If you’re planning to buy a home, an appraisal is an important step in the process. It’s a professional evaluation of the market value of the home you’d like to buy. In most cases, an appraisal is ordered by the lender to confirm or verify the value of the home prior to lending a buyer money for the purchase. It’s also a different step in the process from a home inspection, which assesses the condition of the home before you finalize the transaction. Here’s the breakdown of each one and why they’re both important when buying a home.
Home Appraisal
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) explains:
“A home purchase is typically the largest investment someone will make. Protect yourself by getting your investment appraised! An appraiser will observe the property, analyze the data, and report their findings to their client. For the typical home purchase transaction, the lender usually orders the ...

We are very excited to announce our new video series entitled The Lowdown with the Local Market Experts. At the Laura Miller Edwards Realty Group, we pride ourselves on being experts in our local market. We work hard to understand and stay abreast of the nuances of the northwest Atlanta real estate market. This new video series will share all of our knowledge directly with you! We'll have videos on real estate related topics such as the home buying or selling process, tips and tricks, as well as recent market statistics from our service area, primarily Cobb, Cherokee, and Paulding Counties. We'll also feature our listings, favorite local business, and much more!
Our first episode is out now - get The Lowdown on Title Fraud Protection with our friends at the real estate law firm Neel, Robinson & Stafford, LLC.


We hope you'll tune in for future episodes! You can find The Lowdown on our YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram. We'd love to connect with you so please make sure. ...

The real estate market is expected to do very well in 2021, with mortgage rates that are hovering at historic lows and forecasted by experts to remain favorable throughout the year. One challenge to the housing industry, however, is the lack of homes available for sale today. Last week, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Existing Home Sales Report, which shows that the inventory of homes for sale is currently at an all-time low. The report explains:
“Total housing inventory at the end of December totaled 1.07 million units, down 16.4% from November and down 23% from one year ago (1.39 million). Unsold inventory sits at an all-time low 1.9-month supply at the current sales pace, down from 2.3 months in November and down from the 3.0-month figure recorded in December 2019. NAR first began tracking the single-family home supply in 1982.”(See graph below):

What Does This Mean for You?
If You’re a Buyer: ...

Did you know January 14 was National Organize Your Home Day? Neither did we! It makes sense though. With the bustle of the holidays over, now is the perfect time to take stock of the chaos in your home, controlled or not, and make a few changes!
If you’re even remotely thinking about selling your home in the upcoming months, starting on the process of decluttering and organizing now will make your life easier when the time comes to list your home for sale. There are other benefits too. Being organized can lead to better sleep, boost your energy, reduce stress, lower your risk for a heart attack and provide an overall happier life. Who doesn’t want to be happier?
PICK A PLACE & START
Don’t let the amount of stuff there is to do overwhelm you. Start small. Start in one place. The key is to just start. Pick one room and work from there. It may be the area that guests see the most such as the kitchen, bathroom or front entry. It might be the area that gives you the! ...

Purchasing a home is a fun and exciting time in your life however can bring a lot of questions and uncertainties. The first step is contacting a qualified Realtor® to guide you through the home purchasing process. Step number two is talking to a preferred lender to get pre-approved and determine what you can comfortably afford so you don’t stay up late at night worrying. Once you have your home buying team by your side and selected the perfect home – now what?
Earnest Money – A seller wants to know you are serious about purchasing their home when they accept your offer. Earnest money shows the seller you have skin in the game and is typically 1% of the purchase price. Don’t worry this will be applied to your purchase at closing. The buyer’s broker immediately deposits the check into their escrow account. If not submitted with the offer, the earnest money check is required to be turned into the broker within 1-5 of days after you enter into a binding c ...