Matt Barker

Have a Smooth Move

Moving from one house to another can be a complicated and frustrating experience. Whether your friends are helping you out or you're hiring professional movers, troubles are bound to crop up. Planning ahead can go a long way toward making the process of m... Read >

Buying a Home in Winter

If you've been thinking about buying a new home but don't think that winter is a good time, you may need to change your perspective. Though spring and summer are typically the most active real estate buying and selling months, house hunting in winter has... Read >

Selling a Home in Winter

When it comes to selling, the winter season is often not an ideal time to put your house on the market. If you live in an area where it gets cold, rainy, or snowy, trying to sell a home in winter presents a different set of challenges than in spring or su... Read >

Architectural Styles Primer

The architecture of the United States has included a wide variety of styles throughout its history. Home styles in the U.S. are regionally diverse and the shapes they have taken on have been influenced by many other types of architecture. The result is a... Read >

Improve Your Home's Value By Building a Home Workshop

Many people have their workshop in an unused corner of their garage or the basement or some other out-of-the-way area. This can prove to be problematic, if the space is needed for other things or if there isn't enough room to really spread out one's proje... Read >

Knowledge is Power: Keep Your Information Private When Home Selling

When is having a home assessment report a bad thing? When you leave it out on the table during a showing. When is your home library a detriment? When you're showing your home to people who get offended by your choice of reading materials. A home sale is a... Read >

How to Drop a Client

So you're a real estate agent and you have a Client From Hell. You're ready to end the relationship, but how do you do it? Here are a few approaches that might ease the transition from having a pain-in-the-you-know-where client to blissful freedom. It's ... Read >

Home Decor for Manly Men: Attractive Room Decor Without Pastels

Home decor has popularly been the province of women. However, there are plenty of men who want a unified theme to their home, but don't go in for pastels or knick-knacks. What's a manly man to do? Especially if he likes sports, guns and girls? Don't be ... Read >

Selling a House with Pets in Residence

When people prepare to sell a home, most of them work very hard to make their home is as attractive as possible. This could include just about anything, from re-painting walls to making minor repairs to hiring a home staging consultant. In a buyers mark... Read >

How a Home's Features Can Affect It's Resale Value

Whether it's a first home or the next home, most home buyers anticipate moving to a different house eventually. Because of this reality, a property's resale value should be an important aspect in the decision-making process. While the location of a home... Read >

How Location Can Affect a Home's Resale Value

There are many factors which should be considered when purchasing a home, especially if it's a first home. One of those considerations should be the resale value. Many home-buyers anticipate moving on to a bigger or better house in the future. The resa... Read >

The First Step To Selling: Cleaning Your Home

Getting your home ready for selling requires a lot of cleaning. Add kids and pets into the mix and the amount of housework required increases exponentially. It can be really hard to get your home cleaned up for when the first prospective buyer walks throu... Read >

Preparing for Winter: Better Now Than Later

Winter will soon be upon us; indeed, it's starting to creep in on the northernmost parts of the country. Here are some ideas for you to consider to keep your home warm and inviting for this winter season. It is a good idea to get your chimney checked... Read >

The Dark Room Solution

Light! More light! Usually, people who want to paint their rooms get the advice to paint them in a light, neutral color. This can work if you like neutral colors, but if your passion is for saturated dark color, you can do a lot with it on the walls of yo... Read >

Is That Home Overpriced? Don't Pass It By

There are houses that you might be overlooking because they are priced significantly out of your range. However, don't discount these properties immediately. With the help of your Realtor®, you might be able to find an overpriced home and make an offer t... Read >