You've decided to build your dream home from the ground up. We'll cover the not so fun parts of what to consider and how to prepare for that in a later blog. Today's blog is all about the most fun aspect of home building: figuring out which features you want in your home! There are a variety of things you can choose to add to your home, but you want to have them planned out in advance so your builders know what they're working with. Your options are nearly endless for what to add in, but here are a few options that we think are especially cool.

Custom Shelving
Custom shelving is a great way to add a focal point in any room while also being super functional. Having built-in shelving around a fireplace or multimedia unit in your living room adds all sorts of places for decoration, mementos, family photos, plants, etc. If you're wanting a room dedicated to a library space, custom shelving is a must-have. You know your book collection the best and know what space you need. You may want. ...

The transition from renting an apartment to buying a house can be daunting. But it can also be equally exciting! It's easy, though, to get quickly overwhelmed or get too far in the process and then realize you've missed something crucial. Between maintaining a budget and finding what exactly you're looking for, it's easy to miss a step or miss information here and there. Before you dive head first into the journey, read these tips so you can be better prepared!

Budget Before You Shop
Your finances need to be sorted out before anything else is done in the homebuying process. Finances first, house hunting second. You don't want to find a home that you absolutely love only to find out that your finances won't cover it. It's heartbreaking to go through that! That's why you should sort out the finances, get pre-approved, and figure out what is feasible with your budget first. 
Saving money can be hard to do while renting an apartment. That doesn't mean all hope is lost, . ...

When you start seriously looking at homes, there's a lot of language thrown around that can be rather confusing. More often than not, there's no explanations for those terms, no explanation on what the acronyms stand for, and the internet tends to give the most confusing answer first. That's why I wanted to make this blog of the most important and most common terms that you need to know! Bookmark this page so you have it on hand whenever you come across these terms. 
If you have questions about anything, or if there's a term you've seen that's not on this list, reach out! It'd be my pleasure to explain and provide answers to all of your questions!

Approved for Short Sale: This term means that a homeowner's bank has approved a reduced listing price on the home, and the home is ready for resale. 
Buyers Market: This term describes how the real estate market is doing. When a market is a buyers market, that means that there are more homes on the market than there are buyers . ...

Some things about the homebuying experience aren't talked about as much. Thankfully, the internet exists! Homebuyers (from first-time buyers to seasoned buyers) are much more open to sharing their experiences now. The good, the bad, and the ugly are let loose for you to learn from. Tips, tricks, and advice are always great to have when you're making a big investment like this. You want to try to minimize the stress, surprise costs down the road, and the headache of navigating it all by yourself. Here are the top things that you will want to know before buying your home!
1. Figure out what you can realistically afford
The price tag on the home itself will help you get started, but it's imperative you know what you've been approved for and what you can pay comfortably on your mortgage each month. Principal, interest, taxes, and insurance make up your house payment. If you're buying closer to the top of your approved range, you may be making payments and barely scraping by. By taki. ...