tips for sellers: Changing laws regarding Carbon Monoxide Detectors - 05/14/10 06:55 AM
Carbon monoxide detectors are a good thing to have in a home.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is produced when a fuel is burned. Natural gas, wood, oil, liquid propane - all produce carbon monoxide. If the ventilation system for your furnace, heating stove or fireplace become blocked or stops working properly, carbon monoxide can seep in to your home without you ever being aware. This gas can be deadly, so a carbon monoxide detector can truly be a lifesaving device.
Carbon monoxide detectors are much like smoke detectors. They can be battery operated or electric, … (3 comments)

tips for sellers: Selling in a competitive market - 03/04/10 07:35 AM
Today's market is a competitive one with a larger than normal inventory. The question for sellers today is how to make their home stand out from the competition?
This video has some tips on this subject:
… (2 comments)

tips for sellers: 73 days and counting for the tax credit - 02/18/10 01:56 AM
Are you eligible for the $6500 tax credit? We covered the details in December, so take a look if you want to check. There are 73 days and counting left to get an accepted offer.
You must have an accepted offer in place no later than April 30 and close on the home no later than June 30 in order to qualify for this tax credit.

New $6500 Tax Credit for Current Homeowners … (2 comments)

tips for sellers: Improving curb appeal in a Wisconsin winter - 02/11/10 05:07 AM
The days are growing longer, but we are still in the depths of winter here in Green County. Helping a home to have some curb appeal this time of year is a bit harder than in the summer months with gardens blooming, but it is still possible to do things to help.
Clear your driveway, sidewalks and porches of all snow and ice. Get out there right away after a snow storm to clean them off. If you do get a buildup in ice in spots from driving into the garage or people walking on the sidewalk, pick up a scraper … (1 comments)

tips for sellers: New Asbestos Disclosure Rules in Wisconsin - 07/09/09 07:56 AM
Asbestos in homes is more common than most often realized. It can hide in the insulating wraps around pipes, in the siding or in the insulation. The only way to know for sure that asbestos is in a home is to test for it. However, industry experts recommend only testing materials that are damaged or have been disturbed. Undisturbed asbestos in good condition will not normally release fibers into the air.
New rules regarding asbestos went into effect in Wisconsin in May of this year. Vermiculite insulation, which is often found in older homes, now is assumed to contain asbestos unless … (4 comments)

tips for sellers: Should a home owner consider moving up right now? - 05/19/09 03:06 PM
With housing prices in our area dropping and interest rates at a historically low level, many homeowners are thinking about whether or not the time is right for a move to a larger or more expensive home. There are many things to consider when thinking about moving up to another home. Before making a decision, take the time to think things through carefully: The lower prices that are making homes seem more attractive to you also mean that your home will sell at a lower price than it would have two years ago. If you have owned your home for less … (4 comments)

tips for sellers: Cliche alert - "You never get a second chance to make a first impression" - 04/28/09 05:58 AM
Cliches get to be cliche because there is a strong grain of truth in them. This one is no different.
First impressions matter.  You never get a second chance to make a first impression
It is human nature to judge, and most people judge very quickly. Many people will decide to buy a home after spending less than 20 minutes in it. Curb appeal is important because people will judge a home's interior based upon how it looks from the street as they drive by.
Fair or not, those are facts.
Try to put yourself into the shoes of the buyer … (5 comments)

tips for sellers: Is home staging something you should consider? Yes! - 03/17/09 07:29 AM
If spending a couple days working on your house and a couple of hundred dollars could help your home sell in under two months and for more money, would you do it?
Pretty much everyone would say yes, right?  Then why don't more people consider staging a home?
If you can, hire a professional staging service. The costs to modernize window treatments, paint colors and art work can be minimal, and the payback in higher selling price and quicker selling time can be enormous. Some people also consider furniture rental for vacant homes; this can turn vast empty spaces into a … (3 comments)

tips for sellers: Marketing to the first time buyer - 02/10/09 08:32 AM
 In today's market, the first time home buyer, someone who has no home to sell, is a very desirable buyer for many sellers.
The question is then how can sellers make a home more appealing to first time home buyers?
It helps to know what first time buyers tend to look for in a home. According to statistics from the National Association of Realtors, over 80% of first time home buyers want a home that is already in move in condition. These buyers want to be able to move right in without having to spend time or money getting a home … (0 comments)

tips for sellers: Understanding pre-approval and pre-qualification - 01/20/09 08:03 AM
Are you pre-approved?  Have you been pre-qualified?  These are questions your realtor may ask you when you start the process of looking for a home.  Many people use the two terms interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing at all.
A letter of pre-qualification indicates that a buyer has spoken with a mortgage lender. It means that the buyer has given the mortgage lender information about income, monthly debts, and assets. The lender runs an electronic credit report. Then, based upon credit score and the information the buyer gave the lender, the lender estimates the amount of the mortgage … (0 comments)

tips for sellers: Walking in a Winter Wonderland - 01/13/09 08:26 AM
It happened again today. 
My buyer and I pulled up to a home in the country.  The setting was wonderful - mature trees dotted the spacious yard.  Such a peaceful spot.  The snow stretched out in front of us, unblemished by anything more than the tracks of a few animals.
Wait a minute.  That unblemished snow covered the driveway and front walk. 
We had 40 inches of snow in December, more in January.  There was a thaw in between there, but there was still close to three feet of snow stretching out for about hundred yards between us and the house.  … (2 comments)

tips for sellers: "If only I had known!" - 01/06/09 06:22 AM
 
It seems to happen every year:
A seller has a vacant home and does not get there to check on things regularly because of being busy or being out of the area. The homeowner assumes everything is fine because the furnace was running and the heat was set at 55 degrees.
A family goes out of town for vacation.  They are only going to be gone a week, a few short days.  They turn the furnace down a little and merrily head out for their getaway without a care in the world.
Until the unthinkable happens. A power outage … (4 comments)

tips for sellers: Holiday Decorating for Home Sellers - 11/24/08 07:48 AM
A quick glance in the window displays downtown and at the yards in town are enough to let us know that the winter holidays are coming even without a calendar.
This time of year is both harder and easier to sell a house. Traditionally, fewer people are looking to move in the next five to six weeks, so there are likely to be fewer showings. However, the buyers coming through your home between now and January are not tire kickers. These people are usually serious about buying a home. When sellers get a showing request during this time, they need to … (2 comments)

tips for sellers: On being an EcoBroker® - 11/14/08 07:49 AM
Whether you are a full out greenie driving an EV and looking for a vegetarian lunch* in this rural community or a mainstream buyer who still forgets to recycle sometimes, you should consider working with an EcoBroker® when buying or selling a home.  An EcoBroker® has specialized knowledge that can help you in the home buying or selling process. 
Being an EcoBroker® is about more than just talking PV panels and geothermal heating. It also means I have received additional education about issues many people do not consider environmental, things like asbestos, radon, indoor air quality and more. That little planet … (3 comments)

tips for sellers: Open Houses - 10/03/08 10:09 AM
Open houses have been a mainstay of the real estate industry for decades. Sellers have come to expect the sign in the front yard advertising that the house will be open on Sunday from 1 until 3 or whatever time. They look for the ad in the newspaper proclaiming to their community that their house is for sale and will be available for viewing.
Yet I rarely do an open house. Some sellers question this policy. Naturally, I will do an open house if a seller very much wants to try it. Yes, once I did have buyers who viewed the … (4 comments)

tips for sellers: Go Green Team! (part 1) - 08/29/08 03:30 AM
Green has become one of the new buzzwords, but what does it mean? Ask three people, you will probably get three different answers. The market is growing for green real estate, with certified properties selling faster or commanding a 5, 10, even 15% premium in some markets. Buyers are starting to look for environmental features in their properties. This is not a trend like shag carpeting, something that will be out of style in the next decade. Environmental features have moved from the domain of hippies into mainstream life because they make sense on so many levels. So what does green … (3 comments)

tips for sellers: "Just Make Me an Offer" - 08/25/08 05:45 AM
The market is a fickle creature. A house is only worth what someone will pay for it. As a Realtor, it is my job to help a seller price a house properly. I do my best to price a house in a range where it will sell within three to six months. In a market like the current one, following an inflated market from earlier in the decade, I may be telling a seller a price lower than what he or she wants to hear. That is hard to do, but still is something that I do because doing anything else … (3 comments)

tips for sellers: Going Green in the Bathroom - 05/01/08 04:12 AM
Sage or avocado?  Hunter or mint?  If we were talking paint, my choice would be sage, but let's talk toilets.  
Oh the lowly commode. It has finally started going modern in recent years.  The days of huge tanks and endless flushes are gone thankfully.  Low flow  toilets made their appearance on the market many years ago, but can we do better?  
Change starts with people's awareness, and with water shortages in parts of the US in recent years, people are starting to become aware of their water usage.  HE front loading washers are gaining popularity, and Energy Star certification … (10 comments)

tips for sellers: You ought to be in pictures - 04/04/08 04:49 AM
What could be more important than location when selling your home? Maybe the photographs, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors.  Gone are the days of grainy black and white pictures on photocopies MLS sheets.  Today's home buyer is internet savvy.  Over 80 percent of all home buyers look on the internet for homes, either to find the home they are interested in or to find out more information on a specific home.  Some Realtors may claim "Oh, not around here".  They are wrong.  I have heard that claim from Realtors in our community, yet I have … (0 comments)

tips for sellers: Are warranties warranted? - 03/27/08 03:24 PM
In the last decade, home warranties have been growing in popularity. People wonder if home warranties are all they are hyped up to be and how they can impact a home sale.Consumers are familiar with warranties. From cars to computers, many of our larger purchases in the United States automatically come with warranties. A home is the single largest investment most people with make in their lives. It is no wonder that warranties have been expanding to include homes. As with all warranties, though, there are limitations and loopholes. Consumers must be certain of what they are purchasing. Not all home … (5 comments)