Real Estate | thesofiamagazine

How To Avoid Common Interior Design Mistakes In Your Home

by admin | May 4, 2021 | Asheville, DIY, Interior Decorating, Real Estate, Women

By Julie Rorie

Between selecting furniture, experimenting with paint samples or hanging art, there are hundreds of small decisions that go into styling the perfect space. Even the slightest error in judgement can have a detrimental effect on a room. Use these insider tips to prevent a design faux pas in your home.

Buy Furniture that Varies in Height

Scale and proportion are the holy grail of design. If all of your furniture is the same size, your room will feel uninviting, and uninteresting.

Think of your room as a cityscape and fill it with a combination of heights, widths, and depths. Rooms need a stimulating mix of scale and shapes to make them feel right.

Choose the Right Rug

Rugs can completely transform a room and create a focal point of interest, but it can be hard to judge the correct size for your home. A rug should ground the space and encompass all seating around it. An appropriately sized rug tells everyone “this is the conversation area”.

Living rooms almost always need a rug that’s at least 8×10 ft. to 9×12 ft.

A 4×6 ft. rug is fine next to a bed, or in a kitchen/foyer, but will most likely not work in a living room. Area rugs should ideally be big enough to fit at least the front legs
of all chairs/sofas on them.

Be Careful Not to Hang Art Too High

Finding the perfect piece of art for your home is only half the challenge. The mistake happens when art is hung too high or in an inappropriate spot.

Hang art so that the center is at eye-level. If the art is to hang above a piece of furniture, hang it so that the bottom of the frame hits 3-4 inches above it.

Layer your Lighting

Lighting decisions might seem like a practical part of the design process, but it’s an aspect people
often misjudge. Lighting is incredibly important to any space. When lighting is washed over you from above, it can be unflattering and harsh. The best spaces have a plethora of light sources to create various ambiances.

Have lights on dimmers and from multiple sources at different heights, such as floor lamps and table lamps. Always choose soft white bulbs as harsh fluorescent or white lights make a space feel stark and uninviting. Warm lighting not only sets the mood, but also makes a room feel intimate and inviting.

Try Placing Furniture Off the Wall

People often fall into the simple styling trap of this linear arrangement which is not cozy or inviting and can discourage conversation. In the end, it doesn’t save or create more space.

Try conversational furniture placement, which focuses on grouping accents. Pull pieces toward one another and off the walls to create more intimate, useful seating. If you’re unsure, play with different groupings. The most common layout is facing a sofa opposite two arm chairs with a coffee table in the middle.

Julie Rorie
Interior Decorator, Closet Organizer

Facebook – Simply Posh Asheville

Instagram@simplyposhasheville

Email:
[email protected]

Monica Rousseau

by Natasha Kubis | Apr 2, 2021 | Asheville, Real Estate, Women Empowerment, Women in Business

Monica Rousseau is an innovator, a mentor, and a leader that has helped shape her community in positive ways with her optimism and forward-thinking attitude. She is a proud mama of 5 kids, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, and an example of everything you can achieve when you believe in yourself.

She takes great pride in her work as principal broker at Realty ONE Group Pivot, one of the fastest growing real estate firms in Western North Carolina. Monica opened the office in 2019 because she wanted to offer a different kind of firm, one that is edgy and dynamic. She says it’s more of an “UNbrokerage” firm, where brokers can grow their businesses and provide for their families in an encouraging atmosphere that is agent-centric. Her business thrives on a culture of connectivity and support. “A rising tide raises all ships”, she says, and when one of her team members is thriving, the entire team is a success. The hallmark of her company is the mentorship and coaching approach she takes with each agent, becoming a teacher, confidant, and friend. This approach truly allows the team to become ONE family. Her brokers also utilize the most advanced technology tools to grow their businesses. For example, they were already strongly established in the online platform, so when Covid-19 hit and the industry had to make huge transitions, Realty ONE Group Pivot didn’t miss a beat and it has been business as usual throughout the pandemic.

Realty ONE Group Pivot is a full-service concierge brokerage firm that works with new construction, residential, land, and commercial spaces. They do everything for their clients from cleaning out spaces, coordinating services, estate sales, and introducing them to the best local hangouts. They anticipate their clients needs and they keep the process as seamless as possible in order to remove any stress factors. Monica’s favorite part of the job is building relationships with agents, clients, and the community. Buying and selling real estate, in particular, someone’s family home, is one of the most stressful events in life. “This job allows us, as brokers, to be a part of the most intimate space in a person’s life…their home. It’s so special to be a part of that.”

When this boss babe is not running her business and supporting her team of 36 brokers, you can find her advocating for her community through programs like Safelight and serving on various committees for the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. One of Monica’s proudest accomplishments was starting GAFA Studios, a non-profit dance studio in Wilmington, NC. Her daughter is an accomplished dancer and when her dance studio closed down, Monica decided to open up her own space. She has always been passionate about empowering children and is a strong advocate for their wellbeing, as well as an activist in ending child sex trafficking. The studio served as a means to accomplish that by helping boys and girls find their intrinsic worth, to know their gifts, and to feel good about themselves. “Everyone has greatness inside of them and I love to help other people find that greatness.”

The most important thing to Monica is her beloved family. Her greatest joy in life is when her and her husband get to watch their 5 kids do all the things they love to do such as football, softball, dance, and track. They are a family of athletes and her eldest son loves competing with her in the Spartan race (Monica is currently training for a triathlon). She will often bring her kids with her to the office to help educate them on the ins and outs of business operations.

Monica spends her free time training for races, playing golf, swimming, surfing, and skiing. She also loves to cook and is a huge jokester. “If it’s not fun, I’m not doin’ it”, she says. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and she strives to live from a place of authenticity and vulnerability. “I have faults and I make mistakes. It’s okay to pick yourself up, dust your knees off, and keep moving forward every day”, she says. She knows that we are all still learning and becoming the best versions of ourselves. “I get up in the morning to help people reach their goals, that’s what drives me the most”, she says.

MONICA ROUSSEAU
Principal Broker
319 N King Street
Hendersonville, NC 28792
m: 828.676.7264
o: 828.595.2494
https://linktr.ee/rousseau

Trish Luzzi–Going the Extra Mile

by Natasha Kubis | Feb 1, 2021 | Asheville, Harley Motorcycle, Real Estate, Women Empowerment, Women in Business

Trish Luzzi has been on the back of a motorcycle since she was 16 years old. Her love of freedom and exploration has given her the reputation of being a gypsy among her family and friends. Her openness to adventure is what led her from Canada to the United States to pursue her career in the media and real estate industries. She is passionate about encouraging others to take chances and follow their dreams. Helping people achieve their goals is what makes her the dedicated, determined, and savvy real estate advisor that she is today.

Trish has a great team of professionals at Engel & Völkers, and she feels blessed to work with Bethany Behrmann, their amazing broker in charge, who guides and encourages the team daily in their professional careers. Trish has lots of personal experience with buying and selling homes which motivated her to get her real estate license in 2018. Real estate is a way for Trish to help people settle down and get to where they want to be on their journeys. She wears many hats in the industry and enjoys both sides of a real estate transaction, whether that be selling someone’s home or finding them their next dream home.

To Trish, it’s not just about the brick and mortar of the home. It’s about going that extra mile for her clients. That can mean getting her hands dirty in crawl spaces and attics, understanding water and radon testing, being knowledgeable about septic systems and wells, and establishing trusting friendships with her clients. She goes above and beyond to make sure all the details are taken care of and her client can feel at ease throughout the process. She is able to get the resources her clients need so that they don’t have to sweat the small stuff. For instance, Trish had some out-of-state clients who purchased a home, but were not moving into the home for several months. Trish would check on their house every week and pick up their mail. Trish embodies everything you could want in a real estate advisor. She has keen negotiation skills, she’s detail oriented, a great problem solver, and to top it all off, she has a fun loving and charismatic personality.

Trish and her partner, Jim, also co-own Aero Property Investors where they work with people who want to get into the real estate game, but don’t want to handle all the aspects of property management and house flipping. Their company’s goal is to maximize their client’s funds by helping them invest in local and affordable real estate. They also work with realtors and clients to clear out homes in preparation for closings.

Trish’s journey began in Hamilton, Ontario, where she served as the Community Relations Representative for the McDonald’s Corporation. One of the greatest achievements of her career was serving on the board of directors to build a Ronald McDonald House in her home town. While raising money for the project, she met Don Luzzi, her future father-in-law and mentor, and the person that catalyzed her career in the media industry. Don was the president of two radio stations in Hamilton & Toronto and Trish was impressed by his sharp negotiating skills, cleverness, and refined business sense. She knew from their first meeting that she wanted to work for him and had asked him for a job at his station. After a few years of working for different radio stations, Don hired her at his station for sales and marketing. His integrity and leadership skills separated him from the rest of the pack and the skills Trish learned from him early on in her career left a lasting mark on her for years to come. She has been divorced from her ex-husband for a long time, but she continues to remain close to Don, and he continues to be one of her closest advisors.

Trish’s own father passed away when she was just a little girl, and her mother taught her and her siblings to always be strong willed and autonomous. When Trish went through difficult times in her life, her family reminded her to stay true to her independent, spontaneous, and adventurous spirit. This sentiment is what inspired her to get her motorcycle license. She was determined to be the driver of her own destiny, not just a passenger along for the ride.

Trish’s sense of adventure led her from Canada to the United States, where she became a permanent resident and lived in Florida and Connecticut, eventually settling down in North Carolina. She has managed teams of account executives whose focus was helping realtors market themselves in the digital world. She also worked with big companies such as Sotheby’s and Coldwell Banker to assist them in utilizing their marketing dollars to attract buyers and sellers. While living in Connecticut, she became the Senior Director of Sales Operations for Hearst Connecticut Media.

Trish had always been determined to move to the Carolinas and when she met her partner, Jim Fritz, they were able to make that dream a reality. Trish and Jim share a love of adventure and motorcycles, so the winding and scenic mountain roads of Western North Carolina were a major draw for them. “It doesn’t take much of a nudge from either of us to drop what we are doing and go for a ride any month of the year.” A typical ride for them lasts from 3 to 10 hours and they can end up in another state just to go to lunch.“We have covered all of the Northeast, including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont. Our best trip so far, was a 6-day trip from Connecticut to the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia with a group of friends.” Her true home is on a bike, boat, or a horse, and is where she finds her ultimate peace of mind. Tragedy struck when Trish had a bad car accident a few years ago and she found herself apprehensive about getting back on her bike. With the support and encouragement of Jim, she is determined to get back to riding and becoming that adventurous free spirit once again.

Trish hasn’t let go of her media background and is also an account executive for AVL Media Inc. and does freelance work for SOFIA magazine. She is proud to be a part of the publication because it focuses on local business women and has featured some great gals on the cover, many of whom she works with in her industry.

On a personal level, Trish is super optimistic and there is no place for negativity in her world. She can always find the good in any situation. While she strives to be the best version of herself, she knows it’s also important, especially for women, to love ourselves the way we are, and be comfortable in our own skin in order to truly give to others and to be of service. She is a Rotarian with the Hendersonville Rotary Club and some of her major goals for 2021 include completing 30 charitable activities (she has a food drive set up in her neighborhood for Manna food bank in February), as well as taking 30 hikes, and 30 motorcycle rides.

Trish Luzzi
Real Estate Advisor
ENGEL & VÖLKERS Asheville
[email protected]
trishluzzi.evrealestate.com
828-423-0248

Natasha Kubis is a licensed acupuncturist and certified yoga teacher.
For more information, visit acuwellhealth.com

Sabrina West – Helping Others Attain Their Dreams, One Mortgage At A Time

by Natasha Kubis | Nov 1, 2020 | Asheville, Real Estate, Women Empowerment

Sabrina West’s ambition has been stirring in her since she was just a child. The story of where she came from, and where she ended up, with the twists and turns along the way, has helped cultivate the savvy business woman she is today. As a wife, a mother of 5 wonderful children (one of whom has special needs), a caregiver to her elderly parents, a fitness guru, and a lioness in the mortgage industry, this powerhouse of a woman is truly a self-made success.

Sabrina’s roots run deep in these mountains and her relatives have been in the Asheville area for generations. She comes from a good hearted, salt of the earth, working class family. Her father, a disabled veteran, did his best to provide for his family, despite experiencing tremendous financial hardships. As a child, there were times when they went without heat, and would gather in the living room with sleeping bags to keep warm by the fire. The financial challenges during her upbringing were offset by her family’s perseverance and strong bond. Their struggles also served as the fuel she needed to trailblaze her own success story.

Sabrina’s mother has been a huge influence on her life. She’s been a devoted wife for 58 years and is the epitome of a saint. Her strength, nonjudgmental attitude, and enduring patience has been a guide for Sabrina throughout her life. “I was a rebel, so I challenged her, but she has always accepted me for who I am. She knows the right words to say all the time, and her enduring positivity and kindness comes from her faith in God.” Her mom has taught her to stay motivated, and stay true to her path, even when things get tough.

At age 12, Sabrina began assisting her mother with bookkeeping at her fathers’ garage, and then at age 15, she started a job in accounting at Paty’s Building Company. Numbers became easy to her, out of necessity. If she wanted something for herself, she had to know exactly how much money was required and how hard she needed to work for it. As a teen, she would write herself notes with positive affirmations, and stick them all around her room. She would read these reminders daily, until she believed her own truth – that anything is possible if you live your life with dedication and intention. This mindset would help guide her throughout her career, especially when helping others actualize their own financial goals.

She graduated from AC Reynolds High School and was the first in her family to go to college. She went to East Tennessee State University, where she studied physical therapy, a path that was inspired by her father’s disabilities, but decided to shift gears. She came back to her home town and did course work at the University of North Carolina and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Institute.

Sabrina became a single mom at age 25, and was waiting on tables, while working on a plan to provide the ideal life for her baby girl. She found herself taking the first steps toward her 18-year career in the mortgage industry, first as a receptionist, and then moving onto accounting and loan processing. She received her mortgage broker license to diversify her stream of income, but in addition to sales, continued to work on the operations side of the business for several years.

During the financial crash of 2008, Sabrina temporarily got out of the business, and was inspired to teach fitness by her close friend and mentor, Kim Hreha. Sabrina has always been interested in her own health and fitness, and teaching at Kim’s strength training center, HF Center of Exercise Science, provided her with an opportunity to develop her leadership skills. Kim saw Sabrina’s strengths, and taught her to believe in herself, while empowering others to do the same.

With an ignited passion to help others, Sabrina had the confidence to open Guaranteed Rate, a residential mortgage company, in 2017. Her in-depth knowledge of the operations side of the business, combined with her sales background, bolstered a successful foundation for her company. She was able to build a strong, cooperative team of 7 VP ‘s of mortgage lending. “They are the best of the best!”, she says. Sabrina and her team assist their clients in making educated home buying decisions, and achieving their mortgage goals within 30 days or less.

“Our culture and industry have moved to technology where people no longer meet in person, and transactions are completed with online signing, emails, and texting. It is important to me to continue to make a personal connection and establish rapport with my clients. I talk to them on the phone or in person to solidify that trust from the very beginning. I work hard to find an individual mortgage plan for them”, she says. Her team continues to support their clients by ensuring that they understand each and every step of the lending process.

“This is not an easy business. You need a tough skin and quitting is not an option”, says Sabrina. She has been called a “fighter” because she works hard for her clients. If their dreams and goals seem out of reach, she helps them find practical ways to achieve them. She looks at their debts, helps them organize their finances, balance their budgets, and creates solutions. Her system is centered on highly individualized mortgage plans, which are unique to each customer.

Home-buying is among the most stressful life events (alongside death and divorce). Anxiety is a natural part of this industry, and these types of big life changes require the highest level of support. Finances are personal, and there is a great deal of vulnerability involved. Numbers are black and white, but it’s important to Sabrina that she relates to her clients on a humanistic level, outside of just the numbers. She thinks of herself as a time traveler because she meets people wherever they are on their journey. Whether her clients are first time home buyers, or retirees planning for the future, Sabrina knows that trust is a major component of their relationship.

Sabrina finds great reward in working with people who are going through major life changes. A memorable experience for her was when she worked with a divorcée whose 26-year marriage had come to an end. Her client had always been a stay at home mom, and was now faced with the task of redefining herself, starting over, finding a new home, and a new career path. It meant a lot to Sabrina to be able to empower and support her client through these massive transitions. “I believe God gave each one of us special gifts; helping people discover these gifts motivates me daily”, says Sabrina.

Sabrina was the only female top producing branch manager in her region from 2017 to 2019 and her achievements led to recognition by Guaranteed Rate, as well as a feature in the Scotsman Guide as one of the nation’s top-producing mortgage lenders. “There are many strong women in this industry and I am so proud to work with some of the best realtors, attorneys, and lenders on a daily basis”, she says.

“We have to work hard every day in our fast-paced culture to find balance with work, life, kids, parents, spouses, and friends. We must live with intention, make choices we are proud of, take moments to share a smile, give a pep talk, breathe, and most of all, listen”. Sabrina came to this discovery after her near-death experience during the birth of her youngest son. He was recently diagnosed with Autism, after many years of searching for a diagnosis. This experience propelled her to focus on all his positive gifts, and nurture them to the fullest. It taught her to be optimistic, encouraging, and to never give up. Everything she has been through, and everything she has overcome, has brought her to a place of abundance in her life. When people say they can’t, she responds, “yes you can”. She is living proof.

When asked to shed some pearls of business insight to women who may be starting out or transitioning into new careers, Sabrina answered, “be coachable, ask lots of questions, educate yourself, be an expert in your field, and laugh at yourself. Challenges create character, and there are no mistakes, just new lessons to learn”.

Guaranteed Rate
30 Town Square Blvd Suite 206 Asheville, NC 28803
(828) 778-4224 cell
(828) 412-4337 office
[email protected]
rate.com/sabrinawest

Traci Burke – Mad Ones Real Estate, Living Her Best Life

by Sandi Tomlin-Sutker | Jul 30, 2020 | Asheville, Real Estate, Women, Women Empowerment

By Sandi Tomlin-Sutker

Traci Burke is one of a rare group: born and raised in Asheville in a family who has been in the region for at least four generations. Her life and ambitions took her away and then back again, recognizing what an awesome place this is to create an extraordinary life.

SEARCHING FOR HER PASSION

“When I graduated from high school, I had no clue what I wanted to do or be.” Getting a decent job was her first goal and that landed her at Mission hospital in housekeeping. Her assignment was cleaning all the public bathrooms there. She quickly realized she wanted to do something bigger with her life. She became a nursing assistant working in labor and delivery, then took classes at AB Tech to get into the competitive LPN program. She didn’t stop there, pushing onward to become a nurse anesthetist.

The first program that accepted her was the University of New England in Maine. “I decided to go for it. I was divorced at the time and had to make the choice of uprooting myself and possibly my child (at age 13 he opted to stay here with his dad). I knew if I didn’t do it, I’d regret it and I didn’t want to get to the end of my life and have regrets!”

“The first year of working as a nurse anesthetist I made a good salary and you’d think I’d feel I’d accomplished something, but it was totally the opposite. I went through a major depression. Was this all there was to life, getting up every day to go to the hospital, pay my bills, doing something on weekends? I knew there was something else I was supposed to be doing.”

Traci had owned her first house before going to anesthesia school, decided to rent it while she was gone and realized, “the renters paid my mortgage while I was in school. I thought maybe I should do it again. I watched shows like Flip This House, etc. and learned a lot. I thought I could buy a house, remodel it and sell it for a profit . . . and I did. Unfortunately, she also did it at the very worst possible time, 2007-2008. It took about 10 years to sell it at the right price and along the way she learned a lot of valuable lessons, especially that she needed to educate herself about real estate investing, mortgage and financing options, and how to spot and close a deal. She joined a local real estate investors’ group and right away met the person who would become her mentor and private coach.

REMODELING HER LIFE

Real estate was a major breakthrough for Traci. “I had finally found my passion! I also managed to find and marry a wonderful man in the midst of all that. We both bring our strengths to the table.” The relationship also brought a new child into her life. Together they adopted a weeks-old baby girl about seven years ago. Life has been, as she describes it, fun and challenging ever since.

Traci and Doug’s portfolio now includes several single family and multi-family properties, renovated into beautiful long-term rentals, as well as several properties they have built on desirable West Asheville lots. Traci became a real estate agent and then a Broker in Charge, running her own West Asheville brokerage called Mad Ones. In their spare time, Traci and Doug coach others on how to become real estate investors, building passive income for themselves and their legacies.

The belief that is out there in Buncombe County is that there are not any bargains left, especially in West Asheville. “I think my stubborn nature says, ‘don’t tell me I can’t, I’ll prove you wrong!’ My coach always told me there are opportunities everywhere, in every season. I see the world as a glass half full; I refuse to focus on the negative. I want to live an extraordinary life, have extraordinary relationships and give back in a big way. To do that you have to be successful.”

She puts a lot of intentional effort into seeing life this way. Traci has developed tools to help keep her on the path. One of them is to run through a list, every morning before getting out of bed, of all she has to be thankful for. She also does a lot of inspirational reading and realizes if she can help just one person live a better life she will be successful. “You know we have so much in this country, but many are focused on what they don’t have. It’s little things like having fresh water to drink, a bed to sleep in, and a roof over our heads. We are truly blessed.”

WHY THE MAD ONES?

“The name is based on the well-known quote from Jack Kerouac”, Traci explains. “It’s really about my philosophy of life. I’m not willing to settle for a mediocre life! I want to suck the marrow out of life you could say! I want to live my version of extraordinary and help others live their version. I can help do that through real estate if they are willing to listen and put in the work. My partner came up with the name and when I heard it, I just knew that it describes who I am and how I live my life. I wanted a memorable name that makes people ask questions . . . and it does!”

As a brokerage, they work with buyers and sellers of all kinds and walks of life. As a team they are each crazy about life, real estate, and the people in our Asheville community. Traci’s story is one of perseverance, influencing people around her to go after an extraordinary life. In a way, learning how to build a life and legacy you are proud of, not being afraid to remodel from time to time.

Monthly Community meeting
at Mad Ones
Last Tuesday of every month at 6 pm
717 Haywood Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Food/drinks provided
Featured speaker
[email protected]
Phone: 828-222-7327

Relocating to WNC

by Trish Luzzi | Aug 29, 2019 | Asheville, Real Estate, Relocating

By Trish Luzzi

Welcome to the first edition of SOFIA! I am very excited to be a part of this publication to share tips in Real Estate every month with you. This month’s topic is “Relocating to WNC.” Here are a few pointers to do prior to your trip here, and then what to do when you arrive to look at homes.

WNC has so much to offer for all ages and is a fantastic place to call home. When thinking about moving here you should reach out to a local Realtor prior to your arrival to have a consultation about why you are thinking about moving and what your “must have list” is. Each county in WNC has its own uniqueness and the towns within each county are also unique. Realtors ask for this time upfront as it is very important for us to understand your needs prior to showing you homes so we can best serve you. When I have folks coming in from out of town, I like to chat with them prior to their visit and send them some homes to look online so we can ensure that we are on the same page with house needs before they arrive.

Many customers ask, “Why do we have to meet you at your office?”. We do this for many reasons, one being safety for our agents. Many offices have a policy that agents must meet at the office and get a copy of the customers drivers license to keep on file. We also review with each customer the, Working with Realtors in NC brochure, to help explain how to work with an agent, so you can protect your confidential information. You are not a “client” until you are under contract with an agent, so ensure that you keep personal and confidential information to yourself until you are under contract. When I meet with folks from out of town, I spend either a morning or afternoon with them on the road, after our meeting, to review paperwork, then I give them some homework to do on their own. I ask them to tour downtown Asheville, Hendersonville, and Black Mountain (if that is their general area) and spend some time in each one. That way they can experience each town and provide really good feedback for our next venture out to see homes. Agents will encourage you to do a “drive by” on your own time as well, and that isn’t because we don’t wish to show you the home, it is because some areas may not be what you like or you may find by driving up to some of our homes in higher elevations, you may not wish to go inside after all. While the attraction of living on a mountain is appealing to most from out of state, the roads to get to your home may be challenging for some once they experience the drive up. This also assists us to focus in on what will really work for you and not disrupt sellers in leaving their homes for something that isn’t going to work anyways due to location. Also plan three-four days minimum in town if you can to see if you like the area and really invest the time to see all aspects of the town you wish to call your next home.

“Some who relocate choose to do a 6-12-month rental first and then spend the time to really look as they have a chance to live here at the same time as looking.”

We do find many times that visitors to the area will arrive and then call into Realtor to try to get into homes that day. While we are excited that you are wanting to see homes, many of us have our day planned out with clients and so we don’t wish to disappoint you, so preplanning works best for all. Also, in fairness to our sellers we do try to give them 24 hours notice for each showing. There are many excellent Real Estate agents in our area and so when you speak to one that you feel you will have a great connection with, stay with them and provide feedback to develop a fantastic working relationship. One final note, homes are still selling very well in our market so if you are serious about purchasing a home, ensure that you are pre-approved for a loan and any agent can help you with locating a great local lender here. You don’t want to miss out getting a home because you were not pre-qualified for a loan.

I hope you enjoy the first issue of SOFIA and if you are just visiting us and picked up a copy, we hope to see you back here real soon

Trish Luzzi lives in Asheville, NC and is a professional real estate broker. [email protected]

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