Whether it’s an investment property or a family home, selling real estate is no simple undertaking. Besides the high stakes involved, there are several aspects to address, from perfecting the property’s visual presentation to strategizing a marketing campaign. To help you make the most of your property sale, we’ve asked six Diamond Certified Expert Contributors in the real estate field to provide their insights. Read more

In addition to the complex process involved, there are a lot of pitfalls to avoid when selling a home, many of which have significant financial consequences. Unfortunately, some homeowners can’t escape said pitfalls, often due to held misconceptions about appraisal, marketing and other parts of the process. To avoid difficulties with your home sale, consider these common seller misconceptions: Read more

If you’re in the market for a new home, one of the first things you’ll need to do is find a Realtor. However, with an abundance of working professionals in the real estate field, you’ll need to be proactive about finding one who’s qualified and dependable. Besides verifying licensing and getting references, one way to evaluate a Realtor is to ask plenty of questions. Here are five things to ask a Realtor: Read more

Earlier this week, we posted an article featuring expert tips on preparing to sell a real estate property. One of the aspects mentioned was the advantage of performing pre-sale property inspections. To learn more about what makes this a worthwhile step, watch this informative video by Diamond Certified Expert Contributor David Kerr, partner at Kerr & Jones – Terra Firma Global Partners.

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We can usually get the little things in life just the way we want them: our coffee can have the perfect amount of sugar; our pizza, the perfect toppings. Unfortunately, when it comes to the big things, we’re expected to compromise. We’re supposed to ignore the little flaws of our partners, muddle through the less-than-glamourous parts of our jobs and accept the fact that there’s no such thing as the perfect home…or is there?

Rather than deal with the continual maintenance of an older house or attempt to shoehorn remodeling plans on a pre-existing structure, some people choose to build a custom home from scratch. Read more

If you’re like most home buyers nowadays, you probably started your search online, but what you found may have raised more questions than answers. This is because consumer-oriented portals (i.e. real estate websites like Trulia and Zillow) operate in very different ways and, consequently, can produce very different results. By gaining an understanding of how listings are published online, you’ll be able to avoid common pitfalls and shop for properties with greater accuracy and efficiency. Read more

Followers of our Facebook page know that we post daily tips for Bay Area consumers. Whether these tips concern home improvement, auto care, health or something else completely, we strive to make them relevant, practical and helpful. Here’s a sample of 10 noteworthy tips from 2016. For more, be sure to “like” our page at www.facebook.com/diamondcertified.

Tip of the Day: While materials and workmanship are crucial factors in a fence’s longevity, another important aspect is preventative maintenance. To protect your fence from rot and premature wear, make sure fence posts are kept out of contact with the soil, and adjust sprinklers so their streams don’t hit the fence. Read more