Whats love got to do with it

That's right y'all... 24% of home buyers are single....  so many clients tell me they rented and waited to find the one before buying... almost like they felt like this decision couldn't be made alone.

Well what's love got to do with it.... renting is still throwing your money away. If you find the right person and already have a home and they have a home 😍 You now have two homes and owning real estate is the fastest and smartest way to build wealth..  it's a win-win

I also help a lot of "couples" buy homes where only one person is listed on the loan... everyone's situation is different. At the end of the day it's simple... your either paying your own mortgage or your paying your landlords mortgage. 🏡

Bi level overload

If you have been searching homes in NKY, you might notice that we are the Bi-Level capital of the world.  Some states call them split-levels. Whatever you call them you know what they are.  

I often hear buyers tell me that they wish there was more they could do to make their home look different than the next bi-level.

Thanks to pinterest the options are endless!

Look at this Kitchen!!  Changing the floor and ceiling to match made this kitchen look like it was built this way.

Another tip from your favorite Realtor.. Always, Always make the flooring in your home match..  if you have carpet, all rooms with carpet should match.  If you have Hardwood floor then all the floors should flow with it in the same direction... ( ill add a "what not to do" at the end of this post.)

Best tip to make your bi-level stand out is to add the open concept to your home.  Some walls cant be knocked down, but you can add columns and arches so just make sure you hire and great contractor that will know the ends and outs of your homes major needed walls.

I know I mention paint colors a lot.  If your planning on staying in your home then any color you love is perfect!  If your going to be selling soon.... Paint... paint everything... just think so fresh and so clean lol.  Thats a big seller, fresh paint!

I know i promised a few "what not to do" for flooring so here is an example.

Should I List my house now or clean first?

So as many of you have read on every article posted by a realtor....now is the time to sell, sell, sell.

I must say.. if your in NKY that's SOOO true... if you have been on the fence about selling but want to clean first... just stop and list lol...  Now if you need to do major things such as paint or new carpet then maybe do those (Quickly) :)..

This week alone I had 3 clients all "sleep on it" after seeing a new listing and woke up to it pending.  Buyers want your house.. trust me.  I have even seen people that went ahead and listed their home and laid out carpet samples showing they were replacing the carpet, this eased the mind of clients touring the home because they knew they wouldn't have to replace that :)

Oh did I mention the 2 separate multiple offers I also was a part of... ALL in the same week.

:))) you know you want to know more.. please just ask me

Builder beige or color

Should you paint your walls or leave it?.... well that depends.. are you moving? or staying?  

If you build a new home you will most likely get this color... "builder beige"  why? well because builders have to paint the walls so what better choice then a light color that can easily be painted over by the home buyer....  Now you have to be careful if your planning on selling however if you plan on digging your roots in this home then by all means make it your own!!  When I was growing up my bedroom walls were black ( I had a cheetah theme going on... oh the 90s)....  well paint is paint so my parents simply painted over it once I moved out... I believe back to builder beige :))

If you are thinking of selling you most likely should paint... no not all the walls need to be beige however neutral pallets to sell faster, unless the price is right ;)  try to stick with a tone that will flow from room to room...

I have sold houses that have crazy neon colors... that would be because everything else about the home was in the best shape and soooo clean.. the seller of the one I'm thinking of even had his shirts in his closets in order by color...  so if your home is this well kept then paint wont be an issue.. but I'm going to say with 3 kids, 2 dogs and a cat.. that wont be the case.. and that's totally fine... just know when your REALLY ready.. maybe get a second opinion from a friend on the paint color :)

If you do like the bright, neon colors try to maybe limit it to maybe bedrooms only... that way if the buyer has kids they might looove the pink room or the blue :)

Adding Value to your Home

A very popular question from people that are Not buying or selling is....

  How do I add value to my home?.........

Well that's a very good question and will vary depending on who you are asking... even realtors opinions vary.  So lets just go by are generic photo I found and do not own in any way lol.

Now lets take away the "loft conversion" and the "extension" because clearly adding more space is for sure going to add value...

But how to add value to what you already have is key...  the typical ones are UPDATE your kitchen... UPDATE your bathroom... those two are very key as a realtor... I cant tell you how many times I have sold a house simply because the kitchen was amazing and even though the closets were all tiny the buyers didn't care because the kitchen was to die for!....   same with the bathrooms.. Now I have never sold a house simply because of the bathrooms but I have heard the "oh I will need a new tub and toilet and omg look at the tile (barf)"   so just know they do play a factor.

On to the next...  FLOORS!!!!!!  this one can be costly but so worth it.. you want your floors to flow and MATCH.. if you have 3 different title designs and 2 types of wood floor and carpet on the steps that don't match the bedrooms... nooooo stop right there!....  make all the hard flooring match and all the carpet match!. Pretty please do this.

Next two are doors and windows... another costly but very helpful tip.... get all new windows :) with screens (if you don't keep them in at least store them in the basement or garage incase you ever sell).  You want to have a nice front door that you don't have to fidget with to open and shut..

I've covered just a few of my top picks...  stay tuned for #WatchItWednesday when I reveal another one that I'm starting to hear more and more buyers mention :)) 

(Click the #WatchItWednesday link above and watch it this Wednesday at 6pm)

how to pick the perfect Realtor

Well lets see there are so many ways to look at this question... are you the buyer or the seller?

If you are the buyer then you need to make sure your agent is someone who works with buyer a lot.. why? well because an agent that works with a lot of buyers knows a lot about different loan options.. has the scoop on which lenders can get things done.. and also knows how to write up a really good offer (NOT low-ball offer because no one likes those ever).  But that's just one thing... 

You also need to find an agent that is always on call... and yes even at 10pm at night!  What if you see your dream home on Zillow and want to see it at 9am the very next day?! ahh lets talk about kicking in the stress... better hope your agent isn't snoozing at 8pm after Wheel of Fortune goes off

You should also find an agent that you can be yourself around... what I mean is if your touring houses and your feel like you have to keep your thoughts to yourself till your back in your car.. well that's going to be a problem. You need an agent you can have fun with and be honest with so they can find you the perfect place and be there if an issue pops up during the whole process.


If you are the seller...  then you need to make sure you get an agent that helps you net what you need... as simple as that.... let the agent run the numbers.. tell them what you want to make after the sell and let them make the numbers work.  marketing is key, but remember open houses almost never work for the sellers advantage.  don't stress the commission don't stress anything just trust the realtor your working with.   I know you want to negotiate with your realtor on commission and fees but take it from me "you get what you pay for" so you cant expect an agent to reach for the stars and negotiate on your behalf if they cave and take less commission to sell your property just because you asked (because that means they couldn't even negotiate for themselves )

all in all folks just remember you have to pick the person you vibe with.. you should know after the first meeting if its meant to be :)   I personally would LOVE to help and promise to always text back in a matter of minutes ;)   (actually answering a call may take a little longer.. one because I live in the country and have to run to the nearest service spot of my home... and two because I'm not mentally prepared to answer  hahah)

If your buying to get a GREAT deal... now is the time

I deal with clients that what to buy homes for many different reasons..

Some want the perfect kitchen with double sink in that master bath..

Some want a condo with no outside work

Some just want a house that they feel they got a GREAT deal on even if that means settling for less then they wanted cosmetically.

If you are the last one that wants a GREAT deal.. then you should be looking like yesterday..  November is the best month to get the greatest deal.. why?  Well because if the seller is selling during the holiday seasons its usually for a reason.. such as a job transfer or wanting to build by spring, whatever the reason is most are ready to sell now.

What does wanting to sell now mean...  means accepting a lower offer (not low ball because NO one likes that & most cant afford that)... you have more negotiation power, such as adding a home warranty or for inspection repairs which all buyers love to ask for.

SO if your wanting a deal... better call a Realtor today.. (me preferably)!!

How NOT to sell a house....

How Not to sell a house might possibly be one of the easiest post I could do... I could tell you what not to do all day long.....  let me break it down for you as easy as I can....

If you don't want your house to sell (for top dollar) then simply don't do a thing.. easy as that.  So don't worry about decluttering, or cleaning, just leave it as is and go with it. 

If you don't want your house to sell then you should make the house looked as lived in as can be... make sure that everyone can see you have outgrown the house and no longer have space ..  When people come through and go through your closets and vanity's to make sure there is room for their stuff, you want to make sure they don't see any spare space.

If you don't want your house to sell you should also decline showings in the evenings and the weekends..  propose a new time like early morning during the week :) buyers love that.   If you don't want to sell then don't worry about boxing away all the extras in the house and placing them neatly out of the way..  no one does that.. that's to much work and would get you prepared for a move. 

& last.. if you don't want to sell your house then you should most definitely look at the comps your Realtor (me) have given you about the similar properties sold and then take that price and add 15,000.   So if your house should be between 150,000-155,000  then by all means list that thing for 199,999. "just to try it"

** this post is clearly just for entertainment :))  all just for laughs....  haha... you could also do everything perfect and it still not sell and in that case I need to sit down and review all the things TO do.  It could be the market, the location, the type of property or many other issues... **

Why am I a Realtor?

In high school I had no idea what I wanted to be when I "grew up"...  I mean of course I wanted to be a famous movie star but who doesn't...   The only thing I knew for sure was I didn't like anyone telling me what to do and when to do it lol.. again who likes that's lol. 

I had such a strong passion for children so maybe a teacher?...   Then I would have summers off and I could be off on the weekends.. But then that means I had to get up and go to school (which I hated doing for the past 12 years so why do it for the next 30)  and all I heard the past 4 years of high school was how every teacher didn't make enough so they needed summer jobs.. no thanks. Then I thought Daycare Teacher for life!..

Now let me be 1000% honest... If I made enough money to afford an apartment, one child, food and gas on a daycare income I would have totally made that my career choice. I was good at that.. I loved teaching the toddler age and it was something that truly made me happy...  would explain why I worked at the same daycare for a total of 13 years..  After about 3 years working in childcare I realized I had the passion for this job like no other, however it comes with a boss... and "regular hours"  so it was lacking the freedom and income I wanted... I needed a career with passion, freedom, and income and if one was lacking I felt trapped...
 
My wonderful parents didn't like the fact that I dropped out of NKY and that I had no path to take.. they said why don't you try real estate? They said they would pay for me to try it...  so I looked into it.. I had NO idea how anything with real estate worked.. I just liked the fact that I had a year to do the school and that I could go anytime I wanted until all classes were done FREEDOM lol....  so I agreed.  In 2006 I spent maybe 2 evenings a week going to a random school on dream street... It was something I knew I could be good at.. I was learning so much of a world I would have never entered had someone not mentioned it to me. When I started it was around the same time I found out that little Maria (my daughter) was going to be entering this world..  Well that sent me in to a very over protective mom that needed to be by her child's side everyday all day because who is going to love her like I do lol... which would be why daycare stayed in my life for 13 years....

Fast forward to today....

A few years ago I decided you know what I cant be a Realtor "part time"  I have to pick one or the other because both jobs were lacking with me trying to be awesome at both..

Realtor it has to be..  Maria is in school I have the freedom from her so why not try to be a "real Realtor"..  Thank God I made that leap..  From the outside looking in many people see a Realtor as a salesperson, as someone just looking for a commission check..  I can promise you this job is SO much more..  I have had the chance to meet so many people that I would have never crossed paths with.  They have become friends and some family to me. 

Sure buying a house and touring many gets to be stressful on the buyers end... but I love the fact that within a few weeks... some months of searching I will get to see their face light up when they find "the one"..   I can usually guess which house is the one just by a look now lol. After that moment they glow for 30-45 days and then when closing day comes they beam with excitement that all other problem's fade away because they are so happy to be making a huge life changing move..   Now for the buyer or seller this excitement might only last a month or two but for me as a realtor I get to see this day after day after day......  The feeling I get knowing that someone is making one of the biggest decisions of their life and I got to help is priceless.....  So this job for me not only comes with the endless amount of income and freedom I dreamt of.. it also comes with the fact that weekly I get to help someones dreams come true and they are so grateful...  It couldn't be more rewarding. I leave the final walk through and closing just so fulfilled that I helped someone become so happy that they could cry (some do)!  

This is why I am a Realtor....

I want to buy a foreclosure

Everyone wants a great deal.. but trust me not ever one wants a foreclosure.  

What is a foreclosure?  

Foreclosure

Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower who has stopped making payments to the lender by forcing the sale of the asset used as the collateral for the loan.en.wikipedia.org

 

Now you must understand yes you can get these homes for cheaper then other homes (if you qualify) however almost all of these homes will need TLC. I get asked this a lot " im approved for 120k the house is only 80k can I use the extra money to fix this house back up?"  You would think it works like that but sadly No.  So while buying your first home you want to get a deal but most first time home buyers don't have the extra 30-50k the house might need to get in back in great shape. Also these updates take awhile to fix and that means you might possibly need to find a backup place to live while this takes place.

 

You can check on foreclosures at hudhomestore.com and homepath.com   But remember to contact me before you see these home and I will help guide you though the process.  

 

Garage tips

If your selling your home anytime soon, on of the over looked spaces is the garage.  Many people will worry so much about getting the clutter out of the house (which is a BIG deal ) but by doing that they just stack it up in the garage.  Many buyers are in pairs so that usually comes with two cars.  While most accept a one car garage they like to have that extra space to store their clutter...  trust me when we open the garage door to peak at the size if there's boxes, toys, shoes, clothes and totes all over then the space has lost space in the buyers eyes that is there because they are just looking at your stuff..

How to fix it?

That's simple really, just pick it up.  Make special areas for toys, and shoes.  If you can afford to then go a step farther and invest in (the same solid color) totes.  Plus this is great for moving :)

 

HOA fees

HOA fees

 

What are they?

An amount of money that must be paid monthly by owners of certain types of residential property to an organization that assists with maintaining and improving that property and others in the same group

Make sure to ask your realtor (me) before putting an offer in on a home you like if you will have a hoa fee.  Some are monthly and some are yearly.  It can range for 10 dollar to 250 dollar PER MONTH... make sure to know before making a decision, because this is extra on top of what your already paying for your loan.

 

Fix your credit in 2015 for 2017

 

Are you thinking of buying a home... within the next 2-3 years... well start thinking about your credit!   This means so much and many people that I deal with either have one of two problems: not enough credit or bad credit.  Trust me when I say to you, save us both time and  fix it now. 

 

You could be thinking who cares Ill build credit when its time, well that will come back to bite you later, it takes time to build credit. Also fixing it takes time.  I always tell my clients as so as you start to think about buying a home go get preapproved.  Yes it sounds quick to jump the gun but you will thank me ;)  They will let you know where your issues are and how to fix them, which could take a year (sometimes less but sometimes more )

 

Don't know who to call? contact me and I will help you every step of the way

 

 



organize that pantry

yes yes yes everyone that is looking for a new home will be opening all of your closets and pantry.  They want to make sure there's space for all of their stuff.  The best advice I can give you if your selling... box away or throw away anything that you will not be needing to use within the next 6 months while your home is on the market.. remember its the little things that add up.

Low ball'in

     Everyone loves a great deal.. who doesn't!  However.... the chart above will show you how it almost never happens in real estate.  This chart shows BURLINGTON, UNION, HEBRON, FLORENCE  from home prices 150,000-200,000. the gold line shows what the house was on the market for & the blue line shows the sold price. 
     The number one thing that I try to inform my client of is offering a realistic amount.  Sure every home is different but this isn't craigslist. Agents in 2014 list homes at prices that they should be listed for. Agents no longer take a listing that's going to sit for 2 years because the price is way too high (unless its in a hard to sell area or the potential sell price is high ).
      How will you know what to offer?  Your agent (who I hope is me) will pull up homes that have sold that are similar in the past 6 months and see if they are close in price.  Some buyers will do their own search but please please know that those "so called real estate sites" have a ton of false information and are also missing homes that should be included. 
     Im not telling you to not try for the 35k below asking price, im saying please listen to your agents advice on which home that is acceptable to do that on, not all qualify for low ball offers. 

KEEP IN MIND HOMES IN NKY IN SEPT. SOLD FOR 97% OF THE LIST PRICE

example: if the home is listed for 150,000 will sell for around 145,500.

    

When you are selling your house LEAVE

    Let me clear that up, what I mean is when you are selling your house and you have a showing.. leave.  Do not for any reason stay there.  Even if you just leave and park a few houses down the street.  There is nothing creepier then  trying to view a home while the owner is still there.  I have had owners wait on the porch which is just as weird. Trust me all that the buyers and agent are thinking is how uncomfortable they are and cant wait to get to the next showing. It makes it hard to picture it as your next home when the original owners are still living in it.
      I didn't want to sugar coat that because its just easier to be honest. You don't want to lose out on an offer over 30 minutes of inconvenience.

Never judge a book by its cover

     We have all heard the saying "never judge a book by its cover" but yet we are all guilty of it.  I cant not tell you how many times I have shown a house and the potential buyers love the inside but cannot over look all the work needed outside. 
     If your lucky to build new then this problem probably doesn't apply to you, however most buyers will be moving into neighborhoods that are already built.  If you are planning on staying in the home you will be buying for a while then please do not pass up your dream home because of the outside.  Many think that there's no way to fix the structure outside... I'm here to tell you, there's hope!  All you have to do is have vision to see past the eye sore and trust me as your agent to show you its possible..

 

 

Front Porch Less is More

With all the spring cleaning you have been doing inside, don't forget about the outside!

I will be the first to admit that I see spring flowers out and all of a sudden I forget that I cant even keep fake plants alive.  If  your like me then there's a simple solution... ferns.  Just water them when they are dry and go ( I think, you might want to Google that).  They are a great way to add color to your front porch without over doing it..

 

If your not a fan of ferns.. not a big deal, but add something.  You never want to leave your porch empty, well unless you want to start neighborhood rumors that your house is vacant. 

Is anyone home....??

 

 

Even a simple door hanger and a hard to kill plant (my fav) will do! If your selling it will give off a good "homie" vibe

                                   

Due to Easter Weekend I will return Monday!! Happy Easter.. Here's some cute egg ideas just as a bonus :)



 



Spring is in the air

 

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

 

What does this mean? It means its time to realize you didn't get that beach body you wanted over the winter. It means its time to hit up the parks and zoo with the kids.  If your a home owner it means SPRING CLEANING....

 

Very few of us want to do it but we all feel amazing after its done.

I wanted to share with you a few spots that many skip! Do NOT skip these, yes you may think that people don't notice these but trust me when I tell you.. they do.

 

 

If you have sliding doors,  if you have doors.... deep clean the cracks and floor boards.  If you have windows, be sure to get the sides of them as well

 

 

Dusty Dusty... this is a very simple way to get that ceiling and top half of the walls looking good.  You may think oh I only notice it when I fall asleep at night however if you are tying to sell your home and someone tours it... they notice, and now they will think "oh wow I will have to clean that often"  Granted it could have taken years to get that bad but they only see it once and not many buyers want something that will require often deep cleaning. Don't forget those Fan blades!!

 

 

Shades.. Clean them.

 

 

This one is a random one but it needs to be brought up. The Fridge. If you are selling, please know that buyers will without a doubt open and check out what's in it.  Silly I know but its a habit that I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen.  That will not be a deal breaker but they will notice if its in good or poor condition.  If your not selling and still have people over and offer to have them help themselves.. if they think your fridge is this organized you must be really on top of the rest of your home .