agent who has seen all kinds of different markets, you’ll be better protected.

Never skip a home inspection. If you have questions about inspections or anything else related to real estate, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Decluttering-Still one of the cheapest ways to get top dollar!

Here’s my advice on how you can declutter your home quickly.

Even though houses are just flying off the shelves in this market, it’s still important to prepare your home if you want to get top dollar. That’s why I wanted to share a couple of tips that can help you declutter your home.

Decluttering is as easy as grabbing three boxes.

Some of us are better at decluttering than others, but we all hate the topic. I’ve always felt that we’re more prepared in Augusta than anywhere else. How many people clean their house for a whole month before the Masters? My mantra is: throw away, give away, put away.

It’s as easy as grabbing three boxes. The first is for everything that needs to be thrown away. The second box is for everything that can go to social services or Goodwill, so be generous with this one. The third box is for anything you can pack up right now. Go room by room with those three boxes, and be sure to deal with all the items on your counters.

When you fill that third box, label it with what room it should go in and store it someplace where you have a lot of space. You won’t have to think about it until it’s time to move.

If you have any questions about decluttering or real estate in general, feel free to call or email me. I would love to hear from you.

Why Buyers Want To Be Pre-Qualified

Why should buyers pre-qualify with a local lender?

Today I’ll give the buyers out there some tips on pre-qualification to help get their dream house.

Everybody talks about how getting pre-qualified is the most important thing to do first. These days, it’s even more important that you get pre-qualified by a local lender. They should be a trusted lender that your agent knows will close on time and who won’t treat you like another file in the pile.

The advantage of having a local lender is two-fold. First, you’ll have an in-person contact who can guide you through the process. We know that interest rates won’t stay this low forever, so you’ll want someone who can advise you on refinancing, when to buy your first house, when to turn it into a rental, etc. Secondly, establishing that relationship will save you from suffering delays. If you’re working with somebody local, they’re going to make sure the job is done right.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at 706-481-3800 and check out AnnMariesMcManus.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy Holidays From Us

From our team to your family, we want to wish you a happy holiday season.

Happy holidays to you!

The holiday season has officially arrived. We hope you enjoy this wonderful time of year and make some fantastic memories.

We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support. We love helping people make their real estate dreams come true, so thank you for working with us and supporting our business.

This may be a busy time of year, but we are always here to help you and answer any questions you may have. Give us a call or reply to this email; we’d love to help you.

In case we don’t hear from you until 2022, have a happy New Year!

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving

I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of your support.

The 2021 holiday season has officially begun! We hope you are as excited as we are.

We’d like to take a moment to express our gratitude to all of you this Thanksgiving. We have met some truly wonderful people, and we’re proud to have helped so many reach their real estate goals over the years. We wouldn’t be where we are today without all of your support.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner—that’s what we plan to do!

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any real estate questions. We would be happy to help you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Why You Should Sell During the Holidays

Here are three reasons why you should sell your home during the holidays.

Why would it be advantageous to have your home on the market during the holidays? It might seem counterintuitive, but the holiday season is a great time to sell. There are three solid reasons why:

1. Buyers are serious this time of year. There may be fewer buyers, but they don’t want to waste their time looking.

The holiday season is a great time to sell.

2. People are transferred at this time. Employees are often relocated during the holiday season, so they need to buy.

3. You can take advantage of lower inventory. Everyone else is taking their homes off the market, so there’ll be lower inventory, which means higher prices.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling, I would encourage you to call me, and I can answer any questions you have. Happy holidays!