Get Your Home Market-Ready. Pay at Closing.

I advance part or all of the cost of the improvements upfront — either directly to the contractor or into a project account. You don't write a check, you don't take out a loan, and you don't need to tap a line of credit. When the sale closes, the amounts I've advanced are reimbursed through escrow before you receive your net proceeds. It's structured as part of the listing agreement, and everything is documented in writing before a dollar is spent. This isn't a vague handshake arrangement — the scope, the cost, and the repayment terms are all spelled out clearly.

Local, licensed, and vetted. I work with contractors I've built relationships with over years of transactions in Douglas County and the surrounding area — electricians, plumbers, excavation crews, roofers, and specialty trades. These aren't people I found online. They're people whose work I've seen, whose timelines I've tested, and who understand that a real estate transaction has a closing deadline. I don't use the cheapest option — I use the most reliable option, because a botched repair that fails inspection or creates a disclosure issue costs far more than the money saved.

An appraisal-required repair is something a lender's appraiser will call out as a condition of financing — meaning the deal can't close until it's fixed. Common examples include missing handrails, broken HVAC, active roof leaks, deteriorated siding, or health and safety items. These are non-negotiable if your buyer is using conventional or FHA financing. A capital project is a larger improvement that isn't necessarily required by an appraiser but meaningfully increases your property's market value or reduces days on market — a new roof, a well pump, a septic replacement, foundation repair. Both types qualify for this program. The difference is urgency: appraisal items can stop a transaction cold, while capital projects are strategic.

The main risk is that the property doesn't sell, or that it sells for less than anticipated. If a sale falls through entirely and the listing expires, the repayment terms for any advanced funds would be addressed per the listing agreement — which I'll walk you through in detail before any work begins. I'm not going to advance $40,000 on a property where the math doesn't support it. Part of my job is making sure the improvements we select have a clear, documented return on investment based on comparable sales. I'm not in the business of speculating with your equity.

Significantly, in most cases — and the impact goes beyond just sale price. A home that's move-in ready sells faster, attracts more competitive offers, and is less likely to face low appraisals or renegotiation after inspection. In the Douglas County market, where the average sold price is around $354,000, a $10,000–$15,000 investment in strategic improvements can often yield $20,000–$40,000 more in net proceeds, while also reducing the time on market by weeks. That's not a guarantee — every property is different — but the pattern is consistent enough that I don't offer this program lightly.