Real Estate
Go Green With These Great Home Upgrades!
Going green is a great idea for any homeowner because environmentally friendly upgrades not only save money on utility bills they also help to boost a home’s value as well. Green upgrades also make you feel good about being environmental friendly by reducing your carbon footprint and can also afford you with some very desirable tax breaks come tax time. Here is a list of great environmentally friendly home upgrades that will help you go green. 1.) Your Roof: Replace your roof with one that will keep your home cooler. Roofs that will reflect the heat from the sun instead of absorbing it are the best option for keeping your home cool. Materials like metal do this great and will last decade after decade plus it can easily mimic the look of wood, stone, and even tile. 2.) A Solar Water Heater: A solid purchase is a solar water heater while can costly upfront it will save you a lot down the road. This is also a great upgrade for increasing your home’s value. Solar water heaters can save you as much as 80% on your hot water bills. 3.) Slow Flow Showerheads And Toilets: Replacing your showerheads and toilets with slow flow models is a great way to green and save you money at the same time. Using less water is an upgrade that any homeowner will enjoy and can feel good about. 4.) Solar Panels: Solar panels are outstanding energy efficient upgrades that can not only save you money but can even put a little back in your pocket when used with other energy efficient features. You can even write off some of the cost when tax time rolls around. 5.) Programmable Thermostats: A programmable thermostat is another great way to be more energy efficient and cut down on your utility bills. You can set your thermostat so you are only heating up or cooling down your home during the times when you know it is colder or hotter outside. 6.) Energy Efficient Windows And Doors: It is a smart idea to replace any old outdated windows and doors with newer more energy efficient ones. Newer windows and doors are designed to be more energy efficient and will help keep your home the temperature you desire cutting down on your utility bills. 7.) Seal Up Your Home: There are many other areas of your home besides windows and doors that can allow heat or A/C escape from your home. An unsealed home is energy inefficient and will cost you more in utility bills. Be sure to get your home completely sealed up your home to make it as energy efficient as you...
read moreHome Renovation Mistakes To Avoid!
Any renovation experience has its ups and its downs and if not done correctly can be a very difficult and stressful time. Since a renovation is basically an investment into your home you want to make sure that the experience is a complete success. Here are several home renovation mistakes that you should avoid at all costs. 1.) Not Knowing Exactly What You Want: It is a huge mistake to go into a renovation project not knowing exactly what you want. If you and your contractor aren’t completely on the same page about what you want the entire project is doomed from the start. Be sure to sit down with your contractor and set out a plan and budget for exactly what you want in this renovation project and be sure both of you stick to it. 2.) Neglecting Rules And Regulations: It can be a very costly mistake to forget about or neglect rules and regulations. It is very important to check if you need permits for this type of renovation and whether your neighborhood has any rules or regulations regarding it. If you forget to check it out or decide to just neglect it you may end up in lots of trouble down the road. 3.) Going Piece By Piece: People often think they can take on a renovation project by going piece by piece but if you want to save yourself money and stress we recommend that you do it all at once. Renovating one room at a time is a good idea but be sure to do it from start to finish and not piece by piece in order to achieve the results that you desire. 4.) Not Getting Written Contracts: It is important that you have written contracts with your contractors and builders to ensure that everything turns out the way you wanted. Once you have an agreement down on paper you can feel safer moving forward with your project knowing that you are covered if things don’t turn out the way you wanted. Your contract should include things like design, budget, materials, and timeframe to ensure you get what you pay for. 5.) Not Comparing Contractors: It is important not to jump at the first bid or at the lowest one. You should try to obtain at least three bids from contractors that you have thoroughly checked out. If you go with a contractor that you don’t have all the information on you run the risk of winding up with cheap materials and inferior craftsmanship. A mistake like this can end up costing a lot down the road so be sure you know enough about your contractor to feel comfortable moving on....
read moreHome Buying Negotiation 101!
Purchasing a home is one of the if not the most important decisions and investments that you will make during your lifetime. The negotiation is a very integral aspect to this experience and needs to be prepared for and handled correctly. Once you have spent all the time and effort to find the perfect home that satisfies all of your needs and wants you would be devastated to lose it due to poor negotiating. The key is to take the emotion out of it and go into it reasonably and sensibly. Follow these great tips and tricks and you are sure to have a smooth and successful negotiation. 1.) Do Your Homework: It is imperative for you to be informed going into the negotiating process so be sure that you do your homework. It is important to discuss the process with your realtor and any friends and family members that have recently gone through this experience. You should also know as much as you can about the local real estate market like recent comparable sales and property tax rates. 2.) Know Who’s Selling The Home: It is a great idea to try and find out as much as you can about the seller and their situation. This doesn’t mean snoop around or hire a private investigator it just means know who is selling the home and what their motivations for selling are. It is also good to know how long they have lived in the home and how much it has appreciated in value. 3.) Connect With The Seller: This may sound a little uncomfortable, but it can actually be a great tool for you. If you can get the seller to see you as a person and not just a couple dollar signs the negotiating process will be much less stressful and you may even be able to negotiate a better price. Try to build a healthy relationship with the seller from the start and it will benefit you come negotiating time. 4.) Don’t Lowball: You can put in an offer that is lower than what the seller is asking but don’t make one that is too far off the fair market value. If you start of negotiations with a severely lowball offer you can offend the seller and you might loose out on the home all together. It is important to make a reasonable offer that is fair to both parties. 5.) Respond Quickly: It is important that you respond quickly to the sellers counter offer. Be sure to consider it thoroughly and develop a reasonable response but do it as quickly as you can. You don’t want the seller to be waiting for you to respond and have another potential buyer walk into the picture messing things all up for...
read moreHome Seller Mistakes To Avoid!
Selling your home can be a difficult and stressful experience and the worst thing you can do is compound it by making simple mistakes that could have been avoided. So in order to ensure that your home selling experience runs smoothly and stress free be sure to avoid making the following commonly made mistakes. 1.) Forgoing A Home Inspection: Choosing to forgo a home inspection is big mistake that is commonly made by home sellers. Having your home inspected prior to listing it can really save you some stress and aggravation down the road. This will give you time to address any issues before you list your home or at least determine a more reasonable asking price. 2.) Neglecting Your Curb Appeal: Neglecting curb appeal is a big mistake that can greatly affect the sale of you home. Your curb appeal helps develop the first impression potential buyers will form about your home. If you neglect to ramp up your homes curb appeal you run the risk of turning off potential buyers and having them leave without even entering your home. 3.) Not Staging Your Home: Not staging your home is a poor choice and will end up being a mistake that you regret. Staging is an outstanding home selling tool that can be really beneficial. It will help make your home seem more comfortable and inviting plus it will make it easier for potential buyers to view your home as their potential home and not just another property. 4.) Withholding Information: Withholding information is a huge mistake that you should avoid at all costs. If you think that your potential buyers or their inspector won’t find out about it you are wrong. If you withhold information you run the risk of losing the sale, a stressful and nasty negotiating experience, or even worse a lawsuit after the sale. 5.) Overpricing Your Home: Overpricing your home can be an issue because you have so many memories involved with it but the key is to detach yourself emotionally from your home. When you start viewing your home as a product for sale instead of the home you live or lived in you can then set a more sensible and reasonable asking price. 6.) Choosing The Wrong Realtor: The worst thing you can do when selling your home is to choose the wrong realtor to help you through this process. It is very important to put in the time and effort to seek out the right realtor to sell your home. Be sure to choose a realtor who is a specialist in your area and who has a proven track record for...
read moreCreate A “Master” Bedroom!
Experts believe that during this coming year we will see a boost in home renovation projects. If you are one of the many homeowners looking for great renovation projects for your home consider starting with your master bedroom. When you are renovating your master bedroom you should aim at creating a master suite. We have developed a list of the top upgrades you should make when you renovate your master bedroom into a master suite. 1.) Incorporate An Entertainment Center: There is nothing better than having the ability to enjoy an entertainment center right in your master suite. A surround sound system can really help set the mood and create some luxury appeal. There are even great wall mounts and ways to hide your TV until you want to use it. 2.) Add A Custom Headboard: A great way to give your master suite a luxurious feeling is to add a custom headboard. There are so many options for you to choose from such as wood, fabric, and even recycled materials. A Custom headboard can totally transform the feeling and appeal of your master bedroom. 3.) Add A Custom Bar And Beverage Center: We are seeing many homeowners adding small custom bar and beverage centers with wine and beer refrigerators right in the bedroom. A great way to add some luxury appeal to your master suite is affording yourself the ability to enjoy a nightcap right before bed. 4.) Steal Room From Adjoining Rooms: If you want more room for your master suite, try finding it by expanding into an adjoining bedroom. If you have the room to spare you could incorporate a walk in closet and or a spa like master bath with the extra space. 5.) Put In An Accent Wall: If you want to create a fresh new feeling without repainting the entire area try putting in an accent wall. This is an affordable project that you can do yourself and it can really brighten up the area and deliver you some very desirable luxury appeal. 6.) Install Crown Molding: Crown molding is a great way to increase your master suites luxury appeal and plus it is another project that you can potentially do yourself. Crown molding affords you with the classic luxury of older homes even if you own a newer more modern...
read moreFlorida’s Housing Market Finished 2013 Stronger Than Expected!
The month of December in 2013 was very beneficially to the housing market in Florida in fact the Sunshine State boasted a boost in new listings, an increase in homes sold, and even a higher median selling price. Florida also saw homes sitting on the market for fewer days. In fact, experts saw such good numbers that they are even saying Florida’s housing market has exceeded expectations. According to the experts, the states median selling price for existing single family homes in December of 2013 was $172,650 a whopping 11.5 percent higher than the same month the year before. The states median selling price for existing townhouses and condos for December of 2013 was $137,500 an incredible 17 percent increase from the same month the previous year. December of 2013 marked the twenty fifth month in a row where we saw a year-to-year increase in both the median home and condo selling price. Experts are also saying that the increased equity we are seeing has had a direct impact on inventory. However we still finished 2013 with a sellers market and despite an increase in properties listed we ended the month of December 2013 with a relatively tight inventory. Of only a 5.5-month supply of homes for sale and a 5.8-month supply of townhouses and condos for sale. But this hasn’t deterred potential buyers any, and even with limited options and rising prices we are still seeing strong buyer demand. With this demand staying high we are also seeing homes selling quicker and therefore we saw homes sit on the market for only 50 days and townhouses and condos sit on it for only 51 days before selling. However, not only did we see properties selling faster but we also saw a shift in the type of buyer. Investors bought many of Florida’s properties after the housing market collapsed but recently we have seen investor activity drop off and a boost in traditional buyer activity. The moral of the story is that 2013 couldn’t have ended any better for Florida’s housing market and it is surely on its way to a complete...
read moreSecrets Of Home Selling!
Selling a home can be a tough process but if you are selling your home there are several secrets and tricks of the trade that can help you sell quicker and at more of a premium selling price. Typically every home selling experience will be different but if you try these secrets of home selling you are sure to a successful sale that leaves you completely satisfied. 1.) Staging Half Empty Closets: Storage is very important to probably all potential buyers and it seems to be something that they just can’t get enough of. The key is clearing out half of all the stuff in each of your closets and then neatly arranging and organizing the rest. This is a wonderful way to make your storage options seem more spacious to potential buyers with out really having to do or spend anything. 2.) Optimize Your Lighting: Lighting is also very important and you need to try and maximize the light in your home. Be sure to pull back the drapes and clean all the windows to bring in as much natural light as possible. Also a few strategically placed mirrors can really help brighten up any area and make it more appealing. Plus a brighter home is a friendlier and more inviting home and thus a more sellable home. 3.) Take The “You” Out Of Your Home: It is imperative that you take the “you” out of your home and completely depersonalize it. You want potential buyers to be able to see the property as their potential home and not your current one. The more personal items you have in your home and the more personalized your home is for you the less potential buyers will be able to do so and less appealing your home will be to them. 4.) Always Be Prepared To Show Your Home: Once you have cleaned and staged your home for sale it is very important to keep it that way. You need to be ready to show your home any time a potential buyer wants to look at it. It may be a bit of an inconvenience but you never know when the perfect buyer will want to view your home and you always want to be ready for them. Be sure clean dishes and put away things when you are done using them and consider housing one trashcan that you use in the garage and keeping the rest clean. 5.) The First Impression Is Very Important: The first impression of your home is extremely important and no matter how nice your home is on the inside without a good one your home will be a hard sale. Be sure to give your curb appeal some attention to maximize your homes first impression to potential buyers. Experts say on average you can expect to get 100 percent of any money you put into your curb appeal back when you go to sell your home....
read moreWhat To Do Before Listing Your Home!
So you have made the decision to sell your home and this could be due to any number of reasons. However, it is very rare that your home will sell easy or quick without the right type of preparation or help, unfortunately for most homeowners wanting to sell their home it is difficult for them not to just jump right in and list their home right away. But there are several very important things that should be done before you go listing your home. 1.) Rid Yourself Of All Emotion: Even though this may have been your home for a long period of time and you have created many wonderful memories in it. The first thing that you should do before listing your home is rid yourself of any and all emotion attached to your home and start looking at it objectively. You also need to keep in mind that you can’t take anything personal during the selling process, any feedback or criticisms from your realtor or potential buyers is not a personal attack on you. 2.) Hire The Right Realtor: Once you have cut all the emotional ties between you and your home the next thing you need to do is find and hire the right realtor for the job. The right realtor will help you throughout this process including things like setting a sensible and realistic asking price, marketing your home correctly, finding the right potential buyers, and even negotiating the best deal possible. Be sure and chose a realtor who is a specialist in your area and has a proven track record of success. 3.) Make The Right Renovations: Your realtor will be able to help you make the right decisions on what renovations should be made to your home. You can certainly find information online about what renovations have the best return on investments but your realtor will know what kind of renovations and upgrades that potential buyers in the area are looking for. The worst thing you can do is make a renovation to your home that may alienate the areas potential buyers. 4.) Stage Your Home: You need to understand that you may have loved the way your home was set up but that does not mean your potential buyers will. It is important that you stage your home so that potential buyers can envision it as their potential home instead of your current one. This is anything from depersonalizing your home to hiring a professional to set your home up in the most appealing way...
read moreTop Four Home Renovation Projects From Last Year!
When it comes to home renovation projects it should go without saying that if there is an area or aspect of your home that is worn or needs repair you should address it first. But if your home is already in good repair and you have some extra cash that you want to invest in your home. There are many wonderful home renovation projects that will boost its appeal and have a great return on investment. Here is our list of the top home renovation projects from last year. 1.) Hardwired In Back Up Generator: Installing a back up generator and hard-wiring it into your home is a great renovation project that many homeowners made last year. This is because installing an emergency back up generator that is hardwired into your home is not only an appealing upgrade but a useful one as well. Plus if you go to sell your home you will benefit from about 53% return from your investment. 2.) A Gourmet Kitchen Remodel: Giving your kitchen a major remodel is always a very popular option and comes with a pretty nice return on investment. According to experts you can generally expect to enjoy about a 60% return on its investment when you make a gourmet kitchen remodel. So not only will it boost your homes comfort and appeal but if you ever go to sell it you will get about 60% of your money back. 3.) Converting The Attic Into An Extra Bedroom: Adding an attic bedroom if you have the extra room is a great way to boost the appeal and comfort of a home and adding an extra bedroom is almost never a bad idea. Last year this was a very popular option for homeowners because not only does this boost your homes appeal and comfort but you can enjoy as much as 73% return on your investment if you ever end up selling your home. 4.) Replacing The Siding: If you are looking for a way to change the look of your home and maybe add a little style at the same time consider replacing the siding on the exterior of your home with a newer more durable composite. Composites come in a variety of faux finishes that can really add some style to your home. On average if you go to sell home you will see around an 80% return on your...
read moreThings Not To Do Before You Purchase A Home!
So you have decided that this is the year is the right year for you to buy a home. Well you should know that there are things that if you do prior to buying a home can turn out to be some very costly mistakes. Some of these mistakes can turn out to be more costly than others and even end up costing you a lot more money or worse risk you losing the home all together. 1.) Be Reckless With Your Credit: Obviously it is a poor idea to be reckless with your credit at anytime but it is an especially bad decision prior to trying to buy a home. You should actually even be very careful with all of your minor expenses as well because they can typically add up quickly and end up affecting you when you go to obtain a loan. 2.) Move Your Money Around: It is a big mistake to shuffle your money around prior to trying to buy a home. You will need to explain any unusual or unexpected withdrawals and deposits. Stuffing a chunk of cash away even if it was a gift to help you with a down payment can and will raise some red flags that can end up affect you obtaining a loan. 3.) Change Jobs: It goes without saying that losing your job will greatly affect you obtaining a loan, but moving from job to job can also be a poor move that winds up being a mistake affecting you obtaining a loan. However, if by chance you do have an unforeseen job change make sure that you keep your realtor and loan officer in the loop. 4.) Pay Bills Late Or Get Behind: Having any late payment hit your credit report will affect your credit score and can greatly influence your lender when you go to obtain your loan. Your Payment history directly affects about thirty three percent of your credit score. One singular 30 day late payment can adversely affect your credit score by 60 to 110 points. 5.) Co-Sign On Someone Else’s Loan: Co-signing on someone else’s loan is arguable a poor decision at anytime but is an especially risky choice prior to trying to purchase a home. It basically means that you will be financially liable for the decisions that someone else makes. You never want to add any unnecessary debt that will affect your debt to income ratio and can end up affecting you when you go to obtain a...
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