Realtor®

IN THIS ISSUE:

Green iPhone Apps

Home Prices by Zip Codes

Best ROI on Remodel

Winning Back-Up Offers

Contingent Sale Offers

Recommended Mortgage Specialist!

Red Bird Cabin Blog
The Inspired Room Blog

iPhone Users Going Green for the Environment!
Many people want to do a good turn for the environment but simply are overwhelmed by the flood of green data, products and services. Download some iPhone apps and those daily decisions become simpler. Here are some picks to help you sniff out green businesses and restaurants, cut the impact of commuting, and track home energy consumption:
Household:

Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide (http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/forests/tissueguide) -- Who knew that picking the right toilet paper could be fraught with trouble? Greenpeace comes to the rescue with an app to choose the greenest brand of paper towels, toilet tissue, and napkins.
iRecycle (http://earth911.com/iphone/) -- Search among 110,000 recycling centers to dispose of everything from oil and paper to electronics.
CouponSherpa (http://www.couponsherpa.com/mobile-coupons/) and Youza (http://www.getyowza.com/) -- Delete the paper from coupon clipping by downloading coupons and present them digitally upon check out.
GoodGuide(http://www.goodguide.com/about/mobile) --Scan bars codes at the store and instantly find out how green products are before making a purchase. The application rates 50,000 products in multiple categories, including food, household chemicals and toys. Read Full Article>>>

Discover Best Payback on Home Remodel

Q: In your opinion, what home improvements (kitchen remodel, new front door, or wood floors) offer the best payback on investment when you are trying to sell?

A: It really depends on the condition of the house, what existing problems it might have, what your competition is in the neighborhood, what the price range is, and several other factors.

First and foremost, I always recommend that people fix what's broken. Today's buyers are very savvy about maintenance issues, and anything that obviously needs repair is going to jump out at most people. Also, when a potential buyer sees the first defect, he or she tends to start being more aware of others. So take care of all those loose screws and broken window screens and sticking doors and towel bars that are hanging on by a thread.

Kitchens are always one of the primary selling features for a home in just about any price range.

If you have an outdated kitchen with dark wood cabinets, outdated appliances, older counters, a poor work flow, or other problems that could be solved by a partial or complete remodeling, you will generally see more of a return on the home's selling price than the amount of money you invested in the remodel.

Bathrooms are another area of the house that returns well on selling. If the home has only one bathroom, the addition of a second one is generally a huge return. Adding a bathroom to a master bedroom to create a master suite is typically another good return, as is remodeling outdated bathrooms.Read Full Article>>>

Buyers Master Contingent Sale Offers

Most repeat homebuyers don't like selling their current home until they know where they're going. However, most repeat homebuyers can't qualify to buy before selling. So, how do you structure a contingent-sale offer so you get what you want without being homeless?

Sellers prefer offers that aren't contingent on the sale of another property. If the buyers' home doesn't sell, they can't buy the sellers' home -- and the sellers are stuck looking for another buyer.

As buyers, you should structure your offer so that it is both attractive to the sellers and accomplishes your goals. In some cases, this may mean paying a higher price than you would if your offer wasn't contingent on your home selling. Read Full Article>>>

Home Prices Get the Zip Code Test

The wealth created by the housing bubble has been wiped out, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, who spoke at the group's annual conference in November 2009. Does this mean that if you bought your home in 2005 in an area that experienced rapid appreciation from 2004-2007, you'll lose money if you sell today?

NAR tracks home-sale price trends nationally and by regions. Relying on national, regional, or even statewide home-sale price data to determine home values in a given micro market could lead to misleading conclusions. Read Full Article>>>

Sellers: Think About Taking a Second Look at That Back Up Offer

Every seller's dream is to receive offers from more than one buyer. Although multiple offers were scarce last year, in some markets and price ranges listings that are priced right are receiving multiple offers, particularly in the low-end foreclosure markets. Most sellers are inclined to accept the highest-priced offer, but this isn't always the best offer.

For example, a seller of a hot property in the hills above Oakland, Calif., received six offers. The two highest offers were close in price, but the seller decided to accept the higher of the two. Fortunately, the seller's agent suggested countering the next best offer for backup position.

The buyer in primary position had 10 percent cash for a downpayment. Some issues came up during inspections that were going to be costly to repair. The buyer didn't have more cash to pay for the repairs, so he asked the seller to lower the price. The seller said no and the backup offer became the primary offer.

The backup buyer made a large cash downpayment; he wasn't cash-strapped like the first buyer. He had enough cash to pay for the repairs. In this case, the backup offer, which wasn't originally the highest offer, turned out to be the best offer both in terms of price and financing. Read Full Article>>>