Tag: real estate
In Praise of the Fearless Few
If you are like me, you’re fascinated with the idea of buying a wonderful old home and making it like new or better again. The popularity of make-over TV shows, which you find all over cable, confirms that there are a lot of us. The reality, however, is the majority of the homebuying public is […]
Life in the Land of Plenty
Yesterday, I spent a good part of the afternoon at our gorgeous new listing, 1827 Ridge Ave Unit 7. For those of you who don’t know Old Cloverdale like the back of your hand, that address boasts 6 lovely condominiums in the main building plus a detached unit across the courtyard. As I gazed out […]
Getting on the Ladder to Homeownership
Recently I read a blog post about Millenials and their being largely absent from the ranks of homeownership. It delved pretty deeply into the factors that might contribute to that situation. “Settling down is being pushed further out,” the article observed. And that made me think of my two youngest nieces, Emily and Lilly, the […]
A Renter’s Hunt for Home
My house hunt began when I realized that my rental unit was actually a True Friendship Litmus Test. With its one-butt-kitchen and lone bathroom, houseguests waited in line for a snack and/or the loo. Even when no guests were there, I still had to handle the stress of murmuring “Excuse me,” hundreds or perhaps thousands […]
Thinking About Waiting to Buy? Might Want to Think Again!
Forgive me if this sounds a bit commercial. After all, I am real estate agent and my team and I make our living selling houses. So you may find me a bit suspect. What drives me to write this today is my many years in the business and memories of people who have told me, […]
What We Wished We’d Known
You’re buying a house for the first time. Everything seems like a dream: the crown molding, the old floors, the large yard. You can’t believe that someone will help you by lending money to make this your home. If you choose wisely, your home will make you happy every day. You can drink coffee in […]
In Praise of a Clean Slate
The New Year always excites me. I see it as a “clean slate,” and an opportunity both to start anew and to start new things. 2017 is no different. Last weekend I purged my closet of years’ accumulation of miscellaneous stuff. This past Friday our Hat Team met with a facilitator to brainstorm how better […]
Help Wanted: Crafting the Real Estate Experience of the Future
Just because we live and work in the older and historic parts of town, don’t assume that Sandra Nickel Hat Team, REALTORS, is stuck in the past. On the contrary, we spend a lot of time talking about the future and how to make buying and/or selling a house a more pleasurable and satisfying experience. […]
The Death of the Midtown Middle Market
I don’t usually write “hard” real estate information for this publication, but today I’m making an exception. It’s worth making a rare detour because it’s really important for Midtown property owners to understand that there is no longer a “middle market.” There was a time (like when my husband and I were first time homebuyers) […]
Shattering Some Misconceptions about Homebuying
It’s fascinating to me how stuff gets passed off from person to person “as the Gospel truth.” And fictions about the homebuying process are among the most widely spread mis-truths going around today. So if you — or someone you care about — is thinking about buying a home this fall, listen up! Misconception: If […]
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