April 09, 2020

tips on how to hire the right real estate agent

April 09, 2020/ Heather Parrish

There’s a ton of real estate information available in the news today and on the Internet. It can be extremely confusing, especially in times of uncertainty like we’re facing right now.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling this year, you need a real estate agent who can help you:

Make sense of this rapidly evolving real estate market
Navigate everything from virtual showings to new online marketing strategies
Price your home correctly at the beginning of the selling process
Determine what to offer on your dream home without paying too much or offending the seller
Helping you figure out the mortgage and financing process

Dave Ramsey, a financial guru, advises:

“When getting help with money, whether it’s insurance, real estate or investments, you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman.”

Hiring a real estate agent who has a finger on the pulse of the current market will make your buying or selling experience so much easier.

So, how do you identify who truly understands what’s happening right now? How do you know who will take the time to simply and effectively explain what today’s real estate market conditions mean to you and your family?

Check out the real estate agent on social media. What are they posting on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more? Are they using their social media platforms to share relevant, helpful information, or are they just posting memes and recipes? The best agents are committed to educating the consumer so they can feel confident when buying or selling a home.

Shelter’s Mission

Our mission here at Shelter is to change lives by providing exceptional service and empowering financial investments in our community. We strive to educate you to provide you with a seamless approach to your home buying and/or selling experience. Not sure if we are the right real estate agency for you, check out our social media pages. We are on -

Instagram- @discovershelter and @discoversheltercyny

Facebook - @sheltercares and @DiscoverShelter

LinkedIn - Chip Parrish

I would love to connect with you!

Bottom Line

What real estate agents are posting online will help you determine who meets the criteria Dave Ramsey suggested you look for: someone with the heart of a teacher.

December 27, 2019

rental prices are on the rise

December 27, 2019/ Heather Parrish

Looking ahead, 2020 is projected to be a strong year for homeownership.

December 10, 2019

did you remember to budget for closing costs?

December 10, 2019/ Heather Parrish

Saving for a down payment is a key step in the home buying process, and it’s not the only piece you need to include in your budget. Another factor that’s important to plan for is the closing costs required to obtain a mortgage.

October 30, 2019

the hardest part of selling a home

October 30, 2019/ Heather Parrish

Tom Petty famously penned the words, “the waiting is the hardest part” in his early 80’s hit song The Waiting, and his thought process can surprisingly also be applied to individuals considering selling their homes today.

October 23, 2019

you need advice on buying your home - no matter the price

October 23, 2019/ Heather Parrish

To understand today’s complex real estate market, it is critical to have a local, trusted advisor on your side – for more reasons than you may think.

October 11, 2019

homeownership is the top contributor to your net worth

October 11, 2019/ Heather Parrish

Many people plan to build their net worth by buying CDs or stocks, or just having a savings account. Recently, however, Economist Jonathan Eggleston and Survey Statistician Donald Hays, both of the U.S. Census Bureau, shared the biggest determinants of wealth….

September 20, 2019

one of the top reasons to own a home

September 20, 2019/ Heather Parrish

One of the benefits of homeownership is that it is a “forced savings plan.” Here’s how it works:

February 18, 2019

advice from millionaire to millennials: don’t rent, buy

February 18, 2019/ Heather Parrish

In a CNBC article, self-made millionaire David Bach explained that: “The biggest mistake millennials are making is not buying their first home.” He goes on to say “If you want to build real financial security, real wealth for your lifetime, then you need to buy a home.”

January 31, 2019

use real estate to build sizable family wealth these 4 ways

January 31, 2019/ Heather Parrish

Recently, David Greene, co-host of the BiggerPockets podcast and a nationally renowned author and speaker, wrote an article in Forbes explaining how investing in real estate could help build family wealth. Many of the points he made also apply to a family owning their own home. Here are a few:

January 30, 2019

student loan debt is not a threat to home ownership

January 30, 2019/ Heather Parrish

Over the course of the last thirty years, a shift has happened. An entire generation has been raised to believe that a college education (often accompanied with student loan debt) is their key to unlocking opportunities that were not available to their parent’s or grandparent’s generations.

January 25, 2019

what to know in a shifting real estate market

January 25, 2019/ Heather Parrish

Whether you are thinking of selling your house or buying a home, today’s real estate headlines can be confusing – perhaps even concerning. What is actually happening with mortgage rates? Are home values dropping or are they just rising at a slower pace? What impact will the economy have on a shifting housing market?

January 10, 2019

is the recent dip in interest rates here to stay?

January 10, 2019/ Heather Parrish

Interest rates for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage climbed consistently throughout 2018 until the middle of November. After that point, rates returned to levels that we saw in August to close out the year at 4.55%, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

October 26, 2018

where are home values headed over the next few years?

October 26, 2018/ Heather Parrish

There are many questions about where home prices will be next year as well as where they may be headed over the next several years to come. We have gathered the most reliable sources to help answer these questions:

September 12, 2018

home prices have appreciated 6.9% in 2018

September 12, 2018/ Heather Parrish

Between 1987 and 1999, which is often referred to as the ‘Pre-Bubble Period,’ home prices grew at an average of 3.6% according to the Home Price Expectation Survey.

August 23, 2018

the net worth of a homeowner is 44x greater than a renter

August 23, 2018/ Heather Parrish

Every three years, the Federal Reserve conducts their Survey of Consumer Finances in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. Their latest survey data, covering 2013-2016 was recently released. It revealed that the median net worth of a homeowner was $231,400 – a 15% increase since 2013. At the same time, the median net worth of renters decreased by 5% ($5,200 today compared to $5,500 in 2013).

August 16, 2018

is it time to upgrade your starter home?

August 16, 2018/ Heather Parrish

It may seem hard to imagine that the first home you purchased might not be the home that will allow you to achieve the rest of your dreams. However, first-time home buyers don’t always consider the differences between starter homes and forever homes. A starter home is a great means to enter the market. You spend less now so you can save more and upgrade when the time (and rates) are right. Buying a forever home for your first purchase generally means spending more upfront to care for your needs long term. Both have their advantages, but starter homes are the typical choice for new buyers. This means that admitting your home no longer suits your needs is not only ok, it’s normal.

July 02, 2018

median home values state by state in 2018

July 02, 2018/ Heather Parrish

If you’ve entered the real estate market as a buyer or a seller, you’ve inevitably heard the mantra “location, location, location” in reference to identical homes increasing or decreasing in value based on where they’re located.

June 04, 2018

will home prices fall as mortgage rates rise?

June 04, 2018/ Heather Parrish

Mortgage interest rates have increased by more than half of a point since the beginning of the year and will likely increase by an additional half before 2019. With this increase in rates, some are guessing that home prices will depreciate. However, some prominent experts in the housing industry disagree.

July 18, 2017

renovations that count

July 18, 2017/ Heather Parrish

Renovations are a great way to increase the enjoyment of home ownership. Additionally, they can raise your home’s monetary worth when the time comes to sell your property.

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