7 New Year's Pledges for Home Sellers

7 New Year's Pledges for Home Sellers

If you're thinking about selling your home in 2016, here are some resolutions that could help boost your chances of a quick sale.

Repeat to yourself: "I pledge to…"

1. "Avoid drastic design changes" – Unless you plan to turn your bold color palette into a more neutral one, then it's best not to try and anticipate what buyers want in design and décor. The best approach to freshening up your home for sale is to simplify and depersonalize the look and feel so that potential buyers can picture building their own lives there. If you think repainting a bright purple wall, replacing an old toilet or buffing and restaining kitchen cabinets would help the home sell, by all means make these types of updates. Just be sure to keep your personal preferences in check. Your real estate agent can help you prioritize and remain objective.

2. "Stop neglecting the drippy faucet" – This applies to any repairs you might view as minor but actually could be a symptom of a larger system problem. Addressing things like plumbing leaks, poor ventilation and cracks in walls helps everyone avoid surprises from the inspection report and avoid the delay or even cancellation of a sale. When you have the information, you can either make the fixes or work with your agent to adjust pricing during negotiations with the buyer.

3. "Price my home reasonably" – It's understandable to think your home is the best on the block and worth more than all the others – especially if you've invested in key upgrades and remodels. And, frankly, you might be right. But the only way to truly know is to consider recent sales of comparable homes in your area. Your real estate agent can provide you with the latest information and help you list at a competitive price that's appropriate for your area and the local real estate climate.

4. "Make my home inviting" – This starts with creating curb appeal. The condition of your home's exterior is a big part of getting buyers in the door. Maintaining the yard, sweeping the porch and driveway, replacing the tattered welcome mat, replacing missing house numbers, and removing clutter all are things that can help improve curb appeal.

5. "Thin out the clutter" – The best time for making tough decisions about what stays and what goes is BEFORE you put your home on the market. By the time the for-sale sign goes up, the home should be clutter free. You can either toss things you don't want, sell these items, or move the more personal ones to storage. The types of items to remove include your prized knick-knack collection, clothes overflowing from the closets, and family photos. You want all closets and cupboards to appear as spacious as possible. When they're jam-packed, it gives the impression that storage is limited even if that's not the case.

6. "Clean like I've never cleaned before" – Think about under, behind, around and between. It's easy to focus on cleaning the major surfaces, high-traffic areas, and areas that are visible. But what about the dust on top of the refrigerator? How about the slats in the window blinds? Have you cleaned the cabinets under the kitchen or bathroom sink recently? Did you notice the cobwebs behind the guest-room door? Look high and low for the dirt.

7. "Nail down my next step" – Don't let your new plans and new place get lost in the shuffle of selling your old place. Determine where you'll go next before your home goes up for sale. Are you prepared to move if your home sells quickly? Although it might not be typical, a quick sale is certainly possible. On the other hand, are you prepared if your home doesn't sell quite so quickly? Be sure to talk with your real estate agent about your relocation needs and timeline.

Find a local RE/MAX agent who can tell you all about his or her own resolutions for helping you meet your real estate goals.

NEED a FACELIFT?

The kitchen is where the party gathers. Does your kitchen need a facelift?

Quick kitchen upgrades to increase your home's value

When the subject of resale value is raised, the number one room experts recommend improving is the kitchen, followed closely by the bathroom. Kitchens sell homes because they are popular gathering places for the whole family, and because cooks enjoy working in a spacious, attractive environment. Kitchen upgrades can increase your home's value without breaking the bank or requiring months of construction, so it might be time to give your kitchen a new look. 

Paint
The easiest and cheapest kitchen upgrade is a fresh coat of paint. This goes for walls, moldings, and cabinets, depending on your personal aesthetic. Feel free to get creative if you want a unique look for your kitchen. You can use contrasting but complementary colors to create a faux wainscot, for example.

Choose colors that work well with the colors already present in your floors, countertops, and backsplashes, unless you plan to replace them as well. Kitchens usually work well with light, cheerful colors, though that is hardly a rule. The great thing about paint is that it can always be corrected cheaply if it doesn't work the first time around.

Hardware
For some people, paint is too messy and time consuming, and for others, paint alone is not sufficient to qualify as a true kitchen upgrade. To complement the new paint job or to simply give your kitchen an interesting facelift, go shopping for new hardware. Drawer knobs, cabinet handles, faucets, light fixtures, and other small pieces of hardware can make a huge difference in the appearance of your kitchen.

You might hang a pendant lamp over your breakfast table, for example, to highlight that area as a gathering place and to create more visual interest. Recessed lighting in the ceiling or under cabinets can work well, and matching knobs and handles for drawers and cabinets can bring together an otherwise chaotic design.

Appliances
One of the first things buyers look for in new homes is the appliances. If you want to increase your home's value, evaluate the quality and age of your appliances, then replace as necessary. Not only will new appliances update a kitchen and improve functionality, but they can also save money on energy costs because newer models are more energy efficient.

 
Sink
A new sink is another quick kitchen upgrade that can increase resale value and improve the overall look of your kitchen. Sinks take quite a beating over the years, and modern sinks tend to be deeper and more stylish than their older counterparts. Installing a new sink shouldn't take longer than an afternoon, so it's a great weekend project.

Upgrading Your Kitchen
Keep in mind that kitchen upgrades can sometimes get out of hand, so before you head to the hardware store, determine a budget for the project. This will help you keep your expectations and your spending in line, and make the process go much faster.

 Does your kitchen need a facelift?

Source:
DIY Life, Kitchen Remodel Ideas for Every Budget
 By Steve Thompson | Yahoo! Contributor Network

ICE

ICE in Wisconsin, its not all about the weather

Grab your cell phone and program in the most important person to notify in case you are hurt or in an accident. But instead of putting their name with that phone number, put in the following 3 letters: "I.C.E." This stands for "In Case of Emergency".

I have verified this information with several emergency room nurses and ambulance paramedics, even the captain of one of our local fire departments. All reported that once a patient is stabilized, they look in the cell phone for an "I.C.E." entry if that patient is unable to give them a contact person.

The medical personnel can then notify their loved one, let them know there has been an accident and what hospital to come to.

We all like to think it will never happen to us, but the truth is, it does happen. So get your cell phone out right now and program in your "I.C.E.". If your kids have cell phones, do the same for them.

Speaking of "life saver's", if your outgrowing your current home, downsizing, or getting ready to buy your first home, don't forget to call me! Lisa Bear,Real Estate in Wisconsin

Insider Secrets

Insider Secrets To An Optimal Credit Score

Yesterday we explained  the Basics of CREDIT scoring.  As a continuation, today we will address how you should prepare to apply for credit (like a home mortgage) understand that it is significantly better to have your best possible credit profile BEFORE applying. Working to improve your score during the mortgage process can be done, but there are two problems. One, time to clear up items can become an obstacle when compared the time you are anticipating a closing. And two, lower scores upfront can give an underwriter an additional reason to be uncomfortable with a file. “Sooner, rather than later” should be the mantra of credit score improvements. Here are some tested ways to do it:

Credit Cards – Revolving Debt proportions

Look on the credit report for revolving debt (not installment loans, or “open” accounts)

As a general rule of thumb, the balance should be no more than 30% of the credit limit. So, if it’s more than that, have you should make every attempt to pay it down.

If there are many revolving accounts with high balances, you will most probably need to pay down most or all of them for the best score.

If there is nothing derogatory on the credit report, just high balances on revolving debt, you can often improve the score significantly. But, if there are many derogatory items on the credit report, paying down revolving debt may not help the score very much.

Many lender have software programs that can quickly determining for you which (if any) revolving accounts need to be paid down, and to what balance.

Collections/Judgments:

Paying off or satisfying such a derogatory account does not normally improve the score because the derogatory account still exists, and so still hurts the score. In fact, paying off an old collection may even make the score drop.

However, for collections, the borrower can ask for the account to be completely removed or deleted. If you have not yet paid the collection, you can use that as a bargaining chip.

If there are many collection accounts, removing just 1 or 2 may not do much good. You always need to look at the overall credit picture.

Charge-off accounts behave a little differently than collections. You can sometimes gain points by paying those off.

Your lender likely has a What-if Simulator to experimentally see what affect removing an account has on the score.

Late Dates

When you look at the overall credit report and you see LOTS of late dates, especially ones from within the last year, there is not much you can do to help the score…those lates simply need to drift into the past.

However, if you just see 1 recent late date on 1 account, and just 1 other recent late date on another account, you should call those creditors and ask…beg…for those single late dates to be removed as a courtesy. It may also be that the late dates were a mistake, but don’t push the creditor to admit to making an error. Just ask them to remove it as a courtesy since you have an otherwise perfect payment history with that creditor.

Your lender can use the What-if-Simulator to experimentally see what affect removing a late date has on the score.

Authorized User Accounts-removing or adding

Piggybacking on someone else’s account can help or hurt your score.

If that account has recent late dates, you can most probably improve the score by having the actual account holder remove you as a user.

If the account is a revolving credit card and it’s “maxed out,” you might also improve the score by removing it, but only if you will still have other revolving credit cards on your report.

What about adding someone as an authorized user to a credit card? This may help, but the better course of action is to get the actual card holder to make it a joint account with you. This guarantees that the account will show up on the credit report within a month or two. But be careful…the account should have a lot of history, no late dates, high credit limit, and low balance.

Other things to help

Keep old revolving credit cards open…don’t close them.

Regularly check your credit report to catch errors early. You get a free one each year from each bureau. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com. Don’t do all 3 bureaus at the same time…space it out throughout the year.

Learn more about credit from websites like www.myfico.com and to get addresses to write the bureaus.

Compliments of KCM Blog

Its getting Chilly!

Car Maintenance Tips for Cold Weather

The sight of your white breath just after leaving your house is usually a good sign to head back inside and grab a hat to protect yourself from the cold. Similarly, when cold weather hits and you start seeing harmless, steamy, white exhaust from your car, it’s usually a good sign that you should protect your car from the cold. 

Follow these tips and winter driving will be a little easier.

1. Routine Maintenance - For winter, it’s important to ensure your vehicle’s battery and charging system are in good operating condition. In cold weather, a battery’s cranking power is reduced significantly. At the same time, the electrical power needed to start your car increases when the temperature plunges. Having quality jumper cables or a portable power pack in your trunk is a superb way to prepare for the worst. At the same time, check to make sure your heater and defroster work. Finally, check your wiper blades.

2. Lubrication - To ease engine startup during cold weather, use a multi-viscosity oil such as Mobil 1 0W-30 or Mobil 1 5W-30, which will help protect your car at temperatures below zero. Low-viscosity oils not only speed startup, but help reduce wear by flowing oil quickly to critical engine parts. Fully synthetic oils, such as Mobil 1, are specifically designed to protect your engine in all temperatures.

3. Filters, Coolant and Hoses - Make sure all filters — oil, gas and air — are in good condition. Check your coolant level and thermostat functionality to ensure proper engine warmup. Coolant should be changed every two years; extended-life coolants last about five years. Check for leaking or soft hoses and replace. Also, be sure to check the radiator or coolant tank pressure cap.

4. Tire Pressure - Examine your tires, checking for excessive wear and proper inflation. Good tread is needed to stay safe on snow and ice. Additionally, both under-inflation and over-inflation are undesirable. Low pressure increases wear and fuel consumption, while over-pressure can reduce traction, especially in icy conditions. If you live in an area with heavy snowfall, consider snow tires.

5. Vehicle Warmup - You should allow your car to idle for a few seconds to make sure the lubrication is circulated throughout the engine, providing protection. It’s not necessary to idle for a long time, as that simply wastes fuel and offers no more protection than a few seconds of idling will. Nonetheless, drive easily at first.

6. Slow Down - With less than ideal winter driving conditions, slow down. Do not exceed speed limits and keep safe driving distances. Avoid gas-wasting jackrabbit starts and pace your driving to help avoid the need for sudden stops, which is especially critical during wet and icy road conditions.

7. Dealing with ice - Make sure you have window ice scrapers and de-icers for the locks. When you’re stuck, having a small shovel is useful to dig out of the snow. The weight of a bag of sand in the trunk will give added traction in rear-wheel drive vehicles and can be used to sprinkle on the snow and ice to gain better traction. And don’t forget personal protection such as a warm coat, hat and gloves, and a blanket, in case you get stuck in a storm.

8. Keep Fuel in the Tank - Never let the fuel tank drop below the half-full mark. A sudden storm with unexpected heavy snowfall could leave you stranded for hours. Having an adequate fuel supply will allow you to idle the engine from time to time to keep warm.

 “Take care of you car in the cold and it will keep you from being left out in the cold.”