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Thanksgiving is a time for people to come together, enjoy each other's company, eat some awesome food, and just give thanks. The kicker to all of this, food can be expensive and hosting for a large group can cost a whole lot if you do it wrong and can become stressful instead of joyful. 

Here are some tips on keeping Thanksgiving stress free, affordable, and enjoyable!

1. Keep it simple!

Thanksgiving doesn't have to be a huge feast of a million foods that takes you 2 days to prepare. Keep it simple this year by streamlining your menu. Offer the basics that you know will be eaten and enjoyed. You can also ask your guests to bring their favorite dish to share. This helps take some burden...

One of the questions I am getting lately is from sellers who want to know if now is a good time to sell. As we enter into the fall market people tend to think that it would be better to wait for spring. In some markets, that may be the case and though things do slow a bit during the holiday season, in our coastal region we still see a very active market. So the short answer to the question is, yes. Now is a good time to sell. However, as a seller you need to remember these few things;

1. Do NOT overprice your house!

I can't even say this enough. NEVER put yourself in a position where you need to make continual adjustments. Be realistic with the true market value of your home and price i...

It's like music to a buyer's ears! "The return of a buyer's market". Seems great but there's a catch. Rates are much higher than they were even a year ago. What does this mean for a buyer? Let's take a real look at what the market is doing and what it means for both buyers and sellers. 

A look through the Buyer's eyes

Not so long ago interest rates to purchase a home were as low as 2.875%. When you are living the moment, it is easy to forget that rates were higher just a few years before that. In fact, this isn't the first time we have faced an increase in rates or even truly high interest rates! Low rates were never going to last forever, yet somehow we expected them to and that has ...

Relocating? We are here to help! Our agents know firsthand what it is like to move across the country to the beach. We understand the complexity of trying to piece together every moving part in order to make sure everything and everyone gets to where they are going. 

We also know that you need someone at your destination to be your eyes and hands-on advocate when you are looking for that new place to call your own. Once you have decided to relocate, there are a few steps you should take.

1. FIND AN AGENT TO REPRESENT YOU. This may seem like a no brainer but so many people begin their search only to discover that the area or home that they thought they loved didn't quite work for their ne...

"It's a Seller's market", "highest and best", "multiple offers", these are the phrases that are repeated over and over right now. Buyers are just expected to accept the fact that the home they see may not be within reach for them. They are expected to understand and accept that the price they see listed is most likely not what that property will sell for, and Buyers are being encouraged to pay more for a home than what it appraises for because there is someone else who will buy it if they don't. In some cases, contingencies are being removed; contracts won't be accepted if they have any protection in place for the buyer such as home inspections, appraisals, even financing in some cases. H...

For close to 20 years I have been a licensed Realtor in 2 different states. I have loved every minute of this career. That's not to say that every minute has been easy or that I am able to help everyone but one thing I have learned along the way is that it costs nothing to be kind and it can make all the difference to someone. 

Over the past few years, I have been asked what the culture of my company is, how we work, and what makes us different from the rest. I wanted to take a minute to share our company philosophy and the rules that we do our best to live by in this profession. 

In the photo you will see what we value and how we serve our clients and each other. It's not a complicated...

Are you thinking about a career in real estate and you don't know where to start? I can help. Many people come into this business thinking the same thing. Whenever I ask an agent why they chose a career in real estate I usually hear one answer more than anything else, money. Seems like it would be a good answer, right? I mean, no one chooses a career that they could potentially make no money doing. That wouldn't be smart. So in short, money is a valid reason but it can't be THE reason. Chasing dollars and deals in this industry will result in burn out and frustration. There will always be a LOT of agents to choose from but the majority of them won't make it past year 1 and if they do, by ...

Well Thanksgiving is upon us and that that means fall will be coming to a close. Though I love the entire holiday season, decorating for Christmas is something that I thoroughly enjoy and look forward too beginning at the end of summer. That doesn't mean that I completely bypass all of the beauty that the fall season holds, not by any means! If you give me something to celebrate, I am going to celebrate it BIG! I love celebrating everything that I possibly can and, of course, the appropriate decor comes along with that! 

I am the one who goes to the store beginning in September to look for Christmas decor and August for new fall items. I keep a tree up all year and change it out for ea...

I am always looking for new interior inspiration and ways to change my surroundings just a bit. One of the easiest ways to add new life to a room is to paint it. There is no shortage of colors to choose from and I love reading the blog from Sherwin Williams, specifically their color of the month. 

The color of the month for September is Novel Lilac. This is an interesting choice that can be used in many different ways. You can choose to have an accent wall with this pop of color, create a colorful space by painting all of the walls, or use it on a piece of furniture to give your room that conversation piece. 

I am a fan of color in the home and I love to try different ones. What do you ...

If you have a pet then you understand what this means. Looking for a home means more than just finding the right space for you, it means finding a home that meets all of the needs of your family. Yes, pets are family! They provide us with unconditional love and affection and should be considered in the purchase of a home. Each pet is different and may have different needs. Here are some tips on finding the right home for your entire family, fur babies included!

1. Determine the space your pet needs. Do you need a large yard with room to run or do you prefer a smaller area with less to maintain? Communities with walking paths or near recreational areas may also be a good idea. If you have...

Valentine's Day is always that time of year when we start thinking about love. Rom com's on the TV, boxes of chocolates, flowers, all that mushy stuff. One thing you may be surprised to learn is that love has HUGE health benefits. Anyone who knows me knows that I love health and nutrition and I am all about love. That's why I wanted to share these 5 benefits with you that love has on your health. 

1. Showing love to others can lead to a happier life! Self care is important but showing love to others and doing something to make someone else's day, even if it's a smile, will make you happier than you thought. Give it a try! You will end up wanting to do something for someone else all the t...

So we have all been sitting in our homes for a REALLY long time while we quarantined and if you are anything like me you are ready for a change of scenery. After watching hours of HGTV and scrolling through Pinterest I am now always convinced that I can take on my entire house in a day.  However, my three kids, husband, and french bulldog are all reminders to me that I don't live in an untouched, meticulous model home. 

So here I sit, looking at my home and wondering what is it saying about me? Right now, it's saying you really need your 3 kids to start picking up after themselves because you can't even see your style through their stuff! On that note, I decided to start one room at a ...