the hat team: Resale Value; What Matters Most!
- 07/05/18 12:01 PM
Unless you plan to stay in a home for the rest of your life, resale value should be a major consideration when purchasing a house. Home-ownership is a huge financial investment and the goal should be to get as much monetary return as possible when you sell. While you can’t always predict what the future holds for the real estate market, there are some basic guidelines for what kind of properties have good resale value. Don’t make the error of focusing only on what you want when doing your home search. Think about the following factors that will affect the resale … (1 comments)
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the hat team: The Top Five Reasons to Hire a Realtor
- 07/05/18 11:49 AM
Whether you are looking to purchase a home or getting ready to sell one, the process of doing so will go much more smoothly if you have an experienced Realtor to represent your interests. You might be thinking that you can save money by trying to do it on your own, but the truth is that the time, energy and stress a Realtor will save you is priceless! Here are the top five reasons why you should hire a Realtor when buying or selling a house:
EXPERTISE - Experienced real estate professionals will know all the ins and outs of buying and selling homes. … (1 comments)
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the hat team: Celebrate Independence - Happy 4th of July!
- 07/02/18 03:06 PM
Happy Independence Day!
… (2 comments)
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the hat team: Fun Food for a Festive 4th!
- 06/27/18 09:18 AM
Independence Day is just around the corner many people will celebrate by gathering with family and friends for a cookout or picnic. Make your July 4th meal a special treat with these creative, patriotic recipes: (click on links for recipes)
PATRIOTIC FRENCH TOAST
Do you have guests staying with you for the holiday? If so, what better way to start Independence Day than with a patriotic breakfast? Serve up this red, white and blue french toast to start the day of with a bang!
Photo Credit: allrecipes.com
RED, WHITE & BLUE POTATO SKEWERS
Simple to prepare and serve, these tasty potato skewers are sure to be a … (0 comments)
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the hat team: Outdoor Living Spaces 101
- 06/21/18 06:21 AM
During the summer, many people spend time outdoors to savor the warm weather. Unfortunately, there are some not-so-pleasant aspects of spending time outside this time of year as well. Bugs, rain and hot, humid days can make you want to stay indoors. The following tips will help make the time you spend outside more comfortable:
BUGS. Yuck. Whether you are hosting an alfresco dinner party or just simply trying to relax with a good book on your deck, nothing will send you running back inside faster than nasty, annoying bugs. If mosquitoes are a problem in your area, dealing with them is … (3 comments)
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the hat team: Selling Your House vs. Becoming a Landlord - Should You Sell or Should You Rent?
- 06/13/18 07:25 AM
Whether moving for a job or just relocating for personal reasons, you still must decide what to do with your current home. Should you rent it out? Or sell it? There are many circumstances to consider before making that decision. How long do you have before you move? What is the housing market doing in your area? And do you have someone you can trust to manage your property?
Of course, the biggest motivator in your decision is which option will be most financially profitable. If you have a lot of equity in your house and can sell it, you’ll walk away with … (0 comments)
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the hat team: Open Floor Plans - Are They Right for You?
- 06/06/18 06:09 AM
Watch any of the home renovation or buying/selling shows on HGTV and you will hear people asking for Open Floor Plans. Even in small houses, people want the feel of spaciousness that an open floor plan provides. A “great room” with no wall between the kitchen and living space seems to be the most popular choice when it comes to floor plan considerations. But is it the best choice for everyone? Let’s look at the pros and cons of the open floor plan and see if it’s the right decision for you and your family.
Pros:
You won’t feel isolated. If you are … (1 comments)
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the hat team: How to Declutter in a Snap!
- 05/29/18 04:14 PM
A cluttered house can be overwhelming. You might be frozen in fear of decluttering because you just don’t even know where to start. When you’ve worked all week and you finally have some free time, the last thing you want to do is clean up the house. But trust me, once you declutter, you will be able to enjoy your free time more in an organized and tidy home.
Decluttering doesn’t have to be a massive, time-consuming project. There are small projects you can do in 30 minutes or less. Pick one or two projects a week and in no time clutter … (2 comments)
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the hat team: Memorial Day Wishes!
- 05/24/18 01:41 PM
Happy Memorial Day from The Hat Team!
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the hat team: How to Make the Most Out of Small Spaces
- 05/23/18 09:45 AM
The tiny house craze is alive and well, and while you may not be looking for a Tiny Home you might be looking to downsize and simplify. There are Big Benefits of Living in a Small House. First, it costs less money…which frees up funds for other things you enjoy like travel and hobbies. And the peace of mind that comes with living within your means is priceless. Also, with less space, there is less to clean. And less cleaning means more time for fun and relaxation. But sometimes it can be challenging to fit everything you need (and want) into a home with … (0 comments)
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the hat team: Inquiring Minds Want to Know - How Long Will Our House Last?
- 05/16/18 07:41 AM
What is the life span of a house? Some houses may survive for hundreds of years, but the individual components that make them up may not. Parts of the house made of concrete or brick may last a long time, but other things such as appliances may only last ten years or so, regardless of how expensive they were to purchase.
As seen in the graphic, Components of a House made with hardy materials such as wood or stone flooring can last 100 years or more. Other durables that can last a lifetime included natural stone or tile countertops, fiberglass, wood or fire-rated steel … (0 comments)
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the hat team: Happy Mother's Day!
- 05/11/18 01:19 PM
Happy Mother's Day
Courtesy of Sandra Nickel and The Hat Team
… (10 comments)
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the hat team: Spruce Up Your Outdoor Spaces with Concrete Stamping
- 05/09/18 08:00 AM
A plain slab of poured concrete for a patio may be common, but it is boring. However, recently, there has been a newly gained respect for using concrete as a decorating element in floors. counters and other applications. Landscapers are taking this age-old material and giving it a new look using a Stamping Process to create patios that look like natural slate or fieldstone at a fraction of the price these high-end materials would generally call for.
Stamped concrete has been around for a long time, but older methods used molds that were more like cookie cutters. New methods use natural sources which create … (2 comments)
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the hat team: First-Time Homebuyer’s Checklist: Are You Ready to Buy?
- 05/03/18 06:31 AM
The decision to purchase your first home is not one that should be made lightly. It is an important, life-changing decision that should be given serious consideration. So, before you take the plunge into searching for the prefect home, here are some questions you should ask yourself to make sure that you are ready.
- Can I afford a home? The first step is to determine if you can afford to buy a home based on your current financial situation. Using a Home Affordability Calculator will help you figure out how much you can afford by plugging in your income, debt and the amount of … (0 comments)
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the hat team: Creating a Moving Day Survival Kit
- 04/25/18 10:24 AM
You’ve closed on your new home and it’s time to move in! This is an exciting time, but can also be a bit stressful. Where do you even begin? A good place to start is to create a moving day survival kit for yourself. It should include anything and everything that is important or of great value to you and should stay with you and not go with movers. Here is a list of “must have” items to make your move as organized and stress-free as possible:
- Toilet Paper. At least a few rolls. Trust me on this one.
- Pain reliever and … (1 comments)
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the hat team: Buying is Better than Renting: Here’s Why
- 04/16/18 03:01 PM
With interest rates still relatively low, buying a house right now is less expensive than renting in many places, including Montgomery, AL. Now is a great time to lock into a rate.
Buying is often considered to be financially better than renting over the long run because your mortgage payments build equity in your home, which you will eventually own, while rent only goes toward the upkeep of your home and the pocket of your landlord. That is just one reason buying is better than renting. Here are some others:
You can do what you want with your property. Making home improvements will … (0 comments)
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the hat team: Tips for Protecting Family Heirlooms
- 04/11/18 08:05 AM
Family heirlooms are treasures that evoke memories of the past and hold great sentimental value. Keeping them safe and well preserved is important. There are many kinds of keepsakes. What may seem not very special to one person, might be the most cherished of items to another. The following tips will help you preserve them and keep the memories alive:
Paper Documents
Don’t make the mistake of keeping precious papers in a box somewhere. Paper is vulnerable to crumbling and fading if it is exposed to too much light, heat or moisture. You can keep documents safe by placing them in acid-free envelopes … (1 comments)
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the hat team: Renovating Before Selling - Worth it or Not?
- 04/05/18 08:40 AM
If you are preparing to list your house for sale, you may be wondering if the financial reward will be worth the time, effort and money to fix up things that are in disrepair or that are dated. The answer to that question depends on a myriad of circumstances such as the current real estate market, the condition of competing inventory and whether the renovations that need to be made generally provide a return on investment.
Some home buyers are looking to purchase a "Fixer Upper". They are looking for properties priced to sell, perhaps because they don’t qualify for more expensive homes or … (0 comments)
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the hat team: Happy Easter!
- 03/29/18 01:54 PM
Courtesy of Sandra Nickel and The Hat Team
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the hat team: Curb Appeal on a Budget
- 03/28/18 12:01 PM
When selling a home, curb appeal is one of the most important factors in attracting buyers. Your yard and the front of your home are the first thing they will see, and while nobody should judge a book by its cover, many people do. The appearance of the outside of the home can determine if a potential buyer will even be willing to look at the inside. So, attractive curb appeal is vital to getting your home sold.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get great curb appeal. There are many small, inexpensive home improvements that can be done … (1 comments)
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Unless you plan to stay in a home for the rest of your life, resale value should be a major consideration when purchasing a house. Home-ownership is a huge financial investment and the goal should be to get as much monetary return as possible when you sell. While you can’t always predict what the future holds for the real estate market, there are some basic guidelines for what kind of properties have good resale value. Don’t make the error of focusing only on what you want when doing your home search. Think about the following factors that will affect the resale … (1 comments)
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