Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
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Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
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What a day!! I've been running around since 7:30 this morning & still going strong! Have a few more hours of work to put in before this day is done. Check out my Happy Monday Real Estate report informing you that the Spring market has started ALREADY! If you are looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate, remember to call YOUR Best Option - Kathleen Cooper. Thanks for watching!
Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
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Americans still think buying a home is one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. Here are some ways to increase your home’s value and comfort for less than $1,000.
We knew reports of the death of American home ownership were greatly exaggerated (nod to Mark Twain), and now we’ve got the numbers to prove it.
A just-released survey by the Meredith Corp., which publishes Better Homes and Gardens magazine, says the vast majority of people polled believe owning a home is a smart financial move and a source of pride.
Here are some results of the 2,500 people surveyed online:
86% of home owners still feel owning a home is a good investment.
85% feel "owning a home is one of their proudest accomplishments."
69% of Americans who don’t currently own a home agree with the statement, "No matter what happens in the U.S. housing market, owning a home is still an important goal in my life."
68% of Americans plan to spend money on their homes in the next six months, with roughly half (49%) expecting to pay up to $1,000.
A thousand bucks may not seem like a lot, but it goes long way toward improving the value and comfort of your home. Here are some projects we recommend:
1. Add a new entry door. Spruce up your curb appeal and save energy by upgrading your exterior door. Steel doors, which can mimic many types of wood, typically run for $400 at big-box stores and offer the strongest barrier against intruders.
2. Get organized. Decluttering and maximizing storage space are inexpensive ways to transform a home. Add space to kids’ rooms by installing platform or bunk beds ($400-$600); neaten piles of shoes with shoe organizers ($20), which can do double duty as catch-all organizers in family room closets and kitchen pantries; extend bookshelves to the ceiling, creating storage in otherwise dead space.
3. Save with a programmable thermostat. Switching from a manual to a programmable thermostat (less than $500) can save you up to $180 a year in energy costs. The latest models offer remote programming via the Internet.
4. Replace cabinet hardware. If you’ve got traditional knobs and pulls, try contemporary; change from staid to whimsical. Big-box retailers often have huge selections for budget prices. (10-pack for $20).
5. Update bathroom flooring. Give bathrooms a quick facelift by replacing old tile with vinyl flooring or ceramic tile, which can cost as little as $3 per square foot for material and installation.
6. Create luxury with a shower panel. Turn you bathroom into a spa with a programmable shower panel with adjustable spray jets, fog-free mirror, and multifunctional shower head. Most systems easily attach to existing plumbing. Panels typically sell for $360.
7. Turn a mudroom into a garden room. Bring nature inside by recasting your drab mudroom into a flower-filled garden room. (If you already have a utility sink, you’re halfway there. If not, it will cost you $200 to $350 to tap into existing, nearby plumbing, and $80 for a plastic tub.) Repurpose an old wood table into a potting bench. And hang your basket collection from J-hooks attached to a forged iron curtain rod ($100).
What improvements have you made recently under $1,000? What are you planning to do in the next six months?
Americans still think buying a home is one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. Here are some ways to increase your home’s value and comfort for less than $1,000. Read
Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
YOUR Social Media Girl Providing Social Media Training & Coaching - Click the picture to Follow My Fan Page & Learn More About How I Can Help You Grow!
Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
YOUR Social Media Girl Providing Social Media Training & Coaching - Click the picture to Follow My Fan Page & Learn More About How I Can Help You Grow!
Taxes are the talk of the season & energy saving tax credits have been the talk of the year! They're not as much as they used to be, but there are still energy tax credits to be had for upgrades made in 2011.
Other limits on IRS energy tax credits besides $500 max
Credit only extends to 10% of the cost (not the 30% of yesteryear), so you have to spend $5,000 to get $500.
$500 is a lifetime limit. If you pocketed $500 or more in 2009 and 2010 combined, you’re not entitled to any more money for energy-efficient improvements in the above seven categories. But if you took $300 in the last two years, for example, you can get up to $200 in 2011.
With some systems, your cap is even lower than $500.
$500 is the max for all qualified improvements combined.
Certain systems capped below $500
No matter how much you spend on some approved items, you’ll never get the $500 credit--though you could combine some of these:
System
Cap
New windows
$200 max (and no, not per window—overall)
Advanced main air-circulating fan
$50 max
Qualified natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or hot water boiler
$150 max
Approved electric and geothermal heat pumps; central air-conditioning systems; and natural gas, propane, or oil water heaters
$300 max
And not all products are created equal in the feds' eyes. Improvements have to meet IRS energy-efficiency standards to qualify for the tax credit. In the case of boilers and furnaces, they have to meet the 95 AFUE standard. EnergyStar.gov has the details.
Tax credits cover installation—sometimes
Rule of thumb: If installation is either particularly difficult or critical to safe functioning, the credit will cover labor. Otherwise, not. (Yes, you’d have to be pretty handy to install your own windows and roof, but the feds put these squarely in the “not covered” category.)
Installation covered for:
Biomass stoves
HVAC
Non-solar water heaters
Installation not covered for:
Insulation
Roofs
Windows, doors, and skylights
How to claim the 2011 energy tax credit
Determine if the system you installed is eligible for the credits. Go to Energy Star's websitefor detailed descriptions of what’s covered; then talk to your vendor.
Save system receipts and manufacturer certifications. You’ll need them if the IRS asks for proof.
File IRS Form 5695 with the rest of your tax forms in 2012.
This article provides general information about tax laws and consequences, but isn’t intended to be relied upon as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Consult a tax professional for such advice, and remember that tax laws may vary by jurisdiction.
Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
YOUR Social Media Girl Providing Social Media Training & Coaching - Click the picture to Follow My Fan Page & Learn More About How I Can Help You Grow!
Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
YOUR Social Media Girl Providing Social Media Training & Coaching - Click the picture to Follow My Fan Page & Learn More About How I Can Help You Grow!
Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
YOUR Social Media Girl Providing Social Media Training & Coaching - Click the picture to Follow My Fan Page & Learn More About How I Can Help You Grow!
Best Practices With Referral Partners - A Tale of When It Goes Bad...
A year ago I took a pair of referral listings from a local attorney in the area. Both were short sales and both took a lot of hard work and time to only have one get approved to go on to a sale. I offered a percentage of my commission to this attorney for the referral and she agreed. No referral form was ever sent over or signed prior to listing the properties and until this day. I forgot all about the fact that she was looking for a referral fee on these until she emailed about it late yesterday after reviewing my commission statement.
Referral #1 went under agreement with a buyer that I found through my marketing efforts. This buyer had special needs being in a wheelchair and was buying his first property. The short sale process was lengthy and difficult for him. In the end, the short sale was denied because the seller did not want to pay the deficiency the bank was requiring him to pay. He rented it out on his own and I lost the sale. My buyer decided he did not want to look in the winter months and was so frustrated that he gave up on wanting to buy. Lost my buyer. Oh well...it is the name of the game in real estate sometimes.
Referral #2 went under agreement and I found the buyer on this listing as well. Awesome! After months and months of hard work and keeping the lines of communication going to keep this buyer happy and on board, we get our approval letters to close. The attorney I was working with emailed me and my seller telling us that my commission has been approved on the HUD by the lenders. I didn't think twice about it and was very happy to hear this. Yesterday I was working the numbers for my office to prepare the commission statement and noticed something was off from my calculated commission versus what was on the HUD. I do the math and find out that my commission as stated in our listing contract was NOT approved and it was knocked down by 1%. Okay...not cool, but okay. I sent in the commission statement at the reduced amount.
Later yesterday afternoon I get an email from the attorney with an attached email from last April asking how she will be paid her 25% referral fee as discussed previously. OH MY! I totally forgot about this conversation back then and we forgot to sign a referral agreement beforehand! I want to honor my word, but clearly these referrals did not go as planned and were much harder than we thought they'd be so I figured I would contact the attorney and see if we could work something out. I emailed her asking her for some compassion to see if she'd be wiling to remove or reduce our original referral agreement since I just found out that she in fact did not get my full commission approved and we lost the other deal (both buyer and seller) due to the deficiency disagreement that had nothing to do with us. She was still paid upfront by her client for both short sales and gets paid on the HUD. No loss to her, I've taken a HUGE loss here with both transactions. Normally I'd never even ask and I'd just eat it, but I've been in a tough spot these days so I had to.
Her response to me was she'd look forward to receiving her FULL 25% on the ENTIRE sales commission. I wrote back and said OK, here is a referral agreement we need signed and submitted before closing this afternoon in order for my broker to pay her. I explained to her that she referred the seller to me and that there was 2.5% being offered for buyer's agent side and 2.5% offered on listing agent side. She'd be getting 25% of the listing side since that is the side she referred to me. She had nothing to do with finding the buyer. She wrote back outraged that I was unprofessional and that I will never get her business in the future. She said it was agreed that she gets 25% of the ENTIRE transaction since I represent both parties and that other agents have honored this in the past for her. I am sorry, but what did you do to produce this buyer and why should my broker be paying you on that portion of our commission??
I am not one that wants to fight. I like to make everyone happy. I worked extremely hard on this and helped keep it together. In the end she's getting overcompensated and I've been cut all over the place and then told I will never get another referral? Thanks, but no thanks. I am a hardworking, ethical Realtor and have many good business partners that would never stab me like this in the end.
Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
YOUR Social Media Girl Providing Social Media Training & Coaching - Click the picture to Follow My Fan Page & Learn More About How I Can Help You Grow!
Using Google Calendar To Better Service Your Listings
Hi All! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Check out this video on how to use Google Calendars to better service your listings. This can work well also when you're covering for a colleague, a member of an organization that hosts a lot events or a soccer mom/dad with a demanding sports schedule to keep up with. Enjoy!
Looking for more great social media tips? Join me on Facebook.
Kathleen Cooper Best Option *** RE/MAX Professional Associates *** LICENSED IN MA!
THIS BLOG WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Kathleen Cooper RE/MAX Professional Associates
YOUR Social Media Girl Providing Social Media Training & Coaching - Click the picture to Follow My Fan Page & Learn More About How I Can Help You Grow!
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.
86% of home owners still feel owning a home is a good investment. 
Referral #1 went under agreement with a buyer that I found
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