Every April, Realtors remember the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. This landmark legislation made it illegal to discriminate in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, and religion. Familial status, disability, and sex, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity, have since been added as protected classes. The Fair Housing Act has helped to promote diversity, inclusion, and equal access to housing for millions of Americans. However, we know that the fight for fair housing is still on-going and there is so much work left to be done.

James and Melody Sharp opened Living Foods Wellness Café and Juicery in 2014 after their youngest (at the time) son suffered with gluten sensitivities. After realizing that eating out in Oxford was hard for people with food allergies and special preferences, they decided to take a chance on opening a restaurant that provided a safe place for people with allergies, sensitivities and just personal preferences. And we are so glad they did!

USDA loans offer incredible terms and savings for home buyers, including 0% down payments and low interest rates. However, for those who qualify, there is a much more intensive application process. Thanks to this realtor.com article for creating this helpful checklist, which outlines all the things you must have in place to be approved.

Kate Newman has been in the retail business since she was 17 years old. She always knew she wanted to open her own clothing store, and after a decade of living in Oxford, she was able to make that dream a reality. Style Assembly opened in August 2021. But that wasn’t enough. Kate wanted to give back, so she was able to land a teaching job at Ole Miss in the IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications) department where she could share her talents and love of retail with other aspiring students. Kate has always believed in paying it forward and we couldn’t agree more. Check out why we think Style Assembly is so fantastic!

With Spring now in full swing, most home owners know it’s normally the best time to put their house on the market. But with interest rates doubled from this time last year, sellers are wondering if they should give up their low mortgages and enter into this stressed housing market. Let’s take a look at this realtor.com article giving both positives and negatives to list your home right now.

Oxford is host to some wonderful non-profit organizations that provide for our community in so many ways. We want to provide a glimpse of these organizations each month. Did you know April is Child Abuse Awareness Month? The North Mississippi Family Center is part of the National Exchange Clubs network of Prevention of Child Abuse Centers, which operates in 28 states and in Puerto Rico. It serves North Mississippi families with a variety of services.

We’ve discussed the pros and cons of buying new construction in an earlier blog. Let’s now look at this realtor.com article about buying an older home and the challenges and benefits that come with an older home purchase.

Change is hard. There are different seasons of life and there are different sizes of homes. Sometimes a downsize is necessary and sometimes it may cost more to downsize than staying put. Let’s look at this realtor.com article that shares best practices for navigating this daunting and emotional process of downsizing.

Chip Brown, an Ole Miss Alum, moved his family to Oxford in 2019 and opened DeltaDog the same year. With a background in dog training in the Mississippi Delta during his college years, he opened his first luxury pet resort in Memphis in 2007. He wanted to bring the same luxury accommodations and fun activities to all the dogs of Oxford and Ole Miss, while also building trust and relationship with both customers and their dogs. Chip shared, “DeltaDog customers will enjoy peace of mind knowing their dogs are staying in first-class accommodations and receiving the highest level of individual care and attention, just like they do at home!”

Looking to buy your first home, but your credit score is pretty low? This realtor.com article gives some tips on how to get your credit score up, so you can put an offer down on your first home.

Oxford is host to some wonderful non-profit organizations that provide for our community in so many ways. We want to provide a glimpse of these organizations each month. In 1989, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Rector, Duncan Gray III, had a vision. He and other members of St. Peter’s visited a tutoring program in Clarksdale, MS, and brought the idea of starting a similar program back to church leaders. As a result, the program launched in the fall of 1990 with the hiring of its first Executive Director and Leap Frog began!

Spring Break starts this weekend! With Ole Miss and local schools out March 13-17, we thought we would share some tips for protecting your home while you are away.

Tax season is upon us! The due date to file is April 18, 2023 for your 2022 taxes. Let’s take a look at this realtor.com article that breaks down all the tax breaks homeowners should be aware of when they file their 2022 taxes in 2023.

Joseph Beck traveled the world as a Green Beret in the Army Special Forces. Throughout his travels, he quickly learned to judge a culture by four things: the food, the hospitality, the music and the coffee. Beck recently shared, “Coffee is something that brings people together. I wanted my coffee shop to be for everyone and for all customers to feel welcome.” And he’s created that atmosphere in his coffee shop, Common Ground Coffee Bar.

Drywall repairs are something that every homeowner has to tackle at some point. This realtor.com video gives five drywall repair hacks that are easy and less messy!

From National Championship apparel to Big Bad Breakfast t-shirts to iconic Lane Kiffin shirts, Chris & Judy Riddell have been creating and printing our favorite Oxford and Ole Miss apparel for over 30 years. Opened in 1990, Ink Spot has been creating and printing custom t-shirts and serves as the parent company for Cat Daddy’s, the retail store opened in 2000. Both work together seamlessly and bring great designs to our Oxford/Lafayette County area!

Sellers know that staging their home the RIGHT way can make a home show so much better and maybe even sell faster. Thanks to this realtor.com article, let’s take a look at the 6 mistakes sellers can make when staging their kitchen.

Let’s give a huge WELCOME to Neighborhood Realty’s newest agent, Meredith Killens!

As we all navigate this new normal of higher interest rates, we have more and more buyers doing their research and asking more questions. We always send mortgage related questions to our favorite local lenders, but let’s use this realtor.com article to help explain one question we get a lot – What is Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac?

Oxford is host to some wonderful non-profit organizations that provide for our community in so many ways. We want to provide a glimpse of these organizations each month. Since 1997, Theatre Oxford has been providing performing arts exposure to the adults, youth and children of Lafayette County, Oxford, and the University of Mississippi. The organization believes in the power of drama and storytelling to both unite and elevate a community.