1. Your neighbors. Most homeowners contemplating selling their homes understand the importance of well-kept neighboring homes. Many a buyer has pulled up to an amazing house, viewed it, and left shaking their head with woe because they just can’t cotton to buying the place on account of the shoulder-high weeds, car in the yard or crumbling ruins of the house next door.
On the flip side, your neighbors themselves - not just the homes, but the people - can actually help sell your home. Many homeowners know people who want to live in their neck of the woods; this is one reason many seasoned real estate professionals hold their listings open to neighbors and send out postcards to neighbors announcing the listing - the neighbors might know people who are interested in your home! Also, neighbors who are out and about chatting with each other, laughing and playing with their kids, mowing their lawns or painting their fences, or even who just offer a smile and helpful area knowledge to the buyer-to-be they pass on the street can make a very favorable impression on prospective buyers.
It’s a good idea, if and when you decide to list your home for sale, to touch base with neighbors you know and let them know; it’s in their best interests to get good new neighbors, so they might be able to go the extra mile in showing the neighborhood’s biggest asset - themselves - off to its best advantage.
2. The right sights, smells and sounds. It’s no news flash that the view of a used car lot; stinky foods or animal smells; and the siren song of a fire station next door could be deal-killers. What might surprise is some of the right sights, smells and sounds that can help seal the sale of your home. My experience has been - agents, chime in here! - that the more natural beautiful sights, smells and sounds are, the more favorably they’ll be received by the largest population of prospective buyers.
For example, playing a soundtrack of classical musical is fine, but will cause some skeptical buyers to wonder what noises you might be trying to cover up - especially if you’re in a condo or other potentially thin-walled property where neighbor noise might be an issue. On the other hand, birdsong can be attractive to some buyers. Artificial air fresheners? Not so much. The scent of the jasmine or lavender that grows in your yard? Even allergy victims can appreciate that.
You might be desensitized to the amazing views of trees, mountains or even water outside your window, but pulling back the curtains so prospective buyers can see for themselves is an absolute must.
Home buying is a multi-sensory experience - visual staging of the property itself is no longer a plus, it’s a must. But homes which create pleasant impressions that fire on all of a buyer’s sensory cylinders definitely have the edge on their competition.
3. Your dog. The New York Times ran a piece a few months ago about sweet, well-behaved dogs (and cats!) who reportedly helped sell their owners’ Manhattan apartments. In a departure from the conventional wisdom that dogs should be removed and every trace of their presence erased from the home during showings, the article featured several buyers and brokers attesting to their belief that the presence of a particular cat or dog “help[ed] sell a property by making the place seem warmer or more appealing.” And I’m sure you’ve all heard me tell the story of the San Diego buyer who fell in love with a tract home listed at a price higher than all the nearly identical comparables he’d seen and wanted to make a full-price offer immediately - so long as the deal included the dog!
Definitely consult with your agent before you decide to implement leaving your dog at home for showings as part of your plan. I’m a dog lover, and would be concerned that someone might inadvertently let one of “my girls” out, if I left them there while my house was being shown; as well, would-be buyers or their agents may have allergies your pet could set off. Lately, it seems like I’ve seen many brokers attempting to capture the best of both worlds by making sure that the family pet or even the broker’s own pet is captured in a charming tableau in 1 or 2 of the listing pictures, even if they’re not present at the home during showings.
4. Your happiness. Video and even written love letters that extoll all the virtues for which you love your neighbors, your neighborhood and your property are contagious to buyers. I’ve seen sellers help buyers see their homes through their own loving eyes by posting videos on YouTube and including the link on the listing flyer or even by putting a binder containing a letter plus menus and flyers from their favorite neighborhood restaurants, dry cleaners and other local merchants out on the counter during showings.
Wide-open curtains that let light stream in, light and bright paint and decor colors and other home features that science has proven make residents more happy and functional also create this thought process in a buyer’s mind: “Hmm, these people seem happy here. I could be, too.”
Similarly, indicators that you invested a lot of love in your home, by keeping it in immaculate order and pristine condition, by tending a well-cared for kitchen garden, lovingly furnishing and making comfortable (if not overly customizing) your kids’ rooms, all create the feel that a home was happily lived in - it’s like staging your home with a life well-lived, not just paint and tile.
5. The freeway or subway you thought was too close. There is such a thing as a freeway or elevated train tracks being too close to your home; if your place rattles or roars, for example, every time the train passes, chances any buyer will view that as a selling point are pretty slim. However, homebuyer attitudes toward being located near freeways and subways or bus lines are a-changing. Every upward click of gas prices renders buyers a tiny bit more interested in a location that is more commutable.
Where yesteryear’s buyers were all about the posh exclusivity of far-out suburbia, today’s buyers are more interested in financial and ecological efficiency and convenience. I’ve never heard so many homebuyers looking to own homes that will allow them to ditch their cars entirely as I have in recent years!
What might once have been seen as too close to the freeway has gotten a new spin, lately, as a highly convenient, commuter-friendly location.
Posted by Trulia.com 06-07-11
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Information on FHA Short Sale
If you have gotten an FHA loan on your home then you have some relatively good news concerning your short sale.
For starters, the banks typically follow the guidelines on what to do with your short sale. However, the difficulty will come from Bank of America, or Suntrust who know less about whether you have a FHA Loan or not.
According to the FHA website:
Your lender must follow FHA servicing guidelines and regulations for FHA-insured loans.
If your lender is not cooperative, contact FHA’s National Servicing Center toll free at (888) 297-8685 or
(888) 297-8685
Express an interest to participate in the program.
For starters, the banks typically follow the guidelines on what to do with your short sale. However, the difficulty will come from Bank of America, or Suntrust who know less about whether you have a FHA Loan or not.
According to the FHA website:
Your lender must follow FHA servicing guidelines and regulations for FHA-insured loans.
If your lender is not cooperative, contact FHA’s National Servicing Center toll free at (888) 297-8685 or
(888) 297-8685
Express an interest to participate in the program.
- Must have FHA Loan
- Must be at least 31 days behind
- Must have property listed with a licensed real estate agent
- Home Must be owner occupied
- Home owner must be able to prove that they are unable to make the payments in a written document also known as a hardship letter.
- They must appraise the home with an FHA Certified Appraiser – with or without an offer to purchase!
- Pull Preliminary Title Work
- Delay the foreclosure proceedings up to 4 months
- Review the marketing of the listing agent
- Allow the Sale to close in up to 8 months
- Provide a tiered structure to allow the homeowner to adjust price if necessary
Ten Reasons to Avoid Foreclosure
1. Foreclosure Follows You – Homeowners will always have to disclose that they have had a foreclosure on any mortgage application and many job applications they may complete in the future. This can also have an adverse affect on their future mortgage rates. Foreclosure is an item that is asked about specifically in credit inquiries. There is no seven-year time limit on this credit item.
2. Credit Score Negative Impact – Credit scores will be lowered significantly. Although it is impossible to predict with certainty, it is likely that the credit score impact of a short sale will be significantly less than in a foreclosure. Along with bankruptcy, a foreclosure is one of the most devastating credit issues you can have in relation to/future credit availability.
3. Ineligibility for a Government Insured Loan – The homeowner will be ineligible for a government insured loan for 5–7 years (only two years in a short sale). A foreclosure is the one credit report item that is almost impossible to have repaired.
4. Possibility of Deficiency Judgment – Your lender can seek a deficiency judgment against you and collect any amount they do not recuperate at bank sale.
5. Negative in Employment Credit Checks – Many employers run credit checks on prospective employees. Foreclosure is one of the top items that will put a potential new hire in jeopardy.
6. Potentially Damaging in Current Employment – Many current employers run credit checks. A foreclosure can put a current position in jeopardy.
7. Negative on Security Clearances – Security clearances and government positions—including but not limited to military and law enforcement—can be jeopardized by a foreclosure. Revocation of security clearance can result in job reassignment or loss.
8. Lower Tax Liability than Foreclosure – The e tax liability in a foreclosure may be much higher than in a properly negotiated short sale since canceled debt will be higher in a foreclosure.
9. You Have Alternatives – As your expert, I will explore every option with you and work toward the best resolution.
10. Do Everything You Can – While it may not seem like it now, there will come a time when you’re current financial troubles will pass. You will feel much better knowing that you did everything you could to avoid this devastating financial consequence that so many people face today.
How To Remove Textured Popcorn Ceilings
Since you will be using a far amount of water in thpis project, first be sure to turn of the electricity and check it with circuit tester. Remove all ceiling light fittings. Remove furniture and items in the room.
Seal off the entire room by hanging two millimeter plastic sheets from the crown molding all the way to the floor. Put a window fan in the window for added ventilation. Add a drop cloth with a waterproof backing to the floor.
If the popcorn was added before 1979, get it tested for asbestos by either wetting down a small area with a sponge and scraping off a little to place in a small bag, or by having a professional come out and test it.
Use a basic garden sprayer to wet down the ceiling. This will soften the ceiling texture and help to break down the adhesive bond making scraping easier.
Work in an area about 5 feet square. It’s better to make several passes than to over apply water and allow the popcorn ceiling to absorb too much water which could damage the paper surface and the wallboards underneath.
Wait 10-15 minutes for the water to soak in and then start scraping it off with a ceiling texture scraper.
Use a smaller putty knife to scrape the corners and the crown molding.
Re-cover any Bare Joints Using Joint Compund an Joint Tape.
Re-cover any Bare Joints Using Joint Compund an Joint Tape.
Mix joint compound in a tray and apply along the joint lines. Dip joint tape into water, sqeeze of excess and use a putty knife to press the tape into the joint compound. Smooth off excess
Things you will need
- Pole Sander
- Drywall Sandpaper
- Drop Cloths
- Clear Plastic Sheeting
- Joint Knives
- Drywall Joint Compound
- Sprayer
Provided By:
Wes Roberts
R & M Industries
405-238-0410
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