Have you heard about the NEST Thermostat?

Our office has a house for sale with this new technology. It's a programmable thermostat that can be controlled via an i-phone, ipad or your laptop.
According to this article, it's easy to install and program, and once you set your heating and cooling patterns to it, it will help save money on your utility bills too!



http://crt.blogs.realtor.org/2014/01/10/nest-learning-thermostat/

Remaking the American Dream

Perhaps you've been on the sidelines for some time now...living in an apartment or with your relatives.  It may have been six years or so since you encountered the big "F" word with regard to your home (foreclosure).   

I'm here to tell you there's hope! 

There's others out there in similar situations as you may be, and hopefully you've been working on rebuilding your credit and saving up for a downpayment.  I've learned in my brief life that most everyone has something in their credit story that they aren't proud of...that they don't want the world to know.  So you're not alone out there.  What matters is that you make positive changes and don't go back to what put you in the situation that caused you to hit rock bottom.  That is, if it's within your range of possibility.  In some situations it may not. 

If you haven't yet looked into Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, I'd highly recommend  signing up for his class, either online or in person if it's offered in your area.  The cost for materials is $89 plus shipping, but his teachings will revolutionize your financial life, that is, if you want to make positive changes for living within your means.  www.daveramsey.com/fpu



The rest of the "hope" story is that there are loans out there with as little as 3.5% down payment once you are 3 years out of foreclosure (and sometimes 2 years, depending on the circumstances).    You need a REALTOR who can walk you through the steps...it's a step-by-step process to prepare for the day you can return to the market.  You've been hearing about others getting their "good deals."   

To prepare for the day you can re-enter the market, keep paying down your debts, pay your bills on time, save money and watch the market.  Your local REALTOR will guide you through the steps to getting you pre-approved for your next place to call HOME.

Fascination Disney!

I had a wonderful opportunity last week to attend the National Association of Realtor's Convention & Expo in Orlando, FL!  Of course, I made a few new friends...

If I didn't know I was at a REALTOR conference, I'd swear they were just normal people!  All joking aside, it's fun to get away from the crowd back home and just learn and absorb new knowledge.  I was bound and determined to put this time to good use and I did.  So here's what I learned (among other things)--

Learned about a "fascination" technique...about making a good first impression during the first few seconds.  Our websites, especially our mobile websites have to capture someone's attention to keep them there.  This also pertains to greeting someone in person.   I remember this saying..."if them liking you was going to determine if your kids ate next week, would you greet them differently?"  Boy, we can all relate to this one!  I learned years ago to smile (or at least put a friendly look on your face) when you go anywhere, and people smile back at you! 

Every day is sunny...some days it just depends on the cloud cover.  That might be a good Facebook post! 

Learned some cool photo taking techniques.  It's odd that there are so many poor quality photos on our real estate sites these days...what with programs that can touch up your photos.  I always wonder if the seller is seeing their listing online and approving.  I learned how to have that blue sky in the background behind the house!  Pretty awesome stuff! 

I've learned that technology tools change frequently and to learn to use what works.  In 5 years we will probably rely on technologies that have yet to be invented!

We (at Advantage Real Estate) invest in technology to promote our listings in the best light...Would a Virtual Tour/Floor Plan help sell YOUR home?  We have had the opportunity to help put many buyers into a new place to call home that have told us it was BECAUSE of the floor plan/tour that they felt confident enough to purchase the home.  They got the support from loved ones back home, from their spouses deployed overseas, etc. 

Had some fun eating out too!  Went to a restaurant in Tampa (while visiting my sister) that was featured in "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives!"  Universal Studios one night too.  Always good to come back home!  There's no place like home!

Your house...as seen by others!

 Have you ever wondered why your taxes are so high?

This is my house...or it could be :)

This is what a buyer would perceive my house to look like...

This may be how the lender perceives the house...

You've heard of the trouble with appraisals?  Well this is the value the appraiser might give...

And the tax assessor...wouldn't want to leave him out!

If you'd like to know the market value of your home in today's market in Moberly, MO, get in touch with me!

HOPE...

I was reminded today by a dear friend about why I love selling real estate so much...it's my opportunity to make a difference in someone's life each and every day by how I act/react to their wants and needs in the real estate department!  I am reading Dave Ramsey's new book, EntreLeadership (have you read it?) and he says that HOPE is the core goal of everything he does.  When  he ships a book, he's creating HOPE to help someone get out of debt; when he sells a ticket to one of his events, he's selling HOPE to someone needing to hear what he has to say.  I've long thought that there's too many naysayers in this business...let alone life.  My purpose in this crazy economic real estate climate may just be to create HOPE with those that I work with.  That their house, which is for sale, will find favor with just the right buyer out there...Godly favor. God is no respector of persons; in spite of the economy, our office has been extremely blessed this year.  I've met lots of sellers out there whose agent simply didn't know what to tell them.  They've told them that "nobody's buying."  Well, that's just not true... 

Buyers today ARE more selective than they were, say, 5 years ago.  They are looking at all their choices in the market.  Wouldn't you?  They want to get the best deal out there.  Wouldn't you?  They want the most updates for the least price.  Wouldn't you?  If you're selling or thinking about selling, you need to think from this perspective.  What can I do to de-clutter my house?  To give it a fresh, clean look?  As Realtors, we can give you advise of where to focus your attention to get the most bang for the buck.  Just ask, we're glad to help.  

We need to articulate HOPE.  Life is good.

How to polish up and improve your credit score to take advantage of the real estate buyers' market.

With the economy and job market just coming out of a "down" period, a large percentage of the population is concerned and wondering how less-than-perfect credit scores might affect their ability to take advantage of the current buyers' market in purchasing a home.

In order to know what you need to do to position yourself favorably, you need to understand the different components making up the big picture that is your credit score. Here are the key components, with the percentages that each component contributes to your total credit scoring and a tip on how to improve each one:

•Payment history contributes 35% to your credit score: Make sure to obtain and analyze your credit report yearly. You can get a free copy of your report once a year. Look to make sure that the information is accurate. If you find errors, dispute them until they are corrected or removed from your credit history. If you’ve had a significant hardship such as bankruptcy, make sure that accounts that were involved are showing as paid accounts.
•Amount of debt that you owe contributes 30% to your credit score: Control the amounts that you charge to your credit cards to less than 30% of the total amount of credit available for each card. Paying down the card or cards that are the closest to their limits is a great strategy for increasing your score. Use the free services and tools that some credit card companies offer, like text or e-mail alerts, to track and control your card balances.
•Length of time in credit history contributes 15% to your credit score: If you have an old credit account that you’ve paid off and don’t use, consider using it to pay for a monthly "necessity expense" to keep an aged account active. Active accounts are considered above inactive accounts for scoring purposes, so if you need to use a card, use the ones that you’ve had the longest and then, if possible, pay the balance off at the end of each month.
•Recent credit history contributes 10% to your credit score: Refrain from opening new accounts or from consolidating debt from several cards to one card. Generally speaking, lower balances on a number of cards are better than a much larger balance on just one. And, of course, it goes without saying, paying your bill on time is critical. Just one late payment can have a significant negative effect on your score. If you’ve had major issues with your finances, such as a bankruptcy, opening a new credit account and managing it well and paying on time will help you re-establish a good credit history.
•Number of types of credit being used contributes 10% to your credit score: Again, stating the obvious, don’t open new credit accounts for anything but necessities. Before using credit for purchases or opening new credit, always do a self check to ask yourself, “Is this a want or a need?” Use the answer to that question to guide you into making better financial choices and decisions.
Be persistant and consistant! The accumulation of making better decisions and establishing better financial habits will ultimately lead to higher credit scores. Higher credit scores will lead to significant savings, as a result of qualifying for better interest rates, when it comes to obtaining a mortgage for your new home.

Have your own observation or tip for scoring better credit? Tell us in the comments.