How I Help Home Buyers Alleviate Stress

Purchasing a home can be a stressful experience, whether you’re a first-time buyer or you’ve been through the process before. But that’s one of the reasons that working with a real estate professional like myself is so worthwhile. With my guidance, buying a home will be enjoyable, rather than stressful. Here are some of the more unique circumstances where as your buyer's agent can make your life much easier.

Out-of-town buyers: If you’re looking for vacation homes or moving to a job in a new city, there’s a good chance that viewing homes will be difficult—you could be a long drive or even a plane ride away. With today’s video messaging apps like Skype or Facetime, you can view properties virtually. It’s not the same as walking through in person, but it will at least give you an idea about whether a property is worth pursuing further.

When life is just too crazy: If you’re just getting too busy with everything else going on in your life, I usually tell my clients to take a few weeks off from your home search to recharge, or only focus on properties that exactly fit their wants list.

Inspection issues: You’re dreaming about move-in day, and then some unforeseen issues turn up during inspection. As your agent, I will help you by negotiating a lower offer—to cover costs of repairs—or by getting the seller to fix the problem.  

When buying or selling a home in the Denver metro area, contact Delilah,

 and let me put my knowledge, experience, expertise, and professionalism to work for you. 

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How I Help Home Buyers Alleviate Stress

Anti Burglar Tips for Sellers

A House with the For Sale sign can be targets for criminals and squatters. Use the tips below to protect your property while its on the market.

Realtor.com suggests that you mark your valuables and record details. Use invisible-ink pens or engravers to mark identifying information (driver’s license or state ID numbers) on items. Log serial numbers and take photos of your belongings. Check to see if your police department participates in the Operation Identification program. They will have stickers for you to place on doors or windows warning would-be thieves that your items are marked. These steps may prevent them from pawning or selling stolen items and can help you reclaim recovered belongings.

If the home is empty, inform your neighbor the house is going on the market and to report anyone other than your real estate agent showing up to view the home after hours.

Make it look like you are home regularly, especially if the property is empty. Invest in lightening apps that can be controlled by your phone, or lamps that pop on at sunset.

A well manicured lawn usually means that the home is occupied but overflowing newspapers, and packages that accumulate by the front door is usually a tell tell sign that the home is empty.

When buying or selling a home in the Denver metro area, contact Delilah,

 and let me put my knowledge, experience, expertise, and professionalism to work for you. 

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Anti Burglar Tips for Sellers

Avoid These Two Big Mortgage Mistakes

We all know that searching for and viewing potential homes is the fun part of the home-buying process. The not-so-fun part? The mortgage.

But if you don’t pay attention to the details, your mortgage can end up dragging down the enjoyment of your new home and cause some major regrets. Here are a few mistakes to avoid to ensure that you love your mortgage terms as much as your hew home.

Don’t find your home first: Shopping around for the best mortgage rate should be the first step in the home buying process. You may even want to talk to a mortgage broker a full year before you plan to buy. It’ll give you time to get your affairs in order to qualify for the best rate, could save you thousands of dollars in the long run, and you won’t feel rushed to accept an unattractive loan because you’re worried you’ll miss out on your dream home.

Don’t forget your real budget: There’s often a big difference between what a lender says you can afford and what you can actually afford. Your debt-to-income ratio doesn’t include the money you spend on hobbies, or the cost of commuting to work, or maintenance and utility costs.

Really sit down and examine your spending before committing to the loan amount the lender is offering. You won’t enjoy your home nearly as much if it’s eating into your favorite hobbies.

I have a host of great lenders who can help you qualify and get your on the road to becoming a home owner. Call/text me today at 720-316-4436. 

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Avoid These Two Big Mortgage Mistakes

Hidden Homeowner Costs

Budgeting for buying a home can be difficult enough when you’re just weighing mortgage options and a purchase price. But there are many other factors that go into the cost of home ownership. Some of them are one-time expenses that you’ll pay during the home buying process, while others will be recurring costs for as long as you own the home.

Closing costs
There are several smaller fees that add up to a rather large sum when you’re going through the closing process—loan fees, attorney fees, underwriting fees, and more. They typically add up to 2–5% of the purchase price. For a $300,000 home—roughly the national median—that’s in the neighborhood of $10,000, so be sure to budget for it.

Appraisal
Your lender will require an appraisal, and the appraisal fee (a few hundred dollars) comes out of your pocket.

Inspection
The few hundred dollars you’ll pay for a home inspection is money well spent, but it’s something you have to keep in mind during the purchase process. You’ll have the peace of mind of knowing the house is free from any major issues, and you’re making a smart, solid investment.

Insurance
Although homeowners insurance isn’t legally required, it’ll almost certainly be required by your lender. Further insurance, such as flood insurance, may also be required (depending on your location).

Home Owners Association
If you’re living in a property or community with shared spaces, you’ll almost certainly have an HOA fee. This pays for things like trash removal, maintenance of common areas, and for recreational facilities like gyms and swimming pools.

If you are ready to start on the path to home ownership, give me a jingle at 720-316-4436.

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Hidden Homeowner Costs

5 Not So Obvious Things That Affects Property Value

Some of the features that increase property values are obvious—like a remodeled bathroom, a modern kitchen, or a sought-after neighborhood. But here are a few features and circumstances you have not have realized can affect property values.

 1. The neighbors: Not every neighborhood or community has an HOA that can keep the neighbors from going overboard with decorations or neglecting to care for their home. Homes adjacent to crazy neighbors can potentially be undervalued.

 2. Trendy groceries and coffee: Recent statistics suggest that if your home is a short walk from popular grocery stores like Whole Foods or coffee chains like Starbucks, it can actually appreciate faster than the national average.

 3. Mature trees: A big beautiful tree in the front yard is enviable, and it’s not something that can be easily added to any home. Homes with mature trees tend to get a little boost in value.

 4. Parking: This isn’t too much of an issue if you live in the suburbs or in a rural area, but residents in dense cities can have real problems with parking, and homeowners might need to rent a spot just to guarantee a place to park each night. That’s why having guaranteed parking in urban areas will raise property values.

 5. The front entrance: First impressions matter to buyers—many will cross a home off their list within 10 seconds of stepping through the front door. An appealing front door, a friendly entryway, and a functioning doorbell are all necessities for getting top dollar.

Want to find out how much your property is worth in the Denver market? Give me a call, today.

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5 Not So Obvious Things That Affects Property Value

5 Money Saving Green Upgrades

Going green is great for the environment, but that’s not the only benefit. When you make green upgrades in your home, it can also lead to some major savings.

 1. Solar panels: The upfront cost is big, but the long-term savings are huge. Solar panels will cost several thousand dollars to install, but ongoing maintenance costs are very low, and a typical system could save you hundreds of dollars per year. You can even sell your surplus electricity.

 2. Wood furnace: Wood-burning furnaces are relatively inexpensive, and though the yearly savings aren’t as dramatic (about 10% on heating bills), it adds up over the long run.

 3. Insulation: There’s a good chance your insulation isn’t very efficient, especially in older homes. Look into installing floor, cavity, wall, and loft insulation to reduce your heating bills.

 4. Rain barrels: Rain barrels are extremely inexpensive, and provide gallons of free water to use when you wash your car or water your garden.

 5. Geothermal system: OK, so the price tag is scary at first. A geothermal system uses the earth’s temperature to heat and cool your home, but can cost $30,000 to install. But tax credits allow you to get a lot of that money back, and the energy savings average about $1,900 per year. If you plan to be in your home for a decade or two, it’s a great investment.

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5 Money Saving Green Upgrades