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Rachel Ellingson - Realty One Group Coastal

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Summerville, SC
Rachel Ellingson - Realty One Group Coastal

Rachel Ellingson strives to support her clients and advocate for their best interests as they navigate the real estate process.

04/15/2021

🔑🏡THE PRE-APPROVAL PROCESS

If you've been thinking about buying a home, then I'm sure you've heard the recommendation that you should get pre-approved or pre-qualified for a loan before you start viewing a home. So, you may be thinking, "What's the difference between being pre-qualified and being pre-approved?"

While getting pre-qualified can be a good first step in your home buying journey, a pre-qualification is more of an estimate of how much you may be able to afford in moving forward with purchasing a home. You can get a pre-qualification by talking with a lender you trust.

On the other hand, a pre-approval requires you to submit certain documents so that your lender can conduct a more thorough examination of your current finanical situation and credit history. The benefit of this process is that a pre-approval will given you a more solid idea of what you can afford when purchasing a new home.

With the current housing market the way that it is, it is definitely in your best interest as a buyer to seek out a pre-approval over a pre-qualification for a loan because a pre-approval will help you show potential sellers that you are a serious buyer.

Have questions about getting pre-approved? Feel free to send me a DM!

03/16/2021

I am always grateful for clients who take the time to provide me with feedback, and it is feedback like this that reminds me of why I love helping my clients find the perfect home. 🖤

02/24/2021

Do you ever dream about owning your own home?🏡

Here are the first 2 steps to take to get you closer to your dream of homeownership!

1. Stop looking at Zillow and call a real estate agent! Seriously.. I know looking at houses online is fun, but until you take the first step, your dreams will stay dreams! Let's set up a Zoom or Google Meet call to get you on track for buying in 2021. During this first meeting, I'll lay out all the expenses to be prepared for and recommend a few of my favorite mortgage lenders who can dive into all the juicy details with you!

2. Find a lender that can help you figure out your financing. 👉 How much do you need to have saved before starting the process? How much do you need to put down? How much can you afford monthly? These are all questions you will want to get answered before you begin looking for a home.

Want to schedule a Zoom or Google Meet call to get started? Send me a DM so I can get you on my calendar!

02/10/2021

LOW INTEREST RATES, SELLER'S MARKET, EQUITY TO LEVERAGE... who isn't thinking about selling?

If this is you, here are 6 things you should consider!

01/20/2021

HOME GOAL: BUILD A HOUSE - is this you?

The number one thing to do if you want to start the building process this year is to figure out your budget 💰

This is going to look like a balance of determining your must haves, want to haves and deal breakers and figuring out what those things cost individually and collectively.

Starting with the lot - if you have a new development you'd love to build in - figure out the minimum lot prices and what requirements the subdivision has on things like square footage, building materials, etc.

What goes hand in hand with that is finding a builder. Are you looking at the high end builders, mid range builders, or budget friendly? The builder itself, can play a huge role in the lot you end up building on.

Next, start looking at floor plans. Do you want to order a pre-designed floor plan online or use one of the builder's floor plans? Or do you want to work with an architext to design a custom home? Home size, features, and upgrades are important to consider when it comes to your budget. One of the biggest surprises to people starting the building process is how many upgrades there are and the extent of options that drive the price up really quickly.

I designed this little flow chart to layout the process in order, but the budget is definitely going to be the first thing you take into consideration and then follow the list from there.

Did you know that you can work with a Real Estate Agent during the building process when you work with certain builders? If you're considering building, I can help walk you through the process, help you find the right builder, and help you through negotiations.

Comment below if you have built a home and have any tips for people wanting to build a home!

01/12/2021

NOW TRENDING in Real Estate✨

Here are the latest home buying trends for 2021:

1. Multi-use kitchens that can be used for Zoom calls, classrooms, cooking, and entertaining
2. Space that can be utilized as home office space
3. Smart home technology (i.e., automatic and motion sensor lighting, smart phone controlled home technology, and voice activated controls)
4. Outdoor living spaces that become a relaxing retreat as well as extra space for entertaining outdoors (i.e., outdoor kitchens, audio systems, and trellises will become more popular)
5. Calming environments with neutral colors, natural light, indirect lighting, and colors that bring the outdoors in to feel like a cozy sanctuary
6. Dedicated space for at-home workouts will be important - Outdoor workout space of dedicated indoor areas will be vital
7. Repurposing of existing rooms to make them multi-functional (i.e., guest bedroom that doubles as a home office)
8. An increase in gardening as a means to getting more fresh air and being outdoors - People growing vegetables in their backyards, utilizing raise garden beds, window boxes, and more

Have your home preferences changed since 2020? What home features are you finding yourself wanting now that weren't as big of a priority before last year? Tell me in the comments!

If you've found yourself sharing an office with your spouse trying to figure out who has what Zoom call, running a classroom out of your kitchen or running out of room in general, you're not alone!

Interest rates are still hovering at all time lows so if you're ready to start your hunt for a space that better suits your needs, I'm only one DM away!

12/17/2020

Are you bummed that you didn't get yourself on track to be in a new home by the holidays?

I promise, it's okay because what you can do is get yourself on track for 2021! Maybe you dreamed about heading to the local tree farm to cut down your own tree and spending Christmas in your new home surrounded by your favorite seasonal scents and a warm fire going in the fireplace with Hallmark movies playing in the background!

Even though it didn't happen this year, let's use it as motivation for getting you into a new home for next year! So when should you start the process? Let me get my calendar and lay this out!

Let's say your goal is to be in a new home buy May of 2021... Once you find your new home, we'll need about 30-45 days from contract to closing day so working backwards, that puts us around mid-March. The next think to think about is how long it's going to take you to find a house.. That means it's time for us to talk because you may need to get that home search started right now! Depending on the market & price range you're looking in, there could be very low inventory levels meaning not a lot of options (because there are more buyers than houses for sale).

The good news is you do have some time. The first thing I'd recommend doing is scheduling a buyer consultation (we can do it easily over Google Meet or Zoom) and I can get you set up on a home search and connected with a lender to get your pre-approval going!

If you're reading this thinking - "Yes she is talking to ME!" then what are you waiting for!?

12/08/2020

🥂Cheers to closing on the perfect home for my first time home buyers! 🎉

These soon to be parents were looking for the perfect home to bring their baby girl home to, and they kept an open mind as we searched for the perfect one in very competitive price point. We were able to find a home with a nice size yard and the perfect amount of space for their growing family, while also leaving room in their budget for them to make the needed upgrades to the kitchen.

11/11/2020

Time for a round of ❓❓Q&A❓❓:

Q: How do I raise my credit score to buy a house?

A: I would first recommend meeting with a mortgage lender who can do a credit check and advise you on what your best first steps would be. Understanding your current score will help look at the big picture.

Q: How much do I need to put down?

A: GREAT NEWS! You DO NOT have to put down 20%. There are a variety of loan programs that require down payments as low as 3-5%. A mortgage lender can help determine which program would suit your financial situation best.

Q: What are current interest rates?

A: Interest rates have reached historic lows in 2020 which has increased buyer's purchasing power. Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac said: "Mortgage rates today are on average more than a full percent lower than rates over the last 5 years." (source: Keeping Current Matters Blog).

Asking these questions and taking action is a great way to prepare for homeownership now, even if you're still 6 months out from starting the process! Feel free to reach out if you need help finding a lender to help you get started!

11/05/2020

✌️2 reasons you shouldn't slow down your home search for the holidays:

Here's the Holiday low down on House Hunting: There is LESS competition!

If you’ve been seeing accepted offer after accepted offer on just about every new listing that pops up (not to mention only hours after you heard it was even for sale) – I totally get how it can seem like finding a house right now is impossible.

Maybe you're thinking you'll just wait until after the holidays are over to start looking so you can slow down and enjoy the season.

But what if I told you that the holidays can be a great time to get your search started because there aren’t as many buyers out and about (finally, right?!)

In fact, buyer foot traffic drops significantly during the holiday season which leads me to reason number 2!

With less buyers to compete with, that could mean more flexibility on things like price and offer terms for you! Not to mention, house hunting during the holidays just gives you all the cozy feels! Picture Cameron Diaz in The Holiday cozied up in that adorable little cottage. That could be you!

So if you want to get a jump start on your home search and take advantage of the decreased foot traffic during the holidays, I’m only a message away!

10/27/2020

The Home Inspection is one part of the process that can cause the most stress for buyers and sellers but it doesn't have to be. The best way to feel calm during the home inspection process is to be educated on what to expect (that's where your home inspector and I come in).

First you'll want to learn about things like how much the home inspection costs, what the home inspector looks for, and how the process works. I cover each of these questions with both my buyers and sellers.

I extracted 2 of the main things I cover when talking about the home inspection and am sharing them with you here. One of them is something you've probably never thought of!

Do you have questions about the home inspection process? Tell me everything you want to know in the comments!

10/13/2020

After touring house after house (we've lost count), I am so excited that my clients finally found one to call home. 🏡 Next stop, inspections!

Address

Realty One Group Coastal/1510 Old Trolley Road
Summerville, SC
29485

Telephone

+16082146162

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