This morning while working in my garden, I heard that amazing sound created by the world famous USAF Thunderbirds, who were working their magic while practicing, in the blue skies above. It prompted me to look up. For those interested in aviation marvels, this weekend kicks off the California Capital Air at nearby Mather Air Field in Rancho Cordova.This year, the California Capital Airshow will run Saturday and Sunday, September 23rd and 24th.Gates Open 9 to 5 - Performances 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PMThe California Capital Airshow is a crowd pleaser to residents in the Greater Sacramento Region.For more information about the show, performances and tickets, you can visit: https://californiacapitalairshow.com 09/21/2023

This morning, I heard a cute pirate joke. Q: How did the pirate get his Jolly Roger so cheaply?A: He bought it on sail. It prodded me to remind everyone that tomorrow is the 28th Annual “International Talk Like a Pirate Day.”For my family, “International Talk Like a Pirate Day,” celebrated each September 19th, has struck a resonate chord almost from the moment of its inception years ago.  It is a day we have cut loose modern convention, and freed our Inner Pirate!In the past I have photo-blogged our pirate party adventures.  They came with such themes as “Where Pirates Go” and “My Big Fat Greek Pirate Party.”For a little International Talk Like a Pirate Day history, its inception began in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers from Albany, Oregon.  These two proclaimed September 19th of eac... 09/18/2023

Small, but mighty! That’s what we’re going to talk about today!Most people focus on major upgrades to their home when they want to spruce it up. But we’re not talking about kitchen remodels or new decks today.Let’s talk about small, inexpensive ways you can breathe new life into your house!1: Swap out fixtures in your kitchen and bathrooms. Things like cabinet door pulls, shower heads, and faucets are all instant tells of how old your house is. Switching out things that you commonly touch in your house will give you, or the person looking to buy, the feeling that the entire house is newer and more updated than it actually is.2: In addition to the fixtures, swap out old light switches and sockets. Nothing screams ‘old house’ more than old or mismatched light switches and sockets. Spend a... 09/18/2023

 My favorite neighborhood in Elk Grove is Camden Passage.  I love living in this community!  My husband and I have lived in this community for almost 34 years now!  We love the lake, the trails, the community events and most of all the feeling of community that is present all the time!  For this post I went back and found an old video that I had created many years ago...probably about 10 or 12.  It's one of the first videos I made for YouTube!  This has motivated me to make a new one this year as there will be a lot of community events coming up in the next few months.  So, stay tuned for an updated version!This post is part of the #30dayrealestatesocialmediachallenge and this is for day 13 of The 30-Day Real Estate Social Media Challenge:“Post a video of yourself giving a tour of a nei... 09/17/2023

There's a lot of doom and gloom afoot in the real estate world!  It seems like everywhere we turn, we are being told the sky is falling!  But is it?  Truly, the current market really feels like a fairly normal fall market here in the Sacramento area. Yes, we are experiencing...🥴 High interest rates🤪 Crazy low inventory😘 Fairly consistent prices...not really up or down🙃 And longer days on marketThe fact is that homes are still selling!  At a slower rate than in the spring and summer months but that's normal for the beginning of fall.  Sellers are figuring out what to do to get buyers into contract...they are being a bit more flexible and sometimes offering credits to buy down interest rates and buyers are getting a bit more used to higher rates.  If we saw more inventory right now we wou... 09/17/2023

Check out the 3 most common mistakes made by first time home buyers.Don’t forget one of the biggest ones is not calling us!#realestate #homebuyingtips #buyingahome #realestateadvice #newhomeLori Mode is the rainmaker and owner of the Mode Real Estate Group. Lori started her career in real estate in 1987 after ten plus years as an Escrow Officer in the Sacramento area. Lori purchased her first home at the age of 19 and quickly realized that real estate was her passion and the best way for her to accumulate wealth. It gives her great satisfaction knowing she is creating generational wealth for her clients and families.Once she started at Keller Williams Realty, she was taught how to build a business, and a team, and the Mode and Durham Team was born. Fast forward and she now owns and runs... 09/15/2023

Choosing a home to buy is only half the battle. You still have to pay for it! While that’s an obvious statement, the way you pay for your new home is just as, if not MORE important than any other step in the process. And just like the options you get when you’re house shopping, you also have options when it comes to loans.Here are the 4 most common types of home loans.#1 A fixed rate mortgage, or conventional home loan This is the most common type of home loan you’ll find. Around 90% of buyers will choose a fixed-rate mortgage, usually at a 30 year term. Fixed rate mortgages benefit from, you guessed it, a fixed interest rate over the life of the loan. Meaning you can lock in a good rate and keep it until the loan is paid off. You can also find 20 and 15 year terms for fixed rate mortga... 09/14/2023

I’m a real estate agent and I make videos. And you’re probably like, “I know, but who cares?” Here’s why you should care. Because I make videos, I can get you more offers on your home.Generally speaking, because I make video content, I have a larger audience that consumes the content I put out. Some of that content is about the houses that I sell: larger audience, more potential buyers, more offers.Also, I regularly create listing videos that are professionally done by a videographer. So your house will be highlighted not only in professional photos but in a slick video walkthrough as well.Also, I’m happy to offer 1-on-1 showings through video. If a prospective buyer wants to see the house but can’t make it in person, we can jump on a video call and I can walk them through the house vir... 09/13/2023

It’s something that is coming up more often since the pandemic hit. Owning a rental property is usually a sure-fire way to maintain a solid stream of passive income, but there are some landlords who are now having trouble maintaining that investment.So, is it time to sell that rental property? COVID-19 created the perfect storm for some rental property owners. The pandemic ate up a lot of their profits from the property since many renters began defaulting but were protected by federal and state eviction moratoriums. This meant that many property owners still had to pay their mortgages on these homes, but were not getting the rental income they needed. Facing their own financial distress, many of these landlords are now at a crossroads with what to do with these properties. And even as e... 09/12/2023

Two earlier posts I made last week, covered ideas I have used, for providing no distribution cost, of real estate marketing materials. This third and last post in my series, will be no different.  However, I wish to cover how life sometimes creates circumstances we need to overcome, but in the end can be a blessing.In the 1990s, I went through several years where I wasn’t in the best health.  In addition, during that time, Sacramento endured three military base closures.  This put our city into significant recession.  Fortunately, in my previous 10 years as a Realtor, I had saved money.  That savings carried me through for a while.  However, one April morning, I realized I needed to find a way to try and retrieve my health - both physically and financially.  Because, I realized we were ... 09/11/2023

 I just sold this Elk Grove home for 2 wonderful sisters.  They had inherited their mom's home when their home passed away.  Unfortunately, mom really hadn't done any cosmetic work on this home in the past 20 years.  She did have the HVAC system and water heater updated, but that was really it.  We could have sold this home as a fixer upper and would probably have sold it for somewhere between $430,000 and $450,000.  However, I recommended we do some cosmetic work and they truly wanted to put their mom's house on the market in it's best light.  They hired my handyman and together we made decisions on new flooring throughout, new interior paint, new baseboards, some new lighting, and there was some roof work to be done also.  In about 2 weeks time, we were ready to go on the market!  The... 09/11/2023

Want to be confident that you’ll sell your home?Here’s a hack... Get a pre-selling home inspection. This is an inspection that you get, as the owner of your home, before you put it up on the market. It gives you an insight into any potential pitfalls down the road as you begin negotiating with buyers. There are, of course, some pros and cons to this.The pros? You get a really good idea of what the buyer’s inspection is going to look like. This means you can get potential repairs done on your house before you even put it up for sale, making the house look much more attractive when it comes to negotiate. Additionally, we have a better idea of how to price your home based any potential issues the inspection encounters.The cons? Mainly the cost. The seller needs to front this cost, unlike t... 09/10/2023

Not sure this is a fun fact, but it's a true fact!  Back in the hayday of REO's and Short Sales, they made up well over 60% of the market.  But today, although so many buyers seem to think the market is going to crash and bank owned homes will be available soon, the truth is that these distressed sales make up less than 1% of our market in the Sacramento area.Why do you think that is when it looks like we have market conditions where sellers may be in distress?  The difference between today and the housing market crash of 2008, is that so many homeowners have so much equity in their homes!  They did not have this equity in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  Many homeowners during that time had no equity or negative equity!  Short sales seemed to become the norm and this will not happen now with the ... 09/10/2023

This is the ONE smart appliance, that I think is TOTALLY worth it!  It may make your experience more complicated in the beginning, but this one can save you money and benefit your life!#realestate #buyingahome #realtor #smarthomedevice #realestatetips 09/09/2023

In the earliest days of my 40 year career as a Realtor, my children were young and still at home.  During that time, they were active in competitive swimming. Originally, they swam on a local recreation team, then moved onward to the Sacramento YMCA.  Ultimately they all swam at the Arden Hills Swim Club, ran by one-time, legendary Olympic Swim Coach, Sherm Chavoor.  I found from my children’s participation on the swim team, there was a beneficial side effect to building my business.  That benefit came, not only from the accumulated relationships with other local swim parents. It came from more distant relationships forged during swim meets throughout California, and Nevada.  In those years, I created calendars of all the AAU swim meets scheduled for the year. These were provided to swi... 09/08/2023

THE FINAL WALK-THROUGH IS USUALLY THE FIRST TIME YOU GET TO SEE JUST THE HOUSE YOU’RE PURCHASING, WITHOUT ALL THE FURNITURE AND DECORATIONS IN THE WAY … and it has the potential to save you $$$. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YOUR FINAL WALK-THROUGH, CHECK OUT THE VIDEO NOW.This is Day 4 of the #30dayrealestatesocialmediachallenge.  This post is a home buyer tip!  For more real estate tips for buyers and sellers, subscribe to my YouTube channel! #buyingahome #firsttimebuyer #finalwalkthrough #realestate #realtor #househunting #elkgroverealestate #homebuyertips #homesweethome #sacramentohomes 09/08/2023

With autumn getting set to knock at our door, I suspect many Realtors and other aligned professions may be contemplating marketing strategies for the coming season.  I may be able to provide an idea that will help.Realtors are always looking for unique ways to get their name out to the public - and to keep it there! And, certainly when I was actively listing and selling real estate, I was no different! There were the usual newsletters, cold calling, and local newspaper ads that are usually seen.   But, in the midst of a really down cycle in the housing market, one autumn day, I found a neat way to efficiently and economically have marketing materials delivered for FREE.  I decided to create little Trick or Treats for the kids visiting my door on Halloween.  Inside each little treat bag,... 09/07/2023

They’re watching!  Yes, did you know that you are sometimes RECORDED when you walk through a home showing? It’s true! It's essential to strike the right balance between expressing your opinions and keeping your cards close to your chest. Let’s talk through the tips:1.Be mindful of your surroundings and be cautious about what you say. Avoid discussing your financial situation, negotiation strategies, or any personal information that could be used against you.2.Keep it positive: While it's okay to comment on the home's features, try not to be overly critical. You never know if the homeowner is listening in, and you don't want to offend them which could be detrimental to a future negotiation.3.Ask questions, but don't overshare: Feel free to ask your agent questions about the property whil... 09/07/2023

This is along the Camden Lake trails in my city, Elk Grove.  I have run or walked these trails for over 30 years now and I love it!  It's always so peaceful early in the morning and there's so much nature to see.  I feel very blessed to live in an area where I can walk out my front door and see this beauty.  This is my Day 3 of #30dayrealestatesocialmediachallengeHere is the challenge - “Post a photo of your favorite spot in your city, town, or neighborhood."   09/07/2023

Here are a couple of testimonials I recently received from clients - Excellent customer service and prompt response. Lori's team is so good because they pick up documents from my house, provide good referrals for house repair and painting. Excellent skills in taking photos. Lori's team also provide free staging service. I think this is a plus in today's real estate market.If you don't have an agent yet, I highly recommend Lori to everybody. R&A, Elk Grove | Seller   Lori Mode's plan for renovations to the property were sound and resolved quickly, her advice helped tremendously, and her integrity is sterling. If I ever have any more real estate needs in the Sacramento/Elk Grove area, I will partner with Lori Mode. Marsha Rhodes, Nashville, Arkansas | Seller Lori Mode and the Mode Real Es... 09/06/2023