Author: Shannon

You may not notice them, but your home has eyesores

You can clean your home like a professional. Organize and decorate ‘til the cows come home. Nine times out of 10, however, what your guests will notice first are those little eyesores that you’ve grown so accustomed to that you no longer notice them.

It’s the snake’s nest of cables and cords near the TV and/or the computer, the art work hung too high and the car keys and mail haphazardly thrown on a table or counter. The neater and cleaner a home is, the more a guest’s eyes will be drawn to the eyesores; they’re out of place and catch our eyes.

We rounded up some of the more common household eyesores and the solutions for them. Easy DIY projects, you can get started on them this weekend.

1. Cords and cables galore

They’re found in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, office and even in the exercise room. Wherever there are electronics you’ll find cords, chargers and cables, typically in a tangled mess.

Even one cord, say from the cable outlet to the TV mounted high on the wall, can be an eyesore.

Thankfully, there are some pretty nifty inventions to help you hide the mess.

Check out the cable management boxes at Amazon.com. We like the D-Line Cable Management Box for its understated branding, making it a bit more stylish than the others.

Other ideas include:

  • Clipping the mess to the back of furniture. Amazon carries non-damaging plastic clips for this purpose.
  • Hide that cord from the wall-mounted TV with a cord concealer kit.
  • Check out the Cable Slinky, a rubber, spiral cord wrap.
  • For cords and cables that snake through the home, consider baseboard cord channels. These self-adhesive channels are attached at the bottom of baseboards for a seamless solution to the cord clutter problem.
  • Finally, check out this ingenious solution (fake books!) from an Etsy seller.

2.Heating/cooling ugliness

Used only a few months out of the year, the window-installed AC unit can become an eyesore. We found several projects that will help you conceal it and its cousin the radiator, during the periods they aren’t in use.

  • An adorable DIY window AC unit enclosure that cost the creator only $30 in supplies. Find it online at vintagemeetsglam.com.
  • Wall-mounted radiators? We love this clever DIY solution we found at thespruce.com.
  • Camouflage air vent returns with covers. You can buy them online at beaux-artsclassicproducts.com  or fancyvents.com.
  • If you’re handy with tools, you may want to try this DIY hide-the-AC-unit shoe rack project at engineeryourspace.com.
  • Love Ikea hacks as much as we do? Check out this amazing, trendy project to hide the AC unit at popsugar.com.

3. Dress up the box spring mattress

Sure, you can buy a dust ruffle to hide the box spring mattress in the guest bedroom, but there are more on-trend solutions you can try.

DIY the project with stunning fabric and a staple gun. Get the how-to at rainonatinroof.com or thisoldhouse.com.

Earlier we touched on one eyesore that drives designers nuts and is an eyesore to visitors: pictures hung too high. So, just how high on the wall should you hang them? Find out from bobvila.com.

 

Should You Skip the Home Inspection to Win a Bidding War?

It’s hot out there, and we don’t just mean the weather. The real estate market is one of the fastest moving in the country’s history and, although there are signs it may be slowing, we aren’t holding our breath.

Sellers are large and in charge and know it. They have the luxury to be uncompromising in what they want for the homes, both in price and terms.

This, in turn, helps fuel bidding wars on homes in good condition and located in decent areas.

Getting swept away in a multiple offer situation is common, but be on guard. It’s ok to compromise on the lesser important aspects of the purchase, but carefully consider any decision to waive the home inspection.

What a Home Inspection Won’t Do

Just as a professional home appraisal won’t let you know about the problems with a home’s systems, a professional home inspection can’t determine a home’s market value.

Not directly. It may impact the value if something major comes to light, but it isn’t something a lender requires before lending money for a home.

Because a home inspection is visual, it won’t give a potential buyer any information of anything that may be hidden behind the walls or beneath floors. It won’t tell a homebuyer if there are dangerous levels of toxins in the air, such as radon.

The inspector will look at the home’s roof, structure and major systems, such as electrical, heating and cooling, ventilation and plumbing. Even among these items, if there is a defective part or component that can’t be seen with the naked eye, it won’t end up in the report.

The home inspection is also not a guarantee that the home will be in the same condition when you take possession as it was when the inspection was performed.  Anything can happen between those two periods.

What a Home Inspection Will Do

Most of all, a home inspection provides the homebuyer with at least some peace of mind.

Inspectors who are worth hiring are those who have extensive experience and know the signs of hidden problems. They don’t hesitate to recommend additional inspections by a specialist.

For instance, if she notices evidence of wood destroying pests, such as termites, she may recommend that you have the home looked at by a pest inspector.

Should you Skip the Home Inspection?

In a multiple offer situation, with price and all other terms being equal, the offer from a buyer who waives the home inspection is most likely going to be the one the seller chooses.

If you have a hefty home maintenance or emergency fund, it’s worth considering waiving the inspection contingency. If not, doing so is a gamble.

Buying a home without having it checked out by a qualified inspector is the same as buying a home as-is. Understand that you may be buying someone else’s problems.

This isn’t the same as buying a used car as-is because the potential problems you inherit with a home can cost into the tens of thousands of dollars.

While it’s true that a home inspector can’t possibly tell you about all of the problems a home has, or is about to have, the peace of mind that you’ll get with at least knowing that the home’s major systems are in working condition is something to carefully consider before giving it up.

 

 

The 4 most common mortgage mistakes that homebuyers make

Let’s face it, looking at homes for sale is a lot more fun that sitting down with a lender to find out how much you can spend on a home. Unfortunately, the latter is the very first step you should take and, sadly, not doing so is the biggest mortgage mistake homebuyers make.

Secondary to that is the assumption that once someone is approved for a mortgage, nothing else can go wrong.

Loan preapproval isn’t a loan guarantee. The preapproval is conditional on a number of factors and it can be revoked at any time during the process – including just before closing.

Do yourself a favor and avoid some of the more common mistakes homebuyers make when it comes to getting a loan for a home.

Mistake #1: Not checking their credit reports

Did you know that nearly 34% of Americans’ credit reports contain errors? According to the experts at consumerreports.org, these errors often result in a lower credit score and the denial of credit.

Mortgage experts recommend that homebuyers check their credit reports before visiting a lender for loan preapproval. Find a list of the most common errors on credit reports at consumerfinance.gov.

Get your free copy of your credit reports (once a year) at AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the only source that is authorized and recommended by the U.S. government to provide free credit reports with no strings attached.

Dispute any issues on your report before applying for a mortgage.

Mistake #2: Not being honest on the mortgage application

Prior to the Great Recession, lenders were busily providing what have come to be known as “liar loans.” These were mortgage loans to people that couldn’t afford them and were obtained by means of a “no document” process, meaning the applicant didn’t have to prove his or her income or verify assets.

Those days are over and obtaining credit is nowhere near as easy as it once was. Although you may be tempted to stretch the truth on your application to ensure you get the loan, don’t give in to the temptation.

More than half of the mortgage fraud cases that the FBI deals with are those with lies on the mortgage application, according to a FBI special agent at fbi.gov.

There is no such thing as a “little white lie” on a mortgage application. Mortgage fraud penalties, by the way, can be … “… as high as 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine,” according to Kirk Haverkamp at credit.com.

Lenders verify everything on the application.

 Mistake #3: Taking a new job before the close of escrow

One of the first things the lender will look at is your employment history, looking for a minimum of two years with your employer or in your current line of work.

While switching employers during the loan application process may not derail the loan, it will most likely delay the process while the new employment and salary are verified.

Mistake #4: Making major purchases on credit during the escrow period

When you finally get an offer accepted on a home, it’s normal to think about shopping for furnishings and appliances.

Don’t do it.

Lenders typically pull a borrower’s credit history one last time just before closing to ensure that the financial picture hasn’t changed.

The new debt will raise your debt-to-income ratio and you may no longer qualify for the loan.

Put the credit cards away and save the shopping for after the loan closes.

The mortgage process isn’t nearly as fun as house hunting, but it’s the most important step in the process.

Don’t make any major financial or life changes between applying for the loan and closing escrow and you should have no problems.

 

Need a new water heater? Consider a tankless version

The average water heater’s life span is 10 to 15 years, according to energysaver.gov. This is a general rule because not all water heaters fit that time frame.

Because many homeowners don’t understand that these appliances require annual maintenance, some water heaters poop out much sooner.

If you’re shopping for a traditional, tank-style water heater, do yourself a favor and compare them to tankless units. Read on to learn about the advantages and disadvantages.

The benefits of tankless water heaters

A standard water heater holds water that is constantly being heated. “That means you’re paying to have hot water whether you need it or not,” according to the researchers at consumerreports.org.

Tankless water heaters, often referred to as “on-demand” units, offer heated water only when you need it. They do this by flash-heating the “… water as it passes through the unit, using a heat exchanger to rapidly bring it up to temperature,” explain the folks at Consumer Reports.

This benefit alone saves homeowners from $70 to $100 a year on energy bills, depending on how much hot water is used.

Tankless water heaters last longer than the fuel-powered variety. Most will last more than 20 years while, as mentioned earlier, heaters with a tank have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years.

Additionally, tankless water heaters don’t contain the sediment and rust of their tank counterparts so they provide cleaner water.

Finally, with a tankless water heater, you’ll receive hot water on demand. No longer will you have to waste water waiting for the cold to turn to hot.

And, the downside

Tankless water heaters cost more than their larger cousins. “The average homeowner pays $2,811​ for an installed 150,000 BTU tankless whole-house gas water heater,” according to the researchers at fixr.com.

Installation charges vary, however, depending on size, whether it’s electric, solar or gas, whether you need additional gas lines added and other items. You’ll find many of these listed at homeguide.com.

Remember, though, that tankless units have longer life spans than traditional water heaters and they cost less in both energy usage and operating costs.

Learn more about tankless water heater advantages at energystar.gov and find out if rebates are offered by entering your ZIP Code here.

Selling your home? How to hire the right listing agent

If you’re thinking that finding the perfect real estate to help you sell your home is akin to finding a white cat in a snowstorm, you’re not alone. In fact, ask Google “how to find a listing agent” and you’ll get 189,000 answers.

The task isn’t quite as challenging as it seems when you understand that the listing agent’s primary job is to market your home. So, yes, you want to find an agent you feel comfortable with and one with experience listing homes.

Beyond that, there are three important qualities to look for as you interview agents (and please interview more than one) for the job of selling your home.

Communication is so important

One thing I hear most often from my clients is that their last agent was unresponsive. I understand that selling your home is stressful and that you’ll have questions along the way.

It’s a pity that not all agents feel the same, so ensure that the one you choose will respond to your calls in a timely manner and keep you updated on the progress of the sale.

You, on the other hand, should communicate to the agent you choose exactly how often you expect to hear from him or hear and through which medium (text, phone, email, etc.).

Pricing your home to sell takes experience

Yes, determining an accurate market value for a home and suggesting a strategic listing price is very much a part of an agent’s marketing plan. Homes priced right sell faster and the quicker your home sells, the more money you’ll get for it.

Despite the booming sellers’ market that we find ourselves in, beware of the agent who suggests a price considerably higher than others you interview.

This is an old, dishonest trick known as “buying the listing.” Thankfully, not many agents attempt this but those who do will price your home high at the outset, just to get the listing, and then continually ask you to drop the price. All while your home sits languishing on the market.

The bottom line: Marketing

Homeowners hire a real estate agent to not only list their home but market it as well. The listing aspect is merely sticking a sign in the yard and information in the Multiple Listing Service database.

Marketing it is how he or she will get the word out about your home to other agents and unrepresented homebuyers.

Ask the agent to explain his or her approach to marketing homes and exactly how your home will be marketed.

And, since most homebuyers start their search online, clear, compelling photographs act as bait to get them off the couch and into your home. Take a good look at the photos from each agent’s previous listings.

Yes, homes are selling quickly right now. If you’re thinking of selling, don’t hire the desperate agent, hire the one with the skills it takes to get the most money in your pocket.

Hiring the right listing agent is critical to the successful sale of your home. Take your time and don’t rush the process.

2 insanely easy home maintenance tasks to tackle in June

June brings with it a whirlwind of events and celebrations, such as weddings, Juneteenth (June 19), Father’s Day (June 20) and the first day of summer (June 20).

Before those distractions arise, though, you’ll have time to get things done around the house before the weather really heats up and gives you yet another excuse to hibernate inside, where it’s cooler.

We’ve gathered up two tasks that need to get done before the heat of summer arrives and, because they’re so insanely easy, you can knock them out well before then.

Dust off the grill

The last thing you want to happen is to invite company for one of your famous barbecues only to discover that the grill has problems.

Avoid that headache by dragging the grill out and inspecting the jets for clogs and for leaks in the gas cylinder valve where the hose attaches to the grill. Learn what to look for by navigating to youtube.com and entering “Grilling Safety Tips from NFPA” in the search box.

Charcoal grills get pretty grimy and if you haven’t cleaned yours yet, this is the perfect time to do so. Danny Lipford, the home maintenance genius at todayshomeowner.com, suggests trying the following cleaning techniques:

  • Use liquid grill cleaner (according to label instructions) such as these at homedepot.com or these at amazon.com.
  • Use ammonia. Don your cleaning gloves, remove the grates from the grill and wrap them in newspaper. Next, place the wrapped grates in a plastic bag into which you’ll pour household ammonia until the newspaper is saturated.

Secure the bag with a twist tie and allow it to sit overnight. Spray the grates clean of the grime and ammonia with water from the hose and then wash them well in soapy water.

Clean the grates with vinegar. Although we haven’t had much success with this method, many have, so it’s worth a try if you’re seeking a chemical-free method. Lipford recommends spraying the grates with vinegar and then allowing them to sit for a few minutes. Then, use “… crumpled up aluminum foil” to rub the grime away.

Get the AC unit ready for primetime

Even if all it needs is a filter change, pay some attention to the air conditioning system.

If you’re a DIY kind of guy or gal, check the unit’s evaporator and condenser coils first. These tend to attract dirt and when they’re dirty, airflow is reduced and the dirt “…insulates the coil, reducing its ability to absorb heat,” according to the pros at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Lipford recommends cleaning the air conditioner’s condensation drain line where “Algae, mold, and mildew can build up, … causing it to clog and water to back up inside the air handler unit.”

It’s an easy job, involving a cup of bleach poured into “… the access opening in the drain pipe (located near the AC unit). Doing this task annually should keep it clear of the nasties.

Finally, clean the area around outdoor condenser units of leaves and other debris. The DOE suggests trimming nearby foliage to at least 2 feet away to allow for good airflow.

Bed bug basics and how to get them out of your home

You may think we have enough to worry about this summer with a world that’s gone just a bit nuts. It is still spinning, however, and whether we like it or not summer is on our doorstep, along with the various pests it brings with it. This includes bed bugs, according to the folks at DC Scientific Pest Control.

“Peak season for bed bugs is from June through October,” they say and look for them to be particularly active, feeding and breeding during this period.

The bed bug, in a nutshell

The most important thing to know about bed bugs is that they’re parasites and they feed on blood. They’re somewhat species-specific, too. The one that loves our blood is Cimex lectularius, found world-wide.

Bed bugs are similar in appearance to ticks. They are reddish-brown in color and are “… about the size and shape of an apple seed,” according to the experts at Terminix. They go on to say that the bed bug may be flat or bloated, “… depending on whether they’ve fed recently.”

The female bed bug continuously lays eggs (if she is feeding regularly), several eggs every day. Thankfully, she’ll only live a couple of months (typical life span is six to 10 months), but then her offspring take off where she left off.

They are primarily nocturnal and require three conditions under which to feed:

  • Darkness
  • Warm temperatures
  • Carbon dioxide

What does a bite look like?

“Unfortunately, you can’t identify the bug by the appearance of the bite,” say the folks at Terminix. “Bed bug bites can resemble bites from chiggers, fleas and other insects. They can also be confused with skin conditions, such as hives, eczema or even fungal infections.”

If you wake up with a bug bite (or several), especially on areas of the body that are exposed while sleeping (face, arms, shoulders), check your sheets and pillow cases for blood spots, feces and cast-off bed bug skins. Bed bug feces, by the way, are tiny (about the size of a flea egg) and black or rust-colored.

How to find bed bugs in the home

The most logical place to start your hunt for bed bugs is near the bed. Check “… near the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring, and in cracks on the bed frame and headboard,” suggests the experts at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

From there, inspect other areas of the home, including:

  • Between sofa cushions
  • In the seams of upholstered furniture
  • Drapery folds
  • Where the wall meets the ceiling
  • Electrical outlets
  • Drawer joints
  • Under wall hangings
  • Clothing
  • Baseboards
  • Carpet

“Since bed bugs are only about the width of a credit card, they can squeeze into really small hiding spots,” according to the EPA. “If a crack will hold a credit card, it could hide a bed bug.”

How to rid the home of bed bugs

The folks at the EPA caution that it is important to keep the infestation from spreading further. Do this by removing infested items and sealing them in plastic. If the item can’t be treated, it must remain in the plastic for up to one year to ensure all bed bugs, and their offspring, are dead.

When purchasing a pesticide to treat the infestation, ensure that it is not only EPA-registered, but labeled for the treatment of bed bugs.

Find control and treatment tips online at EPA.gov.

We recommend hiring a professional pest control company.

Bed bugs are brilliant hitchhikers, so regardless of how impeccably clean your home is, if you travel, use public transportation, frequent laundromats or buy used furniture, you risk an infestation.

How’d they come up with THAT price?

On the face of it, there seems to be no rhyme or reason that home prices are rising and how quickly they’re rising.

Right now, the main reason for this seemingly uncontrollable rise is supply and demand. There are just not enough homes for sale for the amount of buyers in the market.

Whenever anything is in short supply, yet demand is high, it becomes more valuable.

Although mortgage rates are ticking back up as of this writing, they’ve been at record lows. Cheap money draws people into the market.

These factors are two among several other reasons homes are so expensive right now. If you’re in the market to buy, it pays to understand the how and why behind a seller’s pricing strategy.

Let’s take a look at some of the more important factors when it comes to deciding the price of a house.

The Impact of Location: A Lot More Than Just Crime Rates

There are general factors that influence the price of any particular house, such as the economy, the number of foreclosures in the area and current available housing inventory.

Then there are more specific factors, such as environmental aspects and location that may affect, positively or negatively, a home’s value.

The location of a house, above all else, determines its value. “Location” refers not only to region, but also to the neighborhood, the street and even to the location of the lot within the neighborhood.

Homes in regions with steady job growth and rising incomes tend to be worth more than those in areas with stagnant or negative growth. In beach communities, houses with ocean views are worth more than those without. Houses on cul-de-sacs are more in demand than those on busy streets.

A home located near a landfill will depreciate in value much more quickly than one further away, according to Brian Johnson of the Pima County Assessor’s Office.

Location, therefore, encompasses many aspects. Additional location considerations impacting the value of a house include:

  • nearby restaurants and shopping centers
  • proximity to highways or freeways
  • size of the lot
  • traffic issues
  • transit systems
  • zoning issues

A neighborhood’s crime rates do have a bearing on home values. With the advent of the National Sex Offender Registry, created by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2005, home buyers have an easier time of determining the number of convicted sex offenders living near a home they may be interested in purchasing.

Not only is this important information for your personal safety, but homes within one-tenth of a mile of a sexual predator’s residence are worth 9 percent less than those further away, and take 10 percent longer to sell, according to researchers at Longwood University.

While most residents are aware of the crime ridden areas of their city, newcomers are not, so databases such as this, and a phone call to the local police department, can provide the statistics needed to make a better-informed purchasing decision.

Condition

While it goes without saying that a well-maintained home is worth more than a fixer-upper, appraisers take far more into consideration when checking a home’s condition.

A home that has been updated, with energy-saving windows and appliances will be worth more than the house next door that hasn’t been updated.

Certain remodeling features add value as well, such as bathrooms and updated kitchens. In an area with older homes, those with updated wiring and plumbing have added value.

A neighbor’s home also has an impact on the value of those around it. A homeowner can sink thousands of dollars into home improvements but if Jack next door has a rusting auto carcass and dying trees in his front yard, all houses on the block suffer, in terms of lower values.

Time of Year

Real estate sales are seasonal, so when you shop for a home may have an impact on its price.

You may hear that the best time of year to buy a home is spring. Remember, that’s when there are the most buyers in the market, so it’s actually the second best time to sell, not buy.

Another good time of the year to sell a home is summer. Most families wait until after the school year ends to make a major move, so homes tend to sell much more quickly and for higher prices in the summer.

But that means competition for buyers. While spring is when neighborhoods tend to look their best, with everything in bloom, winter provides the best opportunity to get a bargain on your home purchase.

If a seller is motivated enough to place his home on the market in the winter, especially around the holidays, he may just be motivated enough to negotiate on price.

Granted, you will need to be able to look beyond bleak landscaping, but, aside from a good price, you’ll face less competition.

These are just a few things to keep in mind when home shopping. If you need to buy or sell now, reach out to us for some money-saving/making tips.

 

Inspect your deck to keep family and friends safe this summer

It’s about that time of year when homeowners’ attention turns to summer and in which home maintenance tasks are the most pressing.

Typically, the list includes replacing HVAC filters, cleaning out the gutters, cleaning up debris around the property and more.

It’s not enough, however, to give your deck a good sweeping and maybe a fresh coat of varnish. If you’ll be entertaining on it this spring and summer you should also do a safety check.

Why?

A wood deck typically lasts between 10 and 15 years, claims the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission. They also say that about half of the 40 million decks attached to U.S. homes are older than their life expectancy.

Sadly, ignoring repair or replacement of decks results in nearly 225,000 injuries and more than 30,000 of these were the result of a collapse or other structural failure.

Let’s walk through the type of deck inspection that the experts recommend.

Inspect the condition of the wood

Weather does a number on wood, causing decay and splitting. Walk around and under the deck, paying close attention to the wood, especially those spots attached to the house.

This is where the ledger board is located. “The ledger provides much of a deck’s strength; it supports the joists at one end, and it provides stiffness to the framing,” according to the folks at Decks.com.

It’s the ledger board that is among the most common sources of deck collapse, according to the National Deck and Railing Association.

They also recommend checking “the support posts and joists under the deck (if you can reach them), deck boards, railings and stairs.”

Not all damage is visible, however, so take a screwdriver with you on your inspection tour. Poke the wood in various areas and if it feels spongy, it may be either decayed or have a pest infestation.

Then, insert the screwdriver into any cracks you come across. Natalie Rodriguez of This Old House magazine suggests that if you can push the screwdriver more than ¼-inch into a crack, or if the wood splinters, there is decay or rot.

Check the connectors

Next, tour the deck with a hammer in hand. Use it to lightly tap on bolts. A hollow sound indicates that the connector may need to be tightened. While you’re tapping, look for rust or corrosion.

Experts with the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors warn that corroding fasteners cause decay and deterioration of surrounding wood.

Inspect the banisters, balusters, railings and stairs

Many homeowners confuse the difference between the banisters and the balusters. The former is the handrail on a stairway while the latter are the vertical structures that support the banister.

Shake the banisters to ensure they don’t wiggle then visually inspect the balusters to be certain there is no decay and that they are securely attached.

Finally, measure the railing. It should be at least 3-feet high and the balusters should be no more than 4 inches apart.

Other risks to the deck

Is the home’s irrigation system hitting the deck? This is a major source of wood decay, so redirect the sprinkler heads to ensure they aren’t wetting the deck. Do the same with the home’s downspouts – redirect them so that no moisture reaches the deck.

Wet landscape plants in contact with the wood deck promote mildew, so keep it cut back during the growing season.

Wrap up the safety inspection by applying a fresh coat of weatherproofing.

Now you can relax into those spring and summer soirees, knowing that everyone who uses the deck is safe.

House Hunting: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Choices – it’s great to have them but challenging to narrow them down. Whether choosing between where to have dinner, which movie to see or something as important as where to live, making up our minds is sometimes quite difficult.

House hunting is either feast or famine: sometimes there are no homes that you like, other times, there may be too many that offer exactly what you want. So, how do you “say yes to one and let the other one ride,” as the Lovin’ Spoonful so aptly put it back in 1966?

Here are some factors to consider when weighing one choice against the other.

Mortgage Costs and Financial Considerations

One of the biggest mistakes people make when buying a home is assuming their monthly mortgage payment is the only financial outlay required when owning a home. The cost of homeownership includes more than the payment – sometimes much more. Consider these additional costs:

  • Association, neighborhood or condo fees
  • Electricity, water and other utilities
  • Homeowner insurance
  • Repair costs
  • Maintenance, such as landscaping, pool service, etc.

TIP: Compare the real costs of owning the houses in question. One may just price itself out of the decision-making process.

The Basics: Location, Structure and Design

Think back to when you first decided to buy a home. While price was most likely your biggest concern, location may have factored into your concerns as well. Many homebuyers end up compromising on location, veering away from their original intent.

TIP: Compare the locations of the houses in question. Which one fits your original intent? Are you compromising on location when you don’t have to? Go over this list and remind yourself of which aspects of location are most important to you:

  • Commuting distance
  • Future nearby development projects
  • Local crime
  • Local economy
  • Neighborhood age and cleanliness
  • Neighborhood traffic noise
  • Property values
  • Proximity to shops, hospitals and schools
  • Nearby features that may drag down property values, such as a landfill

The structural integrity of the house is also extremely important when you choose a home. While it may seem beautiful, if it isn’t well built, home maintenance costs could cripple a new owner’s finances. Here’s another opportunity to compare houses. Which one is more structurally sound?

Something has equally attracted you to more than one home and typically, that something is design.

TIP: What design elements do the two homes have in common and which house presents those elements better? Look at the floor plans and picture yourself using them. Is one more functional than the other? Are there odd shaped rooms that may end up driving you crazy?

Don’t Go Changin’. . .

Still stuck? Ask yourself what you would change about each house, if finances were not a consideration. Allow your imagination free reign on this one and you may find that one house edges out the other.

While we don’t advise you to go with your gut or flip a coin when deciding which house to buy, in the end, it may come down to emotion.

On one level you’re making an investment decision — but you’re also choosing something very emotional ― a home. When all the priorities are examined, and all the pros and cons of each choice are considered, whether or not a house feels like home is an important consideration.

We’re happy to help you find the perfect home in the ideal location.