Happy Thanksgiving!

From my family to yours, I wish you a day of relaxation, family, friends, and of course, pumpkin pie!

For you Protection - Get an Inspection!

Reading through some real estate articles, I ran across one on home inspections.  This is a topic I cover with my buyers a lot, and one where there is often some misconception.  Feeling inspired, I sat down to write out some of my advice.  

1.  Check your inspectors credentials!  The first thing that surprised me about home inspections is that Ohio is one of the only states that doesn't have a test to call yourself a home inspector!  Technically, I could hang a sign on my door and start charging people for home inspections.  I have heard horror stories from other agents of buyers who tried to save a few bucks, hired their good old Uncle Larry to do the inspection and had a horrible experience.  

Luckily, there is an association called ASHI that helps home buyers and sellers to find a responsible home inspector.  ASHI is a professional organization for home inspectors.  They have a code of ethics and standards for inspection.  Finding an ASHI certified inspector is easy, just ask your Realtor, or check their website.

2.  Do a "pre-inspection" with a trusted friend or relative - I don't think I have had a buyer yet that hasn't had an Uncle Gary, Brother Jimmy, or my friend/relative who does construction.  My best advice to my buyers is to bring that person to your second showing!  They can often spot some concerns before you even make a purchase.  It isn't an official inspection, but it might give you some points to think about before you make an offer, or at least some talking points with your home inspector.

3.  Attend your home inspection - Obviously this is not always possible, especially if you are buying from out of state, but make all efforts to attend your home inspection.  When you get the report, there will be many terms that are unfamiliar, but when you are following your inspector around, they often will explain things in plain English.  

4.  Take notes and ask questions! - That is what your inspector is there for.  My very first home inspection I attended was with an inspector who reminded me of my Grandpa.  Not only did he complete the entire thing taking notes by hand, he treated my clients like they were his own kids.  He told them his advice for basic home maintenance, things he would change to improve airflow, etc, and pointed out all the features of their new home.  This was exactly what my first time homebuyers needed.  It was great, and gave me high expectations for future inspectors!  

5.  Understand that your seller doesn't have to fix a thing - All occupied homes are bought in used condition.  Understand when you buy your home that you are also buying any problems that home has developed over the years.  Now, this doesn't mean that if you discover a major issue with something that you don't have some bargaining room.  By all means, work with your realtor to come up with a solution.  A seller could choose to fix the problems themselves, reduce the purchase price to help cover repairs, or to do nothing.  It is up to you as a buyer what you want to do from there.  

I always advise my buyers to get an inspection and I have attended almost every one.  I learn something new every time!  One last thing that I would recommend though, speaks to sellers.  If you have concerns about your house, get an inspection before you list your house!  Sound crazy?  Better to be prepared!  If you don't know that your roof is bad, the foundation is cracked and you have an outdated electric panel, you will be in for a big shock when your buyer's home inspector finds it.  If you can fix your house ahead of time, it might be cheaper in the long run, and it won't lead to a nasty surprise after you have found the buyers and started packing your house up to move.

Get an inspection!  Happy House Hunting!  

  

  

5 Reasons to Sell Before Spring

If you have ever sold a house, or talked to anyone who was, it is common to hear people say, "Oh, we want to sell it, but we want to wait until Spring."  Makes sense, right?  There are typically more buyers looking in the Spring and the Summer, you don't have to worry about showings over the holidays or over the winter months.  It is considered prime time for real estate.  

There are many reasons though, that it might be better to list it now.  By Spring, you can be in your new home planting flowers and enjoying that beautiful new deck.

Here are five reasons not to wait!



1.  The buyers that are out are serious.  During the summer, when open houses are common, and people like to imagine moving, you get a lot of lookers.  People might even be working with an agent to find a home, but they really aren't serious about it.  In the late Fall and through the winter, the buyers that are out are serious.  They are looking to buy and usually have a compelling reason to move.  Who really wants to look at houses when it is 20 degrees out in Northeast Ohio?  Serious buyers!

2.  There is less competition.  As you are thinking "let's wait until Spring" so are other sellers.  In the market we talk about low inventory, what that means is that there are less homes on the market competing with yours.  If you wait, you could face more competition with those other Spring listers, and lose out on some of those serious buyers.

3.  The process can be quicker.  In the beginning of the year, the banks were flooded with new home sales and refinances.  Time between contract and closing could be long because of bank delays.  Right now, most of the lenders I have talked to are eager for new business.  An eager lender is one who will call the buyers back, and prioritize your sale!

4.  If you are moving up, take advantage of this time!  Prices are rising, and expected to continue to rise over the next few years.  If you are a "move up" buyer, now is the time to take advantage of the prices now before they go up.  Also, think of the sellers who are on the market (like you should be).  They are probably eager for a sale as well.  If you are looking to purchase another home after you sell yours, now is the time to buy.  With less buyers flooding the market, there is less competition for the home of your dreams!

5.  Stop putting your life on hold - When my husband and I first listed our condo, it was when the market had taken a nosedive.  We pulled it off over the holidays, and relisted later on.  The second time we listed, we decided that was it.  We didn't want to put the big changes we wanted on hold, just because a showing might be inconvenient over the holidays.  As it turned out, the way our house sold, we moved in to the house of our dreams right after Thanksgiving, and we had Christmas in our new house.  It was perfect.

I will throw in one bonus here.  You have probably heard the advice about depersonalizing your home when you are trying to sell.  This is probably good advice concerning large number of family photos, knick knacks, and other clutter.  But in the winter, it is different.  I don't know about you, but my house never looks prettier than around the holidays.  Think of how a buyer might feel walking in and seeing your perfect holiday set up.  It looks like a home, not just a house, and to some buyers, that might be all it takes.

So, just to reiterate my point, don't be afraid of selling in the winter!  If I can help you or anyone you know who might be considering it, just contact me today for a free market analysis, or advice on selling.

This post was inspired by this article from KCM -  5 Reasons to Sell Before Spring | Keeping Current Matters

You Thought Your House Was Small??

Looking for something interesting to post on a Friday, I ran across an article on "The Spite House" in Seattle.  It was part of an article from one of my favorite blogs, Hooked on Houses.   This is the picture that caught my attention

 

The picture shows the 4.5 foot wide side of the house.  I believe the pictures all originally came from this article on Seattle's Curbed blog.  You can find more photos and information in their article about how this "Spite" house came to be built on this disputed sliver of land. 

I have a problem I call falling down the rabbit hole.  Have you heard that term?  Reading that article, I ran across several links to other tiny houses, and I spent some time today reading these articles that I wanted to share!  This seems to happen a lot in blogging. 

There is this Spite House in Alexandria, Virginia. 

 
This little blue house is only 7 feet wide, 2 stories tall and 325 square feet.  The Guiness Book of World Records calls it the narrowest house in America.  There is an article on Hooked on Houses with plenty of pictures.

There is also this one in Toronto, found in this article on Hooked on Houses. 

  

And this article, showing several tiny houses in Texas that are being built from salvage material, including this one that is 12' x 20'. 

Thinking of downsizing?  These tiny houses, or Spite house just might be the way of the future! 

Happy Friday, and happy looking. 

How to Warm Up an Older House

It is the second week in November, and this afternoon I had my kids playing in the snow in the yard after school.  We still have pumpkins on the porch from Halloween.  You know you live in Northeast Ohio when. . .

So, long time, no blog updates!  The good news for me is that typically when the blogging drops off it is because business is picking up!  I have been lucky to work with a lot of buyers this fall, and they keep me on my toes.  It reminds me though of one of the reasons I love my job - I love showing houses.  It is so much fun to get to see inside so many homes in the area, and my clients have a variety of tastes, so I get to see them all.

One of my loves is older homes and I have always been drawn to them.  As you probably know though, one of the drawbacks of older homes is that they are not as energy efficient as some of the newer homes.  The good news is that with a little updating, you can have the charm of an older home with the warmth of a newer one.  According to this article I read, any home built before 1983 can have energy issues.  

Here are some tips on warming up that old house that I found in an article on the Zillow Blog - 5 Ways to Warm Up an Older House .  It seemed like a good day to post it.

5 Ways to Warm Up an Older House

1.   Do an energy audit. - If you haven't heard of this before, it is basically a way of analyzing your home to see the places that either warm air is leaking out, or cold air is coming in.  If you live in a drafty older home, odds are you know where these spots are.  If you have the money and would like to hire a professional, someone can come to your home and do a complete audit of your house, and also suggest ways to improve it.  If you would like an easier DIY method, on a windy day, light a stick of incense and walk around to the doors and windows in your home.  If the smoke from the incense is blown in away from the windows, you have a place where cold air is entering.  If it is pulled out away towards the door or window, that is a place where your home is losing warm air.  In these places, simply adding caulk or insulation can help to improve the situation immensely.                                                
2. Check your windows and doors -  Did you know that a 1/8 inch gap between your door causes as much trouble as a 2.4 in hole in the wall?  I didn't!  Sealing gaps around windows and doors is one simple and cost effective way to warm up your home.  Add weatherstripping around loose doors and windows and consider sealing your windows with plastic sheeting in the winter.  Even adding blinds and curtains to your windows will help keep that cold air out and warm air in.                                                                                                                                  
3. Insulate - Many older homes have inadequate insulation.  Some don't have any at all!  One thing you can do is have someone come in to blow insulation into your walls.  They can add a nonflammable foam resin in your walls between interior and exterior walls, and it can often be done in a day.  This can be a pricey solution, but very effective.                                                                                          
4. Install a programmable thermostat - A programmable thermostat can make the best use of your heat by being set to keep the house toasty when you are home, and cooler when the house is empty.  There are even some that learn your preferences and adjust accordingly.  Have you heard of the Nest thermostat?  I am dying to get one.  It learns your schedule within days, and can be programmed on the go from your smartphone so that your house is ready if you are coming home early.  Technology that works for you!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
5. Consider alternate heat sources - One thing to consider is radiant heat.  Radiant heat is being installed in newer homes, but can also be fitted to older homes.  Keeping your floors warm helps to keep your whole house warm, and also you never have to worry about cold floors in the morning!  It is energy efficient and warms up the actual structure of your home - not just the air.  Other options are space heaters or pellet stoves.  All of these choices are ones I found articles on by Bob Vila and linked here!   I know that many people trust Bob!       

On a day like today, I'm looking around my own home and thinking that an energy audit is in order!  We live in a home that is just older than me, and it does have some areas we could improve.  Stay tuned for more articles coming up, and maybe even a peek into my home and my part of Northeast Ohio!  

Stay warm!