Did you know that senior home owners qualify for a property tax exemption? That’s in addition to the homestead tax credit that all home owners who own and use their home as their primary residence can apply for. Just like the homestead tax credit, you need to apply for the property tax exemption for seniors […]
What Happens to Earnest Money When Making an Offer?
What happens to Earnest Money when I make an offer? Will I get my money back if I don’t buy the house? These two questions are the most common questions I get asked when buyers are ready to make an offer on a home in Iowa City. Writing the check is never the issue. It […]
Why You Should Get Pre-Approved Before Looking at Homes
Why do you need to get pre-approved for a home loan before you go looking at houses? The best reason for buyers to get pre-approved before looking at homes is that it just makes sense for buyers to know what they can afford before they get into proper buying mode. Most buyers are a little […]
Downsizing Your Home – What to Do with Your Stuff
My last post talked about the challenges involved in downsizing. The first and biggest challenge facing anyone downsizing is what to do with all your stuff. The whole point of downsizing is to move to a smaller house or condo. It follows that with less space you also need less stuff. I’m working on this myself […]
Downsizing Your Home – Where Do you Start?
Downsizing is Easier with a Plan Real Estate is always personal to me. Today’s post is more personal than usual as I consider the prospect of downsizing. Not that I’m ready to think about buying my next home yet, but I am ready to start planning my move. The methodical approach works much better for […]
What do You Put on That Wants, Needs & Wishes List?
This year I’ve helped more buyers than I typically do to find “forever” homes. By that I mean buyers who are buying homes in the Iowa City area that they intend to stay in for a long time, rather than doing the 3 or 4 year rotation that many buyers relocating to Iowa City for […]