Samantha Tarter, Keller Williams Prestige

01/18/2023

Well hello there! I'm still here 😅 Although I feel as if I'm still in the summer (although colder) of 2022.

Little update:

My family spent some time in Europe for my husband's job, so I've had to put real estate on the back burner. I did what I could with the help of my team & I'm so grateful for them. Now that Europe has come to an end, we are relocating to Jacksonville, NC permanently. I'm very excited for this new chapter of our lives, and to get into an even hotter real estate market in the south.

I am still licensed in Wisconsin, and I will continue to keep up on the market and laws there. If you have questions or need help in any way with real estate, please don't hesitate to reach out. It's one of my favorite topics! Aside from questions, I can help find you an agent and/or lender to suit your needs so you can feel comfortable and confident in the process of buying or selling. My phone number isn't changing.

Happy 2023!!!

05/10/2022

Help me congratulate this sweet soon-to-be-married couple on the closing of their first home! I believe if it's meant to be, God will make it so. When other offers fall through and it can be frustrating, just know THE ONE is out there waiting for you. I am so excited for them to start their new lives together and make this place their home, to include her plant sanctuary 🤗🪴

Thank you for putting your trust in me!

05/08/2022

04/15/2022

It's been a busy few weeks! Please help me congratulate my buyers on their accepted offer for this beautiful spacious condo. I really love how enthusiastic this couple remained throughout the process and I'm so excited for them to start their soon-to-be-married life off right with a place all their own and the opportunity to have the puppy she's always wanted. CONGRATS and thank you for putting your trust in me.

03/21/2022

Evening buyers' consult at Java Dancer Coffee Bar & Café with a sweet engaged couple. They put me to shame with their caffeine.

Do you drink caffeine at night? Or do you switch to decaf?

I would be up all night, so decaf for me 😅

03/18/2022

I'm not going to sit here and lecture you on why you can't afford lattes or your Netflix subscription if you want to become a homeowner. Because that's not true!

What I am going to sit here and do is tell you that if owning a home is on your vision board this year, I want to help you make that vision a reality.

That "Congrats on your new home card", housewarming party and late night pizza parties in your own home could be a lot closer than you think!

And if you feel intimidated by the competitive market, don't!

I promise you can get through it! You just need a little help from a friend (a friend who has their real estate license and your best interest at heart)!

If you want to take a baby step, let's set up a 15 minute phone call and we can at least get you on the right path!

03/17/2022

Here are 3 go to rules for what to pack before listing your home for sale

1. Gallery Walls of family photos – of course we love our families and we’re so proud of our kiddos, grand kiddos, you name it and want the world to see how wonderful they are. But when it comes time to sell, we don’t want the world to see them. We want the buyers walking through your home to envision their own kids, grandkids, romantic date nights with their husband, birthday parties and Christmas dinners – not yours! So pack those things up!

2. Anything smaller than a baseball – accessorizing and shelf styling is great but it’s important not to have tons of knick knacks cluttering your space! The simple rule of thumb is to remove anything smaller than a baseball! (shelf pictured is APPROVED)

3. Small kitchen appliances – toasters, blenders, espresso machines, electric wine openers, you name it. The goal is to keep the counters cleaned off (think model home) and only have out a simple candle or vase of fresh flowers. Pack the rest away even if it’s in an easy to reach cabinet nearby!

Do you have a Real Estate Q? Drop them below so I can answer them in upcoming Q&A'S!

03/15/2022

The question I am getting on repeat:

If I don't sell now, am I going to miss this opportunity? AKA: Is today's market a one hit wonder

What I can tell you is this:

The current market has created THE IDEAL SCENARIO for sellers.

-You have very low competition due to the limited inventory

-The demand is high - meaning there are more buyers looking for houses than there are houses for sale. This is leading to competitive offers which drive up your home price

-You as the seller are in the driver's seat if you take advantage of listing right now

-That means limited offer contingencies and more flexibility for what you want as the seller (such as a preferred closing date or possible rent back option)

So while I can't say for sure that this market is a one hit wonder, it is definitely the kind of market you want to sell your house in while you have the opportunity!

03/14/2022

The truth about this market 🤨

Demand is VERY strong and supply is VERY low.

If you are scouring real estate listings every morning looking for that perfect for you home, but you have a house to sell, we need to talk.

The answer to whether or not you have to sell before you start to look at houses depends on ONE THING: Your finances.

In this market, selling your home cannot be an afterthought if you are serious about snagging a new home.

The number one thing to figure out is this: Do you need to sell your current house in order to buy (and secure a loan) for a new house?

If the answer is no, then you can definitely start looking at houses before you put your house on the market.

If the answer is yes, then we'll want to put your home search on hold until your house has an accepted offer.

In a competitive market, sellers are able to be more selective on the offer they accept because it's not unlikely that they receive more than one. If you have a house to sell and you include that as a contingency in your offer, your offer won't be attractive to the sellers.

If you want to figure out the answer to "Can you afford to buy a house before you sell your current one?" reach out to me so we can connect and I'll set you up with one of my recommended lenders!

*PS: Even if you "think" you can afford to carry both mortgages, you'll want to make sure it is possible from a financing perspective before you make any moves!