Blog - Kristi Gibbs

Sellers, Uncategorized

Just Sold! A Successful Sale in a Challenging Market

This home is officially sold! It’s a great example of how the right strategy still leads to success in a tougher market for sellers. The second half of the year brought more cautious buyers and longer decision timelines. Expectations were higher across the board. These sellers stayed open to feedback, made thoughtful adjustments, and positioned […]
Sellers

Top 5 Tips to Sell Your Home During the Holiday Season

🎄 Top 5 Holiday Home Selling Tips for a Successful Sale Selling a home during the holidays can feel a little overwhelming with travel, winter weather, and an already full calendar. Many sellers are surprised to learn that the season can actually work in their favor. These holiday home selling tips will help you make […]
Buyers

Buying A Flipped Home

What to Know Before Buying a Flipped Home: Tips from a Real Estate Agent Are you considering buying a flipped home? As your trusted real estate agent, I want to help you make an informed decision. Flipped homes can be a great opportunity to purchase a beautifully renovated property, but they also come with unique […]
Buyers & Sellers

Home Warranties

What are Home Warranties? Home warranties are a type of service contract that provide repair or replacement coverage for major systems and appliances in a home. They can be purchased by either the seller or the buyer, and typically last for one year. The question that often arises is whether it is worth buying a […]

Sellers Just Sold! A Successful Sale in a Challenging Market This home is officially sold! It’s a great example of how the right strategy still leads to success in a tougher market for sellers. The second half of the year brought more cautious buyers and longer decision timelines. Expectations were higher across the board. These sellers stayed open to feedback, made thoughtful adjustments, and positioned […]

Sellers Top 5 Tips to Sell Your Home During the Holiday Season 🎄 Top 5 Holiday Home Selling Tips for a Successful Sale Selling a home during the holidays can feel a little overwhelming with travel, winter weather, and an already full calendar. Many sellers are surprised to learn that the season can actually work in their favor. These holiday home selling tips will help you make […]

Buyers Buying A Flipped Home What to Know Before Buying a Flipped Home: Tips from a Real Estate Agent Are you considering buying a flipped home? As your trusted real estate agent, I want to help you make an informed decision. Flipped homes can be a great opportunity to purchase a beautifully renovated property, but they also come with unique […]

Buyers & Sellers Home Warranties What are Home Warranties? Home warranties are a type of service contract that provide repair or replacement coverage for major systems and appliances in a home. They can be purchased by either the seller or the buyer, and typically last for one year. The question that often arises is whether it is worth buying a […]

Buyers What does “as-is” mean? As-Is Properties: What Does That Mean? While looking for homes, buyers will sometimes come across a property listed “as-is” or have to make an “as-is” offer to get a home they love under contract. So what does as-is mean exactly? An as-is offer means you can have an inspection, but you are not supposed to […]

Buyers HOMEBUYING FEES When buying a home, many buyers think they only need to have a down payment ready for closing, however, there are many other fees that have to be paid throughout the process. So what are these other costs, when are they due, and how can you prepare for them? Look for a separate post touching […]

Sellers BROOM CLEAN CONDITION FOR SELLERS Have you ever heard of ‘broom clean’ condition? It’s the condition in which a property legally needs to be left when a seller moves out. Here are guidelines to help you know what the requirements are in terms of how the property should be left: Fixtures: Anything attached to the walls other than artwork should stay which […]

Buyers WHAT IS EARNEST MONEY? What is earnest money? Earnest money is a good faith payment which shows the seller that you are serious about buying their home. It’s also part of your down payment. So for instance, if you pay 1% in earnest money (abbreviated as EM) and your total down payment is 20% then that means you’ve already […]

Uncategorized BUYING DURING COVID-19 Buyers are navigating showings during COVID-19 with the help of protective gear, patience, and flexibility. The process is generally the same once you have identified the home you want unless you are from out of town. Those buyers are not likely making multiple visits here. Finding the home you want is a more thorough […]

Sellers SELLING DURING COVID-19 Whether you are selling during COVID-19 pandemic or considering selling, read on to learn more about selling during this time. Listing consultation, marketing, showing, pricing, and closing protocols have all changed since then. It’s important to have an understand of selling in today’s world because some of this may remain as the new normal […]

Uncategorized A FEW THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT APPRAISALS If the buyer is obtaining a mortgage to purchase your home then the lender will require that an appraisal be completed. The appraisal is an estimate of a property’s value. This is based on factors such as age, location, square feet, number of bedrooms & bathrooms, amenities, structural condition, and recent sales of similar […]

Buyers LET’S MAKE AN OFFER! The day has come when you have found your one and only. Maybe not your true love of the human variety, but you did find a home you love. Now what?! Here is some information you need to know as you move forward with writing an offer. Full legal name: You will sign […]

Uncategorized MULTIPLE OFFERS – HIGHEST & BEST What is a highest and best offer? When a seller receives multiple offers on their property, they typically ask all interested buyers to submit a final offer by a certain time and date. The idea is that this is the highest amount the buyer is willing to pay with the best terms possible. Usually there […]

Buyers SOCIAL MEDIA PRIVACY SETTINGS Have you ever seen a friend or family member post on social media about their home purchase or sale? I certainly have! Sometimes those posts include information that could benefit one party to the transaction. This is why I strongly recommend changing your privacy settings on social platforms, especially Facebook, so only your friends can […]

Buyers SECURING YOUR HOME With all the new home technology available, there are a myriad of ways to secure your home. The more tech savvy are controlling everything from the HVAC system to interior room lights to a crock pot from a phones. Others are still using a wooden rod in the track of a sliding door so […]

Uncategorized ENERGY SAVING TIPS I challenge anyone reading this to turn off all unnecessary lights when leaving your home, keep doors/windows well-sealed, turn down your A/C or heat when away, and use LED light bulbs. Some simple steps and habits that can make a difference. If your kids are like mine, then know that I understand how challenging […]

Buyers HOME MAINTENANCE TIPS BY SEASON Want to keep some preventable maintenance from haunting you during a home inspection? If you purchased a home in the last year, then you probably remember the inspection process and whether or not the home you bought had a slew of issues. Could any of those have been prevented by regular maintenance? I would suspect […]

Buyers & Sellers IS THE ZESTIMATE A GUESSTIMATE? If you’ve been home shopping or home stalking in the 21st century, then you’ve heard of the Zestimate. It has been credited for Zillow’s instant popularity and continues to generate buzz today. Is this magical estimate of value generated by algorithm’s the end all be all to your home value? No, it isn’t! Is […]

Buyers TOP QUESTIONS BUYERS ASK ME ABOUT WORKING WITH A REALTOR So you are thinking about buying a home and you have already read my post about selecting a real estate agent, but you still have some questions. Hopefully below you will see some of those questions asked and answered. Can you show me homes that you don’t have listed? Yes! I am a […]

Buyers SHOULD I TEST FOR RADON? I always recommend a radon test when purchasing a home. Your inspector will ask if you’d like to test for radon. Some homes have radon mitigation systems in place, but many don’t. It doesn’t hurt to test even if a system is in place in order to confirm that it’s doing its job. Homes on […]