Every once in a while, I come across something in real estate that genuinely surprises me. This week was one of those moments. What if I told you there are currently 321 homes for sale across our mountain communities that qualify for a special mortgage program...
Ask the Realtor
Ask the Realtor
Ask the Realtor: Unpermitted space – No big deal – until it costs you a buyer
Here in our mountain communities, houses have a funny way of evolving. A two-bedroom cabin becomes a three-bedroom home, a storage area becomes living space, and suddenly there's an extra bathroom that wasn't there when the house was built. Sometimes permits were...
Ask the Realtor: A real estate transaction doesn’t need a winner and a loser
This past week, I closed an escrow where I represented the seller. It was a difficult transaction. At seemingly every turn there was another unusual request, another delay or another issue that made an already complicated process harder than it needed to be....
Ask the Realtor: ‘Oh, we forgot to tell you…’ is not a disclosure strategy
This week, one of our buyer clients canceled an escrow after their inspections. The condition of the property was certainly part of the decision, but so was something else: information the sellers already knew but hadn't disclosed. The transaction started normally....
Ask the Realtor: New appraisal rules are coming — What home sellers need to do before listing
If you’re thinking about putting your home on the market after Nov. 2, 2026, here’s one item to add to your pre-listing checklist: Start gathering information about your house now. As I discussed recently, the appraisal world is changing. Beginning Nov. 2, Fannie Mae...
Ask the Realtor: Keep your current home, rent it out and still qualify for your next mortgage
For the past few years, I’ve heard the same concern from homeowners thinking about moving: “I’d love to buy another house, but I don’t want to give up the mortgage I have now.” That makes sense. Maybe you bought or refinanced when rates were considerably lower, and...




