An updated kitchen can help you get top dollar from a buyer. This list tells you where to spend your remodel dollars to get the attention of buyers and your best return on investment.
Professional grade stove
Look for options like a flat griddle or a cooktop for a searing pan or wok. Even if buyers don’t cook, nothing says quality in the kitchen like a beautiful, high-end stove.
Premium countertops
Granite still reigns supreme, but quartz is becoming popular as well. With a quartz product, like Caesarstone, you get the appearance of granite without the upkeep.
Hardwood floors
Hardwood and tile are popular in the kitchen. If you are considering a flooring change, stay away from linoleum and concrete. These products are least popular.
Stainless appliances
Stainless is still the finish of choice. Investing in stainless appliances that will stay with the home when you sell is a better choice than buying less expensive white or colored appliances.
Mel Foster Co. has been awarded the Website Quality Certification (WQC) from Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, a global network of 500+ real estate firms which presents the certification to member companies that demonstrate best practices in website design and Internet communications.
Mel Foster Co.’s website, www.melfosterco.com , earned the certification after achieving high marks on a range of criteria, including usability and performance, design and content, interactivity, customer service and Internet lead management, search engine optimization and mobile.
Created by LeadingRE in 2009 to recognize member websites that combine high standards for design, technology and service, the criteria for the WQC are updated annually to reflect the latest in internet marketing strategies. The WQC is an optional program available only to firms affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and requires re-certification every two years.
“We are pleased to present the WQC to 124 members this year and commend these firms for creating websites that effectively engage today’s home buyers and sellers by providing relevant information in a compelling way, with the perspective only a local firm can offer,” said Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® President/CEO Pam O’Connor.
“We have received this certification since its inception and it just confirms that we continue to be a real estate leader in using “best practices” in website design and internet communications. Our new site was rolled out in the fall. Our website users are experiencing superior results and an excellent customer service experience on our site,” said Mel Foster Co. Lynsey Engels, President Mel Foster Co. Brokerage.
For more information about Mel Foster Co., please visit www.melfosterco.com.
Fick Family announcing their biggest year in company history
Mel Foster Co. held its annual awards reception last night at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa. Lynsey Engels, President Real Estate Brokerage and Marc Engels, President of Mel Foster Insurance presented awards to 122 agents that were recognized for achieving membership in the company’s different sales club levels including Chairman, Executive, President and Honor. Top honors were awarded to:
Thad DenHartog – Commercial Top Sales
Diana Franks – Residential Illinois Top Sales
Geri Doyle – Residential Iowa Top Sales
Joe Ertel – Insurance Top Personal Lines
Mike Smith – Insurance Commercial Top Producer
Mike Kessel – Insurance Top Employee Benefits
Combining all three divisions of Mel Foster Co. Inc., the total sales volume increased by 9.21 percent from 2012, surpassing the total sales of 2005, when the market was at its peak, and making it the biggest year in the history of the 93 year old company. Rob Fick attributed Mel Foster Co.’s success to dedicated staff and agents, who continue to build and maintain relationships within their teams and outside of the company. Fick also attributed the increase as a reflection of a strengthening economy and higher consumer confidence in 2013. “I am very proud of what the company accomplished this year. I know Mel Foster Jr. would be equally proud to see us continuing his vision of forward progress and leadership in this community. We’re starting 2014 with great optimism and a stronger economy than in years past, and I anticipate 2014 to be another year of growth for Mel Foster Co. We were fortunate in 2013 to welcome 39 new agents and staff, and 28 individuals are currently enrolled in our pre-license classes,” commented Fick.
Mel Foster Co.’s residential real estate sales increased by nearly 8 percent from 2012. The average sale price for Mel Foster Co. residential real estate was $148,278, a 1.18 percent increase from last year.
New construction sales are predicted to be strong in 2014. Lynsey Engels said, “We are expecting the real estate market as a whole to continue moving forward, with new home construction heavily influencing home sales volume. We are positioned to meet demand for new construction in our area and are pleased to announce that we will be launching four new subdivisions in 2014 coupled with the four that were launched in 2013. We closed 85 new residential lots last year and will have another 146 lots available in 2014.”
Mel Foster Commercial relocated to the Elmore Office Park in the spring of 2013. Engels reported that agents in the commercial division closed an average of over six million dollars per agent. After having their best year last year since 2005, Mel Foster Commercial still had a one percent increase in sales from the previous year.
Mel Foster Insurance had the biggest year in the history of the company. Marc Engels commented, “We have introduced a lot of new processes throughout the division and our agents and staff have done a great job adapting to the ever-changing insurance markets. Much of our growth can be attributed to our strong carrier representation which has allowed us to secure new business relationships in the Quad City market.” Direct written premiums were up 44.8 percent since 2009 and the insurance division has been able to more than double its employee benefits department. Engels added, “To continue to build each year is a testament to our team’s ability to meet the expectations of our Quad Cities and surrounding area clients.” In 2013, the personal insurance lines department’s sales grew 8.1 percent and the commercial department was up 15.4 percent. Engels also said, “I think individuals and business owners in this market appreciate the consistency, integrity, and professional competence our team brings to the insurance experience.”
Mel Foster Co. invested in multiple technology enhancements in 2013 to help buyers and sellers search for homes more easily. The new website was launched in fall 2013 and a new app was recently rolled out. Internally, agents benefitted from IT upgrades, a more robust intranet site, paperless transactions and enhanced consumer reports with greater details for homebuyers and sellers. Lynsey Engels stated, “We want to make sure that our agents have every tool they need to successfully meet their clients’ needs. We continually invest in technology upgrades and stay current on new features that we can integrate into our systems. With over 90% of people searching for a home online, it’s crucial for our agents to have top of the line technology.”
Mel Foster Co. launched a new, enhanced property search app for iPad, iPhone®, and Android smartphones. The app is free and available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Market.
The new app offers a premium user experience with best-in-class mapping and augmented reality. See large photos, detailed property information on the map and search faster with auto refresh when you select a new location. Users can share properties via text message and email.
The Mel Foster Co. app is the first in the area to feature a homespotter function that Mel Foster Co. calls “Foster Finder.” Foster Finder shows results for Mel Foster and all listing companies.
Foster Finder uses a technology called augmented reality that is coupled with a smartphone or tablet’s GPS and compass to overlay property information on a device’s live camera feed. Simply use your smartphone or tablet to find all homes for sale on the street where you are standing. With a quick tap, a view of the entire street and all homes for sale pop up. There is also a radar display that shows the direction and proximity of nearby properties for sale.
The new app is integrated with the recently redesigned www.melfosterco.com. Saved properties from the smartphone app, tablet app and website are automatically synced so users always have access to their most recently saved properties.
Mel Foster Co. partnered with Mobile Realty Apps, a Minneapolis based company that specializes in real estate applications.
About Mel Foster Co.
Founded in 1921, Mel Foster Co. is a Real Estate Leader of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serving Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island and the surrounding Quad City area, and it is one of Iowa’s largest independently owned real estate companies. The company specializes in residential and commercial sales and offers services in insurance, farm and land sales, land development, relocation, career development, and new construction. Visit their website at www.melfosterco.com for more information.
About Mobile Realty Apps
Founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Mobile Realty Apps specializes in custom mobile apps for the nation’s top real estate brokers and MLSs, featuring apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry, QR codes, text and voice response solutions. Mobile Realty Apps is perhaps best known for its industry-leading HomeSpotter, an augmented reality technology that is a feature of its white-labeled smartphone and tablet apps.
When you prepare your 2013 taxes, you can use your recent home improvements to get energy-efficiency tax credits. In addition to helping you lower your energy bills, energy-efficient products eligible for the new federal tax credits actually lower the amount of federal income taxes that you pay.
Eligible home improvements
Exterior windows including skylights and storm windows
Insulation, exterior doors and roofs
Central air, heat pumps, furnaces, hot water boilers, water heaters, advanced main air circulating fans or biomass stoves
How to claim your credit
Your tax preparer can help determine your credit. There is a cap of $500 for fiscal years 2006-2013 combined. You will need to keep receipts to provide proof of purchase and have a copy of the manufacturer’s certification for the product you purchased. If you file taxes on your own, you will need to file IRS Form 5695 with your taxes.
Bettendorf, IA – Mel Foster’s Color the Quads 5K and Kids Color Dash will be back in 2014 and registration is opening early to give racers plenty of time to sign up and opportunities to save with early entry.
The Color the Quads 5K will take place Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 4:00 p.m., Cumberland Square at 2300 Spruce Hills Drive, Bettendorf, Iowa. The 5K early registration fee is $35 and is available for the first 200 registered participants; $40 for participants 201-500; $45 for participants 501-6,000; and $50 for those numbered 6001 and higher. The registration fee includes race entry, t-shirt, Tri-City Electric Co. after-party admission and swag bag. Registration opens on Friday, December 13 at www.colorthequads.com.
The Eye Surgeons Associates Kids Color Dash cost is $20. This 400-yard dash and one mile fun run is at 11:00 a.m. on May 31, 2014 at the Middle Park Band Shell in Bettendorf. There will be a kids’ after party with food and fun for all the kids participating in the kid’s color dash to enjoy.
Color the Quads is a unique race that allows runners and walkers to get blasted with bursts of color powder on the course. Last year’s Color the Quads sold out with 3,300 racers and the field has been expanded for 2014 to raise more money for local charities.
Mel Foster Co. is the presenting sponsor. The event’s color explosion sponsors include Gomez May LLC, Orthopaedic Specialists, Smart Toyota of Quad Cities, and Vollertsen, Britt & Gorsline P.C. Color Burst sponsors include Active Endeavors, Hawkeye Paving, KISS FM, Pear Advertising, Quad City Times, Radon Solutions, Terrostar Interactive Media, and TMI Total Maintenance Inc. The after party is sponsored by Tri-City Electric Co. and the Kid’s Color Dash is sponsored by Eye Surgeons Associates. The race is still seeking sponsors to help make this race possible.
For more information, to sign up, to volunteer, or to become a sponsor, visit www.colorthequads.com.
Mel Foster Co. launched a new website at www.melfosterco.com that gives users more search options and promotes the communities that Mel Foster Co. serves. Over 90% of buyers search for a home online and the newly developed website offers buyers additional tools to streamline their search and easily pinpoint a desired neighborhood.
Demonstrating its commitment to innovation, Mel Foster Co. is utilizing the latest technology available in the real estate Industry. Potential buyers visiting melfosterco.com have access to a wealth of search tools to find their next home, including Market Watch, a report that shows current prices, listings and trends in any geographic area. Market Watch is a useful tool for those relocating to the Quad Cities and those buying or selling locally who want a snapshot of homes for sale, average list price and new listings within the last 30 days. By merging property, school and community information with statistics, including price changes and time on the market, this new online tool displays an interactive map for the user to customize their geographic area. This map feature is simple and easy to navigate and includes a large amount of data specific to a selected address or neighborhood. In other markets where this technology is utilized, users have shown much higher rates of interactivity and satisfaction when researching their local real estate market, leading to a better buying and selling experience.
Mel Foster Co. continues to offer agent specific websites that inherit the core functionality available on the main company site. Agents can leverage the web tools to assist clients and potential buyers while promoting their professional experiences and unique real estate sales capabilities. The company site, melfosterco.com, is mobile friendly, as are the agent specific websites.
Mel Foster Co. selected Reliance Network, one of the largest suppliers of enterprise-level real estate sites in the country, to program the website and bring the advanced features buyers and sellers expect from a robust website to the Quad City market.
Selling a house sounds easy. Take some pictures, get them on a for sale by owner website and watch the offers come in. The reality is, your home may sit on the market longer and you may price it below market value. These mistakes could cost you thousands of dollars.
Get an agent on your side when you decide to list your house. Agents and FSBO companies have different motivations. Your agent is working hard to sell your home for you and is only compensated once your home is sold. An FSBO website makes money when your home doesn’t sell and you pay for another month of listing.
Only your agent can help you determine a fair selling price based on comparable listings and sales in your neighborhood. This competitive market analysis can give you a realistic sales price. A home that is priced right will sell quickly in most situations. An FSBO site won’t offer specific information to determine how to price your home.
With an FSBO listing, you are responsible for scheduling and facilitating the open houses. It can be frustrating to watch potential buyers enter, then exit, your home in less than five minutes. They won’t stick around long enough to tell you honestly what’s keeping them from choosing your house. But an agent knows how to engage potential buyers in a meaningful dialogue that can reveal buyer concerns that might be keeping your home from selling.
Your agent also has the necessary paperwork for a buyer to make an offer. Selling you house is a transaction of many thousands of dollars. This is not the time to play agent and lawyer for yourself. Be smart when you list your home and use an agent.
An updated kitchen can help you get top dollar from a buyer. This list tells you where to spend your remodel dollars to get the attention of buyers and your best return on investment.
