Have you ever looked at your pet - your adorable, loyal, put-a-smile-on-your-face, there-for-you-always pet - and just thought, ‘What can I possibly do for you?’ Sure, you could buy them toss-worthy toys or trick-worthy treats but wouldn’t it be better to give them something that matches the magnitude of the pet-tacular love you share?

Well, now there’s a way to do just that, and it’s so perfectly awesome, we actually had to invent a new word to describe it:pawfect.

The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Pawfect Home Sweepstakes is your chance to win a pet-sized, custom-built home for your dog, cat, rabbit, turtle, goat, hamster… that any pet would love it. Imagine little Luna or big Moose spending some quality time in a house that’s yours, except it’s also 100% theirs.

The Pawfect Home Sweepstakes runs now through June 6! Visit www.BHHSPawfectHome.com for your chance to win. And please, don’t submit an entry because we’re telling you to, submit an entry to give your pet the dream home they deserve, the one that’s just like them - absolutely pawfect.

Home improvement television makes flipping homes look so easy anyone can do it. But the reality is much different. You can make a lot of money or lose money to problems that slow down your timetable and increase your risk.

There’s a reason why flipped homes are only a small percentage, about 6.2%, of the market. As an investor, you’re buying a property to sell quickly at a profit. You have to know the market and adhere to a strict acquisition formula to meet your estimated after repair value (ARV). The ARV informs your asking price that will both attract homebuyers and meet bank appraisals.

A hot market, with a low supply of homes and rapidly escalating home values, is ideal for flipping because buyer demand and price appreciation are “built-in.” But if homes to buy are hard to find, you may have trouble staying within your budget. 

The flippers who make the most money are full-time professionals who use cash to buy homes, do all the repair work themselves, and sell the home themselves. They know the market well enough to negotiate the right purchase price and have the skills and experience to estimate improvement costs accurately and do the improvements that appeal most to homebuyers. They know how to minimize out-of-pocket expenditures such as mortgage payments, utilities, property taxes, insurance and other costs of home ownership.

Can you do the same? If not, then buying and holding a home may be a better idea for you than flipping.

Every space in your home has multiple functions requiring different lighting.  Even within the same room, you’ll need multiple light sources to set the right mood for the time of day and the activities you have planned.

Lighting comes in five major categories:

General purpose - any lighting fixture that is plugged into an ordinary socket, such as lamps or overhead fixtures.

Decorative - any lighting where the bulb can be seen, such as a chandelier, bathroom strip lighting, pendant lighting or sconces.

Track or Recessed - lighting that is usually a floodlight or spotlight in tracks or recessed fixtures.

Specialty - unusual lights found in appliances or furniture such as cabinet lighting and appliance lighting.

Outdoor - lighting that is specially designed for use outdoors such as security lights, lamp post lights, porch or entry lights.

The key to mood lighting is temperature. Lighting is either cool or warm, so the bulb you choose can put out yellow, soft white, bright white or natural daylight. Smart bulbs connect to mobile devices to be turned on and off, dimmed or brightened, or color changed with an app.

Layering your lighting gives you more options. Overhead lighting on tracks, ceiling fans, or recessed lighting provides central lighting. Floor lamps or torchieres, uplights, and downlights can accent architectural features and art displays. Sconces add stylish indirect light anywhere you place them.

Be sure to check any fixture you buy for the manufacturer's instructions on the type of bulb and maximum wattage allowed.

Each home listing has a status that’s updated by information that the listing agent feeds into the multiple listing service (MLS). A home listed contingent or pending are under contract, but there’s still a chance for you to buy it.

Most purchase offers for the buyer to back out if they can’t get financing, the home doesn’t pass inspection, or the home price doesn’t meet appraisal. In some cases, the listing agent will update the listing with showing instructions, according to Rocketmortgage.com, such as:

Contingent - continue to show (CCS), the seller wants to pivot to a backup offer is the buyer can’t perform.

Contingent - no show, the seller believes the buyer will have no problem removing the contingency.

Contingent - with kick out, the buyer has a limited time to remove the contingency or risk the contract being voided.

Contingent – probate, a deceased homeowner’s assets are going through the probate process, so the home may not be available for purchase for some time.

When a listing is pending, the contract is closer to closing, but there are exceptions:

Pending- taking backups, the seller is accepting backup offers in case the buyer can’t perform.

Pending- short sale, the mortgage holder has been asked to take less money than the seller owes on their mortgage.

Your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchise network professional can advise you about your chances. In a hot market with low inventory, shopping contingent or pending homes could be a great way to make offers with less competition.

A high offer price gets attention--but it doesn't guarantee you'll get the home.  Sellers consider many factors when choosing a buyer, including: financing, earnest money, terms and conditions and even the reputation of the buyer's real estate agent. It's important that you account for all of these details when submitting an offer.  Read this month's blog post, "4 Ways to Write a Winning Offer in Today's Real Estate Market,: and learn more about making a competitive offer => see my blogs on this site.