by Aaron Marshall | Oct 13, 2015 | Blog
When putting your home on the market, you want to do everything within your power to make your property irresistible. Staging your home’s interior is often doable, but to optimize the rest of your property, you might consider hiring a landscaper. High-Expense, High-Reward Landscaping isn’t a cheap business: on average, homeowners spend around $3,000 per project. If you’re operating on a budget, you might not have the spare cash to afford a total overhaul of your yard—the consultation alone is fairly expensive. On the other hand, chances are pretty high that your experience with landscaping is limited to mowing the lawn and occasionally weeding the garden. Unlike several aspects of preparing your home for an open house, you won’t automatically learn how to transform your yard into an aesthetically-pleasing paradise; unless you have an eye for it, you’re better off leaving your yard in the hands of a professional. Determining if Landscaping is Pertinent to Your Home It all comes down to a statistic: your average client decides whether or not they’re interested in your home within the first 30 seconds of perusing it. With that figure in mind, consider how much of a role your yard plays in the overall aesthetic quality of your home. If you have a large, sprawling front yard that serves as a proverbial red carpet, guiding the way to your front door, you should certainly look into making it presentable. If, however, your yard is small, manageable, and simple, consider a lighter contract than landscaping. Paying a yard maintenance company to come in and do a day’s worth of work in a couple...
by Aaron Marshall | Sep 15, 2015 | Blog
There’s a simple reason landlords are loathe to allow pets on their property: pets cause damage regardless of how well they’re trained or the status of their pedigree. Whether you have a lizard, a snake, or a furry, four-legged friend, it pays to be aware of these repercussions before you decide to put your house on the market. Bedding and Litter Any sort of pet waste left inside tends to leave a noticeable mark, regardless of your countermeasures; even odorless litter leaves a residual smell over time. To compound this effect, litter—and all the waste that accompanies it—works its way into the smallest of places, such as grooves in your hardwood floor or the space between trim and the wall. The sawdust, sand, or other detritus used for reptile bedding works in the same way as cat litter, so make sure you regularly clean and maintain these mediums of disposal—besides the obvious health risks associated with litter and bedding, the smell is incredibly difficult to remove. Damage Claws on hardwood, teeth on the siding—sooner or later, one of your pets is going to shred something. Before you even consider putting your house up for sale, it’s well worth the initial cost of repairing any damage they’ve caused. Though physical damage is unsightly, problems caused by accidents or poor training can be even more destructive. Urine and feces, if unchecked, can cause expensive odor damage to insulation. You can prevent this by keeping pets out of sensitive areas of the house, but it’s a possibility you should be aware of. Allergens The fact remains that an awful lot of people...
by Aaron Marshall | Aug 18, 2015 | Blog
Because of the recession, many children of the ’90s are of the mindset that purchasing a home and investing in real estate is far out of their budgets. They are often content to rent and try not to think about how they will never get any of the thousands of dollars they shell out every year back. However, contrary to popular thought, getting into a home isn’t as difficult as you may think. If you meet a series of requirements, first-time home buyers can take advantage of a number of incentives banks and the government give out to get people into homes. See whether you might be eligible for some of those programs below. Eligibility for Getting a Mortgage Banks want dependable people to take out mortgages so they can collect interest reliably. In order to do that, they make a number of assessments of your job and credit history. If you qualify for their programs, you may not have to make a down payment and can get a relatively low interest rate. Remember that these banks are competing for your business. You may be eligible for these programs if you have a good credit score an income that can support a mortgage payment a stable job you have worked at for some time successful loan repayment on your credit report These assessments will determine whether a bank will be willing to work with you, but if you are not eligible for the programs now, you know what you need to work toward. Determining Whether You Have Enough Income to Pay a Mortgage Oftentimes, people assume they don’t make...
by Aaron Marshall | Jul 14, 2015 | Blog
Throughout your search for your new home, you’ve no doubt found more than a few maintenance issues. Deciphering between small and large issues can prove daunting. If you need some advice on what to look for, here are some tips for you. Look Up Check out the roof. Make sure that shingles aren’t peeling, or worse yet, missing. Depending on the age of the roof, you may need to replace the whole thing. If that is the case, make sure to work that into your overall cost consideration. Look Down Particularly in homes with stucco, make sure that the lower few inches look okay. Even an untrained eye can easily identify damaged or bubbling stucco. Stucco is designed to last many years, but if you can see damage or bubbles, underlying issues likely exist. If the lower few inches of exterior stucco appear discolored, look into it. Check for water damage, mold, or even foundational issues. Stucco is designed to allow water to drain; however, if the foundation was poured too high, water can gather and even seep inside the home. If you notice low stucco issues, check the subflooring throughout the home for water damage just to be safe. Look Within Think insulation. Ask to view both the crawl space and attic. These areas offer a glimpse into the insulation of the entire home. Poor insulation creates additional heating and cooling expenses. Make sure you are able to verify the quality of insulation in use throughout the home. Depending upon the age of the home, you may also want to look at the insulation materials. Many older insulators...
by Aaron Marshall | Jun 30, 2015 | real estate
As the real estate market continues to recover and interest rates threaten to rise once again, many new investors find themselves wondering just what makes a property valuable. While some value lies in the eye of the buyer, certain attributes naturally increase—or decrease—the overall worth. Amenities inside the Home If you plan to rent out your investment property soon after purchasing, look down. How do the floors look? Wood or laminate flooring attracts great attention, and it tends to age more gracefully than carpet. If the floors are already taken care of, then you have one less thing to worry about. Though less visible, the heating and air systems hold every bit as much importance. As these systems are prone to issues, they typically warrant additional inspections. During the inspection, ask specifically how much longer the inspector would reasonably expect the unit to function. The last thing you want is to buy in summer and need to replace the heater as soon as winter rolls around. The Neighborhood Now, take a closer look at the neighborhood. Are the surrounding homes occupied or vacant? If the area appears to be vibrant and active, then your chances of finding reliable tenants skyrocket. Remember that it is illegal in most states to deny tenants based on age, race, or demographic. However, there is nothing wrong with purchasing a property with your future tenants in mind. If you envision renting to young families with children, make sure that the neighborhood is safe, provides access to a park, and is located within a highly rated school zone. Your Budget Remember that there will be...
