Podcast

Laura's nurturing people-skills and uber-savvy negotiating skills were perfected during her eclectic career journey. Laura grew up surrounded by renowned journalists, actors, directors, politicians and writers. It has definitely shaped who she is now, and why she is the perfect host of Princeton Real Estate Podcast.

In Episode One, I am honored to have Katie Eastridge, of Eastridge Design in Princeton, as my guest for a conversational chat about how to approach preparing your house for sale. With the current lack of residential inventory on the market in the Greater Princeton area, combined with the high demand from buyers for houses to purchase, this is a great time to sell your home. What may seem like a daunting task at first, the reality of selling your home doesn’t need to be overwhelming.

Nick Dogias, of Vitale Inspection Services, is my special guest here in Episode Two, as together we tackle the topic of the Home Inspection process. Home Inspections are imperative for buyers, and yet, are often dreaded by sellers. In this episode, Nick and I delve deeply into: the evolution of inspections over the past 15 – 20 years, what typically gets inspected and what doesn’t, how sellers can improve the process, frequent misconceptions, and where home inspections are headed in the immediate future.

My guest here in Episode 3 is the highly respected appraiser, Beth Ogilvie, of Ogilvie Appraisals in Princeton. Beth is undoubtedly one of the best in the business, when it comes to appraising residential properties, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to explore with her the often misunderstood subject of home appraisals. The appraisal can often be a very confusing and sometimes stressful piece of the buying and selling process. Does a pool add value to a home in an appraisal? How about a recent kitchen renovation? What about landscaping? Take a listen.

A mortgage expert for almost three decades, Tom Gates, of loandepot, is the perfect guest for Episode 4. In this segment, he and I thoroughly dissect the topic of mortgage lending, particularly as it pertains to the home-buying process. Should you seek a fixed rate or an adjustable rate, conforming loan or jumbo, and what does it really mean, numerically, to have good or excellent credit? How does the mortgage process differ for those who are self-employed or retired, and, of course, the multi-million dollar question…where are those loan rates going in the future? These questions and many others are explored, so please listen and enjoy!

Join me as Tom Pinneo and I chat about residential construction, from remodeling a kitchen to building the home of your dreams. What is the timeline now to obtain building materials, and what do they cost these days? How much is it, per square foot, to renovate or build anew? Can we be more strategic, when it comes to installing home energy systems, for the good of both our wallets and our planet? We tackle these questions and more in this episode.