Official blog for Jennifer De La Rosa, Realtor, serving home buyers, sellers and investors in Maryland. Follow for creative content on real estate, home renovation and decor, and more!
Looking at Homes Online vs. In Person
It’s one thing to buy clothing online that you’ve never seen or tried on in-person, but it’s something else entirely if you try to apply that technique to buying a home. Find out what you should be weary of when looking at homes online…
Looking at Homes Online vs. in Person
It’s one thing to buy clothing online that you’ve never seen or tried on in-person, but it’s something else entirely if you try to apply that technique to buying a home.
Searching for a home online is a great way to start the home buying process, emphasis on the word “start” here. Buying a home without seeing it in person first is risky, and you can’t return a house like you can a shirt.
Online listings can be deceiving. We’ve all been there...You find an awesome shirt online, it looks great on the model, it looks to be the perfect color, and the length will actually work for you. You instantly fall in love with it, and have to buy it. Using the sizing chart you select your size and make that purchase. When you receive the shirt, it is a cheap material, waaay too short and you have to request assistance to get out of it because it’s entirely too small...sound familiar? If this is a possibility with online clothes shopping, why would looking at homes be any different? A listing is simply a convincing and sometimes deceiving advertisement meant to attract buyers.
Few, if any, sellers are going to include a picture of the black mold under the kitchen sink, the hole in the roof, or the terrible neighbors who never cut their grass. Most photos in a home listing are selected to display the property in the most positive way possible. Savvy agents will use every trick in the book to make their listing seem appealing: trendy lingo, clever staging and misleading photography.
Don’t get fooled by online real estate photography. Follow these 3 real estate shopping tips:
Don’t get too attached. It may look great online, but don’t get your hopes up until you have seen the property in person.
Find a good Realtor. You want to work with someone who will point out the pros AND cons of each home you look at.
Try to be patient. Impulse decisions in real estate can end up costing a lot of money to fix, and could have life altering impacts.
If you’ve been searching for homes online and are ready to start seeing them in person, let’s connect. We are the realest Realtors you will meet and we will provide you with information on the good, bad and the ugly of the properties you are interested in.
Nosey Neighbor
Psssst...Did you hear that the couple down the street sold their house for over market value? And the family three doors down sold their house in six days!...Sound familiar? Find out how you can get the inside scoop on your neighborhood and potential homes delivered to your inbox.
Psssst...Did you hear that the couple down the street sold their house for over market value? And the family three doors down sold their house in six days!...Sound familiar?
Thinking about selling, but not sure what you’re home is worth? Want to start getting a pulse on what’s available in your price range? Or do you simply want to be a nosey neighbor and see what’s hitting the market and for what?
I can help with any of that. Get home listings that meet your specifications delivered directly to your inbox, or get a copy of my seller’s guide to help you identify your next step. Regardless where you are in your home journey, I can get you what you need to “case the joint.” Drop your information in the form below, and I’ll be in touch!
2019 Can Cost You Ten's of Thousands
"I'll hold off buying a home until next year." If you've thought of purchasing a home, but don't want to deal with the process now, you've probably had this thought cross your mind a time or two. But would you hold off the task if I told you that waiting could make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars?
"I'll hold off buying a home until next year." If you've thought of purchasing a home, but don't want to deal with the process now, you've probably had this thought cross your mind a time or two. A pretty common tendency to hold off things on our to-do list, especially the ones that seem like a lot of work. But would you hold off the task if I told you that waiting could make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars? Meaning it could cost you a $10,000-$50,000 (or more) difference to get the home you want today, in 2019's market.
It's anticipated, by the national historical trend report, that homes are on the rise by over 5% each year. That house you've been eyeing online, listed for $225,000, could be listed next year for $236,250. That is over $10,000 more just for waiting till 2019. This isn't even bringing into question the rising APR rates for mortgages, that can increase your monthly payment amount on a home pretty significantly, as well.
I get it, the home buying process can seem pretty intimidating. But with an experienced agent on your side, it can actually go pretty smoothly. Let's get in touch. It won't hurt to connect you with a preferred lender and run the numbers through to see what you qualify for. The right time is always right now, I want to help you save the money you deserve to keep, by avoiding the wait.