Home Health and Safety Checklist

Most of us schedule an annual personal physical with our family doctor. When you consider the amount of time your family spends at home, it makes total sense to give your home an annual physical as well. HouseMaster has prepared a list of some basic healthy house issues to assist you in performing your home’s physical. Set aside some time to review the following:

• Humidifiers/Dehumidifiers. Humidifiers add moisture to house air and are typically needed when a warm air heating system is operational. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air and are typically used in basements or crawlspace areas.
  • Both of these moisture control devices should be checked regularly during usage periods.
  • Check to make sure there is no leakage or overflowing of water onto the heating system and all drain lines properly dispose of the water.
  • Some dehumidifiers have to be manually emptied. If this is inconvenient, replace with a unit with an automatic shut-off or drain.
  • They should be thoroughly cleaned before or after seasonal use, and as needed otherwise. Remove any slime buildup with a water/bleach solution or use the cleaning agents recommended by the manufacturer.
• Alarms/Detectors. Check all safety and security alarms regularly; replace older alarms (after five years or as otherwise recommended by the manufacturer):
  • Smoke/Fire Alarms. These are your family’s first line of defense/warning in the event of a fire/smoke emergency. Change the batteries in all of your smoke/fire alarms at least annually. Set a regular date when all are changed each year.
  • CO Monitors. Carbon Monoxide is odorless and colorless. A CO detector is the only way to identify elevated levels of CO in your home before physical injury occurs. If you don’t have CO monitors protecting your home from this toxic gas, you should act immediately and install them in strategic locations near the sleeping areas and other points recommended by the manufacturer or local officials. Check that presently installed units are operational.
  • Radon Testing. Check with your local municipal building department and inquire if radon gas is a community health threat. If it is, you should test your home for the presence of this invisible, odorless gas.
  • Security Systems. All too often homeowners disengage their security alarm to avoid nuisance calls. This puts them at a security risk. If this is the case in your home, check with an alarm company to see if other options are better suited for your family.
• EMERGENCY PREPARATION. Prepare these essential items for routine activities or emergencies:
  • First Aid Kit
  • Family Contact List
  • House Equipment Maintenance Information
  • Babysitter Information
  • Emergency Evacuation Kit
  • Medial and Financial Records

Remember, these tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue. More home safety and maintenance information is available online at housemaster.com.

This information is provided for general guidance purposes only. Neither DBR Franchising, LLC nor the local HouseMaster® franchise warrants its accuracy and assumes no liability related to its use. Contact the local franchise office and/or qualified specialists for advice pertinent to your specific house or circumstances. © Copyright 2008 DBR. Each HouseMaster franchise is an independently owned and operated business. HouseMaster is a registered trademark of DBR Franchising, LLC.

What’s the Best Offer for Your Home?

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  6 Tips for Choosing the Best Offer for Your Home

  Have a plan for reviewing purchase offers so you don’t let the best slip through your fingers. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

7 Steps to Take Before You Buy a Home

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  By doing your homework before you buy, you’ll feel more content about your new home. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Finding Your New Home

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  8 Tips for Finding Your New Home

  A solid game plan can help you narrow your homebuying search to find the best home for you. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

What To Do When Your House Isn’t Selling

My New Years Resolution (although we’re not quite there yet) is that I will be keeping up with this blog on a more regular basis, giving you tips, ideas, and thoughts on the real estate market. There are certainly a lot of thoughts on what the market it doing and where it’s headed, and I have my share. Please don’t ever hesitate to call me anytime, or drop me an email with any questions you may have.

So, without further adieu…

When you sell your home, the process is almost like going to a job interview.  Selling a home involves presentation, which is one of the key factors that determine the outcome.  Although this may sound a bit weird, presentation is a way of life in the world of real estate.  Buyers in today’s market look for good presentation – many basing their final decisions on it.

If the property you are selling comes with a garage, you’ll need to go through your garage before you sell your home.  Chances are that you store things in your garage, which can easily pile up over time before you realize it.  If your garage is in a messy condition, you’ll obviously want to clean it up.  Buyers look for homes that are in perfect condition, and anything less than perfect will look bad in the eyes of the buyer.

Most homes have some truly outstanding features inside of them.  You should always do your best to highlight the best features of your home, instead of just hoping that the buyer understands what they are.  The ideal way to bring out the best features of your home is to use the proper lighting.  If your home is clean, you can use lighting to bring out the best features in your home, and ensure that they stand out to the buyer.

When a potential buyer first pulls up to your home; the first thing he will see is your lawn.  If your lawn is trimmed and well taken care of, he will get a good impression right off the bat. If your lawn is a wreck, he may immediately pull away.  The same holds true to having the driveway plowed and the walkways shoveled in the winter months. To give the best impression to the buyer, you should put some thought into how things look.  You can always plant flowers around the walkway and throughout the yard, which will look great to a potential buyer.

You should also make sure that the entrance into your home is a positive as well.  The front door should be in great shape, as well as the entry area into the home.  You can add some plants, paintings, and rugs to ensure that your buyer gets a good impression.  When the buyer walks through the entry way into your home, you should make sure that the view he or she takes in is a good one.  Your biggest goal when showing your home is to ensure that the buyer is pleased.

Keep in mind that it may take some time to sell your home.  These days, homes can sit on the market for months at a time before they actually sell.  If you are having trouble selling your home, you can always reduce the price or simply go back to the basics. Of course, if the house is truly priced correctly in the beginning, you likely won’t have to reduce the price because you WOULD have already sold it.

Eventually you will sell your home – although it may take more time than you think.

Take a Look at Lake Bella Vista in Rockford MI

Welcome to Lake Bella Vista

The Lake Bella Vista Community is a collection of two lakes, twenty one parks, and a private water system serving 770 homesites.  It is only twelve miles N.E. of Grand Rapids and minutes from downtown Rockford, MI.  Lake Bella Vista is a unique community providing the luxury of lake living within a neighborhood setting.

Lake Bella Vista is a private 250 acre all sports lake with miles of unique and interesting shoreline. The lake has 247 homesites and 11 community parks surrounding its winding shores. Lake Bella Vista is a private lake limiting lake access to association members only. Year around activities such as fishing, water sports, watching the sunset, ice skating or simply enjoying the view are a few highlights of Lake Bella Vista living.
 
North Lake Bella Vista is a 12 acre peaceful lake surrounded by 48 homesites and 1 community park.  It’s the perfect spot for a paddle boat ride or a quiet evening of fishing.
 
The Lake Bella Vista community boasts of 21 parks.  Twelve of these parks have waterfront access.  Many of the parks have nature trails and bike trails for outdoor exploration.  Other amenities such as playground equipment and a sand volley ball court can be found in the community parks.  The parks provide endless opportunities for fun!
 
The Lake Bella Vista Community provides two outdoor tennis courts for residents. Tennis enthusiasts within the community enjoy this special amenity.

Dear Seller – I Know Your Home is Family Friendly, But I Just Can’t Say That

Dear Seller – I Know Your Home is Family Friendly But I Just Can’t Say That **

While your home may be prefect for a large family, in a quiet, family neighborhood and right across the street from the Catholic church I just can’t say that.  Your home may be right in the middle of the financial district, near public transportation and have a free membership to the gym making it ideal for a working professional but I just can’t say that. 

You see, there is the Federal Fair Housing Act that I must adhere to that strictly prohibits discriminatory preference against:

•Race or Color
•National Origin
•Religion
•Sex
•Familial Status
•Handicap/Disability

To advertise your home in a family friendly neighborhood would be discriminatory.  Why?  It would discourage those without children from looking at your home based on familial status.  While your home may be right across the street from the largest Catholic church in town it would be discriminatory based on Religion.

As a Realtor® it is my job to highlight your home and advertise it in the best possible light.  If you hire me to be your Realtor® then you must be comfortable with me and trust that I know how to advertise your home without violating the Federal Fair Housing Act.   If you DON’T hire me, or any Realtor® for that matter, to assist you in selling your home you must know that you are subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act as well.  Yes, even as a private seller! 

The next time you see the ad that I run for your home please don’t be upset with me for not mentioning that your home is family friendly or right next door to the Synagogue.  Besides, your home has many more beneficial attributes for me to concentrate on!

** Reposted from Active Rain blog by Leesa L. Finley

Determining Your Listing Price

When it comes to buying a home, most potential buyers will use the listing price as the number one factor to determine the homes that they look at.  Even though you and a REALTOR® may determine the asking price, the buyer will determine the selling price.  If the price is too high, most buyers won’t give it a second thought – which is why you want to determine the listing price carefully.

If you set the correct price, you’ll notice a much faster sale.  Setting the right listing price will also attract more potential buyers to your home as well.  You’ll also notice an increase in response from REALTORS®, and receive more calls about the home.  The listing price is very important – and it can ultimately determine whether or not you sell your home.

A home can be overpriced due to several reasons.  Overpricing is something you want to avoid, as buyers tend to steer clear of homes that have been overpriced.  Normally, this happens when a seller asks a lot more than the home is worth or valued at.  Some sellers ask a lot more than the value of the home due to location*.  Although the location is important, most potential buyers won’t give the home a second look if they think the price is too high – and more importantly out of their price range.

When you put your home up for sale, most activity will happen within the first couple of weeks.  If you put the right price on your home, you’ll notice immediate interest.  There are always buyers looking for homes in their price range, waiting for new homes to be listed or homes to be reduced in price.  Buyers who are waiting to purchase may miss seeing your home completely if the price is too high.

To determine the listing price of your home, one method you could consider is having it professionally appraised before you put it on the market. The more common method done however, is talking to a REALTOR® to help determine the price. Be sure, though, to talk to a competent REALTOR® who knows the market in your neighborhood and is up to speed on the current market conditions and current trends in the market.  This way, you’ll know the full value of your home.  You can sell it for market value or go a little under, although you should never attempt to go way over the value.  In doing so, you’ll miss out on a lot of potential buyers.  The home market is very competitive these days, which is why you want your home to draw as much interest as possible.

Keep in mind that REALTORS® have no control over, and do not determine real estate market, only the plan behind marketing.  REALTORS® don’t determine the asking price – the seller does.  You can ask a REALTOR® for advice, although you are the decision maker of your listing price.  If you do things right and take each thing step by step, you’ll set the listing price in the right area and have no problems selling your home.

*We’ve all heard the old axiom of “Location, Location, Location”. In today’s market, get used to the new axiom… “Price, Price, Price”. It won’t matter where the home is located, if the price isn’t right.

Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) in Grand Rapids MI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Dave Melvin
Greenridge Realty
(616) 974-5018
Dave@DaveMelvin.com
www.YourHomeInWestMI.com

LOCAL REALTOR^® ACHIEVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION 

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Dave Melvin with Greenridge Realty has been awarded the Accredited Buyer’s Representation (ABR^®) designation by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council. (REBAC) of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^® (NAR).

Dave joins more than 30,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the ABR^® designation. All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty, both in addition to submitting documentation verifying professional experience.

REBAC, founded in 1988, is the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer. There are more than 40,000 active members of the organization world-wide.  THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is the world’s largest professional association, representing over 1,000,000 members involved in all aspects of the real estate industry.

You may contact the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council by telephone, (800) 648-6224, by e-mail, [rebac@realtors.org], or by visiting the REBAC website, [www.REBAC.net].

ABR^® (Accredited Buyer’s Representative) and ABRM (Accredited Buyer’s Representative Manager) are designations of REBAC (Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council) and THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^®

Distressed Properties Impact the Value of YOUR Home

Distressed Properties Impact the Value of YOUR Home.

Number One… the concept of supply and demand holds true here as well as any other product. As more distressed properties (short sales and foreclosures) come onto the market, there will be more competion for those homes currently on the market. More inventory means more supply.

Number Two… as demand decreases due to the end of the home buyer tax credit (which ended April 30th), or even if demand remains at a stable rate, the increase in supply will affect the current home values. The prices will come down.

Basically, what this all means is that if you’re thinking about selling, NOW is the time. Before more homes come on the market and affect your price futher.