Winter buyers are serious. Give them a treat and don’t over decorate during the holidays.

Using some restraint in holiday decorating goes a long way to selling your home now.

Celebrating the holidays and selling your home can go hand-in-hand if you use a little restraint in the decorating department. Keep in mind that buyers who look at homes during the winter are serious; with interest rates low and a wide variety of housing to choose from you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to sell because of overwhelming decorations.

Beginning on the outside, curb appeal is even more important during the winter because of the lack of grass and trees. Making potential buyers feel welcome is a great start in the sales process. Hanging a beautiful, real wreath on the door is a good start. Use fresh greens rather artificial so visitors enter your home with the pleasing scent of pine.

If you are an outdoor lights aficionado, go ahead but keep it simple. The inflatable Santa that is your family tradition–keep it packed up for your next home, but do add lights around your door and along the walkway. Generally non-twinkling white lights are preferable because they do light the way for prospective buyers and reduce potential falls in the evening hours.

Decorating for the holiday season follows the same rules as other times…declutter, keep it simple, keep it impersonal and show off your home’s best points. Yes, you can have a Christmas tree this year and sell your home at the same time! When choosing that tree, pick a slender one rather than a bushy behemoth. And before you bring the tree in, take a few pieces of furniture out of the room. Offering a view of a cramped, cluttering room is not a holiday treat for buyers. They need to see the true strengths of your home and imagine themselves celebrating the holidays here next year.

As with the refreshing pine scent from your door wreath, tempting your buyer’s senses inside increases the chance of a sale. If you have an open house during the holidays, offer mulled cider and bake some Christmas cookies instead of using artificial, chemical imitations. Buyers know the real thing and will respond.

Inside decorations should be low-key and subtle. Unpack only a few prized, but impersonal things. Small table decorations, some holiday flowers, a few pine cones and some simple greens over the fireplace will do the trick.

Once the holiday cheer dies down, remove all your decorations directly after New Years. Buyers want to know you’ve taken care of their potential home and attending to such details shows you care about selling.

Despite having to show some restraint with your holiday decorating, just remember you can do what you want next year in your new home.

Selling your home during the fall season requires patience

Sprucing up your home’s exterior and curb appeal will go a long way toward welcoming a buyer

Buyers and sellers should not be deterred just because fall and early winter are considered slower for real estate sales. People do buy homes now and astute buyers know this is the time to purchase very special deals. Fall home sellers can make a favorable impression by enhancing curb appeal and making appealing to the buyer’s senses. Fall selling tips include:

Keeping your lawn in shape. Summer may be recent history, but buyers want to see your lawn’s potential. Re-seed bare spots, rake fallen leaves and replace faded summer flowers with colorful fall plantings, such as mums and pansies that have been hybridized for fall and early winter blooms.

Exterior street appearance is vital. We are a bit past the brilliant autumn foliage so your home becomes more exposed and the exterior appearance is extremely important. Cleaning gutters and downspouts shows potential buyers that you are serious about home maintenance. Chipped exterior paint and discolored siding will be more apparent; a good power washing is in order with some paint touch up. Also, make sure outdoor lighting is bright and shiny–you may be showing your home in the dark and the potential buyer should feel safe.

Pictures say it all. If your home was originally put on the market in the spring or summer, take new fall shots for your real estate agent’s website. You don’t to seem dated or indifferent to a sale.

Bring the natural light in. Buyers want a sense of openness, cleanliness and space. Wash all your windows and open the drapes for maximum exposure to the outdoors. A gloomy inside just doesn’t make the buyer feel inspired. Add a few fall decorations too, but hold back on those fake plants and leaves.

Understand the buyer’s mindset. You may encounter homebuyers who will come in with an unacceptably low bid because they think fall sellers are eager to sell. Depending on what you need, deal with these potential buyers accordingly and work to find a mutually agreeable price if that is possible.

Flexibility is the key. Selling a home this time of the year means a certain amount of flexibility. Working with your buyers will help with a sale. Be prepared to show your home at any reasonable time and hold open houses. Also consider paying closing costs and pitching in with minor repairs.

While fall isn’t the easiest time of the year to sell, with some flexibility and negotiation, both the seller and buyer can experience a positive sale.

With a plan and a dose of flexibility you can find the right house for now and the future

Even if it doesn’t have everything you want now, good financial planning will help

Is now the right time to buy your first or next home? With interest rates low, prices at a fair level and many choices out there, the temptation is to jump into the real estate market. The question is how to decide what you can afford, what features are a must, and what would be great but not a necessity.

Affordability
Even before you make a list of what you want and where you want it, the first consideration is: can you afford it? That’s non-negotiable. Consider long-term expenses, not just the up-front incentives that can dazzle a buyer. Over extending a budget for a few glitzy perks is a disaster in the making. The standard in financial planning is to spend no more than 35% of your pretax income on the mortgage, insurance and home insurance. You’ll also want to pay at least 20 percent down on the property and get a fixed-rate loan so you know exactly what your monthly payments will be.

The list
Here’s where you will detail, on paper, the type of home you want and the location. Be realistic about the positive and negative features and consider the long-term consequences of each feature. Think ahead. Don’t just buy a home for now, but consider the future. Resale value is an important factor, style can be an issue, plus room for children (and schools) and physical needs for aging parents who may move in.

Flexibility
Consider your purchase as a long-term investment, not a short-term gain. Now you have time to choose what you absolutely cannot do without, and what features are flexible. Most buyers won’t find everything they want at a price they can pay. So, if a swimming pool is on your list but the property you like doesn’t have one, putting a pool in is a goal for the future. Ditto for cosmetic things like countertops, bathroom spas and landscaping. While you may not have these up front by choosing a home with a mortgage you can manage, you’ll have the financial flexibility in the future.

With an organized home buying plan, you can minimize a great deal of the emotional impact. By determining your buying power, your wants and needs, and having an organized search plan, your chances of a stress-free experience are much better.

Kitchen, bath remodeling projects add resale value

Whether you’re moving on or staying put, minor face-lifts will freshen a home.

Here’s a true story. Our friend Dan was getting his house ready to sell. The screen in the front door had a hole for, oh, three years running. He took the screen to the hardware store, had it fixed and reinstalled it that afternoon. Looking at his new screen door, Dan wondered why he didn’t do this easy fix three years ago.

Most of us have those little, nagging projects that we’ll take care of next weekend, but the weekends fly away and all of a sudden, if you decide to sell your house, they add up. Even if you’ll stay put for a while, projects big and small will have a financial impact for eventual resale.

Kitchen and bath upgrades still have good returns, according to Remodeling magazine’s latest cost vs. value analysis. A kitchen remodel has the potential to recoup 78.3 percent on the initial remodel investment. However, this return is based on minor upgrades, not a total kitchen renovation. Upgrades include energy efficient appliances, cabinet re-facing, new countertops, resilient flooring and a quality sink and faucet. These types of changes present the kitchen as fresh and well cared for.

Bathrooms also bring a good 71 percent return. Again, it’s freshening up what you already have, not necessarily going the addition route. Buyers like jetted tubs, stylish countertops with upgraded sinks and faucets, and new tile. Even re-grouting, sealing and caulking the existing tile will go a long way to impress a potential buyer.

Some of these projects might fall under the do-it-yourself category, but hiring a contractor to do the work efficiently and according to code is a smart idea. So, where to start? Personal references are very reliable and you can see the final work. Check with the local professional homeowners and builders associations, plus the Better Business Bureau for any complaints.

When you have selected a contractor, ask for documentation that the contractor has the required licenses, insurance, lien protection and workers’ compensation. You also want to know who will do the work and if the contractor is subcontracting some of the project.

Whether you are considering selling or staying, do the projects for yourself so that you may enjoy your home’s fresh new look.

Next time we’ll explore ways to go green for the face-lift project. Green makes sense and cost-effective now and in the future.

Check out our remodeling returns information.


Written Myra Vandersall

Efficient home heating

Efficiently heated homes save money and increase potential sales

Sealing your house up tight for both winter and summer is the cost-effective way to go.
The temperature is inching up toward the 40s and every once in a while the sun shows promise. The days of subfreezing temperatures and windy blasts are over, right? Not so fast there. We humans can have remarkably short memories, and here it is just the middle of January. Instead of reminding your family that layering clothes is perfectly normal inside, let’s revisit why you should get serious about home heating efficiency.

While these tips are primarily about the heating season, they are just as applicable for the summer months too. An air leak is an air leak, whether heat is leaking or the cold air conditioning is leaking.

Stop the leaks. Finding air leaks is the first task on the road to make your home more heat efficient. Anywhere there is an opening in your house, the potential for air leaks exists. Check window frames, doorframes, attic entrances, electrical outlets and ductwork. To check for leaks, use a lit incense stick and watch for horizontal smoke. Hardware stores have a multitude of weatherproofing kits and caulking. Addressing even the most minor air leaks can result in substantial utility savings.

Ductwork systems may be wasting your energy dollars. Often overlooked, typical duct work can lose 25-45 percent of your heating or cooling energy. Look for leaky joints or holes in the duct system, disconnected ducts that have separated from each other and un-insulated or poorly insulated ducts in attics and crawlspaces.

Sealing ductwork is really a job for the professional, who can assess your problems, especially in unconditioned spaces. Minor fixes are temporary at best. Going the professional route can reduce your annual utility bills by as much as $300 and better yet, improves the overall air quality.

Total house insulation is another job for the pros. This is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy loss and outside noise. Research the recommended standards for your region in R-values. The higher the R-value, the less transfer of heat through the material.

Thermostats can save big bucks. For every one degree you lower the temperature in your house over a 24-hour period, savings can go up three percent. Adjusting your thermostat down 10-15 percent for an eight-hour period each day gives you a 10 percent annual savings. Programmable thermostats will automatically turn the heat down while you are at work during the day and at night.

Ceiling fans aren’t just for summer. While we think of ceiling fans as a way to stay cool in the summer, they are also heat savers in the winter. By reversing the blades, ceiling fans re-circulate the rising warm air back down into the living area.

Plugging leaks is the single most effective way to make your home energy efficient not only for you and your family, but also for potential buyers, who are even more cost-conscious than usual.
And it shows your home is well taken care of and maintained.

Written by Myra Vandersall

Upgrades for the best return in resale

Exterior remodeling projects under $14,000 have the best return on investment

First impressions count. Increasing your home’s curb appeal outside bring potential buyers inside.

Preparing your home for sale in 2010 means planning ahead now. The good news is selecting the best improvement projects to increase your resale value and return on investment can be some of the least expensive. The most recent findings in the 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value report that eight of the top 10 projects in terms of costs recouped were exterior jobs that came in under $14,000. The report is published in the January 2010 issue of REALTOR® Magazine.

The least expensive but biggest on return is a new front door, which proves once again that first impressions are vitally important. A mid-range entry door replacement can garner a 128.9 percent return on investment, based on a national survey of 80 U.S. cities, and will welcome potential buyers into your home. Other exterior projects with a high return are certain types of window and siding replacements and adding a wood deck. The least profitable projects are home office remodels and sunroom additions.

Overall, a sensible and pragmatic approach to improvements is the way to go. Ultra-expensive remodels and exotic additions just won’t make a good return and will deflect buyers who are looking for value in today’s markets.

That said, there is one exception. Increasing living space is a good bargain and the addition of an attic bedroom, which can cost up to $50,000 on a national average, could be a good move. The rate of return on that project is better than 100 percent.

Here are more ideas for low cost improvements that will increase your home’s salability.

Increasing living space gives the buyer a sense of more value. Instead of putting a lot of effort into a home office, show your buyer that the space can be a bedroom. More bedrooms increase the sale price. Open floors plans are big now. Consider removing a non-weight bearing wall to open up the space between a kitchen and family room.

Kitchen and bathroom upgrades are well worth the effort. Replacing backsplashes and tile is an economical way to refresh either room. If you want to go granite for your countertops, consider granite tile instead of slab. Using tiles can be a $300 material cost instead of $5,000.

New or replacement cabinet fronts will impress potential buyers. Install rollout trays in the kitchen for better organization and give the buyer a sense of more space. A new medicine cabinet in the bathroom, plus light fixtures, an inexpensive vanity and faucets will make your bathroom new again.

Putting thought and coordination into your remodeling plans now will reap huge rewards in the spring.

Written by Myra Vandersall

Things are Picking Up in St Charles, MO Real Estate

It feels a little like the good ole days of Real Estate; I personally listed a villa in St Charles in June and sold it in less than two weeks and recently listed a split level home in St Peters and sold it in 8 days! I was in the office Saturday and three of our agents were busy writing contracts. One agent wrote three contracts for buyers, another two. Our office stats for July sales were up and August looks to double July. I think the first time home buyers are finally getting off the fence and getting the message- TIME IS RUNNING OUT on the $8,000 Tax Credit. All homes must close by November 30th to qualify. Sellers are beginning to realize to sell quickly they must have the three key ingredients to sell:

• Price : Listen to your realtor- don't price high and miss all those potential buyers the first 30 days
• Condition: Spruce up with paint if needed, get rid of clutter, make a good first impression
• Location: Can't control this or the Market Conditions So make sure to give yourself the competitive edge with price and condition.

Looks like the second half is starting out strong- YEAH

St Louis Makes the Top 10!

Best Cities for Finding Opportunity Where are the best cities to live in the United States if you want to work hard and get ahead? Forbes magazine examined the nation’s 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas and based on the number of Forbes' 400 best big companies and 200 best small companies that are headquartered in each, it identified what it considered places with the most opportunity. The magazine says it took this route because the best big companies provide opportunities for those who seek to be employees, and the rate of success of small businesses indicates how the area treats entrepreneurs. Here are the top 10:
1. Houston 2. Dallas 3. Minneapolis 4. Pittsburgh 5. Boston 6. Washington, D.C. 7. Austin
8. St. Louis 9. Kansas City, Mo. 10. New YorkSource: Forbes, Lauren Sherman (06/19/2009)