5 Tips To “Luxurize” Your Home

In a tight market, the little things can make all the difference to potential buyers. The more appealing your home is to them, the more likely they are to buy it. Your home is special to you, so you want it to be a reflection of the memories that you have made; however, you also want it to reflect how someone else can begin making memories in it, too. Here are five ways to “luxurize” your home to make it more attractive to potential buyers.

1. Deep Clean

This should go without saying, but you would be surprised how many people don’t even think about it. Before a showing, or maybe once a week, give your home a serious deep clean. Clean windows, vacuum and mop floors, and wash bedding and blankets. Cleaning is the easiest way to communicate to potential buyers that your home is a great home.

2. Use Air Fresheners

Believe it or not, one of the first things people notice in a home is the smell. You don’t want potential buyers to remember the stale smell of dirty laundry or strange smells coming from the kitchen trash, you want them to remember how beautiful your house is. Use plug-in or automatic air fresheners throughout the house to give a fresh, clean smell in every room.

3. De-Clutter

Along with the cleaning factor, comes the de-cluttering. There is nothing worse than opening the door to the master closet and seeing it packed full of stuff, giving the impression that the closet is too small to begin with. Use baskets and bins to organize folded garments and knick-knacks on the shelves, and use shoe racks on the ground to your shoes in order. If everything has an organized space, it gives the illusion that the closet is just fine no matter the size.

4. Use Comfy Throws & Blankets in Common Areas

Adding things like throw pillows and blankets to furniture in the family room is a great way to add a colorful touch to plain furniture. Try to match additions to the color scheme of the room so that everything ties together nicely.

5. Use Fresh, Clean Bedding

The first thing people see when they walk into a bedroom is the bed. Make a great first impression by using clean bedding in every room; additionally, make sure that each bed is made properly. Something as simple as that can add that extra luxurious touch.

Luxurizing your home is the easiest way to attract more buyers. Make your home so appealing that they will be able to see themselves living in it.

For more tips on making your home stand out to anyone, no matter what your motive may be, visit here.

What Does A Homeowners Association Fee Cover?

When looking to buy a home, make sure to check if the neighborhood has a Homeowners Association. An HOA will help regulate the neighborhood keeping up with common areas, restrictions and guidelines to keep the neighborhood in tip top shape, and more. If you are buying a single family home, there may not always be a HOA or an HOA fee to worry about. If you are buying a condo, there will always be an HOA with HOA dues that cover a laundry list of things for you.

Below are a few of the things that are covered but keep in mind each association is different and it depends on if you are buying a condo or single family home…

• City Services- Including services such as trash removal, water and sewage.

• Insurance- This only includes insurance for damage of the outside of the building and the property around it. You will still need to purchase your own insurance policy to cover everything on the inside of your home.

• Lawn Care- This covers snow removal, gardening and general lawn maintenance as well as essential tree removal and mulching.

• Pest Control- Most HOAs schedule a monthly inspection from a pest control company in order to avoid pest infestation.

• Maintenance and Repairs to the Outside of the Building- This includes things such as roof leaks, exterior painting, driveway pavement repairs, gutter repair, Carports, lighting, security systems, gated entries, mailboxes, etc.

• Amenities- HOA can sometimes cover community amenities such as a gym, tennis court, walking trails, pool or playground. It will also cover the cost of maintaining these amenities.

• Special Assessments- This is an account that the HOA uses to pay for unexpected communal expenses. If a tornado or fire destroys communal property for instance, HOA fees can cover a percentage of the repair costs.

• Premiums for Disaster Insurance- Keep in mind they do not pay for individual homeowners insurance coverage.

If paying HOA fees every month doesn’t bother you then you should consider purchasing a home with a Homeowners Association and the labor-free amenities it comes with. You do want to keep in mind however, that HOA fees can increase each year as the cost of services increases.

Read more here.

 

12 Fire Safety Tips for the Winter

Winter is here whether we like it or not! But there is something about getting cozy by the fireplace with hot chocolate, right? With all the perks of a fire burning in the winter, you need to keep a few safety tips in mind. Here are 12 Fire Safety Tips for the Winter…

1. Extension Cords: With all the holiday lights and decorations, you need to be careful where you place them, if the outlet is grounded, and not to overcrowd the outlets.

2. Candles: The holiday scents are a regular in my house every year. Be aware of how many you have lit so you remember to blow them out when you leave or go to sleep. Keep them away from papers, bookshelves, and other flammable items. Burn candles on a holder, not directly onto a flammable surface.

3. Holiday Decorations: Have a real tree? Make sure you water it regularly. A dry tree with hot lights wrapped around it is not a good mix.

4. Hot Ashes: Did you know you are not supposed to put ashes from the fireplace into a plastic bag or other flammable bag? Ashes can stay hot long after the fire has burnt out, make sure you use a metal container to put your ashes in when cleaning out the fireplace.

5. Space Heaters: Never point a space heater directly at anything flammable. Make sure your space heater has safety features such as if it tips over, does it have an automatic shut off?

6. Combustible Materials: Don’t store newspapers next to the fire. Even though you use them to light a fire and want them near, it is an accident waiting to happen. Same goes with clothing, pillows, dog bed, etc.

7. Leaves and Needles: Don’t let these things build up on your roof.

These might seem like easy, common sense tips but q quick reminder of what to look out for this winter never hurts! If you want more info on preventing fire tragedies, read the original article by Inman News here.

How to Install Insulation in Existing Walls

Installing insulation in existing walls might sound intimidating and time consuming, but according to Realtor.com, “Thanks to modern equipment and advanced loose-fill insulating materials, installing insulation between walls that are already finished is something that can be accomplished in just a few hours” for a professional, or an experienced “do-it-yourselfer”. However, if you aren’t an experienced “do-it-yourselfer”, and you don’t want to hire someone to do it for you, you can accomplish this task yourself just by simply following these directions.

Using blown insulation is the best method for adding insulation in an existing wall…

• Insulation is projected into the cavity through a hole until the cavity is completely filled. The most challenging aspect of this job is
• When using this method, you have to make sure that the cavity is completely filled with insulation. In areas where plumbing pipes or ductwork may be involved,
• You may need to make several holes to ensure that the cavity can be filled entirely
• This method is easiest to perform from outside of the house, so you will need to remove your siding

Safety:

• You should wear eye goggles, work gloves, a long-sleeved shirt and a NIOSH-approved breathing respirator
• You also need to turn off the electricity to the circuits in the wall you’ll be working with
• All blowers are different, so be sure to read the instructions for loading the hopper and using the blower
• Outside the house: measure four feet from the floor line and start removing strips of siding, working at four-foot intervals; use the pry bar and hammer to loosen and remove siding made out of wood; separate the seam and run a zip tool along vinyl siding

Tools Needed: pry bar (wood siding), hammer, zip tool (vinyl siding)

• Find studs using the stud finder, and mark the location of studs so you know where you can drill access holes

Tools Needed: stud finder

• Cut access holes between studs by using a drill with a hole saw or a saber saw; holes should be a little bigger than the nozzle of the blower

Tools Needed: drill with bits and hole saw or saber saw

• Put blower’s nozzle into access hole; turn machine on; fill the cavity with insulation, then move to the next access hole (if necessary).

Tools Needed: blower equipment, loose-fill insulation

• After you’ve finished filling at an access hole, plug the hole with the appropriate sized plastic plug; you can use glue to help keep the plug in place; replace the siding

Tools Needed: plastic plugs

• Move on to the next four-foot span of siding and repeat

For more information on insulating existing walls, check out this article on Realtor.com 

Open Areas and Walkable Spaces are Worth Higher Home Prices for Many Buyers

According to REALTOR® Magazine, “More home shoppers say they want to live where there is walkable space, and they’re willing to pay extra for it”. That is, houses that come with more open spaces and more walkable areas are more valuable. Researchers have even boiled this down to a science, saying that the price (per square foot) is raised by $300+ for “every step up the walkability ladder” in apartments. It is raised $82 per square foot in houses. If the neighborhood and area surrounding your home is also “walkable” and open, your home may be worth even more. These spaces offer great opportunities for potential buyers to become physically active in their area, and thus, are more valuable than homes that cannot offer such amenities. Talk to your realtor about the “walkability” and openness of your home and area; this could lead to a great marketing strategy for you!

Read the original article from Realtor.com here.

 

Selling Your Home This Fall

Autumn is just around the corner, and it’s not as easy to maintain your beautiful-flower-lined walkways as it was in the summer. The weather is becoming cooler, the amount of daylight is shortening, and leaves are falling. So, how can you use the season change to your advantage when selling your home?

1. Keep your landscape in order. Don’t allow leaves to pile up and kill your grass-dead grass is not a good selling point. Also, keep your grass cut and uniform. While it shouldn’t be growing as rapidly as it did in the summer and spring, you should still be sure to cut it at least once a week in the fall. There is also a range of flowers and plants that you can keep outside during the fall (such as mums) just to beautify your property a little more; this will make your property appeal to buyers before they even step inside your home.
2. Create a warm, inviting atmosphere inside your home. Definitely utilize fireplaces if you have any, and don’t be stingy with the furnace. Don’t go overboard either though. Real estate professionals recommend setting your thermostat somewhere around 68 degrees for a showing in the fall.
3. Let there be light. Many of your showings will probably be during the day time. If this is the case, open all of your blinds, pull back the curtains and the drapes, and let there be light! If your showing isn’t during the day, or it’s cloudy and dark outside, turn on all of the lights in the house and place some spotlights behind furniture.

To read the full article from RisMedia, click here.

 

How to Appeal Property Taxes

If you believe that you paid too much for your home, or that your home’s value has significantly decreased since you bought it, you may be able to reduce your property taxes. To find out whether or not you qualify for a reduction in property taxes, follow these guidelines: 

1. There are different tax appeal guidelines for each locality (usually county). Do research on the guidelines for appealing property taxes in your area.
2. Usually there are restrictions on when you can appeal your property taxes. You can find information on timelines on your local tax assessor’s website.
3. If you are currently eligible to appeal, your home’s value will be reassessed, and your taxes may increase, decrease, or stay the same, depending on the current market value of your home versus the market value when you bought it.
4. You must present a case showing that your home’s current market value is less than the assessed value.
5. Your case must contain proof (i.e. a comparative market analysis report) that shows that your home’s value has been assessed too high. You can also look at data on similar homes that have sold within the last 6 months (find this on real estate listing sites).
6. You must prepare an estimate of your home’s current market value that includes the research you did on homes in the area.
7. Next, you must fill out certain forms (found on your local tax assessor’s website) and submit required documents.
8. In some places, you may have to appear in front of the assessor and explain your case.
9. If the assessor does not accept your appeal, you also have the right to appeal their decision.
10. You can contact your local tax assessor’s office for more information on the appeal process.

Read the original article on Inman news here.

 

4 Rules for Gutter Replacement

When you own a home, whether you plan to sell or not, you need to keep your systems in working order. This includes the sometimes-overlooked-but-still-important gutters. The rules of thumb regarding gutter replacement are actually very simple. Here are 4 rules for gutter replacement:

1. If your original gutters are straight, solid and don’t leak, they don’t need replacement, period.

2. If they do leak, there’s a fair chance they can be repaired. In the case of steel or copper gutters, contact your local sheet metal shop. For redwood gutters, have a good handyman determine if they can be caulked or patched.

3. If you do decide on replacement, demand gutters that are at least equal to the originals in quality. Ask a knowledgeable but disinterested party (not the roofer doing the work) to recommend the best material.

4. Lastly, put at least as much thought into choosing the gutter profile as you do into choosing the roofing material. Don’t let the contractor make this choice for you; many will simply fall back on the style of gutter that’s the least trouble to install.

If You Have Accepted a Buyer’s Offer, Can They Lower the Offer after an Inspection?

So, you’ve had a buyer make an offer on your home and you’ve accepted; is this a binding agreement? The answer is no. An offer is merely an offer, nothing more. Additionally, if the buyer hires a home inspector and the inspector finds a major, nondisclosed defect with your property, the buyer has no obligation to maintain their offer. Here is what you need to know about buyers making and rescinding offers:

• An offer is not a binding contract, and so it is not legally enforceable
• If a buyer finds a defect during inspection, they are well within their rights to rescind or lower their initial
• As the seller, you have the option to accept, decline, or counter the new offer
• You could also offer to fix the defect if the buyer agrees to stick with the original offer

Talk to your realtor about all of your options, and decide together upon the best plan of action.

To read the full article on Realtor.com, click here.

Foreclosure and What it Means for Your Credit Score

Developers of the FICO scores recently released this estimate, which tells homeowners about how many points they lose (on their credit score) when they fail to make mortgage payments. When you go into foreclosure, your score drops somewhere between 85 and 160 points, depending on your current credit standing. When your home is being foreclosed upon, the bank looks at is as missed or partial payments on your end, which is viewed as “a serious delinquency”, according to FICO spokesperson, Craig Watts. 

When your credit score suffers a loss of that caliber, many things can become much more expensive for you, including debt, loans, and insurance. Additionally, after having your home foreclosed upon, renting becomes more difficult; many landlords consider a person’s credit score before allowing them to rent.

While having a low credit score can cause problems for you, it is important for you to come to terms with your situation. That means, if you are seriously in debt, or have unaffordable mortgages, it would be best to cut your losses and not drag out the problem. Recognize that you are in debt, and then go from there. Getting your finances in order (and avoiding bankruptcy) is more important than having a high credit score.

To read the full CNN article on foreclosure and finances, click here.