Selling a home. Buying a home.

Call or Text Kelly Vandever | 770.597.1108 | REALTOR® | License # 391485

It Is What It Is – 5 Home Factors to Consider Carefully When Buying a House that Will Impact Your Home Value When You Sell

atlanta homes atlanta real estate buying a home in 2026 buying real estate May 21, 2026

I work with both home buyers and home sellers, so I hear the conversation about

houses from both the home buying and home selling perspectives.

When it comes to purchasing a home, it’s important to think not just about the house

and how you’ll use that home yourself.

It’s also worth considering characteristics of the house that won’t change and how those factors will impact the home value when it comes time to sell.

5 Factors that Impact Property Value When You Sell

The 5 factors below will decrease the number of home buyers interested in the house just because they exist.

The only way to overcome these negative characteristics is to price the house below

other similar properties and make buying the house such a bargain that the future home buyer can’t resist.

Chances are, it was a lower price is what drew you to that house in the first place. So, expect the same will happen when you go to sell.

Factor 1 – A Steep Driveway

If the home buyer can’t bring themselves...

Planning Ahead to Buy Your First House

buying a home in 2026 buying real estate home buying home buying process home buying tips Apr 14, 2026

How much money do you need to buy a house? I find that many first time home buyers are aware that they need a down payment to buy a house. But they aren't familiar with the other expenses of buying a house.

Here's a list that you'll need to plan for when buying a house and about how much it will cost in the state of Georgia:

1. Down Payment

The amount you need as a down payment can vary. There are first time homebuyer programs that allow you to put down as little at 3.5% or 5% of the sales price of the home.

For qualified veterans, the VA has a 0% down program.

Talk to your favorite real estate agent to get a list of their most trusted lenders who can help you find what program(s) you qualify for.

2. Earnest Money

Earnest money* is an amount that you provide when you go under contract when you get an offer accepted to purchase a property. That money will be applied to the down payment, but I like to let clients know that they will need to be able to ...

What Kind of Cash on Hand If You're Getting a Loan to Buy a House?

buying real estate Aug 12, 2024

The median sales price of the houses that sold in the greater metro Atlanta area in July 2024 was $447,125.

If you're thinking about buying a house, you may wonder how much cash you have to have available to buy a home.

To answer that question, let's look at an example using July 2024 median sales price.

If you're not paying cash for a house, most people understand they'll need some kind of a down payment when they buy a house. How much that down payment needs to be will vary by what kind of loan program you qualify for.

While VA loans for veterans require no money down, most loans require some amount of a down payment. There are loans that, if you qualify, may require as little as 3.5% of the sales price as a down payment.

For our example using the median sales price in the greater metro Atlanta area in of $447,125, assuming you have a loan that requires only 3.5% down, 3.5% of that median sales price is $15,649.38.

Know that you'll want to provide earnest...

Real Estate Tips for Buyers - Winning in Multiple Offer Situations - Options and Their Risks

alpharetta real estate buying real estate Apr 21, 2022

Multiple Offers Disclosure

by David Strauss, Attorney, O'Kelley and Sorohan

The current market for residential real estate is a decidedly seller’s market. A record low inventory of homes for sale, coupled with an increased demand for homes to purchase has led to an incredibly competitive marketplace. As a result, many Buyers are making offers to purchase homes that are well above asking price, allow the Seller to have temporary occupancy of the home after closing, have a large amount of earnest money, and waive contract contingencies in favor of the buyer. Such an offer may win the deal but it does not come without significantly more risk than normal for a Buyer.

Below are some common tactics Buyers are using to be competitive in today’s market. Buyers should understand what it means to make such an offer and the risk the expose themselves to in doing so.

WAIVING DUE DILIGENCE

What is Due Diligence?

Due diligence is a time where the Buyer may unilaterally terminate the co...

It Is What It Is – 5 Home Factors to Consider Carefully When Buying a House that Will Impact Your Home Value When You Sell

5 Factors that Impact Property Value When You Sell

Factor 1 – A Steep Driveway

Planning Ahead to Buy Your First House

1. Down Payment

2. Earnest Money

What Kind of Cash on Hand If You're Getting a Loan to Buy a House?

Real Estate Tips for Buyers - Winning in Multiple Offer Situations - Options and Their Risks

Multiple Offers Disclosure

Two Step