Creating Curb Appeal

Creating Curb Appeal in Des Moines, by Des Moines Real Estate Experts RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts is your resource for Des Moines Homes

It is said you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.  This is especially true when selling your house.  Curb appeal is a major factor that draws the buyer out of their car and into the interior of the home. An appealing and welcoming landscape is a subtle message to the buyer that this is a well maintained home.  It is the first thing a potential buyer sees when approaching the house.  Think of it as your home’s calling card.

Creating and maintaining curb appeal and well designed landscaping does not have to be expensive.  If a professional landscape architect is not in the budget, don’t despair.  There are some simple tasks the average homeowner can do to improve their landscaping.  However, some consideration should be made regarding hiring a professional landscape company.  Real estate experts in the Des Moines area agree a well landscaped property sells quicker than one that is not landscaped, or is in poor condition.  Speak with a real estate expert about your property – it may make financial sense to invest in professional landscaping in order to bring in a higher selling price.

Revamping a tired landscape or creating a totally new landscape begins with the lawn.  Of course make sure the grass is mowed.  Get rid of weeds.  Straighten out lawn edges.  Older yards tend to have lawns that creep and crawl over the driveways and walkways.  Use an edger tool to create a tidy line of separation.  Older houses in the Des Moines area tend to have mature trees, shrubs, and plants.  Be critical of overgrown shrubbery.  If they have passed their prime consider just taking them out and replacing them with a fresh, more size appropriate shrub.  If there are bare spots in the lawn, fill in with grass seed or grass seed patch material.

The lawn is the first element of landscaping to tackle when improving the curb appeal of your house to achieve a quick sale.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Des Moines real estate. For complete information about the Des Moines real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete online website dedicated to everything Des Moines has to offer and your complete resource for Iowa Homes. Please feel free to contact us with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and we will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call us at 1-800-708-5890 or email us at dsm@realestateconcepts.net.

Benefits of Hiring a Professional Home Stager

Benefits of Hiring a Professional Home Stager, by Des Moines Real Estate Experts RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts

What is Home Staging All About?

Home staging goes beyond cleaning and de-cluttering a space. Staging a home is about creating an atmosphere and setting a mood.  A well staged house can appear bigger, cleaner, brighter, and more comfortable.  In short, home staging creates a home the buyer wants to live in.  Stagers create a warm and inviting appeal.  A well staged home convinces the buyer to mentally move in the moment they see the property.

Homeowners are requested to de-clutter the rooms prior to staging.  Stagers recommend items that have not been used within the last three months be put into storage.  Unused items older than one year should be sold, donated, or thrown out.  This will also help the homeowner with moving preparations.

Why Hire a Home Staging Professional in Des Moines?

A professional stager helps the homeowner put the difficult task of de-cluttering into perspective.  Clutter is the enemy of equity.  The buyer can’t imagine themselves living in a home that is too cluttered or personal.

Professional stagers have the skill of a designer and knowledge of what sells in real estate.  It’s the little touches that make the difference between an amateur and a professional.  They know how to re-arrange your items into vignettes and other designer tricks to increase the perceived value of your home.

Staging presents your home in the best way to appeal to the widest variety of buyers possible.

Often times the homeowner cannot be objective.  A professional stager analyzes the home and makes recommendations to improve the space for maximum benefit.

What are the Benefits of Hiring a Home Staging Professional?

There are proven results with hiring a home staging professional.  Statistics show professionally staged homes sell approximately 32% quicker than homes that have not been staged.  Additionally, these homes sell for 3 to 10% more than non-staged homes.

Investing in a professional home staging service is a good investment.  Tough economic times have caused a lot of competition for sellers.  Home staging sets your property apart from the mass inventory the buyer has to choose from.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Des Moines real estate. For complete information about the Des Moines real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Des Moines real estate at Real Estate with RE/MAX. Please feel free to contact us with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and we will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call us at 1-800-708-5890 or email us at dsm@realestateconcepts.net.

Before Closing Advice

Before Closing Advice, Des Moines Real Estate Experts RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts

House hunting has been a roller coaster ride, but you have finally found your dream home, congratulations!

As real estate experts in the Des Moines area, we are often asked what happens during the time in-between finding a house and closing on the house.  The answer is two-fold.  The first part involves preparing to leave your current residence, and the second part involves preparations to begin your new life in the new house.

Part 1 – Saying Goodbye to Your Current Residence

Pack up your belongings
This is a good time to purge unwanted and unused items.  Think of this move as a fresh start.  If you won’t use an item in the next year, sell or donate it.  Consider having a garage or yard sale.

Cancel Utilities
Notify the utility companies of your move.  In some cases the utilities may be transferred from your name to the new owners, rather than having the service shut off.  Coordinate this with your real estate agent.  Also notify other home delivery services such as the local newspaper of your moving date.

Change of Address
Notify the post office of your change of address.  Have your mail forwarded to the new address.  Send out change of address cards or notices to friends and family.  Contact credit card companies and other business relationships to update your information on file with the new address.

Moving Company
If you will be using the services of a moving company set up the specifics of the move.  Will the moving company be packing your possessions as well as moving them?  If not, ask for a guide to packing.  Most moving companies offer tips on efficient and safe packing.

Part 2 – Getting Ready to Move In

Make Move-In Day Easier
Mark each box to be moved with the room it will be moved to in the new house.  Many new homeowners in the [Profile.market] area use the numbering system.  What this means is a big number is put on the door of each room (such as bedroom #1, #2, etc.) and every box to go in that room has that number marked on it.  You can code the boxes as well with simple letters, such as “K” for kitchen, or “LV” for living room.  This will make the move in day run much smoother.

Register In the Neighborhood
If you have school-age children, register them in the new school district.  Also contact the local newspaper and have home delivery arranged to start after the closing date.

Establish Utility Service
Contact the utility companies and arrange to have service started for the day of closing.  If seasonal services are required, contact those services as well so when the time comes, they have your information associated with the property.  Seasonal services can include anything from septic maintenance and lawn care, to pool opening and closing services.  Your real estate professional should supply you with the names of the companies the sellers used.

With everything in place the last piece of action required is gathering the funds for closing.  This may include cash or certified checks.  Your real estate attorney will inform you a few days before closing of the exact amounts needed for each check.  Each closing is unique.  Be prepared to show proof of insurance or other documents that will be required.  Ask your real estate professional for specific items a few days prior to closing.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Des Moines real estate. For complete information about the Des Moines real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Des Moines real estate at Real Estate with RE/MAX. Please feel free to contact us with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and we will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call us at 1-800-708-5890 or email us at dsm@realestateconcepts.net.

ARMs – Adjustable Rate Mortgages Explained

ARMs – Adjustable Rate Mortgages Explained, by Des Moines Real Estate Experts RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts

The term ARM is us used by mortgage and real estate professionals when referring to an adjustable rate mortgage.  There are many forms of ARMs available to buyers in the Des Moines area. 

Simply put, a variable rate ARM is a loan that has a rate of interest that is fixed for a certain period of time, then adjusts to a new rate of interest for another period of time.  Most ARM’s adjust annually, after the initial period of time.  This will continue until the loan is paid off.  The term of most mortgages is either 15 or 30 years (although other terms do exist, and can be as little as 10 years or less, and as high as 40 years.) 

ARMs come in many shapes and sizes.  The most traditional ARM is  the 5/1 or the 10/1 year ARM.  The 5 or 10 refers to the initial period of “fixed” interest rate.  For example, a 10 year ARM mortgage with a 30 year term would be called a 10/1 ARM.  The interest rate would be fixed for the first 10 years and then adjust annually for the remaining 20 years until the loan is paid off. 

When reading any ARM product that is presented with a slash, IE: 3/1, 5/1, 10/1 etc., the first number is the initial period, and the second number is the frequency of adjustment (in most cases, annually.) 

The ARM adjusts based on an index plus an agreed upon premium.  The most common index used is the one year treasury note rate.  Another popular index is the LIBOR rate.  This is a European index based out of London.  It is popular with many Jumbo loans and is a favorite of the financial sector borrowers in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.  Another important item to look at with an ARM is the ceiling, floor, and lifetime ceiling.  The most common ceiling is 2% per adjustment and 6% lifetime.  The floor varies from lender to lender.  Recently, many lenders have changed the game and now use a 5% max ceiling per adjustment, and no ceiling.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Des Moines real estate. For complete information about the Des Moines real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website on line dedicated to everything Des Moines real estate at Real Estate with RE/MAX. Please feel free to contact us with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and we will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call us at 1-800-708-5890 or email us at dsm@realestateconcepts.net.

10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Builder

10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Builder in the Des Moines Area, by Des Moines Real Estate Experts RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts

Building a home in the Des Moines area is an exciting project for most home buyers.  Avoid making some common mistakes by asking yourself the following questions before hiring a builder.  Your answers will help you focus on exactly what your expectations are for the project.  Another benefit of examining the project from the beginning is to help you determine a realistic budget.  Rate your answers in order of importance.  This will help you build a new construction home that will best fit your wants and needs.

New Construction Project Questions for the Homeowner:

- What part of the overall project is most important to you?
Some items to consider include budget, quality of construction and materials used, location, and time to complete the project.

- What type or style of home do you want to build?
Some architectural styles are more cost effective than others.

- What size home do you want to build?
Consider the number of rooms you would like to have in your new home.  List “must have” rooms (such as three bedrooms and two bathrooms) and list “desired” rooms (such as a home office or home theater room.)

- What overall square footage would you like to build?
Overall square footage of a project can be a factor in determining budget and which builder to hire.  Some builders only work within a certain size home plan.

- Do you want to build your home in a sub-division, new development or on a private lot?
Often building in a sub-division or new development can be less expensive than building a custom home on a private lot.  The reason for this is with sub-divisions and new developments the builder is buying materials in a larger quantity.  Another reason for savings is that the builder already has the equipment and crews on-site.  A down side to this is you may have to choose between a few pre-determined house floor plans.

- Of all the features a builder offers, which is most important to you?
Some features a builder may offer include on-time delivery, guaranteed price, reputation, credentials, quality materials, and communication.

- Do you want a custom built home or a spec built home?
The answer to this question can affect the budget.

- What materials do you want used in the construction of your new home?
Make sure the builder you choose has experience installing any custom or unusual materials.  Take advantage of a builder that has experience and connections with the vendors.

- Where do you want to build your new home?
Lot location can increase the cost of the project.  Additionally, the typography of the land can affect the cost and ability of the builder to deliver a quality home.

- What size lot do you want to build your new construction home on?
Determining the size of your land may determine whether or not you build in a sub-division or other development.  Neighborhood choice is a factor in lot size as well.  If you want acres of land you may be limited with the neighborhood choice.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Des Moines real estate. For complete information including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Des Moines real estate at Real Estate with RE/MAX. Please feel free to contact us with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and we will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call us at 1-800-708-5890 or email us at dsm@realestateconcepts.net.

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