Why You Need A Real Estate Guru.

Are you in the market to buy or sell a home? It is important that you consider working with a licensed Real Estate Professional in order to save yourself time, money, and hassle. There can be a lot of confusion and guesswork when you are out there navigating the market on your own. Here are a few reasons why it’s in your best interest to work with a Real Estate Professional.

Negotiations

From the appraiser, to the home inspector, to the buyer, there are nearly a dozen people that you will have to answer to while selling your home. Let an agent do this busywork for you. Negotiating effectively can mean thousands more saved or earned.

Paperwork

Let an agent with experience navigate and prepare the documents needed when closing on a transaction. Missing something here or there can cost you time and money. Also, each state has different regulations surrounding the purchase or sale of a home. A Real Estate Professional has the experience needed to guide you through.

What Is Your Home Worth?

Pricing your home correctly will attract the right buyer and make sure it isn’t on the market for too long. However, you need the eyes of someone not emotionally attached to your home, to ensure the true value is assessed. The National Association of REALTORS found that, “the typical FSBO home sold for $184,000 compared to $230,000 among agent-assisted home sales.”

Value of an Agent
Value of an Agent

3 Tips To Consider When Buying A Home.

Tip #1: Keep Your Money Where It Is.

One thing that you want to avoid before purchasing a new home is making any other large purchases. You don’t want anything to negatively impact your credit score before buying a home. This includes opening new credit cards, or taking on new debt. Lenders want to feel confident in your ability to be financially responsible, especially when they’re considering you for a loan. In short, don’t take any risks with your credit score if you’re planning on investing in a new home.

Tip #2: Bigger Isn’t Always Better.

When you’re buying a house, you may gravitate towards the biggest home on the block. It’s important to consider what your potential resale value will look like. If you have the most expensive home on the block, it will only go up in value as much as the homes surrounding it. The largest house only appeals to a few people. If you’re planning on reselling, you want to have the largest number of potential buyers possible. Instead of searching for the best house on the block, you should search for the house that best fits your needs.

Tip #3: Survey the Neighborhood.

People often fall in love with their homes, but they often fail to consider the neighborhood. If you’re planning on having children, you need to determine what school district the home is in. Even if you aren’t planning on children, you still should research what schools are nearby because it may impact the resale value of the home. It’s also not a bad idea to try your morning commute from the house, to determine if that would impact your decision. Don’t be afraid to drive through the neighborhood during different times of the day to really get a lay of the land.

Exterior Home Shot
3 Tips When Buying a House

Color The Quads Raises $60,000 For Local Charities

Mel Foster Co.’s Color the Quads raised $60,000 for local charities during its second annual colorful run on May 31 in Bettendorf, Iowa. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the second Color the Quads event went to Child Abuse Council, March of Dimes of the Mississippi Valley  and Rick’s House of Hope. Each organization will receive $20,000, thanks to the generosity of over 2,000 participants, 300 children racers and sponsors.

“With one in nine babies born premature in the Quad City area, The March of Dimes of Mississippi Valley wants to thank Mel Foster Co. employees for choosing us a charity of Choice for this year’s Color Run. The money raised will help us get closer to the day when all babies are born healthy,” stated Deena Bradford, Mississippi Valley Division Director of March of Dimes

“The Child Abuse Council was proud to be a charity partner for the Mel Foster Color the Quads. It was a fun and exciting experience for us.  It gave our board members, staff and volunteers an unique and energetic way to be engaged in an event; and we valued the increased awareness it brought to child abuse prevention,” mentioned Rondi Doyle, Director of Communications/Special Events.

“Rick’s House of Hope is honored to be part of a fun, colorful event and grateful to be named as a charity recipient. We thank Mel Foster, Co., the sponsors, runners and volunteers, who make this race great. The funds received make our mission possible, to ensure the needs of grieving and traumatized children are not overlooked,” said Emily Gordon, Executive Director of Rick’s House of Hope

The event’s Color Extraordinaire, Color Party, Kid’s Color Dash, Color Explosion and Color Burst sponsors include; Mel Foster Co., XPAC, Tri-City Electric, Eye Surgeons Associates, Orthopaedic Specialists, Gomez May LLP, Vollertsen, Britt & Gorsline P.C., Smart Toyota of the Quad Cities, Active Endeavors, Build To Suit, Enviromark, Hawkeye Paving Corp., Hy-Vee, KISS-FM, KWQC, Mickle Communications, Pear Advertising, Pella Windows & Doors, Quad-City Times, Radon Solutions, Russell, TMI – Total Maintenance Inc., Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., and Victorystore.com.

“We were thrilled once again at the support of our sponsors and this community.  The only way to pull an event like this off is because of a collaborative effort by local businesses and individual race participants who see the value in giving back to the community we live and work in,” said Lynsey Engels, President, Real Estate Brokerage for Mel Foster Co.

Mel Foster Co. plans to hold Color the Quads again in 2015 on May 30. For future event updates, go to www.colorthequads.com or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ColorTheQuads.

About Mel Foster Co. Inc.

Mel Foster Co. is a recognized leader for real estate and insurance. Mel Foster Co. Real Estate specializes in residential sales and offers services for a broader spectrum of property transactions including commercial, farm and land, land development and management, relocation and new construction. Founded in 1921, it is one of Iowa’s largest independently owned real estate companies. Mel Foster Insurance was founded in 1932 and represents over 25 insurance carriers and offers coverage for residential and commercial clients. Visit www.melfosterco.com for more information.Color the Quads

About Child Abuse Council

The Child Abuse Council is a regional, non-profit agency with over 36 years experience providing child abuse prevention, education and treatment programs for children and families in the bi-state metropolitan area and surrounding communities. Our goals for every child served are (1) a safe and nurturing home; (2) a secure parent-child relationship; and (3) an environment supporting successful growth and development.  For more information about the Child Abuse Council, visit www.childabuseqc.org.

About March of Dimes – Mississippi Valley Division

Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth.  March of Dimes of the Mississippi Valley is the local division of March of Dimes which is a voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.

About Rick’s House of Hope
Rick’s House of Hope serves children and their families in the Quad Cities who are coping with trauma or loss from the death of a loved one, divorce or other changes in the family. Children participate in age appropriate and developmentally appropriate groups with other children in similar situations combining recreation, play and art as they work through difficult issues. They served over 500 children last year.


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