What’s the difference between pre-approved and pre-qualified?
One is a guess. The other is a lender putting a number in writing.
Real estate questions, answered in plain English
I’ve spent more than 12 years answering the same questions from buyers and sellers in Hamilton County. Here are the answers, written the way I’d explain them across a kitchen table. No jargon, no sales pitch.
No answer for that one yet. Email me your question and I’ll write it up.
Buying a home (18)
What is earnest money?
The “I’m serious” deposit, and how to make sure you don’t lose it.
What’s the difference between a home inspection and an appraisal?
One protects you. One protects the bank. You want both.
What are contingencies in a home purchase?
The exit doors in your contract, and when each one locks.
Who pays the buyer’s agent?
How agent commissions work in Indiana now, and who covers the fee.
What are closing costs?
What buyers and sellers pay at closing in Indiana, and what’s different here.
What does my pre-approval letter tell the seller?
What sellers read in it, and why you shouldn’t show your maximum.
What happens at the home inspection?
What it can and can’t tell you, which extra tests are worth it, and how to negotiate repairs.
What does buying a home really cost?
Beyond the down payment: the costs buyers forget to budget for.
How do I make a winning offer without overpaying?
How offer strategy actually works, and when you really need to compete.
How do I compete when there are multiple offers?
Comparing terms, using escalation clauses carefully, and knowing when to walk away.
Who does the agent at an open house work for?
Usually the seller. Here’s what that means for what you say.
What is dual agency?
One agent on both sides of the deal, and what you might give up.
What should I say when I call the number on a yard sign?
You’re reaching the seller’s agent. A simple script, and what to keep private.
Can I find out why a seller is selling?
What the seller’s agent can and can’t tell you, and the clues you can spot yourself.
Do I need my own agent for new construction?
The builder’s agent works for the builder. Here’s what you give up going in alone.
Should I rent or buy right now?
What the numbers actually say, and who should rent a little longer.
Is buying a starter home a mistake?
What “we’ll just move again in a few years” really costs.
Selling a home (11)
How do I price my home?
Getting it right the first time is the biggest factor in what you walk away with.
When is the right time to sell?
How to think about timing your sale in Hamilton County.
How do I choose a listing agent?
What to ask, and the red flags to watch for.
What should I fix before selling, and what can I skip?
What actually moves buyers, and what isn’t worth the money.
Should I renovate before I sell?
Why fixing it up first often backfires, and how to decide what’s worth it.
How much will I walk away with when I sell?
Your sale price and your net check are two different numbers.
Should I sell it myself or hire an agent?
The honest tradeoffs of selling on your own.
How do I compare offers on my home?
The highest offer isn’t always the best one.
What should I expect from the buyer’s inspection?
Where deals hold together or fall apart, and how to negotiate it.
Why isn’t my home selling?
An honest diagnosis, and what actually fixes it.
Should I wait for rates to drop before I move?
Why your old rate feels like a loss, and what that means for your next move.
Life changes (8)
How do I sell a house during a divorce?
Straight guidance from an agent who’s been through it himself.
How do I buy a home after a divorce?
What to settle first, and what lenders will ask.
How do I sell my home and buy another at the same time?
How to sequence it so you’re not stuck with two houses or none.
How do I sell an inherited house from out of state?
Probate timelines, title issues, and how a local agent helps.
What if my siblings and I disagree about the house?
How to get through it without losing each other.
How do we sell a parent’s house when they move to assisted living?
What families face, and what nobody prepares you for.
The kids are gone. Is it time to downsize?
Why it’s a next-chapter decision, not just a house decision.
We have a baby on the way. When do we need more space?
The honest timeline for when to start looking, and when you don’t need to yet.
Moving to Hamilton County (10)
What should I know before relocating to Hamilton County?
What the relocation websites won’t tell you.
What should I know before moving to Noblesville?
Cost of living, neighborhoods, schools and commute.
What should I know before moving to Fishers?
Cost of living, neighborhoods, schools and commute.
What should I know before moving to Carmel?
Cost of living, neighborhoods, schools and commute.
What should I know before moving to Westfield?
Cost of living, neighborhoods, schools and commute.
Is living in Noblesville worth it?
An honest take on who Noblesville fits best.
Is Carmel the right fit for me?
What daily life in Carmel is really like.
What are the best neighborhoods in Fishers?
A local agent’s honest breakdown.
How much do school districts affect home prices?
District lines can move prices by tens of thousands of dollars.
What does $450K buy in Carmel vs. Fishers?
Same budget, two very different positions.
Have a question that isn’t here?
Send it to me. I’ll give you a straight answer, and if other people are wondering the same thing, it might become the next page in this Q&A.
This is general information to help you understand the process. It isn’t legal or financial advice. Your contract, your lender and your agent have the final word on your situation.