an ongoing conversation place for everything real estate

So what, exactly, do career planning and real estate have in common? They both require a plan! Hey, I’m keeping it simple today on this blog today, I need to go buy a birthday card for my wife.

I spent well over a decade learning a great deal about career planning. It is a very active process that evolves over time and changes as our life situations change. Where we start is rarely where we end up in a career, and often things happen that we didn’t select, yet fortunately we get to choose how we respond.
Often times buying and selling a home is very similar to career planning. Owning requires taking care of the property and watching the trends of the market. When the day comes that we have to sell we can’t control what the market says the house is worth, but we can control how we react to it. When we want to buy, we can’t control the interest rates, but we can control how we deal with it.

One of the keys of maintaining any type of control in your career or with the value of your home is showing a willingness to adapt and develop. Learn new skills or update that kitchen. If you want top dollar for your skills or your home both must be nurtured and cared for over time. Even then, you might find your skills or your home under valued for what you think they are worth. Remember; control what you can control. Develop your skills regardless of their value; you grow as a person if your do. Develop your home while you live in it so you can enjoy it. Do things to your home that you will enjoy. And don’t wait to do things you should do until you have to sell. At that point you will hate spending the money on it and you won’t get to enjoy it at all.

I look forward to your questions, comments, and thoughts!

“Like” us at www.facebook.com/TheRheinerCrew and check out our CBSHome real estate site at www.TheRheinerCrew.com.

Michael

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th!  Most of us fire up the grill and have a family BBQ with Dad.

Here are a few Grill Safety Tips provided by our friends at Lowe’s.

Now is a great time to buy a new home.  If you are planning on buying or selling this summer, contact your CBSHOME Agent.  If you need an agent, feel free to contact our Relocation Department.

Does curb appeal matter?  In a nutshell, yes. 

Whether you are seeing homes for the first time online or driving down the street what you see first is the home’s exterior.  You are drawn in or turned off by its appearance.  This is your first impression.  There are no do-overs here.  Once someone has formed an opinion about your home, a negative one may be hard to shake.

What exactly are you sizing up in this quick view?  Basically, if the home is well maintained.  Generally, we make the assumption that a home well cared for on the outside has been cared for on the inside.  Fresh paint, and nice landscaping not only add value to your home, but the “curb appeal” is the invitation to see more when you are trying to sell your house.

There are a multitude of choices you can make to improve your home’s outward appearance:

• Repair or replace bad siding and trim.
• Paint the home, apply fresh paint to the trim, or paint the front door a contrasting/complimentary color.
• Add new light fixtures and house numbers if yours are dated.
• Repair or replace cracked driveways and sidewalks.
• Cut the grass, trim bushes, prune trees, remove weeds and freshen the mulch.
• Add color to your walkway or front step with flowers or plants. Annuals have a tendency to be continual bloomer as perennials may only bloom once or twice during the growing season.  Place potted flowers on the steps.
• Keep the walk, drive, front porch, and front door clean.

 This is a partial list, but you are getting the idea.  A beautiful exterior is one step to help your home get showings.  If you are unsure about what your home needs, ask your real estate professional.  He or she can help you decide what improvements may beneficial.

SIX WORTH-THE-PRICE FIX-UPS

There are a lot of do-it-yourself projects that can increase the value of your home.  On the contrary, it is possible to spend LOTS of money on projects that, when you sell your home, you find were not worth the cost.  Here are six simple projects, all approximately under $1000,  that could get you a decent return on your money:

1. Cleaning & decluttering.  Remove all personal items, clear off countertops, straighten-up and clean-out closets (all of them!) and clean, clean, clean! (approx cost $290, return – $1,990)
2. Brighten-up. Clean ALL windows, inside & out, replace old curtains, replace light fixtures, remove anything that keeps the light from shining in. (approx cost $375, return – $1550)
3. Smart staging. Rearrange/remove furniture, bring in new accessories, add complimentary artwork, play soft music, use aroma therapy, but NOT TOO MUCH. (approx. cost $550, return – $2,194)
4. Landscaping touch-ups. Punch up curb appeal, front and back, by adding fresh bark mulch, bushes, flowers, and make sure to keep them manicured. (approx. cost $540, return – $1,932)
5. Repair electrical and/or plumbing. Fix leaks under the sink, remove mildew stains,  make sure all plumbing is working.  Update older homes for modern appliances, fix any lights or outlets that don’t work, replace old plug points with new safety fixtures. (approx. cost $535, return – $1,505)
6. Replace or shampoo carpets. Steam-clean carpets, replace worn carpets, repair creaks in floors. Stretch carpet, if necessary. (approx. cost $647, return – $1739)

Excerpted from HomeGain’s 2011 Home Sale Maximizer Survey, www.homesalemaximizer.com

Now that fall is here and winter is right around the corner, I thought I might share a tip with you on how to keep those unwanted creatures out of your home.  The link below is a great article from www.scotts.com

http://www.scotts.com/smg/learn/infoHowToArticle.jsp?detailId=13100002&tabs=article&navId=300030&subNavId=11200004&parentId=100006

Believe me, I’m speaking from experience.  Why is it that a tiny little vermin can make me scream like no other?  Trust me I’ve tried the sticky traps, the snap traps, the 5 star mouse hotel, you name it, I’ve tried it.   And just so you know…if you catch one, the “one and done” really does not apply.  There is no such thing as a “mouse”.  They live in families and are breading faster than you can imagine.

Happy Hunting.

Angie

As the morning become brisk and the trees begin to change its hard to realize that winter is just around the corner.  Here are few things that you can do inside and out to get your home ready. 

• Clean and store all patio equipment, umbrellas and any summer toys
• Check all the caulk around windows and doors – re-caulk if necessary
• Check all outside doors including the garage door and add new weather stripping ,if needed, to help keep old man winter outside!
• Drain all your garden hoses
• Clean out gutters
• On a cloudy day wash all your windows with a natural window cleaner ,made of ¼ cup of vinegar, ½ teaspoon of liquid soap and two cups of water, using old newspapers for a streak free shine
• Order your furnace inspection from a qualified professional – don’t wait until one night when BRRRR… you can see your breath
• Get a winters supply of furnace filters – remember to change them once a month, more often if you have pets

Hope that you find these helpful, remember a clean home is a happy home! 

Now get those sponges a workin’ and clean clean clean!