Should You Hire a Friend or Relative When Buying or Selling?

When you buy or sell a home, don’t hire a friend or family member as your real estate agent. There are three main problems that arise if you don’t hire a professional agent.

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Buying and selling real estate is a very sensitive and complicated matter. Here on the McDaniel Callahan team, we handle real estate transactions on a daily basis. If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, you may have a friend or family member prodding you to hire them out of obligation. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind: 

1. Security of personal information. Your friend or family member might be a great person to have a beer with, but do you really want to show them your tax returns? Do you want them to know the ins and outs of your banking life? When you buy or sell a home, it is helpful to work with an objective third party that can look at your information without judging you based on what they see in your financial history. 

You need to have the right counsel in your corner when buying or selling a home.

2. Avoiding the hard truths. There can be some hard decisions you need to make when it comes to buying or selling real estate. If you work with someone who is close to you, they may pad the truth a little to protect you from these hard decisions. Unfortunately, that could cause some very serious consequences for you down the road. You could have some financial issues or discover property damage that your friend didn’t tell you about. You need to have the right counsel in your corner when you are buying or selling a home. 

3. Navigating legal minefields. There are dozens of pages of legal writing that you need to understand and a lot of little idiosyncrasies to keep track of. If your family member or friend doesn’t work with real estate on a full-time basis, you could end up in a lot of trouble. You may even lose a home that you have your heart set on because the person you’re working with is not up to date on the newest contracts and how to get the job done. 

If you have any questions about avoiding these three potholes or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! 

The Latest Technology Trends for Homeowners

In today’s market, an astounding 94% of people will even give up 1,000 square feet of living space for more technology in their homes. We’ll go over the latest tech trends today.

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Technology is not going away anytime soon. These days, 46% of consumers say that technology is a major factor in their home buying decision. An astounding 94% of people will even give up 1,000 square feet of living space for more technology in their homes.

As a homeowner or home seller, what kind of technology is available for your property?

First of all, you need to check out smart thermostats. Smart thermostats are the wave of the future and there is a great system called Nest available for you right now. Nest learns your living patterns; it figures out what temperature you like when you’re home or not at home and adjusts accordingly.

Home buyers are also paying attention to security. They want their valuables, pets, and lifestyle secured. Many companies have started to provide pin-sized, motion-activated cameras that you can place throughout your property. You will know if your cat is destroying your furniture, if someone is breaking in through the window, or if your spouse is going out without your knowledge.

People will give up living space if it means more technology.

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You should also pay attention to the kitchen. Everyone wants their meals to be cooked at the perfect temperature, and no one likes having to throw away unused milk, eggs, or sour cream when they expire. Bluetooth thermometers can help you avoid overcooking your steak ever again, and Samsung has developed a refrigerator that reminds you to use your perishables and lets you know when it’s time to throw things away.

Finally, you can control everything in your home with one remote from a company called Savant. This remote will control the thermostat, TV, lighting, and music.

This is the direction technology is headed, so get on board. The latest technology will help make your home stand out when it comes time to sell while making your life easier in the meantime.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Why You Need High-Quality Photos to Get Top Dollar

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a Free Home Price Evaluation  Call us at (925) 838-4300 to answer any of your real estate questions

Let's talk about photography.

Nobody likes  blurry, low-quality photos. We want photos that are clean and crisp, and really pop and jump out. We've been conditioned for it. On social media, if we see a picture that doesn't catch our eye, we move along right away.

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We want photos that are clean, crisp, and really pop

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The same is true for real estate! Did you know that if you don't put photos on the MLS in our county, you will actually get fined, because there are so many complaints! That's why our team puts a lot of emphasis on quality of product. We use a professional photographer who gives us high-quality, high-gloss brochures for your home. He comes through at a rapid rate because he's good at what he does.

If you're looking for that extra pop to really make your home stand out in marketing, we offer drone videography and drone photography. If you want to know more about our photography, contact us! We'd be happy to break it down for you.