Halloween Home Safety

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11 tips for Halloween safety, Halloween Safety

Halloween is a lot of fun for adults and kids, but nothing ruins the ghoulish night like a trip to the emergency room or a lawsuit. Here are 11 tips to help you balance spooky and safe:

1. Survey all approaches to your home, beginning from the property line. Keep an eye out for hazards, including loose bricks/stones, or holes in the yard.

2. Resist using open flames inside or outside. Use electric light effects, glow sticks, or electric candles instead.

3. Check your smoke alarms and make sure all exits to the house are clear of clutter.

4. Before dark, check for exposed extension cords and make sure cords avoid wet areas.

5. Determine how much darkness you really want. Lighted pathways and porches are both inviting and safer for your guests.

6. Make sure children can see in their costumes! Obstructed vision from masks can keep them from noticing cars, hazards, or other excited kids.

7. Also make sure children can be seen by others. Glow sticks are fun “high visibility” items, especially when costumes are dark (also: reflective velcro bicycling bands around ankles or wrists can be a good idea).

8. Never let a child trick-or-treat alone. If they’re going out unsupervised, make sure they stay in a group.

9. Don’t let pets run loose! Halloween is a scary time for pets and they may become aggressive in protecting your home or themselves.

10. Be allergy-sensitive and skip treats with nuts or peanut butter (or offer allergen free alternatives).

11. Do a “treat check” before letting kids dive in, chucking anything questionable either for safety concerns or spoilage.

For safety tips when buying or selling a home, please give us a call at 904-422-7626 Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSales.com

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Home Inventory in the Cloud

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cloud, Evernote, insurance, inventory, protecting your possessions, responsible homeowner, Stuff Safe

How are you protecting your home’s possessions?

We don’t like to think about the unthinkable happening, but being a responsible homeowner means preparing for the worst. One fire or burglary can send us back to square one, and getting life back on track as fast as possible becomes our top priority.

Homeowner’s insurance is there to make sure that when the worst happens we’re able to recover. One place many people are notoriously lax, however, is in keeping a thorough inventory of their home’s many possessions. Often those who do keep an inventory keep it somewhere in their house. Unfortunately this isn’t much help when the computer where the inventory is stored is destroyed or stolen in the night.

One great solution to keeping an accurate home inventory is using web-based technology to make sure the information is safely stored away from home. There are many ways to do this, but the idea is the same: Keep photos, serial numbers, descriptions, and values stored in a secure place online where you can download the information later should you need to file or prove a claim.

You should choose a method you’re comfortable with, but two popular options include using Evernote (www.evernote.com), cloud-based software to “remember everything” and the home-specific service Stuff Safe (www.stuffsafe.com). Each offer affordable options for recording and storing your home’s inventory, including mobile device apps to make the recording that much easier.

Using cloud-based software such as Evernote or Stuff Safe has a number of benefits: 1) It’s secure. 2) It’s searchable. 3) It’s easy to create “reports” for insurance companies. 4) It’s painless to make quick updates or modifications.

While Evernote offers a completely free option, Stuff Safe has a free trial period. Both, however, have very inexpensive “premium” options which can provide significant peace of mind.

Get protected! Get your “stuff” in the cloud.

We always like to keep our clients updated on neat tech tips for managing their home. Like us on Facebook for updates – http://www.facebook.com/HanleyHomeTeam or give us a call at 904-422-7626 Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSales.com

The Pitfall of the Pricing Game

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financing a home, low interest rates, negotiating a great price, pricing your home, purchase price

Which do you think matters more when waiting for the right time to buy a home? Is it securing a low purchase price, or locking in a great financing rate?

Most buyers become focused on purchase price when they’re considering whether or not to buy. The question you often hear is the same: “Has the market bottomed out yet?” The idea of getting “the best deal” on a home is paramount to these price shoppers, and indeed for cash buyers, this may be the primary concern.

While negotiating a great price is an important part of the equation, the value of securing great financing terms cannot be overstated. The inherent risk in waiting for the market to hit bottom is that you’ll also miss out on the best interest rates available.

Imagine, for example, you’re waiting for homes to drop an additional X% in value. While you’re waiting, mortgage rates rise Y%. Sure, you might secure the home at a better purchase price, but what you’ll pay over the life of the loan will be significantly higher than buying when the market was more expensive (but rates were lower).

Perhaps the most punishing part of missing great financing is the net impact on your monthly payment. Even a 1% increase in your mortgage rate can end up costing as much as a brutal 10% increase in your monthly payment.

Buying a home is not like buying a nice coffee table. Price is not the sole concern. Given the complexities of price, property taxes, financing terms, and the larger tax implications of home ownership, it truly pays to consult with an agent who can help you weigh the pros and cons and help you make the right move.

We’re always happy to work with you to navigate the market, negotiate price, and put you in touch with mortgage professionals who will help you get the best rate possible. Contact us today and we can help you explore your options: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS 904-422-7626 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSales.com

Sellers: How much will repairs REALLY cost you?

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home inspections, making repairs before lisitng home, pre-listing inspections, repairs, repairs affect listing price

Part of our job as real estate agents is educating and protecting our clients. Many of our clients get nervous about home inspections. They often ask: “Should I have a home inspection before I put my home on the market?” Here’s our take on the pre-listing inspection:

Knowing what you’re in for when it comes to selling a house is always better than getting a nasty surprise down the line. In the event you find repairs that need to be made, they can be done in a reasonable time frame.

The pre-listing inspection is also useful in situations down the line when you suspect the buyer’s home inspection reflects wildly inflated estimates for repairs.

Also keep in mind that if you fail to disclose a problem found in the inspection, you could be in big trouble down the line.

You also need to know the difference between maintenance repairs and home upgrades. Buyers have a reasonable expectation that the home has been properly maintained. Making necessary maintenance repairs doesn’t mean the you can up the price on the listing. You can’t cover the cost of your new roof by pumping up the sale price. You might be able to use it as an effective marketing point over other listings in the area, but it’s not a fabulous kitchen renovation!

If you don’t want to make the repairs, understand that not making repairs can have a disproportionately negative impact on your sale price. For example, if you want to dump a $1,000 plumbing repair on prospective buyers, the buyers are not going to equate that to $1,000 off the asking price. Instead, they’re going to think about the time, inconvenience, and the cost of the repair. A $1,000 repair might translate to a $3,000 hit to the asking price. Buyers will want to be well-paid to handle a seller’s headache.

There’s a definite benefit to the pre-listing inspection, but it’s important to consider the pros and cons with your agent.

We’d be glad to have a conversation with you about the specific concerns you may have about your home if you’re preparing to list it. Please contact us today: The Hanley Home Team – Kevin and Jennifer Hanley 904-422-7626 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSale.com

Tips for Better Property Photos

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marketing your home, photography, photos of homes on the internet, professional photgrapher, tips for home photos

Good property photos are essential to attracting buyers for your home, especially with the number of buyers using the internet to search for homes. The decision to tour a home can depend on your photos! A bad property photo can make the difference between someone contacting you or not.

While we always encourage our clients to go the extra mile and invest in a professional photographer for their listing, there are times when this isn’t feasible. In absence of a professional, we like to have a lot of photos for buyers to consider, and we use a simple checklist to get the most out of each shot.

If you’re photographing a property, ask yourself these seven questions before you snap each shot.

Seven Tips to Improve Your Property Photos

1. Is there anything in the frame that distracts from the focus on the property? Look out for stray hoses, vehicles, recycling bins, etc.

2. Am I close enough to the property? Better to fill the shot than crop later.

3. Is this room interesting enough to photograph in detail?

4. Have I removed unnecessary items from the interior shots? Check for garbage cans, magazines on tables, excess furniture, etc.

5. Is the lighting suitable for this shot? Check to make sure you’re not shooting into really bright lights, sliding glass doors, fluorescent lights.

6. Does this shot require a tripod to avoid distortion? Hand-held shots can reveal distortion, especially when you’re shooting horizontal or vertical shots. One alternative is shooting from a favorable angle.

7. Did I get all of the one-of-a-kind details? Look for exceptional architecture, gardens, privacy features, transitional spaces.

Are you ready to shoot your home and list it? Give us a call and let a professional market it. (Plus, we pay for the professional photographer!) Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS, 904-422-7626 Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners