Market Information

September 12, 2023

How to Make the Most of Your Open House

In the age of virtual tours planning an open house might seem too retro, but we’re here to tell you overall it is still worth the time and effort. It’s important to make the most of the event. An open house is a valuable opportunity to show your home dozens of times in just a few hours. The setting is more casual – for some buyers the ability to see several homes in a day without having to schedule a showing is a big bonus. You want to make sure that your home leaves a good impression in their minds.  Here’s what you need to make the most of an Open House: Make a To Do List To have a successful open […]
September 5, 2023

The Best Ways to Market Your Miami Home For Sale

Whether you’re a first-time seller or an experienced homeowner, listing your home for sale in Miami is a big decision. There are many factors at play that are out of your control – such as interest rates and market conditions –  so it’s important to take full advantage of the aspects you can impact. In short: the best way to market your Miami home is by presenting your home’s best qualities to the right audience. We’ve compiled a list of the best ways to market your home to find the best buyer. Work with Professional Realtors This starts with a team of experienced Realtors – like The Kern Team. A good realtor (or team of realtors) will start with a walkthrough of your […]
August 22, 2023

What is the Best Strategy for Negotiating with Home Buyers?

Whether you have one offer on the table or a bidding war for your property, part of selling your home is negotiation with buyers. Thinking through your strategy and goals helps prevent the process of selling your home from becoming emotional. Working with an experienced Realtor team gives you a buffer, but you’ll still be making all final decisions. So, You Have an Offer… Once offers start rolling in you’ll need to have an idea of how and when you want to respond to them. It’s tempting to reply right away, but it’s not always the best course of action. Letting the buyer’s agent know that all offers will be considered and responded to on a given day is one […]
August 15, 2023

What You Need to Know About Pricing a House

When it’s time to sell your home figuring out what price you want to ask is a big decision. The more you know about what goes into it and how it works the less intimidating it is. Working with an experienced agent means you don’t have to dive into the deep end of pricing, but it’s good to be informed. Start With the Basics Determining the current market value for your home is mostly a matter of location, condition, and comparison. We look at similar homes for sale, or recently sold, in your neighborhood to get an idea of what listing price will be best for your home. If there is a recently sold home of a similar size, condition, […]
August 1, 2023

How to Determine the Asking Price for My Home

There’s a saying in real estate: no one knows the current market rate better than someone in the market to buy a home right now.  Deciding on what price to ask for your home involves considering several factors. The first step is to choose an experienced local Realtor team – ideally after interviewing multiple Realtors. Working with agents takes the guesswork out of most of these factors for you. We provide you information about the current market as well as the other homes both currently listed and recently sold in your neighborhood, and help you understand how that applies to your home’s ideal asking price. Set Your Goals It might seem like the goal is always to get the most […]
July 25, 2023

Successfully Split Up Real Estate During a Divorce

A term we’ve been hearing lately is “ethical uncoupling.” It sounds a little fussy, but it is also a good way to describe what a divorce is meant to do. Separate your lives leaving each one as intact as possible while being fair about what each partner will leave the relationship with. This includes any real estate owned within the marriage. Good News: The Kern Team Can Help We want to be clear that we’re not attorneys and are not here to give you legal advice. As Realtors we can offer our expert advice on real estate matters only. What we can tell you is that our experience tells us the simplest way to split up real estate during a […]
June 13, 2023

Selling in Summertime: What to Expect

Some places are far more impacted by seasonal changes than others. Yes, our weather in Miami is gorgeous year-round and people’s habits don’t change much based on the season. So while Miami truly isn’t a four-season city like, say, Boston is – it is still important to consider the season when looking to list your home. Here’s why:  Motivated Buyers We find that buyers tend to be motivated to move quickly in the summer months. This is mostly true for families with school-aged children. They want to find a home in their desired neighborhood and get the deal done and closed quickly so they can settle in to their new home before school starts.  This means listing your property at the […]
May 23, 2023

Downsizing: What to Look for in a Smaller Property

It feels like we spend a lot of time talking about helping growing families find homes with more space, more rooms, bigger yards, more of… everything! There is definitely a time in life when upsizing everything seems like the most obvious choice, but what about the opposite? Downsizing has always been popular for empty nesters for several reasons – who wants to maintain a few extra bedrooms & bathrooms when no one is using them? When you’re looking for the right property for you, bigger isn’t necessarily better. New Season of Life The two biggest reasons most people find themselves shopping for a new home are relocation to a new place, and changes happening in their lives that they want or […]
May 16, 2023

What You Need to Know about Changes in Property Insurance in Florida

If you live in Florida, it’s important to understand what’s been happening with property insurance here. As of January 1, 2023 several big changes went into effect following special legislative sessions. These sessions were called to address the property insurance premiums rising across Florida. A Little Background First, let’s talk about some of the things that make Florida a unique market for property insurance. Our geography sets us apart from the rest of the continental U.S. No other place is as likely to receive significant damage from hurricanes and tropical storms. Since 2017, the frequency of heavily damaging storms has increased statewide (even if we’ve been relatively protected here in Miami). As a result, insurance companies have paid out significantly […]