Keller Williams Urban Living

Keller Williams Urban Living A premier real estate brokerage firm specializing in downtown Columbus and surrounding communities.

For many, owning a home represents stability, financial success, and the opportunity to contribute to their community. L...
09/03/2021

For many, owning a home represents stability, financial success, and the opportunity to contribute to their community. Let's take a closer look at home homeownership affects our daily lives.

Homeownership & you
Homeownership provides families with a sense of emotional and financial stability and increases household wealth through equity and appreciation over time.

Homeownership & your community
Home ownership plays a vital role in helping to build strong, stable communities. Not only does it benefit the community through taxes, but also through increased volunteerism and less crime.

Homeownership & our economy
The housing market is a driving force in our economy, and homeownership contributes to our local and national economies through jobs, manufactured goods, construction, and more.

Homeownership is truly a way to build financial freedom, find greater satisfaction and happiness, and make a substantial impact on our economy. If becoming a homeowner is a part of your vision, let's connect and discuss your real estate goals and come up with a plan to start the home buying process.

Picture this – you just closed on your dream home, keys in hand, and the movers ready. Now it's time to unpack all of th...
09/01/2021

Picture this – you just closed on your dream home, keys in hand, and the movers ready. Now it's time to unpack all of the boxes and get things organized in your new home!

BUT, there are a few crucial housekeeping items you should also be thinking about. Here are a few things that should be on your to-do list when you move into a new home.

1. Deep clean and disinfect everything
2. Replace the toilet seats
3. Change the locks or upgrade to a smart lock
4. Forward your mail & switch utilities into your name
5. Check all smoke detectors and CO detectors (quick tip – if they are yellow, replace them!)

Is there anything else that you would recommend a new homeowner do when they move in?

There’s no small amount of emotion involved when you’re buying or selling a home. It’s important to know the market you’...
08/30/2021

There’s no small amount of emotion involved when you’re buying or selling a home. It’s important to know the market you’re buying in, but it’s also just as important to know and trust your real estate agent. There are a ton of amazing agents out there, so don’t settle! Keep looking and asking around until you find an agent you “click” with.

We like to set the right expectations from the start by educating my clients about the home buying or selling process, and what to expect in our current market. We have found that a great experience is not only a result of knowing what to expect, it’s trusting that as their realtor, we will be there to guide them through this real estate journey with honesty and expertise.

Here are a few things you can expect from me as your agent:
✔️ Honesty and transparency
✔️ An experienced negotiator who will fight for you and your best interests
✔️ Someone who genuinely cares more about you do than they do about a sale

Buying or selling a home is not always a stress-free experience, but we can promise you that we will be there to support you and protect you every step of the way.

We often talk about the value of our home. However, what we don’t often look at is our equity position. Home equity is t...
08/27/2021

We often talk about the value of our home. However, what we don’t often look at is our equity position. Home equity is the current market value of your property less what is owed. Across the country, homeowners are experiencing sizable equity gains because of increased property values.

There are a number of ways to build equity in your home on top of typical appreciation.

1. Make additional payments toward the principal of your loan. Paying down your mortgage combined with the appreciation of your home is a powerful combination.

2. Sign up for bi-weekly mortgage payments. Making 26 half payments over the course of a year actually translates into 13 full payments over the year rather than 12.

3. Make key home improvements that will increase the value of your property.

4. Refinance to a shorter term.

When was the last time you checked your home equity position?

We're always available, as your real estate expert, to provide a FREE Property Equity Report. Message us today and let's start the conversation!

Opportunity: a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. There are many ways to identify opportunitie...
08/25/2021

Opportunity: a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

There are many ways to identify opportunities in your everyday life, whether it is improving your health, building relationships, starting your own business, or getting promoted at work. However, many people fail to seize the opportunities handed to them because of their fear of change.

Change is inevitable, whether we like it or not, and in order to grow, we must embrace it. If we fail to embrace change, we will miss those transformative opportunities — the chance to improve ourselves, our work, our relationships... our home.

Remember that change is where opportunity lives. Embrace it, and you may be surprised at how much you can grow.

Something I absolutely love when touring homes with my buyers is helping them spot the hidden potential in a home.With e...
08/23/2021

Something I absolutely love when touring homes with my buyers is helping them spot the hidden potential in a home.

With everything we see on HGTV and Pinterest, it can sometimes be difficult for people to see past the bright orange paint color, old oak cabinets, and mauve carpet when looking at homes. However, you could be missing out if you're only looking at updated, move-in ready homes. Not to mention, those are typically the houses that have the most interest. More competition means that you will most likely be paying more, and could sacrifice important features such as square footage, location, or yard size.

This is where I come in! I try to keep your top priorities in mind when we are looking at homes and work through what you may not love about a house, and how you can change it while staying within your budget.

A fresh coat of paint, new lighting fixtures, updated flooring, and new hardware can make all of the difference, and completely transform a space — you may just need a little help and creativity to visualize it.

Don't completely disregard homes that may need a little TLC! You could be missing out on your very own "fixer-upper"!

How bad can it really be if you choose a less than stellar realtor when buying a home? Not only can a bad agent make the...
08/20/2021

How bad can it really be if you choose a less than stellar realtor when buying a home? Not only can a bad agent make the entire process stressful and frustrating, but they can also potentially cost you thousands of dollars. Here are a few ways that choosing the wrong agent could cost you.

✖️ Bad advice
Hiring the wrong agent will mean that when the inevitable problems creep up during the transaction, they’ll either give you the wrong advice on what to do or will simply look at you and shrug their shoulders. If your agent doesn't offer to send you comparable homes to help you decide what your offer should be on a property, you could overpay (especially in our current market), or lose it altogether. If the first thing your realtor recommends you do to win a bidding war is to waive inspections... run.

✖️ Poor negotiator
A bad agent will either negotiate in such a way that causes your deal to fall through (most likely AFTER you've spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on inspections), or will simply negotiate in their own best interests. Negotiations can also go awry if the agent is representing both the buyer and the seller in a transaction.

Other red flags include being unresponsive, being too pushy, or not asking enough questions to figure out your wants or needs.

⁣Interviewing real estate agents isn’t just for sellers, home buyers should do it too! After all, a home is one of the largest purchases you'll ever make.

If you're thinking of buying a home, we'd love to interview for the position! Send us a message and let's connect.

It has been roughly one year since the pandemic put the housing market on hold for several months last spring, but the r...
08/18/2021

It has been roughly one year since the pandemic put the housing market on hold for several months last spring, but the real estate market bounced back fairly quickly and has been booming ever since. Many people are wondering how long the boom will last, and what will happen to the market over the next year.

Although no one can predict the future or know for sure what will happen, here are a few reasons you can expect 2021 to remain off the charts:⁣
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1. Low inventory
Most areas across the country are experiencing housing shortages. Having more buyers than homes for sale creates a strong market, and multiple offer situations, typically above asking.
⠀⁣
2. High demand
The pandemic has led to a surge in demand, and there are more motivated, willing and able buyers in the market than ever. The increased demand comes from people needing more space (for offices, etc.), low interest rates, a mass exodus from cities, and more millennials entering the housing market than ever before.

3. New construction
Builders are catching on and trying to meet the demand for housing, and despite record-breaking lumber prices, new homes are popping up everywhere across the country.

If you're looking to buy or sell this year, now is the time! Send us a message and let's discuss next steps!

E Q U I T Y : the difference between what you owe on your mortgage and what your home is currently worth.You've probably...
08/16/2021

E Q U I T Y : the difference between what you owe on your mortgage and what your home is currently worth.

You've probably heard that one of the benefits of buying a home is that you can build equity in it. And although knowing how much equity you have is important if you're thinking about selling, it can also be useful if you are considering a major renovation, eliminating your high-interest credit card debt, or even looking for cash to cover the cost of tuition.

When was the last time you checked your home equity position?

We're always available, as your real estate expert, to provide a FREE Property Equity Assessment. Message us today — we'd be happy to help!

Home equity is the portion of your home that you’ve paid off. It’s the difference between what the home is worth and how...
08/13/2021

Home equity is the portion of your home that you’ve paid off. It’s the difference between what the home is worth and how much is still owed on your mortgage. As your home’s value increases over the long term and you pay down your loan amount, your equity grows.

Tapping into your home’s equity can be a good way to access cash quickly to pay for renovations or pay off high-interest credit card debt, but it’s important to first determine how long you'll live in your home before borrowing against it. You don’t want to borrow more than you need or put your house at risk of foreclosure for an irresponsible purchase.

Here are a few ways you can tap into your home equity:

✔️ Cash out refinance
This type of refinancing replaces your existing mortgage with a new home loan for more than your current loan amount - with the difference being the extra cash. Lenders will generally let you borrow enough to pay off your current mortgage and take out more cash, usually up to 80% of your home’s value.

✔️ Home equity line of credit
A HELOC is another way to borrow against the value of your home. With a HELOC, you receive a line of credit — usually up to 80% of your home’s value, minus the amount of your current loan amount.

✔️ Home equity loan
With a home equity loan, instead of getting a line of credit that you can tap into as needed, you would receive a lump sum of money. A home equity loan could make sense if you don’t want to do a cash-out refinance because you have a low-interest rate.

Before you run to the bank, it is important to understand and weigh the pros and cons of each option, as well as your personal financial goals. If you're thinking about tapping into your equity, send us a message — we'd be happy to provide a free home equity assessment!

2020 was a very tough year for restaurants, but even the pandemic couldn’t stop the entrepreneurial spirit. Although the...
08/11/2021

2020 was a very tough year for restaurants, but even the pandemic couldn’t stop the entrepreneurial spirit. Although there were many restaurants that had to shut their doors, there were also new restaurants that opened in Columbus despite the pandemic.

If you haven't checked them out already, we highly recommend you schedule a date night ASAP. Here are some team favorites!
, The Pearl and Guild House, , .chophouse !!

Do you have a favorite restaurant I didn’t mention? I'm always looking for new places to check out!

Buying a new home at the same time as you’re selling your current home is all about timing — and a good agent, of course...
08/10/2021

Buying a new home at the same time as you’re selling your current home is all about timing — and a good agent, of course. It can be complicated and at times overwhelming, but the key to a successful transaction on BOTH sides is having an agent you trust to guide you through the process of property preparation, strategic pricing, negotiations, and financing options, as well as communicating with your lender, inspectors, title companies, and the other agents involved throughout the process.

Your agent should also discuss with you the common challenges you could face, alternative routes that might work better for you and your situation, and tips for navigating the process while maintaining some degree of sanity.
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So if you’re thinking about buying and selling at the same time, and feeling a little overwhelmed, we'd love to help alleviate some of the stress! Shoot us a message and let’s connect!⁣

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Columbus, OH

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+16147257755

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