Home Seller Checklist


Selling your home requires many steps. Some of the most important ones are staging and decluttering your home.

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Aside from pricing, the best things to focus on for a successful home sale are staging and decluttering.

We don’t live in our homes in the same way that we showcase them. There is a huge difference between the two. There are probably a lot of things in your home that you’ll need to get rid or put in storage to properly prepare your home.

Curb appeal is the number one attractant of buyers.

When you remove those personal items, knick-knacks, and general clutter, you can maximize the space in your home. That is crucial for opening up the imagination of buyers who come and see the home. When they can imagine their own furniture and personal items in your home, they are only forming a stronger bond with the house.

Curb appeal is the number one attractant of buyers outside. Even if it’s just a quick landscaping fix or some peeling paint, get it shored up to attract more buyers. It can actually make the difference between somebody stopping and setting up a showing and just simply driving by. If your house doesn’t look pristine, the buyer might not come back.

If you have any questions for us or need help getting your home ready for a quick and profitable sale, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you soon.

Down Payments Don’t Have to Be an Obstacle for Homeownership


There are a lot of loan options out there with low down payment options. There are even some that don’t require a down payment at all. Here are some options you have for an affordable down payment as a homebuyer.

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What's the biggest obstacle to homeownership?

According to a recent survey, "saving enough for a down payment" comes at the top of the list. A whopping 55% of prospective homebuyers cited this as their main stumbling block.

And with the continuing growth of home prices, things aren't getting any easier. In fact, homeownership rates reached a 20-year low last November.

It wasn't always like this.

A decade ago, many lenders were offering easy, no-money-down mortgages.

However, after the financial crisis, mortgage standards have become more restrictive.

Here's the good news.

If you have decent credit and a steady income, you might be qualified for a number of specialized programs that require no or very little down payment. Here are a few of the top options.

First, there's the USDA loan, which is valid for homes in certain regions, such as rural and suburban areas.

With zero money down and lenient credit requirements, the USDA loan can be a great choice for many homeowners.

Second, there’s the VA loan, which you can apply for if you or your spouse served in a branch of the military.

It's possibly the most generous zero-money-down mortgage because of low interest rates and low closing costs.

Third, there's the FHA loan. It does require a 3.5% down payment.

Finally, there are a number credit unions and first-time homebuyer programs that might apply to your particular situation.

There’s one important thing you should know.  

If you get one of these no-money-down mortgages, chances are good you will be required to pay private mortgage insurance, which can drive up your monthly payments.

Fortunately, private mortgage insurance will disappear after your mortgage balance is under 80%. Also, the money you do pay will be tax deductible in most cases.

In short, there are lots of options to make owning a home a reality for you, even if you haven't saved up tens of thousands of dollars.

If you're considering buying a home, check out some of the great homes that have come on the market around Lincoln recently:


And if you need more advice on getting a no-money-down loan, give me a call at (402) 475-5555. I can put you in touch with some experienced Lincoln, Nebraska area lenders who can answer your questions and help get you started.

The Latest in Lincoln Real Estate News


The Lincoln market is pretty crazy right now. There is a big opportunity out there currently, for sellers.

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We’re already into the second quarter of 2017, but today we’re taking a look back at the first quarter to give you a better idea of what’s going on in the Lincoln real estate market.

It seems like everyone out there is talking about how crazy the market is. They’re right though, and the statistics back it up.

The average price is going up and it’s a great time to sell.

The number of closed sales in the first quarter was 740, while only 623 homes are currently listed for sale. That number is way too low. We need more inventory. If you have been thinking about selling and taking advantage of this historic market, there isn’t going to be a better time than today.

The average sale price is going up, and now sits at $195,000 for the Lincoln area. It’s an incredible time to be in the market, whether you’re looking to buy or sell. If you are looking to do either, we would love to take care of you. We’ve been in this industry for 40 years and you can always expect success with Lincoln’s leaders in real estate, The Searcy Team. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why Use a New Construction Specialist?


If you plan on building a home in the near future, working with a New Construction Specialist will make it happen faster and at a higher quality.

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Working with a New Construction Specialist such as myself, is just one more level of service you’ll receive when working with the Searcy Team. I work with several builders here in town, with the Home Builders Association of Lincoln Nebraska, on both high end and entry-level homes.

I’ll match a builder with your project!

I’ll match a builder with your project so that you can go from the scrap booking phase to a completed home.

If you have any questions about building a home, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

How We Help Our Clients in Their Own Words


We work hard to get the results our clients deserve.
Here’s what they have to say about that effort.

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We often talk about the nuts and bolts of real estate. The ins and outs of what goes into a successful transaction. But what really matters at the end of the day? The results for our clients, of course. Rather than us talking about how hard we work and how much we care about our clients, we think they say it best. Here are what a few of our recent clients had to say about working with us: "I first met Hannah a long time ago and when I was ready to buy a house, she was the first person I contacted. She did a great job helping me find a house that I really liked that fit within my budget and my needs. She did a great job of walking us through the process, giving us tips along the way. It was overall a very positive experience and much easier than I thought it would be." -Lori "We used Hannah Searcy as our Realtor. She did a great job. We ultimately found the house that we wanted and we're happy with it. She definitely went above and beyond." -Jake “My husband’s friends had used them and really enjoyed the service that Jeff had provided. They thought he’d be very helpful for me, and recommended that I connect with them. He did a great job and found us a nice house that is working for our family. I know he keeps crazy hours, as most Realtors do. I know there were nights where it was 10 p.m. and he was trying to get offers in. A lot of things that are standard fare for Realtors these days.” -Julie

Results are really what matter.

“I knew of Jeff, I had gone to his open houses and he just generally started a conversation. My wife and I were looking on and off, and finally we got some estimates on fixing up our old house. Long story short, we decided instead of remodeling, we would like to move after 20 years. Knowing other Realtors, we wanted somebody that was serious and could get the job done quickly. We knew that was Jeff and his team. That’s what made us go with him. Our new house is being built and we wanted to get in and see it. Mary gladly said she was available and would meet us there shortly. I don’t know what she was doing on Sunday, it could have been her afternoon at home, but she gladly came right over and allowed us to get in. I just don’t think you could go wrong. They’re serious about what they do. If you’re serious and you're ready to go, they’re definitely the ones to have represent you.” -Rod Thanks so much to Lori, Jake, Julie, and Rod for their kind words. To hear more of what our customers have to say about us, click here. If you have any questions for us or if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Join Us for an Exclusive Searcy Team Success Session


Whether you’re buying or selling, we’d love to sit down with you for a success session. This is the best way for us to help you reach your goals.

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You might be listening to the mantra "You should get involved in real estate," but don't know how to start the process of buying or selling a home. What can you do?

Here at the Searcy Team, we always recommend sitting down with us for an Exclusive Searcy Team Success Sessionwhether you’re buying or selling. During the session, we'll sit down to really analyze all your needs, wants, and which direction to go in.

These sessions are
extremely valuable.


We think these sessions are extremely valuable. Before you get any further along in the process, let’s get off to a great start. If you’re considering getting involved in buying or selling real estate, give us a call or send us an email to set up an Exclusive Searcy Team Success Session. We’d love to help get you started on the right foot.

If you have any other questions about the Lincoln market or anything else, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you.

This Year Marks Nebraska’s 150th as a State


2017 is going to be a great year in the state of Nebraska!
Nebraska's Centennial Mall is ready,
and together we’re celebrating 150 years as a state.

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We’ve got an exciting topic to discuss with you today that’s a little off the beaten path from our usual real estate topics, but it’s something I’m just as excited about.

I say this topic is exciting because I am absolutely thrilled about the fact that we have a newly revitalized and energized Nebraska's Centennial Mall for many sesquicentennial activities in 2017!

On behalf of the Nebraska Capitol Environs Commission and the Nebraska 150 Foundation, we're proud to say 'Mark your calendars!!' September 22-23, 2017-- A Salute to the Good Life! a Centennial Mall Spectacular!

We’re celebrating 150 years
of statehood in 2017.

So have fun, take part in many year long state wide festivities, and enjoy them as we commemorate 150 years of statehood by looking to the future, celebrating the past, and realizing what is happening today.

Check it all out at www.ne150.org.

If you have any questions for us or you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Lincoln, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.