We thought the closing and move into our new Columbus home would be easy in comparison to leaving the home where our kids were born; we should have had a clue that was not to be when during our pre-closing walk-through we realized the sellers hadn’t begun to pack their years of material belongings that filled up every nook and cranny in the home.

The day we took possession, and the day before our truck was to arrive and unload our possessions, we found ourselves helping the sellers pack their things and clean their house. They seemed to think part of the moving expenses involved packing ON moving day. They were also sorting their items and deciding what went to the junk pile instead of in the truck. The movers stood around clocking time while the sellers threw their belongings into boxes and kicked other items to the curb. Watching the chaos, and wondering if we’d have to delay our items was more stressful than leaving the only country we’d known.

If you are selling your home, here are some tips to help keep your costs down and organize your move so you’re not wasting time and money.

Choose a Moving Company:
Different companies charge in different ways and can include a variety of services. Ask your potential moving company if they charge by the hour or have a flat rate. Sometimes an hourly charge can be added onto a flat rate if you haven’t completed your part of the preparation. Ask for detailed information on their responsibilities and yours.

Acquire Supplies:

• You can often get boxes for free from grocery and department stores but keep in mind they’ll come in all different sizes which is more difficult for stacking. If you purchase boxes, not only will they stack better but they’ll be blank canvases for which you can record the target room and list its contents.
• Buy felt tip markers and packing tape for the boxes.
• Buy bubble wrap and tissue for fragile items.

To do ahead of time before or while your house is on the market to sell:

• Sort through little used drawers and throw out unused items, pack anything you’ll not use between now and your move.
• Do the same for storage areas, sheds and the garage.
• Pack or donate clothing you haven’t worn or don’t wear frequently.
• Pack dishes and small appliances that are not used frequently.
• Get rid of extra furniture so that your home is show-ready.
• Take unused paint and hazardous materials to a hazardous materials recycling depot.
• If you have a home office,sort through your files, shred and get rid of anything that is no longer needed.
• If you have a significant number of items you want to keep but don’t need in your house during the showing period, rent a mobile or stationary storage unit/POD.

Once you’re in contract:

• Book the moving company and packing days if they are packing your house for you.
• Make a list of items required between now and closing.
• Pack everything else.
• Be clear whether the moving company will transport your plants and liquids such as food items and cleaning supplies.
• Pack a box of necessities you will require at the new house. Things you’ll need prior to the moving truck and/or unpacking. (Example: toilet paper, cleaning supplies, basic kitchen items)
• Have your children pick a few toys that will stay with them and not be packed.
• Schedule change of address notifications
• Arrange for time off work
• Schedule utility notifications
• Arrange to have the house cleaned after the moving truck is packed

Day of Move

• Separate items you do not want on the truck and place them in your vehicles.
• Inventory boxes as they leave the house (clipboard & pen).
• Ensure house is clean.
• Take a final walk-through to ensure nothing is left behind – remember to check storage spaces and attic!
• Take key to arranged drop off location.

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Asphalt:

• Less expensive than concrete (this may change when oil prices are high)
• Must be sealed periodically which adds maintenance costs
• Simpler and cheaper to repair, and repairs blend into older areas with a simple coating
• Edges are less defined and geometric
• Adapts more easily to non-uniform spaces
• Only comes in very limited colors and finishes
• Better suited to colder winters, with less cracking
• Acts as a heat collector because of the dark surface, promoting faster melting of snow and ice
• Can soften in the heat of summer, creating depressions where weighted
• Can be significantly damaged by oil and gasoline leaks
• Oils from coating can stain flooring and furniture if brought inside on shoes and toys
• Do not seal a new driveway for at least a year
• Can be layered over an old surface, but it’s best to start over with compressed gravel base

Concrete:

• More expensive to install
• Very little maintenance, no yearly sealing required
• Can be damaged by winter road salt, causing pitting and cracking, rinsing away salt deposits is wise
• Stains more easily, so removing dead leaves and washing away spills is wise
• Difficult and expensive to repair, and repaired areas won’t match older concrete perfectly
• Can be stained to create many colors, many options
• Can be stamped to create patterns like brick or stone
• Remains rigid in heat, even when weighted (better support for motorcycle kickstand in summer)
• Rigid nature means it is more vulnerable to frost heave and cracking
• Cannot be laid over older surface

Photo Credit

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Dirksen shot this film while visiting friends & family over the past 5 years and just released We The Tiny House People (Documentary): Small Homes, Tiny Flats, Wee Shelters from the New & Old World on her YouTube Channel.

If you were to downsize, how small would you go? What would make the downsize worth it to you? A killer view? Freedom from debt? Extra money to travel?

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Resenting that mortgage payment? Having a hard time covering all the expenses in your home? Feel like you spend all your time maintaining it instead of golfing, shopping or doing whatever you’d prefer to do with your spare time?

According to the following documentary trailer, there is a movement of people who are giving up their large homes and downsizing to a place the size of a tool shed in order to be more fiscally responsible, have more freedom, and to be environmentally responsible.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

This type of living is not without it’s problems. It seems there may be some legal issues that accompany owning a home of this size. You can read more about that on Kristen Dirkson’s blog post, Land of Time Home People: Northern CA’s Small House Movement. Dirkson is the filmmaker who created the documentary, due to be released this week.

If you want to read more about these tiny houses, visit these web sites:

• Tumbleweed Houses
• Tiny House Design
• Tortoise Shell Home

For floorplan ideas, Tiny House Design has a book for sale.

If these seem too small for you, mobile homes offer a larger floorplan, and fewer potential restrictions.

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Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.
~ French Proverb

Do good fences make good neighbors?
Not so much. Good neighbors make good fencing choices! That can make any fence a good fence. Planning ahead and making careful choices along the way, means you’re more likely to end with a beautiful fence and happy neighbors.

Below are 5 things to include in your fence planning process as well as three important decisions that can impact the sturdiness and usefulness of your new fence.

Plan Ahead:

1. Call before you dig.
   Anywhere in the country you can call 8-1-1 to request your Public Utility Commission to come out and mark underground utilities before you dig for any reason on your property…but especially for fences, which require multiple holes in the ground. Don’t blow yourself to kingdom come putting in a fence, it’s not worth it!
2. Contact the powers that be.
   Call your local zoning office, your HOA, and your neighbors. Call or visit anyone who can get offended, write you a ticket, or make you take your fence down BEFORE you put it up. Be proactive, friendly and smart!
3. Get your paperwork in order.
   That means getting building permits, HOA variances, and even signed letters from your neighbors if you need them. Oh, and if you don’t call before you dig? Get a will and life insurance. Your dependents will thank you!
4. Get multiple estimates from contractors with good references.
   Check with your neighbors, see who they used for their fences and if they’d use them again. You can also check with a referral service like Angie’s List or a ratings agency like the Better Business Bureau to find reliable contractors. Choose several, and get estimates on the types of fencing you like best. Try to get estimates for the same fences, so you can compare apples to apples.
5. Talk to your neighbors.
   Use the Golden Rule here. You wouldn’t want to be jarred awake at 7am on a Saturday morning by the dulcet tones of hammers and saws, only to find that your neighbor was putting in a fence you hadn’t known was going up. It would make you cranky! Plus, you just might find that old Zelda is thinking of putting in a fence to protect her veggie garden, and would be happy to split the cost for the joint fence line with you. A good deed, and a discount – bonus! Also, if you want to attach your fence to your neighbor’s, it’s a good idea (and sometimes the law) to get permission first.

Choose Wisely:

1. Think before you build.
   Too simplistic? You’d be surprised. If you hate doing yardwork and yearly maintenance, then a wood fence may not be for you. Want a fence for privacy? Metal is beautiful, but doesn’t provide much privacy. Have a Great Dane? Make sure that fence is tall and strong, not a dainty lattice fence. Change the color of your house every few years? Wood is easily paintable, so it may be the way to go if you want your fence to be matchy-matchy (remember, don’t bore Nina!).
2. Contractors come in different flavors.
   If a guarantee against frost heave damage is important, find a contractor who will re-sink your posts if they went in too shallow. If you’re looking for a union shop, look for one that displays and ad with a union bug. Want local, and family owned? Ask! They’ll be proud to tell you about it.
3. Choose your site.
   Think about your family’s needs and your use of your yard when planning your fence. It costs money to replace a tree, or repair a fence that’s been clobbered by one, so you may not want to build close to a tree. Do you want to hide your garbage cans? Exclude the utility easement? Add extra gates or removable panels for that easement? It’s cheaper to use your home as part of one side of the fence. How many gates do you really need? What kind and where?

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I had the pleasure of staying at the Arizona Biltmore last week, thanks to Infusionsoft.

The architecture is detailed, unique and surprising to find in a hotel. At first glance you may assume it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He did consult on it – and actually this is the only hotel with his influence – but Albert Chase McArthur, a student of Wright’s, is the designer of record.

Built in 1929, it was known as the Jewel of the Desert, and was the inspirational location for many creatives, including Irving Berlin, who is said to have written White Christmas poolside. Marilyn Monroe considered the the Arizona Biltmore pool her favorite spot to lounge in the sun.

Along with 8 swimming pools, spa, tennis courts, shops, a cafe, upscale dining, outdoor fireside seating, the hotel is adjacent to two 18 hole PGA golf courses, and the community offers resort living in the Biltmore area.

Surrounding the hotel are condos and luxury homes such as this one, currently offered for sale at $3,495,000, it’s exterior swathed in greenery, a stark contrast to the neutral beauty of the interior decor. In it’s 8530 square feet, you’ll find 5 bedrooms, 7 baths and theme rooms such as the gift wrapping room and the movie screening room.

The condos above are located on East Arizona Biltmore Circle. There is a condo currently listed for sale at $490,000. The 4 bath unit is still quite large with 2668 square feet and each of it’s 4 bedrooms has balcony/patio exits.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a permanent vacation home in this luxurious Biltmore oasis?

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I took a late night picture of the exterior of this home while visiting New Orleans during Carnival week. When I looked up the information, I realized it was a perfect example of how listing marketing can vary by agent as well as demonstrate how listing facts can appear inaccurate online. I wrote about the latter in a recent post called Buyer Mistake #1: Believing all the property information online is accurate and up-to-date.

I expected this house to be listed as a foreclosure; it had no lights on, two different real estate signs in the yard and the landscaping was unkempt.

Located in Uptown on St. Charles Street, this 7,158 square foot mansion is listed at 2.1 million. With two different brokerages marketing the same house at the same time, I expected consistency between the facts.

Initially, the first obvious difference was the lead photo displaying the exterior of the house. Both are good but one is obviously more eye-catching than the other.

The second, less obvious difference is that Broker #2 has an upgraded account with Realtor.com and is able to enhance the listing with a call to action and additional photos… of the 25 photo slots available, she is using 21. The photos look professional. Broker #1 does not have an upgraded account and therefore is only displaying 4 images and does not have a call to action.

The third difference is that one of the brokerages lists the house at 6 bedrooms and the other at 8. Two bedrooms is a big discrepancy. In visiting the individual broker sites, both agents have shared interior images and the same description:

Grand Mansion, in the same family since 1947. This magnificent home is a beautiful four-bay center-hall w/spectacular details including early 20th century crystal chandeliers & exquisite plaster work on the ceilings. The beautiful winding staircase w/breathtaking stained glass leads to the 2nd flr sitting area, 5 spacious rooms & gorgeous mantels. The 3rd flr has the possiblity of 3 bdrms & full bath. Above the 2 car gar is a 1 bd apt for guests.

By the description, the estimate would be 8 bedrooms plus the guest apartment.

To be fair to the advertising agent, often the inaccurate information or discrepancies have more to do with how their respective MLS feeds information to the secondary sites. The bottom line is that in order to be sure you are getting accurate information, you must connect with an agent who is researching directly on the MLS (multiple listing service) in your area.

If you are a seller, when you do choose an agent, decide what’s important to you when selling your home in your market. More than 90% of buyers shop real estate online before speaking to an agent. Of the two listings above, the agent for Broker #1 doesn’t have an upgraded account with Realtor.com, obviously he doesn’t deem that important in his market. The agent for Broker #2 has an upgraded account but the link to her web site is broken and when you do find the listing on the brokerage site, the virtual tour does not work.

Consider this: these agents are marketing listings in the millions of dollars, how does that translate when you’re selling homes with prices and potential commissions that are significantly lower?

If these details are important to you as the seller, then find an agent who thinks they are as well, at YOUR price point.

Agents: if you’re too busy to manage your listings online, hire a company like mine to do it for you!

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1. The wearing of the green: Since elementary school, most of us don some piece of green apparel, or if we’re particularly Irish ALL green apparel, in honor of St. P’s special day.
2. That nasty pinch! Someone needs to be taken to task for deciding that those who choose not to wear green on the holiday get a pinch. OUCH!
3. Green is the traditional color of St. Paddy’s day, because the Irish flag used to be green. So to show our Irish heritage, solidarity, or just to avoid that pinch, we wear and decorate with green.
4. Shamrocks: Saint Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to illustrate a sermon on the Holy Trinity (The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and we’ve been using them as a symbol for his Saint Day ever since.
5. Parades: The very first St. Paddy’s parades were held by the Irish soldiers fighting for the British in the Revolutionary War. Far from home, they celebrated their Irish heritage on the Saint Day of their own Saint Patrick in New Amsterdam, now known as New York City!
6. Green dye: To celebrate, we pour green dye into beer, eggs, rivers, pools, and darn near any handy remotely liquid substance. The Chicago river may be the largest body of liquid to be dyed green for the holiday!
7. Leprechauns: Irish folk lore, Irish saint, Irish holiday…it’s not a stretch to see why we associate those little Irish gold-hoarding guys with the holiday.
8. Corned beef and cabbage: This dish is thought in America to be quintessentially Irish, but the original was actually bacon and cabbage. Corned beef was cheaper in the new world, and easily found in the urban ghettos so full of Jewish and Irish immigrants, so American Irish made the switch.
9. Irish music: The Irish are a people steeped in oral traditions. Famous for their stories, folklore, and legends, even their music is a part of that oral tradition…keeping the old stories alive, set to music, and sending new stories in the old style, out into the world to entice a new generation to listen to the fiddle, whistle, pipes and drums.
10. Dance! You can’t celebrate Ireland without music, and you can’t stay still when you listen to it! Irish music makes you want to get up and dance when it’s upbeat and happy, and to sway arm-in arm with your buddies and cry into your Guinness when it’s sad.

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Buyer Home Search Mistake #5: Assuming all sellers are desperate to sell their homes

You’d think that if someone has placed their home on the market for sale that their goal is to actually sell their house, wouldn’t you?

In actuality that is not always the case, especially in this market.

Here are 3 possible reasons why sellers list their homes even though they’re not in a hurry to sell:

1. They’re testing the market.
   Usually they want more than fair market value for their home but are hoping someone bites anyway because, after all, they fell in love with the house at a higher price, why wouldn’t you?
2. They don’t believe yours is the best offer they’ll get.
   You’ll see this one a lot with homes that are first on the market. If your offer is well researched and fair but they don’t accept it, they may not have come to terms with the different home values between when they purchased and now.
3. They’re running out of options.
   These sellers are selling because they have to not because they want to or they’re trying to recover financially and save the house before going into foreclosure. Either way they have a hard time letting go and can throw up roadblocks for the purchaser.

Seller motivation is only one of the considerations when negotiating a home purchase, each transaction is different and unique for many reasons. Having a good Realtor with strong interpersonal, communication & negotiation skills will help you navigate the waters of purchasing a home in any market.

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Buyer Home Search Mistake #4: Exclusively Searching Foreclosures Because You Assume They Are The Best Deals

When the market first dropped foreclosures were most often the best deals because home owners selling privately often priced their houses above the market because they hadn’t accepted the drop in values for themselves. The majority of people who need to sell in this market realize they have to price their house right to get potential buyers in the door.

Also thrown into the mix now are short sales. If you have the time and patience, these can be great deals for buyers.

Considerations:

1. Foreclosures are sold “as is.”
   There are often repairs to be made. When determining whether the price is a “deal” consider how much must be spent in repairs first.
2. Short Sales are sold “as is” but may have been well maintained until recently.
   Even though they are sold “as is,” you can typically tell whether the home has been well maintained. They are often in better shape than the foreclosures but can be less expensive than private sales.
3. Private sales can be priced competitively.
   These are homes being sold through traditional channels by owners without third party involvement. Often these are priced at or below market value and the owners are willing to make repairs to ensure the sale. A motivated seller who has equity in the house may sell at a price that competes with the other two options.
   Even if you’re set on purchasing a foreclosure, it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on potential private sales that may hit your purchasing sweet spot. At the very least, it will help you to foresee what a homes value might be once you fix up that fantastic foreclosure deal!

Up Next – Buyer Home Search Mistake #5: Assuming all sellers are desperate to sell their homes.

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