These are big concerns since the price of Utilities have continued to rise. Of course my favorite is paying more for my TV cable bill than to heat my home, but we won't go there. Feeling that I need to do my part in assisting my clients with good ideas on how to lower their bills, I have been reading every article on Saving Money on Home Utilities. I read one article where a Family had gotten their bills so low that the Gas company actually came out to make sure they were still receiving service. That is my dream! However some of these utility cost cutting ideas are alittle too out there. But  I have installed an Attic Fan, Wrapped my Water Heater, and so on. Do these things really work? You bet! My summer gas bill was in the teens monthly!!! My Summer Air Conditioning bill the lowest since I have owned my home over the past 13 years. Some of the items are so easy that your teenager can do these little projects for you. Also were you aware that if you change out certain items on your home that the government will let you write off a certain percentage? Below, I am attaching one of my favorite websites I have learned from in saving money in my Home. It's a Lowe's website that has many different areas that might interest you! Enjoy and please save your favorite websites...always fun saving money-

Karen

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=/homewise/top_five_ways_to_save.html

Karen  630-674-2215 

I feel like I am beating a dead horse here to death, but I can not express strongly enough how much of a difference this makes when selling your Home-The current Buyer's think these items are extremely costly and have very little knowledge on changing out lights! Oh, and have I ever mentioned that these Buyer's think dirty caulk in the shower means your Home is full of Mold and that you do not bother to take care of your home at all? This is a new generation of Buyers. A New way of thinking. If you want to get the most value in your Home Sale then you need to invest in your investment-

For more ideas and suggestions on inexpensive home updates to increase your value, please feel free to give me a call at 630-674-2215

As Always, Karen 

Every day since I became a CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert) I have clients, associates, and other Real Estate Agents ask me "What is a Short Sale"?  "Are they really good deals"?

A Short Sale is where the Home Seller is offering their Home for sale for less than they owe on the Home. The loan can be held by one lender or two lenders. Meaning they could have borrowed money the first time to buy the Home and the second time they took out a Home Equity loan.

Why would a Home Owner try to sell their Home on  the Short Sale process versus allowing their home to go into Foreclosure. The Answer, if a Home Seller sells their Home through the Short Sale process rather than going to Foreclosure than they are only hurting their credit approximately 50-80 credit points versus 250-300 credit points on a Foreclosure. In the future a Family that Short Saled their previous Home should be able to re-purchase a home within 2-3 years if they keep the rest of your credit clean and pay everything on else on time. Where as a Family that took a Foreclosure may not be able to purchase a Home any time soon. I know everyone is saying, "Well, with everyone having bad credit the banks are going to have to find a way to still lend to us!". Yes, I agree they will, but are you willing to pay the lending costs? People complain daily to me that the Homes rates are at 5.25%, can you imagine what their shock is going to be when the lender asks them for 12%-15% because of their foreclosure, which by the way will ALWAYS be public record and will stay on your credit bureau for 10 years.

I get the feeling that SOME people truly believe that they can walk away without paying the price, but they definitely will going forward. If you decide on selling your home through a Short Sale process you DEFINITELY will need a CDPE Agent. DO NOT USE AN AGENT THAT IS NOT A CDPE! We are trained to work Short Sale processes. Their are Agents out there that claim to know the ropes but can not get answers from the lenders for 3-4 months. Would you wait to find out if your offer was received for 3-4 months. I know I wouldn't-

Please feel free to write me or call me more questions about Short Sales at 630-674-2215. Next Blog, I am going to give you a list of questions to ask an Agent if you want to know if they truly know the Short Sale process- Stay tuned- Karen

1. Reinstatement of your Current Loan: Bring your Loan Current        2. Forebearance: Temporary repayment plan         3. Re-Finance: New Loan with reduction in monthly payments       4. Loan Modification:  Modify original loan terms         5. Sell The Property: Use Equity to payoff the loan or Pay the Difference Owed to the Bank     6. Rent the Property: Must make the loan current to do so     7. Short Sale the Property: Negotiate with the Bank to accept a sale under the loan amount-*you must get the Bank to release you of a Judgment Deficiency if at all possible to avoid further damage to your credit and avoid paying pay the loan to sale difference*-this is where you need a Short Sale Specialist with 90% Short Sale Approval Rating-            8. Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure: "Friendly Foreclosure"            9. Bankruptucy: Will stall foreclosure but not prevent it

If you have any questions about any of these options, please feel free to contact me, Karen at 630-674-2215-

Hope this Information Helps, and please remember this is NOT only a Financial Situation but an Emotional Situation. You are not alone and this is happening to many families. I am trying to help families one at a time!

Karen

Now I have heard of many of past , or Older Home Sellers tell me,"When I bought my home that I currently live in now, it was a mess. I had to change and update everything. I looked at homes with Purple walls and no one cared!". Well folks, now the New Buyers care. Life is getting busier and Busier, and more and more people are not the do-it-yourselfer's. Which comes to a new theory I have about maintaining a home. Most of us in the past thought maintaining a Home was changing the furnace filters, batteries in the Smoke detectors, and cutting the lawn. Here comes the new Era! You can live in your home and have a beautiful & fun lfe. BUT be ready to drop some coin to get the home ready for the market. It may mean replacing fixtures and painting some walls, to replacing carpeting and a furnace. However if you do not do it your neighbor will to sell their home. OR, you can keep up with the changes over time and enjoy the changes. Remember that most of parents moved into Newer Homes back in the day. They did not have to worry about old roof's,windows,furnace's and more. These days Buyers need to be aware of the Updating needed plus all of the Home Majors. Think they do not have those thoughts in mind if they make you an offer, think again. When past Buyers bought theie homes the Home Inspection was and still is suppose to be for Safety issues only. In the past 2 years I have not Sold one home that the Buyer has not asked for the furnace to be cleaned, and so on....

If you chose wisely, and really prepare yourself and your Home to sell, then you will move off the market. The other day I had the wonderful opportunity to show a Home to a client with underware hanging on door knobs, dirty dishes in the sink, and a yard that was a mess. Yeah, it was the biggest house with the most features in their price range, but they could not run out of there fast enough....

Have a good one- Karen

1. Color is Key-An attractive landscape usually has color. Many people add flowering plants along the walkways or porch areas to create a focal point on the home. The colorful plants add a cheerful welcome. Remember, buyers will generally visit numerous homes so anything you can do to help them remember yours in a positive way will increase a second chance visit. Try to mix up colors in shrubs too. Most people tend to only plant green shrubs, throw alittle color with a off red Mulberry bush for instance.

2. Use colorful but Matching Mulch- A key to making a planted Area, flower boxes or such look finished and clean is to make sure you have mulch in the beds. Besides keeping the water in the ground helping the plantings grow, mulch can define a cleaner look. Make sure to pick a Mulch that accents the plants and flowers you have choosen. Mulch is inexpensive and really completes a look.

3. Keeping the Grass Green and Healthy- A beautiful green lawn says many things to a Buyer. To begin it tells the Buyers you take care of your home, and secondly it says "Warmth and fun, bring the kids to play and run on the lawn". Some people think a green lawn is difficult to achieve. Begin using Scott's 5 simple steps to get a green lawn. Where watering is concerned, when your home is on the market you will need to take the time to water the lawn. Most people believe you must water each area for hours on end. Water each Area for 20 minutes every 4 days and get your lawn use to this schedule and you will never have to do more. If you water each area for an hour than your lawn will always want an hour to be at it's top form. Train your lawn for 20 minutes, and it will only need 20 minutes.

4. Illusion of Space- Hide boundaries such as fences and walls. Make them appear boundless by breaking up the line of the wall which can create a closed off feeling. Paint and the placement of plants help give the illusion of space. Using tall but thin plants in your yard (as opposed to wide ones) can make a small area look bigger. Curved lines can help soften the look of a home that is constructed with too many straight lines or right angles.

5. Lastly-Clean up the driveway-Oil spills are unsightly and will chase away prospective buyers, or at very elast create a memory of your home that you do not want to create. Clean up spill and move the parked cars to give the Buyer's a chance to take in the entire appearance of your residence. If your is asphalt, get your drive re-coated for a fresh look. If your driveway is concrete, get a power washer and freshen the conctete look and get those stains off. Everything about your home is being taken into consideration. Don't let a first impression stop them before getting them through the door-

Now I know some of these suggestions seem alittle ridicules and over the top. You maybe thinking if Buyers are that picky or crazy then they don't need to look at my home. The home Buyer's of today are raised differently, and they have so many homes to choose from that your home needs to stand out as much as possible. The other consistency that I see in new home Buyers is that they are NOT do-it-yourself people. I also like to ask Sellers, "If they were to  put alittle time,effort, and money into their home I could get their home to sell faster and for more money would you do that?", and not one Seller has turned that idea down yet!

As always, these are my own opinions so please do not take offense. My home is in no way market ready, but if I wanted to sell right now I would have a things to do list a mile long. These thoughts come across to me while working with many of my Home Buyers~just passing these thoughts on to you- Karen

1. Lighting Options used as pieces of art in funky shapes. See www.lightcrafters.com for ideas

2. Outdoor living spaces that are extensions of the inside of your home. Comfortable seating, outdoor audio, built in fireplaces and more

3. Design accessories reflecting nature that speak about preserving the enviroment. See www.palecek.com for ideas.

4. Green design elements. Such as water-efficient appliances, undermount LED lighting in the Kitchen, and more. Offering savings to the Home Owners

5. His and Hers amentities are increasing from not only seperate vanities at different heights to seperate garage spaces....look for more of the His and Hers to come

6. Car Lifts in the garage offering more storage space. As land becomes more valuable look to see higher ceiling in garages to lift sport cars and more...

7. Windows can serve as focal points of a room as well as boost energy efficiency. Watch for Builders to be more creative with placement, use, and types of windows.

8. Wood in Dark and Light stains and in various materials are now being used throughout the home. No longer is it all one type of wood in one stain family. (Not sure I am really liking this new Hot design idea- but "Hey" to each their own)

9. Mirrors, Mirrors, and more Mirrors. Add Glamour, open up room sizes, and highlight Artwork and more. See www.mirrormatecommerical.com for ideas

10. And of course we are going to continue to see New Technology sprinkled through out the home. Coming soon are IPod docking stations built in throughout the home and TV' s in practically every room in the home.

Hope this got your creative juices flowing with many ideas for your home-

Remember if you have any questions concerning the Real Estate Market always feel free to give me a call~630-674-2215

Enjoy your Home~ Karen 

- After meeting with an Environmental Specialist he told me that it did not matter how expensive a furnace air filter was that I just needed to make sure that it's rating was a Merv 8. Interesting since my husband has allergies. He suggests contacting or reading about your allergies and checking the guidelines, but no too assume more expensive was better. In fact if you buy too high of a Merv rating you could snuff out your furnace.

-Got a clog in your drain? I used to run out to the store and buy Drano. Expensive and Bad for the environment. Pour Baking Soda down the drain, then pour Vinegar. Let this fun mess sit for 15 minutes then rinse down with Hot Water. Tried it, and it worked!

- Did you know that the basement window wells in your home actually have drains in them to prevent water from filling them? Yep, and we should be cleaning out our Window wells every year and putting down some loose stone so that the water can flow loosely through them to the drain. Helps avoid flooding and water in your basement.

-When winter comes, many of us rush out to the store for salt rock. This is really bad of our walks, driveways, carpets, and floors. To begin with salt will not work in lower temperatures. If we put salt rock out there and there isn't enough snow it sits on the pavement and eats it away and we drag these stones into the home ruining floors and making a mess. Instead, pick up the most inexpensive table salt and spread that around for melting. It's less harmful, less messy, and less dangerous to everything.

-Many of us have home humidifiers, when was the last time your replaced the filter? Did you even know it has a filter? I didn't which caused a clogged filter to leak. We need to change these yearly.

-We should all know by now that we need to change the batteries in our smoke detectors twice a year at the time changes. Here's a great way to keep batteries in one place without clogging up a whole drawer. Go to Walmart, Target or such and buy a hard plastic pen/pencil box. When you buy batteries put them into the box and throw away the package~thus saving you alot of remove, and when you open the box you know which batteries you are low on.

-Brighten up your Home with Reveal Light Bulbs. They really do show a more natural lighting in your home, rather than the yellow tint you get off of regular light bulbs. OK, so now you are thinking I am going to use those other bulbs (fluorescent bulbs) I know we are trying to save money, BUT with the mercury in them going directly into landfills, the run off is causing birth defects and more...

-Checking your Home Caulk. Major water damage and mold avoidance can be avoided by re-caulking your tubs, showers, floors, etc. Many people hate to do this and do not apply it well. They actually have a cheap tool at the Home Stores to help you take off the old(never put new on top of the old, it does not grab) and apply the right amount. Saves ALOT of money in the long run, and buyer's hate moldy caulk in Tubs and Showers-

Hope these little tidbits help you take care of your Home. Remember your home is where you raise a family and such, but it is also an expensive investment-

Stay Warm, Karen 

Karen 

Most people hardly look at their property tax bill or the assessment factor letter that comes in the mail because they escrow to the bank or because it seems "Alien" to them. I used to be that way too! So if this is a project you would not like to handle then contact a tax specialist to have them get your taxes lowered. Yes, paying to get the lowered is a price, but the money you save this year and next year, etc. outweighs the amount you pay a professional. OR, you can be like me and figure the system out. You can find  everything you need on the internet. It is all public information, and once you see how much your neighbor is paying, etc you will become addicted. I have found neighbors to be paying as much as 2000 less than me for the same home, and I have found 1 Home Owner paying 4000 more than anyone else with the same home. It is amazing. So let's take advantage of the public internet, and to the downside of the current housing market. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. This is a free service that I give to all my clients. I can not legally petition their taxes for them, but I can download all of the information and walk them thru the steps. Believe me this process becomes an obssession- Karen  

Karen  

When a property becomes a rental property the Home Owner changes their insurance with their Agent down to fit their needs, not the Rentors needs. What often happens is that the Rentors believe that they do not need to cover their contents until it is too late! For instance I discussed with some clients that they really needed to have rentors insurance and why. After this past storm I was driving by their rental and stopped to say hello. WOW, were they disappointed with themselves for not getting the rentors insurance. They had stored some very prized possessions in the basement, only to have them ruined by the water that came in during the storm. They thought because the Landlord was responsible for the home and it's up keep that they would be covered. However , when the power went out and the sump pump quit due to lack of power it was beyond their landlords control. They are so upset with themselves and grieving about their loss. Then they called their insurance Agent to discuss getting rentors insurance, only to find out that it was not in fact as expensive as they thought. Thousands of dollars in stereo equipment, furniture, and other priceless pieces handed down from generation to generation gone for the cost of approx. 400.00 a year. Rentors insurance or Not Rentors Insurance, not really a question- Karen

Karen 

 Until Later-Karen                                                       

                 Remember you only get 1 chance to make the 1st and best impression!