Jim Hairston Blog

Our REALTORS® at Haring Realty strive to make homebuying easier. When looking at Mansfield and Ashland homes for sale, clients often have lots of questions. It's no surprise concerns around financing are common. That's not just true for first-time homebuyers, either: Whether they're buying a first place or a place to retire, everyone wants the best deal.

But the process of getting a mortgage can be complex. It's easy to get confused, which is one reason why the right real estate pro is such a valuable ally. One question that often doesn't get asked – because buyers don't have all the information at first – is this: "How does pre-approval affect my home search?"

Pre-approval can have a positive impact on your finances and the whole buying process.

Here's what to know.

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Are you getting your house ready to sell? Making it look its best doesn't have to mean expensive, time-consuming updates and renovations. Here are five easy projects our real estate agents recommend. All of them are things you can do yourself, and that will make a substantial difference in how well your house shows.

1. Showcase the front door. First impressions are important. Curb appeal is great, but it's when a potential buyer walks up to the front door that they start paying attention. Make your front door shine by power washing to get rid of dust, dirt, and cobwebs. Add some finishing touches by laying out a new welcome mat, replacing old, unsightly house numbers with something more attractive and modern, and adding a strategically placed planter or two.

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Pricing your home correctly is one of the biggest keys to attracting a robust pool of potential buyers, but the pricing process feels like one big mystery for many sellers. The good news is that it definitely doesn't have to be! While the pricing process can be complex, every good real estate agent follows a similar process to determine a home's value. Understanding what does – and what doesn't – factor into a home valuation will help you get a better grip on how much to expect when you sell. Our REALTORS® are here to help remove the mystery from the home valuation process.

• It All Starts with a CMA
  When determining the value of your home, your agent will start with a comparative market analysis (CMA) to compare your home with other, similar properties in your area. A CMA looks at the comparable homes that are currently on sale, those that have already sold recently, and homes that were listed but didn't sell. With a CMA in hand, you'll have a much deeper understanding of how your home fits within your local real estate market, whether you're competing with other Mansfield homes for sale or listing in any other community.

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As 2021 breaches the horizon and people remain nestled in their homes, many are looking toward the future. In addition to much-anticipated family gatherings and celebrations, many homeowners are asking our REALTORS® about smart home features they can install to make modern living just a little more comfortable. It's likely you already have a few smart devices in your home for listening to the radio, answering the door, or turning the lights on and off. However, adding more requires planning and preparation so that you can fully enjoy the benefits smart technology has to offer.

• Consider Features & Research Your Options
  Most homeowners start off with a simple Google or Amazon device that makes it possible to control the radio, organize shopping lists, make calls, and do other simple tasks. But, there is so much more than smart devices can do. Controlling the thermostat, monitoring home security, raising/lowering the blinds, and more are all possible. Thus, the first step you want to do is to research the available technologies and identify the ones that offer the functionality you desire. As you do your research, you will familiarize yourself with the available possibilities and the costs associated with the devices you want to purchase and install. Finally, it would be best if you also read reviews of both users and industry professionals. This will give you a better idea of which systems deliver on their advertised promises and each system's potential strengths and weaknesses.

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When cold weather starts forcing you to be inside more, take advantage of this time to declutter your home. True decluttering isn't just better organization; it's also getting rid of all the excess stuff we accumulate over time. It's especially important to declutter if you're thinking about listing your home with one of our REALTORS®. However, decluttering can be a big job, so here are a few tips to help guide you through the process.

1. Have a plan. Decluttering your home takes more work and time than you might think, and without a road map of sorts, you're bound to get lost at some point during the process. Your plan can be as simple as tackling a new room each weekend or as detailed as breaking it down by closet, but the important thing is that a plan will help you get the job done.

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