Better Judgements eZine
Terria Judge, Realtor
CRS, ABR, GRI, Broker Associate

Better Judgements is a newsletter on home matters, from Terria Judge, your Garden City, KS real estate agent!

Contact Terria Judge at 620-271-2129!

Terria Judge
Home Town Real Estate P.A.
1135 College Dr. Suite A
Garden City, KS 67846

620-271-9500

http://terriajudge.com

http://gardencityksrealestate.com

http://gardencityksrentals.com

Terria@TerriaJudge.com

Subscription Management at end of newsletter.

Thanks for your subscription to Better Judgements, the newsletter from your Garden City Kansas Realtor, Terria Judge.

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

In this Issue
=============

1. Article: Home Inspection Tip—Five Home Maintenance Areas That Can Snag
the Sale of Your Home
2. Featured & New Listings
3. Article: Use Home Improvement Loans To Increase Your Home’s Value
4. Article: How to Stage Your Home – The Five Best Interior Design Tips to
Help You Sell It!

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

Home Inspection Tip—Five Home Maintenance Areas That Can Snag
the Sale of Your Home
By David Haigh

The last thing you want when you’re selling your home is to
discover problems that could jeopardize the sale. While a home
inspection will reveal the condition of your home, you won’t
have to be afraid of issues that come up if you’ve kept your
home wel maintained. With good home maintenance you can avoid
some of the most common imperfections and problems found by home
inspectors.

Home maintenance tasks are often put off for various reasons,
such as lack of time, lack of money, or simply lack of interest.
However, when it comes time to sell your home and you know
buyers are looking, it’s time to take care of business.

The little things that nag you may be major issues to a
prospective home buyer, and they could cost you the sale. You
can eliminate the vast majority of problems and stress by
checking on five important areas.

1. Dirty filter and coils in the furnace, air conditioning or
heat pump system. Having your heating and cooling system
serviced by a professional once a year should take care of this
problem. You should also clean or replace filters every one to
three months, depending on the requirements of your system. This
is important for long life of your unit, efficiency, fuel
savings, and the assurance you’ll have proper heating and
cooling in your home.

2. Poor Caulking of Ceramic Tile in the Tub and Shower Area. It
can cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace a rotted
shower wall. You can avoid this by caulking tiled areas for a
few dollars. If you can see a crack in the calk or grout, you
know it’s large enough for water to get in.

3. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) not Functioning
properly. Those electrical outlets with the “Press” and “Test”
buttons are GFCI’s. They’re very important in reducing or
preventing the chance of electrocution. Push the “Test” button
to see if the GFCI’s are working as they should. If not, they’re
inexpensive to replace and should only take about fifteen
minutes to install. If you have questions or concerns, call a
professional electrician.

4. Wood rot. This is a big one, and it can snag the sale of
your home. What inspector wouldn’t love to report that a home is
free of wood rot and structural damage? Selling your home can be
made simpler and more enjoyable if you are knowledgeable about
preventative maintenance. For example, have a good moisture
barrier under the crawl space. Keep an eye out for leaks around
windows, doors and the roof.

5. Amateur Workmanship. Did you weekend handyman brother-in-law
help you remodel the kitchen last year? When amateurs do home
projects, often the materials used aren’t right for the intended
purpose, or they’re of poor quality, or both. Inspections are
seldom performed or permits obtained when such projects are done
by amateurs. Unfortunately amateur work can complicate a
closing.

Be sure to keep your home in good shape to make things go
smoothly for your home inspector and for the selling process as
a whole. You’ll be glad you did.

About the Author: You’ve carefully selected the home you’re
buying. Make sure you’re as careful when selecting your home
inspector. Author David Haigh is a professional home inspector
in NJ. Click now to view a free sample report of a New Jersey
home inspection (http://mynjhomeinspector.com).

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link:

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=486323&ca=Real+Estate

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

FEATURED & NEW LISTINGS
========================

Active Listings: http://terriajudge.com/listings/
Featured Property: http://terriajudge.com/listings/404-foltz/

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

Use Home Improvement Loans To Increase Your Home’s Value
By Joe R. Maldonado

Many people have homes that require a significant amount of
improvement, and in order to be able to afford them it becomes
necessary for many people to apply for home improvement loans.
It takes a significant amount of money to finance most home
improvements, whether you are planning to remodel your bathroom
or modernize your kitchen. There is now a great deal of options
for people to choose from when it comes to financing, which is
why it becomes so important to avoid rushing into any decision
regarding your loan. You want to make sure that the financing
you are getting is going to be optimal for your financial needs
as well as your renovation requirements.

One of the most important things to consider is the overall
price of the renovations in comparison to the amount of value
that they will add to your home. If you come to the conclusion
that it will cost you more to do the renovations than the amount
of value that they are going to be adding to your property, you
will have to reconsider your decision and determine if it is
really going to be necessary to complete these renovations.

In many cases, people are planning to put their home up for
sale once the renovations are complete. It will of course become
necessary to ensure that any work that has been done on your
property will come along with some sort of guarantee or
warranty. This is why it is always better to go with a
contractor that has a good reputation.

Make sure that you also take the time to do a little comparison
shopping when it comes to the rates you are offered on home
improvement loans. It will be just as important for you to save
money as it is to improve your home. When it comes to doing work
on your heating system or getting new insulation, you may want
to first find out whether or not you would be eligible for a
grant. If you can save money on this aspect of your home
improvements, it will free up more of your finances to put
towards other improvements that your home may need.

You may want to consider getting a secured loan for your home
improvements. This is a type of loan that will come in addition
to your initial mortgage. You can get a lower interest rate on
these loans, and they can be spread out over a longer period of
time. This means that your monthly payments are going to be
lower. However, you have to keep in mind that if you end up
defaulting on this loan, your lender will have the right to take
possession of your home because you will have used it as
collateral. This is why you must take all things into
consideration before getting a loan like this, and make sure
that you are going to be able to afford your payments. Home
improvement loans are great because you can increase your
property value, but you must always be sure that you are going
to have payments that you can afford.

About the Author: Next, find out more about Home Improvement
Loans and select the best option for you. Hint: You won’t get
the same experience with other brands! Before the link gets
deleted check the exclusive offers at:

http://www.homeimprovementloans.org.uk

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1001259&ca=Finances

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

How to Stage Your Home – The Five Best Interior Design Tips to
Help You Sell It!
By Amely Wurmbrand

When putting your house up for sale, you’ll want it to sell
fast and at a high price. Any interior designer in Seattle, New
York, or any other major city would stress one thing – you have
no control over who views your home, but you can have an effect
on how they feel when they see your house and how much they are
willing to pay for it. Here are
five important tips that will help influence your buyers:

1. Color
The colors on your walls will instantly convey certain feelings
to potential buyers when they enter your rooms. The best colors
to attract them will be neutral, muted shades which will be
gentle on their eyes and allow them to picture adding their own
colors later. Stronger colors that you have chosen because of
your own tastes, e.g, red or dark blue, are worth painting over.
Be careful when choosing white as a color for your new coat of
paint – it can sometimes convey a sterile look. Instead, opt for
an off-white color which is warmer to look at.

2. Furnishings
Rooms that are cluttered are very unappealing to buyers. In
contrast, a room which has minimal furnishings appeals larger
and allows people to imagine adding their own belongings to the
room. De-clutter by either selling items you may no longer want
or placing them in storage until you move to your new home.

3. Repairs and Updates
Look around your home and see what repairs you can do to
improve its overall look. Perhaps a worn carpet is worth
replacing as it makes the whole room look run down too. Or you
might want to touch up the scratches on your bedroom doors or
fix the loose tiles in the kitchen. Spending money on these
things will help it look much better and may even increase how
much a person is willing to pay because of the newer features.
It will also make your house appear well-cared for which a buyer
will be attracted to.

4. Tricks to Help
Understanding a buyer’s psychology will help you know where to
focus your interior design efforts. The entrance is the first
place they see, so you’ll want to pay some attention to this
space to help create a good first impression. Some people are
very particular about their kitchen and bathroom spaces, so make
these areas look clean and
inviting. Also, add props such as flowers and plants to
brighten up a room where needed and remove personal photos so
that spaces don’t appear like they belong to someone else.

5. Get help if you can
If your budget permits, hire an interior designer who will give
you tips and advice about what your particular home needs to
become more attractive to buyers. Paying for professional advice
could be an investment which helps your home sell faster and for
a better price.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to
your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a
great day!

Don’t forget to visit my interior design blog.

About the Author: Amely Wurmbrand is nationally-recognized for
both her West Coast and Seattle interior design work. Amely and
her team work closely with clients to reflect their
personalities and lifestyles through innovative and
sophisticated designs. You may browse her unique designs at

http://www.amelydesigns.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=421322&ca=Advice

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

This newsletter is compiled and published by Mitone Cooke, http://mitone.com
==============================================
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Better Judgements eZine
Terria Judge, Realtor
CRS, ABR, GRI, Broker Associate

Better Judgements is a newsletter on home matters, from Terria
Judge, your Garden City, KS real estate agent!

Contact Terria Judge at 620-271-2129!

Terria Judge
Home Town Real Estate P.A.
1135 College Dr. Suite A
Garden City, KS 67846

620-271-9500
{{LINK “http://terriajudge.com”}}
{{LINK “http://gardencityksrealestate.com”}}
{{LINK “http://gardencityksrentals.com”}}
Terria@TerriaJudge.com

Subscription Management at end of newsletter.

Thanks for your subscription to Better Judgements, the
newsletter from your Garden City Kansas Realtor, Terria Judge.

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

In this Issue
=============

1. Article: Buying Homes In A Foreclosure Market
2. Featured & New Listings
3. Article: Inexpensive Things to Do to Help Sell Your House
4. Article: How Landscaping Can Help Sell Your House

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

Buying Homes In A Foreclosure Market
By Dave Jackson

What credit crunch? That’s what many home buyers with solid
credit and enough money for the down payment are saying during
the current downturn in the real estate market. They are much
better positioned than they were before the market turned down.

And now, even the 30 year fixed mortgage rate is at a low.
Home prices almost everywhere have fallen. If you want to buy a
home, and you have the credit qualifications, it’s a great time
to buy.

So what changed?

Because of the housing slowdown, mortgage rates have dropped.
Since houses aren’t selling, lenders are doing everything they
can to entice buyers, including low lending rates. Treasury
securities and the housing slowdown helped force mortgage rates
down.

Home prices are lower now than last year, and down in most
states according to the National Association of Realtors.
Buyers with sound credit have a ton of bargaining power. For
some, real estate appraisals are producing lower home values,
allowing buyers to renegotiate the price.

Lenders fear the subprime market crisis will continue, but
still some offer jumbo loans. Community and national banks have
stepped in to offer these. They can fund them with customer
deposits. Many lenders have abandoned these jumbo loans.

Finally, rates on ARM’s, which are almost always based on
Treasury yields, have fallen. This brings prices down all
around.

Think – what better time than now to buy that home you’ve been
putting off for so long. Now is the time because it probably
won’t get much better than this.

First, find your credit score. You can do this easily and
online. Secondly, shop the local lenders first. See if they
can offer you a loan that may start out low, but not get out of
hand down the road. Then take the time to ponder the market.
Make sure you are knowledgeable about what is going on and think
of ways you can take advantage of it.

It always makes sense to contact a real estate attorney before
you commit to a long term loan. These real estate lawyers can
help you figure out if later on you can actually afford the
payments of a jumbo type loan.

About the Author: Dave Jackson writes about foreclosures on his
website {{LINK “http://www.abbey-properties.com/”}} . For more information
on buying in a foreclosure market, contact Dave at his site.

Source: {{LINK “http://www.isnare.com”}}

Permanent Link: {{LINK “http://www.isnare.com/?aid=180351&ca=Business”}}
———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

FEATURED & NEW LISTINGS
========================

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All Terria’s Listings:
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———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

Inexpensive Things to Do to Help Sell Your House
By Preston Guyton

Your home is one of your most important investments, so when it
comes time to finally sell you want to make sure that you get
the highest sales price. There are many effective ways to
increase the value of your home in a quick and inexpensive
manner. Follow these tips for a few inexpensive things to do to
help sell your house, and you are guaranteed to have buyers see
your home in its best light.

Clean, Clean, Clean

The single easiest thing you can do to prepare your home for
selling is to give it an extensive and thorough cleaning. Take
this time to take everything out of your closet, scrub all the
walls, and make sure the home looks and smells completely clean.
Think of a spring cleaning taken to an even higher level because
a clean home will show buyers that you have maintained and cared
for the home they might want to buy. A dingy home will receive
offers that are thousands of dollars less than the same home
that is clean, so make sure that every inch of the house shines
like its new.

Reduce the Clutter

After years of living in a home your closets and garage are
probably full. One of the best ways to make your home look more
spacious is to take all of that unneeded clutter and put it in a
temporary storage unit. This won’t cost you much money, but it
will completely change the feel of the home because it will
appear more open and clean. Additionally, it is a great way to
get started on the packing up process, so that you can move out
of the home more quickly after it sells.

Depersonalize

Your home can be a big part of your identity. Personalized
decoration choices are a great way to show off your style and
let people know who you are. Unfortunately, when it comes to
selling your home you don’t want to highlight your tastes
because you want the buyers to picture themselves in the home.
Put away those leopard prints and bold colors, and go for
something a little more neutral.

New Coat of Paint

One of the most effective ways to inexpensively update the look
of your home is to add a new coat of paint. Keep in mind that
when it comes to selling you want to make sure that you choose
warm neutral colors that will appeal to the broadest number of
people. Toning down the bright colors in the children’s rooms
will help buyers focus on the space in the room as opposed to
being scared off by bright pinks or greens.

These tips cost little or no money to follow and will have a
big impact on the sale of your house. Scrub everything, get rid
of the clutter, tone down the decor, and throw on a new coat of
paint to really make your house stand out and look its best.

About the Author: Preston Guyton is a Realty and Custom Home
Builder serving the Murrells Inlet Real Estate Market. For more
information on Murrells Inlet homes and properties, contact
Preston today and visit {{LINK “http://www.prestonguyton.com.”}}

Source: {{LINK “http://www.isnare.com”}}

Permanent Link:
{{LINK “http://www.isnare.com/?aid=521031&ca=Real+Estate”}}

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

How Landscaping Can Help Sell Your House
By Preston Guyton

Today’s difficult real estate environment makes it more
important than ever that your home stands out when you go to
sell it. First impressions matter, which is why your house’s
landscaping has a big impact on the perceived value of the home.
Let’s take a look at how landscaping can help sell your house.

Curb Appeal

The moment that a potential buyer pulls up to your home and
takes a look for the first time they make a decision as to
whether or not they can see themselves living in the house. A
beautiful first impression of lush landscaping and a well
manicured lawn will let the buyers know that you have loved and
cared for the home. On the other hand, poorly maintained shrubs
and plantings, along with a yard full of weeds, will lead the
buyer to look for a different house, or question the general
upkeep of the home.

Established Shrubs, Trees, and Plantings Sets Home Apart

While homes can easily be remodeled and updated in a short
amount of time, it is impossible to create established
landscaping in less than several years or even decades if you
are talking about larger trees and shrubs. For this reason, your
landscaping can really set your home apart because it is one of
the few areas that requires a good deal of time to get right and
reach maturity. Even if your yard and plantings are only a few
years old, well planned landscaping gives the new buyers the
benefit of not having to make many changes to the outside of the
home. Many homeowners are too busy in their daily lives to
devote their time and money to large home projects. Your well
defined landscaping plan will appeal strongly to buyers who want
a move in ready home that requires little additional work.

Landscape Lighting Opens Up Outdoor Areas

Landscaping is not just about plants. Landscape lighting is
another way to improve the value of your home because it extends
the curb appeal factor to the night time and opens up the areas
that can be enjoyed around the home. I simple layout of solar
path lighting and ground spot lights that create artful shadows
against the brickwork, shrubs, and trees around the home is
inexpensive and easy to install. Lighting around a deck or patio
area brings your home’s living space outside, and puts the
thought of backyard parties and barbecues in the minds of the
buyer.

Landscaping can have a big impact on the buyer’s interest in
your home. Now that you understand how landscaping can help you
sell your house it is important to make the most of what you
have. Older homes with established yards and shrubs should be
manicured to take advantage of the mature landscaping, while new
homes can utilize an attractive landscape plan that will allow
the new buyers to see the yards potential, while not requiring
them to put in a lot of work.

About the Author: Preston Guyton is a Realtor and Custom Home
Builder serving the Myrtle Beach Real Estate Market. For more
information on Myrtle Beach homes and properties, contact
Preston today and visit {{LINK “http://www.prestonguyton.com.”}}

Source: {{LINK “http://www.isnare.com”}}

Permanent Link:
{{LINK “http://www.isnare.com/?aid=521037&ca=Real+Estate”}}

———BETTER JUDGEMENTS———

This newsletter is compiled and published by Mitone Cooke,
{{LINK “http://mitone.com”}}

==============================================
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