That's the topic of many conversations throughout Belmont county  "Wishing for land". We've struck oil in the Ohio valley. Appalachia is prime real estate for Marcellus Utica. The value of land has gone up for many landowners. Gas and oil leases have been signed for over $5000 an acre with an additional 20% in royalties and those numbers continue to grow. With a mere 20 acres, your family could receive a sign-up bonus check with six figures. That's only the beginning, if oil is drilled the royalties will change lives. We've heard of wells producing royalties of thousands of dollars every month. Many, many thousands of dollars.

Landowners are benefiting and that trickles into the communities that we live in. The hotels and restaurants have already seen an increase in business from the start-up crews working to bring this industry to our valley. Once landowners receive their first checks, the economy starts to change in Belmont County and the immediate area. Families are able to invest in real estate, purchase better cars, send their children to college, remodel their homes, provide necessities for their lives that were sometimes otherwise a struggle, and give back to the community. I heard someone say, if your business is open, you will prosper through the gas and oil boom in the Ohio valley. I believe it and it fascinates me to think of the area building a stronger economy. Wishing for land may be nice, but we'll all reap rewards from the creation of jobs to the growth of businesses, investments and futures being built.

Generations will be life changing and I look forward to being involved in the process.

Melissa Sall
Realtor, Sulek and Dutton Real Estate
MelissaSall.com
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
740-338-9303

Many times we're told what to do to build our credit, but what NOT to do is just as important.

• Do not close accounts with zero balances.

• Do not leave your bills unopened on the table longer than 2 weeks.

• Do not just make the minimum monthly payments.

• Do not juggle your bills, skipping one to pay another.

• Do not apply for new credit if you're struggling to pay current bills.

• Do not make a habit of paying late or over-the-limit fees.

• Do not take out cash advances to pay other bills.

If you can get into the habit of following these credit no-no's, you'll be on your way to good credit in no time. If you're in need of real estate advise in the Ohio Valley, especially Belmont County, give me a call. I'd be happy to help!

Melissa Sall

Real Estate Professional

Sulek & Dutton Real Estate

(740) 338-9303

melissasall.com

sall.melissa@gmail.com

The Village of Morristown received a generous real estate donation a few years back. The Lynn-Hunkler family helped the community expand by giving Morristown a 60 acre parcel of land on the east end of town. This ground was preserved to become a park and playground for children in the area. A committee was formed and many hundreds of hours were spent planning and creating a fun and enjoyable place for kids, youth ball teams and adults alike to spend their days.

The field of dreams became the Lynn-Hunkler Memorial Park. As you stroll the park today, you will see 5 baseball diamonds, pavilions for gatherings with restrooms, a playground and a basketball court. Donations and grants have provided a great beginning for the Morristown Park in Belmont County, Ohio.

There's still a lot of work to do and maintenance to keep up on. Volunteers are being asked to join in on the Park Clean-Up Day Saturday October 8, 2011. The gates will open at 8:00am and all are welcome and encouraged to join anytime throughout the day. Your help is needed!

As a mother of a 20 month old, I understand first hand how parks are important places for all communities. One of my sons favorite things at this point in his life are "slides", so we spend many days at local parks. I personally am looking forward to watching the Morristown Park expand and prosper. As a service to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighbors, I encourage you to stop by anytime Saturday to lend a helping hand. The park will be admired and enjoyed for years to come and what a great honor it would be to be involved in that joy!

For additional information, please contact Vicky Burghy at 740-782-1115.

Melissa Sall
Morristown Resident
Sulek & Dutton Real Estate
(740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com

The articles on the Internet involving real estate always intrigue me. I google many topics on a regular basis to see what I can learn or what I can pass on to my clients. Recently I had a client ask me if I had a list of steps involved in selling her home. While I have this list in my head and in long articles, I didn’t have a simple checklist, so off to the search engine I went. I was surprised to find many articles on "For Sale by Owner" topics but very few articles on a simple checklist for "Selling with a Real Estate Agent." I figured that would be a great topic for my next blog, so here goes:

1. Prepare your home for the market. Curb appeal, maintenance, fix anything that’s broke, fresh paint, pet odors. After visiting your home, I could also give you a list of to-dos that you may miss. 
2. If you have a mortgage, check with your financial institution to determine your payoff amount. If you intend to sell this home and purchase another, you also want to speak with them about your financial situation to be sure you qualify to move forward.
3. Meet with your Real Estate Agent and determine a fair market value for your property. Pricing is crucial! Your agent should prepare a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) for you, pricing your home in line with the realistic market. If you and your agent are not in agreement over the price, the best solution is to hire an appraiser to give you a price.
4. Sign listing contract and additional forms, such as property disclosures, utility information, etc.
5. Home goes on the market, signs go up, advertising begins.
6. Be ready for showings at all times. While you will typically receive a 24 hours notice for showings, it’s easier to pick up some clothes off the floor and wash the dishes rather than having to dust, scrub floors, clean kids rooms and the rest of the house with little time to spare. You will be stressed and your house will show it.
7. Receive an offer. Negotiate. Hopefully come to agreement. Sign contract. Not all offers result in a contract and not all contracts result in a closing. Be prepared for that ~ Emotions can run high!
8. Buyers will have inspections, appraisal and title search done. As of now, typical time from offer signed to closing in Belmont County is about 45 days.
9. Prepare to move.
10. Closing.

These are the basic 10 steps to selling a home. Of coarse there are many additional details with that and dozens of scenarios that could occur. Working with a real estate agent, you’ll always have somewhere there who can guide you through each curveball. For a more detailed guide to selling your home, email

sall.melissa@gmail.com for a free copy of the "Home Seller’s Guide – Learn to sell smart."

Melissa Sall, Realtorâ

Sulek & Dutton Real Estate

St.Clairsville, Ohio

(740) 338-9303

sall.melissa@gmail.com

www.MelissaSall.com

Formulating your energy-saving plan. In additional to the tips you learned in http://activerain.com/blogsview/2526750/save-money-by-saving-energy-part-1- of this series, digging a little deeper, will really pay-off.

Once you've identified where your home is losing energy through the energy audit process in part 2 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2527909/energy-saving-audit-part-2-of-series- , ask yourself these questions and assign priorities.

1. How much money do you spend on energy?

2. Where are your greatest energy losses?

3. How long will it take for an investment in energy efficiency to pay for itself in energy cost savings?

4. Do the energy-saving measures provide additional benefits that are important to you (for example, the appearance of new double-panes windows)?

5. How long do you plan to own your current home?

6. Can you do the job yourself or will you need to hire a contractor?

7. What is your budget and how much time do you have to spend on maintenance and repairs?

Once you determine your energy-savings needs, you can form a whole house efficiency plan. This plan will provide you with a strategy for making smart purchases and home improvements that will maximize energy efficiency and save you money.

Another option is to get the advice of a professional. Many utility companies conduct energy audits for free or a small charge. For a fee, you can also consult a professional contractor to analyze how well your home's energy systems work together.

Melissa Sall, Realtor
Sulk & Dutton Real Estate
Direct: (740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com

Now that you've read http://activerain.com/blogsview/2526750/save-money-by-saving-energy-part-1- and made some minor changes in your home to begin saving energy, its time to dig a little deeper. A home energy audit will pinpoint the areas in your house that are using the most energy and suggest the most effective measures for cutting energy costs. You can do this by yourself or contact a professional for more comprehensive information. 

Heating accounts for the biggest chunk of our utility bills.
Source 2007 Buildings Energy Data Book

Energy auditing tips:

1. Check the insulation levels in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors and crawl spaces. Check www.energysavers.gov for instructions on checking your insulation levels.

2. Check for holes or cracks around ceilings, windows, walls, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home.

3. Check for open fireplace dampers.

4. Check your owners manuals to be sure your appliance and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained.

5. Study your families lighting needs and use patterns. Pay special attention to high-use areas such as kitchen, living room and outside lighting. Consider lighting controls such as occupancy sensors, dimmers or timers. Replace bulbs with standard fluorescent lamps.

Stay tuned to learn how to formulate a plan after you've identified where your home is losing energy.

Melissa Sall, Realtor
Sulek & Dutton Real Estate
Direct (740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com

I get this question all the time "What's the first step to buying a home?" The answer is always the same "get your financing in place."

If you are in the majority of the public, you will need to get a mortgage loan to purchase a home. There are various programs available through a wide variety of Ohio Valley lenders. Obtaining a pre-approval from a lender may be done over the phone in some cases, but at some point you will need to meet with the lender and start the loan application process. There are many steps to financing. The following is a list of items that you will need to have readily available.

[] Purchase agreement signed by all parties
[] Fee for appraisal and credit report
[] Residence addresses for past 7 years
[] Home and business phone numbers
[] Social security numbers for all applicants
[] W-2 forms for all employers for past 2 years, plus paycheck stubs     from last month showing year-to-date earnings
[] If self-employed or more than 25% owner of a business, complete personal and business tax returns for past 2 years, plus current P & L
[] if child support or alimony are to be considered as income, copy of divorce decree and court payment record.
[] Documentation showing amount of retirement, disability or social security income you receive
[] Checking and savings account statements for past three months
[] Account statements from stockbrokers or mutual funds
[] List of all debts including mortgages and credit cards. Addresses of creditors, account numbers, monthly payments and balances owed.
[] Landlord's name, phone number and address.
[] If downpayment is from sale of present home, copy of listing contract, purchase agreement or closing statement.

The above list is to be used as a reference tool, lenders requirements can vary and additional information may be required.

Melissa Sall, Realtor
Sulek & Dutton Real Estate
Direct line (740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com

A typical U.S. Family spends roughly $2000 a year on utility bills according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Unfortunately a large portion of that energy is wasted. The good news is there is a lot you can do to save energy which in turn will save money at home. By following this multiple-part series blog, you can cut up to 25% of your energy use.

Simple low-cost solutions can start you down the right path to saving energy. The following list will help you get started.

1. Install a programable thermostat to keep your house comfortably warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

2. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR label.

3. Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.

4. Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.

5. Plug home electronics, such as TV's, stereos and video game consoles into a power strip. Turn the power strips off when not in use.  TV's and DVD's among other items will still use several watts of power when in stand-by mode.

6. Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees.

7. Take short showers instead of baths.

8. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

9. Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. These products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

10. Visit www.energysavers.gov for more energy-saving ideas.

You have to start somewhere and these are the simplest changes you can make in your everyday life to start saving.

Stay tuned for more energy saving tips...

Melissa Sall, Realtor
Sulek & Dutton Real Estate
Direct (740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com
 

If your credit rating isn't where you want it or you've been refused credit, take action today to get your finances back on track. Your credit rating is a very powerful three digit number. If you've ever had a credit card or loan of any kind, you have a credit history. Everything from a burger to a home can be purchased on credit. How you handle  the purchase will determine your future credit privileges.

Great credit is 720 or higher out of a possible 850.

Okay credit is 620 to 720. It's satisfactory but you won't be offered rock bottom rates from credit card or loan companies.

Poor credit is below 620. Especially if you're in this bracket, please follow this article carefully to get your number improved.

You CAN fix your credit! One step at a time, your rating will get higher.

1. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com and obtain your credit reports from Equifax (800)685-1111, Experian (888)397-3742 and TransUnion (800)916-8800. This website is the only website where credit reports are 100% free with no further obligation.

2. Once you receive your report, write to credit bureaus to dispute any mistakes you find on your credit report. Nearly half of all credit reports have errors on them.

3. Call creditors you haven't paid in the last 90 days. Offer to send them a large payment in exchange for erasing the "past due" notation from your credit report. Make sure you get the agreement in writing.

4. Develop a reminder system for paying bills on time, then pick a day of the week to go through them and pay all bills that are due soon.

5. After 6 months, request new copies of your credit report. Your score should be improving.

6. Once you're on track with paying your current debt, obtain a new line of credit. Use this for small expenses like gas or dinner then be sure to pay it off each month. The only way to establish good credit is to pay your bills on time.

7. As you pay off credit cards, do not close the accounts. You may need them on your credit report to help your rating even if they have a zero balance.

8. Stop job-hopping. Steady employment is a plus with creditors. Mortgage loans typically require you to have the same job for two years.

9. Higher income is a credit asset. If furthering your education will advance your current position or salary, do it.

10. Start saving money for unplanned expenses. That way, when something unexpected comes up, you won't need to rely on credit to get you through.

It is work and it will take time, but destroying our credit doesn't happen overnight either! Best of luck!

Melissa Sall, Realtor                                                                   
Sulek & Dutton Real Estate
Direct: (740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com

Spruce ups when selling

So you're thinking of putting your home on the market? I'm assuming you want to get the best possible sales price right? Take this advice to get your home spruced up and in tip-top condition. While this list may seem so minor that you don't think the steps are necessary, trust me they are crucial!

Before you call a real estate agent, before you put the "for sale" sign in the yard, spruce up your home. You wont regret it!

Exterior

1. Trim bushes so they don't block windows or architectural details.

2. Mow your lawn if in season. Spraying your lawn with water or turning on your sprinkler 30 minutes before the showings will make your lawn sparkle.

3. Put a pot of bright flowers (Small evergreen in winter) on your porch.

4. Install new doorknobs on your front door and clean your door.

5. Repair any cracks in the driveway.

6. Edge the grass around walkways and trees.

7. Keep garden tools, hoses and outside toys out of sight.

8. Buy a new mailbox

9. Upgrade your outside lighting.

10. Buy a new doormat for your front door.

11. Clean your windows inside and out.

12. Polish or replace house numbers.

13. Place a wreath on your door.

14. Rake any leaves from lawn, clean up fallen branches.

15. If your lawn has bare spots, re-seed.

16. Re-stain or paint decks.

Interior

1. Scrub, scrub, scrub! Use a little elbow grease to make your floors, windows, appliances, walls, light fixtures and mirrors shine.

2. Get rid of all clutter. "Less is more" especially when opening your home to potential buyers. Put items in storage away from your house, have a yard sale, donate items and make a trip to the landfill.

3. Organize your closets and cupboards.

4. Paint any rooms that are old and dingy along with those that have bright or bold colors. Neutral colors are best, white, cream, tan, gray.

5. Get rid of cobwebs and dust bunnies.

6. Scrub carpets or replace if needed.

7. Spray lubricant on any squeaky door hinges.

8. Replace outdated light fixtures. Installing ceiling fans always wins!

Melissa Sall

Sulek and Dutton Real Estate

(740)338-9303

MelissaSall.com

sall.melissa@gmail.com