Today, I wanted to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It’s hard to believe that 2016 is almost finished. Time is flying by, and 2017 is right around the corner.
Whether you’re a client or a friend, I want to thank you for making 2016 so special. It’s my privilege to help you buy or sell a home and do the same for one of your referrals.
This week, I hope you take the opportunity to spend time with your family and relax. I know I certainly will. I look forward to seeing you in 2017!
It’s important that you know all about your crawl space when you’re getting ready to sell your home. This has been a hot-button issue lately with many transactions we’ve seen so far this year. More and more, home inspectors are finding issues under people’s crawl spaces - the area between the ground and the first floor of the house. If your house doesn’t have a basement, this is likely where the heating and air systems are installed.
Any problems that arise from crawl spaces will be due to two factors: humidity and moisture. The confluence of humid air seeping in under the crawl space vents and mixing with the cold air running through the ductwork creates a sweating effect. This sweating creates moisture that clings tothe wood framing. Over time, under the right conditions, wood-destroying fungi, mold, and mildew can eat into the wood and compromise structural integrity.
Take action now and save yourself a future headache.
In our area, this process can be delayed because we have a wintertime season to quell the humidity. Next summer, however, the cycle starts all over again. If you’re already under contract and have negotiated the price of the house, the last thing you need is the home inspector finding a problem you never even knew you had.
If you have a vapor barrier on top of the dirt covering the ground area under your home, that should prevent the ground moisture from evaporating onto your wood joists. Another remedy is sealing the crawlspace vents and installing a dehumidifier.
A lot of home inspectors are also recommending that you hire a crawl space company to specifically examine your crawl space so that they can recommend a solution. Of course, this can cost anywhere from $1,800 to as much as $6,000, depending on the size of the crawlspace, but it will be worth the precaution.
Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it can’t affect you. If you’re thinking about selling your house, take action now and save yourself a future headache.
If you have any further questions regarding this topic, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I’d be glad to help you.
I wanted to give you a quick update on the state of the Wilmington market, it being the middle of the summer with things heating up.
Spring was a great, busy season and summer has seen no change. Compared to last June, we sold 15% more properties this June. The average sales price rose about 3% in that same period. Median home sale price (half sold above this price, half sold below) rose $6,500 year over year as well.
It's a good indicator of where prices are going and where sellers are really able to increase the sales price of a home.
Days on market is dropping as well, and that's a good thing. Last year the average days a home spent on the market was 104 days, and this year that number sped up to 96 days, or just over three months. That right there tells you that homes are selling very quickly.
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Looking at this year compared to last, it's a great time to sell.
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The caveat to this is that the higher the price point you get into, the higher the average number of days a home spends on the market. Homes priced $300,000 and less are not sitting on the market for long; we're seeing multiple offers, sometimes within a week. Things are really moving in that price range.
Compared to last year when we saw 1,010 listings, this year we saw 1,034. A few more properties have been listed - historically this is a busier time of the year. In short, it's still a great time to be selling a home.
If you've been thinking about buying or selling a home, your time may be running out. Give me a call for a free consultation and let's talk about achieving your goals soon.
The value of credit goes a long way. By now, most people understand how your spending habits affect your credit and your overall financial standing. This deeply affects people wanting to buy a home! You should always be careful with your spending habits. Credit report agencies pay close attention to your habits, which affects how lenders analyze these reports.
To approve a loan, a bank will review your payment history in addition to debt and income ratios. Lenders will go way back in your history to approve a loan, including any major or minor spots on your credit report. That’s why you should be extra cautious during the holiday season; it’s easy to get into new debt while shopping.
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YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR SPENDING HABITS.
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Mortgage lenders will examine your eligibility based upon 10% new debt, 10% types of credit you have, 35% payment history, 15% length of credit history, and 30% debt-to-income ratio. It’s important to look ahead and stay conscious of your spending, you never know when you will want to invest or buy a home. Set a solid ground for strong credit for the future.
The bottom line: pay close attention to your spending this holiday season and keep a close eye on your payments being on time.
If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home this holiday season, give me a call or email today. I’d be happy to serve your real estate needs in the Wilmington area!
As we start heading into late fall and early winter, many sellers ask, "Is this a good time to sell? Or should we wait until January?" Actually, now is a great time to sell.
First, there is less competition this time of year. The common idea is that it's better to sell during the spring. While there are many buyers out in the spring, there are also more homes on the market. With less competition, you can usually hold your sales price higher than you could in the spring.
Secondly, prospective buyers in the spring are seriously motivated. They don't have as much time to wait and think about things. These highly-motivated buyers lead to more successful sales in the fall and winter.
Don't believe the people who say that the market stops during colder months. We sell homes all year. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!
If you are looking to sell your home, your goal is to get
the most money possible in the shortest amount of time. One of the best ways to
add value and appeal to your home is through home staging. There are a lot of
options for how you want to go about it. You
could hire a professional staging company, but that comes with a hefty price
tag. Most of the time, a few simple fixes is all it takes to transform a
living room.
Today, I want to share a video from HGTV that can help you
stage your home when you go to sell. Tiffany Brooks recommends her favorite
inexpensive home staging tips for you. We
hope these will help you save both time and money when it comes time to sell
your home.
A fresh coat of paint is always a good idea. Neutral, warm
colors work best for highlighting the natural light in your home. This will
make it easier to punch up the room with some colorful accessories and pull
everything together.
A common design problem facing many homeowners is that they
have no real entry way, as their front door opens up to the living room. To fix
this, you can add a table, some lighting, and a rug to "fake a foyer"
and make it feel like the living room and entryway are two different spaces.
A patterned rug, some pillows, or bright curtains add a ton
of texture and an eclectic layer to the space, which is essential to a well-designed room.
In
some cases, a "make-under" is just what you need. In
the case of most fireplaces, taking some accessories and clutter away enhances
the look and feel of the room greatly.
You could spend well over a few thousand dollars with a
staging company, or you could do these fixes yourself for around $500. That's a
small investment considering the value that you add to your home by adding
those pieces.
If you have any questions for us about staging your home or
anything else real estate related, give me a call or send over a quick email.
I'm always here to help, and would love to hear from you!
Today, I want to share a video from HGTV to discuss how you can plan
ahead when it comes to home renovations.Renovating your home can be an exciting process, but it's
important that you don't get ahead of yourself. You can't just go willy-nilly into a major project and expect it to go
perfectly. Planning properly for these types of projects can assure a
smooth project, and one that may even cost less!
HGTV’s Amy Matthews
recommends making a very detailed timeline of your project, including potential
things that could go awry and making backup plans in order to prevent these
things from happening. Putting your plan
onto paper is a good way to start this process.
Another major step is
choosing a good team of contractors that you can communicate with. If they
don't know what you want done, they can't do it.
Just remember, there is no such thing as too much
planning! If you plan on renovating your Wilmington home, please contact us. We
know great contractors and could also give you advice on what projects will
bring you the highest return on your investment.
“Oh man, I could talk for hours on this! This guy is fully focused on serving people, and way beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before. I would never think of using any other realtor besides him.”
