When selling your home, it's important to understand the differences between home staging vs. decorating. Most real estate agents today acknowledge that, in the majority of cases, staging a home makes it sell faster and for more money. Convincing sellers of the same can be a difficult challenge. Why Home Staging Matters A fast sale at the highest price is the most desirable outcome for Continue Reading »
Using Price per Square Foot to Determine a Home’s Value
A question I get all the time from my clients is it a good idea to determine home value based price per square foot? I get this question from both buyers and sellers. I wish pricing a home in Santa Barbara or any home for that matter, was that easy. In real estate, as with many things in life, the easiest solution are not always the best or most accurate solution. Everyone, realtors, sellers and Continue Reading »
Considering Solar Panels for Your Home?
5 Questions to Ask When a Home Has Solar Panels Whether you’re buying or selling a home with solar panels, be sure you know the answers to these five questions. Who makes the solar panels? As the solar industry continues to consolidate, there will be fewer solar manufacturers in five years than there are right now. Ask who manufactured the panels and make sure the company is still in business Continue Reading »
The Zillow Zestimate and Santa Barbara Home Value
Ever wondered how your Zillow Zestimate compares to your actual Santa Barbara home value? You're not alone. Millions of people log on to Zillow every day in order to see what home values are either within their neighborhood, for a home they might be interested in buying and even what their own home's "Zestimate" is at the moment. But how close is a Zestimate to the actual value of a Santa Continue Reading »
Is Your Home Smart?
It's been awhile since I have sent out a blog post and I am kind of excited about this one, as those that know me well, know that I am a kind of a nerd at heart. We all have our smartphones and starting to hear a lot about "smart homes" and wondering what the heck does that mean? Well, I have been digging around about smart home products and want to introduce you to a few products I think are Continue Reading »
Great Santa Barbara Video
I came across this Santa Barbara video today. It tells a nice story about who some of our local businesses are and what makes Santa Barbara such a unique place to live. Santa Barbara is truly a wonderful place and it is people like these that help make it that way. We should enjoy and support all things "Made in Santa Barbara," our beautiful city. Click here to see this Santa Barbara video: SB Continue Reading »
A Home Inspection Prior to Putting Your House on the Market?
A very strategic move you can make prior to putting your house on the market is to get your own home inspection. I know, it sounds crazy! You ask "Why would I want to spend the money to perform my own home inspection when I know my potential buyer is going to do one?" One simple reason, no surprises!!!! Once your get your house under contract, you do not want any surprises, as surprises, no Continue Reading »
Why Sellers Should Invest In Outdoor Spaces
If you're thinking about investing in your Santa Barbara home, chances are you're also thinking about what parts of the house need sprucing up. We already know that a few home improvement dollars can go a long way toward increasing your selling price. But where should you spend? For Santa Barbara homeowners, there's more than conventional wisdom to consider. For example, should you add a new Continue Reading »
