Vickie 's Blog

Real Estate Agent Career AdvicePeople decide to become real estate agents for many reasons. Many like to work with the public. Some want to be in control of their own schedules. Others are interested in buying real estate for themselves and think that agents have access to "the best deals." No ma...

Women are the CPOs (Chief Buying Officers) of American households, and are rapidly gaining in gender status as the nation's top wealth holders. According to Tom Peters and other experts monitoring the American marketplace, women now make 83 percent of all consumer buys, including 94 percent of ho...

How Will Buyers See Your Property?It is important for a property to make the best possible impression on prospective buyers. The following can interfere with a buyer's appreciation of a property:Exterior• Clutter• Lawn needs mowing and edging• Untrimmed hedges and shrubs• Dead and dying plants• G...

Understanding Market ValueMarket-sensitive pricing can be the key to maximum market exposure and, ultimately, a satisfactory sale.The existing pool of prospective buyers determines a property's value, based on:• Location, design, amenities and condition.• Availability of comparable (competing) pr...

Ten Steps to Prepare for Home Ownership Decide how much home you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between 2 and 3 times your gross income.  Develop a wish list of what you'd like your home to have. Then prioritize the features on your list.  Select three or four neig...

Tips on Buying in a Tight Market Increase your chances of getting your dream house instead of losing it to another buyer, with these easy steps. Get prequalified for a mortgage. In this way, you'll be able to make a firm commitment to buy and make your offer more desirable to the seller. Stay in ...

Five Factors that Decide Your Credit Score Scores range between 200 and 800. Scores above 620 are considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage. These factors will affect your score. Your Payment History. Whether you paid credit card obligations on time How Much You Owe. Owing a great deal of mon...

 Ways to Improve Your Credit Credit scores, along with your overall income and debt, are a big factor in determining if you'll qualify for a loan and what loan terms you'll be able to qualify for. Check for and correct errors in your credit report. Mistakes happen, and you could be paying for som...

Eight Steps to Getting Your Finances in Order Develop a family budget. Instead of budgeting what you'd like to spend, use receipts to create a budget for what you actually spent over the last six months. One advantage of this approach is that it factors in unexpected expenses such as car repairs,...

MAYOrder firewood for next winter. You can often buy it for less this time of year. Plus, the extra months of summer will help season the wood. Unseasoned, it can lead to chimney fires. Do you need pest control? Inspect the ground around foundation walls for signs of termites, such as tunnels or ...