The Alfano Group's Blog

    1. Wall Street. The Godfather of modern American greed stories, a cautionary tale that rings ever more true post 2008 than it did when first shot in 1987, Wall Street is best known for Michael Douglas’ iconic performance as Gordon Gekko.  Oliver Stone wrote and directed the film as a tribute ...

1.Should I get my home staged?To correctly market and sell your home, you should start seeing things through the buyer’s eyes as they first walk into your listing.  Does it still look lived in?  Are personal affects everywhere?  Is it too cluttered and are design elements non-neutral or noticeab...

When you think of foreclosed homes, you never envision this: Albemarle, the super luxury mansion in Charlottesville, Va., recently went on the auction block after its owner, billionaire-wife Patricia Kluge, defaulted on the properties loan.  The 45-room estate, including gun room, helipad, wine ...

Imagine taking a Saturday drive to San Francisco for dinner out with friends and crossing state lines in the process.  Picture a heated inter-state sports rivalry with teams from the neighboring state of Silicon Valley.  Try reciting "I pledge allegiance to the 55 United States of America," with...

Coming out of one of the worst real estate crashes in the history of the United States, many people are still overly cautious about jumping into the housing market again.  However, as the market roars back and prices swell, there’s definitive evidence that real estate is still one of the best – ...

Muhammad Ali lights the Olympic Torch.  Atlanta, 1996. Seeing Ali return as the elder statesman of sports, his body slowed by Parkinson’s but his spirit beloved by all, was a crowning moment that embodied the best of the Olympics regardless of nationality, religion, or race.  36 years earlier, a...

It’s a reoccurring nightmare – you’re stuck in bumper to bumper traffic during the 5pm rush hour commute, the road teeming with angry and frustrated motorists who cut each other off, try to squeeze ahead, and hurl expletives at each other. You’ve been in the car 40 minutes already for a drive th...

Selling a high-end or luxury home is about so much more than a transaction, it’s a transference of lifestyle values, the marketing of an image of prosperity and taste as much as a roof and walls, and the presentation of your home should be treated accordingly. Staging your home attracts buyers, ...

    Taxes?  April 15th?  But it’s only February; the ink isn’t even dry on our New Year’s Eve invites and we’re ramping up for Valentine’s Day – why are you talking about taxes, already?  Good question, but the reality is far too many people ignore their obligations to the IRS until the second we...

    Today's blog is a short and straightforward one, but I think of great importance. It all started with a question I had during a casual conversation with those in the industry: "What is the historical average mortgage interest rate?"  I'd heard it was around 7.5% but that was just a rumor that...