I don't know who thought it was a good idea to lump the election, daylight savings, and Halloween all into the same week, but I am tired. And I know you are too; sending a little extra love to everyone out there today.If you've been keeping an eye on the market and mortgages this week, you'll notice the markets roared and mortgage rates increased. But if the Fed cuts rates, doesn't that mean interest rates go down too? Not exactly. The two are mutually exclusive. Despite how often mortgage and interest rates are discussed together, they aren’t directly linked. The interest rate is more so tied to the 10-year treasury yield. And the 10-year spiked this week in response to the election outcome with fear of future inflation. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.79% as of yesterday, according to Freddie Mac. Also, is it a seller’s or buyer’s market? Neither. And I wouldn't hold your breath for lower rates unless a miracle happens. Economists anticipate rates staying the sale or inching up a little higher. With that said, I wish I had better news on the mortgage front. I'll continue to keep everyone abreast. If you want to talk more about interest rates, homeownership, or what it looks like to sell your home in this climate, attend our upcoming virtual workshop on 11/20 at 6 PM. RSVP here! 

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So... we have news to share. We're featured in a local magzine! Autograph, anyone? 🤓   We're thrilled to announce that, based on MLS data, we have been selected as one of the top real estate agents/teams in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, exceeding $10 million in sales over the past 12 fiscal months.This accomplishment has earned us recognition in Philadelphia Style Magazine’s first-ever “THE REAL ESTATE LIST”  in their October 2024 issue. Pretty rad if I do say so myself.    Over the past few weeks, I had the honor of interviewing with Philadelphia Style and collaborating on a photoshoot with Phil Kramer at Billy Penn Studios. It was such a fun, unique experience.    You can find the link to the full issue here. However, if you want a preview of our interview, keep scrolling!    HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR The highlight of 2024 was undoubtedly becoming a mom and having a banner year to boot! When I found out I was expecting in 2023, I quickly laid some groundwork for my team so I could take a quasi maternity leave and still keep clients moving. While I didn’t takemuch of said maternity leave, it turns out working with clients was great for my mental health and postpartum recovery. I closed over $7.275MM in sales volume in the fi rst three months of navigating the new mom life. GREAT EXPECTATIONS We are a hospitality company that sells real estate. Since the inception of my real estate business in 2017, I have woven curiosity and compassion into our models and made them a fundamental part of our team’s fabric. BUCKET LIST To visit all 63 national parks. I have hit 7 so far, and I’m excited to have my family in tow for the rest. Professionally, I want to prove that I can be a mom and a business woman. REAL ESTATE REFLECTIONS While some Realtors are shaking in their boots, I’m stoked for the change that will come from the NAR settlement. It will encourage more transparency, more education, more agency, and overall more expertise. BUSINESS MANTRA People before profi t. My business is entirely organic; our clients are repeat, referral, or from social media. I’m a nurturer by nature, and I continue to invest in my clients beyond the transaction. DREAM TEAM If I had to describe our team in three words it would be fierce, quirky, and dedicated. When you marry each of our individual personalities along with our constant quest for growth, you get a holistic group of charismatic, skilled, connected, and experienced team of professionals. FAVORITE LOCAL BUSINESS W.M. Mulherin’s and Sons—my husband and I got married in their garden! I also adore Musette Cafe, Wissahickon Brewery, and Fountain Porter.    

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If you’ve just received your property tax bill for the upcoming year and it’s higher than you expected, don’t worry. You can appeal your property taxes!  Let's walk through the process of appealing your property taxes, step by step. Check your assessment notice First things first, take a good look at your assessment notice. This document shows how much your local county thinks your property is worth. If you think they've overvalued your home, it's time to consider an appeal. Do your homework Before you jump into the appeal process, do some digging: Look up recent sale prices of similar homes in your area. You can do this easily on our website or reach out to us directly for comparables (comps). Check if there are any mistakes in your property's description (like date built, an extra bathroom or a finished basement that you don't actually have, square footage, etc.). If there is, then you have a good case for appealing the newly estimated property tax.  Consider getting an independent appraisal to compare with the city’s/township’s. If you want to go this route, reach out to us and we’ll provide our contact. It’s important to note that since property tax assessment appeals provide more information than your county has, there’s always a chance that your property is reassessed at an even higher value. If that happens, you’ll need to pay more in property taxes than you do, which is why it’s important to weigh all the information first. File your first level review or appeal If you wish to proceed, the next step is to file your appeal. This may sound overwhelming, but we promise it’s as straightforward as it can be. To file your appeal with your county's Board of Assessment Appeals, you should: Fill out the form you received in the mail to file a First Level Review of your property valuation OR  Go to the PA Department of Revenue’s website. Find your county's appeal form  Gather evidence to support your claim (comps, a rececnt appraisal, etc.) Fill it out completely  Submit everything before the deadline (which is usually September or October of the respective year). Note that this may require a small fee If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your first review, file a second appeal Once you file your second appeal, the board will schedule a hearing. To get ready, make sure you have all your documents organized, practice a brief statement about why you think your assessment is too high, and have multiple copies of everything just in case you need to share them with others. You may hire an attorney to represent you on your behalf. We personally love Nochumson P.C. Once you’re there, present your case and answer any questions the board may have for you.  The board will make a decision within a few weeks, so all that’s left to do is wait!  Good luck, and may the property tax gods be ever in your favor! Remember, while this process is similar across Pennsylvania, some details might vary by county. Always check with your local assessment office for the most up-to-date information. If you have any questions about appealing your property taxes, feel free to reach out at brittany@nettlesandco.com. 

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A less vibrant, but very necessary "help me help you" blog about some upcoming consumer changes within the real estate industry.  The Context: in March 2024, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) announced a settlement agreement that would resolve litigation brought on behalf of home sellers related to broker commissions. The terms of the settlement agreement require covered MLSs to adopt and enforce a new set ofrules described in the terms of the settlement agreement. NAR took the opportunity to further improve its policies and communications to comply with the settlement, while also enhancing and clarifying options for consumers. The Change: while our team has always been transparent in our practices (professionally and contractually - PA is one of the states LEAST impacted by the NAR lawsuit), we're adding a brief two-pager to our Listing Guide, summarized below,  to explain the "new" standards and structures. They go into effect formally on August 14th. However, we're putting them into practice now. Our summary applies to buyers too! You want professional representation! Any questions, please reach out! We love love to talk about this with our clients. OK, so Cooperative Compensation: The premise of Cooperative Compensation is an agreement between a listing broker and seller to incentivize cooperating brokers to write offers and to reward an accepted offer on a property. If offered, Cooperative Compensation will be paid by either the listing broker or the seller. Cooperative Compensation is not required by law or practice, or by Keller Williams. Cooperative Compensation must be openly discussed with the seller and approved in writing before it is offered. If approved, the amount of the offer is fully negotiable. 13 Reasons Why a Seller wants a Buyer Represented by a Professional Realtor: The seller and listing agent will work with a buyer’s agent who has been fingerprinted and undergone background checks. The buyer’s agent will serve as an intermediary, which gives the seller the best chance of reaching agreement and closing. A buyer’s agent can work with the listing agent to problem solve and help bridge differences between clients that could otherwise derail a positive transaction for the seller and buyer. The buyer’s agent will work to safeguard the seller’s home during showings. The buyer’s agent will work to ensure that the buyer is qualified to purchase the home. The buyer’s agent will work to ensure that the buyer has the cash available for down payment and closing costs. The buyer’s agent can provide feedback to the seller regarding price and condition that will help them sell their home. Where available, the buyer’s agent will use promulgated forms that protect all parties. The seller and listing agent will work with the buyer’s agent who has agreed to a code of ethics. The buyer’s agent is highly likely to be properly insured, which protects all parties. The buyer's agent will advise the buyer to write an offer that reflects current market conditions. The buyer ’s agent will provide a list of the best professional vendors to choose from to keep the transaction as smooth as possible. The buyer’s agent will guide the buyer through all the steps from inspection to closing. The buyer’s agent will work tirelessly to ensure that the buyer maintains their creditworthiness until they arrive for the closing and the transaction is funded. If you've made it this far, we appreciate you. Keep reading!  Let's talk Coopertive Compensation and/or Seller Concession options: Three fundamental choices for sellers: 1. Authorize it. 2. Don’t authorize it, but be willing to consider it. 3. Don’t authorize it, and don’t consider it. Authorize to offer it. I want to generate the widest pool of buyers that brings me the best price and terms with the least amount of hassle. I accept the potential risk that I could be offering more compensation than the buyer has agreed to pay the buyer’s agent because I want to attract the largest pool of buyers. It’s estimated as much as 40% of the market would be challenged to pay the buyer’s agent out of pocket. Many first-time buyers and move-up buyers would be challenged, and anyone using a VA loan would currently be denied that option. Don’t authorize it, but be willing to consider it in an offer. I am willing to keep my options open to paying it or not. I accept the potential risk of exposing my property to a smaller pool of buyers because some buyers who need it may not ask if it’s available and may assume it’s not. Additionally, I accept the potential risks, if a buyer doesn’t have representation, of encountering more hassles and more delays. Don’t authorize it, and don’t consider it. I am unwilling to pay it. I accept the potential risk of exposing my property to a smaller pool of buyers because a buyer who needs it may not make an offer. Additionally, I accept the potential risks, if a buyer doesn’t have representation, of encountering more hassles and more delays. These strategies are designed to produce the highest seller net, but seek to do it in two different ways: increase the pool of buyers or decrease the cost of sale expenses. Increase the pool of buyers: the first aims to net the most amount of money by creating the largest pool of buyers. A larger pool creates the opportunity for the most demand. The most demand for the home should deliver the highest price. Decrease the cost of sale expenses: the second and third aim to net the most amount of money by trying to lower the cost of sale fees associated with the sale.

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Buying a home can seem like a huge undertaking. There are many steps in the process, which, for a first time home buyer, can mean many questions. One of the most common questions is “where do I start?” Generally, before you can start shopping for a house, you need to know how much house you can afford! I know we all love to window shop on Zillow, but is that giant home with the huge windows and original hardwoods actually in your price range? It might be! This is where a pre-approval comes in. A pre-approval is a statement from your lender that says what dollar amount of a loan you qualify for and therefore what your home purchase budget is! This is an important part of the home buying process not only because it tells you what range you can shop in, but also comes in handy down the line as an insurance to a seller that you can afford to buy their home when you put in an offer. There are a few components that go into how much you are approved for: Debt-to-income ratio Loan-to-value ratio Credit history FICO Score Income Employment history Your lender will collect this information from you either online or during a consultation and crunch the numbers. They may provide you with several scenarios that include (or remove) assistance programs or seller assists, or other other loan terms like points and length of loan. Ultimately, these scenarios will create different monthly payments, and ultimately show you exactly what you can afford.The best part of it all is that you are welcome to get a pre-approval at any time. It might help you better understand if now is a good time for you to purchase; you may be surprised to find out you actually can afford a home, despite not having 20% to put down. Your lender will be happy to help you see what you can afford and help you put together a game plan for the future if you’re not quite ready. Pre-approvals are typically valid for 60 or 90 days. After that, you just need your lender to crunch those numbers again. One last thing: a pre-approval and a pre-qualification are not the same thing! A pre-qualification doesn't run your credit or verify your information, so your numbers may be skewed. When it's time to get serious, go for the pre-approval!If you want to know more about the pre-approval process, have any questions, or want to connect with a lender, let us know! 

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ou may remember lead-based paint from all the times your parents told you not to eat paint off the walls (oh… just me?) or from a fun little form called the “lead based paint disclosure” that you might have signed when renting/buying a home built before 1978. But what the heck is it? Why do you have to sign a form about it? Is it going to kill you?????Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as dramatic as you may think so long as you stay informed! Let’s start with the basics.What is it?Lead-based paint (LBP) is exactly what it sounds like; it’s paint that contains lead as one of its main ingredients. Lead (pronounced led, not leed), is a heavy metal that is now understood to be highly toxic to humans if ingested or inhaled. Paint is… well you know what paint is. Put these two together and you have lead-based paint. Back in the day, lead was highly valued as a paint ingredient for its durability, bright color, and drying properties. Lead-based paint was the bee’s knees from the 1800s up to 1978. Think of the vibrant colors painted all over the 60’s & 70s… highly toxic but oh, so beautiful (and groovy). Why is it a big deal?Like I said, that heavy metal can really do a number on a human being. If you eat it or breathe it in, it can live in your bones and organs forever and disrupt your system. I won’t bore you with all the scientific details, but the presence of this lead throws a lot of things off in your internal ecosystem. Especially in children, it can hinder brain development and lead to cognitive delays, behavioral problems, cause anemia, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. To sum it up… it’s bad news bears.What happened in 1978?In the 1970’s, scientists started to realize that something funky was going on with this paint and the general health of the population in the US, especially kids. The movement to ban this type of paint started to gain steam as it became more evident that children were becoming sick and having developmental issues after having themselves a little paint-chip snack from time to time (yummy). Everything came to a head in 1978 when the U.S. government banned the use of LBP in residential properties. Other nations followed suit shortly after.Why do I need to think about it now? 1978 was like seven hundred years ago.After 1978, LBP was no longer allowed to be used in residential properties but that doesn’t mean President Jimmy Carter was making door-to-door trips and removing all the paint off of everyone’s walls. In the decades that followed, the homes that were already built continued to have the presence of lead paint, but that paint started to get covered under layers and layers of lead-free paint. It’s still under there but unless you’re cutting open a wall, it’s almost like it wasn’t there to begin with. Believe it or not, that sloppy, thick Landlord Special paint job could actually be protecting you and your family. That being said, it is still important to know if there is any lead anywhere in your home. You could be at risk if you do renovations and start releasing that stuff into the air or have a child who just can’t help but lick windowsills, which are more likely to have exposed LBP (who is painting their window sills regularly?). Because of this risk still being present in these older homes, the government holds property owners responsible for disclosing any known presence of the paint to new tenants or future buyers.Should I be worried?Generally speaking, no. If you’ve made it this far, you are armed with enough information to understand the risks. To reiterate, as long as you’re not cutting into walls with LBP without a mask and freely breathing in a ton of lead or actively eating paint chips that you know have lead in them… you will be alright. If you are made aware of LBP when purchasing or renting a home, you can take steps to conceal it with non-toxic paints if not done so already. If your home is built before 1978 and you’re not sure, getting a lead test is quick and easy and will help you understand if there is any exposed paint to be dealt with. But overall, now that you know what it is and where it is, I’m fairly certain you’re gonna be fine. 🙂For more information on lead-based paint and how to stay as safe as possible, check out the EPA’s pamphlet “Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home”  

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