Blue Grass homes for sale – Mel Foster Co Blog

Not So Fast…Five Things To Check Before Writing An Offer.

Posted on March 11, 2015

You’re in love. The house seems perfect and you almost don’t want to know if it’s not. But before you blindly make an offer, be sure to check these five things.

Assess the grounds

Even if it’s cold and snowy, do a thorough walk around of the yard checking for drainage issues, major concrete shifts or cracks in the foundation.

Open every door and window

Check the locks, evaluate the operation and make sure every door and window opens and closes properly. Also check for any cracked glass that may be hidden behind window treatments.

Turn on every appliance

Be sure to check the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher in the kitchen and don’t forget the washer and dryer if you are asking for those items to be left for you. Also run both the furnace and central air to be sure the systems are functioning properly.

Check the water

Turn on each faucet and check for water pressure and leaks. Also flush every toilet. Be sure to check outdoor faucets.

Turn on the lights

Every interior and exterior light should be turned on. Also test the speed of ceiling fans and check the fan in the bathroom and the vent hood above the stove. If a light is not functioning, determine if it’s a burned out bulb or an electrical issue.

Doing this quick checklist will uncover major issues, before you write up an offer or schedule a home inspection. For added peace of mind after you move in, consider purchasing a Mel Foster Co. Advantage Home Warranty Plan.

For more information on The Mel Foster Co. Advantage Home Warranty Plan, contact one of our experienced professionals.

Top Three Tips For First Time Buyers.

Posted on January 31, 2015

Buying your first home is an exciting adventure. However, there’s a lot of your money on the line, so you’d better be prepared. Avoiding mistakes and getting guidance from seasoned professionals will ensure the process goes smoothly. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your time and efforts when starting the home buying process.

Know What You Want and Do Your Research

This is one of the most important steps. What are your must-haves in your new home? What are you willing to compromise on? The more prepared you are before you start to look at properties, the easier it will be to pinpoint the perfect home. Also, with the power of the Internet, you have a wealth of information at your fingertips. Focus your search on the neighborhoods you are interested in and learn as much as you can about the surrounding area. Use the interactive search map to zoom in on neighbors and see what’s for sale.

Get Preapproved

Talking to the bank prior to getting a mortgage will give you a leg up when you start looking at homes. Your lender will be able to assess your finances and let you know how much house you can afford, and give you an idea of what percentage rates you might expect to receive on your loan. Making an offer with a bank’s preapproval may give you the upper hand if it’s a competitive offer situation.

Work with a REALTOR^®

Your agent can be your right hand man or woman when it comes time to start your search. Your agent can help you narrow down your options so you aren’t wasting your time with homes that don’t fit your needs. Their job is to help you find the home you want, and help you negotiate a fair asking price. Your agent can also help you navigate the paperwork, which can be overwhelming for first time buyers. Click here to find a Mel Foster Co. agent to start your home search.

Start A New Winter Tradition.

Posted on January 18, 2015

Are you a snowbird? Do you “fly south” for the winter? Why continue to rent, especially if you find yourself returning to the same place year after year. Try using Mel Foster Co.’s free relocation services to help you find and purchase a second home in your favorite winter destination. Our vast network of contacts will help you find an agent wherever you spend your winter.

Here are just a few things that we offer:

Help you find an agent in another state
Provide cost of living comparisons
Help you find a mortgage company

While you’re basking in the sun in your winter get-away town, thoroughly survey your favorite neighborhoods. How’s the traffic when the population is at its winter peak? Are stores or restaurants more crowded at certain times of the day? This information will give you an idea of what to expect during winters to come.

Ask your agent about renting out your winter home in the months that you’re away to generate more disposable income. If you pick the right property, it may pay for itself.

Contact a relocation specialist and start making connections in your winter community.

An Older Home As A Green Alternative.

Posted on November 9, 2014

Call it recycling on a grand scale. Homebuyers who want their purchase to be more environmentally friendly are turning to older homes instead of building new. In fact, architect Carl Elefante coined the phrase, “the greenest building is the one that is already built.” What he meant by that is that environmental resources that would be used to build a building’s replacement are often times spared by restoring or repurposing an existing structure.

Did you know that it can take up to 80 years for a new, energy-efficient building to overcome the energy and climate change impacts caused during the construction process? Building reuse offers significant environmental savings when compared to the energy consumption of demolition and new construction.

Older buildings constructed prior to reliance on mechanical heating, cooling and lighting systems utilize what nature offers as part of their design. This can help reduce your energy use, helping you save on heating and cooling your home.

Go green and consider purchasing an older home that just needs a little TLC. Use the option to search by Year Built by clicking here to find a home you can recycle.

Put Out The Welcome Mat For Fall.

Posted on October 16, 2014

The number one tip for giving your home great curb appeal in the fall is to keep your lawn free of leaves. Buyers may drive right past your home if they feel like raking leaves would be too much work for them if they bought your home. Keep up with this chore to give your home a tidy and maintenance free look.

Cooler temperatures also mean it’s time to replace your tired annuals with colorful mums or kale. Clear out your planting beds of summer foliage and drop some blooms into your window box or porch planter. Remember that you still need to water these plants to keep them looking fresh.

If you have already moved out or can’t maintain plant watering, you can brighten your porch with a grouping of three large pumpkins. Want them to last even longer? Don’t carve your pumpkins for Halloween. You can keep an uncarved pumpkin on your porch through Thanksgiving and get two holidays out of one purchase!

Even though it’s Halloween time, real spider webs on your porch need to be cleared away regularly. No need to scare away buyers with frightful spider webs.

Need ideas for keeping your home open house ready for the holidays? Click here for simple tips.

Don Marple Earns REALTOR® of the Year for the Iowa Association of REALTORS®

Posted on September 25, 2014

Mel Foster Co. is pleased to announce that Don Marple of their Davenport Kimberly Road office was named REALTOR® of the Year during the Iowa Association of REALTORS® (IAR) annual convention held in Cedar Rapids last week.

Marple has been a licensed REALTOR^® in Iowa for more than 37 years, and has worked at Mel Foster Co. in Davenport since 1995. He has been an active member of the IAR since 1980, serving on numerous committees, including past chair of the annual convention, and member of the education, consumers affairs, technology and member services committees. He served as IAR president in 2013, president-elect in 2011 and treasurer in 2010. He received the IAR President’s Special Recognition Award in 1995. He has also been a member of the REALTOR^® Foundation of Iowa Board of Directors.

Marple is presently serving on the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) – Public Housing and MLS Policy Committees. Marple also served as a commissioner on the State of Iowa Real Estate Commission from 2004-2007.

Marple has also served in various leadership roles on his local board, the Quad Cities Area REALTORS^® Association, including 2002 president, secretary/treasurer, and as a member of several committees. He received REALTOR^® of the Year Award in 1998 and the Bert Frahm Award for Outstanding Dedication and Service to the Real Estate Industry and to the Community in 1995. He has earned several of real estate’s highest designations, including Graduate, REALTOR^® Institute (GRI), and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS).

Marple is very active in his community. He is currently a commissioner on the Scott County Condemnation Board. He has also served as past president for the Donahue Sportsman Club and was a founding member of the North Scott Soccer Club. He has been a Junior Achievement volunteer in the North Scott School District for the past 19 years, as well as a long-time volunteer with the Cub Scouts and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

About Mel Foster Co. Real Estate

Founded in 1921, Mel Foster Co. is a real estate leader in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serving Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island and the surrounding Quad City area. It is one of Iowa’s largest independently owned real estate companies. Mel Foster Co. Real Estate specializes in residential and commercial sales and offers services for a broader spectrum of property transactions including farm and land, land development and management, relocation and new construction. Visit www.melfosterco.com for more information.

Why Buying is Cheaper Than Renting

Posted on May 31, 2014

In a report released by Trulia earlier this year, it was found that it is still cheaper to pay a mortgage versus paying rent. Over 100 of the largest metropolitan areas were surveyed, and renting was nearly 40% more expensive than purchasing and making payments on a home.

Even with home prices on the rise, low mortgage rates have made payments manageable, and in most cases less than a monthly mortgage payment for the same space. In fact, mortgage rates would need to rise by over 10% in order for renting to be cheaper than buying, and rates haven’t been that high in over 18 years.

It is also important to keep in mind that purchasing a home is an investment, rather than simply a monthly housing cost. Although home price fluctuations have widely varied in the past decade or so, forecasts look good for the housing market overall in the coming years.

Three Reasons to List Your House Today.

Posted on May 15, 2014

With the welcome change in the weather, now is the time to put your home on the market. As a potential seller, you may have several reservations keeping you from taking the plunge. There are a few very compelling reasons why you should consider selling your home this spring rather than waiting.

1. Now is the time for an upgrade

If you are considering an upgrade to a larger or more expensive home, now is the perfect time to make your move. Prices are forecasted to appreciate by 4% by the end of this year, and nearly double that by the end of 2015. If you wait, your move could end up costing you more. Making a move this spring is going to get you more home for your money.

2. Competition

Housing inventory always grows steadily starting in spring and through the summer. Homeowners are also starting to see a return to positive equity in their homes as prices rise. Over time that is only going to increase, meaning more homes will be coming to market. Putting your home up for sale this spring will give you a jump-start and help you stand out to early bird buyers.

3. Demand

Buyers know that more homes become available during the spring and summer months. Nobody likes to move in the winter and parents don’t like to disrupt their children’s school year. Buyers wanting to move this summer are looking for a new home now! Don’t miss out on a potential buyer by waiting too long to list your home. Strike while the iron is hot and reap the benefits of listing your home this spring when most buyers are on the house hunt.