Tpo 10 Staging Tips For Selling Your Home

Lisa Conover and Liz Cooley from Rearranged For Change were on my radio Saturday. They were great and gave me their top ten list for staging your home to sell in Omaha!


10. Pre Pack Anything the homeowner will not use while the house is being listed should be pre packed and put in storage to make cupboards and closets appear roomy and organized.

9. Backyard Make sure the backyard area is as inviting as the front yard. A pot of colorful flowers on the patio table extends the living space in the potential buyer’s eyes.

8. Clean, Clean, Clean Every corner, every ceiling, every window and especially bathrooms need to sparkle

7. Attention To Detail Make sure toilet seats are down and no plungers are sitting out to alert buyers to potential plumbing problems.

6. Lighting All light bulbs need to be in working order and match if visible. Turn on all lamps for showings. Secondary lighting is very important. It creates a warm glow that natural lighting does not.

5. Clear Out The Kitchen No refrigerator magnets, only one appliance per space. Eliminate clutter on top of the refrigerator and tidy up all cabinets.

4. Fragrances For showings or Open Houses, instead of burning candles, have the homeowner bake some toll house cookies or brownies. Many people are allergic to fragrances in candles and will not stay in a home where they are allergic to something.
They’ll stay longer enjoying a sweet treat.

3. Painting If you think a room or rooms need painting, it probably does. Color is in as long as it’s neutral color. No white walls with white ceilings. White is not color, it is the absence of color.

2. Fluffy towels Add new fluffy towels and rugs to all bathrooms, they look fresh and crisp. Change shower curtain as well.

1. Number 1 Staging Tip You only get one chance to make a first impression. Curb appeal must be awesome. Trim tree, trim bushes, keep mowed in the summer, wash outside windows and add a new welcome mat.

Home staging is a great way to stand out in the Omaha/Council Bluffs real estate market. Check out their website for some amazing before and after

Reverse Mortgages

I talked about reverse mortgages on my radio real estate show, TJ's House Party. The show is Saturdays from 1-2pm on 1290 KKAR. I had several emails asking for more information. Here is an overview provided by the non profit group Consumers Union. AARP also has great information about these loans.

If you are considering a reverse mortgage, free counseling is available to help you understand the product.

What is a Reverse Mortgage?

A Reverse Mortgage is a popular but complex home loan just for senior homeowners. If you qualify for a Reverse Mortgage, you will not have to make monthly payments on the loan. Instead, the lender pays you. Typically, the Reverse Mortgage is repaid from your home's equity when you sell the home, move out permanently, or die. You, or those who will inherit from you, can keep any sales proceeds from your home in excess of what you owe the lender.

To qualify for a Reverse Mortgage, you must be a homeowner who is at least 62 years old. The mortgage on your home must be fully or nearly paid off. Generally, the amount you can borrow depends on the value of your home, the amount of equity you have in the home, and your age at the time of loan application.

If you are considering taking out a Reverse Mortgage, you can and should get free and confidential Reverse Mortgage counseling from trained housing counselors certified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

How Do I Know If a Reverse Mortgage Is Right For Me?

A Reverse Mortgage may be right for you if:

• You have a regular need for additional living funds;

• You live on a fixed income, and your only asset is your home equity;

• You do not plan to leave your home to your children or others who will inherit from you.

Don't Take a Reverse Mortgage if:

• You want to leave your home, free and clear, to your children or heirs;

• You have another, less costly means to reach your financial goal. A Reverse Mortgage can be an expensive way to borrow money.

What Are Some of the Advantages of a Reverse Mortgage?

• A Reverse Mortgage can help you maintain your financial independence and an adequate standard of living.

• A Reverse Mortgage allows you to remain in your home and retain ownership.

• The money you receive from a Reverse Mortgage is tax-free.

What Are Some of the Disadvantages of a Reverse Mortgage?

• Reverse Mortgage options can be confusing and numerous. Get counseling.

• Reverse Mortgages are more costly to set up than other types of loans.

• Although the proceeds are tax-free, a Reverse Mortgage may affect your eligibility for certain "need based" public benefits such as Medicaid, Supplemental Social Security Income benefits.

Four important things you should do before getting a Reverse Mortgage:

• Determine if you really need a Reverse Mortgage or if another type of loan would be better for you. Depending upon your needs and your financial situation, you may be able to meet your goals with another, less costly financial solution than that provided by a Reverse Mortgage.

• See a HUD approved Reverse Mortgage counselor-free of charge - to help you decide if a Reverse Mortgage is for you, or to help you choose among the different types of Reverse Mortgages.

• Shop around and compare! Not all Reverse Mortgages are created equal. They vary substantially in how much cash you can get, what they cost, and other features.

• Consider whether a Reverse Mortgage might make you ineligible for any public benefits you now receive or may be eligible to receive in the future. For example, if you currently receive or expect to be eligible for any "need based" benefits such as Medicaid, or Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI), Reverse Mortgage payments will have to be structured so that monthly payments will be spent within the month they are received. If not, such payments will be considered "income," and may make you ineligible for public benefits. You should contact your benefits provider to ask about how a Reverse Mortgage may affect your eligibility.

Kitchen Remodel on a Budget

You can easily spend ten of thousands of dollars on a kitchen remodel. Here are some less expensive ways to make your kitchen shine again.

Cabinets

Consider using a wood restorer product to bring your wood cabinets back to life. These products will help blend out scratches and nicks and help restore the luster and quality of the original finish.

Painting your old cabinets is the easiest way to make a dramatic change in our kitchen.
Oil-based enamel paint is recommended because it dries to a harder finish than latex. Before painting use a deglosser to clean the surface completely by eliminating all oily residue and waxy build-up.

You don’t have to reface laminate cabinets to update them. Acrylic laminate finishes roll on like paint and provide a smooth durable finish.

Cabinet Hardware

Once your cabinets are refinished, update them with new hardware that matching the new color scheme. Brushes nickel and oil rubbed bronze are popular and will give an updated look.

Replace the Faucet

Kitchen faucet show wear quickly. Make sure your new faucet has the same footprint as the old one to prevent installation problems.

Granite on a Budget

Granite countertops can be had for less. Using granite tiles for your tops can save about half the cost of granite slabs. There are also now engineered granite products on the market that can be installed directly over your existing countertops.

Couples and Househunting

Brad and Angie were apparently seen housing hunting in the Washington DC area lately. If they’re like most couples, there were a few tense moments in the search. Corian or granite? Large backyard or a bigger kitchen? What will the inlaws think? What will Jen think?

It happens.

Here are a couple suggestions to help keep the relationship on track while shopping for a home.

Limit your choices.

It becomes a grueling marathon for some couples. We can do 42 houses today! It’s a sure way to frayed nerves. The human brain can’t process that much information and it will ultimately result in a nasty case of buyer’s remorse. “Remember the kitchen in the 156th house we looked at. Wish we had that kitchen”.

Accept the differences.

Personalities do affect the house hunting process. He may obsess over every little mechanical aspect of the house. She may be looking for a home with the right “feel’. The dynamics of your personalities are not going to change because you’re driving around looking at split levels. Accept that each of you brings a different insight into the home buying process and pool your strengths to find the best house possible.

Pre Approve for a mortgage.

It will force you to deal honestly with your financial situation and get you both on the same page as to what you are comfortable spending. People’s feelings about money vary greatly so try to find a comfort zone with your partner.

It makes no sense to find your dream home if one of you can’t sleep wondering if you can make the payments while the other dreams about putting in a pool next week.


Know your deal breakers and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Each of you has things that want in a house. Prioritize them and know what is important to each partner. Don’t let those go because you “fall in love” with a house. That feeling will fade and you’ll ultimately regret not having your “must haves” in a home.

Smaller issues such as colors, appliances, carpeting, floor covering can be easily changed. Floor plans, rooms sizes, exterior styles are obviously much more difficult.

Have a part of the home for yourself.

Being together as a couple is great, but when looking at a home visualize a space that can be just for you.

Have fun.

Or at least try to have fun. Yes buying or building a home involves a tremendous amount of stress. It becomes a second job for most people. See it as an adventure and you will not only have the home you want but a stronger relationship as well.

P.S Angie or Brad if you’re reading this, call me. I got a house in Dundee I know you’ll love.

Walk Score

Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.

Click here to find out if your neighborhood is walkable.