Friday, November 7, 2014

Quick Clean Up Tips

My tips for selling a home when you get a last minute showing request.

Everyone has stuff. Stuff needs to be put somewhere – but you can’t expect to be on your game and your kids to be perfect 100% of the time.

So, I offer a few quick tips to make your life easier without making you feel like you’re a prisoner to showing requests to sell your home.






Quick Tip #1: Buy each child a storage container and at any given time, they can have as much stuff out as will fit in the storage container. This is so that if you have a last minute showing it’s easy to straighten the house quickly. Everything just gets thrown into the container and then put into the
closet. 30 seconds of cleaning. And the buyer won’t know that it’s shear chaos in the container.

Quick Tip #2: Buy smaller containers for bathroom items that you like to leave on the counters, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, contacts and eyewear, and facial creams. You can quickly sweep these items into the smaller plastic container, close the lid and place it either in a drawer or under the sink. The items stay clean and are again easy to access when you get home and are ready for use. Yet the counters look spotless and show their best to the buyer.


Quick Tip #3: Stay committed to keeping the dishwasher empty or at least no clean dishes in it. That way, if you get a last minute showing request, you can throw all the dirty dishes in it and even run the load if you have time. Yes, buyers do sometimes look in the dishwasher, but it’s better to see dirty dishes in the dishwasher than in the sink or on the counters.

Quick Tip #4: Any dirty laundry can get thrown in the washer and dryer. Keep the clean stuff put away so the dryer is free if you need to throw the dirty clothes in it to tidy up the laundry room for a last minute showing.


For more tips on selling your home visit My Website


Monday, November 3, 2014

Where to Put the Christmas Tree?

Many people think now is a terrible time of year to sell their home. Please let me give you my take on selling your home in the winter months.

Your home will show it's true colors in the winter months in Nebraska. When the wind is blowing at 40 miles per hour and it's bitter cold, buyers will notice if your home is cozy warm and quite. And buyers will be impressed!!

There are fewer buyers on the market in the colder months, but these buyers are seriously looking for a home. They are not your Sunday Open House Tire Kicker Buyers that make so many of us crazy all summer long. Winter buyers are determined to buy a home. They ARE looking for a place to put their Christmas tree.

So, the time is now to put your home on the market for these buyers. When you put your home on the market, there will be a "showing period." The goal is to make that as short as possible. Your REALTORS® marketing plan is very key to the success of this as well as competitively pricing your home.

Once you get an offer, you'll be in the closing period for 30-60 days on average. This depends on the type of loan and lender they are working with. If you plan for a 30-45 day closing period, you're going to need an offer on your home by November 15, 2014.

Then you must ask yourself what your goals are? Are you okay with selling right before Christmas? Remember, they are looking for a new place before Christmas. But that means you must also find a new home before Christmas or have your plan B in place (living in a short term rental or with a relative). If this is something you're not willing to do, maybe you should consider waiting to put your home on the market.

What are the pros and cons to waiting until after the first of the year to put your home on the market? Well, the pro is obviously convenience to you. You won't have to deal with the showing appointments during the holiday season. And you won't have to pack up and move either. But there are also cons. The biggest being almost everyone else has chosen to wait until after the first of the year to market their home for sale, so the market is saturated with homes and your's is no longer the only one to choose from. This means possibly taking a lower price and certainly being up among other competition. And in Nebraska, it's typically actually colder in February than it is in December, so you may be moving in even colder temperatures.

There are many other things to consider in selling your home, but at this time of the year, these are the major concerns of most sellers. Call me to discuss all your concerns and help you decide whether to market your home now or wait. Sometimes a third party can help you see things more clearly.

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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Can You Afford To Sell Your Home?

Many home owners want to sell their home and move up to a larger home to fit their current family needs. But you need to decide if you can really afford to sell your home.

Now, I can find ways to make it affordable to sell your home and buy the next one, but that's not what we're talking about here.

I'm talking about: Can you afford it, is the equity there, and if you do, can you accomplish the goals you set out to accomplish?

When I'm speaking with someone who wants to sell their home, one of my first questions is always, "How long have you owned your home?" For me, a good rule of thumb is that you need to be in your home about six years in order to get any equity out of it. Now, that's just a rule of thumb. There are a lot of variables that go into this. Did you buy your home when the market was in an upswing? Did you put down a significant down payment when you bought your home? The goal in selling would be to take your down payment with you, but that's not always possible.

There are costs that go into selling a home - beyond your Realtor® fees. You'll also pay your property taxes, usually a month's worth of interest on your loan, State Documentary Stamps, escrow closing fee, title insurance, and possible seller required concessions such as paying for the pest inspection or a loan fees depending on the type of loan the buyer is using. And then there are other variables such as lender required or buyer negotiated repairs and seller's concessions (buyers closing costs). All these things add up and can chip away at what you thought you might have in equity in your home.

Many home sellers first reaction when discovering these additional costs is to immediately decide to sell their home on their own. But did you know that according to the NAR 2013 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, homes sell for $51,000 less on average when sold For Sale By Owner. That's a scary number isn't it? Obviously if you're selling a $100,000 house, it's probably going to sell better than $49,000. But, you still run the risk of taking a significant reduction in what you sell for when going it alone. That's because when you have a Realtor® on your side, we negotiate for you to make sure you get the best price for your home.

But the question remains, can you afford to sell your home? The best way to find out the answer to this question is to request a CMA - a Comparative Market Analysis by a Realtor® experienced in your area. This analysis should include a Seller's Net Proceed analysis as well. This will require you to be up front and honest with what you owe on your home. That will get you the best results. If you were hoping to get a specific amount out of the sale of your home, this is where to start to find out if it's possible.

Get your CMA before you start shopping for homes. You'll want to know whether it's a possibility or not. If you cannot afford to sell the home just yet, you may want to call your lender next and talk to them about an upcoming preapproval. Your lender may have a simulation tool that will help you either raise your credit score to get the best possible rate, or determine what debt to pay off to help you qualify for more money when it comes time to buy a home.

Doing a little homework in advance of your new home search can save a lot of heartache and time and energy.

Request a CMA on Your Home

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Call me anytime or Visit My Website for more information.

Friday, October 17, 2014

  • How to Replace Weather Stripping

    When weather stripping on doors and windows gets worn out, cold air comes sneaking in. Here’s how to replace weather stripping and stop air leaks. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2014 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Wait!! Leave the Light Bulbs!!!

There are many reasons that can cause you to move out of your home before it's sold. Perhaps a job transfer to another city or you've already bought your next dream home and you want to move into it.

If you're like most people, you've decided to move out and take all your belongings. This blog isn't about staging - so go ahead, take your things. It's your stuff after all. No, today I'm talking about helping your real estate agent out when it comes to showing your house in the most basic fashion.

There are five things I want you to leave in your house that will help me show it.

1. 9v Batteries. Do you remember when you were shopping for a new home? You walked up to the front door and while your agent was unlocking the door you heard....beeeeep.......beeeep......beeeeep. I like to call that the foreclosure/shortsale alarm. It seems every foreclosure or short sale has a fire alarm or smoke detector that needs a battery changed. But did you know that a battery can go dead at any time in any kind of home? So, please, leave some batteries for me to change so the buyer doesn't have to put up with that annoying beep. And instead they can enjoy the silence of your home - the good windows and doors that block out the sounds of the traffic.

2. Step Stool. And while we're on the subject of changing a battery in your smoke alarm, did you have any idea that you have 10 foot ceilings? Even a home with a standard 8 foot ceiling is pretty tricky. So leave me a chair (shhhhh, don't tell OSHA) or a step stool. You might be surprised what I am willing to stand on to change that battery, but help me out. I don't actually want to kill myself trying to sell your house.

3. Light Bulbs. I'll put your step stool to good use for you again if you'll promise to leave me light bulbs. And please leave a few of each style you use in your home. I haven't yet had a buyer walk into a room with one light fixture with the bulb burned out and say, "Oh, the bulb must be burned out." Oh, no. They always jump to the conclusion that there is a major electrical problem and we're seconds away from the whole house burning down. (Please see item #1 and why it's again so important.)

4. Smelly things. I probably don't need a step stool to change these, but if you're going to have air fresheners, leave a few refills for me. An empty one plugged into the wall is just a reminder of how long your home has been on the market. I know it seems a little silly, but buyers notice.

5. Dusting spray and a rag. I'm not going to give your home a thorough scrub down, but even a home that's been vacant for one week will have some dust. And dust on those granite counter tops is not appealing. A lot of times I show up early to show your home just to make sure everything is as it should be. And if everything is in tip top shape, I just might run the dust cloth over a few surfaces to give it that extra special touch.

Place these items under the sink or in an obvious cabinet in the kitchen - perhaps a pantry if you have one. I don't want to ransack your house looking for that one drawer that you forgot to pack up. It helps me help you. I'm sure you'd rather do this than have me call you and tell you need to change a battery, replace 3 light bulbs and for the love of Pete, dust! It will take me 15 minutes to do all these things for you and it could be the difference between a buyer writing an offer or walking away with a headache.

For more info on selling your home visit My Website today!

Friday, July 25, 2014

What's in a Name?

"Good morning! Thank your for calling, how may I help you?"

"Hi! This is Mike Fox, I'd like to take a look at 123 Main Street tomorrow at 2:00."

This is how most of my buyer contracts begin. A simple telephone call, pretty laid back. And once the buyer has settle on a home it's time to write a contract. That's when the name becomes even more important. You see, a contract to purchase a home is a legal document. I know you knew that already. Did you know that your lender needs a copy of the purchase agreement for the underwriting process? Did you know that the name on the name on the purchase agreement needs to match the name on the loan application? If it doesn't, it's not the end of the world, but it does save a lot of time and a lot of unnecessary steps if we can get them to match up on the first try.

It seems that when Mike Fox did his preapproval for his loan - because he was a responsible buyer - he felt that application was pretty important. He knew they'd be delving into his past credit history, so he knew he needed to apply for his loan as Michael Joseph Fox. But when it came time to write the purchase agreement this is how the conversation went.

"Is your full legal name Mike Fox?"

"No, it's Michael Fox."

"Do, you sign using a middle initial or middle name?"

"Oh, well, yes, I usually sign with Michael J Fox."

"And is that how you completed your loan application?"

"Yeah, I think so. No, wait, I think I used my full legal name, Michael Joseph Fox."

We all love Michael J Fox and always will. But when purchasing a home, be sure to give your agent the same name you used when completing the loan application or preapproval so that all documents match and we don't have to do addenda later that reveal all your aliases. And to go one step further, it's helpful to provide your agent with a preapproval letter from your lender when you begin looking at homes. Your agent and lender are going to work hand in hand together once an offer is written, so they might as well get to know each other early on to make the process as smooth as possible for you.

***Disclaimer: I have no idea what the famous Michael J Fox's middle name is, and he's not a client of mine, but I'd probably work with him if he called.

For more information about buying or selling a home visit www.Shellyn.net

To see my current listings visit My Featured Listings

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The Power of the MLS

Have you ever tried to sell your home yourself? Often the only thing missing is the power of the MLS or Multiple Listing Service. The MLS is what takes your homes listing information and distributes it to the hundreds of real estate agents selling homes each and every day.

But there's more to it than the MLS. Sure, the MLS makes life much much easier. But it's not all about the MLS. If it were, there would never be a home that didn't sell when it was listed with a real estate agent. The truth is, selling a home takes the MLS, but it also take a special recipe of marketing, communication, and condition. Without all these things working together to sell the home, it will expire - MLS or not.

If you're considering selling your home you must consider several agents - even agents from the same agency. Because while many of us have the same tools available, we may use them differently.

Here's what you get when you list your home with me.

You get the MLS. It's an automatic. But from there, your home is Actively Marketed through the MLS to agents within the local association. And if your home is close to another MLS association, I send the information to the agents of that group too. After all, we don't really care who brings the buyer, right? Just so long as we have a well qualified ready and willing buyer.

I won't give away all my trade secrets here, but you also get listed on over 350 other websites including Realtor.com, Trulia.com, Zillow.com and Craiglist.

I tell everyone in your neighborhood about your home for sale. I try to get a team of people working to find you a buyer.

I keep in contact with you on a weekly basis so you know how many showings you've had and what people thought of the home. We might need to reduce the price or make some repairs to get the home sold. But if we don't know what people are saying, it's hard to know what to do. Buyer feedback is a great tool and I work hard to get it for you.

When we receive an offer, I'm going to negotiate it with you. There's never a simple yes or no to an offer. A lot goes into the decision to accept an offer and I help you weed out all your options so that you can make the right decision for you.

You don't have to feel alone when selling your home. Hire a great agents, such as myself, to get you set off on the right foot and get your home sold quickly.

Call me at 402-239-9668 or visit my webpage at www.shellyn.net for more information.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The Cost of Opening a New Credit Account Before You Close

A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in a Buyer's Closing. My clients were the sellers, but as a sellers agent, I like to attend the buyer's closings as well. And it's a great place to hand over keys. But that's not the point of this blog.

When the Closer (the person from the Title/Escrow Company that would be notarizing everything) got to the lender's form that essentially said the Buyer had not opened any new credit accounts, we got a little delayed. The closer said with a smile on her face, "You haven't opened any new credit accounts have you? You haven't bought furniture or a new car or anything, right?" And the Buyers smiled back and shook their heads and signed the form.

Then Mrs. Buyer said, "Would a charge account at Target count? It's only $200 and I did it to get the 5% discount." BRAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!! Everything came to a halt. Luckily, the buyers lender did show us just seconds after this admission. But closing couldn't move forward until the matter was figured out. The lender had to determine whether this little $200 credit account would be enough to put their funding in jeopardy. They had to review all their financials and verify balances on other accounts.

We were in jeopardy of loosing this deal. At the last minute this might fall through and we'd have to start all over again with selling the house. Luckily within about 10 or 15 minutes everything was straightened out and that was the only glitch we had during the closing.

If you are buying a home and have an accepted offer - so you're Under Contract - DO NOT OPEN ANOTHER CREDIT ACCOUNT! It does require you to be very good and diligent for 30 to 60 days. But imagine the heartbreak if that $200 was enough to loose financing on the home.

For more information about how to buy a home, check out Eight Steps to Buying a Home

And as always feel free to visit www.Shellyn.net anytime for more great resources.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Get What You Want

According to KW research, the majority of home buyers saw fewer than 11 houses. In fact, folks who saw thirty or more houses only accounted for 5% of all sales.

One of the first things I like to do with buyers is find out what they want. There are varying levels of wants. There's what you actually need (like a kitchen) 3 bedrooms, and 1 bathroom. Those are needs. Do you want a garage? Do you want 1 stall or 2? Do you want it attached or not? Maybe detached is okay, but attached is preferred.

We're going to start our search with absolutely everything you want. All your preferences will be included. Then we'll start discerning "would be nice" from "want" from "need".

Finding a great agent who can help you narrow your focus can go a long way to getting exactly what you want. My goal is to be your great agent.

Call Shellyn Sands to be your great agent
402-239-9668

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

Writing an Offer to Purchase a New Home

After you've looked at a few homes and you've fallen in love with one (often the first one you looked at), it's time to sit down and write up an offer. Each association and/or state will have a different purchase agreement. You might ask your agent for a copy of the purchase agreement to read over before you fill it out. There are a lot of decisions to make.

A few things you want to think about before sitting down to write the offer are:

1. The price you want to offer. And the highest and best offer you're willing to make. You may get a counter offer and you need to be ready and know how you're going to want to handle it.

2. You can ask the seller to pay a portion of your closing costs. Each loan has different limits and you'll want to ask the lender what your limit is. If you don't have enough cash to close the seller can help you out. Often the amount is 3-6% of purchase price. But be sure to ask your lender what your limit is. You'll also want to know the difference between closing costs and down payment.

3. What inspections do you want to have done? You can have just about anything inspected by a professional. The typical inspections include a Whole House, Furnace & Air Conditioning, Termite or Wood Destroying Pests, and a Radon Test. But if you're questioning the roof or foundation you can have a licensed contractor take a look at those specific things. If the home has a fireplace, you can have that inspected individually as well. All inspections costs money, so be prepared to pay $100 to $500 for each one. Your agent will know what's typically charged for each.

4. Is there anything in the house that you want to include in the sale? It's fairly standard in the Lincoln, Nebraska area to leave the carpet and window coverings. But it's a good idea to write in the stove, refrigerator, microwave oven, etc. Those items are often offered by the seller and listed in the data sheet your agent has access to. But what if there is some beautiful bedroom furniture that you'd love to have as well? It's okay to ask for it. Your agent will know the best way to make that request.

5. Closing date. Do you have a lease that's expiring? Have you sold your home already and need a quick closing? Your closing date is also determined by your type of loan and lender. Each lender has different underwriting processes and timelines. You need to ask your lender how much time they need. You can write in any closing date you want, but being realistic will help keep everyone calm and on track. An unrealistic closing date will only upset the seller and cause more stress for everyone if it doesn't close on time.

Now that you've filled in all the blanks consider how your offer looks to the seller. If you've offered thousands below market value and asked for thousands in closing costs and the washer and drying and lawnmower, you might offend the seller. They have the 3 options. Accept your offer, counter your offer, or decline your offer. The best case scenario is that they accept it. So you want to write an offer that is worth them accepting. The second best option is that they counter your offer. Be prepared for a counter and know what it is you're willing to give and take on. And finally, they can just outright decline your offer. If you're asking for too much, they just might do that. You can always right a new offer, but be prepared for the seller to stand their ground.

My advice for buyers is that the more you ask for in an offer, the more you should be willing to give. If you want the washer and dryer and the lawnmower, you might have to consider giving more than asking price. And if you're requesting a significant amount of assistance with your closing costs, you may have to make a full price or more offer. Just remember, if you're asking for a lot, you're also financing those things for 30 years (or whatever loan term you have). You might be better off bringing your old rickety lawn mower to the new house rather than financing this one for a long period of time.

If you have questions about making an offer, call me any time at 402-239-9668 or visit my website at www.Shellyn.net

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Selecting Properties

Selecting your new home is the most exciting part of the process. But this should not be a 6 month project. If you have chosen the agent you want to work with, done your pre-qualification, and participated in a buyer’s consultation, your agent will be able to find homes that meet your criteria. All of this requires you to be open and honest about your wants and needs and freely discuss items that are deal breakers.
When you and I discuss the type of home you’re looking for, I’m going to ask you basic questions about the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you want and what would be ideal. I’ll ask about a garage. I’ll ask you if a basement is important to you, and what type of basement and how much finish you want. These are all very black and white questions/answers. What’s harder to identify is the emotion you’re looking for in a home. But through discussion, I’ll be able to determine what you’re looking for. If you’ve been open and honest about what you’re looking for, you should be able to pick out a perfect home with fewer than six showings.
So, what if you don’t really know what you want? I’m going to give you free passes to go to open houses. This is a card you can give to the showing agent at the open house to let them know we’re working together and that you’re doing some research. You can attend several open houses each weekend to help you determine what style of home you can envision yourself living in. I’ll also recommend you drive around some neighborhoods that you think you’re interested in. Spend some time in the local park. Even talk to people you meet on the sidewalk. Ask them what they like and don’t like about the area. This will help you narrow down the areas you’d like to consider.
When you’re looking at a home you’re thinking of buying, you need to walk through the house as though you own it. Open doors, make sure things work, look at rooms from different views. Envision your furniture in the home. Does it fit? And listen – be still and listen. Can you hear anything? Are you comfortable with what you hear or don’t hear? If everything meets your criteria and you like the home, let’s sit down and write the offer!
Call me at 402-239-9668 if you’d like to start shopping for a home.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

The Buyer's Consulation

"This is Shellyn Sands, How can I help you?" This is what you'll hear when you call me. If you're looking at buying a home, you should answer with, "I'd like a buyer's consultation." A buyer's consultation is a chance for you and I to sit down together without the stress of house shopping. The consultation will accomplish several things for both of us. First, you'll get to decide whether you like me and trust me to take you through the home buying process. After all, you don't want to be knee deep with an agent that you can't stand to be in the same room with, right? During the consultation, I'm going to ask you a series of questions. Together we'll determine what type of home, in which area, and which price range you are comfortable. We'll do and initial search together and you'll get a chance to see all the search criteria we can use to narrow down your search. You'll get to see all the homes that are currently on the market that might meet your needs. We'll discuss them and discuss the pros and cons of each. Next we'll visit about the home buying process. You'll learn more about my duties to you and what to expect during the shopping and closing periods of buying a home. We'll discuss various inspections and companies that provide them. This way you'll be ready to schedule inspections when you make your first offer. We'll also discuss your lender and type of loan. It's important that your lender and I are able to work closely together to get you through the closing period. I will ask your permission to contact your lender so they know you and I are working together. Finally we'll decide which homes to look at first and we'll schedule a time to go out for our first showings. The buyer consultation is a very relaxed no-pressure time to ask all the questions you have of me and the process of buying a home. To schedule your buyer consultation with me, just call me at 402-239-9668.