Light, Bright and Airy Home Staging Tips
Hello Rain! Wow we have seen some wet weather over the past few days and I hear we have more in store. If you have a house for sale through this wet season here are some things to keep in mind, and to keep your home value at its best!
- Turn on extra inside lights, this weather makes rooms extra dark.
- Keep a clean dry mat at your door.
- Ask visitors to remove their shoes if you have very light carpet – its a pain, but it shows buyers that you care about the home.
- Keep your gutters and drains flowing properly – nothing spells disaster like a home that looks like it could flood.
- Try to keep the moisture out and the house warm and dry to keep away musty winter smells that often make people think of mold (the 4 letter bad word of real estate).
Happy Home Selling! – Shannon
If you have more questions for me directly- please contact me directly or through my website: www.LightBrightandAiry.com or email: shannon@LightBrightandAiry.com
Lights Out
I’m one of the lucky households to lose power at Noon today and at 9:45 PM, still sitting here in the dark using my laptop with my Blackberry hooked up to it for Internet connectivity. Guess I’ll be filling up the garbage can tomorrow with the food in the refrigerator as I didn’t put it in an ice chest thinking the power wouldn’t be out for this long.
Today was an interesting day to observe people trying to drive in areas with power outages. It’s amazing to see the people that just go through the intersection without even realizing that there is no green light, actually any light. Then there are the jerks that know the light is out and don’t want to wait their turn so when the guy in front of them goes, they just continue going through right behind them. Saw this pattern repeat itself throughout today.
With more storms on the way, I won’t be stocking my refrigerator again until the end of the week but I will make sure I’m really careful when out driving.
The Keith Byrd Team is Hiring!
If you’re a Realtor wanting to be on the leading edge of the real estate industry, check out our job posting at slo.craigslist.org under the real estate job section (posted Saturday, January 16th).
What’s Different In These Avila Beach Photos?
There are 8 differences between the two Avila Beach photos below. An Answer link is at the bottom which will display a photo pointing out the 8 changes.
Home Buyer Tax Credit IRS Form Now Available
It took a few months but the IRS released Form 5405 on Friday. This is the form to file for the home buyer tax credit for homes purchased after the original tax credit expired on November 30th.
For the new home buyer tax credit you need to have a contract by April 30th and close escrow by July 1st.
Here’s form 5404 (pdf) from the IRS website.
HUD suspends 90-day flipping rule
To speed the sale of foreclosures and other properties to Buyers, the prior rule that you couldn’t get FHA mortgage insurance for properties held by an owner less than 90 days will be suspended as of February 1st. This will stay in effect for at least one year.
2009 Agent Sales
I ran a report for homes and condos sold on the Central Coast in 2009. There are some pretty eye-opening facts including…
- 87% of agents on the Central Coast DID NOT HAVE A SINGLE home sale to a Buyer in 2009
Things have changed in the real estate industry. Agents that have done well in past years have struggled over the past few years. Would you want an agent to assist you to buy a home that hasn’t sold one in over a year?
I’m also seeing fewer agents going out on the weekly MLS caravans to preview new listings and keep up with the inventory.
2010 is going to be an interesting year…..
Murals of Morro Bay
(submitted by one of our North Coast agents)
Throughout Morro Bay, you may notice beautiful murals painted on the side of buildings. Most, if not all of these projects, were sponsored by the Morro Bay Public Art Foundation.
This mural, entitled Robbie Robinson, is one of my favorites. It was painted in 2002 by artist Mary Carol Larson with the help of her art students and friends. You will see it as you drive east on Morro Bay Blvd, in about the 700 block on the south side of the street.
Robbie Robinson is known as the founder of the Morro Bay Art Colony in the 1920’s.
Walking Away
It sounds so passive, to calmly turn and put that underwater house behind you. Put one foot in front of the other until it’s well in your past.
I urge you to warn your friends, family members, and co-workers that this is not a passive act, but rather very critical decision that must be made with the utmost care. There are known and some unknown consequences of defaulting on a mortgage, and I strongly urge a consultation with a lawyer AND a tax professional. Only those professionals can help you plan for the consequences. These professionals can tell you what to expect, whether the lender can sue you, if you will lose your retirement account, face an IRS penalty, and many other possible ramifications that you may not have considered.
For many, there is no choice; it’s a matter of eating or making the mortgage. For others, it’s a voluntary choice based on simple economics. In either case, don’t call it “walking away” and mislead others to believe that it’s an easy road. Remember that getting a mortgage in the future will be harder, other creditors may decide to cut or close unrelated accounts, and even renting a house will be harder with a foreclosure.
Elvis Costello Coming to Cal Poly
Elvis Costello will be performing solo at Cal Poly on Monday, April 12th and in Santa Barbara on April 13th. Tickets went on sale today for the Cal Poly show and you can buy tickets for the Santa Barbara show starting tomorrow morning.
