What's the Secret to Securing a Home Loan?

There are many great Anchorage area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (907) 865-6404 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Are you planning on taking out a loan anytime soon? If so, we want to share the seven things you need to be aware of so that the process goes as smooth as possible.

1. Employment status. Make sure that you stay employed with the same employer when you fill out your loan application with your lender. If you change jobs, you need to let the lender know!

2. Major purchases. Don't go out and buy new furniture or appliances for your new home until after you have the keys in your hand!

3. Credit card debt. Keep your credit card debt as low as possible during this time. If you have a $10,000 credit limit, be sure to keep your debt under $5,000 and continue to make payments on time.

4. Applying for new credit. Don't go out and apply for a new credit card or furniture loan, or even cosign on another loan. Your lender will notice and it could hurt you!

5. Bank account changes. Don't change accounts, move money around, or anything else you might have to justify with a lender.

6. Don't spend your savings account. When you apply for a loan, you gave your savings information to your lender. The lender needs to know you have enough money in your savings account for the loan to go through.

7. Get your paperwork done quickly. Do not drag your feet! Tax returns sometimes slow people down, so make sure you get all your documents turned in early!

If you have any questions about this topic, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

10 Tips to Help You Winterize Your Alaska Home

There are many great Anchorage area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (907) 865-6404 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today we are going to talk about how to prepare your home for the winter months here in Alaska, which is quickly coming upon us. We’ve got ten great tips for you today that will save you time, money, and heat when the days get short and the weather is cold. Here are our top ten tips:

1. Get a roof inspection done
2. Check your gutters, make sure to clear out any debris
3. Have your heating system checked- doing this yearly will double its life
4. Any exterior plumbing should be insulated
5. Make sure you check your windows for drafts, and seal any that you find with caulk
6. Insulate your doors and replace the weather stripping if need be
7. Reverse the direction of your fans to keep the warm air in your home for longer
8. Get your fireplace cleaned out
9. Prepare your landscaping- putting hay over delicate plants is a good idea
10. Make sure your lawn furniture is all brought inside, or at least into the garage

There you have it, our top 10 tips for winterizing your Alaska home. If you want some more tips or have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Staging Doesn't Have to be Expensive and Complex

There are many great Anchorage area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (907) 865-6404 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

If you are looking to sell your home, your goal is to get the most money possible in the shortest amount of time. One of the best ways to add value and appeal to your home is through home staging. You have a lot of options  for how you want to go about it. You could hire a professional staging company, but that comes with a hefty price tag. Most of the time, a few simple fixes is all it takes to transform a living room.

Today we are going to go through some of our most favorite, inexpensive home staging tips or you. We hope these will help you save both time and money when it comes time to sell your home.

A fresh coat of paint is always a good idea. Neutral, warm colors work best for highlighting the natural light in your home. This will make it easier to punch up the room with some colorful accessories and pull everything together.

A common design problem facing many homeowners is that they have no real entry way, as their front door opens up to the living room. To fix this, you can add a table, some lighting, and a rug to "fake a foyer" and make it feel like the living room and entryway are two different spaces.

A patterned rug, some pillows, or bright curtains add a ton of texture and an eclectic layer to the space, which is essential to a well-designed room.

In some cases, a "make-under" is just what you need. In the case of most fireplaces, taking some accessories and clutter away enhances the look and feel of the room greatly.

You could spend well over a few thousand dollars with a staging company, or you could do these fixes yourself for around $500.  That's a small investment considering the value that you add to your home by adding those pieces.


If you have any questions of us about staging your home or anything else real estate related, give us a call or send over a quick email. We are always here to help, and would love to hear from you!