Pets, Pest and other critters

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Dogs, cats, birds, snakes, monkeys, ferrets, rabbits, bobcats, goats, pigs, horses, spiders, roaches and termites just to name a few I’ve encountered showing real estate.

When preparing to sell your home or property you will likely have a discussion with your real estate agent on how to handle these living creatures.
Household pets are very common, but there are two types of buyers, the “likes” and the “don’t like”.
I suggest to the owner if possible to take the pet on an outing when a showing is scheduled.
It helps the “don’t likes” stay around check out the property, and it helps with distractions so the buyer stays focused on their checklist and doesn’t miss any great features.
Another advantage to this is the safety aspect. The most pleasant pets can become protective or irritated in the absence of an owner on their property. An owner should act on the side of caution even if they are doubtful a pet may behave this way. I also want to mention the odor some pets may cause, it’s always a good idea to eliminate it, by removing the pets’ bedding, blankets, and food dishes will help.

Pest control is a must for the interior of a home and any porches or any outdoor living areas. Anything crawling on floors, walls, or cabinets give a buyer the creeps. There are many nontoxic, do it yourself recipes for the most common household pest, if you prefer to handle this yourself.
Termites or other destroying insects common to your area should be inspected for by a qualified person. Treatments and inspections reports readily available to a buyer is useful and sometimes required for mortgage financing.

Critters…..well they can be anything from your nightly raccoon that visits or the frequent snakes that come out of a nearby pond. Whatever it may be it is always a good idea to disclose this information before buyers start walking the property. Buyers are sometimes relocating from an area that they would never imagine a confrontation with anything more than a squirrel or rabbit. Any outdoor animal pens that are off limits should also be disclosed before a showing.

Home sellers put this tip on your home selling checklist. If you are a buyer and pets are important check with your local zoning, condo association or homeowners association because they may have restrictions on the type or amount of pets that are allowed.

Happy home selling and home shopping 🙂

Alice

photo compliments of:

https://pixabay.com/en/users/kabaldesch0-553126/

A Kind find

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For some home sellers, the old saying of “home is where the heart is” really has a deep meaning.
Memories of family and friends, life events, decorating and remodeling all come bright to life when the reality of selling your home is looking straight at you.
Buyers that are complimenting, comfortable and avoid talking about the changes they will make to a home with the homeowner put themselves in a favorable position when negotiating an offer especially if they are in a multiple offer situation.
There are sellers that will accept a lower priced offer or try to negotiate an offer simply because they like the buyer. The idea of dealing with kinder, reasonable people has value during a real estate transaction that is packed full of conditions, deadlines and overall stress.
To achieve a successful transaction that works for everyone, cooperation and communication between the parties involved are essential. A buyer or seller that has rejected a term offered by the other party should understand that is likely due to the parameters in which that party can perform, and not create a personal conflict.

Keep smiling, happy home shopping, and put a few compliments out there…it may not always work but it’s worth a try 🙂

Pretty house

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A real estate agent will put great effort into designing a marketing plan that will assist you in selling your home. Advertising on the internet and in magazines, putting up yard signs , using fantastic photos on MLS sites , are some of the things you should expect. The seller of the home decorates, declutters, creates curb appeal and makes necessary repairs. Unless, you happen to come across a very creative seller with a homebound parrot named Daisy.

To make the best of the situation and help Daisy cope with the anxiety of visitors and being confined to her cage, a few new words were repeated to her often. As a result, prospective buyers were continually reminded that the home they were viewing is a “pretty house, pretty house”.

When the guests approached the front door to leave she graciously chirped, ” I love you goodbye, I love you goodbye”.

Daisy made the buyers feel comfortably at home, and the home sold lickety-split. That’s what it takes to have a successful sale. At the end of the day, it made me really think about which one of us has the bird brain.

Happy home selling 🙂 photo compliments of:

https://pixabay.com/en/room-living-room-hairdresser-1672229/

Covenants, zoning and HOA’S

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Before you decide on the location of your real estate purchase or during your due diligence period take the time to do some homework.
All of the above come with rules that will become part of your ownership responsibility.
They also affect your long term plans and budget, so let’s get started and I’ll make this a simple as possible.
Zoning is applied though your local government, information on how a property is zoned is usually attainable through the tax assessors office. An example of zoning may be that you are looking to buy a property for a mobile home when in fact stick built homes will only be allowed in the area, or the setback requirement that states where on a lot you must place your home or improvement.

Restrictive or protective covenants, may be recorded at the county courthouse or conveyed in your deed. Even if a neighborhood has not been complying they are still worth reading. A few examples of a covenant may be the ability to lease your property at anytime, what kind of pets are allowed, landscaping ornaments, the size of your home and house paint colors or finishes.

Homeowners associations are usually managed by the home owners, the declarant of the covenants or with the help of a management company. The Homeowners association enforces the covenants, collects dues, and oversees the maintenance of common areas , and amenities in a community. They may also become active in issues of the greater community to promote the best interest of their neighborhood.

You can almost be certain that zoning will apply, a good chance of covenants, and home owners and property owners associations are most popular in newer developments and condominiums. Zoning requirements take precedence over restrictive covenants.

Happy home shopping 🙂

Sellers start packing

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One of the most difficult times during home selling process is actually the time before you put your home on the market for sale. It’s a huge decision that is not limited to the sale of your personal home that you live in. You may be thinking of selling an investment property or settling an estate. It’s not unusual for a home seller to take months to make this decision, and for all situations the goal is the same, a successful sale.

Take time to prepare, make a plan with a timeline of things that need to be done to make the home “market ready”. Good first impressions are not only seen by prospective buyers but also the real estate professionals will be anxious to show your home and word spreads fast when great properties hit the market.

Keep in mind that when the sign goes up, the excitement begins!

click or call

On my desk sits a Texas Instrument calculator that I used to give home buyers a general idea of what their house payment would be, based on a the term of their loan and interest rate. Throughout my career technology has advanced at a pace much faster than some can keep up with. To stay accommodating to anyone who needs the service of a real estate broker I enjoy a good chat on a land line as much as I enjoy hearing “you’ve got mail”.