Real Estate Information

The Big Move and Your Children 

Moving can be stressful.  There’s packing and unpacking; change of address cards to be sent and notice to the Post Office; the last-minute garage or yard sale; transfer or closing and opening of utility accounts; closing paperwork on the home you’re selling and the home you’re buying; inspections, repairs, allowances; family finances…  And on and on.  How do you keep it all straight?  Here’s a great checklist starting at two months prior to the move. 

But what about your kids?  If you’re stressed out, imagine what’s going on in their young minds:  Will I make new friends?  Will I hate the school?  Does anyone else like baseball as much as I do?  How far away is McDonalds?  I’ll never remember my new phone number, address, locker combination…  They won’t be concerned about the same things as Mom and Dad.  They will worry about things that directly affect them. 

How do you settle your children’s nerves during a move?  Give them an opportunity to participate by working on small projects that address their own personal needs.  Children of any age can help pack boxes.  Have them label their own boxes so they get placed in their new room in the new house.  Have them draw out a plan for their new room, or make a list of things they want to learn from their parents about their new town before they get there. 

Pack plenty of music, movies, and games if you have a long cross-country drive to your destination.  Keeping kids entertained when cooped up in a car all day goes a long way in soothing their nerves as well as Mom’s and Dad’s.  Once you arrive, here are some great ideas for the whole family once you get settled in.

Financial Planning for Your Home Purchase 

Planning on buying a home over the next two, three, five years?  Take the time now to put a sound financial plan into effect that will set you up for success when you’re ready to make your home purchase. 

SAVE for your down payment.  The days of no-money-down home purchases are gone, at least for the foreseeable future.  And coming up with enough money to satisfy the bank who is considering issuing you a mortgage doesn’t happen overnight.  What would it be like if you took an extra twenty, forty, even one hundred dollars out of your monthly salary and socked it away toward your down payment?  Saving money is a long-term endeavor, so you need to start now.  A smart person I know once said, “You’ll know you’re doing a good job saving money when it starts to hurt a little.”  

CUT expenses.  In order to increase your capacity to save money, you either have to make more money or cut back on the money you spend (or both).  The best way to go from no savings to a nice-sized down payment on a home is to look at your budget and make little cuts here and there.  Ask yourself, where am I spending my income right now?  How much money can I save by making my own coffee and skipping that daily stop at Starbucks?  What about fast food?  Try cooking at home one or two more times a week.  Cook enough so you have plenty of leftovers to take to work the next day for lunch instead of opting to super-size the number 5 in the drive-thru.  Cutting expenses and saving go hand in hand. 

MONITOR your credit scores.  You’ve cut back on your spending.  You have even found a way to stick another fifty dollars under the mattress every month for the down payment.  None of this does you any good if your credit scores are in the tank.  Keep a close eye on your scores!  Make your payments on time.  That 30-, 60-, 90-day late payment can stick around to haunt you for some time!  No bank will give you a mortgage if they see you are unable to handle the bills you already have.  Get your free annual credit report here.  This report will show you your scores from the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Your Cozy Summer Blanket – Home Insulation 

Insulation isn’t just a winter blanket for your home.  Did you know the energy savings benefit of insulation during summer months can be as much as the savings during colder winter months?  Of course your savings is dependent on the local climate, and the size and age of your home, among other things.  Homes in the south don’t deal as much with the cold as those in the north do, but have you ever spent a blistering summer in Houston or Baton Rouge?  Insulation not only keeps the heat in during the winter, it keeps the heat out during the summer.  The bottom line is, anytime your heater or air conditioning is running is prime time when proper home insulation will help you save energy.  Here’s a great article on insulation basics, as well as a short video. 

Saving energy means saving money, and who isn’t interested in keeping more of what you make and spending less?  Here’s the caveat.  You all have heard the expression, “You have to spend money to make money.”  Well, with insulation you have to spend money to save money.  It just doesn’t take as long as you might think to recoup the cost you paid up front to add insulation to your home.  Let’s not forget your heating and air conditioning units will not have to work as hard with proper insulation, which means your units will last longer, and that’s less out of pocket in maintenance and replacement costs.  Even when the insulation has paid for itself in reduced energy bills you will continue to save every month you’re in the home, and that is as comfortable as a nice cozy summer blanket.

Showing a Home with Pets 

You love your pets.  Your neighbors love their pets.  That doesn’t necessarily mean your neighbors love your pets.  The same goes for prospective buyers considering making your home their new home. 

When it comes to pets and show shape for your home here’s a simple rule of thumb: Less is better, none is best.  We’re talking about the evidence!  A best case scenario would be to have your pooch or kitty stay with a neighbor, friend or relative during showings.  Be sure all food and water bowls are picked up and put away.  The same goes for toys, kennels, cat boxes, etc.  Get them in the garage or outside on the side of the house.  Pictures of you and the family pet?  Take them off walls and desks and put them in dresser drawers.  Then vacuum!  Try to minimize or eliminate any evidence that there are pets sharing your home.  This doesn’t mean you don’t love your furry friends.  All you are doing is removing any hesitation that might come up for a homebuyer upon discovering there is a German Shepherd living in the room where they envisioned putting their baby nursery. 

It’s not always feasible to completely eradicate all signs of pets.  Sure you can pick up, put away, clean, vacuum and even shampoo carpets.  But what about the animals themselves?  If you don’t have another loving home where Fido can take a vacation while your home is on the market, think adventure!  Whether it’s you, a neighborhood teenager you trust, or the stay at home Mom or Pop next door, have someone available to step in at a moment’s notice and take your pets out of your house, either for a walk or just a short visit, so buyers can focus on your home and not on your pets.

Moving With Pets – A “Don’t Forget” List 

We love our pets as part of the family, and just as moving can be overwhelming at times for Mom, Dad, Billy, and Suzy, don’t forget this short “Have to” list for our four-legged family members.  With just a few steps you can set Rover and Fluffy up for their own successful relocation and ensure none of the following important details fall through the cracks. 

First, call the state Veterinarian’s office or Department of Agriculture in the state you are moving to.  Check the bottom of the page at this link for most states’ contact information.  Ask for the laws and regulations concerning the types of pets you will be relocating with, keeping in mind the more exotic your pet the more restrictions you may be facing.  This quick call will let you know everything you are going to need, including medical documentation, to license your pets in your new state. 

Call your current Veterinarian for copies of medical records including an up-to-date list of vaccinations.  The reason?  See paragraph above.  You’ll want to have all your paperwork in order as each state has its own set of required documentation for incoming pets. 

Lastly, make sure all animals are tagged with identifying information, including phone number, and that you have photographs handy of each pet should a certain someone wander off while the family takes a break at a highway rest stop.  Many lost pets have been known to find their way home after getting lost.  Not so during a move.  Take the time to make sure the whole family arrives safe and sound at your new home on move-in day. 

Here’s another handy checklist to assure a smooth move for your pets.

Showing Secrets – Part Two: Scents 

You want prospective home buyers to walk away with the best possible impression when they leave your home and head to the next house for viewing, so at the end of the day when they look back and discuss which properties they liked best (and why) you are on their short list for a return visit. 

Home sellers naturally focus on how a home looks more so than the home’s potential impact on the other four senses combined.  But let’s not forget, at least for this article, your sense of smell. 

Have you ever smelled a wet dog?  How about mildew, cigarette smoke, or cat urine?  Get the stinky picture?  Foul odors in the home can kill a buyer’s interest quicker than anything else.  The reason?  If you see a broken fence slat, or an outdated bathroom, or worn carpet the solution is easily identifiable.  Fix it, update it, replace it, and so on.  When there is an unpleasant odor involved suddenly people think the worst, and may not even get ten steps inside the door before turning to leave and immediately writing your home off instead of writing an offer.  Bad smells affect us more negatively than ugly paint or chipped tile.  Even if mitigated, we will always remember that one room that smelled like a cat box… 

Here are some tips for dealing with potential odor issues, including ground lemon in the garbage disposal and deodorizing sprays versus scented candles.  Think about the aroma of fresh baked bread in the kitchen!  Everyone remember the easy bake oven?

Showing Secrets – Part One: Lights! 

Staging your home for sale is all about accentuating highlights without drawing attention to negatives or low lights. 

Open up all window coverings to take advantage of natural lighting.  A bright home is a cheery home, and natural sun light enhances the positive atmosphere of your great indoors.  One caveat: if you generally leave a set of blinds closed because you don’t like the view a window provides on the rusty water tower, or your neighbor’s obnoxious choice of exterior paint, go ahead and leave those closed.  No sense bringing extra attention where none is needed. 

As far as lighting goes, turn on all interior lights for the same reason.  Just keep the television off!  We want potential buyers looking at your home not at reruns of American Idol.  Use spot lights or floor lamps for particularly dim corners, nooks and crannies. 

If the season is appropriate light a fire in the fireplace.  Be sure the fire is properly screened for safety, and your fireplace is functioning correctly.  The warmth and glow of a fire in the hearth is a wonderful way to help potential buyers picture themselves living in your home. 

Here are some more tips on staging and preparing your home for showings.

Cool, Comfort, Cost: Home Cooling Tips 

Of course you can crank up your air conditioner to get that arctic blast that will blast a hole in your pocket book just to keep your home cool and comfortable during the heat of summer.  Most of us, however, are not looking for more ways to spend money.  Here’s a short list and a few resources to help you keep cool, save energy AND take it easy on your wallet. 

1. Programmable Thermostat.  Makes sense, right?  Especially if no one’s home during the day.  With one of these you don’t have to remember every morning before you leave for work to turn the temperature up in an attempt to save a little on your cooling bill, and you won’t return home after a long day at the office to an uncomfortably hot house.  Saves money too!
2. Check your ductwork!  As much as 20% of the air that moves through your home’s duct system can be lost due to leaks, holes, and loose connections.  Here are some benefits of sealing duct work, how to tell if yours needs attention, and why you use metal tape and not duct tape on your system.
3. Insulation .  Okay, this one is a little more costly up front.  Just keep in mind that it’s a one-time expense that will reap years of cost savings during both the cold of winter and the heat of summer.  Insulation isn’t just a warm blanket in January anymore! 

Here’s another great list of things you can do inside and outside your home to help ease the summer energy crunch in comfort.

The Nosy Neighbor and Other Tips on Keeping Your Home Safe While on Vacation 

You earned it.  So get out, go camping, snorkeling, skydiving.  Okay, maybe not skydiving.  Hop on a plane or drive cross country.  Take that well deserved time off to rest and recharge, and exercise some of these precautions to ensure your home is safe and sound upon your return: 

1. House/Pet Sitter.  This one costs a little, but if you have pets, plants and newspapers it’s a must.  Plus, a house sitter helps keep the house looking occupied which is the greatest deterrent to home burglary.  Lights are turned on and off during the course of the evening, pets are fed, plants are watered, and newspapers make it to the recycle bin all without you being there.  What about paying your sitter a little extra to dust and vacuum so you return from vacation to a clean house?  If you don’t use a house sitter you can still put a hold on your mail and newspaper service while you’re away.
2. Nosy Neighbor.  If you don’t have pets and plants, or are not planning on spending the extra money on a house sitter, why not take advantage of that nosy neighbor and have them stop by the house every other day just to, well, stick their nose in your business?  Neighbors can walk the perimeter of the property, make sure newspapers are picked up, flyers are removed from your front door, and otherwise remove any sign that would indicate your family is out of town.  Give them the phone number where you will be staying in case of an emergency, and emphasize the phone number is for emergencies only.  You can catch up on the neighborhood gossip when you get home.
3. Delayed blogging.  Many don’t think about this one.  If you’re real-time updating all your social networking sites with great photos of your family standing in front of the Grand Canyon you are effectively letting the world know you are not at home.  Save this practice until your return.
4. Do not leave your GPS in your car unattended!  For many of the same reasons for observing delayed blogging, do not leave your GPS in your car where a potential burglar can see it.  What better invitation for a thief than a GPS unit programmed with your home address on the dashboard of a car with an out of state license plate, or parked at long term airport parking? 

Here are more tips to keep your home safe while you’re away.

Caulking Bathroom Fixtures 

Cracked and pealing caulk around kitchen and bathroom fixtures can cause more problems down the road if not addressed right away.  If improperly sealed against moisture, water can get between the fixtures and adjacent walls, and if the wall stays damp long enough soon you will be dealing with bigger issues, mold and rot.  Considering faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms are used multiple times every day, if you notice a caulk problem you’d be better off to fix it sooner rather than later. 

Replacing caulk is one of the simpler home repairs you can do on your own.  Here is a video on the basics.  Supplies you will need are a putty knife, a tube of caulk and caulking gun, household cleaner, chlorine bleach, and scissors. 

First peel away the old caulk using the putty knife.  Then use household cleaner to clean the surface, using bleach to take care of any mildew.  Dry the joint where you will lay down the new caulk thoroughly.  You don’t want to seal any moisture in.  Put down a new bead of caulk following instructions on the package.  Check out this step by step video illustrating a bathtub project.