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Steps to Buying a House

Steps to Buying a House and call an experienced REALTOR for guidance

Getting a Home Loan

A day in the life of a Realtor

RE/MAX BROKER/OWNERS GATHER IN CHICAGO   

FOR TWO-DAY CONFERENCE

RE/MAX INTEGRA invests in professional development for its network to better assist home buyers and sellers.

November 2015 – RE/MAX INTEGRA’s Co-Founder and Executives gathered with over one hundred Broker/Owners and Managers from its Midwest region in Chicago, IL on November 9, 2015 for a two-day conference.

The conference featured topics that focused on taking your business to the next level from various speakers including Peter Mueller from Strategic Peak Performance and Ryan Estis.

Local Broker/Owners Lisa Bear & Jamie Ireland from RE/MAX Realty Center were in attendance. The two-day conference is an annual gathering of some of the brightest, most productive Broker/Owners in the industry who seek out regular professional development to not only better themselves, but in turn their Sales Associates who work with home buyers and sellers.

About RE/MAX INTEGRA

RE/MAX INTEGRA, founded in 1980, is a privately held company by Canadian entrepreneurs. With regional headquarters in Toronto, Boston, Minneapolis, Zug, and Vienna, RE/MAX INTEGRA represents nearly a third of all RE/MAX Sales Associates worldwide. The company was founded on the premise of providing outstanding service and support both at the regional level and to the end consumer.

The Ontario-Atlantic Canada region, has surpassed 10,000 quality Associates; The US regions — New England and the Midwest (including the following states: Minnesota, Wisconsin and Indiana) – account for more than 6,300 Associates with over 2,600 and 3,800 Associates respectively; and the European region leads with more than 14,000 Associates. For more information about RE/MAX INTEGRA, visit www.remaxintegra.com.

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Home flipping is hot again

Flipped Homes Increases 18 Percent

Home flipping is hot again!

Looking to make extra money -- here is an idea and I can help you with it! House flipping is buying a house or property with the intent to sell it for a profit. Learn how to finance, budget and make money from house flipping.

43,197 single-family homes and condos were flipped and sold as part of an arms-length sale for the second time within a 12-month period—in the third quarter of 2015, they were 5.0 percent of all single-family home and condo sales during the quarter.

Contact me for more info!

Home Buyer Checklist

Downsizing? Use these tips to reduce clutter and maximize space

How to Maximize Your Small Space

By Lindsey Turner, Social Media Intern

Living in a college dorm and then sharing a room in a sorority house has required me to become an expert in downsizing! Whether you’re moving in with roommates, buying a smaller home or living in temporary housing, here are tips that worked for me to reduce clutter and maximize space.

Sort it out. It’s time to confront your junk drawer. You’ll be surprised at how much is actually, well, junk. Toss out anything you don’t use to make room for more important items.

Think seasonal. If your new living arrangements are temporary, don’t bring your whole closet when you only need to prepare for one season. Leave your winter boots and snow gear at home or in storage. Swap out what you need when it’s time.

Go shopping. Clearly you don’t need more stuff, but you’ll be surprised at the clever organization systems available at Bed, Bath & Beyond or The Container Store. A little organization goes a long way to make your space seem uncluttered and larger in size. Just be sure to walk past the “As Seen on TV” aisle as quickly as possible!

Donate or consign. Be honest with yourself: Anything you haven’t worn in the past year has run its course in your wardrobe. If you can’t bear to just give away a prized designer skirt, research local consignment stores you can try selling it to.

Continue the trend. Once you’ve thinned out your closet, you’ll no longer need a full dresser set. Sell or donate the larger piece and hunt for smaller furniture.

Show gratitude. You’ll find a ton of great hidden treasures while packing that might not make sense for your new home. Hand them off to the friends and family who help you move.

Strategize. The point of a walk-in closet is that a human being can actually fit inside unimpeded by falling boxes, shoes or memorabilia. Before you aimlessly shove an item under the bed or in a spare closet corner, find a box to add order to the chaos. And be sure to label it!

You’ll feel so accomplished after finally organizing your home, you’ll be eager to tackle other projects around the house. 

The Power Within

One of the topics on tomorrows office meeting agenda at RE/MAX REMAX Realty Center - Real Estate in Wisconsin. It's really very simple and oh, so true!

November Real Estate Advisor

You Can Buy and Sell Real Estate During the Holidays It's common knowledge that most people are advised to get their home on the real estate market in late spring or early summer as that is 'real estate season.' While the majority of homes do sell in the spring and summer, listing your home or looking for a home during the holidays or in the winter is not as taboo as some would lead you to believe. There are actual benefits to listing or looking for a home during the holidays, and if you've missed out on the real estate scramble of the spring and summer, starting a home search or listing your home now might just be in your best interest. Here are some of the top reasons why you shouldn't avoid listing your home, or looking for a home, during the holidays. Buyers Never Stop Looking Many would lead you to believe that the real estate market comes to a complete stand still during the holidays or in the winter, but that's not the case. Every state's real estate market is thriving year-round, and that even includes during the holiday season. Serious buyers never stop looking, and a serious seller (or a seller that wants or needs to sell their property) will keep their home or property on the market all year long. The holidays bring out the buyers and sellers that are determined -- they need something or want to sell now, and they're not willing to wait for the spring or summer. Many people with school-age children want to wait to buy a new home when their kids are not in school, but the reality is that a family or anyone looking for a new home can move at any time of the year. Perhaps if you're in an area with inclement winter weather, you might want to put off your search or move until better weather arrives, but for those that live in a mild climate, moving in November or December is just as easy as moving in May or June. Buyers can also sign up for new listing emails, which alert them to whenever a new property has come on the market, and sellers have the ability to sign up for sellers reports, so they can stay on top of the market in their neighborhood. Inventory and Competition While it is known that home inventory is largest during the spring and summer months, the MLS always has homes and properties listed on it. Fall and winter will have properties available, but the number of properties will be lower. Unless you're totally transfixed on a certain home, or you have a list of needs and wants a mile long, you can be sure to find a property that will fit your housing needs throughout the year. Despite the fact that inventory will be lower in the fall and winter, people still list their homes, especially if they are serious sellers. While the market is slower, it also is less competitive in terms of other buyers looking for homes. It's likely the fall and winter won't create scenarios of multiple, high dollar offers on one property; buyers and sellers alike will have more opportunities to actually think about offers, and especially for buyers, low competition guarantees that you're not making a rushed or rash decision based on emotions or other offers when you do find the perfect property. Affordability This is specifically for buyers, but it's widely known that home prices slightly fall in the fall and winter when the market has cooled down and more serious sellers are keen to get a sale. This is mostly because real estate sales are seasonal. But that's not to say if you list your home in the fall or winter you're going to have to drastically slash the price in order for your property to sell. While it might sit on the market a little longer than it would in the spring or summer, fall and winter sales happen, and if you're a serious buyer or seller, you know you'll want to do all you can to make your dream of buying or selling a home a reality. Homes Look and Feel Charming You'll see a lot of articles on how to spruce up a home to ready it for the real estate market, and while the tips are definitely valuable, it's not a secret that many people decorate their homes over the holidays. There's something warm and inviting about a decorated home, or a home that feels cozy, and people who list their homes in the fall and winter can take advantage of a fireplace or wood stove to make a room more inviting. If your property doesn't have a fireplace or wood stove, you can use candles and other things to make the home smell inviting to buyers. While it may seem cumbersome to sell a property during the holidays or in the winter, you do have some ways to play up the season. And if you are truly set on avoiding the holidays, you can always put it on the market the first of January, when the chaos of the holidays is over.

Home buying and selling made easy!