So You Want to Buy a Home - Now What? # 3 in a series

So you want to buy a home....now what? There are a dizzying array of resources available to home buyers and just as many opinions from well meaning friends. Buying a home is a very personal decision and one of the largest financial decisions you will make. But don't let that scare you! With some pre-planning and assistance from a qualified Realtor, the process might actually be fun! It is also important to remember that just as you are unique so will be your choices in a home and Realtor. A friends recommendation is great, but what if you don't connect? This is why I strongly encourage everyone to interview at least a few Realtors - your choice can be based on recommendations but also someone who fits your style and understands your goals.

Helping home buyers is one of my favorite things to do as a Realtor. If we look at two homes or twenty homes, I want to give you the information you need to make the best choice for your family. Best of all, you don't pay me for my time as that is paid by the sellers. What have you got to lose? Don't go it alone! Call me at 713.817.5710 and visit http://www.karensherrill-homes.com/ and visit my fan page to see what my clients have to say.

To further help you, here are some more tips to help you in your home buying process

• 

  8 Tips for Finding Your New Home

  A solid game plan can help you narrow your homebuying search to find the best home for you. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

House Buying Tips Continued #2

How much the homes you would "like" to buy and how much you can afford may be two different numbers. Before you buy a home, it is a good idea to sit down with your budget and see how much you can afford.

If you think you are destined to a life of renting, you might be surprised at some loan programs available to first-time home buyers. I know when my husband and I were married and began having children, we "assummed" for a number of years that buying a home was simply out of the question. We didn't realize there were alternatives to the typical 20% down.

If you have a rough estimate of your budget, this will help you remain realistic when the lender tells you how much you qualify for. In some cases buying a home that maxes out your loan qualification can create a financial hardship. Here are some other tips you might find helpful...

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  4 Tips to Determine How Much Mortgage You Can Afford

  By knowing how much mortgage you can handle, you can ensure that home ownership will fit in your budget. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Steps to Help you Buy Your Dream Home #1

Buying a home is an important and potentially overwhelming decision.  My next series of blogs will be to help homebuyers with information and tools to assist you.  It is important to reiterate that having an Realtor represent you as a buyer, costs you nothing.  Need an expert to help guide you?  Give me a call, whether you are buying next month or a few months from now. The sooner the conversation begins, the more informed you will be.

• 

  7 Steps to Take Before You Buy a Home

  By doing your homework before you buy, you’ll feel more content about your new home. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Real Estate Tax - Just because it's a forward doesn't make it true

I received a forward from a friend the other day with her opening statement of "is this true?" The following attached email was an inflammatory forward, briefly summarizing, how there is going to be a Real Estate Tax on all homes starting in 2012 because of healthcare reform. My friend did the right thing - she asked someone who would know before hitting send and spreading the rumor.


As with all rumors there is a minute essence of truth in it but the overall tone is false. Above I have posted where I go with any email fwd I receive - http://www.snopes.com/ where they give the truth behind it all.

A rule of thumb for me is if you receive a forward which intention is to create fear and blame it is probably false. If it involves something as high stakes as your home, ask and trust and expert - not the forward from your Aunt Jane.

My friend's email of "is it true?" brings about another point. Often people think they can only talk to a Realtor when they are actively selling, buying or renting a home. The truth is, we are experts in our field and would love to talk with you whenever you have a question as it relates to Real Estate, neighborhoods or the community....it's what we do!

Check Your Homeowner's Insurance - Resolution #6

Usually the time we think about our Home owner's Insurance in any detail is when we are buying a home or when we need to use it.  While a lot of effort and research may have gone into your initial policy purchase, it is important to dust it off from time to time to see if you are still getting a good value.  I know in the Clear Lake Area some carriers have dropped coverage and "offered" alternatives.  It is also easy to get comfortable with the coverage you have and not shop and compare what is out there.  Talk with friends, neighbors or Realtors and see what they are using.  For instance our family uses AAA  Texas and they have proved to be a good value for us - there are other carriers out there that may want your business and offer you a product that is comparable in coverage for possibly less. And isn't saving money a good thing to resolve to?  Read more below

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  Homeowners Insurance: Time for an Annual Check-Up

  An annual check-up on your homeowners insurance can result in a healthier policy and a healthier pocketbook. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Resolution #5 - Recycle starting this weekend!

If you're like my house, you probably have a few old computers or monitors around your house collecting dust and/or your aggravation. You have a couple of options:

1. Build a nice display and use it as a plant stand or shrine to how technology can go bad OR
2. Recycle!

This Saturday, January 15, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. you can take those old electronics and recycle them at
Clear Brook High School
4607 FM 2351 Road
Friendswood, TX 77546-2823
(281) 284-2100

According to the article in the Bay Area Citizen, "Items being collected are PC Towers, Monitors, Cables from computers and other electronics, cell phones, cell phone batteries, printers, cordless phones, surge protectors as well as laptops. No televisions. Items are considered a donation and a tax receipt will be given out for donations.

ESR (Electronic Scrap Recycling of Houston) is a ISO certified company and has been in business 20 years and safety for our privacy as well as the environment is their number one concern. All hard drives will be shredded on site. To learn more about this company, visit their website at http://www.erinc.com/.

Contact Jill Massie 832.969.3180 with any questions about items that can be recycled"

This is an event that held between ESR and Clear Brook High School Drumline.

Guess Who's #10 in Most Affordable Cities?

Forbes released it's list of most affordable cities and Houston is #10. At first glance this may seem like a bad thing, but when you consider numbers 1 through 9 are all farther north and digging out from snow it isn't too bad of a ranking. Afterall, you cannot put a price tag on weather where a really cold day is in the 40's and never reaches single digits. Did it take into account the fact that we don't need to buy snow tires, or snow shovels or dress our kids in layers upon layers of clothes to avoid frostbite?

We may have an occasional hurricane and the humidity is horrendous in the summer - but you get plenty of warning for a hurricane and you don't have to shovel humidity!

Read the article here

Improve your Credit Score - Resolution tip #4

Want to improve your credit score? Here are some hints on how payments related to your home can help.

• 

  Improve Credit Score with These Home Finance Tips

  How you manage your home ownership finances affects your credit score—and your ability to refinance later. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Declutter - Resolution tip #3

If you are preparing to sell the key word often used is "declutter". If you are preparing to buy, you might want to use this word as well. I remember when we moved to Houston I enlisted the help of friends to help with our packing. My initial packing was slow and a sentimental journey - not very efficient. The final days were frantic. When we arrived in Houston and began to unpack I found that our trash had inadvertently been packed by well meaning friends! The moral - always be decluttering.

Now I know the task of organizing and decluttering can be overwhelming - especially if you have children who see to have the exact opposite idea. As anyone will tell you if you have an overwhelming task - break it down to be more manageable. So for 2011 take the first step tackle either a drawer or a corner a day. That's it. That will take 15 minutes or 1/2 hour at most. A couple of tips to keep in mind

1. Keep a trashcan handy
2. Check expiration dates
3. Ask yourself "do I REALLY need this?"
4. Recycle - have a box handy for any cardboard or paper that can be recycled
5. Donate - just because you don't want, don't need it, or already have three doesn't mean it won't be useful for someone else.
6. This "is there a better way to organize this?" For instance I used some shoe box lids and inserted them in drawers to help small items from floating around. A plastic (and thoroughly cleaned) deli tray platter is now a great organizer for scarves.

Repeat

New Years Resolution #2 - Home Inventory

Right after a disaster is NOT the time to realize you need to have a home inventory.  Creating a Home Inventory is not only important for insurance purposes, it will also give you an idea where everything is and its value.  We had friends who lost their home to fire, their meticulous records showing exactly what they had and the cost helped them win their fight with their insurance.  Don't feel you need to do it all at once, maybe pick a room a week.  Financial programs like Quicken have areas where you can easily record these belongings and even scan in photos or receipts for easy backup.  Read more in this article

• 

  Create a Home Inventory for Insurance

  Create a home inventory before disaster strikes to make filing an insurance claim a smoother process. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

New Years Home Resolution #1

Want to start the New Year off right?  I'll be posting some "resolutions" of ideas you can do during January to help get 2011 off to a great start.

• 

  A Financial Plan for Your Home

  Your home is probably your biggest investment. To manage it, create a financial plan that takes into account repairs, upgrades, mortgages, insurance, and taxes. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

What you should do NOW if you're selling this Spring

As your look over your to do list of goals for the New Year, "sell home in Spring" may be on your list. There's no rush to do anything now, right? WRONG! Now is the perfect time to begin to prepare your home for sale - even if it's this spring, summer or you're not sure when you might sell. Here are a few tips of what you can do NOW that wil make selling later easier....


1. CONTACT a Realtor to walk through your property (preferably me! karen@karensherrill-homes.com or 713.817.5710) During this visit I will discuss current market trends, but also point out some simple and cost effective ways to make your home more marketable like....

2. DECLUTTER. It's too cold to go outside anyways, so tackle a closet, drawers or a room that has gotten a little out of hand. Toss, giveaway, or begin a stack for a garage sale when it warms up.

3. PACK. If you know you are definitely moving, begin to pack items you won't use. Not only will it make your home show better, it gives you a jump start and you won't feel so rushed when the time comes. Have oversized items? Place them in storage facility so your home will feel more open.

4. PAINT - next to decluttering, this is the least expensive way to improve your home. Pick neutral, decorator colors (not sure? I'd love to help you pick some out). Don't forget to paint doors and door frames that love to collect finger prints. Today most home improvement stores have sample jars so you can give it a test drive before committing to painting the entire room.

5. SIMPLE updates - new knobs on cabinets are a great facelift. If you aren't pressurized to sell now, you have time to check out sales. If you find fixtures that are on clearance and look nice (don't buy something UGLY and cheap) buy it to give a simple update to kitchen or bath

6. LOOK DOWN - how are your carpets looking? Do they need a good shampoo or need to be ripped out? Once again, time is your friend and you can shop for good prices here.

7. LOOK AT YOUR FRONT DOOR. In the recent survey release of cost to value improvements to a home the number 1 return on investment was a new front door! It is the first thing a buyer will see. So go stand at your front door and be realistic at what you see. Does it need refinishing? A new coat of paint and fixtures? Do you need a new door all together?

Once again, even if you’re not sure now is the time to sell I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the options.

http://www.karensherrill-homes.com/

Are you ready to DIY this year?

It's a New Year and made instead of a "resolution" list you are like me and have a "to-do" list of things you would like to accomplish. If on your list is to update your home, you may find this article from This Old House Magazine helpful with a list of do-it-yourself projects to update your home. http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20249506,00.html?xid=hinewsletter-100104-new-year


If you are thinking of selling your home in the near future, and want to make sure you aren't over or under improving your home for your market area, give me a call and I will give you a FREE consultation.

Okay back to my to-do list. Item 1 - write blog about home to-do lists. Done!