We would love to write the script for a show, “The Real House Hunters of Chittenden County.” This reality show could follow a group of buyers in their search for the perfect house. Alas, no one has called us (yet) to work on a pilot, so we’ll just regale you with a few house hunting tips to save you some drama.
Episode I – Heartbreak on Hilltop Drive
Joey Jones thought he was approved for a $450,000.00 loan … after we found the perfect house on Hilltop Drive he found out that he was only qualified for a $250,000.00 loan. It was heartbreaking to see Joey burst into tears.
Real LifeTip: Make sure you are pre-approved with a mortgage lender. This sounds so basic but if you don’t take this step it will lead to unnecessary stress once you start the house hunting process. We have met with buyers who are certain that they are qualified for a certain mortgage amount and start the house hunting process with an unrealistic price point.
Episode II – Snooze and Lose on Sleepy Hollow Way
Tiffany Thomas thought she had time to think about putting in an offer on her “almost” perfect dream house on Sleepy Hollow Way. She dismissed her alarm by mistake when she should have set it to snooze. Once she emerged from her long winter’s nap she called her Realtor to put in an offer. Alas, the house just went under contract with another buyer, apparently an early riser. Tiffany spends the next week in bed mourning the loss.
Real Life Tip: Don’t hesitate to put in an offer if you think you found the “almost” perfect house. While the market may seem slow-moving and sleepy to you, there are other buyers who are searching for a similar property.
Episode III – Too much to Fix on First Street
Martin McFly thought that the photos of house on First Street fit most of his “wish list.” Once inside the house, though, he couldn’t believe how much worse the house looked in “real life.” The paint, the appliances, and the flooring all needed to be addressed to suit his particular aesthetic. Six months later he still cannot find a location or floor plan that fits his needs. He can’t move forward with his search and spends his days pricing out appliances and flooring just in case he ever finds a comparable property to First Street that may need some updating.
Real Life Tip: No house will ever fit your wish list 100%. It is good to know the cost of any updates or changes that you may want to make to a property before you dismiss it as a “fixer-upper” or needing too much “work.” We have seen some beautiful transformations on many different budgets.
If you’re frustrated in your own house hunt, get in touch to see how we can help you find your Home Sweet Vermont!
How many times have you tried to organize your garage? Our garages are filled with tools, flower pots, outdoor equipment, and random items that don’t fit in the house. Before you know it your garage is a defacto storage unit. What is the solution? We met with Kerri Salls, owner of 
Have you ever heard of a color consultant? Betsey Dempsey, Color Concepts Vermont, helps clients pick out colors for their spaces. Her role is different than an Interior Designer. One way to bring new life to your house is to change the paint colors in your rooms. Paint color trends change every few years, so if you want your house to look fresh and updated a color consultation may help transform your space.
In the wake of the historic flooding that resulted in Vermont being declared a Federal Disaster Area many homeowners and buyers have been asking, “Is my house at risk of flooding?” There is no definitive answer to this question, however we have some resources available to help assess risk levels. Remember, though, water takes its own “path” and what may “not” be in a flood zone or high risk area right now could turn into one very quickly depending on the circumstances.
It’s turning into a cruel summer for many buyers and sellers. Sellers and buyers are increasingly afraid that their house sale or purchase may be their next mistake.
To be perfectly honest, we do not see many houses with wallpaper. In the 1970s wallpaper donned many kitchens, bedrooms, and living rooms. In the 1990s wallpaper borders were popular in living rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. Today, however, with the influence of HGTV and other media, neutral pallets dominate the general decorating “vibe.”
Maybe you “shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover,” but, in the real estate arena Buyers do judge houses from their exteriors. Serious buyers will spend several minutes looking at the outside of your house before they even step inside. Many of us focus on the interior of the house when getting prepared to sell. This makes sense, of course, since buyers focus on interior photos when deciding whether to consider or eliminate a property. Once they make the trip to the house, however, it’s the outside that makes the first impression. Here are our top tips for elevating your exterior to impress buyers:
Before we delve into this month’s blog, “What is the Best Home Estimate Tool?” we want to give a disclaimer – on the Weaver Team we are real estate geeks. We spend hours studying the real estate market. Just ask us a simple question and we’ll go on and on about absorption rate, days on market, list to sale price ratios, and more. So, if you ask us, “What is the Best Home Estimate Tool?” we do have a short answer, “The Weaver Team!”
Did you know that when you contact random real estate agents they are “not” working for you? While they may be friendly and accommodating, they do not have your best interest in mind. Until you sign a contract with a real estate brokerage firm you are an unrepresented buyer. While there is no requirement that you engage a professional to represent you in the purchase of a property you may get weary of not having “one” real estate agent as your fiduciary, someone to put your interests first. Here are three reasons to hire a Buyer’s Agent:
The “Decorating Season” is here! If you celebrate any of the holidays in your home you may feel some pressure to get your house “holiday ready,” especially if, like us, you are binge watching the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies.
The Weaver Team 