Ask O: Myths About Selling Your Home

Ask O_ myths about selling your home

Dear Olivia,

I always hear that kitchens and baths sell homes. Does that mean I should invest in updating those spaces before I put my house on the market?

Sincerely,

Eager to Sell

Yes, you’re right – kitchens and baths often sell homes.

But that doesn’t mean that you need to spend tens of thousands of dollars gutting those spaces and starting from scratch.Read more

Vlog: Don’t Be Afraid to Buy a Foreclosed Home

don't be afraid to buy a foreclosed home

As many of you already know, a foreclosure starts with late payments, then the bank repossesses the home, and the property is offered for sale, usually in an auction at the county courthouse.

Typically, though, the bank that owns the property will list it for sale through a local brokerage.

As Katie and I discuss in this week’s Let’s Get Real With Real Estate, though foreclosures are certainly a bad thing for the previous owners that didn’t make their house payments, for buyers, a foreclosure can represent an excellent opportunity.Read more

Vlog: How the Government Shutdown is Affecting Real Estate

How the government shutdown

As the partial government shutdown continues on, you’ve no doubt heard how many federal workers are furloughed or working without pay.

Government shutdowns like this can have a number of impacts on the real estate market too, and on you as a homeowner or prospective homeowner as well.

In this week’s vlog, Katie Vroman and I take a look at some ways that the government shutdown is impacting the real estate market in Fremont County, as well as take a look at a number of real estate-related programs that are still up-and-running.Read more

Ask O: How Do I Stage My Home?

ask o how do i stage my home

Dear Olivia,

I read recently that staging a home can help get it sold faster. I have no idea where to begin with staging though. How do I stage my home? Help!

Sincerely,
Wanting to Sell

You’re right – home staging can help you sell your home faster, which is why I recommend that all my clients spend some time preparing their homes for market before we list the home.

When you watch real estate shows on TV, you often see Realtors asking their clients to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on home staging. But that isn’t necessary to have a positive impact on how potential buyers perceive your home.Read more

Wind River Realty Asks “What’s Up Wyoming?” With Its New Alexa Skill

what's up Wyoming Alexa skillPhoto by Andres Urena on Unsplash

It’s been forty years since Wind River Realty was founded. A lot has changed since 1979 – both in the housing market and in the way we use technology.

It seems like it wasn’t all that long ago that the internet wasn’t a thing and that hardly anyone had a cell phone. Now we have voice-activated robot assistants to do our bidding. Crazy!

If you have an Amazon Echo, you know how incredibly helpful they can be.Read more

Vlog: Decluttering, Organizing, and Staging, Oh My!

Decluttering, Organizing, and Staging, Oh My!

It’s that time of year when everyone has their New Year’s resolutions all lined out and still has the energy to try to keep up with their goals.

That being the case, now is a prime time to tackle some decluttering, organizing, and staging of your home! This is especially important if you’re planning to sell your home, but even if you aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, a clean and organized home can be a total blessing!

Vlog: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Zillow

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Zillow

Though there are plenty of tools out there to help you find the home of your dreams, it seems as though Zillow is the primary choice of many prospective buyers in this area.

It makes sense, too – Zillow is easy to use whether you’re on a computer or if you’re using their app on your phone. When using the app, you can turn on notifications so you’re made aware of when properties come on the market that meet your criteria. You can even draw on a map to signify the area you’d like to live, and Zillow will let you know about properties within that area that you might be interested in.Read more