I’m a girl who has rented apartment after apartment (oh the stories I could tell…). From the good, to the bad, to the ugly I’ve seen and lived in it all, trust me. Overall, renting is fine but everytime I write that rent check I stop and think about the money I’m essentially throwing away. [...]

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Attention all first-time homebuyers!
At the Allen Tate Companies we take pride in helping people achieve the goal of homeownership.  As homeowners ourselves, we understand real estate on a personal level. One day, several of us in the office were sharing our experiences about buying our first home. When the conversation turned to “I wish someone [...]

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Most people would think about the inspection of their home the day before the home inspector is scheduled to arrive. But if you are planning to sell your home it is always good practice to take care of some of the potential issues before you put your house on the market.
Is the banister to the [...]

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Ten years ago, you didn’t expect to turn on the television and see insurance companies battling it out for commercial time in between your favorite shows. You also didn’t see them as some of the biggest sponsors of the sporting event of the year, the Super Bowl.
Times have changed though—and some of the big [...]

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Starting your home search can be extremely exciting  – and nerve-wracking. You are about to embark on a great adventure. It can be easy to get caught up in all the excitement and lose track of the many different moving parts you need to keep in place. One of the most important moving parts is [...]

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As a consumer, I’ve often wondered what I should be asking my real estate agent when buying or selling a home. At one point, when I was purchasing my first home, I wondered if I even needed an agent – how hard could it be after all? I did try to purchase a home without [...]

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Hardly a day passes without someone asking “How’s the real estate market?” We have seen ups and we have seen downs. What I tell people is that, clients who have credit are listening to today’s mantra of selling low in order to buy low, instead of what their neighbors did just a few years ago [...]

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With the wonderful climates here in the Carolinas (minus the heat wave we’ve been subject to recently!), we get to spend a lot of time entertaining and enjoying our outdoor living spaces. That being said, there is no reason for your planters to sit bare during the fall and winter months. Many of us simply [...]

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While having access to so many online tools and resources can make the home-buying process less time consuming, it doesn’t necessarily make it any less overwhelming.
There are a few basic steps I recommend that can make the process a whole lot easier for you.

Get pre-qualified. When I say that you may be sitting there wondering, [...]

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Having been in the insurance industry for years, this question is probably one of the most popular inquiries we get!
Limited coverage (usually $1000) is provided on the homeowner’s policy to remove a tree that has damaged a covered property due to wind, hail, and the weight of ice, sleet, or snow. This coverage responds provided [...]

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