Economical Kitchen Upgrades

Watch my new video on Economical Kitchen Upgrades!

Peg Maloney

Re/Max Real Estate Group

402-598-3965

www.pegmaloney.com

Winter or Spring to Buy or Sell A House?

Many buyers and sellers wait until spring to enter the market, especially families with schoolchildren, who want to make their deals so they can move in time for the next school year.

Still, there are people who, for a variety of reasons, are in the market in winter. And while the market is smaller, real estate agents say that foul-weather buyers and sellers tend to be serious about making a deal.

Certainly, there are plenty of obstacles—especially in a winter like this one. A house that would have a ton of curb appeal when everything’s in bloom is less attractive under gray skies and a blanket of snow. Buyers may struggle to find street parking and navigate icy sidewalks. Sellers find it tougher to keep the place clean as snow and road salt are tracked into the house.

Some agents say the smaller market works to the advantage of sellers. “If they wait for the spring market, there’s more competition” for buyers, said Ricki Sellner of Coldwell Banker in Upper Saddle River, who is Fonseca’s agent.

Other agents insist that the winter is a buyer’s market. “They can usually get a better price, because there are not as many buyers in the market. If a house is on the market in the winter, the seller is usually extremely motivated,” said Nicolette Lisella of Terrie O’Connor Realtors in Allendale, N.J.

“If a house has been on the market, and it is still available in the winter, the sellers are sometimes much more flexible, and prices more affordable,” agreed Dennis Decina of Werner Realty in West Milford, N.J.

Buyers who venture out in winter may be able to get faster action on their mortgages because the lenders aren’t dealing with as many applications, said Antoinette Gangi of RE/MAX in Woodcliff Lake, N.J.

Another advantage for buyers: They will be able to get a sense of how drafty the house is, and how well the heat works. But on the minus side, home inspections can be more difficult if snow covers decks and the home’s foundation, said Sharon Marinaccio of LeConte Realty in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. And buyers won’t be able to have the air conditioning tested or the pool inspected. For that reason, agents recommend that buyers ask the seller to put aside money in escrow, or supply a home warranty, in case repairs are needed later.

All in all, winter markets have super motivated buyers and sellers, but spring markets have more inventory. Regardless, get into the market now and find your dream home.

Peg Maloney
www.pegmaloney.com
www.omahanebraskashortsales.com

Successful Short Sale Steps

Solving Your Mortgage Crisis Just Got Easier

5 Steps for a Successful Short Sale

Lenders and the federal government, prompted by the sheer volume of loan modification and short sale requests, have overhauled their systems and programs, making the foreclosure avoidance process much easier than in the past.

If you are considering short selling your home to avoid the financial and emotional fallout of foreclosure, you should be aware of the five steps you should take to increase your chances of a successful transaction.
First, do you qualify?

You must:

1. 1. Have a verifiable hardship, like unemployment, medical bills, or relocation.
2. Must have a monthly income shortfall.
3. 2. Be insolvent (you have no cash or assets that can be sold to pay down the mortgage), or headed towards insolvency.

3. If you meet these qualifications, follow these five steps to a successful short sale:

1. 1. Contact me so we can identify your servicer, fill out a short sale packet for the lender, and assemble all the required information needed to list your home for sale.
2. 2. Gather financial information (i.e., bank statements, pay stubs) from at least the last three months.
3. 3. Keep your house in showcase condition for showings, and make as many repairs as necessary and that you can afford.
4. 4. Expect the lender, junior lien holders, and private insurance companies to request more paperwork, and try to gather requested information quickly to ensure transaction efficiency.
5. 5. Set realistic expectations and work with me, the lender, and the buyer to the satisfaction and benefit of all parties involved.
   

For more information about how the short sale process works, or about any other foreclosure alternatives you may qualify for, call me today. I can help you alleviate the burden that the threat of foreclosure brings, and we can develop a strategy to help you breathe a little easier.

Cheap Ways To Help Get Your House Sold

Cheap Ways To Help Get Your House Sold

I saw this article and thought: "How easy!" You don't have to spend a lot to make little changes that make a house look "refreshed". According to the HomeGain survey, the top five home improvements that real estate professionals recommend to home sellers based on average cost and return on investment (from highest to lowest ROI) are:
1. Cleaning and de-cluttering – ($290 cost / $1,990 price increase / 586% ROI)
2. Lightening and brightening – ($375 cost / $1,550 price increase / 313% ROI)
3. Home staging – ($550 cost / $2,194 price increase / 299% ROI)
4. Landscaping – ($540 cost / $1,932 price increase / 258% ROI)
5. Repairing electrical or plumbing – ($535 cost / $1,505 price increase / 181% ROI)
In my opinion, the cleaning, de-cluttering, and staging are the most critical, BUT above all else, make sure you are priced competitively. Now let's go out and get your house sold!

Peg Maloney

10 Real Estate Predictions for 2011

I was reading the Daily Real Estate News that RisMedia put out in December, and they had the “10 Real Estate Predictions for 2011”. I wonder how they will pan out over the next year..

1. Building is back. After 3 years of little or no new development, new properties are breaking ground again. I think you’ll find that true in Omaha..

2. Apartments continue to thrive. Some people like the benefits of renting, such as flexibility in housing commitments. Also a number of people just don’t qualify for a mortgage at this time and can wait it out in an apartment

3. Opting for established. Mega-communities in the exurbs are a thing of the past, where builders are moving toward smaller neighborhoods in established communities

4. Make it modern. Transitional and warm-modern design will be prevalent, clean line exteriors and open floor plans comfortable for the family and versatile for entertaining.

5. Buying for the long term. The idea of a home as a short-term moneymaker is essentially gone, so when people do buy, they’ll do it with the intention of staying put for closer to 10 years rather than 2-3 ( relocation buyers being the exception of course). Buyers want to be sure the home will suit their needs not only for now, but down the road , whether they plan to expand their family or become empty nesters

6. Upping the ante on amenities. Outdoor space will be of higher importance to many buyers, especially condo and townhome buyers, so folks can live with less square footage inside their home if they have a place to call their own outside, like an outdoor grilling area.

7. High-tech takes over. What? A smart phone app that controls their residence remotely?? We’re getting there!

8. Smaller homes stay the course. This trend is fueled by first-time buyers with smaller budgets, requiring smaller homes, more conservative mortgages, and higher down payments thus a home with a smaller price.

9. Green and gorgeous. No longer mutually exclusive, new products and forward thinking design have proved homeowners can have both.

10. Healthy homes. Indoor air quality, low VOC paints and adhesives, and healthier materials are more of a concern to people building homes, especially for those with small children. With our economy people have decided to stay put in their existing homes and invest in changes to make it look better and live healthier, like replacing old door and windows, and installing HVAC systems with better filtration.

These all sound reasonable to me and it’s what we are seeing on a day to day basis. What are your thoughts?

Simple Tips to Change Your Financial Behavior

Simple Tips to Change Your Financial Behavior

By Gregory Karp

RISMEDIA, December 29, 2010—(MCT)—Americans have a renewed interest in all things frugal during this recession. They’re spending less money, using credit cards less, and the terms “frugalista” and “bargainista” have entered the daily lexicon.

Keeping up with the Joneses now means one-upping a neighbor with bargains you got at the consignment shop and bragging “my coupon is better than yours.”

But will it stick? Will our frugal ways remain after the Great Recession fades? Or will a pent-up wave of consumer spending eventually break through the restraint? More important, if we’re worried about financial backsliding when good economic times return, what can we do now to make sure we stay on track?

Recent reports suggest we have good intentions to maintain our fiscally responsible ways.

About half of Americans report they either avoid shopping altogether or shop only for those things that are absolutely needed, according to a survey sponsored by Citi. And 72% of Americans say they have cut back on everyday expenses.

“Only time will tell, but my hunch is we’re entering a new era of frugality,” said Jonathan Clements, director of financial education with Citi Personal Wealth Management. “We are 15 months into the economic recovery…and yet consumers are telling us that they are continuing to cut back on their spending.

“This recession will be like the Great Depression was to our grandparents.”

In addition, 80% of people claim to have at least a general plan for income and expenses, up from 47% in 2006, according to a survey by Synovate commissioned by personal finance author Matt Bell.

“Budgets have always been the Rodney Dangerfield of personal finance tools,” said Bell, who writes the MattAboutMoney.com blog. “But just as we’ve seen the recession bring about other changes in people’s financial behavior, such as more frugality, the lowly budget finally seems to be getting some respect.”

But Bell said he knows from working with financially distressed people that a “general” budget plan can mean simply balancing a checkbook or having a rough notion of what a consumer is spending on things. “My fear is that if and when the economy improves, those general plans will become even more general,” he said.

Since consumer debt peaked in 2008, Americans have chopped $922 million from their debt, or 7.4%, according to the Federal Reserve. Americans are reducing debt at a pace unseen in at least a decade, according to a recent Fed report, “Have Consumers Become More Frugal?” Unclear, say researchers, is whether that new frugality stems from borrowers being forced to pay down debt as credit standards tighten, or whether it’s a voluntary—and permanent—shift in behavior.

Farnoosh Torabi, author of the new book Psych Yourself Rich, said she thinks the most recent recession, though technically over, affected people more than the tech bubble of 2001 and other minor economic recessions because its effects have persisted for so long. Young people, especially, are likely to benefit.

“They got to see early on in their lives how overspending can derail you and divert you from your goals,” she said. And they saw it from a variety of directions, whether parents getting laid off or graduating school to enter a lousy job market, she said. “They had a 360-degree wake-up call about how money is the foundation of your livelihood. That’s a valuable lesson for this stage of life.”

The trick is moving from the descriptive to the prescriptive: “How do we make these frugal behaviors last?”

Change your words: Instead of viewing your newfound financial responsibility as a temporary exercise in deprivation, view it as a lifestyle and make peace with it. Author Jeff Yeager calls it slaying your Enoughasaurus, knowing when you have enough and being content with it. “I would ditch the word ‘frugal,’ ” Bell said. “It sounds like someone who obsesses over saving a nickel on every can of tuna they buy. In my workshops, I never talk about being frugal. I talk about spending smart.”

Have goals: The easiest way to say no to the tempting purchase in front of you is to have a specific reason to reject it. “You need a reason for doing whatever it takes to spend smart, a goal that motivates you,” Bell said. “Getting out of debt. Taking a great vacation. Whatever you’re trying to achieve financially.” In your head, the monologue sounds like, “I’ll pass on buying this sweater because I really want to go to the Bahamas in February.”

Track progress: “Monitor your decreasing debt or your increasing vacation fund,” Bell said. “When you see that spending smart is getting you closer to the accomplishment of your goal, that’ll motivate you to keep going.”

Make savings automatic: The easiest way to save is to do nothing. Put your savings on autopilot with automatic paycheck contributions to a retirement plan or direct debits from checking to savings. “If people are saving diligently now and want to keep it up, harness the power of inertia and make it automatic,” said Clements, a former financial columnist and author of four personal finance books.

Make a windfall rule: Most people periodically receive sudden inflows of cash, whether a tax refund, a year-end bonus, an insurance reimbursement or a gift. Make a rule that all windfalls are used for paying off high-interest debt or for savings, Clements said. That way, you improve your finances without affecting your daily lifestyle. A less-rigorous rule would be to blow 10% of the money on something fun so you don’t feel deprived.

“People have been shocked into better financial behavior,” Clements said. “The trick is to make sure they stick with it.”

(c) 2010, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

What To Consider When Buying a Home

Rismedia Top 5: Choosing a home is no easy process, however, and many factors must be carefully weighed before making your selection. As a member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I advise my clients to pay careful attention to a few details in particular when considering a home—these important details will significantly impact your long-term happiness in the home as well as the home’s appreciation over time. So, as you begin to consider properties in our neighborhood, here are a few issues to think about that may help you find exactly the right home for you and your family:

Type of home: One-story or two, single-family, duplex or condo? How will paying homeowner dues affect your overall buying power? Will a swimming pool be a bonus or a hindrance? Making these decisions in advance will help you focus on the right types of home to look at.

New or existing: A new home is all shiny and clean, but will carry with it some hefty initial costs such as landscaping and window coverings. An existing home will have many of these things, but repairs or renovations that may need to be made will also impact your budget.

Features: Weigh the costs of gas vs. electric heating and cooling, and the possible need for fencing. How important is a fireplace? Does the home have enough bedrooms and bathrooms to support your family in the coming years?

Ease of maintenance: What is the condition of the roof? The appliances? Will you have to paint the interior or exterior and/or replace the carpeting? Be sure to factor in such costs in your budget and your negotiations.

Location: Do you want to be in the city or in the country? Nearer to libraries, parks and entertainment or set among tall trees and lakes? What about the need for public transportation? Nearby hospitals and schools?

Crime rate and public schools: Check with local enforcement and local residents to get a feeling for statistics and quality. I can also provide you with up-to-date statistics on this information.

Economic stability: Whether an area is growing or not can affect its future property value—as will the economic stability of the area.

Property tax: Examine the annual amount of real estate taxes and other assessments levied in the neighborhoods you are considering.

I can help find the answers to the above concerns as well as provide more suggestions on what to look for in a new home—just e-mail me. Also, please pass this article onto others who may benefit from this information

Peg Maloney
RE/MAX Real Estate Group
Office: 800-248-6647
Mobile: 402-598-3965
peg@maloney.com
http://www.pegmaloney.com