Karla Smith PA's Blog Posts

The final walk-through is an exciting time for buyers: The house is almost yours! It can be tempting to spend the time set aside for the walk-through mentally planning where you’ll place your

Paying less than the listing price for a house might seem like a pipe dream in some markets, but for savvy buyers who know what they’re doing, it’s a very real possibility. That said,

3 Must-Do’s Before Listing Your House for Sale Before you list your home for sale, it’s time to do a little work around the house – to prepare and make sure your home is seen in

Style is as individual as human beings are, but we can generally agree that there are some style trends that should be left in the past — some in the very recent past, others long ago —

In most parts of the country, the strong seller’s market we’ve been experiencing for several years is softening — which means that as a seller, it might not be as easy to find a

Natural stone countertops are one of the most popular fixtures in a kitchen today. With granite being the most popular, it is often found in homes that sell quickly. If your countertop is granite

In a seller’s market, it’s easy for a lot of sellers to reach the conclusion that they don’t actually need a real estate agent to offload their homes. After all, there are buyers

Selling your house can be a very stressful experience for homeowners. It can be emotionally challenging to make repairs or upgrades to a house that you’re about to hand over to a buyer; you

When moving out of a primary residence, most homeowners make the obvious decision to sell their current property. But is that really the best choice for you? The answer, of course, depends on many

There are plenty of good reasons why you might want to buy a house in a different state from your current location — and thankfully, modern technology makes it possible to shop for a home and

Appraisals are one of the most confusing aspects of buying or selling real estate for the consumer. When a buyer and seller agree on a sales price, it can be frustrating to hear that the appraisal

If you’ve never bought a house before, then you might not be familiar with closing costs — and if you’ve never sold a house before, then you may be unaware that sellers have to

Buying a home without researching (and loving) the neighborhood is a bit like getting married after the first or second date — a serious gamble that pays off at best, and the prelude to a

There’s nothing more discouraging than having your listing expire. You’ve gone to all the trouble of staging your home, spending weekends and evenings running out the door to accommodate

A lot of money goes into buying a new house so it is understandable if a seller feels hesitant investing even more money to fix up their current house prior to selling. However, sellers may not

Many homebuyers dream of owning a beautiful, modern, luxurious home decked out with all the best amenities. For those fortunate folks who are actually poised to purchase such a home, however,

You’re embarking on two exciting life adventures—a new job, and a new town or city! This certainly is an exciting time with plenty of fresh starts. Simultaneously making two significant

Due to the limited quantity of both luxury homes and prospective luxury home buyers, marketing a luxury home in Fort Lauderdale can be a challenge. Unlike marketing traditional homes, a luxury home

Building a new home is a perfect opportunity to customize your space according to your own needs and wants — and it can also feel completely overwhelming. Many homes built from the ground up

An open house is a huge opportunity for anyone hoping to sell — it’s a chance for you to present your home looking its very best to a wide pool of buyers who can walk through and decide

When you’re selling your house, it can be tempting to hope that buyers will see past the surface to the beautiful bone structure of your abode and realize what a lovely life they could make in

If you are preparing to sell your home, you already know about the concept of staging. While most people think about pretty flowers in the front yard and the perfectly set table in the dining room,

Are you inclined to call a handyman whenever something breaks at home? After all, it’s so easy and convenient to pick up the phone and call a professional when something goes wrong. But

Selling your house can be an intensely emotional experience in any market, but it’s particularly nerve-wracking when it seems like other homes are going under contract in a matter of days

Whether you’re renting out a single property or you have a rental empire, being a good landlord will get you a higher caliber of tenant. But maybe it’s been a long time since you rented

Despite all the technology available for finding your dream home, preparing in full still takes time and research. Regardless of whether or not you’re a first-time buyer or a veteran who&rsquo

If you’ve never owned a house before, then it’s entirely possible that you’ve never deep-cleaned a house. (Hey, no shame in that game.) But when the house is yours, the desire to

Moving from a small town or suburb to a large city can be an intimidating proposition. Here are a few tips to help make your move as painless as possible.Research before you move. It’s

Looking to buy a home? Here are five essential tips for making the process as smooth as possible.1.  Get your finances in order.Start by getting a full picture of your credit. Obtain copies of

Selling your home doesn′t just mean hiring a realtor to stick a sign out front. There are a lot of preparations you should make to ensure you get the best offer possible in the shortest time

As the events of the last few years in the real estate industry show, people forget about the tremendous financial responsibility of purchasing a home at their peril. Here are a few tips for dealing

Let’s face the facts: Buying a home in Florida can be an amazing experience, but it can also be quite complicated. With emotions running high, it’s all too easy for homebuyers to skip

Staging your home is a proven strategy for speeding up the sales process in Fort Lauderdale. It can even help boost your home’s value when offers start coming in. By highlighting your home

Need help finding the right Fort Lauderdale neighborhood for your home search? Here are five factors that should figure prominently in your thinking.SchoolsEven if you don’t have kids, the

For the vast majority of people, buying a home will be the biggest purchase decision of their entire lives. Unlike buying a TV, computer, or even a car, when buying a home you can’t just check

As the Florida real estate landscape changes over the years, buyers, sellers, and homeowners have started doing more with less house. Here are a few simple tips for getting the most out of your

Looking for a new home in Florida? Concerned about maintaining a healthy lifestyle for you and your loved ones? Here are a few factors that will help you choose the right neighborhood for your.

You hear it on the news all the time: ”It’s a buyer’s market,” “It’s a seller’s market,” or “The housing market is on the rebound.” And

If you’ve ever owned a home in Florida before, you know that just like your vehicle needs regular maintenance like oil changes to run well—so does your home. It can be easy to ignore or

It’s move-in day! Moving into your new Fort Lauderdale home is both exciting and exhausting. There’s no arguing that moving is a lot of work, but there are some easy ways to make sure

You’ve packed your bags, double checked your flight time, and tucked your passport into your bag. Remember to safeguard your Fort Lauderdale home from potential burglars before you sip a

Even if your Florida home is kept tidy, decluttering your home is essential to getting it ready for your open house and for showings.When potential homebuyers are shown your Fort Lauderdale home,

The papers are signed and you’re anxiously and excitedly planning your move into your new home. Here are some ways to make your moving day in Florida go swimmingly.1) Lighten your moving day

So, you want to buy a house in Florida—now what? The first time buying a home is an emotional, exciting, and also exhausting experience. You may also be wondering along the way—what am I

You can hardly wait to move into your new Florida home. You’ve been picking out paint colors, planning how you’ll arrange your belongings, and checking out restaurants and shops in your

Whether you have a small yard or an acre of land in Fort Lauderdale, you want to keep your lawn looking and feeling lush—so how do you do this without breaking the bank? Your lawn can stay

As the events of the last few years in the real estate industry show, people forget about the tremendous financial responsibility of purchasing a home at their peril. Here are a few tips for dealing

Now that you’ve decided to buy a home in Florida, it’s time to consider how you’ll pay for it. Mortgages can be complicated, and selecting the wrong one could seriously jeopardize

Buying your first home can seem like a daunting process. From mortgage rates to taxes to closing costs, there’s certainly a lot to consider. Because your new home will likely be the biggest

Are you ready for move in day? Chances are you’ve been running around getting everything in order for this big day. It’s going to be exciting, and no doubt—a lot of work. Here are

Long-considered a standard in the Florida mortgage industry, a conventional home loan is just what it sounds like, a “standard,” or “normal” loan. Conventional mortgage loans

Color can be highly personal, especially when it lines the walls of your Florida home! Pouring over paint chips when trying to choose wall colors can be one of the best parts of moving into or

If you have elderly family members, you may already be thinking about how suitable their living situation will become in the next few years. A top question on the minds of folks in this situation is

If a conventional Florida home loan isn’t an option, you may be wondering if a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan would be suitable for you. The FHA is a Federal government agency that

Purchasing a new home is an exciting time. From checking out new potential homes and exploring new neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale, it’s an experience to remember. Securing a mortgage is an

Ready to paint your home? Be sure to use the right finishes in each room and feature to make the best impact in your home. Using the wrong finishes can backfire for home owners if the wrong ones are

If you haven’t bought a home yet, you’re missing out on a wonderful feeling! That moment when you walk through your doors, throw your purse or keys on the floor, plop down on your couch

Ready to sell your house? Here is a few staging tips to get your home prepared for the market. When listing a home that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, you want to make sure

Newlyweds are saying “I do” to each other, and equate to over half of first time home buyers that are also saying “I do” to their dream homes. It makes sense! When you put

With the influx of new technology and web based solutions, it isn’t a surprise that everything is moving fast into the era of the internet. From sites like Uber to Grubhub, we generally can

It’s easy to tell when you need to replace your carpet or repaint the walls; you see them every day and when they look old or dingy, it’s easy to notice. The wear and tear on your roof

Is your bathroom small? It’s the worst, isn’t it? Well, unfortunately, small bathrooms are very common, and are usually the smallest rooms in the house. I can almost bet that it almost

The real estate market is constantly changing, so of course DO YOUR RESEARCH! DO NOT jump the gun on this one! Unbiased advice from family and peers may be kind, but you are the only one who knows

Just like in any other profession, there are good real estate agents … and there are, unfortunately, subpar real estate agents, too. But how do you know if you’ve got a dreamboat or a

Kitchen floors get put through quite a lot! Between all of the dropped utensils, the spills and drips; being one of the most used rooms in a home, your floors need to handle kitchen hazards and look

Sing me some graces, there is such a thing as over-cleaning! Here are ten chores around the home that you really only need to do annually, minus special circumstances. Let’s dive in!1.

Every year, more than 2900 home fires are started by clothes dryers. The leading cause of these fires are from a build of up lint from lack of maintenance. The removable lint filter unfortunately

Want to spruce up your kitchen but stuck on a tight budget? Check out the list of improvements you can get started on for under $100. These tips can come in handy when you’re ready to list

You just found your dream home in Pompano Beach, and it’s within your budget! One thing has you scratching your head though, how are you going to come up with the 20% down payment? You&rsquo

Are you ready to buy a home and considering going in the route of new builds? It may seem like an easy enough process, where you get to call the shots of how you want your dream home to be, but

The first time you heard the term, “escrow” you may have been thrown for a loop. While the word may have had you confused the first time, here are some essential things to know about

If this the first time you’re considering buying a home, or selling your first purchase, there are a lot of possible challenges you can end up facing. Having the right agent can ensure you

You’re about to become a first-time homeowner—this is an exciting time! As you begin working with lenders on securing pre-approval for a mortgage, you probably hear some terms when it

Ready to take on the task of landscaping your pool space? You generally don’t realize the importance in the types of trees you use until it’s too late. Let’s go over a few rules

Themarket is hot, hot, hot! With interest rates at an all time low for buyers, themarket has turned into a feeding frenzy, and home sales are skyrocketing inprices. In such a high demand, seller

Are you getting frustrated that your home hasn’t already sold? Has it been sitting on the market with little to no showings, while houses nearby are going under contract almost immediately? We

One of the most common real estate investment transactions is the 1031 Exchange. Simply put, a 1031 Exchange (also called a “like-kind” exchange) is the swap of one investment asset for

Interior design is more than just picking a few throw pillows and adding an accent chair. Creating the right style, mood and ambiance is a thoughtful mixing of design elements to form the desired

Out of all the rooms in your home, your kitchen gets the most traffic. Whether you’re getting ready to stage and sell your Florida home, or you’re unpacking kitchen items into your new

You’re just starting your search to purchase a Florida home-this is an exciting time! Before you schedule your first home tour, getting prequalified for a mortgage is an important first step.

There was a time when chandeliers were either carefully centered over the formal dining room table or reserved for the entry foyer of a grand mansion. Today, chandeliers are found in a wide variety

Being a homeowner definitely has its advantages, and saving money on your taxes each year just might be at the top of the list. Make sure you’re taking advantage of these common tax perks as a

Serious investors already know the value of a diversified portfolio. In addition to stocks and bonds, real estate should be included in your investment mix. One way to accomplish this is to,

The front door is the first thing visitors see when they arrive at your house. A beautiful entrance can transform the look of the entire home and is an essential component to creating curb appeal.

Not too long ago in our country’s history, talking about making your house “greener” might get you labeled a hippie tree-hugger. But times change, and as gas, electricity, and

It’s never too late to begin investing in real estate…..it’s never too early either. Real estate offers a solid investment opportunity which can provide not only an income stream

As a parent, it’s hard to watch your kids struggle with anything, but watching them struggle to buy a house can be especially tough. We all want the best for our offspring, and owning a home

Buying a new home is an exciting time. It can also be stressful if you are unsure about your credit or know that your credit is not as high as you’d like it to be. Your credit score is one of

In a society where we refer to our homes as our castles, it makes sense that we also want to feel safe and secure in our residences. But as we spend more time inside looking at screens and less time

Nothing is more frustrating to a home seller than to have their home sit on the market without an offer. Selling a home is a big decision, and an emotional one. By the time a home owner determines

One of the first questions that a real estate agent will ask new buyers is, “What do you want in your new home”? It might seem like an easy question to answer but identifying your &ldquo

Regardless of whether you’re moving across town or across the globe, moving day can be stressful. Often people find themselves scrambling to get everything done and make sure it’s done

Sales of smart home technology continue togrow, making it clear that home automation is no passing trend. Not only aremore homeowners investing in smart home technology to make their lives

There comes a time in every homeowner’s life when he or she realizes: “I am not the same person I was when I bought this place.” Maybe your lifestyle or your family configuration

Moving is stressful all on its own, but when you add in the complications that kids or pets (or both) can bring to the mix, it can feel downright impossible. Depending on the age of your children

In 2008, the real estate landscape was on the brink of a monumental change. The Great Recession officially started in December 2007, and the housing industry was on the front lines of the longest

Inevitably when you’re watching one of those tiny house reality shows (we know you know which ones we’re talking about, HGTV!), a buyer who’s looking at a tiny house says something

Buying a fixer-upper is always a gamble, so if you’re a first-time homebuyer it’s important to know what you’re getting into. Location, the nature and amount of the work

Most homeowners aren’t shy about telling you how awesome it is and all about the perks of living in a house that they own … but they’re a lot less forthcoming about the ugly

If you’re not familiar with home inspections, then you might have a lot of questions about what gets inspected, how thorough the inspectors are, why you even need one, and what you can expect

Fixing up a house — either to live in or to flip — has become an increasingly popular dream, and it makes sense: Who doesn’t love watching all those shows on HGTV while you ponder

One of the very best things about owning your own home is that you can change it to fit yourself and your lifestyle. Home renovations are more popular than ever before, and there are countless,

Millennials who want to invest in real estate have it harder than many other generations. Real estate prices are at record or near-record highs in just about every major market in the country, and