First Blog Posts

Making a decision to purchase real estate can be a challenging one, but it can also be extremely rewarding if you do it well. One of my favorite quotes about real estate is from Theodore Roosevelt, who famously said, “Every person who invests in well-selected real estate in a growing section of a prosperous community adopts the surest and safest method of becoming independent, for real estate is the basis of wealth.”When I get ready to purchase investment property, I normally look at three main factors. It doesn't really make much of a difference to me what the seller’s agent has to say, or what the MLS states. Either this set of criteria is met by the prospective property, or it’s not. Is The Property Listed At Fair Market Value?This is a big reason, if not the main reason, to consider... 10/19/2022

I have heard it so many times..." I could sell real estate, I would make so much money". The truth is, it is not so easy.In my years working in the business, I've seen a lot of people come and go. One of the main differences I see in successful agents, and not so much, is time management. I don't mean time management in the sense that you are always on time. The highest-producing agents I know always seem to be scattered, running late, and running around like a chicken with its head cut off. However, that's because they are always busy helping current clients while chasing prospects...as they should be.What I mean by time management is knowing what to spend your time on, and not wasting it on things you should be delegating. If you are in a brokerage, use the tools they give you. Don't ... 10/18/2022

There is overwhelming news and media coverage regarding today's real estate market. It seems that, based on most coverage out there, it's both a great time to buy and a great time to sell. Social media is the same narrative, everything is great for everyone. When the world is telling you to have your cake and eat it too, something isn't right. So what is the truth? Let's take off the rose colored glasses for a moment and look at the numbers and what's driving them, interest rates. In less than a year, rates went from historic lows in 2021 to 30-year highs today. To illustrate the effect of rates on today's market, let's examine what your mortgage payment will be in three different mortgage scenarios. Fair warning; you will be grossed out. Numbers don't lie, and laid out this way they sh... 10/17/2022

When it comes to great suburbs in America, Westerville, Ohio consistently ranks among the best of the best. Sitting just under 15 miles to the northeast of the City of Columbus, you’re just a stone’s throw from the major business and cultural center of Columbus while remaining nestled in a perfectly picturesque suburb with a lively community of its own.You might be attracted to Westerville because of the great quality of life and reasonable cost of living, but you’re also bound to fall in love with the vibrant community, storied past, incredible schools, and strikingly low crime rate.There are many things to love about Westerville, and that’s exactly why the Westerville real estate market is hot right now. Let’s break down what makes Westerville such an appealing place for purchasing pr... 10/14/2022

A "loan officer" is NOT equal to a "Qualified Mortgage Broker". If your lender can't commit to these things 100% of the time, we should chat:✔ Lower Rates & Fewer Fees✔ FAST closings✔ NO Overlays (hidden loan requirements)✔ FULL, Accurate Pre-Approvals In 24 Hours✔ Seamless Communication Throughout✔ NO disappearing at ANY point before, during or after escrow! Shall I Go On...?     👀 Watch     👂 Listen     📖 Read     Inquire 👉 https://lynx.ly/ccf8eb5a. #chriscartermortgagebroker #home 10/11/2022

Understanding the foreclosure process in PA is an important part of navigating your own home foreclosure.Before we dive in…Understanding the Foreclosure Process in PA What is foreclosure anyway?Foreclosure is the legal process that lenders use to take back property securing a loan, generally after the borrower stops making payments.Foreclosure is no fun.  But just know that it’s not the end of the world.When you know how foreclosure in PA works… it arms you with the knowledge to make sure you navigate it well and come out the other end as well as possible.The Basic Stages of A ForeclosureThere are a few stages that are important to any foreclosure process.Foreclosure works differently in different states around the country.The two ways different states use to foreclose upon a property a... 10/11/2022

Given my background as a former IRS Revenue Officer (25 years) I can assure you that the IRS is more than happy to allow the house to be sold.  It saves the IRS the expense of Seizure and Sell of the property.  The only thing the IRS and NCDOR for State Certificates of Lien require is that the seller who owes money to the IRS and State not walk away with money that the IRS & State should have received. So the taxpayer owes money to the IRS & State, say $100,000 to IRS and $50,000 to the State.  They also own a home worth $450,000.  I will explain exactly what the IRS and State will get in each of the following circumstances:      1. Taxpayer sells and owes the bank $100,000.  In this case the IRS and State will both get full-paid. The house will sell for $450,000, the bank gets its $100... 10/09/2022

A question that i often get asked is: can I use my personal home to run a business?The short and long answer is YES and YES, provided your personal home has the ability to facilitate such business.There are businesses in the millions that are run and operated from the owners personal residence extremely successful, and if anything, they were started at home first, then expanded to larger facilities.Take for example, Apple and Amazon to name a few. They all started from their own home space and went on to becoming multi-billion dollar companies.While there are many many advantages in running and operating, specially a brand new business, from your own home, one thing that stands out to me is Tax Write Off abilities on a personal level.I am not a certified accountant, and this info is by ... 10/07/2022

A lot of people ask, is the Lehigh Valley PA a good place to live? I grew up here so of course my answer is going to be yes! but let's talk a little bit more about the Lehigh Valley and see if it really makes sense for you. The first thing you might want to know is where is the Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania? The Lehigh Valley is located in northeast Pennsylvania, about 1.5 hours north of Philadelphia, right along the Jersey border. It's also known as the Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton metropolitan area which is comprised primarily of two main counties, Lehigh county, and Northampton County  Pennsylvania is a very large state and Lehigh Valley is the third most populated area next to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. One of the reasons why they have all these great place to live, is the location. ... 10/06/2022

RE Agents: need more business? Did you know that your database/sphere directly influences your production? Ok, so if that’s true, how does a person grow their database you ask? Excellent question! • Who do you know? Check out your phone, emails, social media and those little slips of paper everywhere and get them into one location! (CRM is best, but an excel spreadsheet will do) • Contact those in your current database and request to meet 1:1 (in-person). Even if it’s been a LONG time since they heard from you…it’s okay! • Go to fun events/activities that you love and meet NEW people (book club, poker group, skiing, dinner club, etc). Or start your own fun things to do (visit new restaurants) & invite others to join you • Ask these “new” people to meet 1:1 and get to know them • Ask th... 10/06/2022

Does anyone have a recommendation for a great CRM that is also easy to use? I have a guy that is going to start working with me and I want to help him stay organized as well.  10/06/2022

Real estate is interesting to both investors and people who wish to replace renting with ownership. It also comes with plenty of tax incentives. And if you do your research, you may raise the odds of your piece of real estate — whether it’s a house you live in or a two-flat that you rent out — growing in value before you sell, leaving you with a profit. Even though real estate is an attractive choice for stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, it is not without dangers and difficulties. Investing in real estate is not as straightforward as investing in equities or CDs. Realiff here looks at how real estate works, what makes it an attractive investment, and the processes and research required whether you’re purchasing a house for your family or an investment to increase your bottom line. What ... 10/06/2022

The single-family housing market shows no sign of slowing down, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t devote time to finding the perfect tenants. While traditional marketing methods such as word of mouth and for-rent signs are beneficial, knowing how to creatively market your rental properties to your ideal tenants is vital. Even if you’re a seasoned property professional, single-family rental marketing strategies often differ from multi-family ones. That’s why we’ve gathered the top five marketing strategies for single-family rentals (SFRs) to ensure your rental properties shine and your business continues to grow. 1. Know your audience A crucial part of any marketing strategy is knowing who you’re marketing to. The same goes for marketing rental properties. Currently, the target audienc... 10/05/2022

While I am still in the very beginning stages of becoming a real estate agent (a mere 15% done with my 120 hours to be exact), I have already noticed some scammy scenes on popular real estate sites that have me nervous to join the crowd! It's a good thing I am excited by mystery!Just the other day I was scrolling Zillow, and I saw a house featured that only had EXTERNAL images of the house! Which was in such a bad state that I can't even imagine what the inside must look like... so, perhaps I can't blame them for not posting pics of it. But I can still call them out for false advertising! I personally don't feel it the best practice to completely avoid what we all already know to be true: that the house is simply a dump, and the asking price is higher than Pluto. What do you think?   09/30/2022

TikTok is quickly becoming one of the most popular social media platforms, and it's perfect for real estate marketing. Why? Because TikTok is all about short, attention-grabbing videos. And what's more attention-grabbing than a beautiful property or the crazy real estate business? If you're thinking about joining TikTok or are simply curious about how to use TikTok for business read on for everything you need to know.How to Use TikTok for your Real Estate Business Create a personal TikTok page with a branded profile that promotes your real estate business. Use relevant keywords in your profile name and bio. Make sure your account is public and include a link in the bio to increase traffic to your website or blog. Use TikTok to share behind-the-scenes footage of what it takes to sell a h... 09/29/2022

If you're considering getting an electric fireplace insert, you might wonder what your options are. I'll give you a rundown of the different types of electric fireplace inserts and the pros and cons of each one. That way, you can decide which type of electric fireplace insert is right for you and your home.1. Standard Electric Fireplace InsertsThese are the most common type of electric fireplace inserts. They typically come with a metal surround and a glass front. The standard electric fireplace insert is designed to be placed into an existing fireplace opening. Electric fireplace inserts are insertable units that can be placed into an existing fireplace. They come in various styles and can be used with or without gas lines. Many people choose electric fireplace inserts because they off... 09/28/2022

Despite not yet reaching pandemic levels of affordability, Austin's real estate market has slowed down slightly as its number of home sales decreases. Other major cities across America are experiencing similar trends. Despite this slowdown in the number of homes sold, the average home price has remained relatively stable since the beginning of 2022, indicating that there is still plenty of room for buyers to bid up prices even if they aren't buying at the rate they were before COVID-19 hit. As a result, the Austin real estate market is still favoring buyers, but the signs of slowing down cannot be overlooked. Therefore, they should be considered when making future market analyses and forecasts for the city. Will this market moderation impact Austin's commercial real market as a whole?Au... 09/26/2022

When buying or selling a property, it’s important to have all the details and paperwork in order. You don’t want to lose your rights as a buyer or seller, and you certainly don’t want to miss deadlines for taxes and other fees. In addition, the title of your property is one of the most important considerations when purchasing real estate. To ensure everything goes smoothly during your property transaction, you will need to hire third party services like buyers and sellers title services to assist with these concerns. If you are looking to buy a home, sell an existing home, or even lease a place to live, you may need services that help manage the titles of your property. It is important that if you are on either side of this transaction that you understand what buyers and sellers title s... 09/21/2022

Misrepresentation The example given in my training is “agent showing potential buyer notices that there is a water leak coming out the bottom of the water heater.  Agent is worried that this might deter the buyer from buying the home, so the agent misleads the buyer into thinking that all water heaters leak in that area…”This sounds like the agent does not have much experience, so thinks it is ok to say the first thing that come to their mind, this is always the wrong thing to do!  Any problems seen on a walk through should be noted and brought to the listing agents attention, especially water as it can get worst and the damage spread.  In addition to getting the leak fixed but, because the buyers heard you voice you were reporting the issue, they also know now you will not let somethin... 09/19/2022

Hermosa beach is one of a kind. The beautiful weather lends itself to year round fun and it is a go-to place for travelers and locals looking for an excursion. Fill your itinerary with these activities for your next trip in Hermosa Beach. Take a Walk on the Hermosa Beach PierTake in views of the beautiful hermosa beach pier which forms an important part of the neighborhood's identity. The structure extends 1000ft into the ocean. It offers sweeping views of the adjacent Santa Monica Bay and is especially breathtaking at sunsetWalk or Bike the StrandEnjoy a pier to pier to walk on the strand.  This walk connects the Hermosa Beach pier with the nearby Manhattan Beach pier. The 2-mile path is perfect for a scenic bike ride or stroll. For more ambitious bike riders, consider riding the 22-mi... 09/15/2022