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May 12, 2014 by smeranda Leave a Comment

Buying a Home is Cheaper Then Renting in Today’s Market!

Buying costs less than renting in all 100 large U.S. metros, according to the Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia (TRLA). Low mortgage rates have kept homeownership from becoming more expensive than renting. In some markets, rents have risen sharply; rising rents hurt affordability relative to incomes, but rising rents make buying look cheaper in comparison. To compare the costs of owning and renting, Trulia’s model assumes buyers get a 4.5% mortgage rate on a 30-year FRM with 20% down payment. Further, it assumes buyers itemize their federal tax deductions and are in the 25% tax bracket; and will stay in their home for seven years. Under these assumptions, buying is 38% cheaper than renting nationwide, taking into account all of the costs and proceeds from buying or renting over the entire seven-year period.

Now is the perfect time to get a head start for sellers to put their homes on the market & for buyers to buy those homes. This has been the best market in 6 years.  Both home prices & interest rates are on the rise though! Contact me for details today!

 

Filed Under: Buy vs. Rent

April 13, 2014 by smeranda Leave a Comment

Great Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Home!

Managing-Your-Spring-Cleaning2Come springtime, we will usually want to reinvigorate our lives, akin to the season refreshes nature. This can come in multiple forms such as buying new clothes, picking up a new hobby, changing your routine and more. One of the most common steps is spring cleaning. While we may give our home regular cleans, we will want to do a big cleanse of our household, tackling every stain and blemish, sorting all goods, buying new things and so on. We want the place we live to look good for the rest of the year but this is not easy to do. It requires a lot of effort, energy and time, so managing everything properly and getting the best clean will be tough. It can be achieved though if you have the right information and a little help and that is why we’re here. Read on and you can discover how to manage your spring cleaning chores and get the best result.

A plan should be the first thing you do. Knowing everything you want to do and will require will keep you on track and allow you to dedicate enough time to each chore. Work out what you want to do in your home and what rooms you want to tackle, what you need and what time to do everything. Researching each step will give you all the info you need, so you know exactly what to do and are prepared for everything. Assigning every task an adequate time will ensure that you can get everything done without rushing and it will prevent you from forgetting any process.

The next step is to procure all the items necessary for a big clean. You will need a variety of goods and having them all in stockManaging-Your-Spring-Cleaning means that you can get any task done fully and properly. An abundance of paper towels will be useful because these can be used to wipe objects clean, dust them, remove stains, etc, and so will come into play often. Polish and dusters will be ended to make furniture look its best, a good vacuum to eliminate crumbs and hair, detergents for stains, disinfectant for your kitchen and bathroom and so on. Plastic waste bags will be useful so that you can throw away any unwanted items, so have plenty of these available.

Getting the entire household involved is an essential part of a spring cleaning. Performing every chore yourself will take a long time and leave you exhausted and stressed before you even finish. Assigning everyone else chores will make things go quicker, and mean that no one person has to do everything. You can allocate each person a room to a tackle, even if it is just their own <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedroom“>bedroom</a>, and they can dedicate themselves to get it done properly. Check in and see how they are doing often so you know the work is being done and to a suitable level.

Clearing out junk is an essential step for spring cleaning. Going through all of your goods to determine whether you need them anymore should be done thoroughly so you can reduce clutter and replace them with new items. You can throw old items away with you regal refuse collection or hire a skip. Recycling should be considered, utilising local bins, collections and depots. Sell off goods that still work/are useable to earn some money or donate them to a charity store to get them to of the way while doing some good.

Spring Cleaning can be a lot to manage but if you follow this guide, you will be able to tackle it successfully.

For more tips and hints: rug cleaning Wimbledon

Now is the perfect time to get a head start for sellers to put their homes on the market & for buyers to buy those homes. This has been the best market in 6 years.  Both home prices & interest rates are on the rise though! Contact me for details today!

Filed Under: Personal Touch

March 13, 2014 by smeranda Leave a Comment

Bring Warmth to Your Home With the Hottest Fireplace Trends

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Fireplaces have been a familiar feature in many homes.  Until recently, not much had changed in the style of a traditional fireplace. However the newest trends are bringing about a change and the fireplace is now seen as the design focus for many rooms in the house.  With new technological advances it’s now possible to do more with the fireplace than ever before.

 The following are examples of hot trends to keep in mind when looking for a new fireplace    this year:

Modern: This year will continue the trend of sleek and modern fireplaces. Look for clean, linear lines with less metal and more glass.

Gas: Gas fireplaces will continue to rise in popularity this year. The convenience of flicking a switch compared to collecting, piling and lighting firewood is quickly winning out.

Outdoors: This year will be a big year for the outdoor fireplace as people create or expand on their backyard oasis.

Heat rises: Much like HD televisions, consumers are placing their fireplace inserts higher up on the wall. New technology allows for homeowners to insert enclosed gas fireplaces almost anywhere in the house.

Unlikely locations: Much like the migration of fireplaces up the wall, more fireplaces are being installed in unlikely rooms, like the kitchen or the bathroom. These fireplaces are typically used to decorate the room, not to heat them.

In Real Estate, Spring starts March 1, so now is the perfect time to get a head start for sellers to put their homes on the market & for buyers to buy those homes. This has been the best market in 6 years.  Both home prices & interest rates are on the rise though! Contact me for details today!

 

Filed Under: Home Design

February 2, 2011 by smeranda Leave a Comment

SEARCHING FOR A HOME? FAMILY MATTERS Homebuyers Find Comfort and Incentives Living Near Relatives

For help finding your new home in St. Charles or St. Louis so you can be closer to relatives? Call me at (314) 691-1320 and I'll Get You Moving!

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Today’s homebuyers are appreciating the benefits of living closer to their relatives, such as having more quality time with each other, flexible schedules, and help juggling childcare and eldercare. In fact, according to a Coldwell Banker survey conducted in July 2010, 72 percent of homeowners that are parents choose to live within 30 minutes of extended family members – and close to half (42 percent) live less than 10 minutes away.

“People search for homes around life’s most important milestones, which includes welcoming a family’s first child,” said Jim Dohr, president of Coldwell Banker Gundaker. “Not only are parents planning ahead when it comes to buying a home, they are very excited to live near relatives who will help along the way.”

Here are some tips for parents or expecting parents who are searching for a home:

  • Perfect home. When searching for a home, sometimes two heads are better than one. Invite parents, brothers and sisters along on the home search to help identify the perfect home for you and your loved ones.
  • Home criteria. Determining your priorities and must-have criteria upfront will make your search more efficient. Ask your Realtor and your family members about the importance of bedroom layouts, land surrounding the property, proximity to major streets and more.
  • Family budgeting. Aside from property taxes, the cost of living varies from location to location. Ask relatives about the area’s cost of living and what local shops are priced better than others.
  • Fun neighborhoods. Stay with your family and tour the area to get to know the neighborhoods. If your children are anxious about moving, make a special trip to the playground in your potential new neighborhood.


Coldwell Banker Gundaker, the leading residential real estate brokerage company in St. Louis, operates 23 offices with nearly 2,000 sales associates serving metropolitan St. Louis and east-central Missouri. Coldwell Banker Gundaker is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company. NRT, a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, operates Realogy’s company-owned real estate brokerage offices. For more information, please visit www.cbgundaker.com.

Filed Under: Living Close to Relatives

February 1, 2011 by smeranda Leave a Comment

10 REASONS TO BUY A HOME IN 2011

Here's a great article on why 2011 is a great year to become a homeowner.  For help finding your new home in St. Charles or St. Louis, call me at (314) 691-1320 and I'll Get You Moving!

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Is 2011 your year to become a homeowner? Most people who choose a New Year’s resolution typically pick a goal to achieve or habit to break, but 2011 may be the year that they resolve to buy their first home.

“The reasons for first-time home buyers to invest now just keep adding up,” said Jim Dohr, president of Coldwell Banker Gundaker. “Setting goals and adopting good habits, such as saving more, reducing debt and improving credit scores, will put first timers in a good position to get what they want in the New Year.”

Here are 10 reasons to invest in real estate in 2011:

  1. Purchasing a home is far more economical than renting. In fact, according to a Coldwell Banker Real Estate survey conducted in April 2010, 53 percent of single homeowners reported they purchased a home because it was more cost effective than renting in their area.
  2. Greater variety from which to choose: single-family homes, condominiums, town houses, new construction, and existing homes.
  3. Mortgage interest rates remain at historic lows.
  4. Opportunity to buy a home today for yesterday’s price.
  5. Updated programs from the Federal Housing Administration that help make buying a home more secure and accessible.
  6. High volumes of Real Estate Owner (REO) properties on the market make it possible to buy a bigger and better home at a lower price.
  7. New and improved research tools and technologies make finding the right home in the best location an easier and enjoyable task.
  8. A willingness on the part of sellers to negotiate with buyers on more than just price, such as home repairs and moving dates.
  9. Historically positive home appreciation rates decade to decade.
  10. More than simply a place to live, owning a home is a smart investment. The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances has consistently found that those who own a home amass greater wealth than those who rent.

Coldwell Banker Gundaker, the leading residential real estate brokerage company in St. Louis, operates 23 offices with nearly 2,000 sales associates serving metropolitan St. Louis and east-central Missouri. Coldwell Banker Gundaker is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company. NRT, a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, operates Realogy’s company-owned real estate brokerage offices. For more information, please visit www.cbgundaker.com.

Filed Under: Home Ownership, Investment

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Cell: 314-691-1320
Office: 636-946-2020
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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alliance Real Estate, St. Charles
2171 Bluestone Dr.
St. Charles, MO 63303

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