Tips for a Smooth Post-Hurricane Irene Real Estate Closing on the East Coast

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Broken Floor Tiles?

Is your Connecticut house on the market and you have broken floor tiles?  Are they so old you can't find matching replacements?  Buyers are looking for move-in ready homes, not projects.  Try looking for replacements in your house.  That's right.  You might have replacement tiles right under your nose.  Or under the stove, or fridge, or dishwasher, or cabinets, or washer, or dryer...

Sellers often ask this Fairfield County Home Stager for easy fixes to small problems when I'm doing a Staging Consultation.  This broken tile is in a hallway that also leads to a bathroom as well as the laundry - all with the same tile floor.  I suggested removing a tile from under the washing machine and using it as a replacement.  It wouldn't be noticed, and it happened to be the most accessible for easy removal.  Another, similar, tile in the right size went under the washing machine, and the hall floor now looks perfect.  The seller was thrilled with this simple solution.  Thanks to this tip and the other Staging recommendations, the house sold in under 30 days.

Call a professional Home Stager for other quick solutions.  Happy Staging!

Julia Vigneron Maher, Nestings Home Staging & Model Home Design:  Award-Winning Staging for Model, Vacant and Occupied Homes in Fairfield County, CT (including Fairfield, Southport, Westport, Trumbull, Monroe, Newtown, Stratford, Easton, Weston, Wilton, Norwalk, Darien, Stamford, Greenwich) and Connecticut.

203.257.7395

nestings@snet.net

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A Snow Load Tester

Last week Connecticut experienced a record setting snow storm that dumped up to 29 inches of snow in some towns. I'm sure I have inspected in every town that had the full 29. Walking around houses in snow over your knees has to be like slogging through a massive bowl of pudding. The difference being the snow is oh so very cold.

With all that snow piled up comes weight bearing down on homes. The first thing you think of is the roof, but what about a deck? What about a deck that is structurally inferior?

I found such a deck covered with over two feet of snow. If ever there was an example of how not to build a deck this would be the one.

The deck structure is minimally built. Two 4x4 posts had been placed on the long board against the home as support. The posts were toe nailed to the single (should be a double) joist. The posts were sunk into the ground, no footings in sight. No support beam, just the posts. The spacing between the joists was 24" on center instead of 16". Some if not all the boards may be over spanned. The left side of the deck was nailed to the home, no bolts and no flashing. One railing was low and formed a ladder. The stairs were wobbly with no handrail with large openings in the guardrails.

Then add over two feet of snow and everyone walking on the deck in and out of the home during the inspection. I was cringing every time someone walked over this "deck".

I made it very clear to my client (a good customer who has used me several times) that removing the deck may be the best thing to do. I don't think she or anyone wants know how much snow or worse people it takes to break this camels back.

 

 

James Quarello
Connecticut Licensed Home Inspector
2010 - 2011 SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

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Ansonia, Avon, Bantam, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Bethel, Bloomfield, Branford, Bridgeport, Bristol, Brookfield, Burlington, Canton, Cheshire, Colchester, Cromwell, Danbury, Darien, Deep River, Derby, Durham, East Hampton, East Hartford, East Haven, East Windsor, Easton, Essex, Fairfield, Farmington, Gales Ferry, Georgetown, Glastonbury, Granby, Greenwich, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Hartford, Huntington, Kensington, Killingly, Killingworth, Litchfield, Madison, Manchester, Marlborough, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, Monroe, Naugatuck, New Britain, New Canaan, New Haven, New Milford, Newington, Newtown, Norfolk, Northford, Norwalk, Oakville, Orange, Oxford, Plainville, Plantsville, Plymouth, Portland, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield, Riverside, Rockville, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, Sandy Hook, Seymour, Shelton, Simsbury, South Windham, South Windsor, Southbury, Southington, Southport, Stamford, Terryville, Thomaston, Torrington, Trumbull, Wallingford, Washington, Waterbury,

 

Send Your Kids A Personalized Vid From Santa

I remember when I was 7 years old......
Creeping down the stairs......
Hoping to see a pile of goodies left under the tree for me......
Excitement building upon seeing the plate of half-eaten cookies and an empty glass of milk......
Sooty boot tracks along the carpet that came from the fireplace (HE WAS REAL!!)
And there it was!!

A letter from Santa!!! TO ME!!!! (I literally peed myself with excitement!)

I will never forget that level of pure unbridled joy and I love seeing that same level of happiness in my kids at this time of year. Glassy eyes filled with wonder and glee at every store window...every light hung in the trees.

So, being the internet techie that I am....I sent my son a personalized video from Santa!! (Yes, I am that cool)

Oh. My. God! You would think the Heavens had split and the Glory of all that is Holy had poured right down his throat to the point of drowning him in rapture. He went NUTS!

And he was a perfect gentleman for the next 9 days til Christmas cause he was sure Santa really WAS watching him! ;-)

Figured since it worked so well on him, Id share it with you guys. (Not to mention the fact that it was just fun as can be for me...LOL!)

Check it out.... www.portableNorthPole.ca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You pick who the video is for and fill out personal information about the recipient (including adding a picture for Santa's nice list!) and the video is emailed to any account you wish.

You can also post it on social networking sites, embed it in blogs, and send follow-up videos that share different content each time!!

Super cool!! My kid LOVED it! (As did I....) ;-)

 

7 Reasons why your house won't sell!

Back in August of last year, I published a post called 6 Reasons why your house won't sell.  It garnered an unbelievable (at least unbelievable for ME) 192 comments, after being viewed 8667 times, and having 7,934 people "click" on it.  That means that 2.4% of the people who viewed the post, were moved enough to leave a comment behind.

The average, at least for me, has been less than half of that return... more like sightly under 1%.  It was also "reblogged" by an astonishing 47 Rainers to share with their readers.

Soon after posting, a local Realtor publication contacted me, having found the article on Active Rain, and asked if they could publish the article, with my byline, of course.  As you might imagine, I said "yes", and picked-up 438 copies of that issue (my mother loved them).  So I thought it might be time to review and revive that post, and let the "next generation" of readers have their shot at it:

________________________________________________________________________________________

7 Reasons why your property won't sell

1. Your property won't sell because your photos are "less than impressive". The vast majority of home buyers start their search for a home on the Internet, so your property had better look fantastic in print. Not just nice, it has to look downright fabulous.  Today an internet view is the same as a 'virtual showing'... if your house gets past that, then they might (just might) make an appointment to see it in person... You should really consider that your SECOND showing. Today's online viewers are expecting good quality photos (and lots of them...the picture below... taken from Google Maps... is completely unacceptable.  That's a $500,000 listing, take a moment and your digital camera and force your agent to go earn their commission), a virtual tour, maybe even a floor plan, and they need to be high-quality, or don't bother.

2. Your property won't sell because it's overpriced. It's important to be as objective as you possibly can.  Look at the home as though you were a "buyer"... if necessary, make an appointment with your Realtor to view other properties that are priced comparably to yours.  Be brutally objective.  Given the other options on the market (and yes, you DO have to include short sales and foreclosures on your list... your potential buyers are!), would YOU buy your home, over the others that are currently available on the market?

If the answer is "NO", (and try to be as honest as you can) well then you have your work cut out for you, don't you?  You either have to "update" your home to meet or beat the competition...(that might mean an updated bathroom or kitchen, or neutralizing some decorating... remove that old wallpaper that was there when you bought the house or lower your price to adjust for it.  if you can't afford to sell it for the price, that you KNOW it should sell for, this may not be the right market for you to sell.  Consider taking it off-market.

3. Your property won't sell because it shows badly. This could mean almost anything... from the 60 pound Rottweiler, barking and drooling at the potential buyers from behind the safety of the flimsiest child-gate, to the lingering smell of 30-years of smoking.  Maybe the carpeting shows traffic-pattern wear, or your windows allow in slightly more than daylight.  All things that aren't visible from the internet, but whoa.... once you get inside the house... they show up, like a cat-urine-soaked-shag carpet on a 95 degree day in New Orleans!

4. Your property won't sell because you're invisible. Today's buyer comes from the internet, almost exclusively.  Have you (or your agent) simply plopped the property on the MLS, and started praying?  Are you on all the websites...(Trulia, Zillow, Craig's List, Google Base, etc...) all the places that buyers are searching?  If not, you need to be, now! Don't try to be a secret, in today's electronic world.  You want to be found, and the sooner the better.

5. Your property won't sell because your listing is tired and stale on the market. Okay... yes, you overpriced your home initially when you first came on the market a year and a half ago.  But since then you have reduced your price almost monthly, constantly chasing the market down. Now, finally you're truly priced where you believe should be, but your listing (not your house) has become tired and stale.  Everyone who is looking for your type of property (ie: 3br/1.1 bath) in your area has already seen the listing online, or in person and they remember that there was "something" about it that they didn't like... but what they don't remember is... what they didn't like.... was the price.   Time to take the listing off market.  Let it cool off (3-6 months), and bring it back on fresh in the Spring.  Yeah, you'll have 6 mos. worth of holding-costs... but you'll more than make up for it in your purchase price.

btw... Resist the temptation to bring the house back on at a higher price, than when you left the market.  Just "don't do it"!

6. Your property won't sell because your house won't appraise. The house looks great... you've finally gotten someone to bring you a bid on your slightly over-priced, but beautiful pied-a-terre.  But the bank appraiser says it's worth $20,000 less than your buyer has agreed to pay.  Heavy sigh... bite the bullet.... negotiate with them.   If you have to drop the price $20,000 to make it work.... "make it work"... chances are, anybody else trying to buy your house will run into the same problem. If you're not willing to negotiate the difference, you may find yourself with no buyer, and accepting a lower offer somewhere down the line.

7. Your property won't sell because it's unavailable to show. You have a baby, and a 1-year old.  And they need their naps.  So you've told your Realtor in no-uncertain-terms, that you'll only allow showings between 9:00a.m - Noon, and then again from 2:30-5:30 p.m.  And no showings on Saturday or Sundays.  "After all", you've told him "we still live here.. it's our home!".  Well guess what?  They can't buy it, if they can't see it.  As good as your online photos are, they're no substitute for an in-person visit. "If they really want to see it, they'll reschedule", you're already answering as you read this.  Nonsense!  What they'll do, is they'll just move on to the next property in line (there are dozens like yours available) and maybe they'll buy that one instead.  Once you put your property on the market it stops being your "home", and has become your "product".  And you want your product to be seen by as large a buying audience as possible.

So, there you have it.  Stick around another year and half.  Who knows, maybe by August of 2013, I'll have EIGHT reasons why your property won't sell!

ALAN MAY, Realtor®
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, 2929 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
847.425.3779      Cell: 847.924.3313      Email: Almay@aol.com

Evanston Real Estate & North Shore Real Estate

Water Damage & Mold May Hurt Your Chances of Getting a Home Loan!

I am beginning another series about “Things That Can Make Your Las Vegas Financed Home Purchase *Blow Up* in the Middle of a Transaction.”

My ultimate goal in this series is to make Las Vegas Home Buyers aware of the challenges of a specific home’s eligibility for financing.

Congratulations!  Your lender just approved you to purchase a Las Vegas area home by looking at your check stubs, debt to income ratio and you are now approved to purchase a Las Vegas area home!

Hold the phone here, *you* may be eligible to purchase a home but is the house eligible for financing?  This series is designed for you to research a home’s eligibility for financing.

DISCLOSURE:  I am not a lender, title company, home inspector, contractor or appraiser.  I am only speaking from personal experience by working with financed Las Vegas area home buyers.  Hopefully you have hired a Las Vegas area real estate agentwho will be able to spot things that can *potentially* cause problems with your financing (mostly FHA/VA) before your contract to purchase a Las Vegas area home.

Much of Las Vegas is currently priced in fire sale status.  Many times when you see unusually inexpensive homes there is a reason – they are not eligible for financing and the seller does not wish to rehabilitate the home to make it eligible for financing.

Today’s topic at hand is “Water Damage & Mold“.  

Water Damage & Mold may occur for various reasons:

• A Construction Defect From a Slow Leak
• Malicious Exit From Previous Occupant
• The “Elements” or Weather
• Something “Accidental”

The effects of water damage and mold could be from deferred maintenance, recent or can occur in the middle of a transaction.

An example of deferred maintenance would be a leaky roof (weather elements) or construction defect such as an incorrectly plumbed or faulty toilet base & wax ring.

Even though we don’t have “Freezing Elements” too often here, it does happen every once in a while resulting in a cracked pipe here and there.  More often than not, weather elements would be from heat & lack of utilities – baking, melting and cracking plumbed items.

Accidents do happen and some you have to wonder about bordering on being “malicious” from a former occupant.  An example of this would be:  a refrigerator water valve or plumbing valve left on.  Water company comes to turn on water and forgets to check meter.  House gets flooded.  Another example would be a deep nail or screw in the wall securing something and it hits a pipe – water may pour down walls.

Many of the above examples may cause problems with lenders funding a loan.  Sometimes the sellers are willing to remedy the situation, many times in the case of REO (aka BANK OWNED) – not.

A good home inspector will have a moisture meter on hand to be able to tell if a suspicious water damage or moldy area is dry or if moisture is still present and feeding the moldy source.

If your financing goes “kerplunk” due to a water damage or moldy mess, you may want to consider qualifying for an FHA 203K rehab loan!

 

    

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What's so great about Brookfield CT? Oct. 2010 Market Report

Connecticut eliminates conveyance taxes on short sales and deeds in lieu

CT CONVEYANCE TAX CHANGES 

In the 2010 June Special Session, the Connecticut Legislature added two new exemptions to the Real Estate Conveyance Tax - one for deeds in lieu and one for short sales. Note that these only apply to conveyances of the principal residence of the transferor. The Legislature also reinstated the exemption for foreclosures by sale.

These changes are effective October 1, 2010.  

2010 Conn. Pub. Acts 1, Section 2 (June Spec. Sess.) added exemptions for the following conveyances:

1."Deeds in lieu of foreclosure that transfer the transferor's principal residence" (12-498(19)); and

2."Any instrument transferring a transferor's principal residence where the gross purchase price is insufficient to pay the sum of (A) mortgages encumbering the property transferred, and (B) any real property taxes and municipal utility or other charges for which the municipality may place a lien on the property and which have priority over the mortgages encumbering the property transferred." (12-498(20)).

Subsection 9 of 12-498 was also amended by the Act to reinstate the exemption for conveyances made pursuant to a decree under Section 49-24, which is the foreclosure by sale section.

 

 

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Minna Reid is a full-time, full-service, Connecticut REALTOR®,  specializing in short sales, serving central and eastern CT including, but not limited to; Andover, Ashford, Bolton, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, East Hartford, Eastford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Glastonbury, Hebron, Lebanon, Manchester, Mansfield, Marlborough, Somers, South Windsor, Stafford, Tolland, Union, Vernon, Willington and Windham.

 

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