savanna real estate agents – Page 4

Make Your Perfect Man Cave

Posted on September 30, 2016

Entertaining? — Perfect for Entertaining

A man cave should be a place for a stay at home vacation. It’s an exciting project to begin, here are ideas to help start creating your own personal paradise.

Personalize with Your Preferences

Your man cave is a reflection of yourself. Your hobbies and interests should be represented and on display for everyone to see. Adding jerseys from your favorite athletes, LED signs from your favorite drink and collectible posters gives you an idea of how the room will look and present possible themes to match your personality.

Choose a Theme

Don’t have wood paneling on the walls with modern furniture as decoration. Keeping the theme consistent is important. Deciding early on if you want a rustic cabin, a sports shrine or classic retro look will make buying furniture and decorations a breeze. Use decorations you currently have as a starting point for what theme to choose.

Keep a Fully Stocked Bar

If you have the space, adding a bar is an amazing addition to any man cave. Stylize and stock the bar as if you were open for business. Being able to accommodate any order for friends and family will make your bar even more impressive, even if you have to Google the recipe.

Include an Entertainment Center

Another must have for your man cave is a fully equipped entertainment center. Pick out a TV, add surround sound speakers and you have a private movie theatre. If you’re tight on space, mount the TV on the wall. Include sufficient seating as well, you don’t want people standing in front of the TV during the big game.

Add a Game to Play

Including a pool, foosball, or ping pong table adds an exciting feature to your room. Maybe you have a favorite arcade or pinball machine you played when you were younger. Anything you enjoy playing is a perfect novelty item to complete your cave. Even something as easy to install as a dart board is a great way to spend time with friends and get the party started.

How to Sell Your Home, Fast.

Posted on September 14, 2016

Selling your home quickly can be difficult, unless you follow Mel Foster Co.’s five tips for getting off the market quickly.

Price it Competitively from the Beginning

Your home listing receives the most attention during the first 30 days it’s on the market. Don’t set yourself up for failure by overestimating your home’s value. Online comparisons make it easier than ever to determine an accurate value of houses, so make your house stand out by pricing correctly the first time it’s listed. Your Mel Foster Co. agent can help you determine your listing price.

Advertise Immediately

Half the battle is letting everyone know your home is for sale. Your Mel Foster Co. agent will develop a custom advertising plan for you that includes adding your home to the MLS and letting other agents know it’s now on the market.

Showcase the House Online Properly

Over 90% homebuyers start the search for a new property online and the number one way to gain their attention is through high quality photographs. You need something better than awkwardly lit rooms with photos from an outdated camera. Using a professional photographer is the easiest way to get the best photos for your listing. Talk to you Mel Foster agent to help your home stand out among the competition.

Depersonalize Before Listing

Remove family photos, personal art, and collectible items from your home before showing off to buyers. Don’t take it personally, but buyers don’t want to see your life on display. They want to imagine themselves in the house, and your personal accessories make this difficult. Removing these items also has an added bonus of making the home look less cluttered and clean.

Sweeten the Deal

If you’re really in a hurry to get out of your home, offering to pay a portion of closing costs will attract buyers. Consider a shorter closing time so buyers can move in quickly after deciding they want to purchase your home. If you have a large yard and a riding lawn mower, include the mower during negotiations. There are numerous ways to generate additional interest, and asking your agent for ideas will help you find different options to expedite the sale.

Planning for Your Baby

Posted on August 31, 2016

There are many things to worry about when a baby is on the way, but getting your nursery together shouldn’t be one of them. Here are a few tips to help you have a perfect nursery for your newborn.

Plan Ahead

The most important thing to do is to start with a plan. It’s very easy to get caught up in picking out cribs, toys and diapers, but you don’t want to find out later the curtains you love won’t match the paint you picked out. Be sure to get exact measurements to know how much space you have to work with. Starting with an overall plan will prevent future headaches.

Function over Fashion

Appearances aren’t everything when picking out furniture, paint and decorations. Don’t forget the nursery serves specific functions. You need to be able to change diapers, feed and calm the baby while remaining comfortable. Make sure the beautiful rocking chair you picked out is comfortable for extended periods of time, or the changing table, which fits perfectly with the room, also provides ample storage. You’ll end up kicking yourself if the investments you made aren’t practical.

Create a Calming Environment

You’ll be spending quite a few hours in the nursery, so be sure to create a comfortable environment. Natural colors and adjustable lighting are ideal to create a soothing environment for both you and the baby. If you plan to add fun colors and accessories, consult the color wheel and pick complimentary colors. This allows you to create a personal nursery, while remaining universally appealing if you decide to sell your home.

Be Creative with Storage

A nursery can never have too much storage. Diapers, wipes, blankets, clothing and medication need to be easily accessible. Adding shelves or stacking cubbies provides vertical storage to maintain more organization with less space. You’ll thank yourself when you easily diapers and spare clothes in the middle of the night.

Planning ahead to create the perfect nursery allows you to devote more time to caring for your baby. Your little one won’t be little forever, so enjoy being with them during this exciting time.

Mel Foster Co. Donates School Supplies.

Posted on August 16, 2016

Mel Foster Co. is donating 45,000 pencils to children in kindergarten through 8^th grades, enrolled in Quad City schools and in the surrounding districts. The donation helps ensure young students start the school year with one new item from their school supply list.

Lynsey Engels, President, Real Estate Brokerage for Mel Foster Co. feels passionately about supporting the community, and is especially dedicated to causes that help youth. “Back to school time was always exciting for me and my siblings as children. As adults and parents now, we realize how important it is for a child’s self esteem to be high, especially as they enter a new grade or even a new school after a move. We also know the burden of school supplies can have on families and teachers so that’s why the pre-sharpened pencils were a must. By giving school supplies, Mel Foster Co. helps to give that little boost that comes with having something new at back to school time.”

Pencils will be delivered to schools the week of 15 August.

“On behalf of the Davenport Community Schools and the Quad Cities First Day School Supply Drive, we are grateful for our newest partnership with Mel Foster Co. Our students always need pencils and this donation will help fill an important, basic need. A strong public education system is important to our quality of life and we appreciate your support for our students,” said Dawn Saul, Communications/Media Relations for Davenport Community School District.

Must Haves for Basement Finishing

Posted on August 15, 2016

If you’re planning on finishing your basement to raise your resale value, read these tips to make smart improvements that attract buyers.

Keep it Dry

Protect your improvements from water. Before you start any basement renovations, make sure potential leaks are stopped. You don’t want your time, money and effort to be wasted due to water damage.

Add a Vapor Barrier

Even after patching up any leaks, your basement can still feel or smell damp, which is a turn off to potential buyers. Adding a vapor barrier to the walls and floors before finishing will help your basement show well. You can check the barriers after a day or two to see if moisture is gathering. If there is significant moisture, you may need to add additional barriers.

Add the Proper Insulation

Insulation doesn’t only help control the temperature, it can also add another layer of moisture protection. Choose an insulation that has a vapor barrier on both sides for added protection.

Finish with Drop Ceilings

Drop ceilings are an easy way to conceal any plumbing or electrical lines without any major construction. If something does go wrong while renovating the basement, it’s easy to remove tiles to access the pipes and wiring. Keep in mind drop ceilings reduce the amount of overhead space.

Install Recessed Lighting

Recessed lighting is a fabulous idea for any basement. It fits perfectly into drop ceilings while providing minimal and easily concealable wiring. It also provides invaluable amounts of space that hanging light fixtures would otherwise take up.

Avoid these Mistakes When Buying a Home

Posted on August 1, 2016

Buying a home isn’t always easy, especially for first time buyers. Knowing the more common mistakes will cut down on stress during the process.

Not Seeking Professional Guidance

Starting the home buying process alone isn’t a good idea, especially if it’s your first time buying. Hiring an agent is a smart choice to help with the home search, negotiations, finances and closing. Agents are an incredibly valuable asset for any home buying situation.

Missing Hidden Costs

Property insurance, taxes, maintenance and utilities are costs often forgotten during the excitement of buying a new home. Keep in mind these costs generally increase every year. Even if you can afford it now, ask yourself if you can afford it in the future.

Skipping the Loan Preapproval Process

Being preapproved for a mortgage helps narrow your home search by directing you to homes within your budget. Talking to someone in advance will help set realistic expectations, and offer peace of mind knowing what homes will fit your budget appropriately.

Depleting your Savings

It may seem as though you have the perfect amount of money in your savings to buy your home and move in, but if you’re emptying that account to buy a home, it means the home is too expensive. Ideally you’ll have saved enough money to buy your home, move and cover expenses for six months without pay. This is a safety net if you lose your job, so don’t blow all of your money on a home you can’t afford.

Making Large Purchases after Closing

Celebrate buying a home with major purchases before closing may seem exciting, but lenders check credit scores to be sure your financial situation hasn’t changed. Putting new furniture or appliances on a credit card before your closing date may negatively affect your credit score. And adding new loans may jeopardize the original mortgage you were hoping to receive. Don’t learn this lesson the hard way and have this mistake cost you the home you were counting on.

MEL FOSTER CO. AGENTS RANKED AMERICA’S BEST

Posted on July 16, 2016

Mel Foster Agents Named America's Best — Mel Foster Agents Named America’s Best

Mel Foster Co, is pleased to announce that several of their agents have been named as one of America’s most productive agents as a part of REAL Trends America’s Best Real Estate Agents, the ranking report produced by REAL Trends and sponsored by Zillow Group.

REAL Trends America’s Best Real Estate Agents ranks over 12,000 residential real estate agents solely based on their excellence in real estate sales during calendar year 2015. To be included in the ranking, agents must have closed at least 50 transactions, compared with the industry average of seven, or $20 million in closed sales volume. This ensures that only the best of the best are included on the prestigious list.

The rankings are complied based on survey from virtually every national branded network, many state and local associations of Realtors®, multiple listing services, all applicant from past years’ rankings, and the 1,600 largest brokerage firms in the United States. Verification from an independent source is required for all submissions.

The real estate agents are ranked in two categories:

Individual agent – Sales volume
Individual agent – Transaction sides (in each real estate transaction there are two sides that can be represented by a real estate agent; the buy side and the selling side)

For Individuals by Volume, in Iowa, three Mel Foster Co. agents ranked in the top ten:

Brad Boeye, Kimberly Road office, ranked #2
Geri Doyle, Davenport I-74 office, ranked #3
Lucky Lang, Davenport I-74 office, ranked #7

For Individuals by Sides, in Iowa, eight Mel Foster agents ranked out of 104:

Lucky Lang, Davenport I-74 office, ranked #3
Brad Boeye, Davenport Kimberly Road office, ranked #10
Geri Doyle, Davenport Kimberly Road office, ranked #31
Scott Kelling, Davenport I-74 office, ranked #44
Mary Leslie Douglas, Clinton office, ranked #63
Norm Marcov, Davenport I-74 office, ranked #88,
Dan Schneckloth, Davenport I-74 office, ranked #94
Rick Schwanz, Davenport I-74 office, ranked #97

For individuals by Sides, in Illinois, four Mel Foster Co. agents ranked out of 276:

Diana Franks, Geneseo office, ranked #65
Jackie Turner, Galesburg office, ranked #222
Debbie Wright, Kewanee office, ranked #235
Peggy Tossell, Kewanee office, ranked #250

“With today’s release of the 2016 America’s Best Real Estate Agents list, an elite group of real estate agents across the country are receiving well-deserved recognition. These sales associates are far above average and have built enormously successful small businesses in an extremely competitive field,” said Steve Murray, president of REAL Trends.

“We are thrilled to have our agents be a part of this highly successful real estate group, which shows how hard these agents have worked, their dedication to the industry and their business,” said Lynsey Engels, Mel Foster Co.’s President Real Estate Brokerage.

MEL FOSTER CO. LAUNCHES NEW HOME SEARCH PLATFORM

Posted on July 8, 2016

Continuing its commitment to digital innovation, Mel Foster Co. launched its new search interface for desktop, providing homebuyers with more intuitive features. The new design is fully responsive, making the new features functional across desktop, tables and mobile devices.

The new www.mMelfosterco.com search offers intuitive features such as a polygon tool, to more closely define the location. Users can custom draw search zone to pinpoint the desired neighborhood or city and toggle back and forth between three different views. The first view, search by full map view, makes it easy to identify active listings in green and pending listing in yellow. Search by full gallery view displays the listings with large thumbnail photos and then map and gallery split views are the other two view options.

View every listing detail with one fast click back to search. The meticulously designed detail page opens as an overly with stunning property images and full listing information. Photos are now ‘swipe-enabled’ for viewing on tablets and mobile devices making it easier to navigate the photo gallery. The site also allows users to flow freely between a desktop, tablet or a mobile device with a GPS search for on-the-go users. This feature saves your search information across all of your devices, enabling you to pick up where you left off on a search on another device.

Mel Foster Co. continues to offer customized websites for all agents. These agent specific websites now includes the new search interface with the same upgrades as the company’s website, www.melfosterco.com. The agent websites are also fully responsive across desktop, tablet and mobile devices. A full CRM system is included to provide agents and offices with the tools they need for success.

Update Your Kitchen under Budget

Posted on July 8, 2016

Updating parts of your kitchen while staying under budget will be a breeze as long as you follow Mel Foster Co.’s simple guide.

Update the Hardware

If your kitchen seems to be a little dated, consider updating the hardware. Drawer knobs, handles and towel racks are inexpensive changes to make your kitchen feel fresh. It’s a great way to have a new looking kitchen without the new kitchen price.

Replace the Faucet

Add a more modern faucet to the sink as a way to create a focal point in your kitchen. Try to have it match your hardware in color, but be different enough to stand out and be interesting. There are a multitude of modern faucets available, so you’re sure to find one you love.

Install a Ceiling Fan

Ceiling fans add a soothing constant motion in the kitchen. If you have high ceilings, a ceiling fan is the perfect way to make the kitchen a more relaxing room. As an added bonus, it will help keep the room cool and in some cases cut your summer cooling costs.

Get Creative

Not every change needs to be dramatic. Sometimes something as easy as new towels can give your kitchen a fresh look. Consider replacing worn out items like chairs, dishes or even the paint on your cabinets. Small changes will add up quickly and make your kitchen look brand new.

Mel Foster Co.’s Color The Quads Raises $70,500 For Local Charities

Posted on July 6, 2016

Color the Quads Presents to Charities

Mel Foster Co.’s Color the Quads raised $70,500 for local charities during its fourth and final colorful run on May 21 in Bettendorf, Iowa. Over 1,300 5K participants, 200 children racers, sponsors and volunteers contributed to the cause. One hundred percent of the proceeds from Color the Quads were distributed to local charities. Jordan’s Joy, NAMI – Greater Mississippi Valley and YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln and Youth Solutions received $23,500 each.

Jordan’s Joy board member, Michelle McMullen said, “Thank you all for the incredible experience! Because of Mel Foster’s hard work and determination, the Quad City community has come together once again to help kids and their families in our area. Jordan’s Joy was honored and humbled to be such a special part of it.”

“This was a fantastic opportunity to get the word out about education resources for families living with a serious mental health condition. We are grateful to those persons who voted with their feet to support NAMI,” said Angela Gallagher, executive director, National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Mississippi Valley.

“Mel Foster and Color the Quads have done more than just provide a fun and healthy family event for our community,” said Scott County Family Y CEO Brad Martell. “Because the proceeds benefit YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln and the Solutions Outreach program, hundreds of students and their families will be supported and encouraged to be the next generation of leaders for our community! The effects will impact all of us for years to come!”

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 Co., American Bank & Trust, Active Endeavors, Perl Mortgage, University of Iowa Community Credit Union, Vollertsen, Britt & Gorsline P.C., Alcoa, Build To Suit, Enviromark, Gomez May Law, Hawkeye Paving Corp., Hy-Vee, KWQC, Mickle Communications, Pear Advertising, Pella Windows & Doors, Quad-City Times, Radon Solutions, Terrostar Interactive Media, TMI – Total Maintenance Inc., Twin Rivers Bank & Trust Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., and Victorystore.com.

“We were amazed once again by the generous support of our sponsors and this community. By raising $254,854 for local charities over Color the Quads’ four-year run, we know we’ve made a positive impact in our community, to strengthen families and support youth. It was a privilege to lead this project during its successful run and we are so proud of what was collectively achieved,” said Lynsey Engels, President, Real Estate Brokerage for Mel Foster Co.