Many home sellers have considered skipping the real estate agent to save on closing costs, but very few have actually succeeded in seeing those savings. There’s a good reason: the average homeowner doesn’t have the rigorous training and real estate knowledge that a licensed agent does. But just what makes For Sale By Owner (FSBO) such a bad idea? From incessant inconveniences to costly...

From personalizing your living spaces to turning a profit when you sell, there are dozens of reasons why first-time home buyers can’t wait to find a home and make it their own. Though there are plenty of benefits of owning a home, here are the six benefits that stand out from the rest. 1. You Can Customize Your Space Whether you want to invest in the latest high-tech home features or paint your...

Email scams are as old as, well, email, but as the years go by, these scams have become more and more sophisticated. Recently, several home buyers have fallen victim to specially targeted email scams that attempt to rob them of their closing costs — sometimes up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. These types of scams are devastating both financially and emotionally, especially when your home is...

Let’s say you have your heart set on buying a home in a community with a swimming pool, a clubhouse, and maybe even a playground or trails. Having access to these amenities often means living in a community with a homeowners association, or HOA. Generally, an HOA is responsible for keeping the neighborhood looking beautiful — and as a result, keeping property values high. But since no two...

A quick Google search is all it takes to discover hundreds of new recipes, do-it-yourself projects, and tips about how to stage your home. With so much information available online, especially about the home selling process, many homeowners start to wonder whether it’s faster and more cost-efficient to sell their own homes rather than hiring a real estate agent to do it for them. (Spoiler alert:...

Real estate has a language all of its own! While realtors can read between the lines, many home buyers are confused by the unfamiliar phrases they see on property descriptions. Understanding what these real estate terms really mean will help you know what to expect before walking through the front door.  Here are a few of the most frequently used real estate terms you might come...

To DIY or not to DIY? That’s the question on many homeowners’ minds when there’s a repair or home improvement project on their to-do lists. The good news is that you can do plenty of things on your own. But for other projects, you’re better off hiring a licensed contractor, plumber, or electrician to do the work for you. When undertaking a home improvement project, whether...

You’ve just bought a new home, and Fluffy and Fido are starting to worry about all the moving boxes going into the truck outside. Pets can easily become stressed during a move, which might cause them to lose their fur, become aggressive, or even run away. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to reduce your pet’s anxiety before, during, and after your move. Plan Ahead and In...

Ask anyone you meet and they’ll likely recall vivid details about their first roller coaster ride, their first day of school, or their first kiss. A first home purchase is no different! While buying your first home comes with its fair share of ups and downs, it will ultimately be an enjoyable experience you’ll remember for years to come. Stage 1: Elation You’ve checked your budget and...

This summer, the housing market in New Albany is moving fast. With more than 22 years of experience helping clients buy and sell homes here, all of us at Thomas & Company have never seen a market this hectic. But the real question is what makes this market different and why is it such a great time to sell your home? In short, New Albany is currently in a “perfect storm” market for sellers,...