Toni Schafer Realtor

Toni Schafer Realtor Real Estate Resources in ASL nationwide. Creating accessibility for the Deaf community when buying or selling a home. Central Kentucky Realtor.
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06/20/2026

Money is called currency for a reason. It's designed to flow.

The question is whether you're directing the flow or just watching it pass by.

For years, I thought making more money was the answer. What I eventually learned was that it didn't matter how much money came in if I didn't have a plan for where it was supposed to go. Without direction, money has a way of disappearing into a hundred little decisions that don't seem like much in the moment.

A budget isn't about restriction. It's about intention.

It's like building a dam and creating channels for your money. Instead of letting it run wherever it wants, you're deciding where each dollar needs to go. Some toward necessities. Some toward getting out of debt. Some toward building a future that your current self can barely imagine.

I've been in the place where the numbers felt overwhelming and the hole seemed too deep to climb out of. What changed wasn't luck. It wasn't a raise. It wasn't some secret strategy.

It was a decision.

A decision to tell our money where to go before it had the chance to decide for us.

The results didn't happen overnight, but they happened.

Five years from now is going to arrive whether you have a plan or not. The question is whether you'll look back and see years of intentional choices compounding in your favor, or wonder where all the time and money went.

Small decisions, made consistently, have a way of changing everything.

Saving for a downpayment? Let me connect you with a mortgage lender to see what you realistically would need and how to prepare a plan for your finances to get there.

06/18/2026

Not every home should be marketed the same way.

A downtown condo, a horse farm, a luxury custom home, a hunting property, and a starter home are all going to attract different buyers. If the marketing strategy is exactly the same for every listing, there is a good chance opportunities are being missed. When you're interviewing a Realtor, ask them specifically how they plan to market your property.

Who do they think the likely buyer is?
Where are those buyers spending their time?
What features of your property are they going to highlight?
Are they using video, drone footage, social media, email marketing, print materials, or targeted outreach?

The answers should be specific to your property, not a generic list they give to every seller. A great marketing plan starts with understanding what makes your home unique and then putting that information in front of the people most likely to fall in love with it.

The goal is not to get your home in front of everyone. The goal is to get it in front of the RIGHT people.

06/17/2026

When people start looking for a real estate agent, one of the first things they do is ask on Facebook. Within a few minutes they'll have 50 comments from friends telling them who they used. The problem is that doesn't actually tell you whether that agent is the right fit for you.

Your friend may have loved their agent because they were buying a starter home in town. Meanwhile, you're looking for land, a farm, an investment property, a custom build, or you're relocating from another state. Those are completely different situations that require different skills and experience. The same thing happens with referrals. Just because an agent was a great fit for someone else's goals doesn't automatically mean they're the best fit for yours. The only way to really know is to interview them.

Ask questions. Find out how they communicate. Learn what types of properties they specialize in. Ask how they handle negotiations. Ask how they help clients avoid mistakes. Ask what their process looks like from start to finish. You aren't hiring a friend. You're hiring a professional to help guide one of the largest financial decisions you'll ever make. The person who is perfect for your neighbor may not be the person who is perfect for you. Real estate is not one size fits all.

06/16/2026

This property is officially on the market, and Part 1 is all about the LAND.

Some properties offer a house. Others offer a lifestyle.

Nestled in the beautiful Cartersville area of Berea, this private 20 acre Kentucky homestead features rolling pasture, mature hardwood timber, a spring fed pond, boundary fencing, garden space, and the kind of privacy that is becoming harder and harder to find.

Approximately half of the property is open pasture and half is old growth hardwood timber, creating endless opportunities for horses, livestock, hunting, recreation, gardening, trail riding, hiking, camping, or simply enjoying the peace and quiet of country living.

The property also includes a 16 stall horse barn with updated electric, water, hay lofts, and tack room, along with additional outbuildings, a custom quail coop, and infrastructure already in place for those dreaming of a true homestead lifestyle.

This is one of those properties that needs to be experienced to fully appreciate everything it offers.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where I'll take you inside both homes and show you why this property offers so much flexibility for multi generational living, rental income, and everyday life in the Kentucky countryside.

06/16/2026

Maybe you've thought about selling your home, but you're not actually sure if it makes financial sense yet. That is completely normal.

One of the first steps I recommend is reaching out to a local real estate agent and asking them to run a CMA, which stands for Comparative Market Analysis. A CMA looks at homes that have recently sold, homes currently on the market, and homes that did not sell in your area. Then we compare those properties to yours to determine a realistic value range based on today's market. Many times people are surprised by the results. Sometimes their home is worth more than they expected. Other times they realize that selling right now may not accomplish the goals they had in mind.

The good news is you do not have to make a decision immediately. You can gather the information, look at the numbers, estimate what you might net after paying off your mortgage and selling expenses, and then decide whether moving forward makes sense for your family. There is nothing wrong with starting with information before making a decision. In fact, that is usually the smartest place to begin.

06/15/2026

There has been a lot of confusion about how buyer's agents get paid, so let's talk about what has changed.

In the past, it was common for the listing agent to negotiate the total commission upfront. At closing, the seller would pay that amount to the listing broker, and then the listing broker would pay the buyer's broker their portion. Many times those compensation conversations happened between brokers and agents, and the buyer and seller were not directly involved in the details. Today, the goal is much more transparency.

What we are seeing most often now is that the seller negotiates and agrees to compensation with their listing agent separately. Then, when a buyer submits an offer, the buyer's agent can request compensation as part of that offer package. The seller can review that request and decide whether they are willing to pay it, negotiate it, or decline it. At closing, each brokerage is typically paid separately, and the amounts are shown clearly on the closing disclosure so everyone can see exactly where the money is going.

Whether you're buying or selling, this change puts the conversations about compensation directly in front of the people who are actually involved in the transaction. The result is more transparency, more clarity, and fewer assumptions about who is paying for what.

06/14/2026

One of the things I always encourage buyers to ask about is PMI and how it works with different loan types. With many government backed loans, PMI or mortgage insurance does not automatically fall off just because you've built equity in the home. In some cases, it can stay with the loan for the entire life of that loan unless you refinance into a different loan product later.

That doesn't mean a government backed loan is a bad option. In fact, FHA, USDA, and VA loans help many people become homeowners much sooner than they otherwise could. The key is understanding the long term picture before you sign the paperwork. Sometimes the best loan is the one that gets you into the home you need today. Other times it makes sense to have a plan for refinancing in the future if rates and your financial situation line up. The goal is not just getting approved for a house. The goal is understanding how that loan will affect your finances five, ten, and even fifteen years from now so you can make the best decision for your family.

06/13/2026

Before you spend thousands of dollars renovating your home to sell it, have a conversation with a Realtor and do the math first. I see homeowners all the time who are ready to replace countertops, remodel bathrooms, install new flooring, or tackle major projects because they think they have to in order to sell.

Sometimes those improvements make sense but many times right now, they don’t. The question isn’t whether the update will make the home look better. The question is whether you’re actually going to get that money back when you sell. I’ve had sellers save themselves a tremendous amount of time, stress, and money by focusing on a few strategic repairs, a deep cleaning, and proper marketing instead of taking on a full renovation project right before listing. Every market is different. Every neighborhood is different. Every price point is different. Before you start writing checks to contractors, sit down and look at what similar homes are actually selling for. You may find that the best return on investment isn’t a renovation at all. Sometimes the smartest money you spend is the money you decide not to spend.

06/12/2026

When you’re interviewing a real estate agent, remember that buying a home and selling a home are two completely different skill sets.

Some agents are incredible at helping buyers. They know how to negotiate, find opportunities, spot potential issues, explain contracts, and guide people through the process of making a smart purchase. Other agents excel at listings. They understand pricing strategy, marketing, staging, photography, buyer psychology, social media exposure, and how to position a property to attract the right buyers. Of course, there are agents who do both very well. But don’t assume that every agent has the same strengths just because they hold the same license. If you’re selling, ask questions about how they market properties, how they determine pricing, and what they do when a listing is not getting activity.

If you’re buying, ask questions about negotiations, inspections, contracts, and how they help protect clients from making costly mistakes. A 15-minute interview can tell you a lot about whether someone is the right fit for your situation.

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Lexington, KY

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