5 Tips for Buying a Foreclosure

Get prequalified for a loan and set aside funds, and you’ll be ready to purchase a foreclosed home. Read

6 Reasons to Reduce Your Home Price

While you’d like to get the best price for your home, consider our six reasons to reduce your home price. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2010 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Idaho Real Estate and Home sales.

Let’s discuss ten ways that you can improve the allure of your home without breaking the bank.  The first way to save money is by doing the work yourself.  As you often hear  ‘kids don’t try this at home’,  but hey we’re all adults here, so with a little homework and a little sweat we can be on our way to a successful sale.  Here are my top TEN SUGGESTIONS!

1) Staging can be costly but one great suggestion is to hire a staging consultant to come review your home for improvement suggestions.  I have found this to be very beneficial.  For about a hundred bucks, you can have a home stage professional/decorator walk through your residence and give you many practical suggestions about furniture and picture placement and color schemes.  They will write out their plan, then all you need to do is go to work on it.  You may not opt to do everything they recommend, but they will indeed help you get an outside perspective that will appeal to the general buyer.  Sadly, staging your home appropriately is often under rated by sellers but does offer a lot of value.

2) If your willing to put in that little sweat equity, then the first and most common cost effective upgrade I would recommend would be painting.  Don’t go with what suits your fancy, your not selling it to yourself. Stay with a neutral base color scheme.  What is acceptable or considered the norm may vary from area to area and your home type. If your not sure how to color coördinate then ask a friend who does, don’t guess.

3) New carpet is nice but not always cost effective, but what about what is under that carpet?  When it comes to what’s chic, wood is always in and always looks classy.  Refinishing your hardwood can add a ton of appeal to your home.  Even if all you are doing is adding a new coat of shine to it.  A good site to review hardwoods and finishes is A-Max Hardwood.

4) Still have linoleum in your kitchen and bathrooms?  My experience has been that most people associate linoleum with cheap.  Surprisingly tile isn’t all that expensive and not that hard to install.  You can even rent a tile saw pretty cheap for a couple days.  If your really trying to keep the budget down then look for discontinued product.

5) Are your counter tops in good shape?  Do they match with your kitchen and cabinets?  Replacing your counter tops isn’t very expensive if you stay away from granite or corian.  Home Depot or Lowes are both good if you want a quick quote.

6) Nothing dates your home quicker than your lighting.  Buyers will often stereo type a homes quality by the modernes of your lighting fixtures.  Don’t get me wrong, you can spend the farm on lighting, but you can find decent updated fixtures (often on clearance), at a nominal cost.  I replaced nine fixtures in my home for less than $200 bucks.

7) Are your faucets crusty?  Have lime coated toilets and tub? Rickety old toilet seat?  Nothing turns a buyer off more than someone else’s crud. Their crud is OK to them, but not a strangers.  Make sure all your sink fixtures SPARKLE, if that’s impossible with yours then you may want to consider replacing them.  Don’t forget to clean those toilets and tubs good enough to grab a glass of water from them.

An easy one we all know is to clean your carpets.  Whether you do it your self or hire someone, it is a low cost item with good return. The clean fresh smell it adds and the new shine is definitely worth the price.

9) Nobody says it better than Shakespeare so I quote “O! my offence is rank, it smells to heaven.“  If you smoke inside your house, STOP!  Take it outside while you are trying to sell. In my experience, the two BIGGEST turn offs to a buyer is a home that smells of cigarette smoke and one that smells of animals, but any bad smell is a no no. While a person may not remember the details of every house they viewed, they will NEVER forget the ones that smelled bad.  That isn’t the impression you want to leave. Many times I have had buyers walk back out the door without even viewing the home.  Buy a fragrance for your home but beware, many people have allergies or are sensitive to smells, so don’t buy the cheapest on the shelf or splatter Old Spice around the house.  I have found that if you stick with a botanical or a better quality fragrance, it is more smoothing and seldom a problem.

10)  Have you ever seen what window treatments can cost?  Oh my gosh, you could buy a second car. But that doesn’t have to be true. I have staged a number of homes and have found quality awesome matching sets of window treatments in stores such as TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, etc… to name a few.  You may need to do some driving.  I once had to visit three Ross stores to find six of the same matching curtains but hey, at $8 to $15 a curtain panel, it was worth the drive.

I hope these tips assist you on your way to a successful home sale, please feel free to comment on any cost affordable tips you have come across so I and others can benefit.

Paul Heim Boise Idaho Real Estate Sales

End of April the new home buyer tax credit expires. Do you think the home buyer tax break will make a big difference in the 2010 market and overall economy?

I was inspired to write this blog after reading the post by J.P. Lowry titled ‘What are we doing in America?.  I enjoyed his article and reading the many posts and varied views. I equate with his frustration and that of many readers where one program after another is instituted, spending our money and no real bang for the buck for the bill payer (us tax payers).

Looking at the current situation in the housing market, we all have dealt with many frustrating circumstances.  Government bailouts, fast fancy spending, lack of assistance and follow through, of which all parties are at fault. Dealing with Mortgage loan companies has at times bordered the ridiculous.

What a heated topic, with underlying currents touching on so many levels of our society and psyche.   It has opened the Pandora’s box of our own errors in society.  When you are in the middle of the fray it is hard to see the true battle. So let’s stand back and take a look at it from above, or outside as it were.  Sometimes you need to go back to see your way forward.

Prior to the turn of the 20th century, the world was dominated by Monarchistic rule.  After WW1, roughly 60% of Monarchies disappeared, following WW2, about all were gone apart from being figure heads.

The last 100 years has primarily been a struggle between two ideals; collectivist ideals (Socialism, Communism, Nazism, fascism, etc..) and individualist ideals (capitalism, republics).

Now the collectivist ideals of utopia, albeit altruistic, are naive.  Socrates put it best when he said, ‘No Government nor democracy can quench the ambition of men” and they killed him for that.  For those of you who like cartoons, let’s use ‘Pinky and the Brain’ as an illustration.  As long as mankind is governing himself, there will always be a Pinky (a lackey) and there will always be a Brain (power hungry ego maniac).  When Pinky asks Brain everyday, ‘What are we going to do today Brain?’ his response is always, ‘I am going to rule the world!’.  If you want more details on the famous Grecian Democracy go read the peloponnesian wars.

Individualist ideals should be based on interdependence.  The ‘I take care of me for you and you take care of you for me.’  Now if one individual works twice as hard for an extra piece of pie, that is healthy and falls in line with individualist ideals, but again, that old ego, when we feel we deserve (or desire) the other guys piece of pie more than he does, whether we have worked for it or not, seems to thwart us again and again.

So the easiest analogy I have is; Say you grow apples and I grow oranges.  I want you to do well with them oranges because I am going to get pretty tired of eating just apples. When you succeed, I succeed, because I am going to buy or barter for your oranges against my apples.  Now extend that to other forms of commerce.  I like apples and oranges a lot, but I sure hope there is also someone making burgers out there who likes apples!

Now that we have a basis to look at our current situation, understanding there is actually a struggle between three idealistic forces today, that being; Collectivism, Individualism and the the opportunistic fence jumper MR. EGO (Brain) we can touch on the current Mortgage crisis.

Our dollar is FIAT, please Google that term if you don’t understand it.  The gold and silver standard were intentionally removed by the Federal Reserve Bank (the FRB is not government owned, but a private conglomerate) to allow the expansion and contraction (better referred to as manipulation) of the perceived value of money.

Now great intentions were written down to validate that purpose, but in truth it placed too much power in the hands of too few, and as famously quoted, ‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’.   Whine about it all you want, it is a fact of life.  People clamor about capitalist greed run amok, when in fact, true capitalism died with the start of the Federal Reserve Bank.  (not that I espouse capitalism as the truest system either, but it does allow a resetting and balancing of values if left unmanipulated.)

Now lets get down to the real problem. Sadly, many people by nature are opportunist.  We see that on both ends of the spectrum. Regrettably many banks, mortgage lenders, wall street brokers, and even some Realtors, (only to name a few) saw the opportunity and greed ran its course. However the same opportunistic glove fits those buyers that went into homes that were beyond their means of living, bought lavish cars and lived on credit cards. Can someone say ‘Facilitation?’

So we can waste a bunch of time droning on and on over the past and who is to blame.  Almost everyone is to blame in one way or another.  Who wants to cast that first stone? That leads to the fact of ‘We are all responsible’

The real problem is we (writer includes self) have become a society of people who refrain from accepting responsibility for our decisions or current situation.  Everyone wants a scapegoat.  We are all stuck in a self entitlement mentality, like a two year old throwing tantrums in the check out line of the store when Mom won’t let us have the candy bar or toy on the shelf. (purposely placed mind you)

If you are waiting for someone to come turn the light on, sorry to report, they probably won’t show up. If you want big government or other people to come to your rescue, then welcome aboard the fast train to tyranny. Solomon said ‘The borrower is ALWAYS servant to the lender’.  Now ask yourself, who is the biggest lender to us and the government?

Benjamin Franklin wrote; They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

The true definition of FREEDOM is summed up by a single word, RESPONSIBILITY.  George Bernard related such sentiments when he said; Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.

It all starts with you and I.  Nobody has complete control over ones life, it is too dynamic, intertwined and unexpected things happen.  In this life you have been given only one thing that you can control,……………… your attitude.

Paul Heim

Published by Craig on 30 Sep 2009 at 11:57 am

Moving to Boise Tip #2 Relocation Experts

After looking all over the internet for a great place to move, you chose Boise.   The next locgical step would contacting a Boise resident who happens to be a relcation specialist.   In my opinion, I would much rather prefer talking with a local resident who really knows the “lay-of-the land”.   Someone knows the Treasure Valley and has their “boots on the ground”.  There is no way an out of town relo company will have the same ability as a “Local Embassabor” would.

When it comes time to pack and move to Boise, it will be a great feeling to know you will have a team of professionals waiting upon your arrival.  Please take a look at the list of relocation specialist and give them a call.

• Paul Heim 208-344-5700  buyboise@gmail.com Silvercreek Realty Group-Boise
• Mike Carr 208375-0203 mikecarr@boiserelocation.com Remax Capital City-Boise
• Rick Snyder 208-631-2754  rick@idahomesales.com Kellerv Williams-Boise
• Tracy Brown 208-794-2109 tracy@gemstatehomes.com A.V. West-Boise
• Tom Ashworth 208-830-7991 tom@tomashworthrealestate.com Group One-Boise

Craig Ballhagen-Guild Mortgage-Boise-208-713-3309

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Where an addition is placed on a house will vary depending on the layout of the home and actual site conditions. If there is space on the site that allows for a family room addition on the main level, I often look for a location near the kitchen. If there is no space on the site, we’ll either look at a location such as in an unfinished basement, or consider adding onto a second story. One recent trend is locating a family space adjacent to bedrooms, especially if the space is located adjacent to kid’s bedrooms. This family room space often becomes the kid’s ‘hang out space’.

Often a family room plays many roles, so it’s important to design the room to allow for the functions you need. Here are some things to consider:

1. While it’s a luxury to have a separate media room, often the space or funds are not available. Consider designing the family room to accommodate movie night by incorporating room darkening black-out shades and the necessary electronic equipment and speakers.

2. If you often need a place for extra guests to sleep, a family room can be converted easily to a sleeping area if you incorporate the right furniture pieces. A sleeper sofa can comfortably sleep two. If additional sleeping space, or individual beds are desired for activities like kid’s sleepovers, then look for furniture such as ottomans and chairs that fold out to single beds. If you have the space, you may also be able to incorporate a day bed. For additional sleeping, look for a day bed with a trundle below.

3. One of the complaints we frequently hear about homes is that the dining room is too small for big family dinners. But when asked how often people entertain large groups, it is usually once or twice a year. A family room addition can help solve this problem if space is designed in for a large table.

4. A oversized table is also useful in a family room because inevitably kids will end up doing their homework where the family gathers. A large table is a perfect multipurpose addition to the family room. To save space, it can even be placed with an end against a wall, and pulled out when additional seating is needed.

Once you’ve identified all the necessary functions that the new family room needs to accommodate, you’ll want to start thinking about details such as fireplaces, the TVlocation, and furniture layouts. The primary issue with incorporating a fireplace in a family room is that it competes for the same space as the TV. There are many ways to solve this problem, with the obvious one being placing the television above the fireplace. Be careful with this solution, though, as it can lead to an uncomfortably high viewing angle. Often incorporating a television that is adjacent to the fireplace, or arranging a seating group that is at right angles where one side faces a television and the other side faces a fireplace can solve this issue.

When possible we like to expand the family room addition to the outside by adding French doors or sliding doors. A deck or patio outside a family room can help make a smaller space feel larger, and in warmer weather the space can open up to the outside.

A well designed family room can serve many purposes if well thought through in the planning stages. This often means thinking ahead and planning the type of furniture, the size and location of the television, and the location of the fireplace. But once you determine all the pieces of the puzzle, they can be assembled into an artful solution that integrates into the existing house and provides a new space that will serve your family well for many years in the future.

The author invites you to visit:
http://www.motion-space.com

Although the news gave the item minimal coverage at best last week the Conference Boards Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose by almost a point in June.

June was the third straight month of positive growth, but more importantly it was the first time since 2004 that the index has increased for three consecutive months. This is very significant not only for the real estate industry but for many other industries that are tied to it like manufacturing, exports, and construction. While this is key to seeing a recovery throughout the economy as a whole, it is unlikely we will see any sizable housing recovery until the economy pulls itself our of recession and starts to grow again.

The index of leading indicators is clearly telling us that that process is well underway, which is very encouraging news.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in testimony before Congress last week, agreed with this in saying:

“A modest recovery is not far off, though it will take a long time to get unemployment levels back down to pre-recession levels.”

Meanwhile, residential real estate continues to put up impressive numbers with new single family housing starts in June rising by 14.4 percent, and the fourth straight month of increasing activity by home builders, who’d previously shut down construction because they hadn’t sold off their inventories.

Total starts in New England were up by 29 percent and in the Midwest by 33 percent. Builders report seeing much more traffic at their subdivision showrooms, far lower fallout on contracts, and rising sales — all of which are extremely positive signs.

Sales of existing homes are up in many areas for the month as well – rising by 3.6 percent nationwide in June, according to the National Association of Realtors. This gradual uptrend in sales can be linked to the $8,000 home buyer credit, favorable mortgage rates, and low prices.

New mortgage applications to buy houses continued to increase last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, with thirty-year fixed rates averaged 5.3 percent and 15-year rates averaged 4.8 percent for the week, both up by two-tenths of a percentage point.

The numbers are up, and that’s good for everyone, but the window of prime opportunity may soon be closing.

Don’t miss out on your chance to get in on this unique real estate market – contact Paul Heim, your Boise Realtor, today!

Click Here - Boise Home Search

by: Paul Heim

 

Do you dream of a Home in the Mountains, living amongst the trees, surrounded by the wonders of nature. All too often such locations are too remote for year around living. Look no farther, the Boise County area is a short drive to the city of Boise Idaho & offers the best of both worlds. Where as an everyday occurrence, the beauty of nature is right in your backyard.  Boise County Homes offers a number of Subdivisions and communities to choose from.  Some premier Subdivisions are Wilderness Ranch, Duquette Pines, Osprey Meadows, Elk Run, Elk Meadows, Timber Mountain & Robie Creek.  Some of the communities are idaho City, Placerville, Centerville, & Clear Creek.  Please contact Paul Heim for Boise County Home Information 208 344-5700.

Boise County sports a variety of recreational activities and wildlife to enjoy such as but not limited to;

• Hot Springs    

• Boating    

• ATV Riding  

• Horse Back Riding      

• Snowmobiling     

• Camping      

• Wildlife Viewing    

• Hiking      

• Robie Creek Race   

Geography 

If you would like more information regarding Boise County Homes & Property contact Paul Heim today (208) 344-5700 or visit http://www.paulsidahohomes.com

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Click Here - Boise Home Search

Assisting individuals discover the benefits of Idaho Living.  If you would like to discover what Boise Homes have to offer,  visit http://www.paulsidahohomes.com for Boise MLS Home searches and area information.  Covering the entire Treasure Valley Area.  Contact Paul Heim today for more information 208 344-5700 buyboise@gmail.com

Idaho is an amazing State. If all the lower 48 states were ironed out flat, Idaho would be the largest; its rugged terrain with towering cliff sides, pine-forested peaks and deep canyons make Idaho’s natural scenery one of the wildest and striking in the U.S. The southern half of the state is much lower in elevation compared to the north. The Snake River forms the western border with part of Washington and Oregon before turning into the state and bisecting the southern half, meandering through the fertile Snake River Plain in the eastern part of the state. The Bitterroot Range serves as a natural border with Montana, and further east, the Clearwater and Salmon River mountains extend for miles into the some of the most isolated regions in America.  If you would like more information regarding Idaho please visit http://www.statemaster.com/state/ID-idaho

For images of Idaho’s majestic features please visit the Photo Book of Idaho Images

Idaho is a life time worth of living,  Experience the difference. We’re committed to helping you find a home to place your heart. In Idaho HEIM = HOME

Paul Heim, Silvercreek Realty Group Call today 208 344-5700 or email me at buyboise@gmail.com

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