Blog
The History of New Year’s Resolutions
The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold celebrations in honor of the new year—though for them the year began not in January but in mid-March when the crops were planted. During a massive 12-day religious festival known as Akitu,... Read More
Better Communication with People
A few weeks ago I was at a party and standing with a small group of people, chatting about various subjects. It was just small talk and nothing too serious, but one of the men in the group felt the need to respond to every statement that was made. And worse, no matter what the... Read More
When is the perfect time to get pre-approved for a mortgage?
I wish that homebuyers understood the importance of getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Too many times, they start looking at homes online, touring open houses and even talking to a real estate agent well in advance of actually getting that pre-approval letter. Look, I get it, digging into your financial situation isn’t the fun part.... Read More
Thousands of Realtors Quitting the Business
In March 2020 when the pandemic hit, the restaurant where Jennifer Smith was working as a waitress announced a temporary closure. By June, it turned into a permanent one. Unemployment was a shock for Jennifer, who had been working in the restaurant industry for 15 years. “That was heartbreaking,” she said. “Being in the restaurant... Read More
Being a Realtor® is not what you think it is
Being a Realtor® is one of those occupations that many people are interested in. Friends tell me all the time, “I thought about getting my real estate license at one point” or they’ll tell me they had their license for a while but quit within a few months. When I question them further about this,... Read More
Please Don’t Listen to the News Media
Almost every week now, someone calls or emails me to ask about the real estate market in Kansas City. Too many times I find they’ve been listening to the news media and have skewed information. I typically begin with, “Let me ask you this; do you believe everything you hear on the news?” Most of... Read More
Will My House Still Sell in Today’s Market?
If recent headlines about the Kansas City housing market cooling and buyer demand moderating have you worried you’ve missed your chance to sell, here’s what you need to know. Buyer demand hasn’t disappeared, it’s just eased from the peak intensity we saw over the past two years. Buyer Demand Then and Now During the pandemic, mortgage rates hit record... Read More
Recession Doesn’t Equal Housing Crisis
In the coming months, you’re going to start hearing a lot of talk about how a recession will negatively affect the housing market. I wanted to give you some facts because apparently, we live in a world where sensationalization and “clickbait” news articles are now the norm. I recently attended a financial services seminar where... Read More
What You Need to Know About Today’s Real Estate Market
If you’re planning on buying a home, it’s important to understand what’s happening in the real estate market. But with so much happening, it can be challenging to know where to start. In a recent article, realtor.com’s chief economist Danielle Hale shared what she thinks home buyers need to know about today’s real estate market, including:... Read More
Tips to Spruce Up Your Backyard on a Budget
This last weekend I was sitting outside on our upstairs screened in porch and noticed the backyard is a hot mess. There are a lot of things I want to do back there, but right now I have other projects that have a priority. Since I don’t really have thousands of dollars to spend, so... Read More