If you’ve been thinking about buying a house, you’ve probably heard that there aren’t that many homes for sale. And if you’ve been actively looking, chances are you can confirm that firsthand. Browsing listings often feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. You find a home you like, and before you can even schedule a showing, it’s already under contract.

If you’ve been following the market, you may have also heard that one solution to the housing shortage is for builders to put more new homes on the market. After all, it makes sense—if there’s not enough to go around, why not make more?

So here’s where things might start to feel confusing. Recent news headlines paint two very different pictures.

On one hand, an article from Fast Company points out that builders currently have the highest number of unsold new homes since 2009. That seems like a surplus, right? Surely that should ease the pressure on the market. But on the other hand, MSN recently reported that a lack of inventory, not rising interest rates, is the single biggest obstacle facing buyers.

It’s a bit of a head-scratcher: are there too many homes on the market, or not enough? And more importantly, how does it all affect you as a potential buyer?

If you’re feeling a bit perplexed by these seemingly contradictory headlines, you’re not alone. Real estate is complicated, and national news doesn’t always make it easier to get a clear picture.
The reality is, both statements can be true at the same time. It’s not as simple as one or the other.

Builders do have a lot of new homes sitting unsold. But the total number of new homes on the market is still a relatively small fraction of the overall housing inventory. At the same time, the existing home market is tight, with many homeowners hesitant to sell due to higher interest rates. Together, these factors create a market that can feel like feast or famine depending on where you’re looking.

Confused? That’s okay. The good news is, the housing market isn’t as hopeless as it might seem. It just requires a closer look.

Why Local Markets May Tell a Different Story

The first thing to know about the real estate market is that it’s not just local, it’s hyperlocal. National headlines give us big-picture trends, but what’s happening in your local market might tell a completely different story. For example, a rural, relatively undeveloped area experiencing a building boom may have a high number of unsold new homes. But a more developed neighboring town could be struggling with record-low inventory levels.

According to the National Association of Realtors, 4.38 million homes were sold in 2024. But according to Barron’s, approximately 683,000 of those sales were new homes—that’s about 16% of the total sales. Yes, new home inventory is high relative to recent years, but it’s still just a drop in the bucket compared to the overall market.

For buyers, this means that the availability of homes depends largely on where you’re looking and what kind of home you’re seeking. If you’re in a market where builders have overbuilt, you might find better opportunities to negotiate or score incentives like price reductions, upgrades, or assistance with closing costs. On the other hand, if you’re in a market with little new construction, the competition could be fierce for existing homes, especially in popular price ranges.

Another factor to consider is timing. Builders aren’t just sitting on these homes for fun. They’re anticipating a strong spring market in 2025, which means they’re likely to hold out for better prices rather than sell at a steep discount now. So while there might be more opportunities in certain markets, buyers should still act quickly and strategically.

How to Make Sense of Your Local Market

So what does all of this mean for you? First, it’s important to take a step back from the headlines and get a realistic picture of your local market. That’s where a real estate agent comes in. A knowledgeable agent can help you:

• Understand whether your area has a surplus of new homes, a shortage of homes overall, or something in between.
• Identify which price ranges are experiencing the most competition and which offer more opportunities.
• Spot potential deals on new homes in markets where builders are eager to sell.

If you’re in a market with a lot of unsold new homes, you might be in a great position to find a deal—but that doesn’t mean you should wait. Builders are betting on a strong spring market, so the incentives you see now might not be around in a few months.

If, on the other hand, you’re in a market where inventory is tight, it’s even more important to work with a local expert. They can help you navigate the challenges of competing with other buyers, whether that means finding off-market properties, crafting a strong offer, or simply understanding which neighborhoods offer the most value.

The Takeaway:

News headlines about the current real estate market seem to contradict each other. Some reports say there is more new home inventory on the market, which is supposed to help cut down on buyer competition and possibly lower prices. On the other hand, there are reports that there still isn’t enough inventory to satisfy demand!

While national trends are interesting (and confusing!), real estate always comes down to your local market and your specific situation.

If you’re considering buying a house, the best first step is to talk to a local real estate agent who knows the ins and outs of your area. They’ll be able to give you a clearer picture of what’s really going on and help you determine the best strategy for your home search. Whether you’re looking for a brand-new home with all the latest upgrades or hoping to find a hidden gem in a competitive market, the right guidance can make all the difference.

The post Too Many Homes for Sale, or Not Enough? Making Sense of Recent Headlines for Home Buyers appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

But what you bring with you to the open house says just as much about you as the house says about its owners! Are you a hyper-prepared dealmaker or a casual browser just here for the free cookies?

Here are 9 (slightly exaggerated) homebuyer personalities, based upon what they bring to an open house:

1) A Clipboard

You’re not only super organized, you’re a serious buyer! You’ve mapped out the entire day of open houses you want to hit, and have a printout of each one in chronological order. You will be an amazing buyer who never misses a deadline and has a smooth transaction from start to finish.

2) A Measuring Tape

You have a ridiculously large piece of furniture that you’re really attached to, and are concerned about whether it will fit exactly where you want it in your new home. You will look at dozens (if not hundreds!) of homes that never quite have the perfect space or place to put it, and will eventually decide that you can just buy new furniture that fits in a house you eventually fall in love with.

3) A Huge Tote Bag

Open houses are a great place to cash in on the free giveaways, like branded water bottles, pens, and keychains. You’ve come well prepared to load up on any freebies, and possibly a handful of the freshly baked cookies sitting right there on the kitchen island.

4) Nothing

You’re a neighbor who just wanted to take the opportunity to “see what they’ve done with the place,” and probably chime in on how they’re asking too much, and will never get close to the asking price.

However, you’ll also mention that your house is a lot nicer, which means you could probably sell for 10% more than they’re asking… But you’re not going anywhere anytime soon. You’re staying put. No plans to move. OK, well, good luck selling this place. I have to head back home before the game starts.

5) A Fancy Cup of Coffee

You’re just starting to think about buying a house. You had no real plans for the day and decided to go for a drive, grab a cup of coffee, and just take a peek at a few open houses… just to see what’s out there.

6) You Keep Your Sunglasses on Inside

Unless the natural light spilling into the house is as amazing as the listing says it is, you’re hiding behind those glasses hoping the agent doesn’t recognize you from a few years back when you asked them to show you houses for 3 months straight, and then ghosted them. Or maybe you’re just a celebrity.

7) A Toddler

Oh, you’re serious about buying a house! Because nobody brings a toddler into someone else’s home to let them unleash their terror without good reason. But it could also be that the kid won’t nap and you just needed to get out of your own house for a freaking minute of sanity and adult conversation. But good luck with that while you’re trying to wrangle a wriggling kid in your arms.

8) Your Dog

Whatever house you buy needs to fit the needs of your four-legged friend as much (if not more) than your own, in order for you to seriously consider it.

9) Your Agent’s Business Card

You’re the dream buyer—loyal, professional, and ready to make sure the agent hosting the open house respects that relationship. They’ll respect it… but that doesn’t mean they won’t wish you were their client!

The post What 9 Things You Might Bring to an Open House Reveal About You as a Home Buyer appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

To be fair, it’s certainly not as extreme as some jobs can be in the extreme cold! But when the temperature drops to face-numbing levels, even the simplest of real estate tasks can turn into unexpected adventures.

Here’s a peek at 3 surprising things agents have to deal with when it’s bone-chilling cold outside:

1) Frozen Lockboxes

Years ago, agents had to fumble with combination dials like they were cracking a safe in the Arctic in order to access the keys to a house. Fortunately most lockboxes work electronically now, but sometimes the key dispenser gets frozen in place which can take a fair share of banging from a nearby rock in order to get it to budge.

But even then, the fun isn’t always over… Sometimes the key is frozen inside the lockbox and you have to chisel it out of a block of ice!

2) Frozen Front Yards

When front yards freeze, good luck getting “for sale” signs in or out of the ground! New listing? That “For Sale” sign isn’t going anywhere. Closing day? The buyers may be stuck gazing at that sign on their front lawn until the first signs of spring.

However, there are some weathered agents (pun intended) who actually carry around drills in order to make starters holes for their signs.

3) Showing Houses That Feel Like Walk-in Freezers

Agents often have to show bank-owned homes that are completely vacant and have the utilities turned off because they were foreclosed. Somehow these houses can feel even colder than it is outside! The upshot is that it can actually make it seem tolerable outside… at least for a few minutes.

The post 3 Surprising Things Real Estate Agents Have to Deal With When It’s Bone-Chilling Cold Outside appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

When it comes to home design, trends come and go faster than you can say “shiplap.” Every year, articles flood the internet with predictions from design experts and real estate professionals about what’s in and what’s out. One year, it’s all about farmhouse chic; the next, mid-century modern reigns supreme.

Let’s be real, though. Most people don’t pay much attention to any subtle shifts in decor. Who has the time or budget to spend on it year after year?!

But among all the shifting fads 2025 is predicted to bring about, a larger question has surfaced…

Is the dining room—an entire category of space—on the verge of extinction?

While jumping on the bandwagon of most home trends isn’t a big deal, hearing that the formal dining room is on its way out could have a major impact on your decision-making process if you’re a homeowner contemplating renovations or a prospective buyer weighing options in the coming year.

So, should you ditch your dining room? Maybe. Maybe not. The choice is yours, but it’s always better to make it with all the facts on the table—whether that table sits in a dining room or not.

What the Numbers Say (Or Don’t Say) About Dining Rooms

A recent article from the New York Post posed that very question, and while the article didn’t settle the debate one way or the other, they did suggest that they’re on the way out according to real estate experts:

There are a number of factors that would impact that percentage, but any real estate agent will tell you dining rooms are alive and well in more than one in four homes on the market. However, calling them a hot commodity might be a stretch.

The way people use their homes has evolved—a shift accelerated by the pandemic. Suddenly, dining rooms became home offices, classrooms, or workout spaces. For some, they’ve never gone back to their original purpose.

Yet, dining rooms aren’t universally unwanted. Just take a quick glance at the online comment section of that article in the Post and you’ll see that people are clearly divided. Some love dining rooms, some don’t, and others just want the option to customize the space. Many buyers still love the idea of a dedicated space for family meals or hosting holiday dinners, while others prefer an open floor plan where dining, living, and kitchen areas blend seamlessly.

Welcome to the world of real estate—where no single design choice pleases everyone.

Technically It’s Something You Can Change…

Real estate agents often advise buyers not to fixate on cosmetic elements that are easily changed about a house, like paint color, light fixtures, kitchen cabinets, or even the layout of a house if it can be renovated to their liking.

So, technically speaking, it’s a changeable feature, but remodeling to add or remove a dining room can be a major undertaking.

Why? Because dining rooms are often tied to the structural layout of a home. Removing one might mean tearing down walls, potentially load-bearing ones, and reworking the flow of adjoining spaces, and probably will entail renovating each of those rooms as well. Adding one could involve a similarly hefty renovation. Neither option is cheap or simple.

So, if you’re considering a renovation, the question isn’t just can you do it, but should you? Will the investment pay off when you sell? Or will it alienate buyers who might have preferred the space’s original use? Real estate is a delicate balancing act, and understanding your market is crucial.

The Risk of Going Rogue With Renovations

One of the biggest mistakes many homeowners make is diving into major renovations without consulting a local real estate agent. Agents have a finger on the pulse of buyer preferences in your area and can provide valuable insights. It’s common for sellers to find that they spent tens of thousands of dollars on a project that didn’t produce a positive return on their investment—or worse, makes their home more difficult to sell.

For example, if most buyers in your market value traditional dining rooms, converting yours into an open concept kitchen / family room area might not go over well. On the flip side, if dining rooms are considered outdated in your area, adding one might not add as much value as you’d hope. The key is to align your renovation plans with what buyers are looking for in your price range and neighborhood.

If you’re planning to stay in your home for years to come, the decision isn’t as critical. Renovate in a way that suits your lifestyle and makes your home more enjoyable for your family. After all, you should enjoy where you live!

However, if there’s a chance you’ll sell in the near future, your choices might need to reflect broader market trends. This is where your agent’s expertise becomes invaluable. They can help you gauge whether buyers in your area prioritize dining rooms or if other features take precedence.

Before choosing to do major renovation, especially if you are altering the way the space is used, it never hurts to speak with your local agent—they can help you make a more informed decision than an article about the latest trends.

The Takeaway:

Are dining rooms becoming a thing of the past? For some, they’re still very much a room they want and expect in a home. For others, they’re a useless room they’d rather convert into something else. As with most real estate questions, the answer isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Before making any major changes to your home—especially those that alter how a space is used—consult a local real estate expert. They can provide the perspective you need to make informed decisions based upon your local area. Understanding what buyers value in your market can save you time, money, and headaches down the road.

The post Ditching the Dining Room: Trendy or a Total Mistake? appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

But when you’re face-to-face with an appliance salesperson, sometimes their pitch can be pretty convincing. Maybe you’re the “better safe than sorry” type, you simply don’t want to risk a hefty repair bill later on, or happen to be a firm believer in them. So, you go for it and find yourself with a warranty that may—or may not—come in handy if something breaks.

The good news is, even if your appliance runs perfectly and never needs repairs, that doesn’t mean it was money entirely down the drain! In fact, many warranties offer financial benefits even when nothing goes wrong. So don’t just shove the paperwork in a drawer and forget about it— make sure to read the fine print and capitalize on any perks they might have used to sell you on buying it in the first place!

Here are three ways you might be able to get some value out of an appliance warranty—even if the product doesn’t break:

1) Reimbursement for Upkeep

Some warranties cover part of the cost for items that help keep your appliance in tip-top shape, like hoses, filters, or even cleaning supplies. While it may not get you these items for free, you can often get a percentage reimbursed with proof of purchase. Be sure to check the annual reimbursement limit for your plan—it could save you a decent amount over time.

2) Money Back If You Never File a Claim

Believe it or not, some warranty programs reward you for not needing repairs. If you go the full term of the warranty without filing a claim, you might be eligible to get a percentage of the warranty cost refunded. Just don’t expect them to remind you of this or just send you a refund! You’ll have to keep your eye on the expiration date and reach out to the company in order to get some money back.

3) Added Value If You Sell It (Or Include It in the Sale of Your Home)

Some warranties transfer to a new owner. If you sell your appliance—or include it in the sale of your home—a transferable warranty can be a big selling point. Buyers love the added assurance that their new purchase is covered, and it can even boost buyer confidence in your overall deal. It may be difficult to quantify how much value you get out of this, but it can certainly help justify the money you spent on it!

The post 3 Potential Ways to Cash In on Your Home Appliance Warranty… Even if Nothing Breaks appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

To outsiders, high-rise living can certainly seem glamorous — picture stunning views, high-end interiors, and the prestige of an address that practically screams “success.” Spoiler alert: They’re not all glamorous, and living in one comes with some unique challenges that you might not imagine, if you’re used to living in a single-family home.

Here are 8 things that people living in a high-rise or skyscraper have to be comfortable living with:

1) It can take a while just to get out of your building…

If you live on a lower floor, the stairs can be a great way to get your daily steps in, as well as avoid long waits for the elevator. But if you live on the higher floors, you either need to be down for some serious cardio, or down with waiting for an elevator to pick you up, especially during peak hours when everyone is coming and going.

2) You need to be prepared to make small talk…

In suburbia, you can strategically avoid making conversation with your neighbors by waiting until the coast is clear for you to make a dash to your car or into your home. But if you live in a highrise, good luck not bumping into someone who wants to chat in your hallway, on the elevator, at the mailboxes, or in the lobby every time you come and go.

3) Carrying groceries can be even more challenging…

No matter how skilled you are at carrying every single grocery bag in one trip from the car to your kitchen in a single-family setting, you probably wouldn’t be able to duplicate that feat as easily living in a highrise. You really need to think through how much you can carry from the store all the way up to your kitchen, before filling a grocery cart.

4) Taking out the trash isn’t always easy…

Some highrises have trash chutes on each floor that you can just walk down the hall and toss it into and let gravity take it to the basement. But some don’t, and you need to lug bags of garbage all the way down. Think about that the next time you groan about having to wheel your garbage cans out to the street on collection day!

5) You need to take a walk in order to take your dog for a walk…

Letting your dog do its business in the hallway or lobby is frowned upon, so in order to take your dog for a walk, you need to take the trek all the way through the building, just to get outside. If you and your pooch prefer a parklike setting, you’ll also need to walk to the nearest one, which can be quite a hike in some urban areas.

6) If you have kids, it’s not easy for them to play outside…

Not that kids play outside like they used to, but if you live in a single-family house, it’s usually a lot easier for them to do so when they get the urge. Kids who grow up in a highrise might have a great view of some parks in the distance, but getting to them is a whole other story.

7) Sometimes your view isn’t so grand…

Living in a highrise can mean looking out at some amazing views! But it can also mean looking out at the side of another building…

8) You need to be cool with your building swaying in the wind…

Architects and engineers design highrises to sway, and they’re almost always moving a little bit. But when the wind whips up, residents really feel it, and can often hear the building groaning and creaking.

The post 8 Ways Living in a High Rise or Skyscraper Is So Different from Living in a Single Family Home appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

It’s probably not even possible to shock an agent…

If you just read that and thought, “Game on!” and want some creative ways to test that theory, here are ten ways you can shock (and delight!) an agent the next time you need to hire one:

1) “I saw your info on my grandmother’s fridge!”

The next time you need to hire an agent, go to your grandmother’s house (or the house of any other older relative) and take a peek at the side of their fridge. There you will find a calendar magnet from 2018 with a real estate agent’s face and contact info on it. Call that agent and say, “I saw your info on my grandma’s fridge and need you to sell my house.”

2) An Office Walk-In? Is This the 1990s?

The internet and cell phones have made it almost pointless for an agent to take a shift sitting at the front desk in case a potential client walks in, yet some agents still do it to this day despite the fact that no agent has probably gotten a client that way since 1999. So the next time you’re in the market to buy a house, walk into your local real estate office unannounced, ask the agent sitting at the front desk to work with you, and watch them party like it’s 1999.

3) The Open House Job Interview

Agents certainly meet people at open houses who end up becoming clients. But the client usually came to see the house, not the agent, and they just ended up hitting it off.

So if you want to really shock an agent, walk into a random open house and wait for them to say, “Welcome. Feel free to take a look around, and if you have any questions about the house, feel free to ask.”

As soon as they get those words out, tell them you didn’t come to see the house, you came to hire whatever agent happened to be hosting the open house and ask them to prepare an exclusive buyer’s agency agreement. If they don’t faint on the spot, tell them they passed the test and hire them, because that’s a sign that the agent can handle even the most shocking turn of events.

4) Winning Facebook’s Hunger Games

Make a post in your local Facebook group asking for real estate recommendations. Within minutes, dozens of comments will flood in from people raving about their favorite agent, and plenty of agents promoting themselves. Don’t focus on any agent who receives tons of reactions or recommendations. Find one who gets lost in the sea of all the other 82 agent names on the thread and call them—one who basically said, “Hey, I’m an agent in the area and I could use some business.”

Reply to their comment saying “I’d like to hire you, please DM me to set up a time to meet…” and immediately turn the commenting off on the post. Not only will that particular agent be flabbergasted, but so will every single one of the other 82 agents. (Especially the ones who got tons of love from the locals in the comment section!)

5) Door Knocking Pays Off (For Once)

If you wait long enough, one day an agent will knock on your door trying to drum up some business. The agent will likely be braced for you to either pretend you’re not home; answer the door and yell at them; or (at best) politely tell them you’re not thinking of buying a home in the near future, but you’ll keep them in mind when you do.

Unbeknownst to them, you have put off your plans to buy or sell a house until the moment an agent had the gumption to show up at your door and knock! Swing the door open and say, “Oh thank goodness, I’ve been waiting for you to show up to list my house! Come on in! I hope you brought the paperwork…”

6) Found on Google—Without Paying for It

The next time you need an agent, go to Google and type in “real estate agent near me” into the search bar. Then scroll way down to the bottom and click to the next page. Do this until you reach the 6th or 7th page of search results. Call whatever agent appears that many pages in and when they ask how you found them, tell them “I Googled ‘best agents near me,’ and you came up.” They will be flattered, but floored that they came up at all, since they probably haven’t spent a dime on SEO or building a web presence to show up that many pages deep in search results.

7) A Mind-Changing Meme

Let’s face it, you’re either friends with, or related to a real estate agent. Deep down the hope, pray, and kind of expect you to work with them. But that doesn’t always happen… Agents often get upset when they find out a friend or family member worked with another agent to buy or sell a house. But by then, it’s too late and there’s not much they can do, other than post self-therapeutic memes about it.

So the next time you’re in the market to buy or sell a house, reach out to the one you’re closest to and say that you were going to hire another agent, but you saw a real estate meme that made you realize the error of your ways before it was too late!

The post Real Estate Agents Are Hard to Shock, but Here Are 7 Ways You Might Be Able to Pull It Off appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

For many buyers, deciding what to offer on a home is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the process. Buyers often find themselves wondering whether they should offer more or less than the asking price.

On one hand, buyers have always wanted to snag a home at the best possible price. Who wouldn’t love the satisfaction of getting a deal? On the other hand, in recent years, many buyers have grown accustomed to bidding wars and offering above asking price just to secure a property. It’s a tricky dance between those two instincts—saving money and winning the house—and it leaves many wondering: How much should I really offer?

Whichever camp you’re in, it’d be nice to have some cut and dry guidance on when you can come in lower, when you have to offer more than asking, and even some insight into how much above or below asking you should come in with your offer.

For instance, while this recent Realtor.com article about whether to offer below or above asking price might sound promising, unfortunately it isn’t the hard and fast answer you may be looking for. The advice basically boils down to:

• If it’s a buyer’s market or the house has been on the market a long time, you can offer less than the asking price.
• If it’s a seller’s market or a brand new listing, you’ll probably need to offer more than the asking price.
• Either way, there’s no absolute answer to what you should do because it depends upon a lot of factors.
• Ask your agent for help figuring out what to offer given your specific market, and the house you’re about to make an offer on.

All of that is true, but it doesn’t really provide the answer you may be looking for. That’s because there is no absolute answer.

While you should certainly listen to your agent’s insight and advice, it’s ultimately your decision how much to offer for a house. That’s why the best strategy is to find your “regret-free” number—the price that leaves you confident no matter what the outcome.

What Is a Regret-Free Number?

Your regret-free number is the amount you’re comfortable with in every possible scenario. It’s a price you won’t second-guess if the seller rejects your offer, and one you won’t regret if the seller accepts it. Achieving this balance requires careful thought and preparation.

Think of it this way: If the seller rejects your offer, will you wish you had offered more? If so, you haven’t hit your number yet. On the other hand, if the seller accepts your offer, will you feel uneasy about paying too much? That’s a sign you’ve gone too high. Your regret-free number sits in that sweet spot where you can confidently move forward, regardless of the seller’s response.

Tips for Determining Your Regret-Free Number

It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement (or frenzy) when you find a house you want to buy. Emotions can easily override logic, especially if you find yourself in a bidding war. But whether there is stiff competition or not, the amount you are willing to pay for the house should be determined by you, not by how many other buyers are making offers, or how much the seller wants.

Whether your final offer is above or below asking, determining your regret-free number for any particular house takes preparation, research, and a clear understanding of your financial limits. Here are some steps to guide you:

1. Study the Market: Work with your agent to review comparable sales in the area. These comps give you an idea of what similar homes have sold for recently, helping you assess whether the asking price is fair. While many buyers wait until they are about to make an offer to review “comps” (and some never do!), you should begin reviewing sales data with your agent early on in your home search to get a feel for market values. This will help you make a much more informed decision than other buyers who are just reviewing sales data as they’re about to make an offer.
2. Consider How Long You Plan to Stay In the Home. If this is your forever home, you might be willing to stretch your budget slightly for the perfect fit. However, if you think you’ll move again in a few years, it’s wise to stay within a more conservative range to ensure you don’t overpay relative to market trends.
3. Know Your Limits: A mortgage pre-approval may say that you can technically afford the payments, but only you can determine if you can do so comfortably each month. Calculate how much you can comfortably afford, not just in terms of the purchase price but also monthly payments, closing costs, and future expenses.

Deciding how much to offer on a home doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By focusing on your regret-free number—the amount you can commit to without second-guessing—you can approach the process with clarity and confidence. Do your homework, rely on your agent’s expertise, and stay grounded in both your financial and emotional priorities. At the end of the day, the right number isn’t just one that secures the house—it’s one that leaves you feeling at peace with your decision.

Partner with an agent who truly understands the local market. From the earliest stages of your search, they can educate you on property values and market trends, giving you the knowledge you need to make informed decisions. By preparing ahead of time, you’ll be able to approach offers with confidence—whether it means going above, below, or right at the asking price. The more you know upfront, the easier it becomes to navigate the process and find your regret-free number.

The Takeaway:

Deciding how much to offer on a home can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. By understanding the market, doing your research, and setting a regret-free number, you can approach the process with confidence. Work closely with your agent, stay focused on your priorities, and remember that the goal isn’t to get the “perfect” deal—it’s to find a home you love at a price you’re comfortable with. When you do that, you’ll know you made the right decision.

The post How Much Should You Offer on a Home? Finding Your Regret-Free Number appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

This might not sound like a big deal for naturally tidy folks—it’s just Tuesday. But for everyone else, keeping a house show-ready feels like landing a full-time (non-paying) job doing something they have zero qualifications for.

Here’s a peek at 6 struggles many home sellers know all too well, but the naturally tidy ones will be surprised to know are even considered a struggle:

1) “Tidy” is not the same as “hiding the evidence.”

Naturally tidy people probably can’t grasp the art of shoving clutter into drawers, closets, or random tote bags before a showing. But if you’ve ever stuffed an entire day’s worth of dishes into the oven because the dishwasher is already too full, you know the struggle.

2) Kids and pets are living chaos machines.

Ask a tidy person how they’re always so prepared for last minute showings when they have kids and pets, and they’ll smile and calmly reply, “I just have a system.” Heck, they probably even get their kids and pets to lend a hand picking up around the house! For everyone else, keeping a house pristine with a toddler, a teen, or a Terrier (forget about it if you have all three!) is like trying to stop Niagara Falls with a paper towel.

3) Closets are not infinite voids of storage magic.

If you can’t relate to pushing your back up against the closet door until you hear the latch click… you might be a tidy person. While tidy people hope a buyer will open their closet to witness how much storage space they have, even if it isn’t a walk-in closet, everyone else just hopes the buyer isn’t too injured when the door flings open and an avalanche of their belongings hits them in the face.

4) Dust exists everywhere, even in places you forgot existed.

Tidy folks seem to have an actual schedule for dusting baseboards and ceiling fans. So when it comes time to sell their house, they miss out on how fun it is to wipe dust that’s deep enough to actually measure with a ruler off of the ceiling fan.

5) Things don’t always have a designated spot.

Neat freaks naturally have “homes” for their belongings and it looks like there’s a place for everything, and everything’s in its place. But a lot of sellers have vague zones: “keys somewhere on the counter,” “shoes near the door,” and “coat on a chair next to the door where the shoes are near.” Keeping a house show-ready for many homeowners means trying to break these habits, and learning that maybe junk drawers are not, in fact, an acceptable life strategy for everything you own.

6) Keeping a house “drop-in ready” is stressful and exhausting!

For naturally tidy people, it’s no big deal, it’s just how they live. For everyone else, the constant threat of a last-minute showing feels like defusing a bomb. Every “We’ll be there in 15 minutes” text isn’t just stressful, it’s an exhausting sprint to pick up rogue socks, frantically vacuum the living room, and a desperate dash through the laundry room to make sure there aren’t any unmentionables in a pile by the washing machine.

The post 6 Realities Naturally Tidy People Don’t Get About Keeping a House Show-Ready appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.

But before we get too excited and start cranking out houses like oversized Lego sets, let’s ask an important question… Will concrete printers come with the same frustrations as regular printers?

Anyone who’s wrestled with a paper jam or begged a printer to stop demanding magenta for a black-and-white document knows all too well that printers often have a mind of their own!

So let’s examine how 7 common issues people have with regular printers could really make a mess of things if it happened with the ones they use to print houses:

1) What if Fixing Paper Jams Isn’t Your Jam?

What if you’re halfway through printing a three-bedroom ranch and the machine stops? Perhaps it’s the concrete equivalent to a paper jam!

You could look at the control panel or open up the machine to see if something is lodged inside. But the pro move here is to walk away until someone else comes along and tries to use it, realizes the machine is jammed, and fixes it.

2) You Can’t Just Run To Staples for a New Cartridge…

It’s a total pain in the neck having to run to the nearest office supply store when you run out of ink mid-print using a traditional printer. But you’d wish it were that easy to get refills for your 3D printer if you run out of concrete in the middle of printing a kitchen!

3) Magenta Is Low!!!

Regular printers have a ridiculous obsession with the color magenta! You could print 99.8% of things strictly in black and white, yet somehow magenta is always low, and it doesn’t want to let you continue printing until you address this urgent matter. Despite the fact that concrete houses will all come out some shade of gray, it wouldn’t be surprising if these new fangled printers also insist on taking a break until you feed it some magenta.

4) Your Home is Buffering

Everyone’s been through the experience of trying to print some important documents and your computer says the job is “in progress” yet nothing is being printed. Unfortunately you’ve got like three quarters of a piece of paper stuck coming out the printer, so you’re stuck having to choose between trying to be patient and wait it out, or trying in vain to cancel the print job. If this happens when you’re printing a concrete house, you might as well just skip ahead to the ultimate solution, which usually ends up being to just reboot the entire computer.

5) Starting Update…NOW!

Software updates are necessary from time to time, but they never seem to happen at a convenient time! Hopefully any concrete printer updates will happen before it starts printing a house, but if not, hopefully it won’t take the half an hour they always seem to take when you’re in a rush.

6) When the Cancel Button Kicks in Too Late…

Sometimes there’s a long lag between when you click the cancel button on the printer, and when it decides to finally follow through with the command. But by then you’ve already hit the print button a few more times, and now you’ve got three sets of the same thing in the printing queue. Not a big deal when you’re talking a few extra sheets of paper, but having three extra walls printing out of a concrete printer probably will be!

7) Goes Rogue and Prints Blanks

Ever had a printer randomly spit out 50 blank pages for no reason? Now imagine that, but with concrete. Just a big pile of windowless, doorless slabs of concrete piling up on the lawn…

While printed houses hold tremendous promise, let’s hope the tech wizards behind them have learned from the woes of their desktop counterparts.

The post What Could Go Wrong With 3D Printing Houses? Here Are 7 Funny (And Relatable) Possibilities… appeared first on Lighter Side of Real Estate.