5 "Must Do" Items for Creating Curb Appeal

2011-03-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

If the approach of spring brings about the desire to put your home on the market, the best thing you can do is begin by putting your best foot forward. It seems logical, but I have seen so many homeowners ignore Rule#1 in real estate, which is to create good curb appeal.

Here are 5 of the most important things you can do to prepare the outside of your home for sale.

1. Make sure the exterior (siding, brick, etc.) is clean and in good repair. If you can take your index
finger and write your name in the vinyl siding because it is covered in a layer of dirt, I'm thinking you should drag out the hose and give it a good cleaning. You can use dish doap or a vinegar and water solution and a scrub brush with an extendable/retractable handle. Using a power washer is another method and requires less scrubbing.

2. Make sure the front porch is swept and clear of cobwebs and dead bugs. There is no bigger turn-off than the remains of several dead insects dangling from a single thread of a cobweb hanging over your head while standing at the front door! Also make sure the porch is clear of items that just dont belong on the porch, such as sofas, snow shovels, strollers, or your child's rock collection. Placing a fresh welcome mat will also make a great addition.

3. Clean the glass enclosure of the porch and garage lights. Again if you can barely tell when the light is actually on because of the five layers of dirty film on the glass, it's time to give it some elbow grease. Remember to replace any bulbs that are burnt out while you are at it.

4. Make sure the holiday decor is relevant to the current holiday. If it is getting close to Easter and you still have your Christmas Holiday wreath and tree lighting up, it may be time to make a switch. A nice spring wreath gives a fresh, warm welcome.

5. Last but not least, give the front door a good cleaning. If it has been more than 5 years that your door has been painted or stained, it is probably time to give it a fresh coat, especially if your door gets quite a bit of use or exposure to the sign. The lock, handle and latch should also be in good working order.

As the weather gets warmer, you will want to place a pot of fresh flowers on the porch and/or plant fresh annuals/perennials in outside flowerbeds to give additional appeal.

These no-cost/low-cost tips will allow your home to give a great first impression. Look at your home through the eyes of the potential buyers. If they don't like what they see from the exterior, they may not even stay to see what's on the inside. If they can't find something they like about your home, they begin to concentrate on finding something 'wrong' with it. Don't make that costly mistake!

For more information, visit my website at http://www.robertatorres.com/

Mortgage Interest Deduction - To Be or Not To Be?

2011-02-17T16:57:00.000-08:00

Here we are at "Tax Time" again and those of us that are homeowners still paying toward a mortgage are still able to claim a sizeable mortgage interest deduction which essentially saves many homeowners hundreds, if not thousands of dollars (cha-ching).

For decades the mortgage interest deduction (MID) has been used as a promoter of homeownership and healthy communities. The value of the deduction has risen and fallen tenfold over the past 50 years while the rates of homeownership have remained stable - between 63 and 68 percent.

Fact: The MID currently costs the treasury an estimated $131 billion in 2012 (or $210 billion if you add in ancillary tax breaks).
Opinion: Many have argued that aside from shrinking the deficit, phasing out the MID would provide a much-needed correction in the housing market.

President Obama has hinted several times between 2009-2010 that the mortgage interest deduction could possible be erradicated and/or replaced with a flat 12% tax, but still has offered no specifics for plans of possibly moving forward.

I suspect that the real estate industry would be extremely opposed the deduction. According to Michael Berman, chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association, it's "one of the pillars of our national housing policy, and limiting its use will have negative repercussions for consumers and home values up and down the housing chain," (source: Housingwire.com)

Lawrence Yun, economist for the National Association of Realtors, even went so far as to tell the Wall Street Journal that ending the deduction would "surely put us in a broader economic recession."

Of course, I am a homeowner and therefore I am still in favor of the deduction. However, if a decrease in the deduction would benefit the greater good of the ecomony, I am all for "paying it forward" so to speak. I too, am of the feeling that completely erradicating the deduction would be a major step backward for the real estate industry and the ecomony as a whole.

I am interested to know what others think. I welcome your thoughts/comments.

Room to Move...............

5 "Must Do" Items for Creating Curb Appeal

Mortgage Interest Deduction - To Be or Not To Be?