Real Estate Information Archive

In the do-it-yourself age we live in, many homeowners are ready and willing to take on home-improvement projects themselves. But while you may be ready and willing, the real question is, are you really "able?"

I have access to many great home-improvement resources thanks to being part of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®. The following advice comes from HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse. Heed these suggestions before you embark on your next project:

1. Focus on projects that will pay you back. For example, if you're dealing with hot or cold weather, try to lower heating and cooling bills by properly sealing your home. Look for drafts around windows, doors, and vents,and then use caulk or weather stripping to seal them. It may not be glamorous, but it will pay you back down the road.
2. Know where to start. If you have never taken on a major project, start with spaces such as the living room, spare bedroom, or the garage -- rooms that won't limit your ability to function, says Oosterhouse.
3. Closet reorganization. Many times, people have maxed out their closet and have no more room to add, let alone organize. That's when it’s time to evaluate. Donate clothes you no longer wear to a charity, store seasonal attire in a separate location, and separate his from hers.
4. Break down a big project. Planning is essential. As Oosterhouse says, if you think you can just start up any big job without a plan, then you are in for a world of frustration. Know your capabilities and limitations.
5. Know where the biggest ROI is. The improvements that will most add to the value of your home include, the kitchen, the master bedroom and bathroom. These can boost your resale value and attract buyers who want a space that’s move-in ready.

These are just some of many great suggestions for tackling home improvement projects. Feel free to contact me for more ideas and please forward this email on to your fellow DIY-ers!

According to a new consumer poll from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), 49% of homeowners consider outcome and design as the greatest determinant of project satisfaction. According to NARI National President-Elect Michael Hydeck, consumers want their design to cater perfectly to their lifestyles and how they intend to use the space.

As a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I have seen countless times how good design involves much more than customization of the home. Design work can bring multi-functional capabilities to a room -- like a kitchen that also serves as the family room -- or it can enhance the flow of the space by widening walkways and adding more access to the space from various parts of the home.

If you are considering a home remodel in 2011, make sure your remodeler works with you to get to the root of your lifestyle needs. According to Hydeck, many remodelers actually put their clients through special exercises to see how the remodel can best enhance their lifestyle, such as having them complete a questionnaire or take them on a walk-through of the entire home.

Hydeck also recommends, prior to starting a remodel, that you take a few days to take note of everything you do in your home and how you access it ... the paths you take, what counters or areas you place items on, where you sit most often to relax, etc. Being aware of these patterns will help make your remodel as successful as possible.

For more advice on remodeling, visit www.nariremodelers.com, or e-mail me. I can provide you with my recommendations for remodelers in your area. Be sure to forward this information on to any friends and family members who may also be considering a remodel.

Given the economic difficulties that still exist, it's not surprising that many homeowners are looking to home improvement and renovation, rather than buying a new home.

When deciding to undertake a remodeling project, however, there are several invaluable tips to keep in mind as you discuss your home makeover with potential contractors.

Thanks to my network of leading real estate professionals, the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I can offer tips to make your home renovation a more streamlined, more palatable experience, courtesy of Stageoflife.com:

Tip #1: Does Your Contractor Have Proof of Insurance?
Ask the contractor to have his insurance company mail or fax a copy of his current contractor insurance card to you. If the contractor can't do this, stay away. Why? If there is an accident at your home, you are then liable. This also applies to any sub-contractor or employee that the contractor may use; those individuals should have active insurance cards faxed or mailed to you as well.

Tip #2: Did You Check References and See Photos?
Ask for at least three references — with two of them being for the same type of project you are planning — and then call the references. Additionally, ask the contractor to provide photos of previous work, especially for the same type of project. If he produces lawn and garden photos and you're planning a bathroom remodel, you may want to check out another contractor.

Tip #3: Does Your Contractor Take Debit or Credit Cards?
Besides your ability to earn a few points, bonus miles or cash back on your project, a good sign that a contractor is financially savvy and has a bank behind his business is his ability to take debit and credit cards. This doesn't just apply to big contracting companies. Many small, one-man shops will take cards if they have a good relationship with their business bank or credit union.

Tip #4: Manners and Appearance?
If the contractor drove his vehicle to your home to give you an estimate, take a look at the way he keeps the equipment and vehicle. Are things clean? Neatly arranged? If not, that's a big warning. The way a contractor treats his tools is a direct connection to how he'll treat your home. During the initial meeting, does the contractor present himself in a professional way? Do you feel comfortable around him or his employees? They will be working in your home after all.

Tip #5: Clean-Up Policy?
Ask about the clean-up policy. For example, if your home improvement is a multi-day project, will the contractor be cleaning up at the end of every day or will he leave the dust, wood chips, and other mess laying there for day two? The more mess in your home ... the more it gets tracked around. Many homeowners find themselves with mouths gaping wide after the contractor has left for the day and their floors and home are dirty and messy around the project area.

Tip #6: Will the Contractor Put It In Writing?
Is your contractor willing to put both his bid and the scope of work in writing? If not, walk away immediately. You'll be surprised how many homeowners have been duped by contractors who verbally tell you what's included in their scope of work, but will then, in the middle of everything, require extra money to finish the remodel, thus holding you hostage with an uncompleted home project.

Tip #7: Availability?
Can the contractor get the job done in your timeline rather than his? There's nothing more frustrating than if a contractor tells you that a job will be done by a certain date and then it isn't. On the flip side, if you can't find a good contractor that's willing to commit to your timeline, your expectations may be too high and you may need to adjust your timeline.

Tip #8: Does Your Contractor Use "Subs?"
Does your contractor plan on doing everything himself? Or will he "sub out" work to the "trades?" For example, if you are remodeling a bathroom, you may need a plumber, electrician and carpenter. It's okay if the contractor subs work out to these specific trades — it shows he wants the work done right.

Tip #9: Quoting & Billing Procedure?
Ask the contractor about his quoting procedure. Will it contain general information, or will it be specific? For example, most contractors will charge you for a fuel surcharge, material up-charges, waste removal, labor, etc. Some will show you these exact costs in a line item invoice, but others roll it up into one big bill. How much detail do you want? You should clarify that with your contractor upfront.

Also, what is the payment or billing policy? Is money required upfront? If so, go back to #1 and #2 above to make sure you have the contractor's references checked and have a copy of his contractor's insurance.

Tip #10: Did Your Contractor Get the Permits?
Ask your contractor to take care of the permits. Although permits cost you money, the inspection process is meant to protect you from poor workmanship and to make sure that everything is being built to code.

For more information on home improvement and renovation, please e-mail me and please feel free to forward these tips to any family and friends.

Other than vacations, summer is the time of the year most popular for home improvement. The long days and warm, sunny weather make a great time to work on repairs and renovations without much of the hassles and delays that rain and other elements bring.

As a member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I have years of experience and understand how taking on a remodeling project is beneficial to you, both now and then later down the road should you choose to sell.

For these reasons and more, a good number of homeowners undertake home improvement projects, especially during the summer.

Following are tips and projects—both large and small—for homeowners looking to spruce their homes up this summer.

Patios and Decks
What better way to enjoy the warm days than by creating an outdoor living space for the family to enjoy.

Decks and patios are among the most popular summer remodeling ideas. There are various factors to take into consideration when deciding on whether a patio or deck is the most appropriate project to undertake. Such factors include soil condition and consistency, site terrain, use, capacity and privacy, as well as the cost and maintenance you are willing to put up with.

Home Maintenance
Throughout the seasons, your home has taken good care of you and your family and now is the best time to give back.

Go through your property to evaluate and create a checklist on areas that need mending or replacement. This list is a crucial preparation before calling a contractor or handyman for maintenance/repair services. Some common maintenance and repair include:

• Waterproofing the basement
• Re-caulking and replacing weather-striping
• Cleaning and sealing wooden decks
• Trimming bushes and trees
• Realigning downspouts and gutters
• Repairing the roof
• Cleaning the pool
• Mending the fence
• Sealing cracks along driveways, foundation, walkways, etc.
• Maintenance of HVAC systems

Energy-Efficient Renovation
When it comes to summer remodeling, there's no better way to invest your hard-earned dollars than by making your home energy efficient. An energy-efficient summer remodel is truly a worthwhile endeavor as it will result in years of savings on your energy bills. Some of the common items you can buy and integrate into your energy-efficient renovation include:

• Insulation systems and materials
• Roofs that resist heat gain
• Biomass-burning stoves
• Energy-efficient windows
• HVAC systems with the highest efficiency tier
• Solar panels
• Fuel cells
• Geothermal heat pumps
• Wind energy systems

Taking on one (or more!) of these projects is a great way to give back to your home this summer…and, in some cases, save you a bit of money, too. For more information on home renovation projects, please e-mail me - and please feel free to forward these tips to any family and friends you think might benefit from them as well.

June not only marks the commencement of the summer season, but more importantly for homeowners, National Home Safety Month. While our thoughts turn to smoke detectors and child safety locks when considering a safe home, many homeowners often overlook the risks of poor indoor air quality—especially important as the temperature and humidity rise with summer.

As a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I’ve worked with many clients who have suffered from health-related issues due to poor air quality in their homes. Yet rarely do people think about the quality of their indoor air. Service experts recommend using the following checklist to ensure your air is as healthy as possible:

• Do you smoke in your home?
• Do your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room have ventilation and exhaust fans?
• Do you change your air filters once a month?
• When cleaning or doing laundry, do you use bleach, ammonia, or aerosol spray cans?
• Is your gas fireplace and/or gas stove checked yearly for emissions?
• Was your home built before 1978? If so, has it been checked for lead-based paint?
• Do your bathrooms have carpet where moisture and dust can build up?

If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, it’s time to consider making some changes. Many of the quick fixes to improve one’s indoor air quality at home can be accomplished through a few simple adjustments to your regular maintenance practices.

Others, like checking for lead paint, can often be handled through local, county or state programs that are partially or wholly subsidized, and heating source emissions checks can often be done through one’s own utility provider.

For more information on home safety or for a referral on companies that can help you with home maintenance, please e-mail me. And feel free to pass this email on to friends and family members who may have concerns regarding their indoor air quality.

Looking for cheaper, safer household cleaner??  If you're like me, you are trying to tighten the strings on your budget and keep the enviornment a little safer by going green.  There is a new show on Planet Green called Wasted and in this show they give you tips on going green while saving you tons of money!!!

One of these great ideas is making your own household cleaner.  It's safer because exposure to cleaning products can reduce your lung function and increase the risk of asthma by 30% - 50%.  You can make an all purpose cleaner by mixing water, baking soda and vinegar together and storing it in a mason jar!!  This takes less than a minute to mix up and it can save you at least $250 a year in cleaning supplies!!! 

For other great recipes for all kinds of cleaners visit click here!!  My personal favorite is all the uses for vinegar!!!  Try them...they really work!!!

An Advertorial Presented by Frost Brown Todd LLC

Written by: Kyle R Grubbs

I'm interested in purchasing a parcel of Real Estate, but the property owner just filed for bankruptcy?  Can I still purchase the property?  Is there anything special I need to do?

Yes and Yes.  The Bankruptcy Code permits a debtor-in-possession to sell its real estate and other assets based on its reasonable business judgment.  As with other purchases of real estate, as a potential purchaser, you should conduct standard due diligence including title, survey, environmental, zoning, and building inspections prior to purchasing the property.  In fact, since there will be virtually no representations or warranties made by the seller, the purchaser's due diligence is even more important in the bankruptcy context.  In addition, because the property owner is in bankruptcy, additional precautions are warranted.

First, the sale of the real estate must be authorized by the bankruptcy court if the sale of the real estate is outside of the debtor's ordinary course of business.  In almost all cases, sales of real state will be outside of a debtor's ordinary course of business.  To ensure the debtor obtains prompt bankruptcy court approval of the sale, the purchase contract should require the debtor to immediately file a motion seeking the bankruptcy court's approval of the sale.

Second, the sale of the real estate should be free and clear of any interest or lien of the debtor's creditors.  Because the seller of the real estate is in bankruptcy, the property is likely encumbered by mortgages, mechanic's liens, judgment liens, and other encumbrances.  Unlike a typical real estate transaction, liens and other monetary encumbrances are not necessarily paid at closing.  To ensure your purchase is free from the claims of the debtor's creditors, the order authorizing the sale of real estate should provide, among other things, that the (a) sale is free and clear of all liens, claims, encumbrances, and interests and that any liens will attach to the sale proceeds only; (b) purchaser is a "good faith purchaser" under the Bankruptcy Code so that the validity of the sale is not affected by an appeal of the sale order; and (c) ten-day stay set forth in the Bankruptcy Code is waived and the sale order is effective immediately to avoid any post-closing challenges to the sale.  You should work closely with your title company to ensure that the sale order is sufficient in all respects for the title company to issue you a clean title policy at closing.

This article was written by Sam Miller, Agent in Mt. Vernon, OH and one of Mike's friends.....try this out...it is WAY COOL!!!!!

Have you ever needed a quick phone number and didn't want to take the time to boot up your computer and search Google and you wanted to avoid the high charge for directory assistance or 411 connect?   Have you ever wanted the phone numbers for the local movie theatres or pizza places near you and you don't have anything to write the numbers down on?  There is a quick and easy way to get the information you want within 60 seconds and most of you can get the information quick and cheap with your cell phone and your text message feature. 

Send a text message to this number:  466453 (I know this is a partial number but trust me it will work).  Now type in what you are searching for and for your example use the following as a test:  Plumber 43050 (of you can type in Plumber XXXX (enter your zip code where my x's are)  Now simply press send and sit tight and within 60 seconds you will get a text message with the information.  This works for client names, addresses and phone numbers and it works for just about anything you are searching.  If you want another good test why not search your name or your spouses name and your zip code?  If you have a spare moment send a text to 466453 and enter Realtor, Florence, Kentucky 41042 and see what comes up.

There are so many potential uses for this service and once you play with it a bit you will quickly see the many possibilities.  Your family will love it, your past clients will love it, your team will love it, I have a feeling that pretty much anyone with a cell phone will find a use for it at some point.  The key to remember is that if you do not have a text messaging account you will get charged a non contract text message rate.  For those of us with text messages contracts and especially those of us who have unlimited text messaging this is a feature that we will be using on a very regular basis.  Google has done it again and the speed of this service is amazing

  With the Rates just dropping, NOW is a GREAT time to buy a home!!!  One of our friends, Sam Miller, up in Ohio, posted this YouTube video and it explains why...  Check it out!!!

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This blog was posted by some friends of ours, The Jones Team, realtors out of Tennessee....we thought we had to share because it is so good!!! 

In a suprise move, the Federal Reserve announced this morning that it has cut the Federal Funds Rate three-quarters of a point, moving the key rate from 4.25 to 3.75 percent.

While it was no suprise that the Fed would slash rates, the shocker is that the US central bank would not only make the move before its scheduled meeting next week, but also implement the biggest federal funds rate cut on record going back to 1990.

In addition to dropping the funds rate, which governs overnight lending between banks, the Fed also slashed the discount rate it charges on direct loans to banks by three-quarters of a point to 4 percent.  Many economists believe rates could be cut again at the Federal Reserve’s scheduled meeting on January 29-30.

Check out the full story here.