Tag Archives: real estate

It’s Been A Hell of a Year, I’m Glad We Made It Out

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I’m not sure about you but I am SO happy that 2022 is over. It ranks right up there as one of my least favorite years in life.

I struggled through real estate for another year. Was it a mistake? Maybe? I really loved my YouTube channel and other socials. I really loved the clients that came to me through my socials. But I really hated that actual business of real estate. It was soul sucking. I ended up at two more brokerages bringing me through a total of four in the little over two years I had my license. It wasn’t them it was me.

I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved I was to sign the back of my license to inactivate it. Whew! Glad I tried it but oh so glad it’s over.

I also launched my online marshmallow business in October. After working on the techniques, flavors, etc. for over a year, the state of Arkansas changed their food laws and I was finally able to sell the marshmallows in an online shop. It was fun. Sort of. While I love making marshmallows, I didn’t enjoy the actual business of selling them. I learned that I’d rather gift marshmallows than sell them.

Again, one more thing I’m glad I tried but am oh so happy it’s over.

So now what? 2023 is here and my life is wide open for new opportunities. I have a couple of things I’m working on. Picking up blogging again is one of them.

January is World Carnivore Month and I’m fully onboard with that. I have been a carnivore for several years now. The marshmallows totally got in the way of that because I felt like I couldn’t sell something I hadn’t tasted. I’m feeling so much better to have the sugar out of my system!

With Fe the Fluffy

It’s been fun to learn how to take care of the cows and the chickens. Who’d have ever guessed those words would come out of my fingers?!?! I actually got to hold my fluffy chicken, Fe. A couple of times! Someday, I’m going to hold Frannie, too, but she’s a swift complainer. LOL! I haven’t caught her yet.

I look forward to what this year holds for me and am excited about the future. I wish you a terrific year, too!

Finding Hidden Potential in Real Estate

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My house hunting super power ⚡️
Spotting the hidden potential

You’ve seen the shows on HGTV where they buy the ugliest house ever and 30 minutes later it’s straight out of West Elm and you’re like “I think I could do this!”

What happens is, sometimes that potential is hard to spot.

When you’re looking at multiple homes, you start comparing the ones filled with oak cabinets, funky kitchen layouts and overgrown backyards to the ones that are updated and decorated with furniture from Crate & Barrel.

That can make it difficult to favor the ones that need the elbow grease and paint jobs, you know?

But the ones that look like they’re straight out of Instagram might have a higher price tag and cause you to sacrifice some of the features that were initially most important to you.

This is where I come in! I want to help you keep your top priorities in mind when looking at homes and work around what you might not love about a house!

So maybe you find a house in the perfect location. It has a great layout and the yard you’ve dreamed about, but inside you’re already making a list of all the changes you’d have to make.

What we can do is sit down and make a good ol’ pros and cons list of the changes vs the positive features and see what makes most sense.

Maybe just a few simple updates could give the space a makeover that you’d be really happy with.

A fresh coat of white paint, new rugs, swapping out the pendant lights and adding new cabinet hardware in the kitchen could make the space look entirely different and wouldn’t require taking the kitchen down to its studs or starting from scratch!

What is one home feature or design style you could not look past? I want to try and spot the hidden potential.

Do Not Agent Hop During Your Home Search

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Agent Hopping Scenarios you need to know:

The home buying process will be so much smoother if you hire an agent who you trust to work alongside you rather than randomly contacting agents via signs, real estate websites and open houses you pop by.

Here are 3 ways you could be agent hopping without knowing it:

1. If you happen to be checking out houses online in your free time and come across a house that didn’t come through your home search – email YOUR AGENT. Ask them to find out information on this home or if it’s still available.

What you need to know: There is likely an agent listed next to that house online. That isn’t necessarily the listing agent of that home, but rather someone who is paying to have their contact information pop up there.

2. You just went to the farmer’s market on a Saturday morning, have a fresh cup of coffee in hand, driving with the windows down and pass an Open House Sign pointing right. You put your blinker on and follow the signs until you find the house that’s for sale.

There is an agent holding that house open for the day and you introduce yourself and start talking.

What you need to know: They aren’t necessarily the listing agent of this house. If they are, they are representing the sellers. Make sure you let them know you’re already working with an agent if they offer to send you another listing or show you a home. Give them your agent’s business card if you have it on hand and thank them for any information they shared.

If you’re interested in that house you walked through, call and let your agent know.

3. You get a postcard in the mail and OMG IT’S YOUR DREAM HOUSE!

There’s an agent’s picture and phone number on the postcard for you to call to get more information – YAY!

What you need to know: If you’ve been working with an agent already, make sure you contact them. The person’s information on the postcard is the listing agent’s but your agent can show you any house on the market.

YOU’RE NOT BOTHERING YOUR AGENT!

Why Do You Want to Buy A House?

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Have you ever asked yourself this?

Why do you want to buy a house? Or maybe for you, it’s a new house..

I want all of my home buyers to answer this question at the start of their journey because it’s something you can continuously come back to throughout the process to make sure you’re buying the house that’s right for your needs.

Here are a few examples that might help spark your why:

👨‍👦‍👦 👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👦

To raise your family

🖼 To have a space to make your Pinterest boards come to life and paint the walls whatever color you want

🐶 To have a yard for your dog to run around in

💵 To make a good financial investment

💰 To invest in a rental property that will provide you with some extra income

🌅 To buy a home for retirement

🌊 To have a place to get away and hear the ocean waves as you sip your coffee every morning

🛋 To finally design your space to look like it’s straight out of Studio McGee’s Dream Home Makeover and have those dreamy parties around the massive kitchen island

There are so many reasons for owning a home, but what is YOUR reason? Ready to buy? Give me a call!

Back to Real Estate School

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School is BACK IN SESSION (soon) & I’m here to share not only your August Home to do list but also what else I have up my sleeve for the last month of Summer!

The kids are going back to school, but so is my blog!

Throughout the month of August I’ll be sharing all the home buying and selling basics – the things to know before getting started, your credit score breakdown, how to find an agent – all things real estate “school”! So grab your notebooks, sharpen your pencils, get ready for class to start and make sure to contact me with all your real estate questions!

You Don’t Need A Perfect Credit Score To Buy A House

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This might surprise you…

You don’t need a perfect credit score to qualify for a mortgage.

If you’ve been seeing articles (and my posts) about low interest rates and wish you could take advantage, you might be more qualified than you think.

For starters, there are several different loan programs which all have different minimum requirements. For example, the credit score required for a conventional loan is higher than an FHA loan.

According to Experian, “It’s possible to get approved for a conforming conventional loan with a credit score as low as 620, although some lenders may look for a score of 660 or better.”

The best way to figure out if you can qualify for a mortgage right now is to meet with a local lender and talk about your options! If you need a referral, send me a message and I’ll point you in the right direction!

2020 Year in Review

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Wow! We finally made it to the end of 2020 a year that has been, in almost everyone’s estimation, unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.

I started the year as Association Executive at the North Central Board of REALTORS and ended it as a licensed REALTOR at Davenport Realty in Yellville. I have wanted to be a REALTOR my whole adult life, it seems. My dad was a REALTOR and I thought it would be something I’d really enjoy myself. Because David’s career has taken us around the world, I never was in one place long enough to make that particular dream come true.

I took the role at the NCBOR with the idea of learning the real estate business from a different direction. We had only just moved to Flippin. In fact, I hadn’t even moved here yet when I interviewed and got the job. I didn’t know anyone or anything around here so it seemed like a great place to start. I’d always wanted to run a non-profit and this was my chance. I loved the job, crammed my head with SO much knowledge that first year but, ultimately, realized that I wanted to be on the other side of the business and started to pursue my real estate license which I got mid-August.

I knew I wanted to join Davenport Realty as they are the number one brokerage in Marion County. Sandy and her family (and her whole office, really) have lived here their whole lives and they know the area like no other. I bring a whole different experience to that mix and I love and appreciate everyone I work with at Davenport. Their endless support and help have enabled me to have an incredibly awesome first quarter as a REALTOR. I did 10 transactions and sold just under $1.4 milion. Not too shabby for the new guy. 🙂

I was going a million miles an hour until about Thanksgiving time when I finally got a chance to slow down and look over what I’d just done in the past few months. I was a guest on Leigh Brown’s podcast, Crazy Sh*t in Real Estate, at the end of October. I’m not sure when my episode will air but I’ll let you know when I find out. I was also just interviewed for REALTOR Magazine to talk about starting a real estate career in a pandemic. I believe that will run in the March/April edition. I’m excited about having done both of those interviews being such a newbie.

Speaking of magazines, as an AE, I served on the AE Magazine work group and was excited to have one of my articles published just after I left that role.

After living in our little 736 sq ft Flippin house, David and I finally closed on our forever home. It’s way too big but the two things we came to realize that could not be compromised on was that I wanted a view of the lake and he wanted acreage. So we accomplished that and have been living in our new place for about a week. We’re currently getting the Flippin house ready to sell and, in this crazy market, I’ve got people chomping at the bit to look at it. There are virtually no homes in this price range so I imagine it will be snapped up fast. Then, on to selling our Tulsa place. We hope to have it on the market by May. It’s crazy over there, too, and homes in our neighborhood are being snatched off the market in short days. It’s an exciting time!

I want to say thank you to everyone who had any little part of my 2020. I had a great year and I have done so many things I have always wanted to do. I have met and worked with incredible clients whom I will always count as friends, and Davenport Realty. I thank Sandy all the time for letting me land there. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

Here’s to you and yours for a fabulous 2021!

My REALTOR Life

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Do you like the shows Million Dollar Listing LA and Million Dollar Listing New York? I do. I love looking at the luxury properties, the oversized personalities of the agents, the flashy cars, and the fabulous fashions. 

https://youtu.be/n5R5zihW1MU

On some level, I must have thought that my real estate life would resemble their lives in some way. So please forgive me that thought. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I thought I would be showing big fancy houses. Nope. I find myself out “in the dirt”a lot. There is a lot of raw land available for sale in Arkansas and I have shown so much of it.

I thought I would be wearing pretty dresses. Nope. Out in the dirt, I’m typically wearing jeans and a T-shirt. If I get dirty it doesn’t matter if I get caught on something pokey, it doesn’t matter.

I thought I would be wearing kick butt shoes. Nope. I’m wearing my rubber boots. That way, if I have to walk in chiggers or a creek I am equally protected.

I thought I would be wearing big beautiful earrings and other fancy jewelry. Nope I wear diamond posts and my silicone ring in place of my wedding set.

On days when I’m actually showing houses, I’m really excited! It’s a fun change from the dirt. I have to say though, the longer I do it, I get more comfortable with being in the dirt. I’m learning about the various things you need to buy land and what you need to consider before building a house on that land. I’m learning about Corp, river, and lake property. I’m learning about easements, septic systems, and perc tests.

I’ve gotten so comfortable with showing land that I’m actually considering going to the Land Institute and getting some extra training so that I really know what I’m doing. Who would’ve ever thought?

A New Stage

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We recently bought our house and I really enjoyed the process. Although we didn’t look at as many houses as I suppose we could have in real life, I looked at thousands of houses on Trulia.

Trulia.com

I felt during that time that I could say, “Oh, have you met my new best friend? Her name is Trulia.”

After we were moved in, I thought briefly about becoming a Realtor. But I see how hard our Realtor works and, although I’m not averse to hard work, my life is kind of crazy and I just wasn’t sure it was a good fit for me.

Looking at the houses and photos and having a love for HGTV, I saw a lot of things that I thought a seller could do to make their home more appealing to the buyer. I particularly love the HGTV shows about staging a home. The other day, I thought maybe I should consider being a home stager.

Before and After Home Staging

It would work well with my crazy life and I would love to do it. I started surfing around the net and came across an organization that certifies home stagers. I actually have a friend in Oklahoma City (a twitter friend, whom I hadn’t met in real life) that stages homes. So I contacted her to see if she knew whether the organization was legitimate.

Turns out, she was certified through that company but she told me she was having a three hour class and maybe I’d like to come to that and see if I really think it’s something I’d like to do. What a great idea! I’d invest three house and $15 to see if I really wanted to make the heavy investment of being certified. As a bonus, I’d get to meet Lisa in real life. I signed up.

Yesterday, I attended the course with two other ladies. Although it was a course geared toward continuing education for Realtors, none of us was a Realtor. One lady was like me. She thought she might like to stage homes for a living and was trying to get some more information. The other lady was getting ready to put her house on the market and thought this would give her good ideas for that.

The class was great. Lisa was very forthcoming telling us about her career, giving us the ups and downs, actual situations that have occurred and then giving us some items and having us stage a kitchen counter.

The three hours flew by and I texted David and said, “I want to do this.”

His reply:

Two words. Business plan.

As if I should have expected anything else.

Before and After staging

Staging your home can help it to sell quickly. A lot of people just don’t have the vision to see the best parts of a house without a little help. Staging helps to turn a home back into a house, put it on the market, and then get the most money for the sale. I don’t think people are used to having their homes staged in Oklahoma yet. But I imagine if more people knew the benefits to them, they would want their home staged.

Awesome! And it was so great to meet Lisa in real life, too. If you need a home staged in Oklahoma City, she is your gal!