Real Estate Tips Brought To You By Sally Morris
Which houses in your neighborhood sold the fastest? Most likely, it was the house with the great curb appeal.
It is an illusive quality, this magnetic attraction that us humans have to certain houses. If you are trying to sell (especially in a slow market), you need some of this magnetism. So, how can you get some for your house?
A few basic ideas are below. Most people want to buy a house that they can be proud of. They want their friends and family to praise their good taste. The fastest way to sell anything is to give people what they want. So, if buyers want curb appeal, here's where you start.
One of the easiest things is basic yard clean-up. Mow the lawn, rake the leaves and pull the weeds. In general, make everything neat. Then look at your mature plants from a fresh point of view. Do they block the view of the house from the street? Have they outgrown their space? Is the shape really right for their location? With this new point of view, give the front yard bushes crisp, clean lines. Cut back plants that have expanded beyond their allocated area. But be careful not to trim back so much that they are woody instead of green. If there are any tree limbs that get close to the building, cut them back. A clearance of 18" or so is adequate.
Repaint your front door an outstanding color. That doesn't necessarily mean a bright color. My favorite colors are light in tone. A front door that is white shows up from the street better that a dark one. If your door is a wood finish, make sure that it is not cracking or peeling. Re-finish if need be.
If you have one of the black wrought iron security doors and you live in a low crime neighborhood, consider removing it. Fill the screw holes and repaint the trim.
Security doors cause buyers to questions the safety of the area. You want them in love with your house, not afraid.
New house numbers can make a big impact. In a metal that matches other exterior details, they act like jewelry on the front of the house. Just make sure that you install them straight.
Add simple white blinds/shades to the windows in the front of the house. This gives the house continuity. You have all seen the house with different brightly colored blinds in each window. It might work with the interiors but it creates a mish-mash from the street.
Now that we have the exterior neat and fresh, look to see if it is boring. If you can't tell, ask a friend or neighbor for their honest opinion. You may need to do one simple thing or a combo of things to give the house pizzazz. While there are many, many projects that will provide that sparkle, most folks don't know what to do first. In a slow market, a house without sparkle will not attract the attention it needs to sell.
Curb appeal creates that volume of interest.
When have you done enough? How do you know the house has curb appeal? Go outside and look at your house from the street. If you say to yourself "It looks so good, do we really want to sell?". Then you have curb appeal.
Sally Morris Selling Your Real Estate
How Your Job Affects Your Ability To Get A Mortage
Unless you are one of the fortunate few, you are going to need financing to buy a home.
One of the things that is looked at closely by lenders is your employment. When you are ready to buy your first home or move up to a bigger, better property, you need to consider your financing options. While many things go into finding the best loan, most people are first concerned about actually being approved for a loan. One of the factors that is critical when an underwriter analyzes your loan application is your employment status. Mortgages are all about risk in the eyes of a lender. Your employment status is a huge factor in evaluating that risk.
When we talk about employment, we are going to focus on the three most common categories.
The first is the salaried employee who receives the same earnings each month. 
The second is the self-employed person who owns their own business and has fluctuating revenues.
The third is the commissioned person, a salesperson, who also receives fluctuating revenues based on their production each month.
Salaried employees are the simplest for lenders to evaluate. The annual earnings of this person are a set figure. Lenders are very comfortable with this designation because they can accurately predict the money you have coming in relation to debts and so on. In general, lenders are looking for stability in employment with a two-year history. If you have changed your job, make sure to explain why and try to stay in the same general profession.
Self-employed individuals are in a bit more of a bind when it comes to mortgages. If you are in this designation, you tend to show a range of earnings versus a steady amount each month. Moreover, you also tend deduct just about everything you can to limit taxes. This can cause problems when you apply for a loan because your reported income is low. If you are self-employed, lenders are going to want to see tax returns, bank account statements and other financial documents for the last two years. If at all possible, do not switch your business effort to a new line of work during this two-year period as the lender will consider it a brand new business and raise its risk assessment.
Commissioned employees are more and more common these days as corporate culture changes. If you fall in this designation, the good news is lenders are much more comfortable with commission earnings these days. As with self-employed individuals, however, it is important that you do not change your job in the two years prior to applying for the loan. Lenders will view such a change negatively, because they will consider your new position independently from the old one. This makes you a riskier proposition in their eyes.
If you are planning on buying a home in the next few years, stability is very important. While there are exceptions to every rule, your best course of action is to stay the course with employment before apply for a loan. You can always make changes after being approved.
Important Things To Know Before Buying A Home
Are you going through all those anxiety pangs that one normally gets while mulling over the decision of buying a home? Homebuyers are an anxious lot, eager for useful real estate information. It pays to get yourself acquainted with the steps involved in the purchase of a home.
Here’s a list of important things to know before buying a home.
1. The first step is to find out how much you can afford or qualify for.
Check your credit report to know your credit worthiness. Clear up problems if any before going to a lender. A good credit rating will result in you receiving lower interest rates.
2. Get pre-approved for a mortgage from a mortgage broker or lender, with a commitment to fund your mortgage in writing.Look out for frequent payment options and prepayment options, which would help knock off some years from your mortgage. And finally, settle for comfortable monthly payments. Once pre-approved for a loan, you will know your price range to begin shopping for real estate.3. You should buy the real estate that is right for you. Make a wish list of all the specifications you want in your home. Prioritize them based on your wants and needs. Then mark out those aspects that you are willing to compromise on, in case you need to.
4. Get a good, reputable Real Estate Agent to assist you in locating a property in a desirable location.Your Real Estate Agent will know where to help you look for properties, while keeping your preferences and price range in mind.
5. Once your agent provides you with a list of properties that are affordable, you can drive by to check the neighborhood. Look for a house in a location that has good potential for future appreciation. Consider factors like safety, school districts, freeway access, recreational options, work commute time, shopping facilities etc.
6. Check out a sufficient amount of real estate until you develop a sense of comparative value of each neighborhood.Your real estate agent can help you with the valuation.Visiting the localities at different points in time during the day is ideal. This will help narrow down the list. You might want to check during the morning commute, or after dark to verify that the neighborhood suits you.
7. When you have found a house of your choice, compare its price with other houses in the area.
Get your real estate agent to assess the value of the home.If all looks good, write an offer!
8. Lastly, consult your real estate agent to be sure that you obtain any professional inspections necessary to answer any questions you may have about the property.Some concerns may include: the condition of the roof, foundation, walls, plumbing, electrical, windows, etc.
Other concerns may be: Is the property in a flood zone, or wildfire area. Are there any easements on the property, etc.Your professional Real Estate Agent will assist you in answering these and other questions you may have prior to closing escrow on a property.
Uncluttering Your Garage
Are you completely frustrated with your garage? Does your car sit in the driveway because there is no room for it because of all the clutter? Garage storage systems are the answer to your organizational nightmare.
Your first step in solving this problem is to remove everything from your garage, preferably on a nice day. Put all that clutter in the backyard or the driveway. If you are lucky, people might think you are having a yard sale and start offering you money for some of your junk! Once the garage is empty, you can give it a good cleaning including a power washer for the floor. After that job is complete, you can begin installing the garage storage systems. Any items that you do not have a use for are either donated to charity, thrown in the garbage or sold at a yard sale. 
Garage storage systems can come in many different forms. One such form is an extruded PVC slat wall panels. These panels are extremely strong and are easy to install. They are also easy to clean and they come in six different colors at this time, thus, there is no need to paint. Other storage accessories include overhead racks and storage systems that allow items to hang from your garage ceiling and are thus kept out of the way. Practically anything that sits in your garage can be hung up out of the way.
Garage storage systems are a cost effective way to clean up your garage. You may find that you have more space than you originally thought. The storage areas can be divided into compartments in several different areas such as overhead storage, sports equipment section, holiday supplies and workshop or tools area. Other designated sections could include firewood, vehicle supplies, lawn and garden supplies, pet supplies and garbage and recycling areas. Some people may have more or less areas needed for organizing their
garage items. 
Wall cabinets are great garage storage systems as well. They are good for storing smaller items. However, many people find that the overhead racks storage is best for keeping a neat and tidy garage. Use storage bins with a label of everything that is inside the bin. This helps in locating items later on. If you would prefer another option to storing things in your garage then there is always a pulley system. It allows for the storage of larger items such as a canoe, kayak, truck topper or even a wheelbarrow much easier. Another option that is to use hooks. These are placed on a sidewall and are excellent for hanging bicycles, garden tools and other items.
Garage storage systems are the perfect way for a cluttered garage to regain its original use, that of storing your car. Take a run out to your local home center or do some research on the internet to give you an idea as to what is available in this area of home storage. Whether you choose an overhead system or a wall mounted system, you will be glad you did.
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By Tom Hauser