Tuesday, March 29, 2011

LANDSCAPING TO SELL YOUR HOME


Don't let your yard sabotage your home sale!


Will your landscaping pull in buyers or make them drive on by? Outdated or extreme styles, high-maintenance features and invasive or overgrown foliage can kill interest.


For homemaker Sue Wildrick, it was the koi ponds that killed the deal. While the house she and her husband looked at in Denver last winter had its appeal, its elaborately bricked-in backyard and large network of fish ponds seemed like too much work. "It was a little overwhelming," Wildrick says. And it provided little room for the family to play games or throw a ball to their dog. "We would have probably had to take some of that stuff out."

These days, elaborate patios, outdated or high-maintenance landscaping and invasive plants and trees can kill buyer interest in a home almost as quickly as an outdated kitchen or orange shag carpeting, according to landscaping experts and real-estate agents. Landscaping often makes the difference between a prospective buyer getting out of the car for a closer look at the house and simply driving on by.

Good landscaping can provide more bang for your buck than almost any other home improvement -- provided it's done right. Buyers today expect landscaping that's easy to take care of and water-wise, and offers benefits like shade or privacy.

Here's a look at the top landscaping turnoffs for buyers and what homeowners can do to make sure their landscaping efforts enhance, rather than detract from the value of their home.

1. Your Father's Landscaping - Rounded junipers, squared-off boxwood and holly bushes, and topiary shrubs scream that the house is a throwback to the 1960s and '70s, agents say. People now want their landscaping to look natural, with more native plants and interesting, varied foliage. Big pine trees and other evergreens planted decades ago also can be a turnoff to buyers. These trees can get too big and must be continually hacked off at the top (a bad look) or taken out entirely to avoid roofs and power lines.

2. Gnomes Gone Wild - It should go without saying, but put the lawn ornaments away. Other buyers may not share your love of lawn globes, gnomes and plastic deer.

3. High-Maintenance Yards - While many buyers fancy themselves green-thumb gardeners, few want to invest serious time in pruning, spraying, mowing and fertilizing. Beds of non-disease-resistant plants such as hybrid tea roses can eat up a buyer's weekends with pruning and applying fungicide. An agent in St. Louis, remembers one property he showed with an elaborate English country garden that dominated the backyard. A key inside the house mapped out the names of all of the manicured shrubs, roses and gardenias, as well as the contents of the adjoining vegetable garden. "People were just mesmerized," Rhoads says. "For a minute they would say 'I've always wanted a place like this.' Then they started talking about it and said this must take a long time to maintain every week." The house stayed on the market for quite a while specifically because of the rigors of its landscaping.

4. Over-The-Top Outdoor Living Spaces - The line between the indoors and outdoors has been blurring in recent years, with more homeowners building elaborate outdoor living spaces complete with fireplaces, kitchens, outdoor showers and custom stone work. In many parts of the country, these areas are a big selling point, making the house seem larger. But when the work gets too ornate or extensive, it can sometimes detract from the value of a home -- especially in colder climates. Homeowners who put in these improvements should not expect to recoup their total investment at resale. One man's $80,000 outdoor kitchen may only be worth an extra $30,000 to another.

5. Bad Seeds - Some plants send up a red flag with many knowledgeable buyers because they are so invasive. High on the list are ficus trees, especially those planted too close to a driveway, house or patio. The fast-growing, shallow roots of the ficus crack pavement and can wreak havoc on foundations. Similarly, ivy and other vines can proliferate too quickly, posing a danger to other plants, as well as to windows and roofs. They also can attract bugs to the house.

6. Too Much Green? - Many people are asking for smaller expanses of grass so they spend less time pushing the lawn mower and running the sprinkler.  By sorting plants according to water need you waste less water and homeowners can spend less time wielding the hose. But, he notes, that doesn't mean buyers are ready to give up color.

Maintain whatever landscaping you have. Overgrown hedges, dying flowers and leggy bushes send the message that the inside of the house is ill-kept, as well. Maintenance is key to maintaining your value.
By Melinda Fulmer of MSN Real Estate

Sunday, March 20, 2011

TERMITES - Don't Ignore The Signs

Termites cause billions of dollars in damage each year. They primarily feed on wood, but also damage paper, books, insulation, and drywall. While buildings may become infested at any time, termites are of particular importance when buying or selling a home since a termite inspection/infestation report is normally a condition of sale. Besides the monetary impact, thousands of winged termites emerging inside one's home are an emotionally trying experience — not to mention the thought of termites silently feasting on one's largest investment. Termites are found in every state in the US. Hawaii has the highest concentration of infestation and Georgia tops the list in the continental US. It has been said that there are two types of homes in the US "Those with termites and those that will have them." and "It's not if you have termites, it's when you'll have termites."

Why are infestations often discovered during March - May? Spring typically is when large numbers of winged termites, known as "swarmers," emerge inside homes. In nature, termites swarm to disperse and start new colonies. Triggered by warmer temperatures and rainfall, the winged termites emerge from the colony and fly into the air. The swarmers then drop to the ground, shed their wings, pair off with a mate, and attempt to begin new colonies in the soil. Few swarmers emerging outdoors survive to start new colonies. Swarmers emerging indoors are incapable of eating wood, seldom survive, and are best removed with a vacuum. They do, however, indicate that an infestation is present.

Other signs of infestation are earthen (mud) tubes (shown right) extending over foundation walls, support piers, sill plates, floor joists, etc. The mud tubes are typically about the diameter of a pencil, but sometimes can be thicker. Termites construct these tubes for shelter as they travel between their underground colonies and the structure. To help determine if an infestation is active, the tubes may be broken open and checked for the presence of small, creamy-white worker termites. If a tube happens to be vacant, it does not necessarily mean that the infestation is inactive; termites often abandon sections of tube while foraging elsewhere in the structure.

Termite-damaged wood is usually hollowed out along the grain, with bits of dried mud or soil lining the feeding galleries. Wood damaged by moisture or other types of insects (e.g., carpenter ants) will not have this appearance. Occasionally termites bore tiny holes through plaster or drywall, accompanied by bits of soil around the margin. Rippled or sunken traces behind wall coverings can also be indicative of termites tunneling underneath.

Oftentimes there will be no visible indication that the home is infested. Termites are cryptic creatures and infestations can go undetected for years, hidden behind walls, floor coverings, insulation, and other obstructions. Termite feeding and damage can even progress undetected in wood that is exposed because the outer surface is usually left intact.

Ridding a home of termites requires special skills. A knowledge of building construction is needed to identify the critical areas where termites are likely to enter. Many of these potential points of entry are hidden and difficult to access. Termite control also utilizes specialized equipment such as masonry drills, pumps, large-capacity tanks, and soil treatment rods. A typical treatment may involve hundreds of gallons of a liquid pesticide injected into the ground alongside the foundation, beneath concrete slabs, and within foundation walls. Termite treatment is a job for professionals.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION DUE MARCH 15th

Homestead Exemption is an exemption of $1,000 of the assessed valuation. This can be a savings of $75 to $125 depending on which area of the county you are located . You must be the homeowner who resides in the property on January 1. The deed must be executed on or before January 1 and filed with the County Clerks Office on or before February 1. You must be a resident of Oklahoma.  If you have been granted a homestead exemption and continue to occupy the homestead property you shall not be required to re-apply for homestead exemption. You may apply for Homestead Exemption with the Oklahoma City County Assessors Office. Their office is located at 320 Robert S. Kerr, Rm 315, Oklahoma City, OK 73102. Applications for homestead exemption are now available for downloading. Application is due March 15th to qualify for the exemption in the current year.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

TULSA EMPLOYMENT

The second-quarter employment outlook for the Tulsa metro area is tied for second best in the nation, according to results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

Of those companies interviewed, 22 percent said they plan to hire more employees, while 2 percent expect to cut staff. Another 73 percent expect to maintain their current staff levels, and 3 percent are unsure of their hiring plans.  That report for the April-to-June period is even more upbeat than the first quarter, when the Tulsa area's hiring outlook was tied for fourth best in the nation.  For the rest of the March 8, 2011 Tulsa World story read here.



Monday, March 7, 2011

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IS HERE


THIS SUNDAY ~ MARCH 13th

SPRING FORWARD

Read about the history of Daylight Savings Time.

World Clock for current local times around the world.

Friday, March 4, 2011

A MUST READ FOR SELLERS (A little long but worth it!)

6 THINGS THAT TURN HOME BUYERS OFF
(and what Sellers can do to prevent it!)

Here are 6 big-time homebuyer turn-offs that make buyers cringe at the thought of your home, and action steps you can take to prevent your home from being an offender. (Article from Truila.)

1. Stalker-ish sellers. I know you think you’re being helpful, walking the buyer through your home and pointing out the wagon-wheel light fixture you made with your own two hands, the custom mural of a stingray you paid top dollar to have painted across your living room wall and the way the sounds of happy schoolchildren running across the front yard of your corner lot to get to the school in the next block lifts your spirits. However, the buyers might be trying really hard to ignore, minimize or figure out how to undo the very features of your home you hold dear. They also may want or need to have personal space and conversations with their mate or their agent while they’re viewing your home - you being there, especially walking right alongside them while they’re in your home, prevents them from being comfortable about doing this, or discussing all the things they would change if the home were theirs. In my experience, the more nitpicky a buyer gets about a house and the more detailed their list of things they would change, the more serious they are about considering making an offer on this place.

What’s a Seller to do? Back off. Let your home be shown vacant, or leave the house when people come to see it. If you need to be there, at least walk outside or go sit at the coffee shop down the way while prospective buyers view your home. If the buyers have questions, their people will contact your people.

2. Shabby, dirty, crowded and/or smelly houses. You already know this one. Yet, buyers constantly marvel. The buyers who come to see your home are making the decision whether to choose your home for the biggest purchase they’ve ever made during the worst economic conditions most of them have ever experienced. Your job is to get your home noticed – favorably – above the sea of other homes on the market, many of which are priced very, very low.

What’s a Seller to do? Other than listing your home at a competitive price, the only tool within your control for differentiating your home from all the foreclosures and short sales is to show it in tip-top shape. Pre-pack your place up, getting rid of as many of your personal effects as possible. Do not show it without it being completely cleaned up: no laundry or dishes piled up, countertops freshly washed, smelly dogs & litter boxes cleaned and/or out of the house.

3. Irrational seller expectations (i.e., overpricing). Buying a house on today’s market is hard work! On top of all the research and analysis about the market and situating their own lives to be sure they’ll be able to afford the place for 5, 7, 10 years - or longer, buyers have to work overtime to separate the real estate wheat from the chaff, get educated about short sales and foreclosures and often put in many, many offers before they get even a single one accepted. The last thing they want to add to their task lists is trying to argue a seller out of unreasonable expectations or pricing. And, in fact, there are so many other homes on the market, buyers don’t have to do this. When they see a home whose seller is clearly clueless about their home’s value and has priced it sky-high, most often they won’t bother even looking at it. If they love it, they’ll wait for it to sit on the market for awhile, hoping the market will “educate you” into desperation, priming the pump for a later, lowball offer.

What’s a Seller to do? Get real. Get out there and look at the other properties that are for sale in your area and price range. If your home has much less curb appeal or space or is much less upgraded than the house across the way, don’t list it at the same price and expect it to sell. If you owe more than your home is realistically worth, you may need to reexamine whether you really want or need to sell, or consider a short sale, if you simply have to sell. Don’t be tempted into testing your market with an obviously too-high price, unless you’re prepared to have your home lag on the market and get lowball offers.

4. Feeling misled. Here’s the deal. You will never trick someone into buying your home. If the listing pics are photo-edited within an inch of their lives. If your neighborhood is described as funky and vibrant, as code for the fact that your house is under the train tracks and you live in between a wrecking yard and a biker bar, prospects will figure this out. If the detailed information about your home, neighborhood or even transactional position (e.g., short sale status, seller financing, etc.) is misrepresented, the sheer misrepresentation will turn otherwise interested buyers off. If you authorize your agent to “verbally approve” the buyer’s offer, don’t go back the next day demanding an extra $5,000. In cases where the buyer feels misled, whether or not that was your intention, running through the buyer’s mind is this question: If they can’t trust you to be honest about this, how can they trust you to be honest about everything else?

What’s a Seller to do? Buyers rely on sellers to be upfront and honest – so be both. If your home has features or aspects that are often perceived negatively, your home’s listing probably shouldn’t lead with them, but neither should you go out of your way to slant or skew or spin the facts which will be obvious to anyone who visits your home.

5. New yet ugly home improvements. Many a buyer has walked into a house that has clearly been remodeled and upgraded in anticipation of the sale, only to have their heart sink with the further realization that the brand-spanking-new kitchen features a countertop made, not of granite, but brand-new, pink tiles with a kitty cat in the middle of each one. Or the pristine, just-installed floors feature carpet in a creamy shade of blue – the buyer’s least favorite color. New home improvements that run totally counter to a buyer’s aesthetics are a big turn-off, because in today’s era of Conspicuous Frugality, buyers just can’t cotton to ripping out expensive, brand new, perfectly functioning things just on the basis of style – especially since they’ll feel like they paid for these things in the price of the home.

What’s a Seller to do? Check in with a local broker or agent before you make a big investment in a pre-sale remodel. They can give you a reality check about the likely return on your investment, and help you prioritize about which projects to do (or not). Instead of spending $40,000 on a new, less-than-attractive kitchen, they might encourage you to update appliances, have the cabinets painted and spend a few grand on your curb appeal. Many times, they will also help you do the work of selecting neutral finishes that will work for the largest possible range of buyer tastes.

6. Crazy listing photos (or no photos at all). We’ve seen listing photos that have dumpsters parked in front of the house, piles of laundry all over the hardwood floors touted in the listing description, and once, even the family dog doing his or her business in the lovely green front yard. Listing pictures that have put your home in anything but its best, accurate light are a very quick way to ensure that you turn off a huge number of buyers from even coming to see your house! The only bigger buyer turn-off than these bizarre listing pics are listings that have no photos at all; most buyers on today’s market see a listing with no pictures and click right on past it, without giving the place a second glance.

What’s a Seller to do? Check your home’s listing on-line and make sure that the pics represent your home well. If not, ask your agent to grab some new shots (and say pretty please, pretty please!).