The 5 Worst Winter Staging Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

The 5 Worst Winter Staging Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

‘Tis the season…to stage with smarts. When a winter listing comes in it usually means the clients are driven by serious urgency. Unfortunately that urgency doesn’t always translate into the best staging decisions. Here are five all-too-common winter staging decisions that can crush a late-year sale and a few suggestions for cutting them off at the pass: 

1. Over-Holidaying

Yes, we’ve reached one of the jolliest seasons of them all and that comes with the urge to get in the spirit. For sellers there is a dangerous line between spirited and off-putting holiday decor. Remember that you can never know the preferences of prospective buyers. So, gently guide sellers to decorate in a way that won’t deter anyone and make sure the tinsel doesn’t outshine the home.

2. De-Heating

Remember a showing is about both look and feel. If your sellers are the habit of having the heat off when they’re not home, make sure you call or text to remind them to heat it up before home tours. Prospects won’t hang around an unheated home long and this little distraction could cause them to miss a listing’s best features. 

 Home Selling from Janet and Thomas

3. Pet Pandering

It’s cold outside and that means cats, pups, and other family friends are more likely to be inside with their belongings and “gifts.” When working with winter sellers, come up with a plan early on for what happens to pets during a showing and special checklist to make sure the toys, hair, and other accessories are stored in a way that doesn’t ruin the showing.

 Selling over the holiday season

4. The Missing Doormat

It seems simple, but this can be big. Whether your clients go all out or not on staging, the doormat is essential for the winter season. They don’t want to return home to traces of their prospects in every room or end up with a showing stain they can’t overcome.

 Tips selling over the holidays

5. Under-Renovating

Winter repairs take more effort than in any other season in most areas. Make sure the cold or changing weather doesn’t deter your prospects from securing a sale. Just as only serious sellers list during the winter, only serious buyers are on the market. Those buyers have plenty of choices and your staging and listing have to be enough to move them off of a very cold fence.

Originally posted on Trulia. 

73970 Jefferson Armada, MI 48005

73970 Jefferson Armada, MI 48005 $219,000 / Just Reduced

Warm and welcoming colonial with open layout great for entertaining or just enjoying the family. Large kitchen with pantry. Beautiful Bella laminate flooring. Master bedroom with spa retreat bath. Finished basement with extra bed/office and egress window. Fenced yard features brick paver patio. Shed included. So many great features. Don’t miss. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2170 sq ft, $219,000 / Just Reduced

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73970 Jefferson, Armada, MI 48005 (MLS # 31221908)

73970 Jefferson Armada, MI 48005

THERE ARE ONLY FOUR REASONS TO WAIT UNTIL SPRING TO BUY A NEW HOME

THERE ARE ONLY FOUR REASONS TO WAIT UNTIL SPRING TO BUY A NEW HOME

By Janet Hull and Thomas Bush  on Dec 4, 2014

      Are you waiting until spring to buy a house even though you could do it now? Rates are low, the economy has improved, and great deals are out there during the holidays. So if you’re waiting it out, it has to be because of one of these four compelling reasons:

1. You like paying more

If you’d rather wait until everyone else in your area gets up off the couch and decides to get in the market, well, OK. But you will pay the price. Literally.

“Sellers who are actively looking to sell their home during the holiday months – namely, October through December – are serious about shedding the weight of their residences, said US News. “This often works in favor of savvy buyers looking to get a deal on discounted homes.”

2. You like competition

You’re not unique in your desire to get through the holiday season and the winter before undertaking the massive life change that can be a move to a new home. After all, the spring buying season is called the spring buying season for a reason: it’s when buyers get it together to list their home and look for another, hoping the efforts of finding and selling and moving all line up perfectly – and over the summer when the kids are out of school. Makes sense, which is why everyone does it. And that’s exactly why you should be doing it now, when very few people are.

“Less competition from other buyers during the holiday season might mean you’ll be able to negotiate a favorable price for a home you want to purchase,” said Bankrate.

Added Veterans United: “Winter is a buyer’s market. With less competition and fewer dedicated house-hunters, the colder months present an opportunity to snag a good deal. Not only are asking prices typically lower, but you’ll face fewer buyers offering competing bids. Even a small difference in price can mean significant savings in the long run. For example, let’s say you’re buying a house with 6 percent closing costs and a 30-year mortgage with a 3.25 percent interest rate. If your house costs $500,000 as opposed to $550,000, the total cost of your mortgage will fall by over $80,000. You’ll feel the benefits of buying low for decades to come.”

3. You hate getting a great deal

“Sellers tend to avoid the end of the year due to the short days, wintry weather and conventional wisdom that says buyers are otherwise occupied, said Bankrate. “But those who do choose to sell at year-end are often under pressure and highly motivated to cut a deal. And that’s why the year-end might be a smart time to buy: Determined house-hunters can take advantage of sellers’ urgency.”

4. Interest rates, shminterest rates

Who cares if they’re near the lowest levels in almost two years and are projected to go up next year. We’ve already established you’re OK with the idea of paying more.

“The mortgage loan market is ‘at the cusp’ of a turnaround when it comes to rising interest rates,” said US News. “This means that for those who are looking to buy a home, the holiday season may be the last time to lock in low loan rates that could potentially start to climb.”

It’s hard to get motivated when there’s fudge to eat and Christmas Vacation to watch

Yes, relaxing with a plate full of goodies and a holiday flick sounds great. You know what sound even better? Relaxing in your new home knowing you made a great investment. The ability to kick up your feet isn’t going anywhere. But the house with the pool and the perfect layout that just listed in your ideal neighborhood for a reasonable price definitely is. The movie can wait. But will that home you’ve been eyeing still be there when it’s over?

Written by Jaymi Naciri on Wednesday, 03 December 2014 – Posted on Janet and Thomas Realty News Page

10 Ways to Improve Your Home's Resale Value - Janet and Thomas

10 Ways to Improve Your Home's Resale Value - Janet and Thomas

ou want to install heated tile floors, but your husband swears hardwood is better for resale. (Plus, he has the internal temperature of a penguin.)

To find out who’s right, we checked in with Scott McGillivray, trusted contractor and host of HGTV’s Income Property. Read on to see his top 10 tips for improving your house’s value. Hint: You were right about those heated floors.

#1: Hardware Is Easy
Replace your kitchen hardware (hello, drawer pulls) and fixtures (nice to meet you, faucet). These two simple updates can immediately make a dated kitchen look more modern.

#2: Stack the Deck
A deck can provide a great return on investment (or ROI, as savvy homeowners call it) when done right, but size matters. If it’s too small, you won’t get the value back. (That puppy should be at least 100 square feet.)

#3: It’s Getting Hot in Here
A heated floor isn’t just a luxury (but boy is it ever), it can also deliver a good ROI in a bathroom that doesn’t have another heat source.

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#4: Upper Echelon
One of the easiest ways to get a high-end look at a low price is with applied moldings in the living room, dining room and even on the ceiling.

#5: Industry Standard
Don’t waste money on a custom kitchen. We’ll say it again: Save yo cash. Instead, just customize standard cabinets (from a big-box store) to almost any layout. (That’s Ikea up there!)

#6: Door Jam
Dollar for dollar, a new front door delivers a terrific ROI. Other exterior updates like windows and siding are also highly appealing to future buyers looking for security and insulation.

#7: Garages Rock
If you have a garage, don’t get rid of it. It’s important for resale value. If you have one and don’t use it, heck rent it out.

#8: Warm and Toasty
A heated towel rack isn’t cheap, but it does add a surprising amount of value to a bathroom.

#9: Use Protection
If you’re already renovating and your project involves opening up exterior walls, be sure to add (or top up) insulation. You’ll save money in the long run, and it’ll definitely increase the value of your home.

#10: Get Your Fix
The number one way to hold and increase the value of your home: thorough and consistent maintenance. (So clean your gutters.)

Originally posted on Huffington Post Posted: 12/01/2014 7:36 am EST

Home equity is back and homeowners are loving it

Home equity is back and homeowners are loving it

As home prices rise, homeowners are wasting no time making use of their newfound, or regained, home equity. In fact, while all mortgage originations rose in the third quarter of this year, the biggest gain was in home equity lines of credit (HELOCs).

Originations of these loans, which are often in addition to primary mortgages, jumped over 17 percent for the quarter, according to Inside Mortgage Finance, a mortgage industry publication: $20 billion in new HELOCs, which is the most quarterly volume for the product this year.

Home equity is back and homeowners are loving it