While it may be tempting for buyers to say what’s on their mind while looking at houses, agents should encourage them to pause for a moment. There are some things home buyers should never say on the fly.

Listing agents, sellers, even neighbors may be listening; and they all have motives to keep tabs on the situation.

Casual comments could be used against the home buyer

Saying things like:

• I love it
• The decor is awful
• This house is way over priced

All these things go straight back to the seller.

What are the neighbors like?

That’s another question that should never be asked.

The listing agent has no idea; and do you think the seller is going to tell you that the neighbor’s son has a band that starts rehearsing at 2:00 in the morning?

The buyers have to asses the neighbors on their own.

 

This information is from an article on inman.com
You can read the full article here.

St. Louis in Top Ten Trendiest Cities

Did you know St. Louis MO is in the top 10 trendiest cities in the U.S.?

According to Realtor.com, St. Louis Missouri is one of the top 10 trendiest cities in the United States.

Whether it’s the top notch restaurant and music venues, the Bluesweek Festival every spring, or the median home price of $145,000, St. Louis has much to offer the millennials just starting out, or those already established. They even have Filipino blue crab ceviche in Tower Grove East.

You can read the complete article here.

 

 

Housing needs change as people age

Look around your house. Is there a step at the front door? Are the hallways wide enough for a walker or wheelchair? How about the doorknobs: Do you have to twist them, or can you simply push down on them to open the door? Maybe those home features don’t matter now at this point in life. But what might you need 10, 20, 30, 40 years from now to get around your house? Your housing needs will change as you age.

The Clark County Commission on Aging aims to get people thinking about these forward-looking questions. Aging in place, and other issues related to housing and getting older, will be discussed at monthly talks held by the commission through the end of this year. To start, Alan DeLaTorre, a Portland State University research associate, will talk Tuesday about what housing options are needed for the increasing number of older people.

Modifications

A lot of the new developments Ritchie sees popping up are stacked homes on smaller lots. A multi-story house could work for somebody for a while, but down the road maybe they develop a knee problem, or perhaps they have to use a walker, and the home needs to be retrofitted.

“How do you make those modifications and how do you do it economically?” Ritchie said. Chuck Frayer, a 65-year-old retired accessibility specialist with the U.S. Forest Service, chairs the Commission on Aging’s housing committee. The group has looked into building codes, universal design and what’s being done around the country for those who are trying to age in place.

The Little Details

When Ivan Olin’s pastor at Crossroads Community Church, Ritchie, said he should look into building accessible homes, he listened. Olin Homes has refined its design and has two ADA-compliant homes in its Battle Ground subdivision, Parkview Trails, with two more under construction.

Olin consulted with the Commission on Aging to figure out what basics should be in a home and what could easily be added as people move through different life stages. There aren’t grab bars in the bathroom, but extra backing in the walls means they could be installed later. After all, young families may not like the idea or look of grab bars when shopping for a new home. People can recoil at the idea of buying an accessible home, which comes with the stigma that it’s an “old-person home.”

“People don’t like to talk about it,” Olin said. “That makes it tricky as a builder to do advertising.”

To read the full article, follow this link: https://www.columbian.com/news/2016/feb/15/clark-county-series-talks-offers-tips-aging-in-place/?om_rid=AAB4gB&om_mid=_BWw3-FB9K08jd$&om_ntype=SRESMonthly

With colder-than-normal temperatures being forecast during the winter months, many homeowners are searching for alternatives to reduce the cost with heating. Here are some of the best methods to keep your family warm during the coldest parts of the season in any location.

Seeing The Light

Opening or raising window blinds allows sunshine to come into the rooms that heat up those areas. Sunlight is absolutely free to use if you have areas in your home where you can use it to your advantage. A home that faces the rising sun can benefit from capturing the heat build-up from sunlight for several hours each day during morning hours. In the late afternoons, that same home can catch additional heat build-up from the sun as it sets in the western sky.Using the Sun and solar panels is another cheap alternative to rising energy costs over the long term. Panels can be purchased that are mobile and easily moved to areas around the home where you might need that energy source. An array of panels can be purchased to provide free solar energy to your home. An investment in both solar panel technology and infrared heaters can give any homeowner years of warm, safe heat for free directly from the sun. The advantages of solar energy are that it can be used for other electrical needs such as cooking, using appliances and operating home lighting. According to U.S. Government statistics, more people are becoming aware of the advantages of solar energy and savings. Homeowners can cut electricity use in half by the installation and use of solar heating according to U.S. statistics. Many people utilize solar power to completely eliminate the need for traditional electricity from the power grid. This can save thousands of dollars per year wasted on electricity that can pay for the purchase of solar panel arrays. The advantage is being solely independent from electrical corporations and having a system paid for within a few years.

Going Back In Time

Energy efficient wood heating stoves that comply with EPA standards have made a big comeback as an alternative for homeowners to heat their homes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, modern wood burning stoves can save homeowners over half the costs of heating homes with gas or electricity. Savings can add up into thousands of dollars each year by using these wood-heating devices. These stoves have specially designed catalyst converters built into the stove that reduces carbon emissions into the atmosphere. They also distribute heat thoroughly throughout the stove to allow maximum heating efficiency in large areas of the home. Homeowners that have a large property area can create their own fuel supply for stoves by cutting timber themselves. With electrical companies constantly clearing power lines free of timber and weather related fallen timber, there is always a source to use as a fuel supply. Insulating and maintaining your home is an important key to adequately winterize it for cold weather. Wrapping pipes in insulation will produce fewer broken pipes and energy loss through freezing weather conditions. The installation of high efficiency light bulbs will help reduce overall electrical costs. By just making a few improvements in the efficiency of your home, thousands of dollars can be saved on an annual basis. If you live in a rural area and use a well for your water supply, the addition of a solar power array and wood heating can give you independence from utility companies. The benefits of being totally independent from others in your everyday activities are something everyone should think about.

For more information, please go to Modernize.com.

Real estate is already booming for the New Year!  Last year was the busiest real estate market that we have had in years.  It is never too early to get your home ready for the market or for buyers to call me to discuss the Spring market.  Don’t miss out on lower home prices & interest rates below 4%.  Call me for details today! 314-691-1320