Julia Houghton Duffee The Realtor You'll Recommend

Today kicks off the "Saving for Homeownership" Finance Challenge! If you're not saving for homeownership, you can still join in on the challenge and just change "homeownership" to whatever you are saving for! Or maybe you just want to be more mindful with your money in 2021! So for Day 1, we're going to start by picking our savings goal!... 1. SAVE FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP 2. SAVE FOR A HOMEOWNER EMERGENCY FUND 3. SAVE FOR A DOWN PAYMENT 4. SAVE FOR RENOVATIONS 5. OTHER Here's what to expect the next few days: Each day I'll be sharing a tip or "to do" to get your savings on track and eliminate unnecessary expenses! Ready? Comment GO if you're joining in and feel free to comment with the emoji that matches your goal to hold yourself accountable!

HOME GOAL: BUILD A HOUSE - is this you? The number one thing to do if you want to start the building process this year is to figure out your budget This is going to look like a balance of determining your must haves, want to haves and deal breakers and figuring out what those things cost individually and collectively.... Starting with the lot - if you have a new development you'd love to build in - figure out the minimum lot prices and what requirements the subdivision has on things like square footage, building materials, etc. What goes hand in hand with that is finding a builder. Are you looking at the high end builders, mid range builders or budget friendly? The builder itself, can play a huge role in the lot you end up building on. Next, start looking at cost of upgrades. One of the biggest surprises to people starting the building process is how many upgrades there are and the extent of options that drive the price up really quickly. I designed this little flow chart to layout the process in order but the budget is definitely going to be the first thing you take into consideration and then follow the list from there. Did you know that you can work with a Real Estate Agent during the building process? If you're considering building, I can help walk you through the process, help you find the right builder and help you through negotiations. BRB while I grab my hard hat!

"90% of all millionaires become so through owning real estate" - Andrew Carnegie Today's "Home Goals" are all about the keys to buying an investment property! Swipe to see the 4 keys to keep in mind before becoming a real estate investor!

Stop here to craft your plan for buying a home in 2021! Are you bummed that you didn't get yourself on track to be in a new home by the holidays? I promise, it's okay because what you can do is get yourself on track for 2021! Maybe you dreamed about heading to the local tree farm to cut down your own tree and spending Christmas in your new home surrounded by your favorite seasonal scents and a warm fire going in the fireplace, Hallmark movies playing in the background!... Even though it didn't happen this year, let's use it as motivation for getting you into a new home for next year! So when should you start the process? Let me get my calendar and lay this out! Let's say your goal is to be in a new home buy May of 2021... Once you find your new home, we'll need about 60 days from contract to closing day so working backwards, that puts us around mid-March. The next think to think about is how long it's going to take you to find a house.. That means it's time for us to talk because you may need to get that home search started right now! Depending on the market & price range you're looking in, there could be very low inventory levels meaning not a lot of options (because there are more buyers than houses for sale). The good news is you do have some time. The first thing I'd recommend doing is scheduling a buyer consultation (we can do it easily over Zoom) and I can get you set up on a home search and connected with a lender to get your pre-approval going! If you're reading this thinking - "Yes she is talking to ME!" then what are you waiting for!

Ready for a week of HOME GOALS? For the next few days, I'm going to be covering all things home goals! Whether you're renting, needing to downsize, ready for more space, ready to turn real estate into an investment, or just want to remodel the kitchen to look like that one on Instagram we keep scrolling by - we all have home goals! Tell me one of your home goals for this year!... Buying your first home? Buying a new home? Downsizing? Remodeling your current home? Buying an investment property? Buying a vacation property? Trying your hand at being an Air BNB host in your favorite vacation destination? I'd love to hear what your real estate goals are!

I'M SPILLING THE TOP KITCHEN TRENDS OF 2021: Multi use kitchens (zoom meetings, virtual classrooms, cooking and entertaining) Ceiling high cabinets Soft colors (warmer creamy tones to soft bursts of color)... Built in coffee stations Appliances hidden behind wall panels Built in dog beds Double everything Built in charging stations Butler's pantries Which one of these is a MUST in your next home or remodel?

WINTER STORM WARNING! You're going to be snowed in for the next 7 days (Not really but just for fun)... - which holiday movie house would you rather get snowed in at? And secondly, which holiday movie are you watching first?

In typical Real Estate fashion, I'm going to give my go to advice when homeowners ask me: "Should I update _____ if we're going to be selling our house?" TIP 1: KEYWORD: MINOR... If you're going to be putting your house on the market, for the majority of homeowners, I wouldn't recommend any MAJOR renovations but more minor updates. For example, Minor Bath and Minor Kitchen updates are going to be towards the top of the list when it comes to updates that pay off. Instead of making drastic changes like altering floor plans, stick with things like hardware updates, sanding and painting the cabinets, and installing an updated backsplash or well styled open shelving. TIP 2: KEYWORDS DON'T OVER-RENOVATE Before you stick a ton of money into renovating anything whether it be hardwood flooring, kitchens, bathrooms or backyards - take a look at your neighborhood. What are homes selling for? What kind of finishes do they have? You don't want to be the most high end house on the block because you could struggle getting your money back when you sell. If you have questions about renovating or making small updates before selling, let's chat! It's always good to have a real estate friend in your back pocket (like me!) so you make smart homeowner decisions whether you're selling today or in 5 years from today!

House Hunting Netflix & Netflix - what they have in common! Raise your hand if you've ever looked for something to watch on Netflix for so long that you realize it's time to go to bed and you just spent the night watching previews? SAME! It happens a lot! Well here is what Netflix and House Hunting can have in common.. ... if you start your home search without really digging into the features you want in a house, the lifestyle you want it to create and what your deal breakers are - you're going to feel a lot like one of those nights filled with Netflix previews - only for you it's going to be home previews! Here are 3 things you can do right now to get your home search on the right track so you can eliminate the overwhelm! 1. Write down a list of your top 3 must haves - think of the features you can't change like specific school district, location, or specific layout that is accommodating to your lifestyle. 2. Write down any major deal breakers and do NOT look at houses that have them. If a deal breaker is not having a finished basement because you know you want that extra space for kids and entertaining, then don't look at houses without finished basements. Stick to your plan! 3. Determine what kind of work you're willing to do vs not do. Maybe you're okay with some paint refreshing and bathroom updates but you don't want to get into any major renovations. Keep that top of mind when looking online! Lastly, stick to those 3 lists to prevent being distracted by homes that aren't the right fit. You don't need massive amounts of options like Netflix gives you when it comes to your home search - you just need the right options!

I planned out our whole day! First, we'll make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Toll House cookie dough as fast as we can and then we'll snuggle! Name that movie! And before you head off for your day of holiday fun, stop here to save your December Homeowner Checklist! ... **Wondering what the Home for the Holidays Checklist is? I'm glad you asked! Here's the scoop! Every day in December, I'll be sharing a fun Instagram story prompt for something festive to do - and it's all things HOME for the holidays!