Category Archives: News

Keeping up Appearances

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Fall Yard Beauty Tips

Leaves may be falling, but house prices are staying strong according to a number of real estate-tracking websites. Keep those values high while also keeping your yard beautiful during the autumn season. During the spring and summer it’s easier to maintain the exterior appeal of your home since everything grows more effortlessly with the help of the monsoons. However, the later end of the year poses more challenges to continue the manicured appearance outside. Beautify your home’s autumn look with these useful tips.

 

Yard Clean Up

Raking leaves is the most stereotypical image we think of when we hear the word “autumn”. It’s a cozy activity and more importantly essential care for your yard and lawn. Dead leaves will block necessary sunlight to your lawn so clearing them out is one of the most basic favors you can give to your yard.

 

Great Opportunity to control weeds

The fall is a great time to literally weed out the unwanted things in your garden. Clear out the dry stalks and dead leaves on your floral bushes or climbing vines. Once these are out of the way you can easily identify the pesky weeds that are still squatting in your garden.

Because the ground may be hard at this time of year, you may need a sharp, forked tool to stab into the roots of these weeds before you can comfortably pull them out by hand. Extract these weeds and add them to your compost pile.

 

Autumn Lawn Care

Now is the ideal time to repair damaged patches of your lawn. Whether from dryness or perhaps a dog looking for a lost bone, lawns have a tendency to get thin or completely dead in some areas for a variety of reasons.

Reseed these areas now for the best results. Without as many weeds, fall offers the best time to regenerate the dead patches of your lawn. The mild Arizona autumn weather also gives new seedlings a better chance to root themselves before the blazing summer. For even better results, feed your lawn twice during the fall to support not only the new growth but revive any patches that may be withering from the summer heat. Allow about eight weeks between feeding to achieve the healthiest results.

 

Thoughts to ‘Leaf’ With

Some yard care in the autumn is harder but thankfully nature gives a hand with some of it, such as clearing out the dead wood so-to-speak. Whether it’s just for maintaining an attractive real estate listing or just the satisfaction of a beautiful view while you sip on your hot cocoa, a little outdoor maintenance makes your fall a better experience.

Looking for Dog-friendly Housing

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In an ideal world, you would find pet-friendly apartments or housing in the area you want to be near the job you’ve got. However, sometimes the only area that is practical for your purposes doesn’t welcome pets with open arms. The most challenging scenario is usually finding rentals that allow dogs, so here are some strategies to employ when moving with your canine companion.

Search and Research

When you begin your pet-friendly housing hunt, consider some helpful resources like the local humane society. Animal care facilities such as these will often have some leads on pet-friendly housing available in the community.

If nothing presents itself from these resources, make a list of the most desirable areas you’d like to move to. Some housing will accept a limited range of pets or have a weight limit on dogs such as 20 pounds. Even if a location has specifications that are outside your dog’s size, you are more likely to negotiate your way in if you can prove you are a conscientious pet owner.

One of the most likely places to find some negotiating leverage is in private housing. Approach a potential landlord with the willingness to show them what a responsible dog owner you are.

Dog training

If your dog isn’t already trained, it’s a good idea to find a reputable trainer for your dog. Unless your dog is highly disobedient, trainers can get most breeds up to standards within a few months. A well-trained dog makes a positive impression and also provides useful supporting documentation to show a landlord.

Powers of Persuasion

Consider the situation from the home owner’s or landlord’s position. You wouldn’t want a dog messing up your rental any more than you would want a person to. In this way you have a great opportunity to make the right impression. A reliable pet owner would likely make a conscientious renter too.

Be willing to put down the extra money for a pet damage deposit. This shows the owner that you take responsibility and are serious about making this arrangement work. Lastly, get the agreement in writing.

Get the job… I mean home!

Persuading a landlord to let your dog move in along with you is not so different than a job interview with a company. You need to convince them you’re a safe bet for the position. Just like a job interview, now is the time to boast your (or in this case your dog’s) qualifications. Bring your pet in to meet the landlord and see for themselves how well-behaved it is.

Make a file of all papers relating to your pet and bring it with you when you talk to a landlord. Words are nice, but official documents are always more persuasive. Veterinary records showing a clean bill of health are recommended. Proudly show any training certifications your dog has successfully completed. If you don’t have any relevant documentation, ask a trusted veterinarian to give you a positive statement about your pet’s obedience, health, and great behavior.

Living High – Looking for Luxury Homes

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There’s nothing like moving in to that beautiful 5 bedroom 4 bath tucked away in the woods. Whether you’re searching for a five-star dream home or the ultimate oasis in the desert, this house hunt is an exciting step in your life.

This is also likely the biggest single purchase you will ever make. Obviously, you want to do this right. To aid you in your quest, we’re offering four strategic snippets of advice for your luxury home query.

1) Find an experienced agent

It’s always a good idea to connect with a reliable REALTOR®, but even more important in the luxury home market. Not only do the house prices rise, but so do the price of amenities that come with a high-end home.

When you sit down with a potential broker, bear in mind a few extra questions:

  • Does the broker have a good track record? (i.e. has he or she got a decent number of sales under their belt?)
  • Does the broker know the area you are interested in like a local?
  • Has the broker handled several luxury home sales before?

2) Know what you want

You’re in the realm of luxury homes now. Think big because the sky’s the limit! Okay, unless you’ve got your own oil wells, that might be an exaggeration. However, high-end homes typically boast a multitude of extraordinary conveniences and it’s important to know what you want before beginning your search.

Are you an avid chef? While most luxury homes will have gorgeous kitchens, make sure the layout is to your liking. The best kitchens are beautiful and functional. Having ample counter space laid out in a practical manner allows your culinary skills to shine. You might need your own movie theater to chill in after dinner. After a good work out in your exercise room, there’s nothing better than relaxing in your spa.

3) Learn about the area

I know we use the word “research” a lot on this blog, but it really is important. Find out all you can about the surrounding area of your ideal location. Make sure that beautiful view from the second story balcony won’t be obscured by a high rise development in a couple years. Ask your broker about the zoning and land nearby.

4) Study market trends

Time your purchase when the supply of luxury homes is high and the prices are down. In the luxury home buying game, it is better to not be in a hurry. If possible, take your time in this process and your purchase will be one you can be happy with for years to come.

Summary

Buying a luxury home is an exciting milestone. Prepare for this significant purchase with a solid list of what you want, team up with a knowledgeable real estate agent, and you’re on your way to luxury living.

 

A Model Home: 3 Inexpensive Ways to Increase Your Home Value

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Ways to Increase Your Home Value 

No one wants to see tacky walls and broken drawers. A handful of minor improvements can be the difference between selling or sitting. There are a lot of ways to spruce up your listing even on a tight budget. Here are some cost-effective fix-up projects to boost the value of your home.

 

Get in Sink

Over time water corrodes the seal around sinks and faucets. This not only can cause leaks but lead to icky-looking counter tops. Tubs and their surroundings need some TLC too. Thankfully, resealing sinks and tubs is a relatively easy task. Get some caulk and fill in those deteriorated seals. It goes a long way to sprucing up any kitchen or bathroom. If you are uncertain what kind of caulk is right for your sink, it’s a good idea to inquire at your local hardware store.

Get a Handle on Things

Get a grip on your home’s appeal and purchase some replacement handles for cabinets and drawers. Hardware stores generally have inexpensive options for handles, but whatever style you choose to buy just be sure they all match the same style. Potential buyers will subconsciously like the consistent look in your home and of course a fresher image all around.

Give Your Home a Facelift
Perhaps the most significant improvement you can make to your home is repainting the walls. Nothing infuses a house with new life like a fresh coat of paint. In most cases, you’ll want to go for a neutral tone that gives the house a nice, clean look. Potential buyers will see a bright, blank canvas in which they can picture themselves.

At the same time you do some repainting, you’ll have the opportunity to fill in small holes made by nails and thumbtacks. Unless the hole is really big, most can be fixed with a touch of spackle or similar paste. Most stores carry a specific, easy-to-use nail hole patch which can conveniently be administered through a long-nosed applicator.

You can give your home an additional boost with some wallpaper. Depending on the tone you chose when painting, matching wallpaper can transform any room from ordinary to stylish. If you don’t feel like you have the decorating gene, it’s okay. From plenty of inspirational imagery that can be found online to creative advice from the paint department, there are plenty of ways to get the creative support you and your home need.

It’s Always Good to Ask: Questions for Your Listing Agent

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It’s Always Good to Ask:

Questions for Your Listing Agent

Selling your home? Need a listing agent but not sure what questions to ask? It’s not simple, and you probably already have enough on your plate getting your house ready to sell. So, where to begin? You don’t know what you don’t know. That’s why we’re here today to offer some tips on asking questions once you sit down with your potential real estate agent.

 

Numbers do matter

Don’t be shy. Ask your real estate agent how many sales they closed last year. Don’t judge them solely on this information but at least find out if they have a moderate rate of sales. Additionally, ask about the price of the homes they sold to see if they are similar in range to what you want to sell. It’s better for everyone if you and your agent are on the same page. A better match for you means a better match for them, so it’s a win-win situation.

 

Marketing

Like selling anything today, a good sales plan depends heavily on good marketing. Inquire about your potential listing agent’s sales plan. Do they plan to create a video of your house and surrounding area? Professional photography is a must. While you don’t need to be involved in every detail of this plan, it is smart to be in the loop. Stay informed with these questions:

  • What will I need to do?
  • What marketing materials will you create (i.e. mailers, video, etc.)?
  • Can you give me an estimated time frame for the listing to sell?

 

Credentials

You might wonder why this item wasn’t the first in the list? Well, it’s simple. If you sat down with a real estate agent long enough to discuss the first two points of this post, you’ve likely already identified this agent’s credentials. More importantly, you’ve determined their knowledge far beyond just their credentials. Of course, it is recommended to ask about an agent’s qualifications just to be sure they have the minimum requirements. However, a cursory discussion of your first few questions should say almost everything about a listing agent. Trust your gut. If you don’t feel comfortable with a particular agent after talking about your concerns, move on.

 

How much will this cost?

With all the expenses of fixing up those pesky little issues with a house and moving, it’s a good idea to know how much your listing agent is going to cost you. In some cases, you’ll only pay your agent a percentage when the house sells, but it is smart to clarify that before getting involved with a marketing and sales plan. You don’t need any surprise fees added to your plate. Keep everything out in the open about your budget and avoid unnecessary expenses.

MUST-DO MAINTENANCE:

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The quickest fix is to not have the problem in the first place. Here’s a checklist of items every homeowner should get to regularly.

1. Test your garage door opener monthly to ensure that it reverses when it hits an obstruction or when its sensor beam is interrupted.

2. Vacuum the clothes dryer’s exhaust duct at least once a year. If the duct is plastic, replace it (it’s a fire hazard). Rigid sheet-metal ducting is best.

3. Replace furnace filters quarterly, or as recommended by the furnace manufacturer.

4. Test all GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets monthly. Press the test button and use a voltage tester to make sure the power goes off.

5. Clean leaves and debris from the condenser of a central air conditioner seasonally.

6. Once a year, vacuum the refrigerator coils underneath the appliance.

7. Have the fireplace chimney inspected and cleaned annually.

8. Inspect window and door caulking and weather stripping yearly.

9. Replace the batteries in smoke detectors yearly. And remember, even recent hard-wired smoke detectors have backup batteries that must be replaced. If you have never checked yours, do so.

Finding a Listing Agent

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Finding a Listing Agent

With just a cursory glance, you probably find a dozen different local real estate agents in your area. You want to sell your house, but how do you know which agent is right for you? Like choosing anything, a little research goes a long way in getting better results.

Credibility

The first step in choosing a listing agent begins with credibility. Let’s start with a little information on the types of representatives that are out there. There are real estate agents, brokers, and Realtors, but what is the difference between all of these? And why do Realtors get capitalized?

To put it simply, a real estate broker has completed a broker’s exam and therefore has the right to work independently or with others whereas a real estate agent must work for a broker or Realtor.

Back to the question of why a Realtor gets their title capitalized— well, it’s simple. “Realtor” is a trademark and indicates an individual who is a member of the National Association of Realtors. This distinction does assure that he or she has the extra training and knowledge on realty-related issues beyond a state’s particular laws, but it is not necessarily the criteria by which to choose a reliable agent.

 

Ask Others

When it comes to finding a listing agent, it’s hard to beat good ol’ word-of-mouth. There’s no credibility like first-hand positive experience. Ask your friends or co-workers who sold their houses. This will at least give you a starting point and even if you don’t like the agent your friend used, you’ve got a foot in the door of a real estate office where you can get a feel for the other agents working there.

While not as trustworthy as a friend’s word, testimonials on a website are a great source for determining a listing agent’s reliability. As long as there are more than just a couple testimonials available, it won’t be too difficult to get a cursory idea about someone.

 

Experience

Perhaps more important than anything else, experience says the most about a listing agent. Whether a real estate agent, broker, or Realtor, an individual’s track record conveys the most about them. Find out how long an agent has been licensed and what their typical time-frame is for sales.

Take a look at your house inside and out and consider what kind of potential buyers you might have. Does your property have enough space for an RV lover? Maybe your home is ideally suited for a large family. In whatever way your house can be highlighted, find out what kinds of listings your prospective listing agent has successfully sold. Someone who has proven themselves selling similar listings is likely a good match for you.

 

Make Your Move: 4 Tips for Moving Out & Moving In

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Make Your Move: 4 Tips for Moving Out & Moving In

 

One of the biggest undertakings when buying a new home is moving. From packing to getting your previous home cleaned up, the list just goes on and on. So today we’re here to give you some moving tips to make the haul into your new home a little easier.

1) Strategic packing materials

Many soft items can be used to protect your dishes and fragile items. Tee-shirts work well for individual breakables like plates. Towels are great for larger delicate items and can be shaped any way you need. A large beach or bath towel can line a box of glasses or other fragile items. If you just look for soft objects in your house, you can find a variety of things to insulate your moving boxes, save on space and packing material costs.

2) Getting rid of stuff

Moving is a great opportunity to flush out the things you no longer use or wear. The less stuff you have to pack and haul around, the easier your move will be. So, it’s time to go through the closet and the garage to dig out those things that have been lying around unused for years.

Have more winter coats than you ever use? How about the shoes that have only been worn once? Get a box of donations together from your closet and take it down to your local thrift store. There are probably some tools in the garage that don’t get used and there are probably a neighbor or two that would take these off your hands. Whatever way you pare down, when it comes to moving, less is definitely more.

3) Timing

Moving is a big job. Even if, after you’ve packed everything up, you get moved into your new home in one day, it’s likely going to take a few days just to create a scintilla of order. Also, you probably aren’t going to feel up to going to work the following day so planning a three day weekend could alleviate some of the stress of your move.

4) Have what you need

Because it’s unlikely to unpack everything in your new home right away, it’s a good idea to have a bag or even a single box of essential items you will need for your first few days after the move. Toiletries, a few dishes, and any other essentials will make your post-move days smoother. If you plan on going to work within a day or two of your move, it’s convenient to have a couple work outfits nicely packed in a separate case, ready and waiting.

Moving is exciting. It means you’re starting a new chapter! Make turning this new page of your life a fun experience by eliminating extra stress with a little planning ahead.

Fix it Up: Tips for Selling Your Home

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Fix it Up: Tips for Selling Your Home

Where to begin? This is always the challenge when thinking about fix-up jobs to improve the look of your home listing and, ultimately, to increase its chances of selling. Here are three tips to make this process a little easier.

1) Plan it Out

The first step to a successful remodeling project is a list of objectives. It’s far more efficient to lay out specific things you want to improve in your home to increase its value than to randomly spend time on impulsive repair jobs.

2) Light it Up

A great way to boost any room in a house is through good lightning. This is not just about the quality of the light but also the fixtures themselves. Attractive fixtures that match the overall interior color of the house naturally boost the appeal of the interior. For ceiling sockets where there is not much you can add to the aesthetics, you can use some Eco-friendly bulbs to boast a green aspect to the home.

Non-electric lighting improvements that you can do to brighten a room could include lighter-colored accents or a fresh coat of white paint for the walls. A simple mirror can open a room up so that it feels more spacious.

3) Build it Up

Most of the unattractive bits of a house are often not too difficult to fix up, it’s just that they add up and can be overwhelming when you take note of them all. Start with a list of the run-down things that are most obvious to you as you walk through the home you want to sell because these things will most likely be the details that will stand out to potential buyers.

Simple things that can give your house a facelift are improved walkways and steps in or around the home. If you have a series of stone steps leading to the front door that are getting old, replace those cracked stones with some new ones to give it a fresh appearance.

Porches get worn and those splintered boards with holes make a house look neglected, even if the interior of the home is in good shape. A moderate investment will breathe new life into a porch but you can also get the job done with a basic level of carpentry or help from a friend.

4) Start it up

Even if you’re on a budget, there are a lot of little things you can do to touch up your house listing. Whichever way you choose to tackle your fix-up projects, begin with a clear list of jobs you can do. Completing just a small repair job will feel great and inspire you to cross-off more items on your fix-up list.

If you need any local professionals to help you with your home fix-up projects, just check ouy the helpful numbers page on my website.

Presentation Matters

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Presentation is Key!

Much like choosing the right words for describing your house listing, putting some effort into the details of your home presentation can also be very persuasive. The arrangement of furniture is like a well-composed sentence in a listing that entices potential home buyers to look at your property.

We’ve all heard the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This holds true for just about anything but it is especially important advice to follow for selling a house. The pictures that you display online need to be worthy of a home and garden magazine. Thanks to the advancement of high resolution cameras being commonplace in cell phones today, with just a little skill in framing it is easy to take quality images. If you have or know someone willing to lend you a DSLR camera, that’s great! Use it and put your pictures over the top.

As great as a DSLR can be, the key to great pictures is not in the camera equipment but in the presentation of the home itself. It takes a special eye to bring each room together in the most attractive way possible. Most of the trick in creating knockout photos is in two things:

1) Your target home buyer

2) Presentation of the home

Once you identify the first item, you will have a clear goal with arranging your house. If you’re setting your listing up for a “normal” suburban neighborhood, you’ll probably be best off decorating with a typical modern style in mind. You want the house to look inviting. Give the potential buyers an idea of what the home looks like furnished while giving them the “space” to add their own personal aesthetic appeal. Essentially, you’re displaying the house much like a furniture store arranges dozens of mini “bedrooms” in their store.

Alternatively, niche homes are great to present in their intended look. For example, homes in the mountains are generally for more specific buyers, often times as a summer retreat home. These houses usually fall into one of two categories: rustic cabins or luxury mountain homes. The traditional log cabin is simple to deck out in good old fashioned frontier decor. When it comes to the high end mountain homes, a more contemporary spin on a combination of country charm and upscale elegance goes a long way in enticing buyers.

Whatever kind of home and in whatever neighborhood or location you are trying to sell, always think about presentation. Websites like Pinterest are a great way to get inspiration on decorating and presentation styles for house listings. Just think about the types of potential buyers that will likely be interested in your house and consider what they would like to see when they walk through their front door.