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Halloween Decorations to Avoid If You Want To Sell Your House

By on October 25, 2016 in Selling Process

Halloween Decorations to Avoid If You Want To Sell Your House

As Halloween nears, strange things start creeping up in neighborhoods across the country. Zombies hang from trees, inflatable pumpkins pop up on lawns, and freakier-looking clowns start appearing in schoolyards and supermarkets (oh wait, that last part actually began way beforeHalloween). It’s unquestionably a fun holiday to decorate for. But what if you’re trying to sell your house? Just how far can you go with Halloween decorations if you don’t want to truly scare off buyers? See below on what Halloween decorations to avoid if You want to sell your house

 

Blood and gore

Sorry, “Walking Dead” fans.

“Gruesome scenes of death and zombies are definite no-nos,” says Paul Sian, a Realtor® with Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Real Estate. “People with young kids will be very unappreciative of decorations that depict murder, gore, and more.” At least we hope they will be.

Halloween Decorations to Avoid If You Want To Sell Your House
A not-so-pretty sight at a home showing

Shopko.com

Dead children

And speaking of kids: Anything that depicts dead ones, even if they’re kinda creepy cute, probably isn’t going to go over too well with parents, either. You knew that, right?

A blood-spattered front door

We’ve already said blood is a no-no, but just in case we weren’t clear, writing scary messages in gory-looking red paint—even something as chipper as “Happy Halloween”—is a bad idea, too. It’s fine and dandy if you’re just trying to give trick-or-treaters a fright, but to prospective home buyers, this graffiti-style treatment just looks messy, and screams “go away.”

Halloween Decorations to Avoid If You Want To Sell Your House

Pumpkins whose time has come—and gone

If you’re going to use real flowers, pumpkins, and other perishable decorations, make sure to keep them looking fresh. No one wants to see (or smell) produce that’s well past its prime.

Political statements parading as Halloween decor

It might seem obvious, but politically themed decorations are a definite don’t. This election is plenty scary enough already.

Clowns

While no Realtor we interviewed mentioned this season’s scourge, terrifying clowns, we’re going to go out on a limb and say it: No creepy clowns—even if your house isn’t on the market. Talk about the stuff of nightmares…

Halloween Decorations to Avoid If You Want To Sell Your House
Clowns? Not cute. Ever.

halloweenexpress.com

Too many decorations, period

It’s easy to get carried away with decorations as you get caught up in the festivities, but don’t. You’re not trying to impress buyers with your decorating skills; you’re trying to impress them with your house, which can get buried if you’re not careful.

Halloween Decorations to Avoid If You Want To Sell Your House

The 10 Best Secrets for Selling your Home

By on October 20, 2016 in Selling Process

The 10 Best Secrets for Selling your Home

The 10 Best Secrets for Selling your Home

Selling Secret #10: Pricing it right
Find out what your home is worth, then shave 15 to 20 percent off the price. You’ll be stampeded by buyers with multiple bids — even in the worst markets — and they’ll bid up the price over what it’s worth. It takes real courage and most sellers just don’t want to risk it, but it’s the single best strategy to sell a home in today’s market.

Selling Secret #9: Half-empty closets
Storage is something every buyer is looking for and can never have enough of. Take half the stuff out of your closets then neatly organize what’s left in there. Buyers will snoop, so be sure to keep all your closets and cabinets clean and tidy.
Selling Secret #8: Light it up
Maximize the light in your home. After location, good light is the one thing that every buyer cites that they want in a home. Take down the drapes, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let in sunshine. Do what you have to do make your house bright and cheery – it will make it more sellable.
Selling Secret #7: Play the agent field
A secret sale killer is hiring the wrong broker. Make sure you have a broker who is totally informed. They must constantly monitor the multiple listing service (MLS), know what properties are going on the market and know the comps in your neighborhood. Find a broker who embraces technology – a tech-savvy one has many tools to get your house sold.
Selling Secret #6: Conceal the critters
You might think a cuddly dog would warm the hearts of potential buyers, but you’d be wrong. Not everybody is a dog- or cat-lover. Buyers don’t want to walk in your home and see a bowl full of dog food, smell the kitty litter box or have tufts of pet hair stuck to their clothes. It will give buyers the impression that your house is not clean. If you’re planning an open house, send the critters to a pet hotel for the day.
Selling Secret #5: Don’t over-upgrade
Quick fixes before selling always pay off. Mammoth makeovers, not so much. You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project before you put your house on the market. Instead, do updates that will pay off and get you top dollar. Get a new fresh coat of paint on the walls. Clean the curtains or go buy some inexpensive new ones. Replace door handles, cabinet hardware, make sure closet doors are on track, fix leaky faucets and clean the grout.
Selling Secret #4: Take the home out of your house
One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-personalize it. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your stuff – put it in storage. This includes family photos, memorabilia collections and personal keepsakes. Consider hiring a home stager to maximize the full potential of your home. Staging simply means arranging your furniture to best showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space.
Selling Secret #3: The kitchen comes first
You’re not actually selling your house, you’re selling your kitchen – that’s how important it is. The benefits of remodeling your kitchen are endless, and the best part of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back. It may be a few thousand dollars to replace countertops where a buyer may knock $10,000 off the asking price if your kitchen looks dated. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include painting and new cabinet hardware. Use a neutral-color paint so you can present buyers with a blank canvas where they can start envisioning their own style. If you have a little money to spend, buy one fancy stainless steel appliance. Why one? Because when people see one high-end appliance they think all the rest are expensive too and it updates the kitchen.
Selling Secret #2: Always be ready to show
Your house needs to be “show-ready” at all times – you never know when your buyer is going to walk through the door. You have to be available whenever they want to come see the place and it has to be in tip-top shape. Don’t leave dishes in the sink, keep the dishwasher cleaned out, the bathrooms sparkling and make sure there are no dust bunnies in the corners. It’s a little inconvenient, but it will get your house sold.
Selling Secret #1: The first impression is the only impression
No matter how good the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they walk through the door. You never have a second chance to make a first impression. It’s important to make people feel warm, welcome and safe as they approach the house. Spruce up your home’s exterior with inexpensive shrubs and brightly colored flowers. You can typically get a 100-percent return on the money you put into your home’s curb appeal. Entryways are also important. You use it as a utility space for your coat and keys. But, when you’re selling, make it welcoming by putting in a small bench, a vase of fresh-cut flowers or even some cookies.

The 10 Best Secrets for Selling your Home

Ohio State’s New North Residential District

By on October 17, 2016 in Columbus and Central Ohio Market Update

Ohio State's New North Residential District

Ohio State’s New North Residential District

Students moved into the first new buildings in OSU’s North Residential District in the fall of 2015. Construction of the remaining buildings – all located west of High Street, between Lane and Woodruff avenues – continued until right before move-in this past August. This semester, the first in which sophomores are required to live on campus, marks the first time that the new district is being used to its full capacity. Ohio State’s New North Residential District is definitely starting to look amazing!

OSU Associate Vice President of Student Life Molly Calhoun recently gave Columbus Underground a tour of the new district, including the new dorms, the new North Recreation Center, a multitude of event and study spaces, and the two-story cafeteria, which seats 920 and is larger than any restaurant in Central Ohio.

Calhoun emphasized the importance of outdoor space to the project, including the long brick pathway leading from High Street west through the heart of the district, following the route of what used to be West Frambes Avenue.

Ohio State's New North Residential District

[CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS]

The path ends at what has been dubbed Town Square, a large open space framed by the new, three-story recreation center and the new buildings Noskar House, Scott House and Blackburn House.

“Early on in the planning process, we said, ‘think about the spaces between the buildings as much as you’re thinking about the spaces in the buildings,’” said Calhoun. “We’ve historically done a really good job relative to indoor programming space, but we wanted to emphasize the programmatic aspects spilling out into the green spaces.”

Space was created for the many large plazas, courtyards and greens by tearing down a number of low-rise buildings. Twenty of 22 large trees identified as “heritage trees” on the site were able to be saved, and 225 new trees were planted.

A rotating cast of student volunteers provided input from the very beginning of the planning process, which started in earnest in 2010.

“I tell the incoming students, when you guys were in the fifth grade we were thinking about where you would be living when you came to school,” said Calhoun.

Other highlights of the new district:

  • Each residential building contains common areas accessible to all students living in the dorms, complete with billiard and ping pong tables, video game stations, and party/event rooms.
  • Dining options include a made-to-order breakfast station (open all day), gluten-free options, a Mongolian grill, and booths designed for large groups of students.
  • The basketball courts located on Lane Avenue outside of the new recreation center are now only accessible to students. They’ve also been designed so that they can be covered at some point in the future, with outdoor courts placed on top of the new building (that’s in anticipation of Jessie Owens North, which currently contains indoor courts, eventually being replaced with an academic building).
  • The new trees planted in the district all have a trunk diameter of six inches or more, “so that they are substantial, and it wouldn’t be 60 years until you had a tree canopy,” according to Calhoun.
  • In response to student input, all laundry rooms are designed to be open, well-lit spaces. They are located on the first floor of each residential building.
  • The new dorm buildings all feature a similar layout, with two, 40-person communities on each floor (and one Resident Advisor for every 40 students). The rooms are mostly two-person suites with quarter-baths, but larger suites at the end of each hall – with full bathrooms and private living areas – are available for second-, third-, and fourth-year students.

Ohio State’s New North Residential District

10 Things You Must Know About VA Loans

By on October 11, 2016 in Military Home Buyer Knowledge

10 Things You Must Know About VA Loans

Here’s 10 things you must know about VA Loans:

1. They’re reusable. You can use your full VA entitlement over and over again as long as you pay off the loan each time. But you may be able to obtain another VA loan even if you’velost one to foreclosure or currently have one.

2. They’re only for certain types of homes. If you’re planning to buy a working farm, a downtown deli or a fixer-upper, the VA loan may not be for you. It’s mainly designed forproperties in “move-in ready” condition, including single-family homes, condos, modular housing, some multi-unit properties and more.

3. They’re for primary residences only. Don’t bother trying to use your VA loan benefits to buy an investment property or a vacation home in the Poconos. VA loans are for primary residences, with few exceptions.

4. They’re not issued by the VA. The VA isn’t in the business of issuing home loans. Instead, the agency provides a guaranty on each qualified mortgage loan.

5. But they’re guaranteed by the government. If you have a VA entitlement, the agency typically guarantees up to a quarter of the loan amount. The guaranty gives lenders confidence and helps service members secure great terms and rates.

6. They’re available despite foreclosure or bankruptcy. Service members with a history of bankruptcy or foreclosure can secure a VA loan. Even borrowers who have had a VA loan foreclosed on can still utilize their VA loan benefit.

7. They don’t have mortgage insurance.Mortgage insurance is a monthly fee you pay with other programs when you’re not putting at least 20 percent down. The VA’s guaranty eliminates the need for any mortgage insurance or mortgage insurance premium, helping borrowers save even more money each month.

8. They come with a mandatory fee. There’s no mortgage insurance with VA loans, but there is the VA Funding Fee. This fee (usually about 2 percent of the loan amount) helps the VA keep the program going and is required on both purchase and refinance loans. It can be rolled into the loan amount and waived entirely for those with service-connected disabilities.

9. They have limits on co-borrowers. Some loan programs let you get a loan with just about anybody. That’s not the VA loan program. Having a co-borrower who isn’t your spouse or another veteran with VA loan entitlement who will live in the home with you will require a down payment. Not every VA lender offers these types of joint loans (Veterans United does).

10. They don’t have a prepayment penalty. You can make extra payments any time you want, saving you a boatload in interest over the life of your loan. You can even structure your payments to automatically deduct a little extra every month. Just an extra $100 per month can shave years and tens of thousands of dollars from the balance.

 

10 Things You Must Know About VA Loans

How to Buy Your First Home

By on October 3, 2016 in First Time Home Buyer Knowledge

How to Buy Your First HomeBuying your first home is one of the biggest financial steps that you will ever make. It is important to take this decision seriously. You need to take the time prepare yourself in every aspect in order to make your home a blessing, and not a negative experience. Here are the basic steps that you should know on how to buy your first home.

Determine If You Are Ready to Buy a Home

You should determine if you are ready to buy a home. Home ownership is a lot more expensive than renting. You are responsible for paying for all the repairs. You may also have added utility costs, such as garbage and water. In addition to that you will need to pay for taxes and insurance related to your home. These costs add up quickly, and if you are not financially prepared, you may end up in a very negative position. You should take the time to get out of debt and save up an emergency fund, before you purchase your first home. You should definitely get rid of all of your credit card debt first.

Start Shopping for a Loan
Take the time to shop for a loan. You need to get pre-approved before you shop for a home. This will help you to look within your price range. You should contact at least three people before you decide which loan to take. A mortgage broker will look at several different loan companies to find you the best rates. However, your small local bank or your credit union may have options that will save you money as well.

Once you find a loan with the correct terms you can begin shopping.

Find the Best Payment Options and Loan Types
When it comes to your mortgage you may be surprised at the different loan types and payment options available to you. It can be baffling when you think about ARMS and PMI. Usually a fixed rate 15 or 20 Year loan is the best option.
This can help you lock in a low rate. You may be considering creative financing to cover the down payment, but you should be careful when you make these choices. You want to build wealth with your home purchase. If you make the wrong choice then you may end up hurting yourself financially.

Be Honest About What You Can Afford
You also need to determine how much home you can really afford. A good rule of thumb is to keep your mortgage along with your taxes and insurance between 25%-30% of your income. Other experts advise that your home cost be limited to two and half times your annual salary. It can be crippling if you are house poor. If you spend too much on your mortgage you may not be able to meet your daily obligations let alone save for retirement. A smaller house is worth the peace of mind.

Find a Good Realtor
Once you have determined how much you can really spend and are pre-approved you should find a good realtor. Your realtor should listen to your wants and needs carefully.
She may make recommendations or explain the market to help you find a home that suits your needs and that you can afford. She should offer several different options. Once you make an offer your realtor should work to negotiate terms that you are happy with. A good way to find a realtor is through the recommendations of friends and colleagues.

Request a Home Inspection
Another important step is a thorough home inspection. This is different from an appraisal. You should pay for the home inspection. The home inspector will look for hidden problems with the home. Through the home inspection you can learn about any issues that may prevent you from buying the home. This may include mold problems, termites, foundation problems and a bad roof. The inspection can save you thousands in repairs later on. Additionally you may be able to negotiate a lower price if you know the home needs a new roof.

Be Patient
Once you have bid on your home and the offer is accepted you will go into escrow. The escrow holder will work to make sure that all the documents, money and other necessary information is together before you close. Escrow is set up to protect the buyer, the seller and the lender. It can take time to complete escrow, although the time really depends on circumstances around your purchase. Once everything is completed for escrow you will sign the closing papers. You may or may not sign your mortgage papers at escrow. If you do, you can request that the bank send a representative to help you fully understand your loan.

Close and Move In
Once you have closed on your home, it is time to move in. You can paint, unpack and enjoy your new home. Be sure that you change your address with your bank, and other accounts. You can set up your utilities and cancel your old ones as well. This will save you time and money, because you will avoid late fees. Some companies will waive installation fees if you transfer your old account to your new address.

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