Room Remodels That Are Worth the Investment

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / April 13, 2020 / Comments Off on Room Remodels That Are Worth the Investment

According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies 2019 report, Americans spent almost $314 million dollars on home renovations and repairs in 2018. That’s a lot of money to make a house a home. As military homeowners, chances are we’re not in a particular house for very long. That doesn’t mean we don’t have laundry […]

8 \”Improvements\” That Can Reduce Your Home\’s Value

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / April 6, 2020 / Comments Off on 8 \”Improvements\” That Can Reduce Your Home\’s Value

  Maybe you’re a military family who hasn’t previously had the opportunity to own a home, and now the thought of making one your own is exciting. Maybe you’ve been building a Pinterest board full of your favorite home trends for years and now you actually have the home to apply them to. But hold […]

Coping with COVID-19’s Impact on PCS Season

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / March 23, 2020 / Comments Off on Coping with COVID-19’s Impact on PCS Season

Here are a few ideas to help you navigate this PCS season fraught with social distancing and travel restrictions. Fortunately, technology affords us some great solutions to both home shopping and selling in these interesting times. Ask for virtual home tours. A good real estate agent will be flexible and accommodating, and it never hurts […]

Prepping Your Home with Curb Appeal on a Budget

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / March 16, 2020 / Comments Off on Prepping Your Home with Curb Appeal on a Budget

Besides location, nothing is more critical when selling your home than that first impression. If your house doesn’t have that all-important positive vibe, buyers are likely to dismiss it before they really give it a chance. That first impression starts with the outside. How inviting, welcoming, well-maintained, and current does your home appear when first […]

DIY: Home Staging

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / March 9, 2020 / Comments Off on DIY: Home Staging

 Ever wonder how a living could be made by decorating and fake furnishing empty homes? It’s because home staging works to sell homes more quickly and often for higher price tags than those that have not been staged. But what if you don’t have thousands to spend on a professional stager right before a move? […]

Questions to Ask Real Estate Agents

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / March 2, 2020 / Comments Off on Questions to Ask Real Estate Agents

By: Jessica, U.S. Coast Guard Spouse   Remember the awkwardness of a first date? Well, that’s kind of how it feels when looking for a real estate agent every time we move. We’ve tackled six moves in 14 years of marriage, so you can be sure I’ve had plenty of first-date feels when trying to […]

Safe at Home: OPSEC Reminders

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / February 24, 2020 / Comments Off on Safe at Home: OPSEC Reminders

  We’ve all heard it mentioned every now and then at military ceremonies or gatherings among friends who live the military life. OPSEC—or Operations Security—seems like common sense to most of us. And after all, who is likely to overhear you talking to your Aunt Jamie about your spouse’s deployment dates while chatting about Christmas […]

7 Ways to Safeguard Your Home

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / February 17, 2020 / Comments Off on 7 Ways to Safeguard Your Home

  Becoming a homeowner, whether it’s for the first time or the fifteenth, is exciting. The dream of making it yours becomes reality once you have your own place. However, amidst all the unpacking and decorating euphoria, remember it’s never too early to take steps to safeguard your new home base. One of the easiest […]

DIY: Building an Emergency Prep Kit

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / February 10, 2020 / Comments Off on DIY: Building an Emergency Prep Kit

By: Jessica, U.S. Coast Guard Spouse   Being from the Midwest, I’m always ready to take on a tornado should it head our way. From the moment I walk into our homes I access what’s the best central-focused closet, sturdy door frame, and/or tub to take shelter in for hours should we have a tornado […]

Things to Consider When Insuring Your Home

By Melissa Diaz, Realtor® / February 3, 2020 / Comments Off on Things to Consider When Insuring Your Home

Congratulations on taking the plunge into homeownership! This new level of adulting can bring about many other new purchases and decisions. And we’re not talking about curtains and flooring here: We mean homeowners insurance. You’ve probably had to secure insurance for your car, and we hope you’ve had renters insurance in the past, but homeowners […]