We are so excited to move to our new permanent location, 1860 NE 4th Street, Bend, OR, 97701.We are saying goodbye to HomeSmart on December 31 and rolling out our exciting new company, Red Door Realty, in 2018. Join us at our new office on January 19 for our Grand Opening Party. There will be refreshments and an iPad giveaway. To get a sneak previe…

If you’re buying a home, I highly recommend you get a home warranty. There are many benefits in doing so. If you’re buying a home, should you get a home warranty? Oftentimes during a home sale, it’s natural for buyers to ask themselves this question and wonder whether they really need it. There are a few things you should know about what home warra…

Appraisals aren’t just important for homebuyers. They’re just as important for home sellers. Home appraisals are typically ordered by lenders who want to determine the value of a home before they decide to approve a loan to purchase it. They also need to know the value just in case the buyer defaults and they have to take over the property and sell…

Many sellers considering selling their homes themselves to avoid paying commission to a Realtor. Today I’m here to talk about why that’s not the best idea. Today I’m with my listing partner Amy Moser to discuss some of the dangers of trying to sell your home by owner. Many sellers consider selling their homes themselves to save on the 5% to 6% comm…

Many people turn to websites to try and find out what their home is worth but fail to realize how inaccurate these computer estimates can be. Are online home values accurate and trustworthy? I get this question quite often. The truth is that when you consult a website for a valuation of a property, the value it kicks back isn't accurate. This is be…

Rental rates in the central Oregon market make buying an investment rental property tempting for many homeowners right now. How does that financing work, though? Have you ever considered buying a rental or investment property? It's a great way to diversify your real estate portfolio. The two ways to do this are converting your home into a rental or…

If you’ve had a short sale or foreclosure in the past, there are a few things I want to share with you that you should know if you want to buy a home again. If you’ve had a short sale or a foreclosure in the past, how long do you have to wait to buy a home again and what do you need to do to prepare yourself for that process? From 2009 to 2013, I w…

What makes working with our team different? Allow me to explain. When you buy or sell a home, it can be an emotional process. My goal is to capture the romance and happiness that each home has to offer. Our team is made up of seasoned professionals who provide the very best service and experience available. There's Amy Moser, a listing partner who …

There’s nothing stopping you from reusing a home loan to buy another home, but there are some stipulations that you need to be aware of. Did you know that if you’ve ever used an FHA loan, a VA loan, or a USDA loan to buy a home, you’re free to reuse those loans if you’re currently renting and want to become a homeowner again? Today I’m joined by Ma…

Today I want to go over how long it takes to sell a home in central Oregon. How long does it really take to close on a home after putting it on the market? The average timeline in central Oregon is 90 days, or, 45 days from the time that you accept an offer to the time that you close. The timeline will vary depending on the type of property being s…

Today I’m joined by Matt Bassett with Northwestern Home Loans to talk to you about the possibility of using your tax refund to purchase a home. It’s tax season in central Oregon and if you’re lucky you’ll get a great big tax refund. Can you use that as a down payment to purchase a home? Of course! There are several great loan options for first-time…

If your house has recently incurred some winter weather damage, here’s how you should proceed regarding your homeowners insurance. As you know, we’ve experienced record-breaking snowstorms in central Oregon these last couple weeks that have caused significant damage to more than a few homes out there. As a result, we’ve been getting a lot of questi…

If you are thinking about making the leap from renting to buying your first home, make sure you know the advantages of both. An incredibly common question that I come across is, “Is it better to own a home or rent?” There are advantages to both options, but I think overall, one is a clear winner. Let’s start with the advantages to renting. Unlike o…

When you are getting ready to sell your home, don’t neglect proper preparation. It’s the key to selling for the most money possible. What steps should a seller actually take before listing their home? I’ve got four of them to share with you today: 1. Clean and depersonalize your home. Make it as generic and crowd-pleasing as possible. You want your…

There are three common mistakes home sellers typically make that actively harm the sale of their own house. What are the three biggest mistakes home sellers can make that can sabotage their own sale? Lack of staging and preparation. Staging involves decluttering and depersonalizing the interior of the house. Preparing it also includes things like c…