Perrie & Associates

  It's here! 2022! We've made it to another year in this crazy and confusing time.  If we've learned anything in these last few years and months, it's that things can change quickly. Something will shift and then suddenly everything we know is turned on its head. The real estate market has certainly seen these changes as buyers and sellers have navigated the challenges of the pandemic and its effects, and we feel pretty confident that 2022 will be no different. We rounded up some of the top experts' market predictions as we head into this new year. Check out the highlights to see what changes we may expect:  Affordability  It's a word you're probably going to hear a lot in 2022. According to experts, affordability will be a large determining factor that will affect the new year's market.  According to Realtor.com's 2022 Housing Forecast , we're in for a "whirlwind" year. Existing home sales are predicted to increase 6.6%, and it seems t

       2021 has gone by in a blink, and it's hard to believe we're approaching the holiday season. This year has had its ups and downs, but we look forward to the future and all that is holds.      Each year the Perrie & Associates staff shares what we are thankful for this holiday season. We are truly a family here at Perrie & Associates, and we want to share that feeling with all of you. Below are some of the many things we are thankful for:  Brett Lefevre, Disburser  I'm thankful for good friends and family, and that two of my nieces are soon marrying the loves of their lives.  Emily Kobito, Social Media Manager  This year, I am thankful for the many people in my life who make me smile and support me: my family, husband, friends, students, and co-workers (and also my two cats who I consider my children). I am thankful for the opportunities I've had to travel and be with loved ones, and I am thankful for the support I receive from my P&A family every year.

  There's no question that the housing market this year has been upended. Low inventory and high demand have created bidding wars the likes of which we've never seen, and buyers are being forced to waive contingencies that offer protection in the home buying process.  One of these protections is the home appraisal. According to HomeLight , issues with the appraisal accounted for 27% of delayed contracts, and 14% of terminated contracts as of July 2021. Though the market may try to force buyers to push the appraisal away and pay with cash, it's important to understand the appraisal process and consider it carefully.  What is a home appraisal?  According to NerdWallet , a home appraisal is an estimation of the home's value, as determined by a licensed appraiser. The appraiser will look at features of the home as well as the values of homes nearby to determine the home's true value. Mortgage lenders require these appraisals to ensure that they are lending the proper am

  It may not be cooling down quite yet, but fall is on its way, and with it, some new ways to have fun in the Metro area! The new season is a great excuse to get out and explore the neighborhood or try something new. There are plenty of fall festivals and fairs around town, but we found some of the best and rounded them up here!  Dragon Con  You won't have to wait long for this event! This weekend, Atlanta will host Dragon Con ,  a pop-culture convention where you can see everything from Storm Troopers to Spiderman. The event will take place over Labor Day weekend and includes autograph sessions, workshops, author readings,  an art show, and more! For those not wanting to register and attend the indoor festivities, you can always make your way to Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta on Saturday. During the parade, super-fans will cosplay as their favorite characters and make their way through the city. You never quite know just who you will see at this famous Atlanta event!  Music

Countless decisions go into purchasing a home: location, architectural style, neighborhood, moving date - the list goes on and on. One decision owners face when buying real estate is whether to purchase owner's title insurance. While many choices in the home-buying process require much consideration, a decision about owner's title insurance should be one of the easiest. After all, if you buy insurance for your car, why wouldn't you insure what will most likely be the biggest investment you'll ever make? Technically speaking, owner's title insurance is optional. But again, when trying to decide if you should protect the most important purchase in your life, the option is pretty clear. Most people think of insurance as payment to protect from a future event - like when you buy car insurance to protect you from an accident that may happen in the future. Title insurance is different. It protects your from future losses based on past events before you acquired the proper

Transferring property to a new generation in your family? Want your new work-from-home office to be in the name of your LLC?  If so, you will most likely need a quit claim deed, or QCD. Life brings changes, and with it, the ownership of your property may need to change as well, and that's where a QCD comes in. A quit claim deed is simply the transfer of interest in a property from one party to another. The person transferring their interest is called the "grantor," while the person taking the interest in the property is called the "grantee." The grantor ends, or "quits," their claim to the property, allowing the grantee to take over. While a QCD is one of the easiest ways to transfer property, it is important to note that there are no warranties of title transferred with this deed. A quit claim deed does not normally occur when there is a buyer and seller and when money changes hands. These deeds also do not guarantee that the seller, or grantor, has o