Author: todzak

Do you need to fix everything before you sell?  I hear this question all the time, and here’s what I tell sellers: some repairs add value, others cost money and don’t give you a return on your investment at closing. I’ve seen sellers spend thousands on projects that buyers didn’t care about, while ignoring smaller … Continued

If you’re planning to sell your home, stop trusting online home value estimates. I see homeowners all the time who think they know what their property is worth because a website told them so. Then they find out buyers are looking at completely different sales, different neighborhoods, and different market conditions. Hi, I’m Tanja Odzak, … Continued

Hey, Oakland & Berkeley! It’s time for your JULY MARKET UPDATE! We are fully in the Summer Market, so Home Sellers and Home Buyers, listen on! Here are the latest stats that you need to know. Hi, I’m Tanja Odzak, Realtor with eXp Realty, helping people sell and buy homes right here in the East … Continued

What are the Top 4 Biggest Challenges when helping your aging parent downsize their house. This is real work, and I want to give you the four obstacles you’ll actually face and how to get past them. Challenge One: Emotional Attachment. Every room has a memory. This is where the kids grew up, where holidays … Continued

Your parent doesn’t need to move because they’re old. They need to move because the home has become a problem. Here are three clues it’s time to have the conversation. Hi, I’m Tanja Odzak, Realtor with eXp Realty. I help people sell and buy homes right here in the East Bay  Number one: maintenance is … Continued

3 Things to know about selling a home where someone passed. These are the 3 things that matter most, and the first one may surprise you. Number one: disclose it, then forget about it. The longer you sit with the secret, the weirder it feels. Get it out early, state it clearly, and move on … Continued

Hey Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, and Lafayette! It’s time for your MARKET UPDATE! We are about to enter the Summer Market, so  Home Sellers and Home Buyers, listen on! Here are the latest stats that you need to know. Hi, I’m Tanja Odzak, Realtor with eXp Realty, helping people sell and buy homes right here … Continued

Someone passed away in the home. Now what? This is one of the hardest conversations I have. A death in the home changes how buyers perceive it, and we have to be honest about that. First: A death in the home within the past 3 years must be disclosed in California, so we are required … Continued

Sometimes life throws a curveball. A family member gets sick. There’s an accident. Suddenly you need to sell the home, and the house is in rough shape. It happens quite often actually and I get it. Here’s what doesn’t work: Hiring an inexperienced agent and pretending the home condition doesn’t matter or pricing it like … Continued

Losing a parent and then having to sell their home is a lot to carry at once. I see families stuck here for months, sometimes years, because nobody wants to be the one who “sells Mom’s house.” It’s important to remember, that your parent would want you to make the decision that’s right for your … Continued