Should you renovate before selling?

Steve LaMothe • August 29, 2026

Making the argument to renovate & fix your home before selling.

ELEVATE REALTY GROUP  ·  FOLSOM SELLER EDUCATION SERIES  ·  AUGUST 25, 2026  ·  HOMESBYELEVATE.COM  ·  916-436-SELL


Fix Up or Sell As-Is? The Folsom Seller's Guide to Getting It Right in 2026


The question every Folsom homeowner asks before listing — answered with real ROI data, honest trade-offs, and the one option most sellers don't know exists.

By Steve LaMothe, Co-Founder · Elevate Realty Group · homesbyelevate.com  ·  Published August 25, 2026


You're thinking about selling your Folsom home. You've built up equity, you're ready to move — and now you're staring at your kitchen from 2007 and your master bath that hasn't been touched since you moved in, wondering: "Do I need to spend money on this before I list? Or do I just sell it the way it is?"


This is the #1 question I get from Folsom homeowners right now. And the internet's answer — "it depends" — isn't good enough when you're about to make a decision that could cost or net you tens of thousands of dollars.

So here's the definitive answer for Folsom sellers in 2026: backed by real renovation ROI data, current local market conditions, and 15 years of selling homes in Elk Grove, Empire Ranch, Willow Creek, Broadstone, and every Folsom neighborhood in between.


THE 2026 FOLSOM CONTEXT


Why This Question Matters More Than Ever Right Now


Here's what makes the fix-up-or-sell-as-is decision especially high-stakes in Folsom's current market:


You're Competing With Brand-New Homes

Folsom Ranch — the massive development south of Highway 50 — has thousands of brand-new homes entering the resale market. These homes have fresh paint, new appliances, modern finishes, and builder warranties. When a buyer can choose between your 2009 Broadstone home with original fixtures and a brand-new Folsom Ranch home across the highway, presentation matters in a way it simply didn't five years ago.

This is not a reason to panic. Established neighborhoods have real advantages — no Mello-Roos ($4,000/year in Folsom Ranch), mature landscaping, larger lots, and community character. But those advantages only matter if buyers can see past dated finishes to recognize the value underneath.


Buyers Are More Value-Conscious Than They've Been in Years

With 36% of active Folsom listings seeing price reductions as of June 2026 and inventory up 15–20% year over year, buyers have options. They are walking through more homes. They are comparing. They are making notes. A Q2 2026 HomeLight survey of nearly 1,000 top agents found that 84% say move-in-ready, turnkey features directly help a home sell — and 16% say they impact the final sale price significantly.

Translation: a home that feels dated requires buyers to mentally add up renovation costs before they make an offer. That calculation almost always results in a lower offer than the home's actual potential value. The question isn't whether presentation matters — it does. The question is which improvements are worth your dollars.



📊 The Folsom Seller's Challenge in One Sentence

The average Folsom homeowner spends over $18,000 on pre-sale renovations, according to the National Association of Realtors — but studies consistently show that most of that spending doesn't return dollar-for-dollar at closing. Knowing which renovations pay and which don't is the difference between maximizing your equity and giving it away.


THE ROI DATA


The Renovations That Actually Pay — And the Ones That Don't


Let's cut through the generic renovation advice and look at what the data actually says for 2026. These numbers come from the 2025 Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report — the most rigorous annual study of renovation ROI in the country, drawn from real contractor and appraiser data across hundreds of U.S. markets.


Renovation Project

Typical Cost

Avg ROI

Verdict for Folsom Sellers

Garage door replacement

$4,500–$7,000

268%

#1 exterior ROI — do this first, always

New entry door (steel)

$2,500–$4,500

216%

Outstanding return, instant curb impact

Stone veneer / exterior

$12,000–$20,000

208%

Strong if home looks dated from street

Minor kitchen refresh

$15,000–$30,000

~96%

Best interior ROI — paint, counters, hardware

Fresh interior paint

$3,500–$8,000

~107%

Highest return per dollar spent — always do it

New flooring (LVP)

$8,000–$18,000

~80%

High impact, especially over old carpet

Bathroom refresh (mid)

$8,000–$25,000

~74%

Fixtures, vanity, tile — skip moving plumbing

Landscaping / curb appeal

$2,000–$8,000

~70%

Mulch, plants, lighting, clean driveway

Major kitchen gut

$60,000–$120,000

~54%

AVOID for resale — enjoyment only

Upscale bathroom remodel

$35,000–$80,000

~42%

AVOID — luxury finishes don't return

Pool addition

$60,000–$100,000+

~30%

AVOID entirely for pre-sale

Home addition / sq footage

$100,000–$250,000

~24–36%

AVOID — rarely justifies cost at sale


Source: Remodeling Magazine / Zonda 2025 Cost vs. Value Report + HomeLight Q2 2026 Agent Survey. Costs reflect California market ranges.


WHAT THE DATA TELLS US


The Pattern Every Folsom Seller Needs to See


Look at that ROI table again. There's a clear and consistent pattern — and it might surprise you.


The Cheap Stuff Pays the Most

A new garage door at 268% ROI. A new front door at 216% ROI. Fresh interior paint at over 100% ROI. A landscaping refresh at 70–80% ROI. These are not glamorous projects. They don't make for exciting before-and-after photos. But they do something more important: they eliminate every buyer objection before a buyer walks through the door.

Buyers form their opinion of your Folsom home in the first 15 seconds. Before they've seen the kitchen. Before they've touched the countertops. In the driveway, looking at the front of the house. That's where money spent on curb appeal and first impressions has an outsized return.


The Middle Ground Is the Sweet Spot

Minor kitchen updates — paint or reface cabinets, new hardware, updated countertops, improved lighting — can recoup nearly 96% of their cost. That number drops dramatically when you go further: a full kitchen gut at $80,000–$120,000 returns only about 54%. The same principle applies to bathrooms: a targeted midrange refresh returns ~74%. The upscale version returns 42%.

The lesson: match your renovation level to your neighborhood's price point and your buyers' expectations. You are not renovating for yourself — you're renovating for the median buyer in the Folsom market. That buyer wants clean, modern, and move-in-ready. They are not paying luxury premiums for high-end finishes in a $750,000–$850,000 home.


Big Renovations Almost Never Pay at Resale

Pools. Room additions. Major gut renovations. Upscale master suite expansions. These projects can add genuine enjoyment to your home — but they almost never return their cost when you sell. A pool in Folsom might return 30% of what you spent on it. A room addition might return 24–36%. If you're 10 years from selling, go ahead and enjoy the pool. If you're 6 months from listing, do not spend $80,000 on a major renovation expecting to see it at closing.



💡 The Golden Rule for Folsom Pre-Sale Renovations

Never spend more than 10% of your home's expected sale price on pre-sale renovations — and only on projects with documented ROI above 70%. On a $760,000 Folsom home, that's a $76,000 maximum — and the sweet spot is $15,000–$35,000 targeting curb appeal, kitchen surfaces, bathroom fixtures, paint, and flooring. Beyond that ceiling, the return almost always diminishes.


THE THREE OPTIONS


Every Folsom Seller Has Exactly Three Paths — Here's the Honest Trade-Off


Here's how I walk every Folsom seller through this decision. There are exactly three paths. Each is legitimate for the right seller in the right situation. The wrong path for your situation costs you real money.


PATH 1

Sell As-Is — No Prep, List Now

Best for: Sellers who need to close fast, inherited properties, investors targeting a specific buyer pool

✓ PROS: Fastest path to market. No upfront spend. No contractor coordination. Simple and clean.

✗ CONS: You will attract a narrower buyer pool — primarily investors and renovation-minded buyers. You will almost certainly price lower than a prepared comparable home. The discount you give buyers for an unprepared home is typically larger than the renovation would have cost.


PATH 2

DIY Renovation — Handle It Yourself Before Listing

Best for: Sellers who have time, budget, contractor relationships, and renovation experience

✓ PROS: You control the process. If executed correctly on the right projects, you can recover strong value.

✗ CONS: Most homeowners don't know which specific updates to prioritize for Folsom's buyer expectations. Many over-invest in low-ROI projects. Finding and managing quality contractors in 2026 is genuinely difficult. Renovating an occupied home is slow, disruptive, and often produces worse results than a vacant renovation. Mistakes are expensive.


PATH 3

Elevate Concierge Program — The Professional Path

Best for: Most Folsom sellers who want maximum equity without the risk, stress, or upfront cash

✓ PROS: Elevate covers 100% of renovation costs upfront — zero out of pocket before closing. We select the right projects for Folsom's market. We manage every contractor. You pay nothing until closing. No interest. Average return: $75,000 in added value on a $15,000 investment.

✗ CONS: Only available through Elevate Realty Group. Requires working with our listing team.


THE ELEVATE DIFFERENCE


How the Concierge Program Changes the Math Entirely


Let's be honest about why most Folsom homeowners don't do the renovations that would net them the most money: they don't have $20,000–$40,000 sitting in a checking account to invest in a home they're about to sell. And even the ones who do often don't know which renovations to prioritize, can't find reliable contractors, and can't manage the process while also planning a move.

The Elevate Concierge Program was built specifically to remove every single one of those barriers.


How the Elevate Concierge Program Works — Start to Finish

STEP 1  We Walk the Property Together

Before a single dollar is spent, your Elevate listing specialist does a room-by-room walkthrough and identifies exactly which updates will move the needle for Folsom buyers in your price range — and which ones won't. You never guess which projects to prioritize.

STEP 2  We Build the Plan and the Budget

Elevate puts together a complete renovation scope with contractor bids, timelines, and projected return. You review and approve every item before work begins. No surprises.

STEP 3  Elevate Pays — You Pay Nothing

All renovation costs are funded by Elevate upfront. Paint contractors, flooring installers, stagers, cleaners, landscapers — we pay every invoice. You don't write a single check before closing day.

STEP 4  We Manage Every Contractor

Your Elevate team coordinates every trade, holds vendors to schedule, and manages the entire job. Our contractor relationships mean our clients save 20–30% on renovation costs compared to sourcing independently.

STEP 5  We Launch at Full Strength

Once your Folsom home is renovated and staged, we deploy Elevate's full marketing infrastructure: 4K photography, drone video, 3D virtual tour, a $2,000 digital ad campaign, mass email to 50,000 contacts, radio exposure on KFBK and KSTE.

STEP 6  You Close — Then Repay

At closing, Elevate's renovation investment is simply deducted from your proceeds. No interest. No markup. You keep the difference — which on average is $60,000 more than you'd have netted without the Concierge Program.


Average Concierge Investment

Average Added Sale Value

Total Extra Profit Generated

$15,000

$75,000

$4.5M+


Zero out of pocket before closing  ·  Zero interest  ·  Available exclusively through Elevate Realty Group


WHAT WE FOCUS ON


The Specific Updates Elevate Prioritizes for Folsom Homes


Not all renovations are created equal for Folsom's market. Here's what our Concierge team focuses on — and why — based on what Folsom buyers at the $650,000–$950,000 price point actually want in 2026.


  • Curb Appeal First:      First impressions are formed before buyers step out of their car. A fresh coat of exterior paint, new garage door hardware or panels, clean landscaping with fresh mulch and seasonal color, a power-washed driveway and walkway, and updated exterior lighting can transform how a Folsom home reads from the street — at a fraction of the cost of any interior renovation.
  • Kitchen Surfaces — Not Structure:  On a $760,000 Folsom home, buyers expect the kitchen to feel current — not custom, but not dated either. Cabinet refinishing or repainting (not replacing), new quartz or granite countertops, updated hardware, a fresh backsplash, and improved lighting can achieve a complete kitchen transformation for $12,000–$22,000. That same result via full replacement would cost $60,000–$100,000 with far lower return.
  • Bathroom Refresh — Fixtures and Finishes:  New vanity, updated fixtures, fresh tile work, modern mirrors, and new lighting in the master and guest baths. We skip moving plumbing — that doubles the cost with minimal added value. The goal is "spa-like feel" at a contractor's budget, not a luxury gut.
  • Paint and Flooring — Always:  Fresh neutral paint throughout is the single highest ROI per dollar spent of any renovation. Full stop. New luxury vinyl plank flooring over dated carpet transforms rooms visually and removes a major buyer objection without breaking the renovation budget.
  • Professional Staging:  Professional staging after the renovation is complete. Occupied homes are harder to stage, harder to photograph, and sell for measurably less than vacant, professionally staged properties. When we combine the Concierge Program with our Trade-In Program, the home is vacant during renovation and staging — delivering the best possible result.


REAL FOLSOM SELLERS


What Elevate Concierge Clients Say


"From our first meeting with Steve we chose the path we wanted to take and took his suggestions for getting the most from our sale. From the excellent communication from Steve, Denora and the entire team throughout, to the painting of the entire interior of our home, to the staging — they made it all happen. We listed higher than we thought was possible and had four offers over our asking price in ONE weekend."

Lynn Krogstad  ·  Elevate Concierge Client


"When I had a family member pass away and I was tasked with selling their home, Steve and his team decided what elements of the home to renovate for the highest return. They lined up the contractors, purchased the materials, scheduled everything, and even paid for it when I didn't have the funds available. It was an extremely smooth process from start to finish."

Dirk  ·  Elevate Concierge Client — Out-of-Area Seller


COMMON QUESTIONS


Folsom Sellers Ask — Steve Answers


"My house is in pretty good shape — do I really need the Concierge Program?"

The Concierge Program is not just for distressed or dated homes. Some of our most impactful projects have been homes that were "in good shape" but had missed opportunities. Fresh paint in a more current color palette. Updated light fixtures that changed how every room photographed. Professional landscaping that transformed a plain front yard into a memorable first impression. We let the walkthrough tell us — sometimes the answer is a targeted $8,000 investment that yields $40,000 at closing. Sometimes it's more. We never recommend work that won't pay for itself.


"What if I don't have time to renovate before listing?"

Timeline is always part of the conversation. If you have a hard deadline — a job relocation, a purchase that needs to close — we work backwards from that date and identify what's achievable. In some cases, a four-week renovation window is enough to execute the highest-ROI items (paint, flooring, curb appeal) and produce a significant return. In others, the Instant Offer Program — which delivers three competitive cash offers within 72 hours — is the better path. We present both options, with real numbers, so you make the right choice for your situation.


"How does the Concierge Program compare to just discounting my asking price?"

This is the most important financial comparison a Folsom seller can make. A $20,000 price reduction on your listing looks significant on paper — but it's spread across the 30-year mortgage of your buyer, who barely feels it as a monthly payment difference. Meanwhile, a $20,000 Concierge investment that yields $75,000 in added value means you net $55,000 more at closing. The price reduction strategy is almost never the right answer when a targeted renovation is available. Our job is to show you the math before you list.


"Can I pick and choose which Concierge projects I want done?"

Yes, absolutely. You review and approve every item in the renovation scope before work begins. If you want to skip a specific project, we discuss the trade-off and you make the final call. We never proceed with any work you haven't approved. Our role is to advise — the decisions are always yours.


FIND OUT WHAT YOUR FOLSOM HOME COULD NET — WITH THE RIGHT PREPARATION


If you own a home in Folsom and you've been wondering whether to fix it up, sell it as-is, or do something in between — the best first step is a conversation. We'll walk through your home, tell you exactly which updates will move the needle, and show you the realistic numbers for all three paths: as-is, DIY renovation, and Concierge. No obligation. No pressure. Just an honest assessment from the team that has done this in your neighborhood more than anyone else.

Most sellers who go through this process end up more than $30,000 ahead of where they started. The conversation is free.


Call or text: 916-436-SELL

homesbyelevate.com

Serving Folsom · Empire Ranch · Willow Creek · Broadstone · Glenn · Folsom Ranch · El Dorado Hills · Granite Bay · Greater Sacramento



ABOUT ELEVATE REALTY GROUP

Elevate Realty Group is the #1 small real estate team in the Sacramento region, ranked #8 in California and Top 1,000 in the United States by RealTrends. Founded by Steve LaMothe and affiliated with Keller Williams, Elevate has served 2,000+ families, closed $1.5 billion in sales, and earned 500+ five-star reviews. Elevate is a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider and proud partner of the Sweet Dreams Foundation — donating a portion of every commission to create dream bedrooms for children battling life-threatening illness.

© 2026 Elevate Realty Group · homesbyelevate.com · DRE #01272617 · All rights reserved.

This post is part of Elevate's weekly Folsom Real Estate Education Series. New posts publish every Monday at homesbyelevate.com.


Blog

Why I Left My 2.7% Rate to Move My Family

By Steve LaMothe • August 25, 2026
Waiting for rates to drop sounds logical, until you think through what actually happens when they do. Here's the real trade-off, from someone who just lived it. It's the million-dollar question facing Sacramento homeowners right now: is it a good time to move, or should you wait? I've been hearing it constantly ever since interest rates started climbing, and I understand exactly why. If you're sitting on a 2% or 3% interest rate, it's genuinely hard to justify leaving it behind for a new home, especially when you look at what that move would cost you every month. So let me answer this the most honest way I know how, because I just went through it myself. 1. Start with one question: will you still be here in five years? It's what I ask everyone who's weighing this. Picture a family with two kids in a three-bedroom. You're making it work right now, but you already know that in five years, as the kids get older, you're going to need that fourth bedroom. I don't think it's worthwhile to stay in a home that isn't working for you, or in an area you don't really want to be in, just hoping interest rates might come down someday. And here's a piece people forget: if you buy today at a higher rate, you can always refinance later at a fairly low cost and lock in the savings then. The rate you buy at isn't necessarily the rate you keep. 2. The "just wait" logic has a catch. Imagine rates actually drop a couple of points. What happens next? I'd imagine you'd see a flood of new demand and activity hit the market all at once, and it would become far more competitive to buy. Suddenly you've got a lot more people competing over what's probably a smaller pool of homes. So even though lower rates feel like the obvious better time, that timing could actually make it harder to land the right house. It's a real trade-off, and you have to weigh the pluses and minuses honestly rather than assuming waiting wins. " I don't think it's worthwhile to stay in a home that isn't working for you just hoping interest rates might come down someday. " 3. Here's my own story. My wife and I and our kids had been thinking about moving for a while. We love our house and we love our neighborhood, but we knew this home wasn't going to be the right fit as our kids got older. Over the last two or three years, we found a couple of houses that would have worked, and we talked ourselves out of each one, because rates were higher and it was more expensive. That lingering feeling never went away though, the sense that a certain kind of home would just fit our family better. After two and a half years of going back and forth, we finally decided to rip the band-aid off, because we knew we'd move eventually, our kids were getting older, and we'd rather get them settled into a new school now than later. You reach a point where you simply can't wait anymore. 4. I'll be honest about how it went. I think that's more useful than pretending. Even for me, someone who has done this professionally for 16 years and is an investor at heart, it was a lot. I left my 2.7% interest rate for a 6% rate in today's environment. The process, even though it went smoothly and I used one of our own agents, was all-consuming and genuinely stressful. I took a week off work. For those days, every waking moment was the move. I'm telling you not to scare you off, but so you know I'm not handing you advice I haven't lived. I made this exact decision, eyes open, because I knew we'd have to move eventually, and I believe down the road it may well pay off for us. That's my real-world take on the question so many Sacramento homeowners are asking right now. It's more expensive to live where we are now because of the higher rate, that's just true. But the right home, in the right place, at the right stage of your family's life, is worth thinking about beyond the interest rate alone. If you're wrestling with this same decision and you want to talk it through with someone who has actually been in your shoes, I'm here to help. Call or text me at (916) 862-5463 , email me at Steve@homesbyelevate.com , or visit homesbyelevate.com . Let's figure out what actually makes sense for you

This Might Be the Best Time To Buy a Home in the Last 3 Years

By Steve LaMothe • August 10, 2026
Inventory is climbing, sellers are cutting prices, and buyers are winning negotiations again. Here's why the data says now is the window. It's been a long time since I've been able to say this, but today we're going to talk about why this might be the best time to buy a home in the last three years. Let's break it down. We've talked about it before this year. We're seeing more inventory on the market. Homes are taking a little longer to sell. That trend is continuing, and the data we're starting to see is compounding. Here's what it means. Inventory is climbing We've seen about 30% to 35% more homes on the market this year versus last year. That is great news. That means we're almost back to pre-pandemic levels in terms of how many homes are available for sale. For buyers, more inventory means more choices, more time to make decisions, and less of that frantic pressure that's defined the market since 2020. For the first time in years, you're not walking into every showing wondering if five other buyers already made an offer. Pending sales are dropping At the same time, we've started to see pending sales, the number of homes actually going under contract, decreasing substantially month over month. Especially over the last 60 days, that drop has been significant. When you combine those two things, fewer homes selling as quickly and more homes coming available, the math starts working in the buyer's favor in a way we simply haven't seen in a long time. " We are definitely starting to see deals pop up. Buyers are getting offers accepted well below asking price. This is not something we've consistently seen in the last three years. " Deals are popping up again This is the part that gets me excited. We are definitely starting to see deals pop up. Sellers are reducing their prices to compete against other sellers. Our buyers are getting offers accepted well below the asking price. This is just not something we've consistently seen in the last three years. Most of the time over the past few years, we've had to submit offers against multiple other buyers or come in with really high offers just to get sellers to accept them. That dynamic is shifting. Buyers are getting breathing room, negotiating power, and results that were unthinkable 18 months ago. My bold claim So in my opinion, and I'll go out and make a bold claim, this really has been the best time to buy a home in the last three years, especially post-pandemic. If you've been on the fence, considering it, or been worried about whether you can afford to buy, it might be worth exploring the numbers and just looking at it. We can break it down for you. If you need to save for a year, we can build a purchase plan for how to save money to buy a house in a year. What about sellers? Our sellers may not be excited about this news, but owners and sellers have been in the driver's seat for six years total. They're still getting good prices. Prices are not coming down substantially. But I would not be surprised if this year you see home values go down maybe 1% to 5%. All the trends are pointing to buyers getting some power back in the market, and that is fabulous news for anyone who's been waiting. If you've been considering buying, reach out. Call me at (916) 862-5463 , email me at Steve@homesbyelevate.com , or visit homesbyelevate.com . We'd be happy to put a purchase plan together for you for free, whether you're ready to buy now or you want to build a plan to get there in the next year.

Making buying and selling at the same time seamless when moving.

By Steve LaMothe • August 3, 2026
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How to buy your first home even though its "expensive" in Folsom

By Steve LaMothe • July 16, 2026
Folsom homes feel out of reach, but they don't have to be. See how first-time buyer programs, low-down-payment loans, and house hacking make it affordable.

What's the TRUTH About the Feds Housing Bill?

By Steve LaMothe • July 15, 2026
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law. Here are the five points that actually matter, and the one change that could really move housing prices. The federal housing bill everyone has been talking about, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, has now become law . When I recorded this video, it had passed Congress and was awaiting the president's action, and it has since taken effect without his signature. And there's a lot of misinformation out there about what it actually does. I'm a data guy. I want to cut through the noise and give you the five key points that actually matter, because I think this bill does some meaningful things, and it's worth understanding what's real and what's just politics. 1. Corporate ownership limits are mostly political. This is the provision that gets all the headlines. The bill limits large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes once they own 350 or more. And look, it sounds good. But here's the reality. Corporate ownership of housing is less than 5% of the entire market. Over the last two years, institutional investors have largely stopped buying homes because interest rates are so high that rental income no longer justifies the investment. They bought a lot of homes during COVID, but right now it's no longer an issue. So in my opinion, the corporate ownership piece is purely a political move. It makes people feel better, but it doesn't address the problem driving up housing prices. 2. Modular and manufactured housing get a boost. This one is big and doesn't get enough attention. The bill loosens some of the restrictions on modular and manufactured housing. Previously, you needed a permanent foundation for a modular home to be considered a single-family residence. They're relaxing that requirement, which makes affordable, factory-built housing easier and cheaper to bring to market. That's a meaningful change. " The real fix for housing affordability has always been the same: make it easier and cheaper to build homes. " 3. States face pressure to build more. Here's the provision I think matters most. The bill puts pressure on states like California to loosen their building restrictions or risk losing federal funding. In my opinion, nationwide, this is the number one issue causing housing prices to go up. It's just too expensive, too hard, and takes too long to build homes. When builders have to spend so much money just to put a foundation in the ground, they can't build entry-level or mid-tier homes and make their money back. So they build higher-end homes instead. That's why we have an affordability crisis. It's not corporate investors. It's the cost and timeline of building. 4. Small-dollar mortgages get easier. Loans under $200,000 are going to become easier to obtain. Right now, many lenders don't want to make those loans because there's little profit in them. The federal government is easing some requirements and making it easier for buyers to access lower-cost financing. That's a real win for first-time buyers and buyers in more affordable markets who've been locked out of traditional lending. 5. New construction gets streamlined. If you want to build a development in California, the planning process can take 10 to 15 years. I've seen it firsthand. A big development in Folsom started planning 15 years ago. It took a decade just to get plans approved, do the environmental studies, and jump through all the hoops. If it takes you 10 to 15 years and you buy a piece of land to build on, the economy is completely different by the time you get a return. Very few people are willing to take that kind of risk. The bill aims to streamline and speed up that process, and if it actually reduces red tape, that's going to be fantastic over the next five years. That's where we'll start to see housing prices genuinely soften, especially in markets where inventory has been crunched for years. What it all means. In general, this law does a lot of good. The modular housing changes, the building pressure on states, the small-dollar mortgage access, and the construction streamlining are all meaningful. The corporate ownership provision is mostly window dressing. The real fix for housing affordability has always been the same: make it easier and cheaper to build homes. This bill takes some steps in that direction, and that's worth paying attention to. If you're thinking about buying or selling and you're wondering how any of this affects your situation, give me a call at (916) 862-5463 , email me at Steve@homesbyelevate.com , or visit homesbyelevate.com . I'd love to break down the numbers for you.

Should You Fix Up Your Folsom Home Before Selling? Here's the Profit Math for 2026

By Steve LaMothe • July 10, 2026
Folsom sellers who improve their home before listing often capture far more profit than the repairs cost.

What is my Folsom home worth in 2026-and how do i actually maximize it?

By Steve LaMothe • June 18, 2026
New Right now, thousands of Folsom homeowners are typing the same question into Google: "What is my home worth?" And thousands more are on Reddit, Nextdoor, and real estate forums asking some version of: "Should I sell now, wait, fix it up first, or just take a cash offer and be done with it?"

Top 3 reasons buyers cancel sales in Folsom

By Steve LaMothe • June 9, 2026
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The Two Ways Sellers Lose When They Skip Repairs

By Steve LaMothe • June 9, 2026
In today's market, a lot of homes simply aren't selling. The ones that do are the ones that show ready and priced right. Here's how to make sure yours is one of them. It's one of the most important things you can do when selling a house. Think of it like a car. You fix it up and detail it before you sell it, and you get a better price. The same principle applies to your home, and in today's market, it matters even more than it used to. Why today's rate environment changes the equation. With interest rates around 7% right now, buyers are stretching to put down as much as they can just to keep their monthly payments manageable. The loan balances are expensive to carry. So when a buyer walks into a home that needs $40,000 in work, whether that's flooring, paint, dry rot repair, whatever it is, that $40,000 has to come from somewhere. And most of the time, it comes right out of their down payment. When a buyer has to take $40,000 of their own cash and put it toward repairs instead of their down payment, their monthly payment goes up by $700 to $1,000. That's not a small number. That's the difference between a buyer who can afford your home and one who walks away. There are really two ways sellers lose when they skip the renovation. Buyers aren't going to offer you what you think the house is worth. They just can't afford to. Making repairs with their own cash is expensive and directly affects what they can afford for the home. The money for repairs comes right out of the money they have available for the purchase. You lose control of the cost. If you don't handle the repairs upfront, you're leaving yourself open to whatever the buyer thinks the costs are. And here's the reality. If I'm representing a buyer and we're looking at a house that needs a lot of work, we're always going to ask for more money than we think the repairs will cost, just in case there are things we don't know about yet. That's standard. So, as the seller, you end up paying inflated prices through buyer credits that you could have controlled for less by doing the work yourself upfront. How our concierge program changes the math. This is exactly why we built our concierge program. With over 900 sales and 16 years of vetting contractors, I've built a network of vendors who offer wholesale pricing because we send them consistent volume. We've tracked results across all those projects, and our sellers have received over $7 million in increased equity by making the repairs before listing. That's not an overpromise. That's data from 900 transactions. " If you don't control the cost of repairs upfront, the buyer will, and they always ask for more. " And here's how it actually works. When you work with us, you don't have to interview half a dozen painting companies and hope they show up. I've already done that over a 16-year career. We constantly cut vendors who don't answer the phone, don't offer good pricing, or don't do quality work. We shop out our estimates to hold people accountable. We introduce you to multiple vendors so nobody gets comfortable. And because we're their biggest source of business, when something goes wrong, and something always does, I make one call and they're there in the morning. That's the kind of accountability a regular homeowner just doesn't have. We're also renegotiating with vendors right now because the post-COVID price inflation is easing. Contractors want to be busy. They're not as booked as they were two years ago. So we're getting better deals, and those savings go straight to you. Why most sellers don't do it and why that's a mistake. For most people, the reason comes down to one of two things. Either they don't want to deal with the hassle of finding and managing contractors, or they think they can't afford to make the repairs. The hassle part is what we solve. Estimates within two days. Work starts within two to three days after you approve a vendor. My commitment is that we get this done twice as fast as you could on your own. We're not saying you can't do it yourself. You absolutely can. But you'll usually pay more, and it'll take a lot longer. When you run the numbers, using our program is almost free because the extra equity you gain far outweighs the cost of the repairs. The risk of doing nothing. About 30% of homes in today's market are not selling. If you throw your house on the market in poor condition and it's not priced right, there's a real chance it just sits. Your goals aren't achieved. You've gotten the dog and the kids out of the house for three months of showings, and you have nothing to show for it. That's not a risk worth taking when the solution is right in front of you. If you're thinking about selling and you want to know which repairs would actually move the needle on your home's value, give me a call at (916) 862-5463 , email me at Steve@homesbyelevate.com , or visit homesbyelevate.com . We'll walk through what makes sense for your home and get you a plan that puts the most money in your pocket. 

Should you improve or repair your home before selling your Folsom home?

By Steve LaMothe • June 3, 2026
These strategies will save you tens of thousands when selling
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