Selling – Page 3 – Mel Foster Co Blog

Keeping Your Garage Maintained

Posted on March 15, 2016

Garages are an often overlooked part of your home. You want to be sure potential buyers aren’t pushed away by a rundown garage. Follow this list to keep your garage clean and safe.

Keep the Door Working

The most important feature of your garage is actually being able to access it. If you have an older door and motor, make sure you maintain the parts. Apply oil and clean out any dust or debris that may have gathered since the last cleaning. Don’t forget about the rubber lining on the bottom of the door. Make sure it isn’t tearing so your door avoids damage.

Continue Cleaning

Continuous cleaning is the best way to maintain your floor and walls. Clear out any dust or cobwebs to keep your garage attractive to interested buyers. Rinse down your garage floor a few times per year or whenever spills occurs. If there are any large cracks in the cement, you can usually find do-it-yourself concrete kits to make repairs. This will keep the cement looking nice and fresh.

Investigate for Pests

Keep an eye out for any insects in your garage. If you have an infestation from termites or carpenter ants, they can cause serious damage to the foundation. If you notice any sawdust or chewed wood, call an exterminator immediately. It’s not a bad idea to contact your local pest control services to see what options they have for spray to prevent an infestation in the first place.

Features For A Fabulous Bathroom.

Posted on March 3, 2016

Renovating your bathroom is a great way to add value to your home. Follow this list of features to get the most out of your bathroom renovation budget.

Walk In Shower

Having a walk in shower with no curb is growing in popularity, for good reasons. They are both stylish and safe. As people age, ease of access is important. With no steps to stumble over, it’s a very attractive option with large resale potential.

Heated Ceramic Floor

Ceramic tile is timeless, waterproof and good looking. Add radiant heating underneath your tiles to complete your flooring. It’s extremely easy to market a home with heated flooring, and it doesn’t add much to the energy bills.

Exhaust Fan

The most requested feature in a bathroom is a simple exhaust fan. It beat out any other feature, and it makes sense. It prevents mold from growing and keeps hot air out of your house. Make sure the fan leads outside instead of into an attic to keep moisture out.

High Efficiency Dual Flush Toilet

Saving water is one of the most sustainable ways to help the planet. By law, toilets can only use 1.6 gallons per flush, with some states enforcing even more strict requirements. Having a dual flush toilet can use even less water overall and save you more money in the long run.

Calm Colors

Keep your bathroom colors calming to create a private sanctuary. This doesn’t mean you can’t personalize it with a few accent colors, but having a white or off white coloring will have a more relaxing feeling, which appeals to potential buyers.

Cut Your Taxes.

Posted on January 24, 2016

Tax time will be here before you know it. When filing your taxes, don’t forget about any home-related deductions you can take. Talk to a tax expert if you have questions.

Mortgage Interest Deduction

To obtain the mortgage interest deduction, your mortgage must be secured by your home. Interest you pay on a mortgage of up to $1 million, or $500,000 if you’re married filing separately, is deductible when you use the loan to buy, build, or improve your home in any way.

Prepaid Interest Deduction

Any interest you paid during the time of signing your mortgage is almost 100% deductible in the year you paid it, along with any other mortgage interest paid. If you refinance for a 10-year mortgage, paying $6,000 in interest, you can then deduct $600 per year.

Property Tax Deduction

When you pay your real estate property taxes, you can usually deduct these from your tax return. If you bought a house this year, check your HUD-1 settlement statement to see if you paid any property taxes when you closed on your home.

Sell your Home Now or in the Spring?

Posted on January 10, 2016

Many homeowners feel it’s a good idea to wait until the spring to sell their home. But once the busy holidays are over, it might be time to get your house ready to sell before competition heats up in the spring. Here are four appealing reasons you should consider listing soon.

Serious Buyers are Available

Homes are sold 365 days a year. People move into the area, expand their families or decide to downsize at all times of the year. There are always homebuyers looking for their dream home. And it might just be your listing.

Less Competition

There are typically more listings in the spring, so list your home in the winter to stand out in the crowd. By avoiding the tougher competition in the spring, your home is more likely to be visited by prospective buyers during showings, giving you more exposure than you’d receive in the spring.

Mortgage Rates are Still Low

If you’re interested in buying and selling property, you probably keep a close eye on mortgage rates. And noticed the recent uptick. Even with the recent increase, mortgage rates are still very low.

A Faster Transaction

Finally, the time required to close on a home will most likely be shorter in the winter. Inspectors have fewer appointments, attorneys have less work to do and mortgage lenders have fewer loans to process. You’ll most likely be able to have meetings on your schedule instead of theirs and get to closing faster. One of the most frustrating things as a seller is not getting answers or having to extend closing another 15 or 30 days. Winter gives you more control over the closing date and may save you from making an additional mortgage payment.

Looking for an agent to list your home this winter? Click here to find an agent or office near you.

Guide For Finding The Right Listing Agent.

Posted on November 30, 2015

You’re ready to sell your home. You want top dollar, a fast sale and a great real estate listing agent. The best way to find the right agent is to interview three and ask these questions.

How much will my house sell for?

The three agents should be fairly close in their estimates. Beware of an agent who is suggesting a price that seems high compared to the other two prices. This may be a ploy to get your listing and usually ends in disappointment.

How will you market my listing?

Mel Foster Co. agents have a wide range of marketing tools available including local and national online sites, an app and more traditional vehicles like newspapers, magazines and flyers. Choose the agent who you feel will do the most to market your home.

Do you have a specialty?

If you’re a millennial first time buyer, an agent who specializes in seniors may not be the right fit for you. Also ask what listings each agent has in your desired neighborhood.

What do you expect of me?

This is where you’ll get honest feedback about your home. A great agent will have no reservations telling you to do some paint touch up or have your carpets professionally cleaned. Your agent should offer staging ideas that will help your home attract more potential buyers. An agent who is sincerely interested in working hard on your behalf will have recommendations to get your home open house ready.

Click here to find an agent or office and get started with the listing process.

Three Things Your Agent Can’t Tell You

Posted on November 17, 2015

If you’re moving to a new town or even just across town to a new neighborhood, you may unintentionally ask your real estate agent questions that legally he or she cannot answer. Fair housing laws restrict your agent from answering what may seem like honest questions. But your agent can guide you to resources where you can gather the data you are seeking.

Is this a good neighborhood?

Seems like a pretty basic question, but the classification of “good” could mean a host of things. Is it a question about crime, walkability or proximity to amenities? If crime is your key concern, the web is filled with comparative sites that allow you to look at two cities side by side and form your own opinion.

Are the schools good?

There are a number of independent websites where you can find rankings, test scores, graduation rates and other academic benchmarks. For each major city served by Mel Foster Co., a link is available with additional listings for public and private schools. Click here to link to the communities page.

Is it cheaper to live in Iowa or Illinois?

This is a much more complex question that is best answered by your income tax advisor who is familiar with your situation. Click here for broad information about both states and specific communities.

Fall Yard Work For A Winter Home Sale

Posted on October 20, 2015

It won’t be long before the seasons change and the first snow falls. If you have plans to sell your home this winter, now is the time to get yard work and home exterior projects completed. This checklist can be knocked out over a weekend and you’ll be glad to have these small tasks done so your home shows better in the winter.

Pressure washing

The fastest way to clean a huge surface area is with a pressure washer. Wash your home’s exterior, remembering to get the soffits and gutters. Your patio is probably also due for a good cleaning. While you have the pressure washer handy, spray down your patio furniture and cushions so they are clean and ready to be stored for the winter.

Paint Touch Ups

Grab a brush and walk around your home touching up chips and nicks. Once it gets cold outside, you’ll miss your opportunity to paint.

Check Lights

Replace burned out light bulbs and check your landscaping lights. If your light fixtures are dated or worn out, replace them now when it’s easier to complete ladder tasks.

Junk Piles

Every inch of your property will be under scrutiny once your home is listed for sale. That junk pile hidden behind the shed will be in plain sight to prospective homebuyers. Store or toss out the random items in your yard and remember how messy your yard will look if your junk pile is covered in snow.

Landscaping

The first frost is just around the corner marking the end of the growing season. If you typically wait until spring to pull out plants and cut down grasses, consider doing that work now so your beds and borders are bare. The snow will pile up in these areas uniformly, giving your yard a more clean appearance. Spent grasses and perennials poking out of the snow makes homebuyers think ahead to the clean up work that’s been left for them.

Grab a sunny fall weekend to get your home ready for a winter sale.

Why You Need a Real Estate Agent

Posted on October 6, 2015

Buying a home may seem like an overwhelming task, but relying on the expertise of a real estate agent can make the process a breeze. Here are the top three benefits of using an agent:

1. Agents can help you manage all the paperwork.

Each state has different required contracts for a sale, which are constantly changing. A real estate agent is able to help guide you through the paperwork and make sure everything is done correctly.

2. Agents have experience negotiating with sellers.

If you’re buying a home, you want to pay the lowest price. Your agent can help you determine your monthly mortgage and insurance cost and help you write an offer that’s within your budget. Having a real estate agent negotiating with sellers on your behalf removes some of the stress of this part of the transaction.

3. Agents know what is happening in the housing market.

Real estate agents pay close attention to the housing market. They’ll be able to tell you about recent trends in the market, provide information about comparable home prices and give you referrals to resources like lenders, movers and home warranty providers. This is incredibly valuable information to have when looking for a home. The more information you have, the more confident you’ll be making decisions that affect you and your family.

You wouldn’t replace the engine in your car without a mechanic, why would you buy a home without a real estate agent?

Are There Signs It’s Time to Sell?

Posted on August 20, 2015

You may have been thinking about it for a while, but it’s hard to decide when to put your home on the market. Mel Foster Co. offers this quick checklist to make the decision a little easier for you.

1. Do you have enough space in your home?

If you have physically outgrown your space, it might be time to start looking for a new home. If your special someone has moved in or you’re starting a family, it might be time to sell. Even buying new furniture that you love, and feeling a little cramped once you move it in, might mean you’re needing a larger space.

2. Are homes selling quickly in your neighborhood?

If you’re driving around the neighborhood and notice many for sale signs going up and homes selling fast, it could mean your area is popular and potentially selling above market value. This is a great time to call your real estate agent and find out more about selling your home. It might be worth more than you think.

3. Is caring for your home becoming too much of a burden?

If you’re no longer enjoying home improvement projects or renovations you might want to find a new home that is less labor intensive. If you’re planning on selling in the future, be aware lack of maintenance may decrease your home’s value. Be sure to act fast before you lose a valuable opportunity to show your home at its best.

From Vanilla To Va Va Voom.

Posted on March 26, 2015

Help make your new construction home stand out among the sea of vanilla by adding a little color and style to the front of your home.

Paint the front door

If you got a boring builder’s special door, a little color will make your house pop. Make the job even easier and take the door off the hinges and paint the door while it’s laying flat.

Accentuate your address

It’s inexpensive to buy decorative house numbers and it’s fast to swap out the old numbers with new.

Dress up the porch

Just two chairs in a bright paint color or with bold accent pillows will make your porch stand out and serve as an inviting gesture to your new neighbors.

Pot some plants

You can go bold with colorful annuals or more sophisticated with urns and greenery. If you don’t have a green thumb, opt for a small shrub or dwarf evergreen. It’s hard to go wrong with something hardy that doesn’t require daily watering.

Welcome mat

Let your neighbors know you’ve now moved in with a colorful welcome mat.