Blog | Lisa Hinkson

Changes to California Real Estate Laws: Buyer-Broker Agreements Now Required for Property Showings

Effective January 1, 2025, California will implement a significant change in the real estate industry: all buyers’ agents must have a signed buyer-broker representation agreement with their clients before showing homes. If you’re planning to purchase a home in California soon, it’s essential to understand how this new requirement will ...

The Psychology of Clutter

There’s an interesting psychological characteristic of clutter. We tend to notice it more in other people’s homes than in our own. In fact, we may not even realize a room in our house feels cluttered and uncomfortable to visitors. That’s why making each room look neat and spacious is so important ...

Take Advantage of Year-End Savings Opportunities

Want to save money in 2025? There are many money-saving opportunities — including tax savings — that you can realize if you take action before the year ends. Here are just a few examples of what to consider: Do you own a business? Even if it’s just a side-hustle to make ...

Will a Home Inspection Help Sell your Home Faster?

Usually, a home inspection is done after an offer is made to buy a home. The offer will typically include a condition that the property must pass such an inspection. The buyer then hires the inspector, who goes through the home, top to bottom, inside and out, looking for issues. However, ...

Should You Buy a Home that Needs Work?

Imagine you find a home on the market that checks all the boxes. There’s only one issue. It needs work. Perhaps the paint has faded, or the kitchen is old, or there are repairs needed. Should you make an offer on that home? That depends on many factors, of course. The first ...

Plans to Make before Closing Day

When you sell your property and buy your next dream home, closing day can come faster than you might imagine. Before you know it, it’s just weeks away! So it’s important to make the proper plans to ensure everything goes smoothly. Here are the most common plans you’ll need to make: Contact ...

Kitchen Improvements for under $100

Is it really possible to improve your kitchen’s look for about the cost of a takeout gourmet dinner with the family? Obviously you’re not going to be able to do anything major, such as replace the cabinets within that budget. But, there are many surprisingly low-budget ways to spruce up the ...

5 Easy-to-Forget Things to Do

When you have a buyer coming to view your property, you want to make the best impression possible. So, you do the usual things. You clean, tidy and declutter. However, some details are easy to forget. For example: Is there a mat by the front door for shoes, umbrellas, etc.?Did you air ...

“Non-Market” Reasons Why it Might Be the Ideal Time to Sell

When considering whether or not to sell their home, many people think about market conditions. They consider whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market. They look at trends. They try to time the sale to get the best price for their property. While market conditions certainly can play a role in ...

Lists to Make When Selling Your Home

When you put your property up for sale, you want to make sure that potential buyers get all the information they need on the features of your home and its surrounding area. If, for example, a buyer doesn’t realize there is a great school just a couple of blocks away, ...