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                                 THINGS TO DO WHEN PUTTING YOUR HOUSE ON THE MARKET DURING SPRINGTIME. 

According to tradition, spring is known to be the hottest season for selling your house. Your reason could be a growing sized family, you are moving to a new city, or you just want an entirely different home for your self and family. Springtime is the best time for that sale; a huge number of buyers are out there searching to get the house that will suit their taste and needs. 

Selling your house isn't always as easy as it sounds. There are certain things you need to do, to get buyers closer to your doorstep. Think of it as staging your house for sale. Home buyers of today have high expectations, and you need to keep your house in the right condition to meet their expectations.

Here are some ideas of things you should do before putting your house on the market.

• Clean the interior. 

This is the first step you should take. Wipe the windows, inside and outside, polish your mirrors, clean up the necessary things in the interior. Remove clutter even if you have to pay for a storage unit to put it in! Your potential buyer, may not buy a house that they feel is dirty and clutter takes peoples eyes away from the beauty of the home.

• Fix up small stuff. 

This is the main reason you should consider a proper inspection of the house you are considering selling; the buyer inspects more than you do, this is why you need to be more careful so that you can notice the little things that are damaged that needs to be fixed. It can be door knobs, water fixtures, electrical issues, just make sure you are aware of them before you put your house on the market. If you currently live in the home than its easier for you to get used to seeing the things that need to be repaired which you may not notice now. Your broker/realtor should be able to put stuff out to you that you may not notice anymore.

• Clear all clutters. 

Your house needs to look minimal and neat. Put away the necessary things you should, like magazines on the side table, clear out your kitchen counter and kids' boot. Don't let your closet get too filled; your buyers will definitely have a look at it. 

• Get rid of excess furniture. 

The house has to appear large, get rid of furniture that is worn out. You can sell them or give them away.  There should be fewer pieces of furniture in the house; the size will attract the buyer more. 

• Curb Appeal. 

Clear out dried leaves and debris. Cut your bushes and tree limbs to showcase the exterior of your house and allow the sun to penetrate. Mowing lawns diagonally make them appear larger; edged ones portrays how artistic you are too. 

• Deep clean the house. 

This is the most important, that house needs to be cleaned thoroughly, from the kitchen, down to the bedrooms, sitting room, the dining, each part has to be cleaned deeply, you can employ the help of janitorial service to carry out this activity if you feel you can't do this. 

• Depersonalization. 

Make the house feel like the buyers' already. Remove all pictures of you, your family. So that any buyer who steps in will be able to picture the house as theirs more easily. 

• Leave a personal touch for the buyers. 

Tell the buyer a story about the house, why you love it and why they will too! Leave it on the counter for the buyers with some cookies. Now that would make a big impression! 

The primary concern of your buyers is knowing that they are not coming into a house with a pile of problems, once you know this then you will feel way more confident and not be surprised when the buyers have a home inspection performed. Keep the house in good condition with these tips, market that house, then sit and watch as you have different buyers at your doorstep till you find that potential one.

Are you just listing your house? Or did you want to SELL your house?

This meme is so true. Why hire someone who's just gonna list it and forget it! But how do you know you're dealing with someone like that? Ask them about their sales record and how many homes they actually sell that they list! There are lots of realtors that will put your house on the market then wait around for other realtors to sell it! Ask them exactly what their gonna do to to sell your home,  then follow through and hold them accountable for getting it done! Your paying top dollar for this service! Make them earn it!
While we're on the subject of top dollar, I happen to think the charges are just a little inflated! In reality, there's only so much your realtor can do to sell your house. If it's not priced correctly or in bad repair that's something your realtor cant change. I am the realtor that will honestly tell you the hard truth about your home. Why waste everyone's time by telling you what you want to hear? You're hiring me for my professional opinion not to tell you what you want to hear!

So moral of this rant is if you're looking for a realtor whose honest, fairly priced, professional and will tell you the truth than I'm not only your realtor, I'm YOUR BROKER too!

                        

                                                                        SPRINGTIME IS APPROACHING:

                                                  Nows the time to start thinking about sprucing up your yard. 

Spring is one of the most beautiful times of the year, which comes after the cold winter period and precedes summer. Spring or springtime is known for the growth of plants. It portrays the idea of rebirth, resurrection, regrowth, and renewal. In the US and UK the spring months are March, April, and May, while in some countries like New Zealand and Australia, the springtime begins on the 1st of September and ends on 30th November. 

Aren't you happy that springtime is finally here? I sure am! This is the perfect time to tidy up the yard and give it that fresh spring look it deserves. Heres some ideas! 

• Tidy up 

This is the first step you should take when getting your lawn and flower beds ready for spring. Unwanted or dead plants should be pulled, rake up fallen leaves, branches, and any debris that wintertime left over. If you have yard furniture get out the hose and give them a good bath! Put the kids to work they will love this part. 

• Pruning

When you prune your bushes, trees, and shrubs, it makes them appear more beautiful than they used to be and help enhance new growth. 

• Sprinkle. 

Start of the process of giving your lawn a new look by sprinkling feed on the soil, it gets it ready for growth. Giving your lawn a good feed and seed is important.  

If you have dead vegetation still in your yard, pick them before planting new flowers. Early spring is the best time for growing fruit, flowers or veggies. 

• Start planting. 

             Bare-roots, shrubs, and perennials should be planted by early spring. At this stage, your garden is about to have that 

             popping color and spring style. 

• New trees and bushes? 

While planting your colorful floras, this is the best time to think about if you want new trees and bushes because it's early spring and nows the time to get those planted. It adds to the beauty of your yard. 

Check flower pots. This is another effective way of sprucing up your yard. Check for broken or cracked pots, check if each bunch of flowers is blossoming fine in their different pots if any is growing larger than the size of the pot try to change that pot. If you feel you need something a little bit more stylish go for new ones. 

• Add accessories 

This is definitely a great idea, think of changing the entire look of your yard by accessorizing it with maybe statues, fountains or even colorful flags. 

• Watering.

Plants need water to grow, the sound of water is pleasant; it can spruce up your yard. You can add to your spring yard style by installing a small waterfall, or a bubbling birdbath. 

• Make a path. 

If there are separate pathways to your yard why not join them together. Adding a nice stone pathway can really change the look and feel of your yard. 

• Mulch 

Mulching your yard or flower beds will help prevents weeds from growing,  it also helps to brings the beauty of your yard out, especially if you make use of colorful materials.

Whatever you do to your yard just have fun! Once the flowers start blooming you will be ready to sit back and enjoy the view! 

Another year is coming to an end.

Another year is coming to an end.  It seems like a perfect time to make some important changes. But last year’s New Years resolutions decided to hang around a bit longer. We will talk about that later! But not to worry, a new year is right around the corner. How exciting, the joy of New Year’s Eve, the anticipation of the New Years countdown, the champagne, the first kiss of the year, the comradery of friends and family welcoming the new year, and of course, the same old New Years Resolutions.

With that said that, if you feel compelled to make New Year's resolutions, here's some tips to help you make them work:

• Focus on one resolution, rather several and set realistic, specific goals. Losing weight is not a specific goal. Losing 10 pounds in 90 days would be; Do your research and make a plan
• Don't wait till New Year's eve to make resolutions. Make it a long process, every day for 30 days.
• Take baby steps. Many people quit because the goal is too big requiring too much effort and action all at once;
• Have an accountability friend, someone close to you to whom you have to report;              
• Celebrate your success between milestones. Don't wait for the goal to be finally completed; celebrate when you feel like you accomplished part of your goal.
• Focus your thinking on new behaviors and thought patterns. You have to create new neural pathways in your brain to change habits; think your way to success. Meditation and prayer are great ways for this.
• Focus on the present. What's the one thing you can do today, right now, towards your goal? Write your daily goals down first thing in the morning or before you go to bed.
• Be mindful. Become physically, emotionally and mentally aware of your inner state as each external event happens, moment-by-moment, rather than living in the past or future. Slow down and appreciate life's little moments.
• And finally, don't take yourself to seriously. Have fun and laugh at yourself when you slip, but don't let the slip hold you back from starting again. Start back immediately.

There are also several reasons why we dont meet our New Years Resolutions, but the main ones for me are...

• Thinking “there’s always next year”
•  I have a whole year, I’ll start next month

Your reasons may be completely different than mine. The point is to acknowledge those reasons to find out how to overcome them.

The challenge that most people seem to have is giving up to soon and knowing theres always next year! But thats part of the problem, who knows if we will get to be around next year?  For me, I always put myself in the mindset of “now”. Next year may not come, the time is here and now. One month, one week, one day  passed is one to many wasted and I have no time to waste. We only get ONE life to live and we dont know for how long, so let’s do this thing! Lets make ourselves proud!! We can do anything we set our minds too!! ANYTHING!! Good luck to us all!

Advice NOT to take when selling your home.

SO You’ve made the tuff decision to sell your house. Congrats! Now brace yourself for the onrush of “been there, done that, you must do this” advice. It will come from just about everyone who’s ever bought a house, sold a house, or binge-watched three straight seasons of "Love it or List it"

Let me give you my own little piece of advice: Don’t take everyone’s advice! While friends, family, and the occasional stranger love to "become" the expert on how to best sell a home, their 2 cents worth could end up costing you thousands. Consider the source and remember there's always 2 sides to every story.

Leave it up to the experts, you know the people that actually do this stuff for a living. Their advice is worth taking!

Sell your house "as is"

This is most likely the worst advice you can get. It opens the door up for a few things from the buyer. First, it gives the impression that you will consider low ball offers because well, your broke and need to sell! Secondly, its a big red flag that there's a possibility of potential "big" problems with the home. It tells the buyer right off the bat "there's issues with this home." Because buyers shop online first, this is a huge risk your taking. Lastly, it tells the buyer exactly what your saying which is I will not negotiate repairs. Is this really the impression you want to give?

For more good advice always ask the experts! Contact me anytime! Contact me here!

Should you sell your home in the winter months?

Should you keep your home listed during the winter months?

People who look at homes during the fall & winter months are more serious buyers! 

Therefore, if you want to sell and you wait until the spring, you will be missing a significant number of serious buyers. Because of the inclement weather, there are less casual buyers and those who are shopping for a home in the wintertime are generally serious. The fact that many people do not want to sell in the winter is an advantage to the “winter home seller” as there are less homes on the market therefore less competition. This reduced supply also means that sometimes buyers who must purchase in the winter may end up paying a little more.

There are many good reasons to sell your home in the winter Here are my 5 top reasons to keep in mind when considering selling your home in the winter.

1. Builders have really cut back on new construction inventory homes during the fall & winter, so buyers are forced to buy pre-owned homes.

2. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money.  This could allow you to sell high and buy low!

3.You can sell now for more money, and arrange for a delayed closing or extended temporary lease back (extended occupancy) until early next year!

4. Even though your house will be on the market, you still have the option to restrict showings during the days you would prefer not to have people in the house.

January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs.  Since transferees cannot wait until spring to buy, you need to be on the market during the holidays to capture that market!

5. Some people must buy to reinvest "tax free exchange funds" for tax reasons!

Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in the spring, there will be less demand for your particular home.  Less demand now means more money for you!

Buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the winter months which means less competition for you!

Dont just hire an Agent that will "list it and forget it." Hire one that will truly market your home! If you need help selling your home in the Kentucky, Louisville, Hardin County area simply click the button below to contact us. We specialize in selling homes for the most amount of money with the fewest days on the market. Remember we dont make MONEY unless we SELL your home.  Contact me here!

How to find happiness during the holidays instead of stress and fear.

The air is getting crisp and the days are getting shorter. The early days of fall are the first signs of excitement and splendor to come. There are also many dynamics that can make the holidays stressful: stress due to putting together the perfect family celebration, holiday bills, losses due to divorce or death in the family, social pressures, more to-do list, deadlines etc

.

When you’re struggling with the pressures of the Holiday season here are some things that can help you.

• Set limits: Decide how long you can stay at a party or your parents’ house, and stick to your plan. Know your limits.
• Set a daily calendar: Try to plan your day to balance activities when you are with others and activities when you are alone. Also, maintain a consistent sleeping schedule to make sure you’re at your best physically and emotionally.
• Cope ahead: Preparing for the worst-case scenarios can help when tackling challenging work or family gatherings.
• Meaning: Discover your very OWN meaning for the holidays by asking yourself what you appreciate most (such as making your grandmother’s favorite recipe or going for a walk in the park you enjoyed as a child) and make sure that you focus on it.
• Choose people and places to spend most of your time with that add to your overall mental well-being, rather than deplete and challenge it. You can withstand difficulty for short periods of time, but prolonged periods of stress can quickly compromise your mood and physical being. Its ok to be selective about who and where you spend your time.
• Take care of you:  connect with others; rest; and find enjoyment in your activities: make time for exercise.

What would it feel like to focus more of your thoughts on what is good in life? If you have time, consider keeping a gratitude journal, writing down a few lines each day.  Reading just a few sentences from your journal before you go to bed and when you wake up can help you to focus on the good in your life. As a way to communicate within the family, some people create a “gratitude bowl” where everyone in the household jots down things they are grateful for on a slip of paper and places them in the container. Read a few of the slips out loud each day when you’re together at meal time or post a note on the refrigerator. My family does this ever year and we always enjoy reading what we wrote from the years before.

Navigating the holidays on top of all of the other daily activities on a normal day can be very stressful. Giving thought to what is truly important for you and your family, can open up opportunities for you to have a less stressful and more satisfying season.

From my family to yours,  Happy Holidays!

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