Blog - Debbie Marett

Buying

Understanding the Earnest Money Deposit: How It Helps Buy a Home

Depositing earnest money is an important part of the home-buying process. It tells the real estate seller you’re in earnest as a buyer, and it helps fund your down payment. However, the earnest money check is different than the downpayment. It is typically cashed and held in a title company trust account, or in the broker’s escrow company account. You get a receipt […]
Selling, Uncategorized

Consumer Guide: What Goes Into Pricing Your Home

As a home seller, one of the most important questions to ask your agent is how to determine your home’s listing, or asking, price. Here is what sellers should know about home pricing: What characteristics of my home will my agent evaluate? Agents will consider many factors when determining their recommended listing price, including, but not limited […]
Selling

Consumer Guide: Ten Questions to Ask a Seller’s Agent

If you’re ready to sell your home, you should feel empowered to find and work with the agent who is the best fit for your needs. Here are ten questions you should consider when selecting an agent: 1. Are you a REALTOR®? When you work with an agent who is a REALTOR®, you are working with […]
Building a Home

Should You Use the Builder’s Preferred Lender When Buying New Construction?

If you’ve been looking at purchasing new construction, you may be aware that many of today’s builders have their own lender, or one or more preferred lenders to whom they refer buyers. But do you have to use their lender? And is it a good idea? The short answers are, “No,” and “Maybe.” Let’s dig […]

Buying Understanding the Earnest Money Deposit: How It Helps Buy a Home Depositing earnest money is an important part of the home-buying process. It tells the real estate seller you’re in earnest as a buyer, and it helps fund your down payment. However, the earnest money check is different than the downpayment. It is typically cashed and held in a title company trust account, or in the broker’s escrow company account. You get a receipt […]

Selling Consumer Guide: What Goes Into Pricing Your Home As a home seller, one of the most important questions to ask your agent is how to determine your home’s listing, or asking, price. Here is what sellers should know about home pricing: What characteristics of my home will my agent evaluate? Agents will consider many factors when determining their recommended listing price, including, but not limited […]

Selling Consumer Guide: Ten Questions to Ask a Seller’s Agent If you’re ready to sell your home, you should feel empowered to find and work with the agent who is the best fit for your needs. Here are ten questions you should consider when selecting an agent: 1. Are you a REALTOR®? When you work with an agent who is a REALTOR®, you are working with […]

Building a Home Should You Use the Builder’s Preferred Lender When Buying New Construction? If you’ve been looking at purchasing new construction, you may be aware that many of today’s builders have their own lender, or one or more preferred lenders to whom they refer buyers. But do you have to use their lender? And is it a good idea? The short answers are, “No,” and “Maybe.” Let’s dig […]

Selling Selling Your House over Asking Price Isn’t a Given Anymore—Here’s How to Improve Your Odds When you list your home for sale, it’s natural to imagine a flurry of activity—streams of buyers coming through the door within hours, multiple offers rolling in, and a bidding war that pushes the price well above asking. For many sellers in recent years, that wasn’t just wishful thinking—it was reality. So if you’re preparing […]

Market Info Consumer Guide: Buyer’s vs. Seller’s Market The real estate market constantly shifts, and knowing whether conditions favor buyers or sellers can help you make smarter, more confident decisions. Here’s how to recognize which type of market you’re in and what each means for you: What is a buyer’s market? A buyer’s market is when there are more homes for sale than […]

Market Info Leander Ranks 8th Best Place to Live in the US

Market Info Georgetown Texas – One of the Fastest Growing Cities in 2025

Real Estate Terms Common Real Estate Terms Explained If you’re a first-time homebuyer, chances are you’ll come across some terms you’re not familiar with. And that can be overwhelming, especially while going through one of the biggest purchases of your life. The good news is you don’t need to be an expert on real estate jargon. That’s your agent’s job. But getting to know these […]

Building a Home Do You Need a Real Estate Agent for New Construction? Here’s Why the Answer is Yes Buying a brand-new home has obvious appeal—everything is fresh, modern, and move-in ready. But if you’re working directly with a builder, you might wonder: Do I really need a real estate agent for new construction? The short answer is yes. While builders have their own sales teams (often called builder’s agents), those professionals are hired to represent the builder’s best […]

Home Improvement The ROI of Renovation If that kitchen needs new countertops, your roof leaks or you want to swap out an old tub for a new shower, the cost might seem like a major deterrent. But if you’re a homeowner with equity in your property, a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) could be just the answer. A HELOC allows you to […]

Market Info A Tale of Two Housing Markets For a long time, the housing market was all sunshine for sellers. Homes were flying off the shelves, and buyers had to compete like crazy. But lately, things are starting to shift. Some areas are still super competitive for buyers, while others are seeing more homes sit on the market, giving buyers a bit more […]

Market Info Housing market shifts to favor buyers — but they’re not buying Like much else about the U.S. economy, tariffs and broader uncertainty are weighing on home sales amid the industry’s crucial spring season. In March, more than 375,000 homes were newly listed on the market — an increase of nearly 9% compared to the same time last year, according to Zillow Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ZG) research. But newly […]

Market Info The Inventory Dilemma: Why Existing-Home Sales Are Falling Short April 24, 2025 Home buyer demand appears strong. So, why did existing-home sales falter last month? Existing-home sales have lagged over the past two years, while new-home sales have surged—highlighting a key dynamic: Buyer demand remains strong when inventory is available. The existing-home market continues to face a short supply of homes for sale, despite […]

Selling The #1 Thing Sellers Need To Know About Their Asking Price When you put your house on the market, you want to sell it quickly and for the best price possible; that’s generally the goal. But too many sellers are shooting too high right now. They don’t realize the market has shifted as inventory has grown. The side effect? Price cuts are on the rise, but […]

Residential Owner Information Preserve and Protect your Homestead Exemption By Roland Love, Independence Title Vice President and Attorney If you own a home in Texas, your residential homestead exemption is one of the most important tools for reducing your property taxes. But did you know that exemptions aren’t automatic and require monitoring? With Appraisal District Notices arriving soon, now is the perfect time to check your exemption status […]

Market Info Here’s What a Recession Could Mean for the Housing Market Recession talk is all over the news, and the odds of a recession are rising this year. And that leaves people wondering what would happen to the housing market if we do go into a recession. Let’s take a look at some historical data to show what’s happened in housing for each recession going all […]

Buying What’s a Good Debt-To-Income Ratio? You’ll see the term debt-to-income ratio a fair amount if you’re applying for a mortgage. Debt-to-income ratio is also known as DTI. This is a measure of your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income. Lenders use DTI and your credit history to determine whether or not you can repay a loan. Every […]

Selling What to Know About Selling a Home to a Family Member It’s not uncommon to want to sell a home to a family member, but it can become a tricky situation. You have to be mindful of not only the personal elements that can come with doing this type of transaction with a relative, but the IRS may also scrutinize the transaction if you don’t avoid […]

Selling Consumer Guide: Seller Disclosures When selling your property it is most important to disclose, disclose and disclose! Sellers must disclose certain characteristics of the property to potential buyers. An agent who is a REALTOR® can help you understand why and what you need to disclose, but here are the basics: What are seller disclosures? Seller disclosures are certain material defects—elements […]