$100K a Year and Still Broke
As a kid, I could judge the state of our family finances just by looking at the labels on the cans my dad put in our shopping cart on Sunday afternoons when he picked up groceries for the week. If Dad grabbed the spaghetti sauce with the generic black and white label from the shelf, I knew asking for a treat at the register probably wasn’t going to fly. But boy, oh boy, if he picked up steaks at the meat counter, it meant he’d had a good week, and I’d be happily nibbling away at a Mr. Good Bar on the ride home.
Read full storyBudding Junior Journalists Start Homewood Newspaper
I was delighted to find my address had been included on the mailing list for the first issue of “What’s Up in Homewood?” When I pulled the new local newspaper out of my mailbox, I’ll admit, I had low expectations. I mean, there’s a lot of fake news out there, folks. But it was plain to see that the two budding correspondents, currently on summer hiatus from elementary school, had been hard at work.
Read full storyHow to Tour Birmingham Open Houses This Weekend
Hitting Open Houses is one of the most thrilling parts of the home shopping experience. And this home buyer’s rite of passage could be the key to finding your dream home. Open Houses offer a pressure-free shopping experience that allows buyers to see a house at their own pace, unlike showing appointments, where shoppers often feel rushed along to the next scheduled address.
Read full storyBirmingham Sellers Are Finally Entering the Housing Market
Across the country, home sellers are strutting out of closing offices with wide grins on their faces and fat checks in their hands. By every measurable metric, it’s a seller’s market. If you have a home to sell today, you can plan on not only getting OVER market price for your property but also selling it in record time. More buyers are hunting for houses than there are listings to satisfy them, causing bidding wars among would-be owners and driving up home prices by 20%.
Read full storyMy Birmingham Teen Got a COVID-19 Vaccination
What a difference a couple of months can make! In February, to receive my COVID vaccination, I first had to wake up in the middle of the night just as new appointments were released on the Walmart website to secure a time. Then, I drove over an hour away to Brent, Alabama to get my shot.
Read full storyIs Now a Good Time to Buy a Home?
I’ve been in the real estate industry for twenty years. The most common question I am asked is, “Is now a good time to buy a home?” In my two decades in the real estate market, I’ve seen housing inventory surpluses and deficits, wild interest rate fluctuations, mortgage loan requirement changes, recessions, and housing busts and booms. While there are many market factors involved in deciding whether to buy a home - which we’ll get into shortly - my advice to clients has remained constant: You should buy a house when you need one and are financially prepared to own one. If neither of those sounds like you? Then you should wait.
Read full storyWorking Commission Only Jobs Taught Me the Keys to Succeeding
I got my first job at age fourteen, cleaning houses for ladies in my neighborhood after school. Before I knew it, I had more houses to clean than I had hours in the day. So how does an introverted teenager build a thriving housekeeping enterprise without so much as owning a vacuum cleaner or a pair of rubber gloves? Necessity – my family absolutely needed the money. Also, I worked cheap.
Read full storyWhat’s it Like to Sleep Under a Weighted Blanket?
I’ve struggled with insomnia since my last pregnancy. Who knew pregnancy insomnia was a thing? I thought it would improve as my little one got older but – Nope. Here I am, four years later, googling sleeping hacks. I’ve explored everything. Hot baths. Melatonin. Sound machines. Sleep apps. Mediation. Reading and counting sheep. I even tried the Dodow, a little metronome gadget found on Amazon that is supposed to help you regulate your breathing and fall asleep faster. Worthless.
Read full storyOneonta Carpenter Builds Beautiful Modern Outdoor Furniture
Modern Adirondack ChairsMike Babcock/205 Woodworks. Over the past year, my family has spent a ton of time in our backyard. This has caused us to rethink how we use the space and focus on turning it into a place we can really enjoy. It was time to finally drag our old broken patio furniture to the curb. After ten years of service under the sun, my table and chairs were done. Now, I’m not one to splash out on expensive, impractical things. I’ve got three kids and a budget to look out for. This is why, when I needed to replace my patio furniture, I turned to Facebook Marketplace to see if I could find a sturdy, affordable replacement.
Read full storyInexpensive Ways to Improve Your Property’s Value and Curb Appeal
Because I’m a realtor, I’m often asked by would-be home sellers what they should do to improve the curb appeal of their home before they put it on the market. Even if you aren’t interested in selling your place right now, there are several inexpensive steps you can take to enhance its curb appeal that could also help improve its value.
Read full story6 Easy Tips to Prolong the Life of Your Carpet
As we enter the month of May, Spring cleaning is on the minds of many! It's that time of year when we throw back the curtains, open the windows, and let our homes BREATHE! Along with tossing out clutter and freshening up your spaces, let's not forget about the most used and abused surface in our homes. Carpeting takes the brunt of day-to-day living, but you can keep it looking amazing for years by following these practical tips.
Read full storySix Mother’s Day Gifts You Haven’t Thought of Yet
Mother’s Day is just a few weeks away. Don’t stress! You still have time to track down the perfect gift, as unique and special as your Mom. Moms can be hard to shop for. It’s not easy to find a great gift she doesn’t already own! And, if you’ve waited until the last minute, getting a gift from a local Birmingham shop will save you from the panic-inducing package tracking of online purchases.
Read full storyTwo Pregnant Birmingham Moms Share Their Secret Wish
From the moment you see those two pink lines turn up on that stick, you’re a mother! Just like that, life changes. Whatever is happening in your world begins to rearrange itself, and everything else takes a back seat to your new role. And it never changes back. Regardless of whoever else you are in your life, first – you’re a mother.
Read full storySurviving My First Year as a Birmingham Real Estate Agent
With the news about how hot the housing market is, you may wonder if now is the right time for you to finally follow your dream and get your real estate license. While it’s true, the housing market is hot, and it is a great time to be in real estate, deciding if this career path is right for you can be a personal and complicated decision.
Read full story5 Ways to Babymoon in Birmingham
Alabama’s Magic City, otherwise known as the state’s largest metropolitan footprint, is rich with history, amazing food, and exciting adventures just waiting to be had. Birmingham is the perfect destination for babymooners looking for a relaxing good time. What better excuse might you have to take it easy in the Magic City than as you anticipate the arrival of your new bundle of joy?
Read full story2021 Brings Opportunity and Obstacles for Birmingham's Custom Home Builders
Many industries have been disrupted over the past year due to the pandemic, and the home building industry is no different. It seemed as if everyone who was stuck at home, restless and dissatisfied with the state of their current property, sought out builders to either construct their dream home or turn their current house into the perfect retreat. Spurred by low interest rates and access to home equity lines of credit, buyers and would-be renovators turned to builders to solve their housing dilemmas.
Read full storyHey Millennials, Can We Talk Candidly About Home Maintenance?
According to recent data from the National Association of Realtors, Millennials are FINALLY jumping into homeownership. It’s about time! For the past ten years, we realtors have all been wondering if the housing crisis a decade ago had scared you off for good. But money-savvy Millennials, tired of ever-increasing rental rates and lured by the current insanely low interest rates, are finally taking the plunge.
Read full storyDo You Have the Equity in Your Home to Renovate?
It’s a seller’s real estate market in Birmingham today. The chances of selling your home quickly right now for top dollar have never been better. The downside? Finding your next home. For buyers, it’s nothing but slim pickings and bidding wars.
Read full storySix Pandemic-Driven Changes this Birmingham Mom is Making Permanent
When news and alerts of canceled schools and events first hit my phone a year ago, I’ll be honest – I thought this wouldn’t last a week, and then we’d back to normal. Boy, was I completely wrong! It was inconceivable to think we’d be masking up like other countries, but by March of 2020, we were. My husband and I found ourselves combing the shelves of pharmacies all over town, trying to locate a box of masks for our personal protection. And for longer than I ever could have imagined, we were stuck at home wiping down delivered groceries on the front porch and home-schooling our kids.
Read full storyHome Décor Zombies That Just Won’t Die
Some design styles just won’t die. Like zombies, they hang around forever, haunting our homes. No longer in style but not quite dead. In my twenty years as a realtor showing homes all over Birmingham, I’ve seen more than my share of unfortunate décor that has survived past its glory days.
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