Buyers Blog Articles
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What Is an HOA and Do I Need One?
By Chris Petry Let’s answer the big question first. What is an HOA? An HOA, or Homeowner’s Association, is an added governmental body that levies additional housing and property rules and standards within a community. I know what you’re thinking: what gives them the right? Well, you do. See, when you purchase a home in the community, you agree to accept the terms and condition
What Should First Time Buyers Know?
By Chris Petry Buying a home can be exciting and terrifying in equal measure. Of course, the only real reason to harbor any fear is because, by virtue of being a first-time buyer, it’s something of an unknown and thus frightening. What if I told you there was no reason to be frightened at all? What if I told you that buying a home was much, much easier than it seems? I know what you&rsquo
House Hunting is Just Like Easter Egg Hunting
By Chris Petry I spent the last couple weekends photographing Spring holiday-related events, both in-office and in public venues, sponsored by Berkshire agents. First, of course, there’s the infamous Easter Bunny photo. You know the one. You take your toddler, already wailing and thrashing about like a fish on the dock, and place them onto the lap of a giant anthropomorphic rabbit’s
New Year's Resolutions
By Chris Petry Did you make New Year’s resolutions? Probably. While 50% or so of the American population makes New Year’s resolutions, only 25% of those people stick to them by the 30-day mark. At least according to this study from Columbia University. Just why do we make so many resolutions, knowing that we’re statistically unlikely to follow through on them? W
A Home for the Holidays?
by Chris Petry While conventional wisdom might suggest that the holiday season is a slow time for real estate, there’s also compelling counter arguments for why it isn’t or, at the very least, why it shouldn’t be. If we break it down to purely numbers, then yes, you’re likely to see less new listings and less sales in the time period between mid-November and January. Tha
Things a Home Inspector Might Notice
By Chris Petry So, you’re in the market for a new home. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re preparing to buy your first home. Either way, you’re in for an exciting time! Because you’re so excited, it might be easy to overlook very important flaws in the homes you view. Flaws that might, in the long run, cost you a lot of money to update or repair. Because buyers may not be look
What Qualities Should Your REALTOR Possess?
By Chris Petry While it’s tempting to say you’re already halfway there by selecting Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty to service your real estate needs, there are additional, equally important, qualifications one must consider when selecting a REALTOR to represent them. If you’ve been through the real estate process before, you’ve probably already mad
Your Dream Home on the Water
By Chris Petry Despite a lack of fins, gils, or webbed appendages, humans sure do love spending time on the water. In fact, we built the whole of civilization around it. Of course, in those days, water was the most efficient method of travel and transport so it makes perfect sense that New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Austin… you name it, were erected on the banks o
Just What are Interest Rates, Anyway?
by Chris Petry It seems you can’t go a day without hearing about interest rates. No matter where you look, there’s an article or a news report discussing the effects of interest rates on consumer spending, personal loans, and mortgages. Financial gurus like Suze Orman, Kevin Leary, Mark Cuban, and yes, even the figurehead of this fair brokerage, Warren Buffet are interviewed regular
Where Should You Live?
by Chris Petry If you asked anyone in the 18-30 age range where they’d choose to live pre-2020, most would probably have chosen a large or medium sized city. It’s easy to see why. The convenience of city living cannot be understated. Try growing up in rural Appalachia where fast-food cheeseburgers and movie theaters can be 45 minutes to an hour in any direction. Cities are more
