Entries by Sharon Gidley

Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Tackle in July

The summer solstice has passed, July is upon us. We get it—manual labor around the house might not be your top priority (especially when compared with, say, an air-conditioned, sangria popsicle–fueled “Schitt’s Creek” binge on the couch). Since we know home maintenance can be one of the least appealing parts of adulting, we’re here to help. […]

Your Summer Bucket List

Summer is here! Longer days, more sunshine, warmer temperatures and a break from school — there is so much to love about summertime. To help you maximize this action-packed season, here’s an extensive bucket list filled with both fun and relaxing summer activities. See how many you can check off the list before fall! Go […]

Air Conditioning Energy and Money Saving Tips

Ahh, the heat of summer! With higher temperatures often comes…higher energy bills, as we attempt to combat the heat outside with cool, air-conditioned interiors. To help you shave a few dollars off your energy bills all summer long, here are some tips and tricks for reducing your energy consumption. From little fixes to some more […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Tackle in June

Ah, June. School’s out, the days are long, and the weather’s getting toasty. We get it—your vacation is beckoning. (So’s ours.) But before you slather yourself with SPF 75 and reach for a piña colada, do yourself a favor and tackle a few maintenance projects. A little pain now means a big gain later—you’ll ensure your home runs smoothly through […]

How to Prepare Your Yard for Summer

While it doesn’t technically start until June 20, many consider Memorial Day as the unofficial first day of summer. While you’re busy planning your vacations, buying new shorts and sandals, and switching your HVAC from heat to AC, make sure you don’t leave your yard out of the summer preparations! There are several small (and […]

Ways to Keep Your Yard Healthy

Summer is almost here! Among other things, like popsicles and bike rides, summer means longer days, warmer temperatures, greener grass and lots of colorful flowers. And naturally, we are all spending a lot more time outside, soaking up all the beauty and splendor of the season. Make sure your yard stays healthy this summer by […]

May is National Barbecue Month

It seems like there’s an oddly specific “national holiday” every day of the week — including National Barbecue Day on July 4. But the mouthwatering, messy, tangy delicacy that is barbecue also gets an entire month of celebration in May, which just so happens to coincide with Memorial Day. That’s right — May is National […]

Pro Tips To Design, Maintain (and Sell!) an Outdoor Oasis

Warmer weather brings with it a feeling of new possibilities, and many homeowners ready for change needn’t look further than their own backyard. Literally. Previously reserved as the dog’s domain, many homeowners are beginning to see the potential their yards offer to expand their functional living space (sorry, Fido). “We’ve always enjoyed our outdoor spaces, […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Tackle in May

We’ve been fantasizing about it for months, and finally warmer weather has arrived. We know: You just want to fire up the grill and start working on your tan—we do, too! But before you can kick back in your hammock (or in your pool on your giant patriotic bald eagle float, if that’s your thing), there are a […]

Simple Upgrades That May Increase the Value of Your Home

Looking to sell your home in the near future? Small investments in the aesthetic of the property could add value and increase the ROI – even if the renovations aren’t too costly. With springtime underway, consider these DIY-friendly upgrades for a space refresh just in time to sell. Paint the walls Wall color preferences are […]

Questions to Ask During a Home Inspection

You’ve made it to the home inspection! If you are able to be present during the inspection, you may want to ask the inspector questions to help ease concerns, learn more about the home, and ultimately, help you reach an educated conclusion about the overall state of the property. Here are a few questions you […]

10 Home Staging Tips

If you’re thinking about selling your home, you might want to first stop and consider what it will take to make your home ready for the market. Here are 10 tips to help you reach your goals: 1. Stage where it counts Not all rooms are considered equal when it comes to home staging. You […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Need to Tackle in April

Ah spring! It took you long enough to get here, but we’re happy to see you. In fact, we’re so grateful for the slightest hint of warmer weather that we’re ready to rush outside, full of fresh energy, and take on all of those essential springtime maintenance tasks. “April is the perfect window during the year […]

ABCs of Home Buying

It’s time to learn our ABCs! And no, I’m not talking about the catchy alphabet song you mastered in kindergarten. Let’s explore an entirely different alphabet, trading “apple” for appraisal and “monkey” for mortgage. Let’s learn the ABCs of home buying! A — Appraisal: Evaluation of a property’s market value, based on its location, similar and […]

2021’s Red Hot Housing Market

Despite a plunge in temperatures, housing supply and days on market, buyers enter the new year undeterred.   The start of any new year is rooted in the “out with the old, in with the new” mentality. That was especially true as 2020 drew to a close and 10,000 steps around the living room didn’t […]

Give Your Home Extra Love This Month

Love is in the air! As we prepare to show our significant other, family and friends just how much we care — don’t forget to show your home some extra attention this month, too! Share the love with these simple yet effective ways to show your home you care. And in return, you’ll love living […]

Ways You Can Save Money as a Homeowner

It’s no secret — buying and maintaining a home can be a big investment, from the initial purchase to any unexpected repairs down the road. However, there are several small ways to save money throughout your homeownership journey that could add up to significant savings over time. Incorporate these money-saving tips to create a happy […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Need to Tackle in December

December is a tough month to focus on home maintenance. There’s so much holiday cheer to hang up and drink down that doing routine chores seems like a wet blanket over the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus spirit. But you can give yourself an early holiday present by doing just a few maintenance tasks before cold weather truly sets in. […]

Features Fall Buyers Want in Prospective Homes

Nearing the end of an unusual year, homebuyers have changing needs for their new spaces. Sellers, take note.   Over the past six months, the course of daily life has greatly changed and, with COVID-19 still present as autumn approaches, homebuyers’ desires have shifted accordingly. Looking to sell your home? Here are a few features […]

How to Perfect the Home Search From Home

Thinking it’s time to search for a new place to call home? Whether you’re packing up for a fast-paced relocation or in no rush at all, starting the homebuying process online can save sufficient time and broaden the range of options. Getting started Begin the search by assessing your current residence and creating a “wants […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Tackle in October

Ah, October. Temperatures are dropping, the days are growing shorter, and the pumpkin spice latte is, in a word, inescapable. But before you go hog wild with the Halloween decorations and settle in for that horror movie binge session, take some time to prep your home for winter’s onslaught (buzzkill, we know!). Luckily, we’re here to make […]

5 Surprises I Learned House-Hunting Amid a Pandemic

Buying a home is never a simple undertaking. Even at the best of times, house hunting comes with lots of built-in stressors, from mortgage approvals to bidding wars and beyond. But house-hunting during the coronavirus pandemic? That changes the game entirely. By the power of coincidence and bad timing, my home search started almost exactly […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Tackle in September

For most of the country, September signals the end of summer’s dog days and a return to fuzzy sweaters, chilly evenings, and, of course, pumpkin spice everything (this is America, after all). But before those first autumn leaves begin to fall, it’s crucial to take a few steps to stave off any cold weather home breakdowns. […]

How to Safely Tour a House for Sale

After a tumultuous spring changed the course of many homebuyers’ plans, the summer selling season is in full swing with in-person showings and, in some places, live open houses. Erring on the side of caution is key when touring houses for sale during the COVID-19 pandemic – for your safety and that of the homeowners. […]

Ways to Prepare Your Home to Sell This Summer

Days are longer, temperatures are warmer, and summer is well on its way. With a change in season comes a change in staging and presentation for a home ready to sell. Preparing a home to hit the market in the summertime can be as simple as regularly mowing the lawn, packing away winter goods and […]

Home Sales Surged in June With Strong Demand From Homebuyers

With “home” being the unofficial word of the year, could home-buying activity rebound in Q3 and Q4? The data from the RE/MAX National Housing Report for June 2020 suggests it might. Despite a report-record low in Months Supply of Inventory, June home sales posted a massive month-to-month gain of 37% – a far cry from the results […]

Why you Should Sell your Home in 2020

Few people are predicting that 2020 will be a record-breaking year for home sale prices. But relatively speaking, 2020 might be the best time to put your house on the market. Especially if you’re on the fence about selling this year or next, it may be better to sell in an environment that’s more predictable rather […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Should Tackle in February

Spring might be around the corner, but February can still bring plenty of harsh winter weather. Some of the harshest of the season, in fact. So that makes this month the perfect time to knock out some more of those indoor tasks to get your home ready for warmer times. “I’ve been doing indoor tasks […]

Understanding the Perks of Pre-Qualification

When a homebuyer is prepared and all the pieces fall into place, the home-buying process can often move quickly. One way to help keep it speeding along is being pre-qualified for a mortgage loan. Pre-qualification provides homebuyers insight into how much they may be able to afford for a down payment and allows real estate […]

Buy First or Sell First?

 If you are a homeowner and you decide to enter the market, you’re faced with a difficult question: Especially if you’ve never sold your home before. Do you buy your next home before selling? Or do you sell your current home before buying? We reached out to our RE/MAX Influencers—a panel consisting of RE/MAX Sales […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Need to Tackle in January

Home maintenance tasks aren’t going to be any easier at the start of a new year than they were during the holiday bustle of December. You’ve buttoned up the house against the cold, and you’re in the dead of winter without even a glimpse of spring in sight. Still, homes must be maintained, even in January. Why? It’s always […]

Winter Homebuying: Why it’s the Perfect Season to Buy

Don’t pass up that ‘for sale’ sign stuck in the snow-it might just be your ticket to finding your new home at a steal! Real estate sales naturally slow as the seasons change and most home seekers put their search on hold until spring, but not you. You see an advantage in an overcrowded marketplace. You’ve […]

Decluttering Tips for Your Kitchen

Is the chaos on your countertop out of control? Here are a few tips to conquer the clutter. 1. Use it or move it If you don’t use a mixer, food processor, or other tool more than once a week, stash it in a cupboard. Counter space is precious real estate. 2. Wall-to-wall organization Mount […]

Tips for an Organized Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a meal that can strike fear in the heart of even the most organized homemaker. These 15 ideas should help you plan not only for Thanksgiving, but for any holiday meal you may be hosting. Create a Game Plan Get out a legal pad*, your calendar, and a sharpie pen (and maybe a […]

What Inventory Looks Like in Four Markets This Fall

Months supply of inventory is one of the most commonly cited measurements used to describe the housing market. But what is it? In simple terms, it’s how long it would take to sell all of the houses currently on the market – if no new listings were added. It not only measures inventory (the number […]

Home Maintenance Tasks You Need to Tackle in November

We’ll be honest: We hate the phrase “transitional month.” Instead we like to think of November as a large-scale dress rehearsal for winter—the month that’s cold but not yet bone-chilling, frosty but not yet snowy. Before it gets too nasty to work outdoors, take the month to button up your home for the rough weather […]

Getting Your Home Ready for Trick-or-Treaters

Consider these tips to ensure a fun and safe Halloween night. As we settle into fall, many of us start looking forward to Halloween. It’s a holiday adults can enjoy as much as kids. But, homeowners do have one serious obligation on this fun night: If you expect trick-or-treaters, you must make sure the path […]

Best Things About Buying a House in the Fall

The summertime real estate season is as hot as the weather, but you might want to postpone your purchase until fall. For the first time in recent history, October surpassed June as the most popular month to get married. And these autumn-loving brides may be on to something: Although the spring months are notoriously the […]

Home Upgrades that Attract Millennial Buyers

Think millennials aren’t in the market to buy a home? On the contrary, by early 2019, millennials represented 42% of all new home loans. What does this mean for home sellers? It means it’s time to start revamping your house to attract these buyers! Luckily, there are plenty of simple and relatively affordable upgrades homeowners can make that […]

5 Ways to Boost Your Community Involvement

These days, we seem more disconnected from our surroundings than ever. Through smartphones and modern technology, everything is seemingly available at our fingertips and it can be easy to lose sight of what’s right in front of you. But that doesn’t have to be the case: your own neighborhood is full of ways to boost […]

How Much House Can I Afford?

Buying a home can be lots of fun. It’s exciting to see all those years of dreaming come to life in a place you can finally call your own. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement before asking yourself the most important question of all: How much house can I afford? The hard truth is, […]

Things to Consider and Look for at an Open House

Whether you are a first-time home-buyer or a current homeowner looking to downsize, more than likely you will be viewing houses or attending open houses while searching for the perfect home. Regardless of how experienced you are with home buying and home owning, there are always things that are missed when going through the house […]

Property Ownership 101: Property Taxes and Title Searches

As all homeowners should know, buying a house is a task that can be as difficult as it is expensive. There are many costs associated with owning a property—be it maintenance, renovations, or mortgage payments. However, one cost that is commonly overlooked when purchasing a home is property tax. A property tax can cause quite […]