Have you ever been driving through a neighborhood and all of the sudden a Pepto Bismal pink house shocks you out of a daydream?  Did you notice anything other than the color the lush green lawn or the squeaky clean entry way, perhaps?  Of course not.  You were probably too busy gawking at the color.

Color is a powerful thing.  Red is stimulating, which is why you dont see too many school rooms painted this color.  Dark blue is relaxing.  Yellow reminds us of sunlight, so it has a tendency to evoke cheerful feelings.  Green encourages peacefulness and stability.  Colors can remind us of certain people, specific places or times in our lives some good, some bad.  When preparing your home to put it up for sale, one thing you dont want to do is evoke the wrong feelings.  Its best to play it safe and opt for neutral, reflective colors like white or ivory for the interior.  White, light gray and tan work well for the exterior.

Use of color is a great way to create optical illusions that are effective in downplaying a homes shortcomings.  For instance, using lighter colors will make a small space seem larger.  Conversely, if you wish a room to look smaller, then paint it a warmer color.  If a room is long and narrow, paint the walls at either end a dark, warm color like deep brown or green.  This will draw the ends to the center of the room, giving it more of a square look.  To lower a ceiling thats too high, paint it a darker color coffee tones, grays, or dark green.  Just make sure the room is light enough to handle the darker colors.

To make a low ceiling appear higher, paint the walls a darker color than the ceiling.  Busy walls with areas chopped up by radiators, doors, vents and windows make a room look smaller.  Paint the room in a flat tone, including the radiator, doors, vents and casement, and these negative features will blend into the room.  Color allows one to make the best of a homes not-so-great features.

Many experts favor paint over wallpaper, but there are times when wallpaper may be the best choice.  Use wallpaper if it covers a cosmetic problem or if it adds to the homes historic charm.  Exercise caution and self restraint, though, and stay away from large or loud patterns, strong colors and unusual designs.  Vertical stripes make a room seem taller and hallways shorter.

Horizontal stripes make a room look wider and hallways longer.  Regardless of the design flaw being camouflaged, its best to keep wallpaper as nondescript as possible.

Generally, the rule is to keep walls, ceilings and floors neutral and add colors with accent items.  Temporary splashes of color can be added with all types of fabrics area rugs, table cloths, napkins, sofa cushions, window curtains, bed spreads and quilts.

Kitchens can be spiced up with canisters, dish towels, framed prints, curtains, window blinds, wallpaper boarders and green plants.  Just be sure to keep the plants watered.  Give pizzazz to bathrooms with matching towel sets, bath mats, shower curtains, toilet seats, decorative hand soaps, silk flowers, curtains, blinds and wall hangings.  In bedrooms, throw in color through comforters or quilts, sheets, window treatments, area rugs, and plants or flowers.  Just keep in mind that these items are to enhance the look of the house; theyre not to add clutter or make a statement.  You want the house to speak for itself.

If youre going to sell your house in the next six months, what you might not realize is that the new buyer for your house is already starting to look for homes.

      Every month we have hundreds of calls from people who are just now starting to look for homes and are calling us for helpful information.

      We help these buyers by sending them updates on all the homes that come on the market (and homes that are not yet on the market).

      Thats where we may be able to help you sell your house for top price in as little as 24 hours without even putting it on the market.

      Right now, we have several buyers who are looking for homes in our area, and were constantly looking for just the right homes for them.

      If youd like me to include your house in our exclusive Silent Market, just give me a call at 856-988-1800 ext 113 or email me at Stephen@TeamClyde.com and I can explain exactly how it works.

Talk to you soon!

Youve made the decision to sell your home and now your mind is quickly filling with a lengthy to-do list.  Before panic begins to set in, take heart and repeat a new mantra:  Soap and paint are my friends.  While the home should be neat, clean and in good repair, major improvements are not necessary and cost more than usually can be recouped in the selling price.  So, give the house a thorough cleaning, a fresh painting and perhaps recarpet areas that have worn footpaths through them.  Rest assured that money spent on soap, paint and carpet will reappear in the selling price of the home.  And remember, if buyers cant see the money you spent, you wont recoup iteven if you tell them about it.  Resist the temptation to undertake major renovations or replacements particularly these five costly projects.

CLOSETS

Buyers may oooh and ahhh over a large walk-in closet that could double for a well-organized bedroom, but they wont pay you extra for it.  Adding, expanding or customizing closets can cost thousands of dollars and while they look impressive, the return on investment isnt.  Save your money.

ROOM ADDITIONS

Unless your home is a two-bedroom/one bath in a neighborhood of four-bedroom/two bath homes, dont waste your time, sanity or money on adding rooms.

Theres no way to predict a buyers preferences, so its best to present the home in the best way possible using soap, paint and carpet and leave any remodeling to the new owners.

POOL

A pool may seem like a good way to attract buyers, but many folks just dont want the maintenance that comes with it.  A buyer who doesnt want the upkeep of a pool wont purchase a house that has one.  Pools and their surrounding deck areas are expensive and this cost is rarely returned in the selling price of the house.  However, someone who adores the house would be willing to put in a pool later.  Let them shoulder that expense.

NEW ROOF

Putting on a new roof isnt a good idea for a couple of reasons.  A seller is only required to have a roof that doesnt leak.  Leaky roofs are easily and inexpensively patched.  The money saved by patching the roof makes repair a better choice.  Also, replacing the roof involves making a subjective choice about the color, shingle style and durability of the roof.  If the buyer doesnt care for the new roof, the cost of it could be money wasted.

MAJOR RENOVATIONS TO KITCHEN OR BATHROOM

Remember the mantra?  Soap and paint are my friends.  These renovations are costly and require decisions as to style, colors, brands and price.  In lieu of remodeling the kitchen or bathroom, experts suggest reducing the asking price to reflect the outdated kitchen and bathrooms and allow the purchaser to take care of these projects.

Now that weve dismissed most of the major projects, its easier to focus on cleaning, painting and carpeting.  When deciding which projects to undertake, keep in mind that you want to do the least amount of fixing up required in order to sell the house for the maximum selling price.

Perhaps its time to have the air conditioner and heater checked for dirty filters or loose fan belts.  Or is one of the squeaks coming from a lose door hinge?  Squeaky doors and windows can be silenced with a good spray of WD-40 applied to their tracks.  Does it sound like an intruder is trying to break a window?  It could be the tree that scrapes the dining room window when the wind blows.  A quick trim would alleviate the problem.

Bathrooms have their own set of noises does the toilet keep running after its been flushed?  Does the tub faucet drip when not in use?  These are often silenced inexpensively by replacing the float mechanism in the toilet tank and washers in the faucet.  Often taking care of noises will also reduce costs in electricity and water.

How does one experience the sense of touch or feeling in a house? Certainly the temperature plays a part.  You dont want a buyer to shiver while walking through your house, nor do you want her sweating bullets, either.

If you prefer extreme temperatures in your home, look to your trusted friend for guidance in the temperature department.  Buyers will also touch doorknobs and mini-blind levers, so make sure they all turn easily.  The same goes for knobs and levers on any appliances and cabinets.  Repair or replace those that require extra pressure to turn or open.  And dont forget that fingers also find hidden dirt, so while the white glove test may seem a bit trite, this may be a good time to use it.  Buyers dont want to feel dust and grime on their hands after using the banister, opening a cabinet or leaning across a window sill.

Now you know what you should experience during your sensory home tour.  Take a few moments to prepare your mind for the experience:  Go outside for a few minutes, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths a home selling equivalent to cleansing your palate between dinner courses.  Enter your home, close the door and tour your home the sensory way

When preparing your home for the real estate market, one needs a fresh and honest perspective about the total effect of the house and not just your own.  Prospective buyers notice everything because walking through your house is a totally new experience for them.  They feel the air temperature, notice cleanliness and colors, hear noises and smell odors.  As a seller, you need to create a similar experience for yourself in order to locate all problem areas that need to be corrected.  So, you think your home is ready to show? 
Give your house a sensory test by changing your perspective.  Walk through and analyze your house twice once during the day and once at night.  Youll notice those dirty windows more during the day but may miss the debris clouding the overhead kitchen light thats more noticeable at night.  Also, try crawling across a room on your hands and knees youre more likely to come across those grimy baseboards or unsightly bare electrical outlets when youre closer to the ground.  Lying on your back will provide a better look at ceiling fans, lighting, spots on the ceiling, cobwebs in corners or cracks at the top of walls.  Fix what you find and then give the home one more test:  Recruit a trusted friend to put it through the same scrutiny.  Be sure that you and your friend each use your senses to analyze the house sight, smell, hearing, and touch. 

Sight is the most obvious sense to use when searching for problem areas.  Before analyzing each room, make sure light bulbs are the appropriate wattage and work properly.  Then, look closely at the walls for scratches, marks, cobwebs, missing or broken light switch plates, and mold or mildew.  Are wall clocks dusted and set properly?  Check ceilings for brown spots, water stains, dirt, cob webs and dusty fans.  Analyzing the floor may seem ridiculous since you walk on it all the time, but often defects are overlooked during the course of the day.  Search for uneven floors, worn or soiled carpet, and water stains.  Do area rugs need to be cleaned or replaced?  Does the wood floor need refinishing?  In the kitchen and bathrooms, test faucets for leaks and replace if necessary.  Also check the walls, shower, tub and sink for mold.  Scrub with a mixture of bleach and water to eliminate mold and mildew.  Everything should look clean and sparkling.

 Often odor is a more accurate indicator of a problem than sight.  A carpet may look clean but after crawling across it you might detect odors from pets, smoke and ground-in food.  A peculiar smell is often caused by mold especially in bathrooms, though unnoticed water damage my cause this problem in other areas of the house, too.  Like other odor sources, mold can usually be removed but will return if the cause is not addressed.  Do you need better ventilation in the bathroom? 

Is there a leak in the bedroom ceiling or windows causing mold and mildew?  Often banishing odors takes little more than identifying the cause cigarette smoke and butts, old tennis shoes, pets, dead critters in the attic or basement, dirty litter boxes then cleaning and freshening the area.  Ban smoking in the house while its on the market, send pets to live elsewhere, clean drapes and carpets, and empty ashes from the fireplace.  Open windows and doors to allow fresh air to come in, and replace odors with lightly scented candles or potpourri.  

Just as one gets used to looking at certain problems such as the stain your son made on the carpet when he spilled his barbecue chicken last summer its natural to stop hearing minor sounds after awhile.  Be certain, though, that the buyer will hear them.  Most likely your trusted friend will point them out, too.  Is there a chorus of squeaks throughout the house? 

    Holiday displays, including Christmas cards, should be removed and stored by the first week in January.

    Use degreaser and a razor blade to make basement windows crystal-clear.

    Remember to put away valuables while showing your home.  Expensive jewelry belongs in a safe deposit box.

    Have long-stemmed artificial flowers to pack?  Ask your local florist for a couple of boxes wholesalers use to deliver fresh flowers to florists.

    Even if your entire house doesnt need to be painted, putting a fresh coat of paint in a new color on the door and trim may keep a couple thousand dollars on your sale price.

    Dont wait until the last minute to call professional painters because their schedules may be filled.  Hire them as soon as you make the decision to sell.

What you do in the months before you put your house on the market will determine how long your house will take to sell, how much money youll get for your house, and how easy (or difficult) your selling experience will be.

      There are some simple things you can and should be doing right now to make sure youll get the highest price in the least amount of time.

      If youre going to sell your house in the next six to 12 months, a Room-by-Room Review will show you the very best things you could do to prepare your house for sale, and get the highest return on your investment.

      Well also point out things you shouldnt dothings that you wont get your money back on.

 
I wanted to pass this along to you.  Important information regarding changes to FHA financing and what it means to you and your mortgage.
 
FHA upfront fee will go from 1.75% to 2.25%. This is an increase of $500.00 for every $100,000.00 that you mortgage.

 Seller concessions going from 6% to 3%.  This is significant..the amount of money a seller can contribute to closing costs or points is being cut in half. This could significantly increase the amount of money you need to come up with inorder to close.

So what can you do? As long as we find you a home and start the mortgage process before the effective date(which has not been announced yet) you will be "Grandfathered" under todays rules and rates. so lets get out and find a home and save some money.

Are You Facing a Setback?

Setbacks are a part of life.  The next time youre facing a setback, here are a few stories about people who used a setback as a set-up for a comeback:

Lucille Ball:  She began studying to become an actress in 1927 and was told by the head instructor of the John Murray Anderson Drama School, Try any other pro­fession.  Any other profession.

Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds:  In 1959, a Universal Pictures executive dismissed them at the same meeting with the following statements.  To Burt Reynolds:  You have no talent.  To Clint Eastwood:  You have a chip on your tooth, your Adams apple sticks out too far, and you talk too slow.

Alexander Graham Bell:  When he invented the tele­phone in 1876, it didnt ring off the hook with calls from potential backers.  After making a demonstra­tion call, President Rutherford Hayes said, Thats an amazing invention, but who would ever want to use one of them?

Chester Carlson:  In the 1940s, this young inventor took his idea to 20 corporations, including some of the biggest in the country.  They all turned him down.  In 1947 after seven long years of rejections he finally got a tiny company in Rochester, NY, the Haloid Company, to purchase the rights to his electrostatic paper-copying process.  Haloid became Xerox corpora­tion, and both it and Carlson became very rich.

Abraham Lincoln:  He entered the Blackhawk War (1831-1832) as a captain.  By the end of the war, he had been demot­ed to the rank of private.

J.K. Rowling:  Author of the Harry Potter series, Joanne was an aspiring writer and single mother living on welfare with her young daughter in an unheated, mice-infested flat.  Her first book was rejected by 12 publishers before the world met Harry Potter in 1997. 

And then there was the young man who submitted a paper to his Yale University management professor, and got this response:  The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a C, the idea must be feasible.  The young man was Fred Smith, his paper proposed reliable overnight delivery service, and Fred went on to found FedEx Corp.

Failure is not falling down, but staying down!