Hi. I'm Roxanne.

I have been a Realtor for more than twenty-five years. Associate Broker. Founder of Art House. Mother. Marketing nerd. Reluctant authority on rooster removal during open houses. (Long story. It's filed in Funny Things I've Seen.)

I started this publication because the real estate internet is exhausting. It's all square footage and stainless steel and the same five stock photos of agents shaking hands in front of a generic stucco house. None of it tells the truth.

The truth is that real estate is messy. It's funny. It's emotional. It involves crying in cars, eating Chick-fil-a out of the passenger seat, and explaining to a buyer for the third time that "as-is" does, in fact, mean as-is. The truth is also that it's wonderful. People build whole lives inside these houses, and I get to stand in the doorway for a few months while they figure out which one.

Behind the Sign is where I write that down. Some of it is craft — marketing, photography, how a house actually gets sold in 2026. Some of it is Birmingham, which I love embarrassingly. A lot of it is stories. After twenty-five years, the stories pile up.

  • THE TOP INDICATOR IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE MORTGAGE RATES ARE HEADING,www-soldbyarthouse-com

    THE TOP INDICATOR IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE MORTGAGE RATES ARE HEADING

    Mortgage rates have increased significantly since the beginning of the year. Each Thursday, Freddie Mac releases its Primary Mortgage Market Survey. According to the latest survey, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has risen from 3.22% at the start of the year to 3.55% as of last week. This is

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  • OWNING IS MORE AFFORDABLE THAN RENTING IN THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY,www-soldbyarthouse-com

    OWNING IS MORE AFFORDABLE THAN RENTING IN THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY

    If you were thinking about buying a home this year, but already pressed pause on your plans due to rising home prices and increasing mortgage rates, there’s something you should consider. According to the latest report from ATTOM Data, owning a home is more affordable than renting in the majority of

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  • A Realtors Quick Lesson in Home-Buying,www-soldbyarthouse-com

    A Realtors Quick Lesson in Home-Buying

    Abby Ruggiero Hi! I’m Abby Ruggiero, and I’m a local Birmingham Realtor. 2021 was a big year for me! I got engaged AND my fiancé and I bought our first home together. I work with many would-be homebuyers making their maiden home purchase, and they frequently ask me for my uncut advice about buying a

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