Wednesday, April 16, 2025 / by Lme Realty Group
Retirement isn’t just a milestone. It's the beginning of something really special. After years of hard work, it’s finally time to slow down, explore new passions, and live life on your own terms.
But with this exciting chapter comes some big choices. And one of the biggest is this: does your current home still make sense for the lifestyle (and budget) you want in this next phase of life?
That’s an especially important question right now. Just in the past five years, the cost of living has jumped by 23% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is how changes are tracked in the average price consumers pay for goods and services (see graph below):
When you’re thinking about how to make your retirement savings last, those rising expenses matter. And if you’ve started to wonder whether your money will stretch as far as you need it to go, don’t worry. You may have more control than . ...
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economy, senior living, downsize
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 / by Lme Realty Group
Spring is here, and so is the busiest season in real estate. More buyers are out looking for homes, which means more competition for you. If you want to put yourself in the best position to buy, there’s one step you can’t afford to skip, and that’s getting pre-approved for a mortgage.
Some buyers think they can wait until they’ve found a home they love before talking to a lender. But in a season where homes can sell fast, that’s a risky move. Getting pre-approved before you start your search is a much better bet.
Here’s what you need to know about this early step in the buying process.
What Is Pre-Approval?
Pre-approval gives you a sense of how much a lender is willing to let you borrow for your home loan. To determine that number, a lender starts by looking at your financial history. Here are some of the things that can have an impact, according to Yahoo Finance:
Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio: This is how much money you owe divided by how m. ...
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for buyers, buying tips
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 / by Lme Realty Group
Homeowner’s insurance is a must-have to protect what’s probably your biggest investment – your home. And while you never want to think about worst-case scenarios, the right coverage is basically your safety net if something goes wrong. Here’s how it helps you.
Covers Repairs and Rebuilding Costs: If your home is damaged by fire, storms, or other covered events, your policy helps pay for repairs or even a full rebuild.
Protects Your Belongings: Many policies can also cover personal items like furniture, electronics, and clothing if they’re stolen or damaged.
Provides Liability Coverage: If someone gets injured on your property, homeowner’s insurance can help cover medical bills or legal expenses.
In the simplest sense, it gives you peace of mind. Knowing you have protection against unexpected events helps you worry less. And with such a big purchase, having that reassurance is a big deal.
And while your first insurance payment will be wrapped. ...
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for buyers, home buying, buying tips
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 / by Lme Realty Group
If selling your house is on your to-do list this year, the time to start prepping is now. That’s because experts say the best week to list your house is coming up fast.
A recent Realtor.com study analyzed years of housing market trends (excluding 2020 since it was an outlier) and found that April 13–19 is expected to be the ideal window to put your house on the market this year:
“. . . we’ve identified April 13-19 as the best week to list for sellers . . . a seller listing a well-priced, move-in ready home is likely to find success. Because spring is generally the high season for real estate activity and buyers are more plentiful earlier rather than later in the year, listing earlier in the spring raises a seller’s odds of a successful sale.”
What Makes This Week Stand Out?
As the quote mentions, spring is almost always a strong season for sellers. But this particular week could give you an even bigger advantage this year. Realtor.com goes on. ...
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for sellers, selling tips, agent value
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 / by Lme Realty Group
Selling a house comes with a lot of moving pieces, and the last thing you want is a deal falling apart over unexpected repairs uncovered during the buyer’s inspection. That’s why it pays to anticipate potential issues before buyers ever step through the door. And one way to do that is with a pre-listing inspection.
What Is a Pre-Listing Inspection?
A pre-listing inspection is essentially a professional home inspection you schedule before putting your house on the market. Just like the inspections your buyer will do after making an offer, this process identifies any issues with the condition of your house that could have an impact on the sale – like structural problems, faulty or outdated HVAC systems, or other essential repairs.
While it’s a great option if you’re someone who really doesn’t like surprises, Bankrate explains this may not make sense for all sellers:
“While it can be beneficial for a seller to do, a pre-listing inspect. ...
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for sellers, selling tips
