Phil Aitken
Phil Aitken
Owner/Broker

Blog

5 Challenges to Hiring Your Realtor Friend

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Most people have either a friend or relative who is a real estate agent.  It stands to reason that you would want someone you know to sell your home for you.  However, this idea may soon lose its sparkle. The Aitken Home Team presents five challenges to hiring your friend to be your realtor: 1. […]

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5 Superbowl Advantages for Sellers

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The Super Bowl has been known to spur many would-be home shoppers into action.  The real estate market has traditionally launched to new heights succeeding past Super Bowls.  The Aitken Home Team presents 5 Super Bowl advantages for sellers: 1. – Unity Under One Roof Football has the unique ability to unite many people together […]

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5 Tips for Winter House Hunters

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With the advantage of today’s information superhighway, house hunters are free to shop year-round from the comfort of their cozy couches.  Deals are made all year long regardless of the appearance of winter-weary front yards.   The Aitken Home Team presents five tips for winter house hunters: 1. – View Homes at Their Worst While this […]

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7 Things that Aren’t Feeling the Love

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With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, love is in the air and Cupid is hard at work.  Red roses, chocolate strawberries, chilled champagne, and the usual sentimental greeting card are all ready to go and your house is ready for romance.  Or is it???   Just because your toilets sparkle and your floor glisten does not necessarily […]

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TLC’s

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Most TLC reality show buffs are familiar with the program “The Little Couple” starring Dr. Jennifer Arnold and her spouse, Bill Klein.  Fans will be interested to learn that the famous couple sold their Houston home post-Hurricane Harvey for a canal front home in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Unfortunately, the family was forced to evacuate their […]

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The Builder’s Warranty: Know BEFORE You Purchase

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New construction is booming all over the country and prospective buyers want the closest thing to a guarantee possible when purchasing a newly built home.  There is no greater peace of mind for a new homeowner than that which comes with knowing that the cost to repair or replace certain components will be covered by […]

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Buying a Home Sight Unseen: 4 Things You Should Know

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In most cases, home buying usually goes in a six-step order: decide on a budget, find a lender, hire a realtor, make a list of must-haves, look at properties, make an offer, purchase mortgage, close.  In other circumstances, shoppers are willing to purchase properties sight unseen.  For example, Marcia recently sold her home and is […]

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Taxes & Your Home Equity Loan

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Home equity loans afford homeowners the opportunity to access extra cash quickly.  While using your home as collateral may not seem like a big deal, the rules of such debt have changed dramatically thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and you need to know the tax benefits and burdens for 2018 and 2019.   […]

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15 Tasks to Complete Prior to Your Big Move

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Moving is a generally overwhelming process and the details are endless.  Specific details are best tended to while a home is vacant and can become more tedious once your new residence is filled with boxes and furniture.  The Aitken Home Team presents 15 tasks to complete prior to moving: UTILITIESDon’t make the mistake of assuming […]

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Low Market Inventory Driving Up Prices

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Spring is officially here and thousands of buyers are all encountering the same problem when it comes to house hunting: extremely low inventory.  The construction of new homes is down roughly 0.6% from January, yet has increased by roughly 0.5% since February of 2017.   The housing market is off-balance, to say the least.  In a […]

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