Home Staging Interview

When selling your home, I often recommend that you hire a professional stager to prepare your home for sale. A professional stager will look at your home from the eyes of a potential buyer, and then accentuate the features of your home so that buyers can see themselves in your home rather than you in your home. This often requires decluttering and depersonalizing your home. In this video I interview Kathy Swan, a professional home stager with Two Swans Staging, who has worked with me for several years on a variety of homes. I have seen it time and time again how a well staged home will … Continue reading...

How Your Home is Viewed

Be Realistic When Pricing Your Home There is no denying that the same home can be viewed differently by different people. While you are proud of your home and the improvements you have made, others might not be quite so fond or necessarily notice the improvements, or the improvements might not be important to them. As a seller you want top dollar for your home, but you have to be realistic when pricing and selling your home. Below is a humorous look at how various parties view your home. Seller As a homeowner, you are proud of your home, and rightly so. You have often lived … Continue reading...

Death, Taxes and Credit History

The old saying goes: Two things in life you cannot avoid are death and taxes. Both are grim subjects and yet simple facts of life. Standing solidly at third is Credit History. Many of us in our 20's while livin' large get caught up in credit card euphoria of the...buy now pay later plan. It's a lesson that most young adults have to learn the hard way. Careless and irresponsbile payment of debts can be corrected but it takes a bit of work. Good credit history is crucial in getting a long term loan. A few of the most important factors when applying for a home loan are: LATE PAYMENTS For most … Continue reading...

Finding the Energy Leaks

The best way in finding energy leaks in your home is to get an energy audit conducted by a professional third-party efficiency certification company. What you can learn about your house can be invaluable. The audits, which take about two-and-a-half hours, are designed to identify major energy leaks in a house. Home owners are given a thick report showing where the top leaks are and how to fix them. Surprisingly, drafty windows and doors are typically not the greatest sources of energy loss. The biggest culprits are construction shortcuts such as: The absence of external building wrap … Continue reading...

Mortgage Discounts: Are they a good idea?

When getting a mortgage on a home, people are asked if they would like to obtain “discount points” on their mortgage. Mortgage points are money paid from the customer upfront at closing to get the interest payments on a mortgage lowered. However, many customers, especially first-time buyers, do not know whether mortgage discounts will benefit them or not in the long run. The way to decide if you should invest in discount points is to determine how long you will keep a mortgage. If you keep a mortgage past the “break even point” (the time in which your accumulated monthly savings exceed the … Continue reading...

What a Realtor® Can do for You

The REALTOR® you work with could be one of your most valuable resources. Unlike many real estate agents who are simply licensed by their state to do business, REALTORS® have taken additional steps to become members of the local board of REALTORS® and have agreed to act under and adhere to a strict Code of Ethics. Plus... A REALTOR® can help you determine how much home you can afford. Often a REALTOR® can suggest ways to accrue the down payment and explain alternative financing methods. A REALTOR®, in addition to knowing the local money market, also can tell you what personal and financial … Continue reading...

Kay’s Home Winterization Tips

Brrr! With the weather turning cold this week, it made me think about what is needed to prepare your home for the winter. The weather in Edmond can change drastically, from the high winds and warm temperatures a few days ago, to the freezing cold, ice, and snow of January and February. Here are a few tips: Have heating systems inspected and serviced in late Fall to prepare for winter. Check your fireplace and chimney for cracks before use. It is recommended to have the chimney cleaned each year. Chimney flues that have become lined with creosote are fire hazards. Also, make sure … Continue reading...