Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, my brokerage, is teaming up with HGTV’s Fixer Upper series to offer viewers a chance to win a $50,000 prize including a consultation from Chip & Joanna Gaines, hosts of the series.  Enter for a chance to win $50,000 and a consultation with the stars of HGTV's Fixer Upper. Enter at 50kFixUp.com .  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., age 21 or older. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Sweepstakes ends at 5:00p.m. ET on June 15, 2015. For full official rules, visit www.50kFixUp.com. Sponsored by BHH Affiliates LLC, 18500 Von Karman Avenue, #400, Irvine, California 92612.   If you have any questions feel free to contact me. Good Luck!

With shrinking inventories, many buyers are finding only competitive offers will win them the house they want.   Listed below are several ways that home buyers can make more competitive “irresistible” offers. Be pre-approved: Develop a strategy with your loan consultant.  They will help you review your credit reports to make sure they are accurate.  They can also advise you on short-term steps to improve your credit score.  Then you will be ready to take the next step and get preapproval.   The preapproval letter will show sellers you are a serious buyer. Don’t lowball: You may only get one chance to get the home you want in a competitive market. You may not get a second try to sweeten the deal later, so a lowball offer the first time around could cause you to lose out. Use sales prices of comparable properties in the neighborhood to submit your best offer the first time around.   Your realtor can provide a Comparative Market Analysis for the property you are considering buying

There are so many awesome things about hot days like poolside relaxation and cookouts with friends, but what about all the money you’re blowing on energy costs at home? Thankfully, there are ways that you can cut costs during this hot, sweaty season. You’ll also be doing the environment a favor – According to the Energy Department, about half of a household’s overall energy is used up by heating and cooling in the home. Here are 5 helpful ways to cut down on pesky energy costs during hot days. Clean your filters.   – Clean them out at least once a month, which can be done very easily. All you have to do is run water through the filters and let them air dry. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it…and your wallet will thank you! Keep that cold air in!   – It’s especially important to keep all the cold air that’s coming out of your home’s vents to stay in your home and not seep outdoors. You can do this by applying inexpensive plastic film around older windows to prevent a dra