West + Main Homes

⌛ How Long Will It Take To Sell Your House? As you’re getting ready to sell your house, one of the first questions you’re probably asking is, “how long is this going to take?” And that makes sense—you want to know what to expect. While every market is different, understanding what’s happening nationally can give you a good baseline. But for an even more detailed look at real estate conditions in your area, connect with a local real estate agent. They know your local market best and can explain what’s happening near you and how it compares to national trends. Here’s a look at some of the things a great agent will walk you through during that conversation. https://lnkd.in/gDuSGGet

🔮 What To Expect from Mortgage Rates and Home Prices in 2025 Curious about where the housing market is headed in 2025? The good news is that experts are offering some promising forecasts, especially when it comes to two key factors that directly affect your decisions: mortgage rates and home prices. Whether you’re thinking of buying or selling, here’s a look at what the experts are saying and how it might impact your move. https://lnkd.in/gtqs5USZ

🛋️🖼️ Durable Meets Chic: Designing a Stylish Home That Will Last Forever Having a stylish home is not just about following the latest trends or decorating with expensive pieces. It's also about creating a space that will stand the test of time and remain beautiful for years to come. In today's world where fast fashion and disposable items are prevalent, we ought to make conscious choices when designing our homes. A durable and chic home not only saves money in the long run, but it also minimizes waste and helps protect the environment. So how can you create a home that combines both durability and style? Here are some tips and ideas to get you started. https://lnkd.in/gBMwWFRV

🤔🏡 What Is a Contingent Offer? What It Means When Buying a Home A contingent offer means that an offer on a new home has been made and the seller has accepted it, but that the final sale is contingent upon certain criteria that have to be met. These criteria, or types of contingencies, are clauses in a sales contract that typically fall under three major categories: appraisal, home inspection, and mortgage approval. Such contingencies are mainly put in place so that buyers can back out of a real estate sale if something goes wrong, usually without losing their earnest money deposit. A seller might entertain other offers after a refusal, but won’t deal with another buyer until the contingent offer is settled in one way or another. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/g8siMSXJ

📍6 Essential Home Selling Tips for First-Timers Selling your first home can be an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. It's a big step in your life, and you want to make sure you do it right. But don't worry if you're not sure where to start—we've got you covered! In this guide, we'll share six essential tips for first-time home sellers that will help you through the process with confidence and ease. So let's get started on making your home selling journey a success! https://lnkd.in/gYQaWwCY

💰 The Benefits of Using Your Equity To Make a Bigger Down Payment Did you know? Homeowners are often able to put more money down when they buy their next home. That’s because, once they sell, they can use the equity they have in their current house toward their next down payment. And it’s why as home equity reaches a new height, the median down payment has too. Here’s why equity makes this possible. Over the past five years, home prices have increased significantly, which has led to a big boost in equity for current homeowners like you. When you sell your house and move, you can take the equity that gives you and apply it toward a larger down payment on your new home. That’s a major opportunity, especially if you’ve had concerns about affordability. Now, it’s important to remember you don’t have to make a big down payment to buy your next home—there are loan programs that let you put as little as 3%, or even 0% down. But there’s a reason so many current homeowners are opting to put more money down. That’s because it comes with some serious perks. https://lnkd.in/gHNnmxB8

🏡💭 Why an Agent Is Essential When Buying a Newly Built Home For some buyers, there’s a misconception that newly built homes aren’t made to last or fall short of the quality you can find in older homes. Unfortunately, this is turning some buyers away from what may be one of their best options in today’s housing market. As Builder Online says: “As resale inventory remains limited and the price spread between new and resale homes narrows, new homes are increasingly an attractive value proposition for buyers, with incentives such as rate buydowns a way to help address ongoing affordability challenges.” So, is there any merit to the myth? Let’s break down the best way to make sure you feel good about looking into new home construction. That way, you’re not missing out on such a great option today. https://lnkd.in/gumxiKMq

🎃 The 20-minute trick that will help a carved pumpkin last for weeks Carving a pumpkin is one of the joys of autumn, but they typically only last between three and five days before beginning to rot. To stop your pumpkin from looking sunken, sad and smelly, experts have recommended a clever 20-minute vinegar trick that could help your carved creations last for weeks in the run-up to Halloween and beyond. Better still, this simple solution is an eco-friendly alternative to the trend of spraying pumpkins with bleach. It's also safe for wildlife too, so you don't have to worry if you leave your pumpkin outside. "The vinegar kills fungus, making it hard for the pumpkin to rot. That's why vinegar-soaked pumpkins look so new; they're unblemished by the grossness that inevitably befalls their untreated peers," says the team at Taste of Home. Get all the details at https://lnkd.in/gWhA4BNM

🚨 Why Now’s Not the Time To Take Your House Off the Market Has your house been sitting on the market longer than expected? If so, you’re bound to be frustrated by now. Maybe you’re even thinking it’s time to pull the listing and wait to see what 2025 brings. But what you may not realize is, the decision to hold off could actually cost you. Here’s a look at why staying the course could be the smarter move. https://lnkd.in/g4DgXaik

📽️ Vintage Decor Is Making A Comeback Home furnishing trends, colors and styles come and go with amazing speed, making it a challenge for even the most dedicated homeowner to keep track of what is "in" and "out" at any given moment. The need or desire to remain current can be time-consuming and expensive. The terms classic and timeless referencing design and architecture are vague and hard to pin down, and they are often overused. Presently, the popularity of vintage style – referencing the past with a few tweaks – is one answer to the struggle to harmonize old and new concepts. In today's understanding of vintage style, five basic historical periods are seen most frequently. Learn all about them at https://lnkd.in/gN_uDM7Y