Archive for category Real Estate
3 Rules for Hiring Home Contractors
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Real Estate on August 30, 2010
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According to an article published at CBS News’ moneywatch.com website: …contractors’ labor costs are down about 10 percent from their 2007 peak, according to Angie Hicks, founder of the Angie’s List home services directory. But business is picking up. ServiceMagic.com, a site connecting homeowners with home service professionals, says remodeling project requests are up 49 percent from a year ago. And a recent American Express survey said 72 percent of affluent homeowners planned to make home improvements in 2010. |
Three Key Rules To save on a home improvement project, follow these rules for hiring a contractor:
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The article is well written and offers in-depth observations. If you are considering using a contractor in the near future this is worth reading. moneywatch.com – 3 Rules For Hiring Home Contractors |
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10 Autumn Home Design & Décor Trends
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Home Sellers, Real Estate on August 25, 2010
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Elaine Williamson of Elaine Williamson Designs posted a lengthy article about home decor and design trends that will be noticed and noticeable this coming fall. Blogging on the Styled, Staged & Sold website, Ms. Williamson discusses what’s really new and what’s coming back from the designer’s scrap pile — brass?!? The entire article, 10 Autumn Home Design & Decor Trends, is located on Styled, Staged & Sold website from the National Association of REALTORS® |
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Make your old kitchen feel new
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Real Estate on August 7, 2010
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Photo courtesy amb.photography via Flickr |
Money Magazine has three cheap ideas for making your old kitchen feel like new. Interesting. Here is a summary:
…painting appliances and concrete countertops? Wow. Kitchens are really getting interesting. Visit Money Magazine if you would like to see the complete article |
Homes will sell if priced right – USAToday
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Real Estate on July 30, 2010
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Photo courtesy Sean Dreilinger via Flickr |
According to the article that was published in USA Today on July 28th, home sellers are learning some tough lessens about pricing their home. Perhaps the most telling lesson is that when a home is priced appropriately it will generate high traffic and interest. According to the article, nationally more than 30% of homes on the market in June reduced their price during the month. This offers us further evidence that home prices may still be a challenge for home owners and for real estate agents. It is still evident that home buyers continue to hold some measure of extra power. If you would like to read the entire USA Today article, follow this link. |
Buy a New Home in a Weekend
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Home Buyers, Real Estate on July 26, 2010
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Very few people are in THAT big of a hurry to make their new home decision and get the purchase completed, but this article offers some great reminders about the tasks and processes involved in home buying. Written by a REALTOR in San Antonio, Texas, this article offers ten useful reminders of all the home buying tasks that you should remember when you are ready to purchase a new home. |
Quickie Home Buying List
Visit New San Antonio Homes for the complete article. |
Best Online Tools for Buying a Home
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Home Buyers, Real Estate on July 24, 2010
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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy |
NBC’s today show had a really nice segement on Internet-based Home Buying tools today. In general the discussion was very upbeat and “cautiously optimistic” about the near term outlook for residential real estate. Among other things, websites for mortgages, foreclosures, maps/satellite images, and school information. You can link to the Today Show’s video library and see additional real estate and home buying videos from NBC. |
Hotest U.S. Locations
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Real Estate on July 22, 2010
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As we head toward the 90-degree point again, it’s interesting to look at CNNMoney.com’s “Hotest Places to Live” list. This list, which compares the U.S. cities with the hotest average temperature in July, inspires the proverbial, “You think you got it bad…” feeling. The hotest places article lists a full twenty-five cities, but since the first tweleve are all north of 105 degrees and in Arizona, I think you get the point. Arizona is HOT! I believe Goodyear, AZ is the Cincinnati Reds new spring training home. |
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Sibcy Cline offers iPhone App
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Cincinnati Real Estate, Real Estate on July 2, 2010
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Sibcy Cline has released its iPhone app. You can use the app to search for property in Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. If you would like additional information or would like to download the app please follow this Sibcy Cline iPhone App link. Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later. |
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Assessed Value vs Market Value
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Real Estate on June 24, 2010
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Courtesy Billie Hara via Flickr |
In some cases there is much discussion, hand-wringing and consternation about the Assessed Value vs. Fair Market Value of a home during the selling/buying process. It’s interesting that sellers would want a low assessed value while living in the house (lower tax bills) but then would appreciate a higher assessed value when listing their home with me. Knowledgeable Real Estate Agents will always try to coach buyers and sellers to understand that the correlation between Assessed Value and Fair Market Value is very loose – at best. To help explain and offer further insight, you may find this article about Assessed Value vs Fair Market Value from a REALTOR in Massachesetts interesting. |
Innovative Kitchen and Bath Designs
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Real Estate on June 21, 2010
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The National Kitchen and Bath Association show in Chicago this past April had a host of unique and new ideas for improving value in your home. Barbara Ballinger, an Architecture Coach from the National Association of REALTORS® visited the show and offers these ideas:
You can see more information for each of these ideas by visiting the Styled, Staged and Sold webpage. |
Home Buyers Seek Perfect Deal
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Real Estate on June 20, 2010
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Home buyers are becoming more demanding as the real estate market is returning to the “pre-tax-credit” envrionment. When the tax credit was in effect there was some feeling that sellers were being stubborn — thinking and positioning that buyers were getting the credit — why should the seller reduce the price or otherwise negotiate further. Now, with the expiration of the tax credit, buyers are re-asserting their leverage. According to an article by The New York Times: “Exacting buyers are upending the battered real estate market, agents and other experts say, leading to last-minute demands for multiple concessions, bruised feelings on all sides and many more collapsed deals than usual.” You can have direct access to the complete New York Times article by clicking here. |
9 Decor Trends to Skip
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Home Sellers, Real Estate on June 13, 2010
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Photo courtesy |
From [the nest] and re-printed on msn.com, here are nine home decorating trends that you should consider skipping:
If you would like to see the discussion on msn.com click here. |
Backyard Pool – Adds/Substracts Home Value?
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Real Estate on June 10, 2010
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Courtesy Timo Heuer via Flickr |
HGTV’s FrontDoor website offers some insight into the backyard pool question that so many home sellers and home buyers are asking. Will the pool add value to the home? Well, according to the FrontDoor article, a pool could actually detract from a home’s value. According to the article, maintenance costs and operational costs add up quickly. With the requirement to maintain special chemicals and the need to run pool filters many hours per day (increasing electric bills), the monthly budget for a pool can become a financial challenge — especially during the current economic times. You can read the complete article by following this link. |
Six unusual homes for sale
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Real Estate on May 29, 2010
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Photo from Stuck In Customs at flickr |
We are always on the lookout for unique features and unique homes. CNNMoney has found six homes that are truely unique. You can:
See the complete unique and unusal homes for sale at the CNNMoney website. |
Avoid that Pre-Listing Inspection
Posted by Kathy Landstra in Home Sellers, Real Estate on May 17, 2010
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Photo Courtesy: homeinspectioncarolina via Flickr |
According to the the Wall Street Journal’s in-house real estate expert you really should avoid the Pre-Listing Inspection. June Fletcher, writer for the Journal, believes that the Pre-Listing inspection could provide you with too much information about the condition of your property and force you to disclose flaws that might wait until the potential buyer conducts their own inspection. By waiting for an inspection you can manage your negotiating position and still honestly list your home. Ms. Flectcher offers more advice and insight into the pre-lisitng inspection issue with this article. |
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What is a Home Warranty?
A home warranty is a service contract, normally for one year, which helps protect home owners against the cost of unexpected covered repairs or replacement on their major systems and appliances that break down due to normal wear and tear. Coverage is for systems and appliances in good working order at the start of the contract.
What is a Short Sale?
If a home is being sold for below what the current seller owes on the property—and the seller does not have other funds to make up the difference at closing—the sale is considered a short sale. A short sale is different from a foreclosure, which is when the seller's lender has taken title of the home and is selling it directly. Homeowners often try to accomplish a short sale in order to avoid foreclosure.
