HOUSE CARE CALENDAR: A Seasonal Guide to Maintaining Your Home From summer vacations to winter holidays.
It seems each season offers the perfect excuse to put off our to-do list. But be careful, homeowners: neglecting your home’s maintenance could put your personal safety—and one of your largest financial investments—at serious risk. In no time at all, small problems can lead to extensive and expensive repairs. And even if you avoid a catastrophe, those minor issues can still have a big impact.
Properties that are not well maintained can lose 10 percent (or more) of their appraised value. The good news is, by dedicating a few hours each season to properly maintaining your home, you can ensure a safe living environment for you and your family ... and actually accelerate the appreciation in the value of your home by one percent annually! You just need to know where and how to spend your time. Use the following checklist as a guide to maintaining your home and lawn throughout the year.
Getting Mortgage Ready
Don’t wait until you’re ready to move to start preparing financially to buy a home, especially in this market. If you are not financially prepared with a “live loan approval”, you are behind every buyer that will be successful in the market it the next 60 days.
If you’re like the vast majority of home buyers, you will choose to finance your purchase with a mortgage loan. By preparing in advance, you can avoid the common delays and roadblocks many buyers face when applying for a mortgage. A thorough evaluation of your mortgage buying power a full 6 months, even up to a full year, before you plan to buy is the absolute best thing you can do.
Better Mix of Technology and Personality
Being better is not always "Us vs. Them." Most of the time it's "Us vs. Ourselves;" and the way we do things.
I was watching a PBS documentary not long ago about the introduction of solar power into undeveloped parts of Africa. One of the engineers they interviewed said he was envious of the areas being developed. These are parts of the world that have never had power before. "How could he be envious? They have nothing now."His point of view was that new users were getting a new, grass roots system using the very best technology on the planet and their quality of life would grow exponentially; at a rate like no other civilization ever. Without patches and fixes of old systems, the entire effort is focused on new development and by shedding the burden of old systems, the market grows better and faster.
Home Design Trends to Watch in 2018
One of the things we are looking at this year is for clients who are taking on decorating and remodeling projects and want to ensure their dollars are invested wisely. Which looks will last for years to come, and which ones will feel dated quickly? What colors and styles are most popular among buyers in our area? How can I add the most value to my home? So we’ve rounded up some of the hottest trends in home design to help guide you through the process.
Whether you’ve planned a simple refresh or a full-scale renovation, making smart and informed design choices will help you maximize your return on investment … and minimize the chance of “remodeler’s remorse” down the road.
Real Estate @ Compadre Brokers in 2018: What to Expect
The one big question we always hear this time of of year, is "What is the market going to be like?"
It’s not just potential buyers and sellers who are curious; homeowners also want reassurance their home’s value is going up. The good news is that a strong U.S. economy, coupled with low unemployment rates, is expected to drive continued real estate growth in 2018. California continues to lead the nation and markets like San Diego make a $500K median seem normal.
However, changes on the horizon could significantly impact you if you plan to buy, sell or refinance this year.
