Posts by : Laura Macdonald

The 1900's was filled with charming homes full of beautiful details that we don't see much of today. Here are a few trends that were popular during that time. You might fall in love with the stained glass trend we are going to talk about.

Voysey Wallpaper

Charles Voysey was a furniture and textile designer, known for his wallpaper and fabric designs. In the 1900's Voysey wallpaper was commonly used to brighten up a space. We are currently seeing this trend come back with new wallpaper designs being sold and added as accent walls in homes today.

Stained Glass

Have you ever walked into a house and been surprised by a stained glass window? We don't see this much any more today, but...

Some Highlights

• If you’re thinking of selling your house but don’t know what you should buy, you have options.
• Existing homes offer a wide variety of home styles, an established neighborhood, and lived-in charm. Meanwhile, new home construction lets you create your perfect home, cash in on energy efficiency, and minimize repairs.
• Whether you’re looking for newly built or existing homes, both have their perks. If you’re ready to sell your house, let’s connect today to go over the perks of both existing and newly built homes to find out what’s right for you.

Save Time and Effort by Selling with an Agent

Selling a house is a time-consuming process – especially if you decide to do it on your own, known as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO). From conducting market research to reviewing legal documents, handling negotiations, and more, it’s an involved and highly detailed process that requires a lot of expertise to navigate effectively. That’s one of the reasons why the percentage of people selling their own house has declined from 19% to 8% (See graph below):

To help you understand just how much time and effort it takes to sell on your own, here’s a look at a few of the things you need to think about before putting that “For Sale” sign up in your ...

There’s no denying we’re in a sellers’ market. With low inventory and high buyer demand, homes today are selling above the asking price at a record rate. According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index Survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR):

Homes typically sell within 17 days (compared to 26 days one year ago).
The average home sold has five offers to pick from.
54% of offers are over the asking price.

Because so many buyers are competing for so few homes, bidding wars are driving up home prices. According to an average of leading expert projections, existing home prices are expected to increase by 8.9% this year.

Yet even in today’s red-hot sellers’ market, it’s i...

Hope Is on the Horizon for Today’s Housing Shortage

The major challenge in today’s housing market is that there are more buyers looking to purchase than there are homes available to buy. Simply put, supply can’t keep up with demand. A normal market has a 6-month supply of homes for sale. Anything over that indicates it’s a buyers’ market, but an inventory level below that threshold means we’re in a sellers’ market. Today’s inventory level sits far below the norm.

According to the Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR):

“Total housing inventory at the end of April amounted to 1.16 million units, up 10.5% from March's inventory and down 20.5% from on...

Hello, it's time to sell!

The housing market in the United States experienced a spike last year, following an increase on stay-at-home mandates. This forced many families to rethink their lifestyles and what they needed from a house; for example: two offices with room to grow into one full time office space, or if both spouses work then maybe some extra storage areas would be necessary so that there is enough space in each household's bedroom closet. One of these changes was most noticeable when it came down to children and education as well as outdoor activities such as sports practice where you need more than just your front yard or park nearby.

The prices of homes in the United S...

Curb appeal is always going to be important. It's the first impression people will get of your home. There are many ways to improve your curb appeal. Take care of your lawn, flower beds, power wash your driveway each year, etc. But today, we are talking about a very effective, affordable and quick way to up your curb appeal, and Spring is the perfect time to do it!

PAINT YOUR FRONT DOOR!

That's right! Just by painting your front door, you are sure to catch the attention of people driving by or looking to purchase your house. It is recommended that you pick a color that stands our rather than one that blends it. The front door should be accented from the rest of the house, so have a bit ...

Here are some quick, but important numbers for the current market in the Springfield MO Area.

If you have any questions about how this would impact selling your home, give me a call today!

If you just bought your first home, you may be feeling excited about no longer having landlords to tell you what you can and can't do to your living space. I remember buying my first home and I started painting the walls because, as a previous renter, I never had the opportunity to enjoy my choice of color for my home.

Yes, get creative, have fun, but it is also important to know and educate yourself on routine home maintenance. This helps prevent receiving huge repair bills when something gets forgotten or hasn't been checked on in years. I created this graphic that creates a seasonal schedule for performing routine home maintenance items. Enjoy!

For more routine maintenance items ...

I have been loving these warmer, Spring days! The flowers are blooming, the grass is green and we are saying goodbye to cold weather! Yay!

Here are a few ideas for some Spring fun in the Springfield Area:

Smallin Civil War Cave: Take a 1 hour guided tour of this cave. The pathways are stroller and wheelchair friendly!

Take a kite out to the Nathaniel Greene Botanical Gardens and enjoy a relaxing activity.

Getaway Golf: This is such a fun mini golf course that is inspired by traveling around the world!

For more Spring time fun, Click Here!

With our current market, I am seeing more and more "For Sale by Owner," listings popping up. While I always recommend working with a professional when it comes to Real Estate, I understand that wanting to try and sell your home yourself is an option that individuals want to explore. Here are a couple of graphics to help you make the best first impression to potential buyers.

For my complete guide to selling your own home, email me at lmacdonald@swmrealty.com

In today's competitive market, it is so important to understand why it is in your best interest to hire a Buyer's Agent. I have put together this video to explain the differences between the agent on the sign at the house and the buyer's agent. 

I recently had a discussion with a client about needing a home office. With a rising number of people working from home, the want/need to have a private and dedicated workspace in our homes has increased significantly. For this particular client, she is needing a private office space, but doesn't have a spare room to create a good work area. So here is what I suggested...

You can use your guest bedroom as an office space as well. This is probably a really easy way to develop that work space. You can get creative with multi-functioning furniture for your desk and still have the space warm and welcoming to your guests. If your guest room isn't very big, you can always consider getting a ...

With 2021 finally arriving, you might be thinking about what home projects you want to work on this year. There are so many things to consider: remodeling to sell or remodeling to "live in," budget and what projects need to be done first. 

The number one way to efficiently and effectively get your Home Improvements completed while being budget conscious is to have a plan! If you develop a roadmap for each improvement you have in mind, it helps you avoid getting too many ideas at once and spending more than you anticipated or even wanted to. A plan will help you stay the course and actually complete those improvements sooner.

Click Here to get your printable Home Improvement Planning G...

I have a big hack for you today when it comes to saving money and being more eco-friendly when it comes to those home renovations. When saving money and saving the ecosystem coincide, that is a big win in my eyes, AND to be able to accomplish both of these while making improvements to your home is another big plus. Here's how you can make this a reality in Springfield MO!

Have you heard of the Habitat for Humanity Restore? If you haven't, now is the time to take a look and give them a visit. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization with a belief that every person deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. They help improve or build around 107 homes each year to help pr...

I think we can all agree that we are ready for a new start and are ready to welcome 2021. There is no doubt that we have spent more time in our homes this year more than any other year. What does this lead to? New home trends that we can expect to see in 2021. I have been surprised by some of these predictions, but they all make sense because of the living style that we have experienced this year.

The "Cloffice"

Yes, that is a new, unofficial term that we are starting to talk about. Not everyone has an extra space in their home to create a home office, and this year, we learned that we NEED an office space in our home. So what do you do if you don't have an extra room for an office? C...

I have always been passionate about supporting local businesses in #417land. This year, I know many of our small business have been facing many unforeseen challenges. With that, I would like to encourage my readers/followers to please SHOP LOCAL for the holidays. 

I have compiled a list of some businesses that have great gifts for anyone in your family. Many of them have an option to order online. To visit their website, simply click the name of the business.

CULTURE FLOCK

SOAP REFILL STATION

5 POUND APPAREL

HOUSE COUNSEL

THE LOCAL BEVY

BOOKMARX

There are so many more options, but this is a great list to get you started. Happy Holiday Season!

As many of us know, the popularity of Air BnB's has continued to grow. Many people are searching for a unique place to stay that is reasonably priced. So, the question is, is it as easy as purchasing a property and putting it on a website? Not necessarily.

Last year, Springfield MO introduced several new regulations in regards to short term rentals. It is important to educate yourself before making that investment. You can find many of these new regulations here:

https://www1.springfieldmo.gov/bills_pdfs/ORD6497.pdf

For more information and an overview of what you need to know, here is a video you can check out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiFRnIRKNnM

If you have any specific q...

Veteran's day is coming up next week. In honor of our heroes, I recently joined a program called Homes for Heroes. This program helps Veterans and active military purchase their own home, provided them savings in multiple ways. 

I am a Homes for Heroes Real Estate Specialist. They also have specialists that I can put you in touch with when it comes to your mortgage and closing, all providing more savings to our heroes that deserve it.

Please let the Veterans and active military in your life know about this program. If you would like more information, please email me at lmacdonald@swmrealty.com

Let's help our heroes get into a home of their dreams!

For more information about this pro...