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Make the Most of Your Home's Drive-Up Appeal

by Galand Haas

Good Morning!


If you currently have a home on the market for sale or if you are getting ready to put your home on the market, the way your home appears on the outside is extremely important. Now that Spring is here and Summer is not far away, the way your home appears outside will have a huge impact on the kind of interest you get in your home. A home with neat, attractive and well kept landscaping will not only get more interest, but it will sell for more money. Here is a blog post from "Realty Times" that adresses curb appeal.

You've probably heard how important curb appeal is when you're trying to sell your home. The first thing buyers look at when they pull up to your home is the big picture -- the house, the yard, the trees, the flowers. It's the impression that counts, and all it takes is one thing to ruin the effect -- a cracked walkway, dead branches in the trees, leggy bushes.

As you look around at all the things you need to fix or update to sell your home, it can be overwhelming. Many sellers struggle with the costs, the decisions, and the time it takes to market their homes. Since most landscaping isn't permanent, you may think it's not as important as other projects that need to be done, but you should strongly consider putting it in the marketing budget.

You can do some of the work yourself or you can get help. But here are five jobs you can do that help you make the most of your home's drive-up appeal.

1. Get rid of anything dead. Dead leaves, flowers, and trees do nothing for your curb appeal. Snip it, rake it and bag it. As you finish, you'll see blank areas. Fill these in with fresh flowers, small bushes, potted plants or yard art. No Gnomes or flamingoes need apply.

2. Cut and weed the grass. If you mow your own lawn, make sure it's freshly mowed every week. Pull or spray weeds so the texture of the grass will be more pleasing.


3. Replace or hide leggy bushes. Nothing makes a front entry look more dated than bushes with longer legs than torsos. Pull them out and replace them, or if it's more expedient, plant boxwoods or other small bushes in front. You can also cover a lot of blank areas with mulch, wood chips or gravel.

 
4. Improve both hardscapes and softscapes. Decorative stone, tile, brick, concrete or wood can add a lot of appeal to the softer elements such as flowers, plants, grasses and ground cover. Landscaping doesn't have to end at the porch. Bring color and vitality to the entry with potted plants and flowers.

5. Light the way. Landscape lighting doesn't have to be expensive. Lanterns to line the walk, or the occasional uplight for the trees can have a glamorous effect on the exterior of your home. Lighting provides security as well as spotlights what you want to call attention to -- a beautiful tree, a flower bed or an architectural element of the house.

If you're not sure where to begin, go to your local landscape supply with a sketch or photo of your home and ask for ideas. Explain that you're selling your home and you need help with curb appeal. You may get a lot of free advice that's really helpful.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

 


88428 Partridge Ln

Price: $749,000     Beds: 3     Baths: 2    ½ Baths: 1     Sq Ft: 3942

Secluded riverfront estate on 4.65 acres! Fish from your own backyard on 300ft of Mckenzie river frontage! Beautiful mountain views surround you on the manicured grounds. Main home features updated kitchen with Dacor 36” duel-fuel range, large...
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AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Real Estate Activity Rising in Lane County

by Galand Haas

Good Afternoon!

The Real Estate Market in the Eugene and Springfield and surrounding area continued to rise in March. This is a coninuation of an escalating market that has been taking place here for well over 6 months now.  Here is what March 2015 home sales in the Eugene/Springfield and surroundings areas looked like.

Real estate activity kicked into action this March in Lane County. Closed sales led the way—the 341 closings were a 30.2% increase over the 262 closings recorded in March 2014 and a 65.5% increase over the 206 closings posted last month. The last March there were more closings in Lane County was March 2007, when there were 347. Pending sales (472) bested March 2014 (367) by 28.6% and February 2015 (368) by 28.3%. New listings, at 574, showed a 10.4% improvement over the 520 new listings posted last March and a 22.9% increase from the 467 new listings posted in February 2015.

Inventory in Lane County decreased to 3.7 months in March, with total market time decreasing to 106 days.

Average and Median Sale Prices

Comparing the average price of homes in the twelve months ending March 31st of this year ($237,900) with the average price of homes sold in the twelve months ending March 2014 ($228,800) shows an increase of 4.0%. The same comparison of the median shows an increase of 3.9% over that same period.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!



2074 Lake Isle Dr

Price: $199,000     Beds: 2     Baths: 2     Sq Ft: 1389

Light and bright condo overlooking the water! In the premier Island Lakes Condominiums, this condo has pond views from every room on North side. Enjoy a beautiful community featuring a pond surrounded by a stunning landscape of fountains, flowers, a...
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AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

The Best Time to Buy a Home is Now

by Galand Haas

Good Afternoon!


There may never be a more opportune time to purchase a home than right now for a variety of reasons.  The following is an article from "Realty Times" that explains why!


"If you don't buy a home right now, you are STUPID!"


That's what Bloomberg said back in 2009. Actually, they said, "If You Don't Buy a House Now, You're Stupid or Broke."


They continued, "Well, you may not be stupid or broke. Maybe you already have a house and you don't want to move. Or maybe you're a Trappist monk and have forsworn all earthly possessions. Or whatever. But if you want to buy a house, now is the time, and if you don't act soon, you will regret it. Here's why: historically low interest rates."


They were talking about rates hovering around five percent. Today, rates are under four percent for a 30-year fixed-rate loan.


Reason No. 1 to buy now: Rates are low


"Low mortgage rates continue to keep ownership less expensive than renting," said Investopedia. "Even a small change in interest rates has a significant effect on what you'll pay each month and over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Take a $172,000 30-year mortgage, for example ($172,000 is 80% of the median sales price for existing homes of $215,000 after a 20% down payment). With an interest rate of 4%, you would pay $821.15 each month. At an interest rate of 5%, the monthly payment would be $923.33, and at 6%, the payment rises to $1031.23."


Reason No. 2: Rents are high


In many markets, rents are rising to unsustainable levels, reports the National Association of Realtors (NAR). "In the past five years, a typical rent rose 15% while the income of renters grew by only 11%."


The cities with the highest rent increase since 2009 include New York, San Jose, San Francisco, Denver, and Seattle. For the rest of the list, click here, and to see how much more renting can cost you over a lifetime, check out Riskology.

Reason No. 3: Qualifications are easier

During the real estate downturn of the mid-2000s, banks and lenders tightened the reins, and often only the most qualified applicants could get approved. Post-recession, qualifications have loosened. Buyers who can't show solid income and a minimum credit score probably won't be offered a risky interest-only ARM today, however, those with less-than-perfect credit and minimal funds still have options. The Federal Housing Association (FHA) minimums are a 620 credit score and a 3.5 percent down payment.

 

Reason No. 4: Private mortgage insurance fees are down

Buyers who put less than 20 percent down on their home generally incur a monthly fee in the name of private mortgage insurance (PMI). In January 2015, the government announced lower PMI rates on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, which equates to a savings of about $900 a year. Seventy-five dollars a month may not seem like much, but every little bit helps when you're committing to an investment as large as a home.

Reason No. 5: It's still one of the best investments out there

In fact, some would say it's the very best investment out there.

"Buying a home is the best investment any individual can make. Affordability is still at an all-time high," said CNBC.

Not only as a comparison between buying and renting, but as a measurable asset, homeownership stands up—as long as buyers make a smart decision.

"The largest measurable financial benefit to homeownership is price appreciation," said Investopedia. "Price appreciation helps build home equity, which is the difference between the market price of the house and the remaining mortgage payments."

Reason No. 6: It feels good

You know that pride of ownership thing? It's true. Really. Nothing compares to the feeling of walking into a home that's yours for the first time. Or painting the walls a color other than white. Updating the kitchen. Making it your own. Not worrying about your rent being raised. And, of course, watching your equity grow over time.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!


 


3985 Monroe St


Price: $450,000     Beds: 4     Baths: 3    ½ Baths: 1     Sq Ft: 3142


Picturesque property in the hills! This 0.45 acre property backs up to a creek offering expansive views of the trees and sounds of nature. Entertain easily on 2 decks in the fenced backyard and in large bonus room on lower level. This home has an op...
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AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Home Prices on the Rise

by Galand Haas

Good Monday Morning!



Both national and local home prices continue to increase.  Even though this has a slight negative effect for potential home buyers, home sellers are benefiting from the increase in home values.  Here in the Eugene and Springfield area, home values have increased significantly since the market down turn several years ago.  Although, in most cases home prices have not come back to where they peaked at around 2006, they have come back enough for anyone thinking about a home sale to consider making the move to do so soon.  There is much speculation that mortgage interest rates might begin to go up later this year.  With the increased mortgage interest rates, the demand for housing could decline, putting pressure on home prices.  We just might be at that point where your home value is at a peak and the oppotunity to sell at top dollar could just be right now.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!




 

6076 Fernhill Loop

Price: $497,000     Beds: 3     Baths: 3     Partial Baths: 1     Sq Ft: 4061

Great separation of space in this Craftsman style home located on .46 of an acre. Large kitchen with island, hardwood floors, granite, pantry, open to family room with fireplace & built-ins. Formal living room boasts high ceilings, fireplace, light ...
View this property >>


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Haas Real Estate Team
Keller Williams Realty Eugene and Springfield
2645 Suzanne Way Suite 2A
Eugene OR 97408
Direct: (541) 349-2620
Fax: 541-687-6411

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