John Watts's (zwatts1) Blog

One of the biggest advantages of homeownership is building financial equity.  Over the past few years homeowners have been sitting on accounts that have grown at a record rate.  Increasing equity is a game changer.  The last several years homeowners have increased their equity by hundreds of thou...

Some people are trying to make the decision whether this is the proper time to sell their home.  The following are a few questions and answers that may help you with this decision:Should I Sell - Thinking about selling your home now or waiting until after mortgage rates come down.  Currently mort...

Many people will make the decision whether it is best for them to rent or buy a home.  Each option has advantages and challenges depending on the person’s circumstances and their long-term goals.  Now let’s highlight some of the key factors:Cost factor – In some areas renting may be less expensiv...

Weatherproofing helps to protect the interior of your home from elements such as extreme temperatures and moisture.  Weatherization is known as weatherproofing that protects the home from weather elements.  First step in weatherization is to do a home energy assessment to identify the efficiencie...

Having the knowledge how to buy and sell real estate will help you make the right decision.  Remember knowledge is power for buyers and sellers to maximize their success in this type of transaction.  Following is a list of things that will help you in the process: Understand the selling and buyin...

Recently the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has been stating that home sales have been falling, even as home prices have been rising.  They are saying opportunities for home buyers are opening up.  Currently median home prices and interest rates are higher, and this is making buyers skitt...

Home maintenance cost may be the reason why home buyers are hesitant to buy a home.  The following is some information that may help you move forward purchasing either a new or existing home.  Newly built homes likely will reduce your worries about maintenance cost.  Everything in a new home is b...

It is important to know your legal rights to protect your property when people have no rights to your property.  In today's world you need to be aware of red flags such as fake documentation, false property listings and counterfeit deeds.  If your gut tells you a client is too easy to work with o...

If you are a home buyer that is having a new home built you might want to consider hiring your own inspector to inspect the home.  Sometime the builders’ sales personnel will discourage you from hiring your personnel inspector by stating the builder has several inspections during the building cyc...

After you have closed and moved your private property to your new home there are plenty of things to do. Following are a few things you need to be aware of to establish yourself in the neighborhood:Next door neighbors - You need to meet your neighbors and say hello.  Neighbors are a source of loc...