Vacation Motivation

A couple of months ago I read an article about productivity and although I don't remember the quote exactly- it went something like this, ""If I were leaving for vacation tomorrow, what would I be able to accomplish today?" This quote has absolutely stuck with me! I keep thinking about those days before I leave on a trip that I work feverishly on my to-do list and get energy, drive and focus from places I never knew existed.

What would happen if you worked today like you were leaving on vacation tomorrow? I have a feeling your to-do list would have a lot of things checked off by the end of the day!

Looking for a Realtor with energy, drive and focus? www.TanyaRuff.com

The Art of Attraction

Ten Ways to Attract Buyers to your Home

You’ve undoubtedly heard from media reports, and perhaps friends and neighbors, how tough it can be to sell a home in today’s “buyer’s market.” Granted, it’s not the easiest time in the history of real estate, but it isn’t the toughest time either. Here are 10 simple ways to attract buyers to your home...

#1: Offer a Home Warranty A home warranty adds value to your home. It gives potential buyers a little extra piece of mind in the form of protection against unforeseen problems including appliance break down, roof leakage or a malfunctioning furnace. Warranties vary in coverage, but in general there are plans that will cover your home while it’s on the market as well as plans that kick in once it sells.

#2: Create a Virtual Flyer Sometimes sellers find that friends, neighbors and associates can be some of the best buyers. Create a free virtual flyer to advertise your home at www.vflyer.com and email it to everyone you know. (You can use this service to advertise other things as well such as parties, events and so on.)

#3: Advertise on the Internet More than 80% of buyers begin their home search on the Internet, so be sure your home is there for them to find. List your property on craigslist.org, backpage.com, zillow.com and trulia.com. After your Realtor enters your home into the MLS it will automatically be on Realtor.com as well. You can also buy your own domain name to match your home’s address. Then create a website or blog for your home (or ask a web-savvy teenager to do it).

#4: Aim for Amazing Curb Appeal While buyers are out driving around and viewing neighborhoods, you want your home to make them literally stop the car and look upon it with awe. Having the best dressed home in the neighborhood will attract buyers and higher offering prices. Do not underestimate the importance of this. It’s the first impression potential buyers have of your home, and poor curb appeal may actually discourage them from wanting to even take the time to view the inside.

#5: Price it Properly If your home is priced too high, buyers may think that you’re not serious about selling, or that you may be difficult to work with and unwilling to negotiate. Also, buyers who are looking within a specific price level may miss your home even though you may actually be willing to accept a much lower price. Your Realtor can help you price your home properly for the quickest sale.

#6: Host an Open House While opinions vary on the success rate of Open House events, it certainly can’t hurt to host one. Even if your neighbors are the main visitors, they may actually know someone who could be interested in your home. The fact they’ve seen it with their own eyes could encourage others to visit.

#7: Take Tons of Pictures Potential buyers love to see pictures of homes, whether on the Internet or on flyers. Your Realtor should post pictures on the MLS. You can post them on the other websites listed above. If you have a video camera, you can even create a virtual tour of your home.

#8: Directional Signs If you live near a corner or busy intersection, place the “home for sale” signs that point towards your home in the best spot possible. If you ask nicely, your neighbors who live on the corner may be willing to let your place one of those signs right in their yard.

#9: Stage Your Home After you’ve made sure your curb appeal is tops, you should not neglect improving the inside via staging. Hire a professional stager or ask your Realtor for assistance. If you’re worried about the cost of hiring a stager, many offer different levels of service which range from a walk through of your home and verbal advice, to a full blown service where they bring in their own furniture and decorations and redesign your entire home.

#10: Update Your Home Buyers love nothing more than brand new carpeting and paint, updated sinks, fixtures, cupboards and so on. You obviously don’t want to update to the extent that you overprice your home for the neighborhood, but you do want to update to within a comfortable level for the market value in your area.

 

If you have more questions about the best way to attract buyers to your home, call me! I have the professional understanding and insight to help you attract the most potential buyers to your home.

 

For other great tips from In Touch Today take a look at monthly newsletter:

Your Story Begins at Home Monthy Newsletter

 

10 Commandments

All Home Buyers Should Know Their 10 Commandments.
For the last 6 years I’ve spent 95% of my Wednesday mornings at Hirschi Realtors,
attending our weekly sales meeting. Recently, one of our local lenders came to talk to us about the ever changing lending market and brought with them the

“10 Commandments when Applying for a Mortgage Loan"

Although the below “commandments” are written in a joking manner, there is certainly truth to each one. If you’ve been preapproved to purchase a home, you’ll want to pay close attention…

10 Commandments
when Applying for a Mortgage Loan

Thou shall not change jobs or become self-employed

Thou shall not buy a car, truck or van unless you plan to live in it

Thou shall not use your credit cards or let your payments fall behind

Thou shall not spend the money you saved for your down payment

Thou shall not buy furniture before you buy your house

Thou shall not originate any new inquiries on your credit report

Thou shall not make any large deposits into your bank account

Thou shall not change bank accounts

Thou shall not co-sign for anyone
Thou shall not purchase ANYTHING until after the closing

Looking for a trustworthy local lender? Visit my website and apply online with a local lender of your choice. www.TanyaRuff.com

Our First Date...

BEFORE I LIST YOUR HOME I WILL…

• Research property values by studying recently sold properties, analyzing expired listings and reviewing homes currently on the market.
• Prepare a market analysis of properties in your geographic area.
• Secure necessary tax and appraisal district information on your property.
• Suggest an appropriate pricing strategy and marketing plan.
• Recommend possible improvements to yield the highest price.
• Explain seller closing costs and provide Estimate of Net Proceeds from the sale.
• Prepare a market update to review market conditions and prevailing interest rates.
• Review “Information About Brokerage Services” and discuss agency relationships.
• Discuss Seller Disclosure Statement and possible Lead Based Paint disclosures.
• Review the Multiple Listing Service Listing Agreement.
• Review my "homework folder" that I'll need the seller to work on.
• Discuss personal property and exclusions from sale.
• Offer assistance and information about your destination city (if moving from area)
• Lastly and perhaps most importantly- I'll prepare myself for any key questions you may have regarding my marketing plan, experience and track record!

Looking forward to earning your business,
-Tanya

Holiday Safety

According to the FBI, nearly 400,000 burglaries occur in the U.S. from November through December each year! Believe it or not, burglars watch properties for patterns of behavior noting times when you are home and times when you aren’t. Leaving inside lights on and a TV playing can be a deterrent to the would-be burglar. Obviously, if you are away it’s harder for a would-be burglar to notice if you are sure to keep the garage door closed.

So, to ensure that an intruder doesn’t dampen your holiday season here are a few tips to keep in mind:

*Ask someone, possibly a friend or neighbor to pick up your newspaper and mail each day.

* You may even consider asking your neighbor to park their car in your driveway just to give it that “occupied” look & feel.

* Even though snow may be rare in our area, be prepared while away by asking a friend or neighbor to clear sidewalks & driveway if necessary.

*Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through windows and doors.

* Nowhere else is your home more fragile and susceptible to a forced holiday break-in than your windows. How you secure your windows is up to you, but it's important to keep in mind that occupants must be able to open them easily in the event of a fire. Therefore, the security device you choose should not lock you in the building, but only keep burglars out.

*When setting up a Christmas tree or other holiday display, make sure doors and passageways are clear inside your home.

*Be sure your Christmas tree is mounted on a sturdy base so children, elderly persons or family pets cannot pull it over on themselves.

*To avoid risk of fire check for frayed wiring on your Christmas lights, place your live Christmas tree in water or wet sand to keep it green, and never place wrapping paper in your fireplace.

Whether you travel or stay home for the Holidays, please have a safe and happy holiday this year!

Looking for a home for the holidays?

Call/ Text or Email me anytime!

~ Tanya

Halloween

Who would have thought 30 days ago with the triple digit temperatures we were experiencing that I would be writing about the fast approaching holidays? But, here we are preparing to greet some ghosts and goblins at our door and shortly thereafter, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. Wow! How the year has flown!

With all the costume making, food preparation and shopping comes a much more hectic pace! Amid all the hustle and bustle and family celebrations let’s not forget to focus on how we can keep our home and family safe.

For Halloween:

*Candles in Jack O’Lanterns should be off the ground and out of children’s reach.

* Halloween home safety means keeping the area around your home unobstructed so children and accompanying parents don’t stumble or hurt themselves on anything that may lead to a liability suit. Clear any lawn decorations, hoses, gardening tools, toys, etc., from your property to practice Halloween home safety.

Take this fun POP QUIZ with your ghosts and goblins to ensure they know how to remain safe on Halloween.

Stay tuned for Thanksgiving & Christmas safety tips!

Kermit said...

“It’s not easy being green” When in all actuality it is quite simple to get started being “green”…

So what does “going green” really mean? I want to be a good citizen of our land and respect our environment as much as most do, but does “going green” seem a bit daunting to you? Am I the only one that feels a bit overwhelmed when I think of “going green”?

So tell me, Kermit…where do we begin?

Well, the obvious place to begin is AT HOME. And to avoid the overwhelming feeling you might get from even thinking about the various ways you can go green at home I would suggest you BEGIN SLOWLY.

This is the same principle that most diet and fitness experts suggest you use when beginning a new diet or exercise routine. To begin, make a few small changes. If you begin with too many changes or too large of a change you will become overwhelmed and give up before you’ve even begun!

So, let me ask you, are you recycling your cans? Are you one of those that leaves the water running while brushing your teeth? Are you doing full loads of laundry rather than a bunch of small loads? What about CFL bulbs? Have you made the switch? A key place to start in the home is just to…

• REDUCE CONSUMPTON AND WASTE!

Example: you may still drive a gas guzzling SUV to the supermarket, but you can still go green by taking canvas bags with you for your groceries. That’s a small but very significant place to start.

Another area where you can make a difference in the home is to:

• REDUCE POLLUTION!

Example: Think about the shampoo, soap and cleaning detergent that you use. Many of them contain chemicals that are washed down the sinks and pipes, into drains, rivers, reservoirs or even the sea. Consider switching to more natural cleaners and personal products. There are a lot of products on the market now that are made from natural substances rather than manmade chemicals and are bio-degradable, which causes less harm when released into the environment.

You may recall my baking soda tip in my previous blog, well did you also know that baking soda is eco-friendly and doesn’t contain all the chemicals that most cleaning supplies do? A ½ cup of baking soda, followed by a ½ cup of vinegar and then boiling water down your drains will break down fatty acid build up and leave your drains smelling fresh and clean.

What one thing are you going to do to begin “going green”? Remember, the key is to begin AT HOME and to BEGIN SLOWLY... this way your results will be long lasting.