This is great information for all buyers. The Kitchen is one of the most desirable rooms in a home when buyers are out looking at a home. If you would follow this information, your chances of getting a better price on your home will increase.
Everyone knows that – all things being equal – the first areas buyers look at when considering the purchase of the home are thekitchen and the bathroom. They know they’re heavily-used areas and also the most expensive to upgrade. So, buyers want to know they’re in great shape or need, at most, minor repairs. This tells you that you need to make the kitchen and bathroom “shine” in terms of their appeal. By some estimates,you can earn back 80 to 90 percent of your money in resale value! Here’s more good news! Depending upon the state of these rooms, improvements don’t have to be all that expensive! Let’s look at the kitchen first. Making Your Kitchen Shine! The first bit of advice for you actually applies to both the kitchen and the bathroom – use paint! In fact, use high-quality paint. It’s a fact of life that kitchen walls get spattered with grease and food (especially if you have kids!), and bathroom walls get battered with steam and moisture. So, the first thing to do is to take a look at those walls, clean them, and then paint them. And consider the color carefully. It should be a color that’s relaxing and tends toward a neutral tone. Once you’ve chosen a color, spend the money on good paint, not the cheap stuff.It’ll look better, and buyers will notice that it’ll resist stains and water for a longer period of time than lower quality paint. It’ll also tell them that you’ve taken good care of your home. Another inexpensive “fix” you can do yourself is, of course, the faucets over the sink (or the sink itself). A visit to a “big box” store like Home Depot, Menards, etc. will cost you little money. All you have to do is invest some “sweat equity.” Of course, fresh curtains always spruce up a kitchen as well as orderly counters, islands, etc. And don’t forget lighting! Warm, friendly lighting can make a huge impact upon a buyer’s first impression. Another area to look at is the kitchen floor. If it’s worn, I’d recommend that you replace it with a hard-wearing material. Everyone knows the kitchen is a high-traffic area so they’ll look closely at the floor to see if they’ll have to bear the expense of replacing it. Again, if you have handyman abilities, you can do this yourself. There are many inexpensive materials available today that are relatively easy to put in – high-quality tile, laminate floors that clean up easily, etc. In terms of kitchen cabinets and counters, you may want to consider refinishing them or replacing them if they’re in bad shape. This can be rather expensive, of course, but it also might make the difference between a sale and the home staying on the market. Moving on up in terms of expenditures, buyers today expect modern appliances in the kitchen – stoves, dishwashers, etc. These are big ticket items, of course, but if your appliances are worn or out-of-date, think about replacing them, especially if you’re having trouble selling your home. Look for sales on modern higher-end appliances such as the ones available at Sears, etc. Buyers will spot cheap ones in a heartbeat, and this can cost you a sale. Today’s buyers look for spacious kitchens that open on to another room and which have a window over the sink. Obviously, if your kitchen doesn’t have these features, it would be far too expensive to put them in. However, you can make your kitchen look as open as possible. Make sure the counters are clear, visible pots and pans are ordered neatly, and the floor is free of clutter. Okay, now onto the bathroom! Making Your Bathroom Shine! If your bathroom is in good to great shape, then it’s a simple matter of paint, as I mentioned before, and a good all-round clean up. Since we’re dealing with sanitary issues, you want this area to sparkle as much as possible. But, what if the shower, tub, sink, or toilet are not in great shape or are out of date? Well, then, I’d recommend that you do a whole remodel. It can be expensive, but when you replace, say, just one item, it can create an unharmonious look. Ideally, you want the sinks, faucets, toilets, showerheads, tile, etc. to match to make the bathroom look as unified and appealing as possible. Depending upon your expertise, you can install these items yourself at a lower cost. If not, hire an expert to do the work, especially if your home has been on the market a long time and isn’t selling. Okay, here’s one last suggestion. It’s an expensive one but it’s been proven to add value to your home – add a second bathroom! One-bathroom houses are simply harder to sell and sell for less than ones with two or three bathrooms. So, if you have the financial wherewithal, consider adding one. A good place for a second bathroom is right off the master bedroom. This will appeal to buyers with children since they’ll have a space separate from the kids. Also, if for some reason, you decide not to sell, a second bathroom can make life easier for you if you have children as well! Want to hear some more suggestions for improving the value of your home? Contact me todayand we can talk about some inexpensive methods of doing just that!
Have you ever had your wallet/purse lost or stolen? If so, you need to read this and just do it to protect yourself. Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should all take some of this advice!
1. The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED".
3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a P.O. Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a P.O. Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks.(DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.
Here's some critical information to limit the damage in case your wallet or purse is stolen or this happens to someone you know:
1. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
I entered all four numbers into my cell phone and have a copy of this in my inbox.
2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)
3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., has been stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742 3.) Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just about everything. But if you are willing to pass this information along, it could really help someone that you care about.
I just wanted to share something with all of you. I have a house listed on the market with a good friend of mine. We as agents need to ensure that we educate our clients. The reason I say this is due to the media out there giving them dis-information. I have an offer on the table for their house. True it was a little less than what they wanted but in this market having a qualified buyer is a good thing even if they start out a little low. My sellers are mad because they were offer less than the list price. I informed them that they should be happy that they picked their house as to another one. They do not see it that way. It is also hard being a friend of mine. I informed them that I am here to give them advice and that they should consider a counter offer. They are going to think about it and will let me know. My question is that with all the media and the Internet information available they should view this as a blessing and not a crappy offer. What are your thoughts?
I just wanted to let you know that I just got back from a Hobbs Herder seminar. If you have not been to one, you are really missing the boat. They have a treasure trove of marketing ideas that every real estate agent should be doing. This was my second Gateway seminar and I learned a lot more the second time than I did the first.
I agree that their materials are more agent focused in some ways. But, like anything else, whether it is beautiful marketing materials, door knocking or cold calling, my motto remains: Some Will, Some Won't. But, you gotta use the materials or nothing will happen. It is not a one-shot deal. It is a well-thought-out marketing campaign. Yes, it costs to produce the materials and to mail them. Nohting in life is FREE.
As Bono from U2 would say "It's a beautiful day". So go out there and enjoy yourselves while you can because the weather will not hold out for much longer. We all know why ti rains so much here in June. It's because the college world series is playing. Have fun at the ball park.
Me and the wife where do at the Fire & Ice Jazz & Blues concert last night. If you have not been down there you should definatley go. This was the first concert of the summer. Lots of music, food and good friends. All it cost is a donation to the food bank. It is down at the Lewis and Clark landing next to Rick's boat yard. Blues
Here is some information that was sent ot me via email from the Nebraska Realtors Association about the extension of the closing date for the home buyer tax credit.
This is the very latest from NAR regarding Carried Interest, Flood Insurance, and extension of the closing date for the home buyer tax credit:
Good Afternoon and TGIF everyone. Its been a very busy week in DC but the picture on "extenders" is no clearer.
Last night, for the third time this week, the Senate failed to get the required 60 votes to end debate on the latest version of the "extenders package" which now contains not only the carried interest provisions we don't like, the flood insurance extension we needed passed 3 weeks ago, but also an extension of the closing deadline to Sept 30th for buyers seeking the homebuyer tax credit(s). No good deed goes unpunished.
The Senate has adjourned for the week and Majority Leader Reid & Finance Chair Baucus are in talks now as to what to do next. We are exploring a number of options of separating out provisions but there are lots of complicated moving parts and our provisions are only a couple out of hundreds now wrapped up in this bill. Bottom line - earliest any of the above gets resolved would be early next week, but mid-to-late next week is far more likely as things would have to go back to the House, be signed by the President, etc....
I do not know about you but we have had a lot of rain here in Omaha. With all this rain my question to you is. When is the last time you checked your sump pumpto ensure that it is working properly? This only takes a minute of your time and it could save you a lot of money and grief. According to code sump pumps must be on a GFIdue to the water and electrical outlet. If by chance the GFI trips, you will not have power to the pump. No power to the pump and the sump will fill with water as will your drain tile. This could then lead to standing water in the basement. If you have a finished basement and you get a little water behind the drywall, this could lead to mold issues. It only takes a couple of minutes to check but it will give you peace of mind knowing that your doing everything to ensure your home is safe.
WOW! We finally have the relocation home sold. I am working with a new company called Cartus. So far they have been a real pain in the you know what. They jump all over me to get the initial paper work in so that they can get their 40% commission. Yes I did say 40%. This is just plain robbery. Anyway, now that I have an offer, the Cartus representative will not return my call for additional information on how to turn in this offer. they have to approve all offers on the home. I am really frustrated with them. have any of you dealt with this company before? RE/MAX
I am just sitting in my office at home working on how I can do better for my clients. My first thought is how do I better represent them when it comes to getting their home sold. I work for the #1 real estate company in the world RE/MAX. This defiantly puts me ahead when I go out to view their home and they ask the question as to who supports me and how much advertising my company and I do to get their home sold. I am always going to seminars on the latest market trends, tools and what new technology is coming available to use. I am working on getting all the certifications so that I will be the leader in the real estate industry and not a follower. I always tell my clients what they need to hear even if it is not what they want to hear. This way they are educated and can make the best decision for them and their family. i have the best marketing plan that gets their home sold in their time fame. I am always following up with them as to showings and what they can do to make their home the only choice to the buyers in the market. So I can say that I am the best choice when it comes to choosing an agent that will do what is needed to be done in order to get their home sold or find that home that fits their needs, wants and price range.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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