Pretty On The Outside

First impressions are important. It's mid-summer and some people are a little less energetic about pulling weeds, mowing the grass, tending to the garden, etc ...

It's simple: deferred maintenance with the landscaping of a home translates to potential buyers second guessing the amount of care given to important components such as the furnace, the roof, and more.

Hire a professional if you aren't up to the task. The market is different throughout the country, but one thing that is most likely universal: The homes that are maintained well outsell similar homes that are not maintained well.

One of your neighbor's lawns outshining yours? Compliment them and ask for the name of their landscaper. They do it themselves? See if they'll help. You'll be surprised at how involved a neighbor will get into helping you sell your home. After all, they have a vested interest in that too.

Land, Views, and Garages

In today's hectic world, a number of people are looking for some room to breath and relax. This might mean a house on a couple of acres. It might mean mountain views. It might mean a giant detached garage w/ it's own furnace. Sometimes, with a little luck, you can find all of those things in one location .

Housing Shortage or Thought Scarcity?: A Common Sense Proposal

Photo by Roberto Nickson from Pexels With low inventory, BOTH buyers and renters are having a challenging time getting into a home. A solution, one would think, is creating more available homes. A gut reaction would be to build big developments, with large homes or maybe a condo complex. But what if you could build a home on your current property and rent it out? I see small towns around me push back, and a common reason is "parking" . Meanwhile, a quick drive down their streets will show plenty of parking. And get this, the people that would shop in the now almost empty stores in their town wouldn't need to drive there - they would walk. Another pushback I hear is that a new structure will create too much non-permeable space . It's always an interesting thing to hear from a sector that listens and smiles - but does nothing - when I talk about clean water bills, riparian buffers, and other common sense solutions to a healthy local environment. The more I learn a...

Warm Up -- Add Value --- Get Money

Save some big bucks on your heating bill and get $300 credit from the federal government if you install a wood burning fireplace insert by the end of 2011. Read all about it here . You may not be ready to sell now, but when you do --- it's a good idea to have a leg up on your competition. Most people prefer to have an alternative heat source. Many of us found that out over the weekend during the "Halloween Snow Storm".

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