There are so many ideas about what real estate agents do, how they do it, what they tell you and how much they make, and so many of those ideas are just plain wrong. There are lots of Internet sites that list the true and not so true about agents, so obviously there’s a bunch of curiosity and a lot of misunderstanding. Here’s my take on some of the ideas I’ve heard: 1) Real Estate Agents Make Tons of Money We wish! Nationwide, average annual income for agents is less than $36,000 a year. In... read more

Last week I found a great article on questions sellers may have for their Real Estate Agent, but may be afraid to ask. Imagineyourhouse.com published an article titles "16 Real Estate Questions You Have Been Afraid to Ask a Realtor". A few highlights from this article include questions about selling your home as is, if replacing the carpet is a necessity, and decorating your home for the holidays while it is for sale. While I make it my job to make sure you are comfortable asking me all of these questions and ... read more

Hello, my name is Chris Katsma and today I’m going to talk a little bit about what sellers are doing to get their homes sold. Although our market at this time seems to be a seller’s market, that will soon change to being a buyer’s market again. I have been selling Real Estate in Elko County for almost 20 years. I see sellers compromising all the time to get their homes sold. Whether it be price concessions or repairs, it happens more than most people realize.   So if you’re lookin... read more

Buying a home is thrilling, scary, sometimes weird, often epic, and never dull. You're ponying up a huge wad of cash for a place you'll inhabit hopefully for years to come. As such, you're bound to have a lot of questions throughout every step of the process. So here are some questions and answers that should help.   Q: What home can I afford? That depends, of course—on your income and other financial obligations. Your first step should be to meet with a lender to get pre-approved... read more