5 Tips for Getting Your Home Ready for the Spring Real Estate Market

Even though it’s the middle of the winter season, before you know it, spring will be here. Historically in most real estate markets, the spring is when it really begins to heat up. The spring real estate market generally yields the highest prices for those selling their home. This is only possible though if the proper preparations are taken before spring is upon us!

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the spring, you must know that even though you may receive top dollar for your home, the competition will also be the strongest. This means it’s absolutely critical that you’re prepared for the spring real estate market so you can knock out your competition. Check out these tips so that you’re prepared.

Begin Interviewing Prospective REALTORS®

It doesn’t matter what time of year you decide to sell your home, it’s critical that you start the process by reaching out to the agent you think would be a great representative to sell your home. Contact me  sooner rather than later as I can be helpful in your planning stages.

Know What Your Plan Is

One huge mistake sellers make is not knowing what their plan is once they sell their home. Are you planning on buying another home once your home sells? Do you have the option to move in with family? Can you rent, if need be? Can you buy non-contingent? These are things you should think about and know the answers to before the spring real estate market hits. It’s a great idea to discuss your financing options with a local lender before you list your home for sale. If you can get pre-approved to purchase a home non-contingent, if need be, it can give you a huge advantage over any seller who is selling their home subject to finding a suitable property to purchase. 
I will be happy to walk through all these questions with you!

Consider Having a Pre-List Inspection

One of the biggest reasons a home sale gets derailed is due to the home inspection. Most buyers will opt to have their offer contingent on an acceptable home inspection. Some buyers can even get alarmed and scared by the smallest home inspection finding. It can be easy to avoid this possibility and have your home inspected by a professional before listing it.

Know Your Local Spring Real Estate Market

Every neighborhood and market is different. Some spring real estate markets begin in late February/early March and others begin in the middle of April. It’s important that you truly understand your local real estate market. The best way to know your local real estate market is by hiring a top REALTOR®. Your REALTOR® should be able to advise you on current, past, and projected market conditions and also give you advice as to when you should list your home.

The time you choose to list your home for sale is critical in the spring market. If you wait too long, it’s possible you can miss that prime selling time frame.I may advise you that it would be best to beat the spring market competition and that it can be beneficial to list a home early and not wait until the spring market.

Clean & Organize

I know it’s cliché but it’s imperative to give your home a thorough “spring cleaning.” This doesn’t mean wait until spring though. Be proactive and start cleaning now; you’ll be glad you didn’t wait. A huge turnoff for prospective buyers are foul odors. Things such as smoke odors and pet odor can be a huge turn-off.

Here are just a few things to make sure you clean before listing your home:

• Wash your windows
• Dust your blinds
• Dust baseboard trims
• Clean appliances
• Clean shower(s) & toilet(s)
• Clean inside cabinets

When selling a home, it’s important that you de-clutter and organize your home, too. A great way to achieve this is by packing. It may sound silly seeing as you haven’t listed your home for sale yet, but you will need to pack at some point anyways, so why not do it now! Clean out closets and pack away anything that you don’t have a necessity for. It is incredible how much better a home will show and how much quicker it will sell if it’s organized and de-cluttered.

Final Thoughts

The spring real estate market is a great time to be selling a home. Just because your spring market doesn’t begin until mid-April doesn’t mean you should wait to prepare for the sale of your home. Be proactive and follow the above tips for getting ready for the spring real estate market. 
And ....
Above all else..... CALL ME!

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU NEED?

Are you confused about how much protein you need? Many athletes and exercisers are increasing their protein intake to help them both lose weight and build more muscle, but is that the right way to go? It makes sense that, since muscles are made of protein, eating more dietary protein will help you build more muscle. However, science tells us that isn't always the case.
A Little Bit of Science
Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body, and most of it (around 60% to 70%) is located in the skeletal muscles.
There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body and all but eight can be produced in your body. These eight amino acids, called essential amino acids, must be supplied by food and/or supplements. The other twelve non-essential amino acids are made within the body, but both essential and non-essential amino acids are needed to synthesize proteins. What does all this mean? It means that if you don't supply your body with the essential amino acids it needs, your body may be limited in the amount of protein it can use to build muscle.
Getting the Right Kind of Protein
Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These foods include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk and just about anything else derived from animal sources. Incomplete proteins don't have all of the essential amino acids and generally include vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. So, if you're a vegetarian, does this mean you can't get complete protein? Not at all. Below is a chart listing some incomplete proteins. To get all of the essential amino acids, simply choose foods from two or more of the columns.

Grains	Legumes	Seeds & Nuts
Barley	Beans	Sesame                                     Seeds	Leafy Greens
Corn Meal	Lentils	Sunflower Seeds	Broccoli
Oats	Peas	Walnuts
Rice	Peanuts	Cashews
Pasta	Soy Products	Other Nuts
Whole Grain Breads	Most experts believe that most people get more than enough protein daily. In fact, some believe the average sedentary American eats about 50% more than the recommended daily amount, which ranges from 40-70 grams each day depending on your gender, age and situation. If you're an exerciser, however, your protein needs may increase since resistance training and endurance workouts can rapidly break down muscle protein. A position statement published by the ADA, DOC and ACSM recommends that endurance and strength-trained athletes have between 1.2 and 1.7 g/kg (0.5 - 0.8 grams per pound) of protein for the best performance and health. What if you're trying to build more muscle? Shouldn't you eat even more protein? Not necessarily. There's evidence that bodybuilders, much like exercisers or athletes, do require more protein but that any more than double the RDA won't necessarily help you build more muscle. In one study, experts studied three groups of weight lifters: A low protein group (0.86 g/kg), a moderate protein group (1.40 g/kg) and a high protein group (2.40 g/kg) and found that, "There were no effects of varying protein intake on indexes of lean body mass." In essence, the more you exercise, the greater your protein needs will be. However, taking it too far, for example more than doubling your protein intake, won't necessarily help you build more muscle. How to Calculate Your Protein Needs: 1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg 2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm. Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training. Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights 154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg 70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day Calculating Protein as a Percentage of Total Calories Another way to calculate how much protein you need is by using daily calorie intake and the percentage of calories that will come from protein. To do this, you'll need to know how many calories your body needs each day. First, find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is by using a BMR calculator. Next, figure out how many calories you burn through daily activity and add that number to your BMR. This gives you an estimate of how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. After you've figured out your maintenance calories, next figure out what percentage of your diet will come from protein. The percentage you choose will be based on your goals, fitness level, age, body type and metabolic rate. Most experts recommend that your protein intake be somewhere between 15 and 30%. When you've determined your desired percentage of protein, multiply that percentage by the total number of calories for the day. Example: For a 140lb female, calorie intake=1800 calories, protein=20%: 1800 x .20 = 360 calories from protein. Since 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, divide protein calories by four: 360/4 = 90 grams of protein per day. No matter what your calculations are, remember that there are no magic foods or supplements that can replace the right training and the right diet. The foundation of any program, whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, is a combination of strength training and a healthy diet that includes carbs, with a balance of protein and fat. Sources: American Heart Association. "High-Protein Diets." Accessed: Sept 22, 2009. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11234 DietaryFiberFood.com. RDA: Protein Requirement for Humans. Accessed: Sept 22, 2009. http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/protein-requirement.php.

If you were in a store with loaves of bread for 67 cents, would you buy? If you were driving by a gas station and you saw 97 cents per gallon, I know you’d stop, fill up and then call everyone you knew.  Even go back with jugs.  Those were 1989 prices. Seems impossible doesn’t it?

Put It In Perspective

Now, what if I told you that at current interest rates (below 3.85% - “we’ve never seen it before, never this low in history” - Jay Papasan) what you get for the money is unprecedented?  Comparing the payments on a $94k mortgage in ‘89 at those 10% rates with a mortgage today of $166k at a rate of 4.45%, your payments would be $825 and $837 respectively for a difference of $12.  $12!!!

The arguments we hear from buyers is they are waiting for lower rates or they fear prices will drop again.  I learned a long time ago that you can’t time the market.  Economists and professionals have been trying for decades and they’ll tell you the only way to know prices have bottomed out is when they’re going up.

First off, can rates go much lower before banks are paying you?  Their margins at the current rates are low which is why qualifying for a loan is so hard.  But take a moment to consider this fact.  A 1% rate increase is the equivalent of a 10% price drop.  Which is more likely to happen?  Rates increase by 1% or prices drop by 10%?  While we’ve seen that kind of price drop, the reaction of Wall Street should tell you how rare that was.

So you’re a buyer and you’re waiting for prices to drop another 3%.  You’re preapproved at today’s low of 3.85%.  You find a property but want to wait for the seller to drop their price.  Rates rise a 1/4 point and you’ve essentially got a wash because the mortgage payment is going to be the same.  If they raise a 1/2 point then you’re paying more than had you put in an offer and asked the seller to pay closing costs.  You’re only at an interest rate of about 4.35% but you’ve lost a lot of buying power.

9 REAL ESTATE MYTHS THAT NEED DEBUNKING

Real estate myths are often passed around among buyers and sellers. Some of them have some truth; others are outright false; and still others depend on a variety of factors that are best discussed in depth. Be prepared to help educate your buyers and sellers, so they make the smartest choices, rather than just accept what they hear.

Myth #1: Always change bold paint colors to neutrals before selling.

Reality check: False

Bold doesn’t automatically mean bad, says Kim Grant, broker with John Greene Realty in Oswego, Ill. Sometimes, a room calls for a grand color in order to play up an architectural feature, divide a room in two visually, or add cheer when there’s little natural light. But even if a room sports a bold shade of paint, home owners don’t always have to grab a brush to change it up before listing. Sellers can tone down a strong color with a neutral counterpart, such as a calming rug or tranquil array of fresh greenery. If the room needs a change, Grant suggests sharing the name of a painter, getting a bid on the cost of repainting, and offering a handful of paint chips that demonstrate alternative color options that are more universally appealing. “It’s up to the salesperson to explain that another color can transform the space without much effort,” Grant says.

Myth #2: Never buy the biggest house on a street.

Reality check: Usually true

The largest house on a block or in a neighborhood often is the most expensive, which may affect its appraisal and make its price much higher than other homes in the same neighborhood on comparative analyses, says Michelle Shurtleff, salesperson with the Miami Real Estate Team in Key Biscayne, Fla. Most buyers today are concerned about value when making an investment in a home, so they’ll appreciate a caveat about limiting their pool of future buyers by pricing themselves out of or above the local market, she says.

Myth #3: Always avoid first-floor condos because of noise and safety concerns.

Reality check: False

A first-floor unit can be a terrific bargain and a wonderful place to live, says salesperson L.J. Ganser of Fenwick Keats Real Estate in New York, who has sold many in Manhattan. He has found they offer numerous advantages, and sometimes they just need a few tweaks to dampen possible sounds and make owners feel safer. Among the advantages: “You don’t have to wait for an elevator [or] climb stairs, and you can enjoy the changes in scenery from the ground level up,” he says. Suggest ways to soundproof the unit with a good-fitting door and sound-dampening acoustical panels on the interior side. Also, suggest window treatments that block noise and views such as “top down, bottom up blinds” that can be raised from the windowsill to a height that prevents pesky pedestrians from ogling the buyer’s home but still allow in light. For safety, suggest wrought iron bars, if the unit doesn’t have them, or an alarm system.

Myth #4: Sellers should expect to earn back everything they invested in remodeling projects at resale time.

Reality check: False, but…

A quick check of the annual “Cost vs. Value” survey will demonstrate to sellers that it’s nearly impossible to get 100 percent of the money they put into a redo back when they sell. A siding replacement of fiber-cement brought the highest return in the most recent survey in the upscale project category, and that percentage was 84.3 percent. Still, Roman Bruno, a salesperson with Coldwell Banker in Los Angeles,has found that remodeled kitchens and bathrooms continue to be huge selling points to prospective buyers. “They make a home more attractive to potential buyers—and help them avoid doing the work,” he says. Paul Rosso, ABR, GRI, a salesperson with RE/MAX Properties Ltd. in Newtown, Penn., agrees that it pays to keep a house updated and in line with similarly priced homes in the community. The two times he cautions against upgrades are when a home owner plans to sell soon after making changes and when the market is flat or heading downward.

Myth #5: To sell quickly in this market, you must have the most popular features buyers are seeking.

Reality check: False, but…

It’s true that items such as master bedroom walk-in closets and first-floor master suites are all the rage now. But most homes in Los Angeles don’t have these features because they were built before these residential trends became widespread, says Bruno. “There is always a market for these homes, and someone with a vision may buy it just to update it,” he says. “Right now, we have little inventory and a lot of buyers — including absentee owners and investors — so we don’t see the need for redos as a problem.” Rosso agrees, but warns that the selling price usually reflects the absence of the feature: “Every home will sell, but at the right price. Price is the great equalizer.”

Myth #6: If buyers don’t like an exterior, they’ll never go inside.

Reality check: Often true

Without some curb appeal, most think, “Why waste the time,” says Grant. She suggests buyer’s agents prepare clients for the exterior ahead of time by asking buyers in advance what styles of houses they like and dislike, and even showing them images before checking out a place in person. If a house works otherwise—its layout, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and maybe a backyard—she says listing agents can find ways to remove or downplay features that may not appeal. Exterior changes may be as simple as adding landscaping that dresses up part of the offending façade, painting shutters and a door to focus attention, or upgrading a walkway with a nicer material.  

Myth #7: Homes with swimming pools are always tougher to sell.

Reality check: False

While they bring with them high maintenance and utility costs, a lot of buyers look specifically for homes with pools, especially in warmer climates. Usually it’s just the seasoned investors and older home owners who shy away from homes with pools, says Bruno. To appeal to buyers not looking for a pool, he suggests sturdy canopies that can slide over the top to make a safe, walkable patio. But he never advises clients to remove a pool. “You don’t cater to a market that doesn’t want something. Instead, you use it as a tool to attract those who do,” he says.

Myth: #8: Green features automatically mean a higher listing price.

Reality check: Not always

Bruno says many buyers find added value in smart, environmentally friendly homes. “LEED certification has become a huge marketing feature, and it’s not just something for home owners living on either coast,” he says. Still, Rosso says many buyers shy away from these houses if they’re priced much higher than comparable non-green homes. “In my area, I haven’t seen buyers willing to pay a green premium. I view them as added value that can help with marketing a home,” he says.

Myth #9: Always remove holiday decorations before listing a home.

Reality check: False

If the decorations are tasteful, they’re fine, says Ganser.  If it's Christmas, go green and minimal with a tree, some fresh boughs on the mantle, and a pretty wreath on the door. “There will be some Grinches who come and object to Christmas décor on principle. Perhaps Jacob Marley will pay them a visit that evening and convince them to lighten up,” he says. “But most people like the holidays, and if sellers can warm their spirits with a light, welcoming touch, I say do it. But don’t make potential buyers wonder what's going on with a corner that’s blocked by a 9-foot-high tree.” Follow the same rules for other holidays, he advises. At Halloween, fill a dish with candy corn; for Easter, bring on the jelly beans.

So what’s always true?

Real estate professionals should always advise buyers and sellers to avoid accepting widely held truisms as fact. I help clients put these and other myths in the context of overall economic trends, local and neighborhood factors, and the special features that distinguish individual properties on the market.

HOW TO BEST SELL YOUR HOUSE

Ask any realtor and they'll tell you: houses that sell within the first five weeks of their listing are most likely to fetch their asking price. The longer your house lingers on the real estate listings, the more pressure you'll feel to knock the price down - and the less likely it is to sell without some incentives from you, the home seller. Even if you don't have to sell your house fast, it's the best way of getting the price that you want for it. Put your home sale on the fast track with these tips and tricks from professional Realtors.

Find a Realtor

Your best option for selling quickly is to give the job to a professional, and let their experience guide you. A realtor knows all the ins and outs, as well as what selling strategies work best in your area. They can help you set the right selling price for your property (which is the second most commonly offered piece of advice to help your home sell quickly), offer concrete suggestions for improving the chances of a sale, hook your home into the Multiple Listing Service, and guide you through every step of the selling process.

Choose your Realtor carefully, and accept their advice. He or she knows what will sell your house. A good Realtor will suggest most of the house sell tips listed below.

Set The Right Price

Every Realtor asked said that the most important factor in selling a home quickly was to price it right. Further, the most common mistake sellers make is pricing too high. Experienced real estate agents strongly suggest starting from the average price in your area and working from there, rather than starting with your desired net gain. Your best gauge to determine the right selling price for your home is the recent selling prices of similar homes in your neighborhood. Your realtor is the best source of those prices - they have insider access, after all.

Prepare Your Property BEFORE Listing It

There are a number of things you can do to make your property more appealing, and they should be done before you start showing it - and this is called home staging. 'Staging' has been known to make home sell faster. The key is being sure that your house looks its very best from the start. Now is the time to make needed repairs. If it needs sprucing up, get that done first. Fresh paint, trimmed bushes, mowed lawns and immaculate cleanliness are all important factors in making your home attractive and saleable.

After Listing, Keep The House Immaculate

Be ready to show the house at a moment's notice. Make sure you pack up the junk and rent a storage unit as clutter and junk will erode the potential equity your house will bring. If there are too much 'junk' in a room it makes the room look smaller and distracts the buyer's attention. Perform a thorough house cleaning. Make the windows shine and wipe down the baseboards. Keep the sink empty and wiped, and make sure that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless. Don't forget to eradicate unpleasant odors. It's important that your house should look as close to move-in condition as possible - all the time!

Fade Into The Background

When the house is being shown, be as unobtrusive as possible. If you've contracted with a Realtor let him or her do the selling. If you're doing the selling yourself, be available to answer questions and conduct a brief tour - but give the prospective buyers plenty of 'alone time' to explore and kick the tires.

Offer Incentives To Make The Asking Price More Attractive

Got a buyer that just loves the house, but needs a little extra boost to make the commitment? There are a number of incentives you can offer as an alternative to lowering your asking price. This is another place that a good realtor can make valuable suggestions based on their own experience. An offer to cover buyer closing costs, for instance, can bring the up-front expenses of buying your home into range for a first-time buyer struggling to meet a down payment, points and closing costs.

Other common incentives include a 'decorating allowance' or including household items and appliances in the purchase price.

Take Advantage Of Employer Help If It's Available

If you're relocating for work, check your company's relocation assistance plan. Some may cover the cost of long-distance selling, or even purchase the home and resell it, depending on the circumstances.

There you have it. Apply these tips to sell your house fast as the peak home selling and buying season is upon us.