Blog

First-time homebuyers may not be familiar with the best ways to choose plants that will thrive for their new home, but a good starting point is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Plant Hardiness Map. The USDA’s 13 Plant Hardiness Zones are defined by the by the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature, with each zone covering […]

Getting an older home ready for sale is a lot of work, sometimes requiring extensive repairs and updates to make it attractive enough to today’s homebuyers. But if you don’t want to “spend money to make money”, there are some advantages to selling your home for lot value. Lot value simply means the value of […]

After years of juggling work, school calendars, and back-to-back schedules, you finally get to choose how your days play out. For many people, that decision starts with where they are going to live. Resort communities offer more than just scenic views; they’re designed to support the lifestyle you truly want, whether that means early morning […]

When you see “Days on Market” (DOM) next to a listing, it’s more than just a number—it’s a measure of how long a home has been chasing its next owner. DOM starts ticking the moment your agent feeds the property into your local Multiple Listing Service and stops once buyer and seller sign on the […]

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) save money and manage network traffic by “throttling” broadband connections, resulting in “slower loading times, buffering during streaming, and reduced download or upload speeds.” The average internet speed is 214 Mbps in the U.S. Most providers put data caps on the amount of gigabytes (GB) they provide, which favors denser populations. AT&T DSL caps at 1,500 […]

Your credit scores are numbers that creditors, landlords, employers, insurers, and others use as shorthand or an educated guess to determine your attitude toward borrowing and how you might repay a loan. Credit scores are calculated individually by the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, from the information found in your credit reports: Liens, child support obligations, […]

If your home has had few to no showings or offers, it’s likely overpriced to homebuyers. They’re willing to pay fair market value, but little more. You’ll be successful with a price reduction if you act on the following: Accept the current market. Ask your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional for an updated comparative market analysis with […]

When homebuyers pull up to the curb of a home for sale, one of the first things they look for is the front door. As the focal point of the entrance, the door should segue seamlessly to complement the interior. According to Marvin Replacement, buyers are looking for larger doors that admit more light into the […]

Wake up to the gentle lapping of water against the shoreline, the mist lifting slowly off the lake as the first rays of sunlight shimmer across the surface. Here at Smith Mountain Lake, luxury doesn’t shout, it’s relaxed and laid back. It’s found in the simplicity of a morning coffee enjoyed on a private dock, […]

Before you apply for a mortgage loan, check your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. This site, by law, allows the three major credit reporting bureaus, Experian, Transunion, and Equifax, to provide a free look at your total credit history once a year. You’ll find the following: Bill payment history Loans Current debt Bankruptcy history Lawsuit records and liens Compare […]