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Showing posts from June, 2017

HOW TO BUY A HOME WITH BAD CREDIT

A poor credit history isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker when it comes to buying a home. Here are some tips to help handle the bad credit situation when buying a home. Do you believe your negative credit history disqualifies you from buying a home? That might not be the case. And even if you’re not in the position to buy today, there are some simple, effective actions you can take to boost your future prospects. If you’re like most people, buying a home means securing a mortgage. To secure that mortgage, you need to convince banks you’re a good bet. Here’s how to start on the path to making your dream home a real home: 1. Work towards a 10% down payment: Down payment assistance is very difficult to get without a credit score north of 640. So if you’re below the line, you’re going to help your odds of pre-approval by proving you have 10% down to put on your home. That 10% is especially helpful if your credit score is sub-550. Above 550 you might be able to land...

LEARN ABOUT XERISCAPING

Tired of maintaining a traditional lawn? Want something which conserves water and uses native plants? Consider Xeriscaping. Learn more about it here! Ever find yourself overwhelmed by maintaining your lawn? Have you worried about the amount of water it takes to keep things green and growing? What if there was a way to transform your lawn to both make it both ecologically-friendly and strikingly different from every house on the block? Xeriscaping (or xerogardening) is the practice of landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for excess water. Taken from the Greek word, “xeros” (meaning dry), xeriscaping was initially designed to provide landscaping options for areas which are particularly sensitive to drought. Given that water is the most precious resource on the planet, perhaps you might you might consider this conservationist’s approach to landscaping your home. In addition to reducing the costs of watering and chemical maintenance, well execu...

SOME FACTS ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOUSE "AS IS"

Do you know what it really means to sell a house “as is”? Get up to speed on the facts behind this sales process and dispel any myths. Sometimes people inherit a home they simply need to unload and other times they don’t want to make the effort to make repairs or tune up the home’s curb appeal.  For these home owners looking for a quick sale, they often think selling a home “as is” is the way to go.  If you’re like most folks, you might think the “as is” sale means “take it or leave it” and “what you see is what you get.” But an “as is” sale isn’t necessarily a cakewalk. It doesn’t mean you’re completely exonerated from taking some responsibility for the home’s condition. While advertising a home “as is” lets buyers know they’re likely to have to do some work, it also broadcasts that the home is probably going to be a relatively good deal, provided they’re willing to take on repairs. “As is” doesn’t relieve you from disclosing problems with the home. Wha...

GARAGE SALE PLANNING

If you are planning on selling your home and you want a smooth move to your new place, I thought I’d share some tips for planning and running a successful garage sale. There are some small things you can do to make the experience less stressful while putting a few dollars back in your budget.  Here are some things I’ve learned helping clients declutter throughout my years in real estate: 1. Think about pricing ahead of time. Don’t force yourself to make decisions on the fly about how much you want to charge. It’s far easier to decide on pricing in advance, especially when it comes to deals like “10 books for $10” or “shirts are $5 each or 5 for $20.” Advance pricing will also help others help you sell, since you may not be on hand to answer every shopper’s question personally. Also: Be flexible with hagglers. Remember the goal is decluttering, not running a retail empire. 2. Get change before the sale. Stop by a bank or grocery store and get plenty of fives and singl...

MANAGING RESENTMENT

Selling a buying a home comes with a lot of emotional ups and downs. One that makes a frequent but unwelcome appearance is resentment.  Sometimes called the “silent killer,” resentment is largely the result of unaired grievances or poor communication. What may be in actuality a very small (and often mis-perceived offense) can be the seed from which a series of bad decisions arise— passive aggressive behavior, professional sabotage, and higher stress levels across the board. Resentment can also become toxic between buyers and sellers. This is especially true during the negotiation process. This attitude is ultimately counterproductive to closing the sale. Rather than focusing on the terms and compromises at hand, parties can become entrenched in personal warfare. Successful negotiation means keeping resentment out of the picture. One thing you can do to mitigate resentment is to take the high ground should perceived slights enter the picture. Don’t assume the worst. I...