If you follow real estate articles, podcasts, etc., you may have heard that FHA, VA, and USDA loans are assumable. If you are a real estate agent, I'm sure you are aware of it, but not everyone has fully embraced the idea or comprehends the dynamics of this opportunity.Recently, I successfully acquired a buyer by marketing a lovely home with an assumable mortgage, but first I had to explain the benefits to the seller, then to other Realtors, and lastly to potential home buyers. Once the seller understood the process, we had the home under contract within a week or so, with multiple offers.With this particular home, it was only a couple of years old, but we were in competition with a lot of new construction.  We had a good number of showings, but came up shy of any reasonable offers. Tim... 08/09/2024

You know the phrase, right? It's part of the Fifth Amendment of the Miranda Rights.Law and Order may not be standing at your door with handcuffs in hand, but if you are house hunting, the seller may have surveillance devices or Ring doorbells, which could record any comments you make while viewing the home.We know you are excited, but if you make negative or derogatory comments while viewing the house, the seller could be listening. He may be offended and subsequently reject your offer. On the other hand, extremely positive comments might hurt your negotiation strategies.Be aware of this technology. Hold your comments until you are safely back in the car, away from earshot from a prying seller. 07/02/2024

Today's tip is about housekeeping. Not my favorite topic, but one that is important for obvious reasons.When do you clean house? Do you have a routine? I'm curious... do you have a set schedule? Do you tackle everything in one day? Or do you do one chore each day of the week? Is your home always "picture perfect"? If you have kids at home, do you assign chores to them?For me, the answer is easy. I clean when the cats are asleep! If they are awake, they want to be where I am; either trying to get into the dryer, on top of the washing machine, or climbing into the dishwasher, etc. They are fast so I have to stay sharp!I imagine it's the same for those with small children. Do your chores while the baby is sleeping; for me, it's when the fur babies are napping. If your home is on the market... 06/25/2024

Three months ago, I checked my renewal status as a licensed Real Estate Agent. I needed to take a couple of CE classes to complete my Continuing Education requirements for the next two years, so I hopped online and promptly ordered the required Agency and Law Classes. I had 90 days to complete the courses; plenty of time, right?As usual, life and work (and procrastination) got in the way. June arrived and I was facing a deadline. In my mind, I had until June 15th to complete the courses. Not ideal, but eleven days was plenty of time to tackle the two 4-hour classes.Except when I found the link for the classes, I discovered I had four days to finish both classes, plus exams to get my certificates for the MS Real Estate Commission.FOUR DAYS! Ouch!Sunday afternoon, I quickly started the fi... 06/05/2023

Get to know Sweetbriar Plantation in Madison County, a community off Yandell Road, east of I-55. In addition to the gated entrance, you'll find a neighborhood pool and playground, a scenic lake, and a common area with sidewalks and a grassy area for play, picnics, etc.Phase 2 of Sweetbriar Plantation is under construction; a number of homes are in various stages of completion. Prices range from $356,000 - $405,000. Homes are mostly 4 bedrooms, 3 baths between 2000-2300 heated and cooled square feet. 196 Sweetbriar CircleSweetbriar has an active Homeowners Association with an Architectural Review Committee, which helps owners maintain their property values.Sweetbriar Plantation is located in the Germantown School District. Elementary aged children will attend Madison Crossing Elementary,... 03/14/2023

I'm working with several buyers looking for their next home, so every day I scour the Multiple Listing Service and hotsheet to see what was listed overnight. I'll check several times daily, and set up searches based on clients preferences to be automatically emailed to both them and me. I network with other Realtors to see what they have coming soon to stay ahead of the fast paced market.Lately I've seen a fair number of sales fall through, as the house shows back up on the market as "active" or available. Invariably, the comments read "buyers financing fell through" as the reason the home is back on the market. (Buyers want to know if something was wrong with the house but that is rarely the reason).It happened today. I received a notification that a house I showed to a buyer a month a... 07/08/2022

What a crazy Sunday it turned out to be.The day was going to be lazy, catch up on rest and watch a little mindless TV. Everything changed around 2:00 pm when I received a text from a past client, cryptically saying "Call me please".After the usual pleasantries, my client expressed interest in a home she found online. It was already in a multiple offer situation, and the deadline for "highest and best" was in 2 hours. I quickly called the agent and begged for an appointment so I could Face Time my client. Once I had permission, I raced drove across town to view the house.Fortunately, my client is familiar with the current real estate situation, as they sold and moved a year ago. They understood what was needed to make a favorable offer in this hot sellers' market (and listened when I adv... 06/29/2022

If you live in metro Jackson and have never heard of Repeat Street, you owe it to yourself to spend an afternoon browsing the merchandise. I found myself Saturday afternoon with a little free time on my hands. The closer my car got to the destination, the more excited I became. My adrenaline was working overtime.Repeat Street is one of the largest consignment shops in the area, and they have virtually anything you can think of. Quirky, fun, retro, collectibles, furniture, clothing; you name it, they probably have it.My house is full so I have to be VERY SELECTIVE about what items come in by way of shopping. I am filled to the brim (to the point of clutter), but adore walking down memory lane, and Repeat Street is the perfect place to do it. Remember the stemware received as a wedding gi... 09/20/2021

August and September 2021 have been a whirlwind of real estate activity. Many of you enjoy Central Mississippi's weekly report, so I am sharing the stats so you can tell at a glance how the month of August shaped up. The graph shows the number of listings taken each week per county, the number of closings, median sales price, and list to sale ratios.Also shown is the supply of homes on the market for sale, the "inventory", and if no other homes came on the market, the "supply" of homes before we are completely sold out. Inventory changes constantly. Realtors check the hotsheet daily to see what new listings are available. It isn't unusual for a home to sell the first day with multiple offers. If a buyer says they can only look on the weekend, but a new listing hits the market on Tuesday... 09/19/2021

What a busy week it has been in real estate! Listings, closings, negotiations, and more of the same this weekend. So while the weekly market update is late getting to you, here it is. The graphic above shows  the closings for Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties in Central MS for the week of July 30 - August 5. The number of closings appear on the left; median sales price, current inventory, list to sale price ratio, and supply of homes are shown on the right. Keep in mind this is a snapshot of one weeks performance. You would want to look back at previous weeks to see the trends, and some of the prior weekly reports are shown below. It is important to note that inventory has ticked up ever so slightly, with a supply between 1 to 1 1/2 months. This remains a strong sellers market. I'd li... 08/13/2021

Central MS Realtors has published the closing information for the last week of July 2021. The report runs a week behind so the last two days of the month will be picked up on next weeks report. The volume of closings is up as expected the last week of the month. Many home buyers choose to close as late in the month as possible so you'll notice a sharp increase toward the end of any given month. Inventory in all three Central MS counties remains low, and homes are selling at an average of 100% of list price.  Look at the supply of homes. There is less than one months inventory. This equates to a strong sellers market with low inventory, homes that sell fast with multiple offers, at list price or above. I must stress the importance of hiring a Realtor to represent you in a sellers market.... 08/04/2021

Closings have been reported for the second week of July for the three primary counties in Central MS. Here's a look at the numbers:You can tell by the chart above that Hinds County (Jackson, Clinton, Byram, and Terry) had the most closings, coming in with 60 closed sales for the week, followed closely by Rankin County (Brandon, Flowood, and Pearl) with 54 closed sales. Madison County had 27 closed sales. Although Madison County had the fewest number of closings, they led with the highest median price range, $276,000.All three counties had an average list to sales price ratio of 100%, and each county has less than a one month supply of inventory.Not all closings are published through the Multiple Listing Service of Central MS. Some new construction closings were never registered through ... 07/21/2021

WATERFRONT! Fabulous waterfront living and a fisherman's dream located on a picturesque 3.51 acres in Madison County. Custom built for a multi-generational household. The main home has 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, the attached in-law suite contains 2 bedrooms and one bath, plus full kitchen and beautiful hardwood flooring. There are two screened porches and water views from throughout the home. This property was built with TONS of storage, includes a huge laundry room with lots of cabinetry, a pantry that doubles as a safe room, and additional storage throughout the home. One bay of the three car garage is oversized, long enough to hold a generous sized boat of your choice. There is plenty of paved parking for your guests, plus a circular driveway. Lakefront property in Madison County 3.51 ac... 02/05/2021

Many of you know that about 50% of my business is new construction. In my part of the country, we are faced with construction cost increases that we have not seen since Hurricane Katrina, many years ago. These cost increases are created by the tarriffs placed on building materials, the shortage of materials, created by the storms that have hit Puerto Rico and Florida. It's the old law of supply and demand. There is more demand than there is supply. So, what does this mean? If I'm showing a home in a neighborhood that is complete or almost complete, but it is sold, the buyer wants tthe same home on another lot in the new phase that hasn't started yet. The same home, with the same amenities is going to cost him $3-$4 per square foot more. "Why?" the buyers asks. It's due to the rising cos... 12/08/2018

Are you a teacher, nurse, or EMT? Perhaps a firefighter or police officer? If so, a new loan program is available in Mississippi that offers 100% financing. That's ZERO DOWN PAYMENT!I'm excited to share this mortgage program, available through Liberty Financial MS Mortgage Department, to our local hometown heroes. What's the catch? Your credit score has to be at least 720. If your number falls short of this goal, Liberty Financial has a trained credit counselor to help improve your score. There is no charge for this service. The maximum loan amount for this program is $453,000. There are no income limits. It would be an honor to assist you with your home purchase. If you are in the market for a new home in the Metro Jackson area and want more information on this program or are ready to ... 10/02/2018

The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity. ~ Lewis Grizzard Let's face it. Football is HUGE. And what goes better with football than tasty appetizers? My September postcard has a football theme along with an easy to prepare jalapeno and cheese dip recipe that is sure to please. (Scroll to the bottom for the recipe) Bon Appetit!Jalapeno Popper Dip 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened1 cup mayo1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies1 can (4 oz) diced jalapeno peppers1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs1 T olive oil In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayo, cheddar, chilies, peppers and 1/4 cup Parmesan until blen... 09/13/2018

My clients and I were on the hunt for a home large enough to accommodate their baby grand piano.After viewing a dozen or so homes, we found "the one". We knew it would accommodate the piano because the seller already had one in the formal dining room.The offer was written and accepted. My clients house was under contract so this would be a back-to-back closing. Things got interesting on closing day. . . At 8:00 a.m. we learned that the sellers daughter couldn't pick up the piano before closing. No worries; my clients said they could pick it up later in the week. A piano mover was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to move my clients piano... except they didn't show up!My clients received a text stating there was a delay and they rescheduled for 10:00 a.m. Once again, the movers failed to show. Aft... 08/17/2018

Beautiful Cypress Lake is located in the heart of Madison, MS, just off Highland Colony Blvd. and a stones throw from Madison Central High School. Cypress Lake is a gated residential neighborhood with home prices starting in the upper $200s. Different sections within Cypress Lake offer varying price points, but one thing is certain, the peaceful setting, the gorgeous lake and waterfall provide a serene backdrop for all residents to enjoy. Health care, shopping, schools, and recreational activities are all nearby. Search Active Listings in Cypress Lake RECREATION: There's plenty to do in Madison. If you live in Cypress Lake, you have easy access to Hwy 463 and I-55. Several parks in the area provide recreational activities. Nearby Liberty Park has 5 lighted baseball fields and soccer fie... 08/16/2018

Thanks to a generous out-of-state seller and the perfect timing of blueberry season, I've had the opportunity to make several blueberry cobblers for friends and family to enjoy. One of my vacant listings has two mature blueberry bushes and the time is right for harvest. At the sellers insistence, these delicious and nutritious blueberries have found their way into smoothies, yogurt and pies, instead of dying on the vine or being left for the birds. My grandmother shared her easy cobbler recipe with me when I was in my early 20s. I'm not big on baking, but every now and then I prepare a cobbler, and there's no better time to do it than when fresh fruit is plentiful. This is my grandmothers simple and easy recipe. I usually make it with canned peaches, but it is equally good with most oth... 06/10/2018

Imagine being awakened at 2:00 a.m. by a loud, persistent banging at the door, with the sound of a roaring evacuation vehicle in your driveway. Quick, what would you do? Would you have time to grab important papers, valuable mementos, or family pets?This happened to me one spring morning last year. I left home with nothing but the clothes on my back and my 35 pound rescue dog in tow.Fortunately, my house did NOT flood, but it was a scare nonetheless. The reality does not hit until you come face to face with the fact that you are being evacuated from your home and you do not know what will happen next. It is unimaginable to know what to expect until you have lived through a disaster, but many have experienced the aftermath of flood, hurricanes, and fire damage.By all means, if you are in... 06/04/2018