5 Things to Do Inside During A Winter Storm

Winter and freezing wind chills have settled in the Midwest.  Days like today make me grateful to have the option of working from home.  Before you grab the remote, here are some great ideas to pass the time away.

1)  Organization
You know that drawer in the kitchen that won't close or the linen closet that's a mess? It's a great time to attack these projects.

2)  Safety Check
Another overlooked item is your medicine cabinet. When was the last time you checked the expiration dates?  Evaluated your supply of bandages, cold or flu medicines etc? 

 

3)  Paperwork

Everyone has some type of filing system for bills, medical records, household information and receipts.  When was the last time you cleaned out your files?  Do you really need to keep that 10 year old cable bill?  Organizing your papers help save you time and money.

 

4)  Recipes and Menus

A few years back, I typed up all my recipes, printed and laminated them on 4 x 6 cards.  If you type them in Microsoft Word, you can also save them as a pdf. file.  I then saved all my recipes to a cloud base file system such as Dropbox.  Why? Easy menu planning and shopping. Now if I am at the store and they have a great sale or I have an urge to make Sweet & Sour Chicken, I can pull up the recipe on my phone and easily check the required ingredients.

 

 

 5)  Dream and Plan
So often in our busy life, we fail to take time to dream, plan and grow.  Grab a blank notebook, a cup of tea and settle in to a comfy chair.  Ask yourself lots of questions. What do you like about your life? What would you change? Where do you image living in 5 years? If you could do one thing this year - what would it be?  What places do you want to visit? What new things would you like to try?  Who inspires you?

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Enjoy the season, grab another cup of coffee and get started.

What To Look For On A Final Walk-Through

What To Look For On A Final Walk-Through

The final walk through is usually scheduled right before a real estate purchase is closed. It is an important step - the final walkthrough is your chance to take a careful look at what you're buying and be sure that everything is as you expected. Your real estate professional will accompany you on the walk through as an experienced second set of eyes, and go through the following items:

• The major systems in the home are working such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.
• Appliances are working.
• All items that were agreed upon to convey with the home are in place. This could include window treatments, lighting fixtures, or other items.
• Manuals and warranty information for appliances and other items are present.
• Home is reasonably clean.
• There are no major repairs needed such as to the flooring, walls, trim, or exterior.
• If sellers have already moved none of their personal belongings have been left behind.
• Items have not been removed from the landscaping unless previously agreed to.

Keep in mind that if you are buying a home "as is" or you were already aware that something was not working or needed repairs and agreed to purchase the home anyway, you won't need to bring these items up during the final walk through. If however, you had been under the impression that all appliances were to be included with the property and during the walkthrough you notice that the washer and dryer are missing this is the time to bring it up. Voice any concerns to your real estate agent and he or she can advise you about how to best proceed.

 Also make sure all utilities have been transferred over to your name, so you will have electrical power, gas, heat, water, sewer, and trash service once you move in.

What To Look For On A Final Walk-Through

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Sharpening my internet marketing skills to better serve my clients...

Check out all the OPEN HOUSES this weekend in Porter County - here is a listhttp://ping.fm/tHzXe

Want a list of ALL the Open Houses this weekend in Porter or Lake County? Just message me at lindazcentury21@gmail.com & I will send you a list.

THIS FRIDAY - Come to County Line Orchard in Hobart for a live benefit concert for Housing Opportunities Inc & Hobart YMCA featuring Chris & Lou and the Crawpuppies Tickets are $15 per person which will include a night of Beatles music, food, drinks and fun!! Let me know if you would like tickets. I hope to see you there!!!

the joy of being self employed - Quarterly Business Taxes are due including the 15.8% Self Employment Tax

With FHA Mortgage rates at $5.37 per $1,000 of loan - How can you NOT afford to buy a home?

In March 2011, Valparaiso had 51 SOLD properties with an average List Price of $179,898 and Sold Price of $169,241. Does this surprize you? Average Days on Market is only 129.

Want a list of ALL the Real Estate Open Houses TODAY in Porter County or Lake County? Email me at lindazcentury21@gmail.com

Congratulations Valparaiso on your first Diversity Summit to raise awareness and successfully cultivate a positive vision for the future of Valparaiso. Mayor Jon Costas, Valparaiso University President Mark Heckler and others are dedicated to a creating a diversified community.

Now is a Great Time To Sell Your Home

Homeowners often wonder if there is a favorable time of the year to sell their home and my response is NO. The two most important factor in selling your home do not change whether the home is listed for sale in March or November.

The first factor would be the "average days on market" for you area. For example, let's say the average home for sale between $200k to $250k in Valparaiso takes 135 days to sell. If you list your home for sale on April 1st, chances are it will be sell by August 15th. Market time does vary depending on the number of homes for sale and buyers in an area.

Another important factor is the price. Your home should be priced at or lower than comparable homes which have recently sold. An overprice home will linger on the market and in the end sell for less than it should have.

So if you are ready to expand your living area, need to escape a cramped condo or relocate to be near the grandchildren; now is a great time to sell your home.

Feds Discuss Foreclosures

The Federal Government discusses the dumping of foreclosures

Don't Wait For The Market To Come Back

Top Five Reasons Why Not To Wait For The Market To Come Back:

1) Demand for existing homes are at it's peak
2) Less competition from new home sales
3) You can buy more home for your money
4) Tax incentives of $6,500/existing homeowners & $8,000/new buyers
5) Mortgage interest rates are low at around 5%

Since early 2006 home prices in Northwest Indiana have fallen an average of 30% from the market peak. What does this mean for home owners who have decided to "wait for the market to come back"? A long wait, a very long wait.

First remember at the peak of the market, home building was very active and new homes were going up everywhere. Buyers took note and the majority of buyers only wanted to view "newer homes" Existing home sales lagged behind new home sales 2-1 or even 3-1 in some areas.

The new home market is at a virtual standstill, with a limited new homes being built. That's good news as there is way less competition for the sale of your home.

Buyers see the value in purchasing an existing home. Buyers are pleased that they can buy a bigger home (more square footage) at a lower price than new construction. Buyers are also finding out that they are able to afford a home in areas that previously were not in there price range.

Additionally, tax incentives allow existing home owners to buy a new home and receive $6,500. You don't have to sell your existing home, you can rent it out - you just have to live in the new home.

Finally, remember that market prices have not even begun to rise. Even if prices rise at 6% per year - (at that's not happening) it could take 5 to 7 years for your home sale price to increase to the peak market price. Can you afford to wait that long? When and if the market swings back and the value of home prices begin to rise, so does the desire of buyers wanting new homes.

In conclusion, with the $6,500 tax credit for existing home owners or $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, PLUS the active existing home market creates the best time to purchase a new home. Finally, mortgage interest rates continue to be very low at around 5%.

Which Should I Do First - List My Home or Find A New Home?

Homeowners often are afraid of listing their home for sale without finding their next home first. Shopping for a home, when you are not in a position to buy can be a painful experience.Let's say you visit 10 homes, and finally find a great new home! But wait, you are not in a position to buy. The seller of the great new home (as with most sellers) will not accept an offer from you based upon the contingent sale of your home. Thus, the dream home is sold to someone else and you miss the opportunity.The best homeowners list their home first and then look for a new home. You can always list your home "subject to finding home of choice". This means if you don't find a great new home, you don't have to sell. Remember, every neighborhood has an "average market time" meaning the average days on market to sale. In Northwest Indiana, the average is about 120 days or 4 months. So even if you list your home today, it could take a few months to find a buyer.The best advise is to list first and shop for the new great home second.

Lights On - Selling your home faster

Today is a rare sunny day in Northwest Indiana as we tend to have more gray skies than blue. What home sellers may not realize is how a drab, gray day can darken the image and interior of their home. Furthermore, sometimes real estate agents and buyers have difficulty locating hidden light switches and can view the room at it's best.

To help sell your home faster, make sure to leave a light on in every room of your home. Even if it's in the daytime, lights add warmth and give potential buyers a much better view.

So if your looking to encourage buyers and waiting for a great offer, my suggestion is to leave the lights on!

Help SELL Your Home FASTER

There is one thing that every home seller can do to assist their REALTOR in selling their home - TALK ABOUT IT!

When your REALTOR is out and about, we are always looking for opportunities to talk about home sales, share market data and look for potential home buyers. The bigger the net(work) the more fish you will catch.

So if you want to help your home sell FASTER, be sure to tell everyone you know that your home is for sale and talk about your moving plans. You get the conversation started by asking for moving company references, or if they know of anyone who has used the home buyer tax credit.

Just start the conversation - remember the more people who KNOW that your home is for sale - increases the opportunities for sale!

Take Advantage - Home Buyer Tax Credit 2009 - 2010

Are you ready to take advantage of this "final offer" to make home buyer easier? Don't be fooled, there will NOT be an extension of this program. Buyers must be under contract to purchase by April 30, 2010 and closed purchase by June 30, 2010 to receive the tax credit. Now existing home owners are eligible to receive up to $6,500 on a purchase of a residence. You do NOT have to sell the existing home. First time home buyers are eligible for up to $8,000.Call me today at 219 462 2090 ext 205 for additional information.