Communication

Communication is one of, if not the most, important facets of purchasing a home with a partner. By having open lines of communication, and by ensuring that all needs, opinions, and other concerns are heard and listened to, a lot of issues can be avoided.

Define Your Parameters Carefully

How important is location? Multiple stories? Access to bus lines? Close to work? Size of home? Fenced yard? Multiple bathrooms? Price?

By carefully identifying what is important to each partner so much confusion can be avoided. Be as clear as you can with each other in defining what matters most to you has a partnership or couple.

Be Patient

The process for finding a home can be tiring and at times arduous. An experienced agent can help alleviate the decision making process and find the right house for your needs. Communicate with your agent what both of your concerns are and be clear about what matters the most to both of you, and what things you are willing to compromise on.

It will take time and effort, but by communicating openly, defining your home parameters clearly, and being patient with the process, you can reduce the amount of stress and minimize difficulties in your search.

Are You Eligible For HAMP?

You may be eligible for HAMP if you answer YES to all these questions.

Are you the owner-occupant of a one to four-unit home?
Do you have an unpaid principal balance that is equal to or less than:

• 1 Unit: $729,750

• 2 Units: $934,200

• 3 Units: $1,129,250

• 4 Units: $1,403,400

Have a first lien mortgage that was originated on or before January 1, 2009?
Have a monthly mortgage payment (including taxes, insurance, and home owners association dues) greater than 31% of your monthly gross (pre-tax) income?Have a mortgage payment that is not affordable due to a financial hardship that can be documented?

If You Qualify

Homeowners who qualify for HAMP must complete a trial period of three to four months to demonstrate that they will be able to make their reduced payments on time before their mortgage becomes permanently modified.

To create an affordable payment, your mortgage servicer applies a series of modification steps in the following order:

1. Rate reduction to as low as two percent.

2. Term extension up to 40 years.

3. Principal forbearance (or deferral).

A portion of the principal can also be forgiven, although that is optional and is based on the discretion of the servicer.

If you think you qualify for HAMP, contact your servicer.

For more information and frequently asked questions, please see the Making Home Affordable government website.

Pros

• In many cases digitally editing stock images taken of a vacant home is less costly than hiring someone to move furniture and other objects into the home and then taking the picture.

• There will be less potential for damage if people are moving large pieces of furniture around the home.

• Staged homes statistically sell for 17% more than vacant homes. Only 10% of home buyers can visualize the potential of a vacant home.

• Virtual staging is less of a hassle as you can simply send photo’s to the virtual staging designers without moving furniture yourself.

• Requires only a one time design fee and no monthly payment to rent staged furniture.

Cons

• Virtual staging that is poorly done is extremely obvious and can detriment the quality of the photo for home buyers.

• In a bright room it’s difficult to capture lighting and replicate it’s affect on imported image objects.

• Virtual staged rooms can be made to deceive which may not sit well with alert buyers if they notice a discrepancy in the size of how an object looks in the photo vs. physically.

• It’s difficult to produce the same effect that real furniture has on the room.

• Buyers that visit the home may wonder where the furniture is that was furniture is that was in the pictures. Real furniture helps buyers visualize when they are walking through the home.

It will really come down to preference between how much you’re willing to spend between the two staging methods, how competent the stagers for both virtual and actual settings are, and whether or not staging is right for you.

In general, staging will often provide a needed boost to help set your home and property above the competition. For some more information on staging in general, see our other blog post concerning staging.

Honesty. Honesty is is the centerpoint of a good agent. By being up front with their client, honesty ensures that there are no surprises later in the process for both the agent and the client. Trust follows from honesty.

Loyalty. When someone approaches an agent asking for help in buying or selling a home, they place their trust in that agent. And from that trust follows the loyalty of the agent. The agent pledges to represent the client and work hard to see that their needs are met fairly. Loyalty breeds trust, and in return, the loyalty of your client.

Integrity. The consistency in which an agent conducts themselves and demonstrates the methods, measures, values, and principles is an integral aspect of being a good agent. Having an intuitive sense of truth and honesty separates a professional real estate agent from the others.

Perseverance. It’s a buyers market now. It takes extra-ordinary effort to make sure that that home get’s sold or that perfect home is found. Simply listing a property won’t work anymore. A good agent will work hard to find that perfect home, and will persevere to get your home as much exposure as needed.

Patience. If that home just won’t sell or the perfect home just isn’t turning up in the searches, a patient agent will take time to evaluate what the problem could be and adjust their methods to reflect their research. They will take the time to communicate further with their clients to determine and define their client’s needs.

A good real estate agent shouldn’t necessarily be defined by how many deals they close but by how they conduct themselves in business. A true real estate agent isn’t only in the business of selling houses. They are in the business of providing clients an honest avenue to buy or sell a home, to be loyal to that client, persevere through the difficult times, and be patient when things don’t go according to plan. A true real estate agent is in the business of helping people.

This is good news for job seekers in Washington. According to the survey for this spring, it shows a 21 percent increase in openings since last fall. Most of the jobs are made up by the private sector, however, some public health care and education jobs are included.

Health Care was the leading industry in job growth. Registered nurses were the job that was most in demand with over 2,300 openings.

Software engineers were the next in terms of most needed, with almost 2,000 job openings.

For more information, please see the full survey.

Additionally, Congress has extended the National Flood Insurance Program through September 30th as well. This bill is retroactive and will cover the lapse period from June 1, 2010, to the date the law is enacted.

Housing sizes typically drop during recessions, however, economists expect the current downsizing and small home buying trend to continue due to the current housing difficulties and change in familial status.

Downsizing and living modestly, as well as making the most use of the space available is more sustainable. It requires less maintenance, less energy, and consequently less money. This is obviously attractive to those who are looking to downsize or for those that are purchasing a home for the first time.

Due to this shift in housing trends, the builders market has changed significantly. Coupled with the demand for smaller houses and remodeling, builders can take advantage of a new niche.

Again, it’s not just about making a smaller house, but maximizing the usable space within and also building with quality, though less expensive material alternatives. For example, instead of an expensive granite kitchen, using a synthetic material look-alike. One can also purchase a smaller home and/or remodel areas of the home to create more space.

The recession has helped many people understand the value of a home floor plan that utilizes space efficiently, as well as valuing the sustainable lifestyle of living in a smaller home.

Want to send your critters on a plane ride? Keep these things in mind. Check with your airlines for any specifics you might have to abide by in order to get them on the plane. Your pet will most likely need a pet certificate prior to boarding. Again, call the airline for specifics on that and at the same time see what their regulations are for the size of crates/boxes you need for your pets. When putting your pets in their travel crates or containers make sure they have water and food and possibly a piece of your clothing so the scent will calm them.

For smaller animals such as hamsters, mice, guinea pigs or birds you can transport them as well. Again, make sure they have food, water, and a clean cage with room to move. These smaller animals can’t have the drafts that a dog or cat might enjoy. Sometimes it’s best to cover their cages to keep out any extreme temperatures, drafts or activity outside the vehicle.

Fish on the other hand are not real practical to move. It’s not easy to move an aquarium as a gallon of water alone can weigh eight pounds. It is best to plan to give the fish away to another loving home, or check with your vet, or sell them. You can restock your aquarium when you reach your new destination.

Your veterinarian, boarders, pet store owners and the airlines can be a wonderful resource for you and your pets!

Start with appliances that are not in use. These can utilize up to 70% of your energy bill. They continue to use electricity even when not in use. The best way to combat that is to use power strips as much as possible and then you can unplug a bunch of things at one time. They can use these for cell phones, lap tops, coffee makers, toasters, etc.

The obvious; switch out those old light bulbs for the new compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’S) which are about 4 times more efficient that the traditional Incan -descent bulbs. They also can last up to 10 times longer.

Check out those dual flush toilets. These toilets have two buttons, each dispersing two separate amounts of water. These can save up to 65% of water used daily by a traditional toilet. These toilets can cost anywhere from $160-$400.

Caulking windows and insulating can be huge energy savers as well. Make sure the caulking material you use is conducive to the material your are applying it to. Talk with home experts regarding proper insulation type and installation. Payback on these two items alone can sometimes be seen in the first two years of installation.

Keep your furnace filters clean and use a programmable thermostat. Have your furnace serviced at regular intervals; maybe a new one is in order.

Consider Bamboo as alternative for flooring. It’s environmentally friendly due to the fast rate at which it replenishes itself. It takes about 5 years or so to mature compare to 35-100 years for hardwoods. Again, make sure the glue you use is not formaldehyde- based.

Reduce your plastic usage. They have a huge environmental impact from the minute they are made to when they are tossed or recycled at best. Help combat global warming. Get your own grocery bags or if you are only getting one or two items at the grocery store ask NOT to get it in a bag.

Save those trees. Use less paper and be conscious of the paper you do use. Remove yourself from junk mail lists or recycle that mail you toss. You can contact optoutprescreen.com or call 888-567-8688 to opt out of insurance or credit cards offers.

Another resource for recycling would be your city’s website for local information. A resource for junk mail is Direct Marketing Assoc. Mail Preference Service. P.O.Box 643, Carmel NY 10512. Write to them and sign up to opt out of most junk mail lists. It’s a start. It might take a little of your time but consider that we are tossing approx. 4.5 million tons of this away each year.

Community

Is the community right for you? Does the community reflect the same values that you have? Do you enjoy socializing or do you value your privacy? Look for a home in which the surrounding community has similar values.

Schools

Do you have children? How far away are you children from the schools? Will you have to drive them to the bus stop or all the way to school? Do you plan to attend a community college for continued learning? If schools and/or continued education are important to you, consider a home that is in relatively close proximity to an academic institution.

Shopping Centers

How close are grocery stores and shopping centers? Would you prefer to be closer to the grocery store or malls?

Work/Occupation Proximity

How far away is your work? Do you want to commute? What’s the maximum distance you would consider traveling for work? Do you work from home? Know how far you want to travel and consider traffic into your travel time calculations.

Traffic

Living on a busy road can feel invasive and less private. How much traffic are you willing to tolerate? Will you be working from home and traffic won’t be an issue?

Remember, location, location, location. A home can always be renovated, remodeled, demolished and rebuilt. The landscaping can be altered, changed, or redone. But the location of a home is final. Research areas that appeal to you and narrow your search down to those areas.