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Check out our video resources to learn more about the buying and selling process

  • Home Sellers: Check This Easy Guide To Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal

    Home Sellers: Check This Easy Guide To Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal,Lesia Erickson Group

    Like moths attracted to flames, potential buyers can get riveted to a home with an excellent curb appeal. Buyers who will be drawn to your home's appearance will definitely want to discover more of what lies behind your front door. Fortunately, maximizing your home’s curb appeal doesn’t necessarily

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  • Top 7 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Overprice Your Home

    Top 7 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Overprice Your Home,Lesia Erickson Group

    Tempting as it may seem, jacking up the listing price of your home to leave room for negotiations is a dangerous risk that a lot of sellers regret taking.If you are really serious about selling your home, it is best to take pricing seriously by listing your home at its fair market value. Otherwise,

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  • Understanding Contingencies: A Guide For Buyers and Sellers

    Understanding Contingencies: A Guide For Buyers and Sellers,Lesia Erickson Group

    When looking for homes online, home buyers might chance upon a property with a “contingent offer” status. This means that an offer has been made and accepted, but the sale is still conditional while both parties work on meeting certain criteria. These criteria, or contingencies, are actions that mus

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  • Getting Cold Feet? Here's How You Can Prevent Seller's Remorse

    Getting Cold Feet? Here's How You Can Prevent Seller's Remorse,Lesia Erickson Group

    Buyer's remorse (the feeling of regret after making a huge purchase) is a common sentiment that a lot of people understand and sympathize with, given that the average person makes huge purchases more often than he/she gets to sell anything of substantial value. This is why the seller counterpart of

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  • Opportunities And Risks Of An Interest-Only Mortgage: A Guide For Home Buyers

    Opportunities And Risks Of An Interest-Only Mortgage: A Guide For Home Buyers,Lesia Erickson Group

      Opportunities 1. Lower monthly payments The main and obvious advantage of an interest-only mortgage is its low monthly payments. This benefits buyers who are looking to buy a relatively expensive property, since an interest only loan allows you to buy a pricier house than you would be able to affo

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  • In Love With Historic Homes? Here Are The Pros And Cons Of Buying One

    In Love With Historic Homes? Here Are The Pros And Cons Of Buying One,Lesia Erickson Group

      Owning a historic home certainly comes with its own set of benefits and challenges. You need to make sure that you are ready for the challenges and responsibilities—financially, emotionally and even physically. Beyond its unique and charming characteristics, it is also important to determine wheth

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  • The Beginner's Guide To Escrow in Real Estate

    The Beginner's Guide To Escrow in Real Estate,Lesia Erickson Group

    What is escrow and how does it work? At some point in a real estate transaction, you will encounter the word “escrow.” If you're the buyer and you make an offer on a home you like, you’ll provide an earnest money deposit in the form of a check that will be placed in this escrow. But what does it rea

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  • 12 Telltale Signs It's Already Time For You to Move

    12 Telltale Signs It's Already Time For You to Move,Lesia Erickson Group

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2016, more than 42 percent of people said they moved for a housing-related reason. Many of them either wanted a new home or a better apartment. Other reasons people cited for moving include family and employment-related reasons. “The decision to move can be per

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  • 7 Secrets To Getting A Mortgage Without A Full-Time Job

    7 Secrets To Getting A Mortgage Without A Full-Time Job,Lesia Erickson Group

    Let's face it: there’s already a growing number of freelancers, contract workers, and gig economy workers in the U.S. It’s not surprising, given that many people now want to be their own boss or work from their own homes while sitting comfortably in their sofa. In a 2017 survey conducted by Upwork a

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  • How To Successfully Buy A Home In A Seller's Market

    How To Successfully Buy A Home In A Seller's Market,Lesia Erickson Group

    Planning to buy a home while the market is tight? Don't dive in unprepared! Understand what makes up a seller’s market, and follow a plan to make your offer stand out. A lot of home buyers tend to make rookie mistakes that get their offers rejected in a seller's market. If you want to be successful

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  • How To Determine The Best Time To List Your Home For Sale

    How To Determine The Best Time To List Your Home For Sale,Lesia Erickson Group

    Much like any business venture, listing your home for sale is all about finding the best possible timing. The best case scenario would be one in which the sale happens while the market is at its best, at the same time you are prepared to leave, and to buyers that are motivated to pay more. However,

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  • 10 Smart Tips For Buying A New Construction Home

    10 Smart Tips For Buying A New Construction Home,Lesia Erickson Group

    In an analysis conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), it was found that there was a larger percentage of new homes, especially single-family homes, that cater to the preferences of many home buyers today. Significantly, new construction is addressing the substantial demand fo

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  • 10 Thoughtful and Heartwarming Gift Ideas for First-time Homeowners

    10 Thoughtful and Heartwarming Gift Ideas for First-time Homeowners,Lesia Erickson Group

    The spring real estate market is already here. Despite the strong competition, it's a great time for home buyers to score their dream home because of high market inventory. And soon, there will be fresh batches of buyers who have just finished closing and will soon be moving. Purchasing a new home i

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  • How To Sell Your Home And Buy One At The Same Time (Or In The Quickest Possible Succession)

    How To Sell Your Home And Buy One At The Same Time (Or In The Quickest Possible Succession),Lesia Erickson Group

    For some people with enough funds and other houses to live in, selling a home and buying one at the same time can be relatively easy since there is not much pressure involved. But for those who need the equity from their old house to buy a new one, things can get quite stressful--especially so when

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  • 3 Most Important Things To Remember When Selling A Home That You Still Have To Live In

    3 Most Important Things To Remember When Selling A Home That You Still Have To Live In,Lesia Erickson Group

    luxury of living elsewhere while selling the house they do have. It's pretty common for home sellers to have to deal with the challenge of selling the same home in which they still have to eat, sleep, and bathe in -- so it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. However, it can be quite a challenging fea

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  • What's In A Mortgage? Breaking Down the Components of A Mortgage Payment

    What's In A Mortgage? Breaking Down the Components of A Mortgage Payment,Lesia Erickson Group

    In simplest terms, a mortgage is a long-term loan designed to help borrowers purchase a house. It allows individuals to become homeowners without making a large down payment and thus, fulfilling The American Dream. Once you become a homeowner, a mortgage represents one of your life's biggest financi

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  • The ABCs of Real Estate: Real Estate Terms Every Buyer And Seller Needs To Know

    The ABCs of Real Estate: Real Estate Terms Every Buyer And Seller Needs To Know,Lesia Erickson Group

    Whether you are a first-time home buyer or a third-time home seller, the real estate transaction can be confusing and stressful enough even without the many terms and acronyms used during the process. But don't be overwhelmed — we’ve compiled a mini-glossary of the important terms you should know an

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  • Selling Your Home? Here's How You Can Upgrade Your Kitchen On A Budget

    Selling Your Home? Here's How You Can Upgrade Your Kitchen On A Budget,Lesia Erickson Group

    The kitchen is one of the most important areas in a house. If a potential buyer is someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, the condition of this area can make or break a sale. In fact, even if the buyer is not much of a cook, the kitchen is still a major consideration since this is where fr

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  • Top 5 Things Home Buyers Forget To Check During Home Viewing

    Top 5 Things Home Buyers Forget To Check During Home Viewing,Lesia Erickson Group

    The viewing is usually the most exciting part of looking for and purchasing a home. It is the biggest purchase anyone ever makes, and home sellers usually go above and beyond when staging their homes. Because of this, home buyers find it so easy to fall in love with a home that looks great at first

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  • 20 Smart and Simple Ways You Can Start Saving For A Down Payment On A Home

    20 Smart and Simple Ways You Can Start Saving For A Down Payment On A Home,Lesia Erickson Group

    You may think that buying a house still isn't in your realm of possibility. In fact, you may even feel a wave of panic just thinking about where to get the money for your down payment. For many young people, saving up to buy a house is the least of their priorities, especially when you’re still in d

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