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We recently shared a few articles sharing 8 steps toward buying the home of your dreams. You are itching to start your home buying process but may be worried that the timing is off. What are the reasons to buy your home now? Now might feel like one of the most intimidating times to buy a house. All we keep hearing is that it is a seller’s market, and the bidding wars are in full swing. Yes, that’s great for sellers that are often getting well above asking, but why does that mean YOU, on the opposite end of that stick, should buy now?

1. 1031 Exchange still exists

What is the 1031 exchange and why should you care? The 1031 that gets its name from the IRS code Section 1031 is a swap of one investment property for another with deferred capital gains taxes. It must be done with like-kind properties, but there’s no limit to how many times or how frequently you can do these exchanges. In some cases, it can even be extended to a former primary residence or swapping vacation homes. The benefit of 1031 is that you can make a profit on each swap, while avoiding tax until you sell for cash many years later at a lower long-term capital gains rate.

What does this mean for you? If you currently have a rental and you have been considering buying something bigger and better, you can make the upgrade while holding off on paying the taxes on the profit from the sale until you sell that new property. If you’re an investor you can go from owning a single-family home to apartment buildings that may have felt beyond reach before.

So the reasons to buy your home now? There’s talk that the tax code might change soon, and these investments could become more costly.

 As we discussed in part one buying a house in Alaska doesn’t need to be scary. We previously discussed 4 ways to prepare to buy a house. Now that you’ve become friends with your money, chose your neighborhood, found an ally and partner in a real estate agent, and have your pre-approval for your mortgage it’s time to find your dream home. You know what you can afford and you’re ready to start shopping!

When you’re working to sell your house, sometimes the ‘to-do’ list can feel longer than the hands on the clock allow. Our brains are easily overwhelmed if we look at everything as a giant task. It’s actually recommended that you tell yourself you only have to spend 5 minutes doing something and just get done what you can in that time. Getting started is half the battle, and once you do, you may find that you’re finishing in no time. Some tiny tasks add curb appeal in only 5-20 minutes and can speed up your selling process.

Make a welcoming outdoor space

Many people only think about staging the inside of the house. If you’d like to create a welcoming mood you can carefully place inviting seating in your outdoor spaces. Don’t forget to add a pop of color via pillows and other outdoor items that can brighten the space.

If you’ve ever watched a home design or house-hunting show you’ve probably heard the expression “This house has good bones.” What exactly does that even mean? When you’re buying a home sometimes the process can feel overwhelming, and the terms can seem like a foreign language to many buyers. Educating yourself and knowing what to look for will help you to reduce the stress and make the process, especially in a highly competitive market, a lot smoother.

Sometimes in order to figure out what you’re looking for, you need to fully understand what you’re NOT looking for and what you do not want to see in your new home. What are signs of ‘bad bones’? We know that we want the opposite, so that will help us to weed out the bad ones.

Spring fever can hit at any moment, it doesn’t have to even be spring! Have you ever been sitting in your living room and suddenly you have the urge to redecorate? Maybe you think it’s time for a new rug, or to finally clean up that clutter, or find a way to organize that stack of papers on the counter. As we started spending more time at home during the pandemic many of us started to find some creative ways to reorganize and redecorate our homes without even leaving the house. Did you know you can give your home a free home makeover with the items you already have?

Here are 10 ways to accomplish this:

1. Kitchen counter organization

Remember that pile of papers on the counter? It’s time to reduce the clutter. If you have a storage tray or even a serving tray tucked away, you can utilize it to contain all of those random items. Once those items start to overflow, you’ll know it’s time to visit the shredder and the trash can.

Is it better to rent or should you buy a home? How do you decide? What is the best option for you financially? Like many big decisions we usually sit down and write out a pros and cons list to help us decide. This is a personal decision, and you have to decide what is best for you, and for your family.

Why Rent?

One of the reasons that many choose to rent is that it’s an easy decision. You’re not committed to a certain place for any real length of time. Yes, you will have a lease or rental agreement, but these are more easily broken, should you need or want to relocate. You’re not tied to any particular area or neighborhood and can easily hop around and explore different areas.

When you’re moving to a new area, finding the right home is always top priority. It can be overwhelming when you don’t know where or how to look. In real estate, we know that the number one secret is to plan ahead! If you give yourself time, you’ll have a lot less pressure to settle.

Here are a few tips real estate brokers swear by for the best way to find your new rental home: