JJ & Ainsley Gordon, The Gordon Group

1. Take a Fresh Look at Your Home Your home looks great to you, but a buyer wants to see it since he and his family will be living in it -- so take a fresh look at your dwelling. Hop in your car, drive around the block, and then scrutinize your home as a prospective buyer will see it for the first time. First, consider what's called "street appeal;" does it need washing or painting? Does the driveway need repair work? Is the landscaping in good shape? Remember, be very critical; your buyer will be. Next, pull into the driveway and take a good, hard look. Is the yard neat and trimmed? What about the view from the front yard? Then, walk inside and size up the interior as though seeing it for the first time. Take a tour and imagine what your real estate agent might say about each room, look into cabinets, open doors, check out the bathroom. Then, make a mental note of the things that might put off potential buyers, along with another list of the things t...

1. Research Is The Key To Discovery Home sellers won't call you with an offer to buy a maintenance-free home with a wonderful mortgage. You have to find the gems yourself! Only by reading available materials, talking to friends and experts, and spending time looking at different homes, schools, and neighborhoods will you end up with your American dream. Avoid the nightmares by learning how best to buy and maintain a home. 2. Make A Plan And Get Pre-Qualified Every important decision needs to be clearly thought out. Developing a home buying plan can help you focus on the important factors and organize the entire process. You may even want to use a binder with sections on house hunting, home financing, service providers, etc. Loan pre-qualifying helps you determine the home price you can afford and presents you as a genuine prospect to the seller. A lender typically uses the 28% formula (your monthly mortgage can't exceed 28% of your monthly income) in approving ...

With the start of a new year, it's always a good idea to assess your home and its needs. Taking stock of appliances, home systems, and other items that make a house a home will help guide you to home improvements needed, appliances that may be near the end of their lives, and any other updates that can help to boost your home's worth. Listed below are major home systems to evaluate in the new year to help give you peace of mind.     HVAC   In the winter and summer months a home's HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) systems are put to good use. January is the perfect month to replace disposable filters or wash permanent ones in your home's HVAC or humidifier systems. Filters should be regularly replaced or washed when use is high or during peak seasons. The start of a new year is an excellent time to vacuum all heat vents, especially those that are located on the floor. The vents are overly susceptible to dust, dirt, pet hairs, and other parti...

As homeowners, we want our properties to reflect our styles and the designs of the current day. If you have purchased an older property, or you just want to update your current home, a certain degree of work and projects are required to bring your property up to the level you strive for. While many of us have experience with home projects, there are some of us that don't. Below are some of the common projects homeowners embark upon, and suggestions on when it's best to do it yourself or call a professional for help. Walls Most painting jobs are DIY, pending you have a steady hand. Should you have structural repairs or water damage, call a pro, especially if you're going to demolish the existing wall, replace or re-frame anything, install new Sheetrock or drywall or anything else that is labor intensive. Floors Floor repairs can be fairly easy, from cleaning to repairing small nicks in the flooring. If you want to take on a larger project, it might be worthwhile to...

It's common knowledge that most people are advised to get their home on the real estate market in late spring or early summer as that is "real estate season." While the majority of homes do sell in the spring and summer, listing your home or looking for a home during the holidays or in the winter is not as taboo as some would lead you to believe. There are actual benefits to listing or looking for a home during the holidays, and if you've missed out on the real estate scramble of the spring and summer, starting a home search or listing your home now might just be in your best interest. Here are some of the top reasons why you shouldn't avoid listing your home, or looking for a home, during the holidays. Buyers Never Stop Looking Many would lead you to believe that the real estate market comes to a complete stand still during the holidays or in the winter, but that's not the case. Every state's real estate market is  thriving year-round, and that eve...

If you've never owned your own property before, there are some costs you should prepare yourself for ahead of time. Should you take out a mortgage, you'll have your monthly mortgage payment, but often there are additional costs and fees added that a new homeowner may not expect. Listed below are items you should expect to pay once you become a homeowner. Property Taxes When you rent, you are not responsible for the property taxes on the property. But when you become a homeowner, you're expected to pay yearly property taxes, of which go to public works, wages for government workers or public school boards. Based on the current value of your home, property taxes are assessed every year and will likely change to reflect an increase (or decrease) in your home's value. Property taxes can be paid at one time, or they can be divided into 12 payments over the course of a year and added to your mortgage payment. When you're trying to determine what your mortgage...