Archive for the ‘Seller Tips’ Category
ITS A GREAT TIME TO GET A MORTGAGE, BUT THE RULES OF THE GAME HAVE CHANGED
For those who qualify, it’s one of the best time to get a mortgage. Last week rates for a 30 year – fixed
rate loan fell to 4.57percent, the lowest average since 1971. And, if you missed out on US home-buying
tax credit, the rates may more than make up for that lost $ 8,000.
“A tax credit is immediate gratification,” said Leonard Baron, professor of finance at San Diago State University,
“but long-term, with rates this low, you can get much more value.”
The game has changed. Your credit must be at least 620, or you’ll have a harder time finding a loan.
The more you can put down becomes a big variable.
CAN YOU OVER STAGE A HOME FOR SALE?
Michael M, wrote me last week, “I was just wondering, is it possible to over stage a place, or go to far with the decluttering?” Yes and maybe. According to Stager Invasions Lisa Lynch, a home can be over staged when there is something in every space. What Lisa refers to as over staging is in my opinion an example of over decorating. Another example of over staging via over decorating is decorating a home for sale in a style that is inappropriate for the home An example would be decorating a bungalow as if it were a mansion It is not what buyers are expecting and would distract them from the home itself.
Over staging versus over decluttering would be easier for buyers to visualize a home as theirs or visualize changes they might like to make. I think it depends on the home. An example of going too far with decluttering that I think hurts a homes appeal is emtying some rooms. but not others, it creates confussion as to whether someone is living there or not and disrupts the flow of the home as buyers walk through it.
If you’re considering selling a home, schedule a time to talk with me. If you have a question, email me.
What Buffalo Grove Real Estate Buyers Are Looking For
In today’s competitive real estate market there some features that almost every buyer seems to want. Here is our Buffalo Grove Hot List in no particular order.
- 42″ cherry kitchen cabinets
- Hardwood floors
- Granite Counter tops
- Updated Baths
- Kohler Plumbing Fixtures
- Tierd woood Decks
Call or visit our web site. We will show you where to get all these GOODIES
BE a Grilling Guru
Barbecuing is a great way to cook in the summer; it brings the family together, keeps heat out of the home, and lets you enjoy the beautiful weather. But while cooking on a grill, be sure to keep safety in mind. Each year grill-related accidents result in countless injuries and $27 million in damages. Many of these accidents can easily be avoided through regular maintenance and safe use. Best practices vary depending on the type of grill(i.e. gas, charcoal) but here are a few tips to help you have a safe grilling season:
1) Operate your grill outside(never in garages or breezeways), and at least 10 feet away
from your home and other structures.
2) Keep your grill clean. Grease built up from previous use can cause and spread unexpectedgrill fires.
3) If you have a gas grill, check the hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and food grease.
If you would like to find just the right home to set up your grill, give Ed Garfield and Sharon Benjamin a call. They have the experience and know how to find you the perfect spot.
TO STAGE YOUR HOME OR NOT TO STAGE WHEN SELLING
Selling your home in Buffalo Grove or the surrounding areas is not easy these days. One way to increase your chances of selling and selling for a better price is to use staging. Staging basically is setting up your home and property to show in the best possible light to potential buyers.
Staging your home does not have to be expensive, the cost can be as low as $250 to $2500 or more. Statistics show that 95% of staged homes will sell twice as fast as fast and for 5-10% more money. For an average home, that’s a $30,000-$50,000 increase in sale price.
With this type of windfall,how can one not afford to invest in home staging? What matters the most is removing the clutter that may exist, emphasizing as much space as you can in your home, and creating an environment where a buyer could envision a home that they can move in right away.
Staging must start from the exterior of of the home. Since the exterior is what most prospect buyers would see first, this is the most important aspect to focus on initially. Creating a nice appealing front yard with basic landscape if you have one, would be ideal. Adding some lighting, spray washing the exterior or painting if needed.
For the interior, adding a neutral paint color seems to work best, spacing out furniture, removing any clutter from closet space, and cleaning up all spaces is very important.
Tips for Buffalo Grove, Long Grove Area Moving
A bright new beginning or a teary-eyed departure? The words “we’re moving” can mean big trouble for homeowners who don’t plan ahead.
Consider these pieces of advice as you prepare for the big day.
Clean house. Once that you know you are going to move, decide what you won’t bring along. Scour closets and storage spaces and organize items into 3 piles- sell, donate or move.
Notify everyone. Give the post office, authorities, utility services, friends and family early notice of your new address.
Hiring movers. When hiring a moving company, first ask friends or your local Buffalo Grove area Realtors, Ed Garfield and Sharon Benjamin for recommendations. Call movers one or two months in advance to set up inventories and estimates. Remember to get moving costs and deposit return policies.
Save receipts. Create a file to hold receipts accumulated throughout the move. Some expenses may be able to be deducted on your tax return. (See your tax professional for details.)
Call Ed Garfield and Sharon Benjamin, Buffalo Grove, Long Grove area real estate experts to make sure you have a smooth move. They can be reached at 847-541-5000
Ed and Sharon’s Buffalo Grove Homeowner Tip
We are Looking forward to the “May flowers.” but have to get through the “April Showers,” first.
Of course, a good roof helps but beyond that gutters play an important part in carrying the rain from your roof to a safe location away from your home’s foundation. Here are some tips to keep gutters free-flowing during the spring rains. Cleaning them out is important but it’s just the beginning.
Use a ladder and a scoop to scrape them clear of debris. You can make a simple scoop from a half gallon milk carton just by cutting off the bottom and using the rest of the jug to scoop out the gutter.
Downspouts can be cleaned out with a water hose turned on full blast, a plumbing snake or a wet/dry shop vacuum.
Don’t forget to install screens over the downspouts to keep them from clogging, too.
Senior Real Estate Specialists attend to special needs of seniors who move
Home. It’s our refuge from the world’s pressures. For seniors, it’s also a “photo album” –the keeper of life’s fondest memories. It’s no wonder we want to remain in our home as long as we possibly can; foregoing it, means
Senior Real Estate Specialist provide special services for seniors
leaving behind what is most special to us. It also means having to make perhaps the single largest business decision you may ever have to make in your lifetime –any mistake could cost you and your family. Selling your home at an older age gives rise to many unique questions that aren’t a factor to younger families. Many seniors have not bought or sold property in over 20 years. Much has changed over that time –legal & consumer issues, terminology and disclosure laws, etc.. As Senior Real Estate Specialists, SRES, we are specifically trained to help seniors make smart decisions about selling their homes.
Call Ed Garfield, SRES and Sharon Benjamin for compassionate real estate service for you or your senior mover.
Senior Real Estate Specialists attend to special needs of seniors who move in Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs. Ed Garfield and Sharon Benjamin offer services geared toward seniors who are moving.
Using Colors in Decorating
Color can bring harmony into your life. Before you decide on your colors, decide what you prefer:
Monochromatic colors – where all the colors are in the same family
Analogous colors – imagine colors that are side-by-side in a rainbow
Complementary colors – where you choose opposite colors that can be very dramatic like black & orange.
Colors bring the emotion into your home. They tell who you are.
Decorating Tricks: Picture frames should blend with and complement your artwork, not the room color.
Put a frame around your large bathroom mirror. It will change the look to be more spa-like or sophisticated and will add just the right finishing touch. While you are at it, paint your bathroom in a relaxing shade. This can be very calming.
The team of Ed Garfield and Sharon Benjamin put Ed’s over 30 years of real estate marketing savvy in Buffalo Grove and Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs with Sharon’s impressive credentials in the decorating field to work for you. Call Ed or Sharon at 847-541-5000 to put their experience to work for you.
What Buyers in Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs Want Might Surprise You
Changing House sizes in Chicago's Northwest Suburbs
You might call this post NEW House Alert! or Changing Times!
After World War II, it became an American dream to own a house. Then, the dream grew to a house with a garage, then a two-car garage, and a three-car garage. Houses got bigger and bigger over time with the square footage growing every year until around 2005 when houses began trending down in size.
Today, home buyers are very, very value-conscious and they don’t want to pay for space they don’t use. Houses are getting smaller is the bottom line.
Call us to find a house in the in Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs including Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Long Grove, Skokie and the surrounding areas. We will find you a home just the right size.
