A stat cited in a 2018 Washington Post article estimated that 73% of homebuyers place a great deal of importance on schools when searching for a home. Education options often outweighed other items on a buyer’s wishlist, such as a garage, updated kitchen/bath, a certain number of bedrooms, or a large yard.
A month into the second half of 2021 and the hot housing market is showing no signs of cooling down anytime soon. This is great news for sellers. A lot of buyers, however, are feeling exhausted and frustrated.
Anyone can use a search engine to find a real estate agent. You’re also sure to find a lot of articles online with general advice on how to pick one. What is often missing, however, are actionable, insider tips for tracking down the absolute best agents, and more importantly, the best real estate agent for you.
According to the National Association of Realtors, 41% of home sellers who used an agent found their realtor through a friend’s or family’s recommendation. Another 26% used the same realtor as they had previously. Needless to say, word-of-mouth and a positive experience play big roles in a real estate agent’s success.
When a buyer offers to pay cash for your house, it might seem like a dream come true. After all, it eliminates the chances of the deal falling through if they can’t get a lender’s approval. But accepting a cash offer might also mean leaving a lot of money on the table. Whether selling a home for cash is a good idea or not depends on who is making the offer—and why.
This post is part two of our series on the similarities and differences between Missouri and Illinois, and what they mean for finding a house in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. You can read our first post on the differences between the two states here.
The Mississippi River might seem like a huge barrier between Missouri and Illinois, but it’s actually less than a mile wide. The two states share a lot of traits, especially in terms of real estate. If you have ever considered buying a home across the river—whether that means going east into Illinois or west into Missouri—the real estate process is mostly the same. But there are a few differences worth noting.
As we write this, real estate is experiencing a strong seller’s market. Not only is it easy to find a buyer in almost every part of the country, but bidding wars are also common. But before sellers get too excited about their profits, they need to remember that they won’t simply walk away with the sale price minus the balance left to pay on their mortgage. They must also consider seller closing costs.
When looking at homes for sale, buyers are likely to hear the term “fixer-upper.” While they may have a general idea of what that means, they might be less clear about how that house might differ from one described as “needing some TLC” or one that is advertised as “perfect for flipping.”
Like any industry, the world of real estate comes with its own rules and lingo. Since buying a house isn’t something most people do all the time, the process can seem confusing and mysterious. For first-time homebuyers, the fear of the unknown can create a lot of anxiety. But even someone who has bought numerous houses in the past might be concerned that things have changed since their last purchase—or because of the pandemic.
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