ARE YOU THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOME THIS YEAR?

Selling your home this year?

Right now is the right time to begin getting your home ready for sale . With the weather uncertain at this time of year, it is difficult to do outside projects. But, get them on your list of things to check and spruce up if need be when the weather breaks.

What should be on your to do list outside?

Windows:

Caulking checks and repairs.

Be sure windows are clean and sparkling

Outdoor lights should be in good repair, clean and have proper size bulbs installed for use when evening showings happen.

Gutters and downspouts... I can't say this enough times. BE SURE THESE ARE IN GREAT SHAPE. Whether you sell your home or not, it protects your home from water and moisture damage . It is difficult to imagine just how much damage improperly installed gutters and downspouts can cause. Warped windows, rotted sill plates, damp wood drawing bugs, mold, mildew, the list goes on and on. So, check the gutters for leaks in the seams of gutters, clean the gutters out spring and fall, and be sure that your downspouts are extended out at least four feet from the base of your home.

Yards trimmed and neat. NO FLAKING AND OR PEELING PAINT.

Flowers always add to the curb appeal as well as well placed and trimmed landscaping.

Curb appeal is very important, if your home lacks it then it will be difficult to get people interested enough to come inside.

As for the interior of the house. Small things are very important and can be done while the weather is inclement .

Door hinges, working properly and fitting well.

Baseboards clean and well fitted.

Windows, check caulking and fit , clean the sills and be sure the glass is sparkling.

Bathroom fixtures , check for leaks and remove built up lime , rust and soap scum.

If you have a shower, be sure the shower head works well and is not clogged. Simplifiy this job with some CLR cleaner. It works well and quickly.

Make sure your carpets are not loose anyplace, remove spots and be sure pet stains are eliminated and the carpets are swept.

Kitchens,,, fixtures must sparkle here. Counters should be uncluttered and items not used daily should be stashed away in the cabinets.

Change the furnace filters and be sure the furnace is working properly . Furnaces are big ticket items that if not working properly may cost you a sale or discourage a buyer.

Since you are planning to move anyway, pack up everything that you are not using at the time or won't be needing soon. Items might include but not limited to Christmas decorations, summer toys and that type of thing that take up space but that you won't need for a while.

PETS.

Be sure pets are caged or take them with you. Some buyers might be highly allergic to certain types of animals and if they have an allergic reaction by being around the pet they will not stay and look at your otherwise perfectly nice home because they can not tolerate the pet.

Once you are ready to sell your home you might choose to have your own whole house inspection done. This way you will be aware of items in need of work or repair that you might not have noticed. You can eliminate problems later during the inspection phase that might discourage a buyer or take time you might not have to get the deal closed. When the inspection is done and any major repairs have been addressed you will have the report and the repair invoices to provide to a prospective buyer. All in all getting these things done ahead of time will save you time, worry and money.

LOANS FOR PEOPLE WITH POOR CREDIT SCORES

We recently had the opportunity to hear from a Wells Fargo rep who came to our office to discuss a new program for buyers who have marginal credit scores between 500 and 600.

WOW, unheard of..

FHA loans are available through Wells Fargo for buyers who have less than great credit but who have some money for down payments.

Buyers will be required to have more down payment the lower the score is . So, someone with a score of 500 must expect to pay ten percent down on the property they choose.

Pre-approvals are done prior to offer writing , instead of afterwards. In other words, you will be required to provide, w2 forms, 1099, tax papers and proof of employment to the lender up front instead of forwarding it all later.

Instead of just having a pre-qualification and pre-approval letter , your loan will be ready for appraisal right away. The loan should move along quickly according to FHA guidelines.

You will NOT have the advantage of having someone "gift" you down payment money as with normal FHA , but the seller may still contribute 3 percent of your closing costs and pre -paids.

The option for this loan allows some buyers, who have been able to save some money following a slump where their credit has suffered a chance to be a homeowner sooner than later.

For more information on this loan give me a call at the office 765 286-8400

BUYING A HOME IN TODAY'S MARKET

To buy or not to buy? So many people are leery of purchasing homes today due to their being skeptical about the economy.
While lenders are being far more selective in regards to who can get a home loan there is still lots of money available for qualified buyers.
So what is a qualified buyer? Most people think they are qualified to purchase a home if they simply have a job and the desire to purchase a home. Wrong. Being qualified means, you have the correct income to debt ratios, and that you do have employment or a regular verifiable income and that you have a credit rating that qualifies you to purchase. Most Realtors (pronounced Real tors, not real a tors, that really bugs Realtors ) . will not show homes to buyers who have not been pre qualified through a lender.
So what do you do if you have the desire to purchase a home and you see one that just suits you ?
Your first step is to pick ONE agent to work with. Picking one agent? You ask why you should work with just one agent, and there are many reasons.
1. Agents are loyal to buyers and sellers and their customers and clients should be too and will greatly benefit by finding ONE agent they are comfortable with. If your thinking is the listing agent can get me a better deal, you could be loosing out because that is usually not the case, a seller has a bottom line and no agent can make that bottom line get better. An agent might be able to negotiate with a seller regarding commission, but that negotiation has to be approved by both agents so the listing agent is not necessarily the best one to show a home or by any means the worst. But you do need an agent to help you so read on.
2.Why call a different agent every time you see a home you are interested in, they all have access to every property listed no matter who the listing company and agent are. For the most part for sale by owner listers are willing to work with an agent. Actually most for sale by owners are not familiar with all the paperwork or the legal ramifications that might occur selling a property on their own, which is a whole different blog.
3. When you find the agent you think you might be interested in, please ask questions. Interview the agent. Ask them what their plan is to help you . After all, this is the most major purchase you will make in your life time. If the agent skirts your questions or doesn't act like they have time for you, move on, there are hundreds of agents who want your business and are easy to talk to. I am one of those agents. I do want your business.
4. When an agent realizes you are serious and not just a "looky loo" who wants to view homes for decorating ideas he or she will be on the look out for homes that have the amenities you desire. That agent will help you connect with a lender , answer all your questions regarding the process of buying , will search for properties that match what you have stated you desire,set those appointments, view the homes with you , help you through the offer process, all the way to the closing.
5. If you are not a little bit concerned about the buying process you are not normal. It is not realistic to tread in waters you are unfamiliar with involving this amount of money and commitment without some concerns. So if buying a home in this market suits you then by all means find a Realtor and stick with them.
As for the market, it is going to vary from one area to the other in many ways , with price and location being the buyers most usual top concerns. Average prices in the market place have changed in the last three years and buyers are benefitting in many ways because of it. A seller and their agent determine what the listing or marketing price will be, hopefully through research of the market conditions and other property sales in the area and not by what the seller HAS to have to do what they want to do once they sell. While that is an important factor to the seller it has nothing to do with what the actual fair market value of their property is and while a seller might "take a hit" on selling their home at this time they are making it up on the buying side. Market price can also be discussed in another blog. Ultimately, it is the buyer who really determines value by what they are willing to pay for a property. At this time the buyer may desire to make an offer and it may or may not please the seller. A seller has the option to accept an offer the way it is written , reject it totally and not respond at all and let the time frames for acceptance expire, or counter . A counter does not necessarily have to do with price only and may include terms, conditions, what items stay or not, what items the buyer and seller agree to pay for in connection with the purchase .
Generally though at this time a buyer is going to be able to get more for their money at this time and with these market conditions. Property for sale inventories are up and a buyer has a lot to pick from in most instances. However, this does not mean a buyer should "wait to see what happens, and if it is still here in a week we might write an offer" What a buyer needs to be told and listen to is that while the market is flush with properties to choose from, it is also flush with qualified buyers.
Buyers , write your list of questions, interview an agent, have them give you a list of lenders, talk to the lender , find out about down payment assistance, closing costs, the whole ball of wax and you are on your way to home ownership.
If for some reason, you do not qualify at the time you talk to the lender, then find out what you need to do to either qualify for more house, clean up your credit or fix what the problem is. Your credit can be repaired and you can buy a house following a bankruptcy and or a foreclosure.

PRE -QUALIFIED OR PRE-APPROVED??

You hear lots of talk on tv and the web about being pre qualified to buy a house, but is it the same as being pre-approved? NOT by a long shot.
There are big differences in the two. Being pre - qualified means only that your income to debt ratios are within line to purchase. This means that with your income in mind or that of you and your co borrower you qualify to purchase a home.
A lender or a Realtor who pre-qualifies you for a purchase is only determining if your income is sufficient to cover the payment on a property.
Income ratios for certain loans may be a little higher. Often a person qualifies for a home purchase for more than they feel comfortable for. Please if a lender of Realtor tells you a price range that you don't really agree with , don't buy at the top of your price range unless a couple of situations exist. Those conditions would be that you are due for a promotion, an upgrade in job title, or you know a major raise is going to be yours for certain. Don't buy a home thinking that your pay is going to go up and then be stung with a payment and a property that makes your life a daily struggle . When you buy at the top of your price qualification, and you get sick, have surgery, are off work for extended periods of time or heaven forbid you loose your job you are in deep trouble. If you leave a little leeway then you allow for possible changes in your financial future.
Of course if you have the funds for a major down payment and can keep your payment on this higher priced property in range with your comfort zone it is a different story.
Now that you have a pre qualification, you need a pre-approval, this means that your credit is checked and the information given the lender has been okayed and they know that you will be able to obtain a loan on a property when you find the one you want.
In the early 90's it became common place for buyers to get pre approved for a loan and it is a great thing. Formerly, buyers gave the agents their basic information and were pre qualified by the agent and lots of times it turned out they had obstacles in their credit files they were unaware of or they just plain took a chance that it would never be found out and wrote an offer to purchase a property anyhow. They then waited two weeks while the paperwork got started and then cried foul when they were not permitted to finance a home.
These simple tools to aid buyers and their agents make the home buying process so much easier and with a pre-approval they have more credibility with sellers when an offer is presented to them If a seller knows that the buyer who has written an offer on their property is indeed going to be able to be financed then they might be somewhat more negotiable with an offer that is not what they had hoped for.

ON BEING AN EMT AT CAGE FIGHTS

Over 20 years ago I became an EMT and have worked with all types of patients in a myriad of situations. For the last several months I have experienced the most unique of situations. Being on the venue of the injury prior to the injury occurring. Other than stand by status are high school football games I haven't done this. People actually go to this venue knowing that they could be injured and still keep going. They experience cuts , scrapes, abrasions, bloody noses, broken noses, broken ribs, broken collar bones, broken hands , tendon and ligament tears and blackouts.

You might ask where it is that people would go and willingly participate in something that they know might injure them . Maybe you have attended in person or watched on tv but these athletes are participating in cage fights.

I have witnessed these tests of human endurance and skill on television, but believe me , seeing it in person is a whole new level of understanding. When I hear the cage door shut and the ref yell "are you ready?" to the fighters, my senses go on high alert. Watching each bout step by step and blow by blow all the time wondering what if any injuries I might be called on to treat.

We start the evening by signing in and weighing each athlete, checking their pulse, respiration's and blood pressure. The fighters then begin their routine of warming up, pacing, chatting with other fighters , their support teams or just walking around listening to an ipod through head phones and totally shutting out the rest of the world while they wait for the fighters meeting.

Amazingly, so many of these fighters have a blood pressure reading that seems abnormal for someone of their age, size and athletic ability. But, after a while you recognize that it is the hype or adrenalin rush that puts the readings up there. Just as amazingly , after the bouts the fighters come to the check in area to have their pulse, respiration's and blood pressure checked again and often have a much lower blood pressure and their heart rates are barely raised. It is the building of tension and excitement in their system that puts their pressure in the ranges we see.

These athletes have a drive like any other athlete and have their own reasons for participating in this particular sport. Whether it be a love of the boxing , street fighting style, the sheer athleticism of the process, the discipline they develop, or have something to prove to themselves or the world they have a sheer determination to "get the job done" .

I have watched men and women from the small featherweights to the super heavy weights and they are all anxious to get in the ring and get it done.

Afterwards, the demeanor of the athletes is very different than their pre-fight demeanor. While previously they were jumping, bouncing , punching the air, and exercising, now they start the calm down process of accessing their performance, accessing their feelings and lastly aces sing their wounds. Whether they have minor injuries or broken bones, the majority of these performers have a wonderful attitude and more likely than not will reach out and shake hands or bump fight gloves with the person they just fought and tell them things like, you have a great right, you are good, or ask how long they have been training and all in all are friends .

So, while I am there to treat the various and sundry injuries and keep track of the athletes heart and blood pressure readings, I find that I learn a multitude of things from these well trained men and women . Determination, guts, hard work make for success in everything we try to do. And, most of all............... I LEARNED , "YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART". Thanks to all the athletes , their trainers and promoters for allowing me to experience this unique look at a unique sport.