Spring is almost here and if you are selling your home it’s time to update your curb appeal.  A few weeks ago I gave you some tips on how to make the outside of your home look good in the winter.  Now it’s time to brush off the remaining snow off your stoop and dress things up a little.

Take a good look at your front door. If it looks tired, drab, chipped or dirty you might get by with a fresh coat of paint.  This may be controversial but I recommend you go for neutral colors.  If the front door is too bright buyers usually either love it or hate it.  Don’t risk the haters. Stick to quieter colors. Don’t forget garage doors too.  Many times they are the first things buyers see.

The best thing you can do for your door is invest in some new hardware. Currently, the trend is for black, oil-rubbed bronze or satin nickel colors. One of my colleagues recently had all the door hardware painted a matte black. It looked great and what was dated was suddenly new.

Windows are next.  A woman in my neighborhood took the screens off her windows and then cleaned the panes until they shone.  It give her house such a clean look.  Windows can be dressed up for fun.  I love flower boxes filled with colorful blooms and buyers do too.

Do you have a front porch?  Nothing says Middle America like an inviting front porch.  People are always seeking ways to increase their square footage. If you decorate your porch like another room of the house with a couple of comfortable rocking chairs or Adirondacks it will appear as another room.  It also may encourage your buyers to sit down and write up an offer on your house.

With many home in Omaha the driveway is a prominent feature.  If it is full of unsightly cracks and gaps it may be worth the $2,000 to $2,500 to get it replaced.  At the very least you should consider patching all the cracks and removing dirt and oil stains.

Clean flowerbeds, gutters and a trim lawn should be part of everyday maintenance when selling your home.  Sweep the walkways. Make certain there are no trip hazards.  A little elbow grease will have a big payoff and get your home sold more easily.

If you would like for me to look at your property and give you some specific pointers just let me know.  With my expertise and your desire to sell we can get the job done. Give me a call or text me at 402-670-8775 or email me at Mare.Otis@cbshome.com.

If you are considering buying a new home and planning on an FHA loan then please take note.  On April 1, 2013 the following U.S. Department of Housing and Administration rules go into effect:  

1.   On most FHA loans the annual premium will increase by 0.10% or $100 per year for each $100,000 in loan amount.
2.   For loans greater than $625,000 with a term longer than 15 years, the increase will be 0.05%, or $50 per year for each $100,000 in loan amount.

To beat the April 1 deadline you need to apply for the FHA loan and have a case number assigned to it. To get a case number for your FHA loan you need to apply with a lender no later than March 25, 2013.

Here’s the bigger punch in the jaw: After June 1, 2013, FHA borrowers will have to continue paying annual mortgage insurance premiums for the life of the loan. Until the new rules goes into effect, the usual practice was that the FHA automatically canceled the mortgage insurance whenever a borrower reduced the balance of the loan to 78% of the original loan amount.

The way to avoid the new June 1, 2013 rule is to:

A.) find a house;

B.) apply for an FHA loan; and,

C.) get a case number for it before June 1, 2013. Most mortgage officers advise buyers to apply with a lender no later than May 24, 2013.

So if you’re serious about buying a new home the time has arrived.  Just give me a call or text me at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.  We will tour Omaha homes until you find the one you want.

Many times I’ve heard clients declare that they are just going to rent their house. They are frustrated because it’s not selling fast enough or they believe the market is bad or because they are leaving town. There are a million different reasons homeowners decide to rent out instead of selling their home.  Renting your home is not automatically a poor decision but homeowners ought to know what they are getting into when taking this step.

I want to ask first if they know what it means to be a landlord.  It should be a given that the homeowner’s goal is to enter into a profitable venture.  If you have a mortgage then the rent should reflect the cost of the monthly mortgage payment plus the cost of maintenance and 15% for profit.

Maintenance is not to be taken lightly here.  Are you planning on hiring a property management company to do maintenance? Such companies usually take about ten percent or more of the rent.  Ask yourself these questions: Are you willing to be called in the middle of the night or at work because of a broken water pipe?  Are you willing to give up your nights and weekends working on non-emergency maintenance? 

Renting a property is a great investment until there is no rent coming in. The homeowner who was reluctant to fix up the house to sell it must now fix it up to rent it.  That means money.  Then there may be lost time while getting the place ready to rent; even after it is ready, it may take some time before someone agrees to rent it. 

Not to mention the fact that you should hire an attorney to draft a well-written lease for you.  Such a lease must protect your property, help you evict someone if necessary and will hold the renter accountable for damages.  Then you will have to spend money screening prospective tenants. Doing credit and criminal history checks and getting references from former landlords may take additional time. This all will cost you money.

I have barely touched on additional expenses you may have to incur before you receive a single rent check for your house.  I suggest that you think carefully before deciding on this action.  Make a list of all possible expenses and do some research into the cost of maintenance, legal work and landlord laws.  Renting is not an easy or even viable fall back solution.

It best to discuss such things with your Realtor before making a decision. When you are ready to sell or buy a home please text or call me at 402-670-8775 or email me at Marie.Otis@cbshome.com.

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CBSHOME Real Estate is the Omaha Metro areas BEST real estate resource.  Now you can use our cutting edge technology on your iPad, iPhone, or Android device.

The CBSHOME Omaha Real Estate Search app provides you instant access to all listings in the Omaha and Council Bluffs MLS areas.
Quickly locate homes using our exclusive Home Scan feature; a tool that uses augmented reality to overlay property information right onto the device’s live camera feed.  You will love the ability to point your device towards a home or down a street and have instant property information.

Additional search tools include a map search, address search, open house search and nearby properties for sale.  Find a home you love? Save it to your personal CBSHOME page, making it easy to view that property from the app or CBSHOME.com.

Long, glistening icicles hanging off the roof is a sight I see every winter here in Omaha.  Although they are beautiful they are a sign that the house is improperly vented and insulated. As a buyer you should beware.  As a homeowner there are things you can do to prevent ice dams and the accompanying icicles.

There are several things that cause ice dams to form. One of the earliest prevention steps is cleaning gutters in the autumn before the snow starts to fall. Ice dams are caused by snow melting and refreezing. Ice begins forming on debris in the gutters and the roof’s edge. Then the process of melting and refreezing causes the problem to escalate.

Another way to prevent for formulation of an ice dam is roof raking. In order for this to be effective it is   imperative to rake every time it snows – even if it is only an inch. There are long-handled rakes you can purchase specifically for this purpose.

To stop the problem from happening in the first place a homeowner needs to identify where the warm air leaks are occurring in the attic. Once those are repaired, the attic must be properly insulated.

If you are already combating an ice dam then you must take action. If water is actively leaking into your home there is no time to waste.  Here is a recommendation by an expert, TOH general contractor, Tom Silva. “Blow in cold air: Take a box fan into the attic and aim it at the underside of the roof where water is actively leaking in. This targeted dose of cold air will freeze the water in its tracks. You’ll stop the leak in a matter of minutes.”

Here are some additional words of caution. Don’t get on your roof and try to chip away at the ice. You can end up loosening shingles and tearing off gutters.  If water is leaking into your attic it will have ruined the R-factor of your existing insulation. Even worse the wet insulation can develop problems with mold and mildew.  This is the time to contact an expert who will analyze what will be needed to fix the problem.  You can then take the advice and get the work done.

Don’t let the problem get to the stage of roof leaks.  You can end up spending thousands to fix it.  Get your attic properly vented and insulated.  Then you won’t have to worry about your home creating ice dams and worry about your savings being depleted.  This problem is preventable.

 Did you know that the number one cause of U.S. fire fatalities is cigarettes?  According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) cigarette fires have been the number one cause of fire fatalities for decades.  In the past 30 years cigarette fires have killed tens of thousands of people.

This time of year, many people add fire hazards to their homes by lighting candles and turning on space heaters. Protecting your property from fire requires being responsible and creating a no fire area in and around your home.  Part of the responsibility is teaching your children not to play with fire or matches.  30% of the fires started by children end up killing them. 

What else can you do to protect your home and property from fire?

I could recommend that you quit smoking but I will settle for warning you never leave a cigarette unattended.  This goes for space heaters, candles, Christmas lights and fireplace blazes. 

Fire extinguishers should be placed in your kitchen and one back by your bedrooms.

Smoke detectors are a must.  I have them in several rooms of my house but you should have at least one smoke detector on each level of your home.

If your space heater is old replace it with a new one. Make certain your new heater has been tested to the latest safety standards.  It should also be certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.  Older heaters may not have up-to-date safety features and standards.

In the City of Omaha it is against the law to build a fire in your yard. But if you live outside the city limits be careful to build fires away from your home and never start one in dry, windy conditions.

Did you know that bark chips and mulch are highly flammable?  Vines growing on your home are also a possible fire hazard.  Keep firewood stacked at least 100 feet from any structure.  Prune trees at least 15 feet off the ground.

There are so many things that can catch fire so my main purpose is to caution you to be responsible when it comes to fire prevention.  Teach your entire family to be responsible about possible fire hazards. Remember it takes only 30 seconds for a tiny flame to become an inferno.

 If you are struggling to meet your mortgage payments and have even missed a few there may be a bit of good news. For those home buyers who financed through Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae beginning December 17 and December 19, respectively, the two mortgage giants will suspend all bank repossessions. On January 2, 2013, evictions will resume.  The Bank of America also said it will halt foreclosure evictions, both of the loans it owns and for those it services for investors, during the holiday period.

Don’t wait until you’re in a situation where you’re facing eviction. If you lose your job or some other personal disaster makes it impossible to continue making months or years of mortgage payments then consider a short sale.  In a short sale the homeowners sell at a price that is less than what they owe the back. 

It takes some time to get bank approval for a short sale AND you must keep up with your mortgage payments until you close on the sale.  It is important to decide quickly and to use a Realtor who knows how to handle a short sale. 

There is one more draw back you should know. The Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act allowed that homeowners didn’t have to pay federal tax on the unpaid mortgage debt.  If Congress doesn’t act to extend the Act it will expire on December 31, 2012.  That means in January the IRS will begin treating the portion of the unpaid loan balance as taxable income.  This is like kicking someone when they are down. Usually, those people selling their home in a short sale situation are not in a position to pay additional tax.

This is an instance where contacting your Representative in Washington, D.C. to urge extension of the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act would be desirable.  If charity begins at home and the holidays are a time of goodwill, then call or write your Senator or Congressmen today.

 The holidays are a time of love, joy and are filled with family and friends.  The holidays can also be deadly for babies, toddlers and pets.  Here are just a few safety tips to remember this season.

Lead

Did you know that strings of lights contain lead?  Did you know that many artificial trees are made from PVC that not only releases gases in to the air but also breaks down in the heat and sunlight; eventually producing lead dust that can travel from room to room in your entire house?  Check out your country of origin for your artificial tree.  If it is from China it probably contains lead.  If your tree is old it might be time to retire it and buy a new one that does not contain lead. 

Check the labels on your new lights to make certain there is no lead. When handling your old lights, wear gloves or wash your hands after handling because the plastic coating on the wires may contain lead.  Remember, any amount of lead is unacceptable for children and pets.

Choking Hazards

For babies, toddlers, children and animals all small items or pieces of anything are a possible choking hazard.  If they can, children will put anything and everything in their mouths.  Holiday decorations just add to the temptation with their shimmer, glitter and twinkle.  The best thing to do is try to keep such lovelies out of their reach.  Tinsel is not only a choking hazard it can cause intestinal blockages.  Avoid putting food items like candy canes on the tree or anything else that looks or smells of food.  Of course, children will reach for those things. 

That leads me to items such as wrapping paper and ribbons.  Again they are so inviting but some of these items contain lead.  Children love scraps of bright paper and ribbon and yes, you guessed it, put them in their mouths.  Don’t leave the wrapping accessories lying around such as scissors or knives for cutting boxes open.

Poisonous Plants

For years I heard Poinsettias were toxic but I’ve since learned it is not.  It will make your child and pet sick if they eat it however so you still need to be careful.  Holly, ivy, Jerusalem cherry and mistletoe are quite poisonous. Be very careful with the berries on greenery and mistletoe; they look so tempting.

Safety is an everyday issue for families with children and pets. I hope this list raises your consciousness a bit on some you may have overlooked.  Be safe and have a joyous holiday season with your precious children and pets.

CBSHOME.com and all our agent websites have been updated!

		The “Property Search” page now has a “Save this Search” and “Clear Search” under your summary of search criteria across the top of your screen.  Also, this newly redesigned search screen highlights the “Location” search field.  Type in the street number, address, city or school district to search for homes in that area!
Interested in a home?  Ready to see it with your agent?  Now you can print a brochure about the property that includes large photos, space to take notes about the home and a place to rank the home!
		Curious to know what is near the home you are looking at?  Our website now features “Points of Interest” on each listing!  Simply click on the “Map” tab and click on “Points of Interest.”  You can quickly view what stores, restaurants, schools and more are near that property!

These are just a few enhancements that make CBSHOME.com the BEST website for real estate!

Are you looking to build a new home in the Omaha, Nebraska? CBSHOME Real Estate represents the finest agents and builders in the most popular developments. These are located throughout Douglas County including Gretna, Elkhorn, Bennington, Bellevue, Valley, and Plattsmouth.

If you are interested in building in a certain school district, our available lots and developments page may help you in your search for the perfect new construction neighborhood.

You will also find many links to of our featured developments that show available lots with Google Mapping in Omaha to give you a better idea of location with surrounding amenities.