By Elyse Umlauf-Garneau

Many expect that when people reach a certain age, they’ll want to sell their homes and
downsize. But a recent Bank of America survey found that 70% of homeowners between the ages of 45 and 76 have decided to stay put and age right where they are.

After all, 78% say they like their current home and see no reason to move, and 22% have put so much work into their existing property that they want to stay.

Some reasons for remaining in their current property for aging in place among those who’ve not yet retired include avoiding high home prices and interest rates (32%) and benefiting from their current low mortgage payment or a paid-off home (20%). After all, 78% say they like their current home and see no reason to move, and 22% have put so
much work into their existing property that they want to stay.

In addition, about 95% of current mortgage holders have loans with rates of 5% or less, making them hesitant about giving up their low mortgage rates.

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By Kelly Vandever 

Do you have a great camera and a good eye for pictures?

Thinking of telling your real estate agent that you’ll just take the pictures of the house?

Don’t do! 

High Quality Real Estate Pictures Sell Houses Faster and for More Money 

I don’t know how to emphasize this point enough.

Pictures in real estate are super important!

Houses with high quality photos sell 32% faster.

Houses with high quality pictures sell from $3,000 to $11,000 more.

87% of homebuyers who search online said photos were the most useful feature in online searches.

Stats stats stats right?  But I’ve seen it.  Photos make a huge difference in if people come see the house, how much the seller will get for the house, how long it will take the house to sell.

Professional Real Estate Photos Are So Important, I Put My Money Where My Mouth Is

Atlanta is in a really hot seller’s market as I’m writing this, but still, as a...

By: Kelly Vandever

Getting ready to move, especially when downsizing, can be hard.

But maybe getting a little cash for your things you don't want to keep might make the process a little easier.

Here are 5 Tips for Selling Items on Facebook Marketplace!

1 – Post all your items at the same time and when you know you’ll have time to respond

One of the things that surprised me the first time I posted items was how quickly people will hop on a new item for sale.  I was just casually posting one Sunday night and my Facebook Messenger exploded with notifications!  I really wasn’t ready to start responding until the next day. 

And it appears that the FaceBook algorithm prioritizes recent items and multiple items from the same seller. 

People trying to buy things on Marketplace tell stories about missing out on their sought-after item because they were slow to respond.  That also means they’re looking at other items just like yours.

To...

By: Kelly Vandever

House Sale Preparation

In the real estate world, agents sometimes refer to the buying or selling of a home a transaction. But to the person selling the home, the sale is so much more than a business transaction. It’s an emotional experience.

How do you prepare yourself for that emotional experience? That’s what we’ll talk about in this video.

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I'm Kelly Vandever. I'm a real estate agent in Alpharetta, Georgia, with Keller Williams North Atlanta. Check out more tips on how you can Make Your Move Easier. If you want help selling your home or finding a new one, call me, Kelly, at 770.597.1108.