Jay Mattlin, Real Estate Broker with Key Realty

What's the first thing you think of when you think 4th of July?

Probably fireworks, right?

Okay, maybe you think about barbeques, pool parties, or parades first.

The point is, the first thought for most people isn't about the nitty-gritty that we're actually celebrating — our independence as a nation.

Deep down, we all know that's what it's all about. And we respect it. But, we're also human. Who can blame us for enjoying our freedom watching fireworks, without giving all that much thought about everything our founding fathers did to get us here?

So it is in real estate…

There's a lot of focus on the "fireworks" in real estate. The big, glorious, flashy, exciting moments. Like…

• The moment your house first hits the market.
• Seeing the pictures of your house all over the Internet.
• Throngs of people walking through your first open house.
• Receiving offers from buyers…maybe even multiple o...

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Spring is finally here, and it's time to breathe new life into your outdoor spaces. After a long winter, your yard and flower beds may be in need of some TLC to look their best. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, here are five essential tips to help you clean up your yard and flower beds this spring:

1. Assess the Damage: Before diving into any cleanup efforts, take a walk around your yard to assess the damage caused by winter weather. Look for areas where grass may have died, flower beds that need refreshing, and any debris that needs to be cleared away. This will give you a clear picture of where to focus your efforts.

2. Prune and Trim: Spring is the perfect time to prune back any dead or overgrown branches from trees, bushes, and shrubs. Use sharp pruning shears to make clean cuts, removing any damaged or diseased growth. Additionally, trim back any perennials that have died back over the winter to make way for new growth.

3. Weed Co...

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The old saying about "location, location, location" — and how those are the three most important things when buying a home — certainly has its merits. Location plays a huge part in the value of a property… not only when you buy it, but also how much you can get for it in the future, and how easily you can sell it. So the location of one property versus another is likely to be a topic of conversation you and your real estate agent will have when you're house hunting.

In addition to the actual location of a property, there are probably some other location related things your agent has to consider while showing you houses that they won't think to talk to you about! Don't worry, they won't affect the value of a property, or whether or not you should buy it…

But it might be fun to get a sneak peek into what goes on in your agent's head while you're looking at houses! So here are 5 behind-the-scenes things agents are worried about the location of while showing you homes:

1) The Location of the Lockbox

In order to get into most houses, agents use a special keypad or phone app to unlock what's called a "lockbox" which contains keys to the house. Usually they're hanging right in plain sight on the front door. But every once in a while, for whatever reason, the listing agent decides to switch things up and get creative with where they hang it, and your agent will have to pull off looking cool, calm, and collected while trying to find it.

2) The Location of the Light Switch

It's pretty standard for light switches to be located just to the right or left of a doorway, but agents show plenty of houses where the word "standard" doesn't apply. The worst is when the agent is showing a house later in the day in the winter months, and you can hardly see a thing until you find a light switch! Actually, the worst is when it's a bank-owned house that has the electricity off, so it doesn't even matter if you find a light switch…

3) The Location of the Alarm Pad

If a homeowner has an alarm system, your agent is usually given the alarm code ahead of time. But they aren't always given a detailed description of where the alarm keypad is! Even if it's within sight of the entry door, just getting their bearings and over to the alarm before it goes off can be nerve wracking.

But sometimes it's hidden behind coats on a hook, or across the house and it's a mad race against the clock to get to it. There probably isn't an agent in the business who hasn't lost this race at least once in their career, resulting in setting off the alarm and giving their clients the opportunity to meet the local police before buying a place in town!

4) The Location of a Growling or Barking Dog

Ideally a homeowner could get their dog out of the house for every single showing in order to avoid any mishaps, or just the distraction of a barking dog, but it's not always possible. While many homeowners "assure" agents that their dog is friendly, and not to worry if their dog barks or growls, agents are always leery until they lay eyes on the dog and assess the situation for themselves.

5) The Location of a Silent Cat

Cats, on the other hand, are often stealthy and you may never see them once during a showing! That's just fine, except that agents are also often instructed to make sure that the cat doesn't get out while they're showing the house. That's hard to do when you haven't seen the cat! It leaves many agents wondering if the cat somehow slipped out without them knowing, and trying to at least catch a glimpse of it before they leave.

In a recent speech about lowering housing costs for American families, President Biden said:

"In addition, last week the National Association of Realtors agreed for the first time that Americans can negotiate lower commissions when they buy or sell their home. (Applause.)

On a typical home purchase, that alone could save folks an average of $10,000 on the sale or purchase.

I'm calling on Realtors to follow through on lowering their commissions to protect homebuyers."

That probably sounds pretty amazing...

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You fell in love with a house.

You made an offer.

It was accepted!

Your mortgage process is going smoothly.

The appraisal justified the price you paid.

Everything is going perfect…

…and then you had the home inspected, and the report made it sound like the place is falling apart, and it's a house only a bulldozer would love.

Hold up, before you end your love affair with the home of your dreams due to home inspection concerns, you should know that home inspection reports aren't meant to be seen as a "pass" or "fail" assessment. There's nuance to a home inspectors report. Inspectors will often make note of Every. Little. Thing. They. Find.

There are certainly some things an inspector might find that could be deal breakers — or at least warrant asking for them to be repaired or replaced — like a leaking roof, a broken furnace, or major structural issues. But there are also a lot of things inspectors include in their report that are pretty easy and inexpensive to fix, and aren't worth losing a house you love over.

So let's take a look at 7 things in a home inspection report that often get blown out of proportion, even though they're probably not that big of a deal, so you know what to let slide:

1) A Leaky Faucet

A leaky faucet is annoying and something you'll probably want to fix, but it doesn't really impact the value of a house, or your ability to live in it safely. While you can certainly ask a seller to fix it, there's a good chance they'll get annoyed and might dig in on other issues they should fix or might have been willing to repair. Fortunately, a leaky faucet is typically a fairly easy and inexpensive thing to fix.

2) A Small Crack in a Window

You should certainly feel free to ask the owner to replace a window that's entirely broken because a baseball (or bat) went through it. But sometimes a window will have the tiniest little crack at the edge that isn't letting any air in or out of the house, but it's just unsightly. The chances are you won't even notice it on a daily basis once you're living in the house, so pick your battles and ask for something more important on the report instead.

3) The Roof Is "At the End of Its Useful Life"

Inspectors love using the term "at the end of its useful life" for many components of a house. However, whether it's referring to the roof, the furnace, the AC unit, or any other part of the home, it doesn't necessarily mean it isn't working, or that it needs to be replaced. The inspector is often just noting that it's something you'll want to keep an eye on, and plan to replace in the future.

4) A Recommendation to Get the Chimney Further Inspected

While home inspectors know a lot about houses overall, they're not experts on every single thing in a house. One of those things is often the chimney.

For starters, it's difficult for them to get as good of a look at the chimney as someone who specializes in inspecting and repairing them. If there are defects or it needs a good cleaning, it could start a fire, which is why inspectors often suggest getting a closer look at it out of an abundance of caution. So don't get too worried; just schedule a separate inspection to be done by a chimney professional and see what their opinion is. There's a good chance it's fine and may just need a regular cleaning.

5) Missing GFI Electrical Outlets

This is more common in older homes where the electrical work was installed prior to codes requiring ground fault interrupter outlets (GFI) in certain locations. If an inspector notes that you should have them in certain areas, it's not a bad idea to have them installed once you own the house, but it's not such a big issue that you should kill the deal over it.

6) Minor Cracks in the Ceiling, Wall, or Foundation

Some cracks are certainly a big deal, but a lot of times there are minor cracks due to the house settling over time. If your inspector is truly concerned about a crack, they'll make it abundantly clear that it might be dangerous or a structural issue. But if it's not, they may just note it in the report because they don't want to be accused of ignoring anything they see. If it's just a minor cosmetic issue, don't sweat it — it can usually be fixed with just a little spackle and paint.

7) Evidence of Past a Leak

If the inspector finds an area that's outright wet, or even slightly damp, they'll make sure you're aware that there is a leak going on somewhere.

However, it's not uncommon for an inspector to find water stains that are completely dry, but are obvious evidence that there was a leak at some point. As long as there's no mold growing due to the homeowner ignoring it for too long, it's often just some water staining due to a leak that was quickly repaired, but the owner didn't do a great job repairing the cosmetics afterward. Again, this is another thing that a little paint can take care of once you own the home.