Warmer weather and cloud-free skies may have you dreaming of leaving your home for a vacation.

No matter where you choose to journey for your break away trip, take the time to make preparations to your home before leaving.

A few smart steps toward protecting your home while you are way, could mean the world to you when you return.

Tips For Securing Your Home

• Appoint a look-out.  Ask a good friend or “watch-worthy” neighbor to keep an eye on your place while you’re away.
• Wait until after you return from vacation to post your photos to Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.  Otherwise you are alerting “friends” and others that may be less than friendly of your absence.
• Think about ways to keep your home from looking empty while you are vacationing.  From house sitters and timers to placing holds on your mail and newspaper delivery, there is plenty you can do to make your home seem less vacant. 
• Secure your garage door and any pet entrances with locks before leaving town as it can provide easier access to your home.
• Timed lights, a well-kept home, and motion detectors can be a deterrent to thieves as well.
• And although pets can be a great deterrent to those who may harm your home, when you leave town, you must make arrangements for their boarding and care.

As you search for a home, your home, what matters most? Do you like a wide expanse or prefer less of an area to clean? Is your budget wide open or better suited to a condo or town home?  Is the ability to control your decor options paramount on your “Home Needs” list?

Every real estate agent knows that locataion is a prime factor when purchasing a home.  However, while location is generally a driving force in the purchase of your home purchase, other components come into play as you choose the perfect house. Some of those elements may even have you considering condo ownership over a traditional detached house when you buy your home.

Because of this, it’s helpful to recognize the challenges and rewards that owning a condo can bring.

Condo owners are unique in that they pay Homeowner Association (HOA) fees to share in the maintenance of the property at large. Reviewing this cost and the Homeowners Association bylaws prior to your home purchase is essential as you may find restrictions that are not in keeping with your lifestyle. If after review you feel that the rules are too confining for the condo you are considering, try a different complex as each set of bylaws is unique.If after reviewing several and finding all lacking, however, you may decide that condo life is not the best fit for you.

Before buying a condo as your home, it’s helpful to consider the following:

• Why are you buying a condo?
• Is it conveniently located?
• What extra amenities or savings might you receive due to your condo purchase?
• Are you a loud person? Neighbors may overhear as you will be in relatively close quarters.
• Are you someone who likes to act independently? If so, condo life and rules may be a bit stifling.
• Are you comfortable having someone other than you maintain your home’s exterior?
• When added into your home cost, are your HOA fees reasonable?

No matter whether your home purchase results in a detached home or a condo, asking yourself these questions before making your purchase can results in happier home owning.  If you have questions about the type of home and location that is best for you, please give me a call so we can address your particular needs.

Inventory may be down, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to buy your home. If you have been seeking to purchase a home and have been disheartened by the lack of available properties, cheer up, more inventory may be on the way!

According to recent statistics released by Realtor.com, March 2013 saw a 2.36 percent increase in homes being listed for sale when compared to February 2013, bringing more options back into the housing market and giving you, as a home buyer more chances to find your home.

And although prices may be slightly higher (the national average reported by Realtor.com shows a .05% increase in the last month), interest rates are still low, with the 30 year fixed averaging 3.43 % with .8 points on April 11th.

Home sellers can be excited, too, knowing that their property is likely to be showcased during this time when inventory, though moving, is still low. Less home listings also make for quicker sales with eager buyers, and a key number, days on the market, has been reduced because of the above factors, as well. According to Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Move, Inc, “The newest data shows that the outlook is optimistic for the overall real estate recovery.”

Depending on where you live, the overall housing market may be experiencing dramatic change, as well. Take a look at the most recent market reports listed on my website or call me to find out what our local housing market is doing. You’re likely to find that now is the perfect time for you to buy or sell your home!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and if you want to find the perfect gift for your Mom or wife this year, it’s time to start thinking (and be sure to avoid buying something useful for your home)! The list below outlines some traditional gifts, but if you are really adventurous, consider checking her Pinterest account for more personalized ideas of what appeals to the woman in your life.

Moms everywhere are moved by personalized jewelry and lockets, memory keepers, and photos of their children. That’s not to say that a trip to the spa or a get-away wouldn’t be gratefully received, but when a mother has to coordinate the care of small children to use the gift, it can be difficult, so make sure you plan those details along with the gift.

If a trip away from your home isn’t possible, bring treatments direct to the Mom in your life with a collection of pampering lotions, skin care or makeup collections. Or, try a virtual vacation of sorts, and purchase an e-reader or tablet for the special Mother in your life. If your Mom already has one that she uses, then consider a gift card to Amazon or iTunes or a similar service where books are available for instant download, providing a chance for quick escape from life’s daily cares which staying physically inside your home.

Gifts to Bring a Smile To Your Mom (and Your Home):

• Thoughtful Note of Gratitude (include with a gift below for best results)
• Personalized Jewelry (lockets, engraved charms, birthstones, etc.)
• Personalized Gifts Featuring Her Children (large laughing photos, artsy representations, framed art created by the kids)
• Get-Aways (that she doesn’t have to coordinate)
• Tickets to Experience Life (theatre, gourmet cooking class, hang gliding, yoga – search sites like Groupon for ideas)
• Gift Cards (to services or shops she wants to patronize)
• E-Reader or Tablet Device (working and loaded, ready to go)
• Spa Services to a Local Favorite (manicure & pedicure, massage, wraps, etc.)
• Beautiful Flowers (everyone can appreciate a little vibrancy)
• Chocolate (but be careful not to sabotage known fitness plans)

Spring is in the air and its time to journey outside your home and enjoy the crisp air, beautiful flowers and sunshine.  Chances are you will find yourself spending more time outside enjoying this new season and catching up with the pruning, trimming and gardening around your home.

You may have recently bought a home and have plans to create a playground in your backyard or outdoor kitchen, too.

Whatever your reason for stepping outside, you’ll probably notice some areas you can improve around your home, before summer comes and you begin a season of entertaining outdoors.  As you look over your backyard or patio, take the time to notice the feelings you have in that space.  

Is the yard of your home relaxing and inviting?

Your week is filled with the hustle-bustle of life, with time constraints, and demands placed upon you by others, shouldn’t your evenings and weekends be a time of enjoyment and reflection?

If you agree that your home and its exterior space should be an oasis of sorts, start small and consider adding a fountain or fire pit to your landscaping to make your yard more retreat-like.  Perhaps a backyard swing or an outdoor kitchen is more to your liking.  Gather your dreams in online ideabooks on websites like Houzz or Zillow digs and plan out the next project for your home.  Just thinking about it will make you smile.

Home owners living in metro areas are beginning to notice a shift in home prices and sales, leading to more interest regarding the value of your home.  In fact, the housing marketing seems to be seeing a huge shift.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) /First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) released this week lists 274 metro areas with improved housing markets. Between February and March, 15 new markets were added to the list!

Improvement indicators include increased housing permits, employment and house prices over a six consecutive month period. It’s interesting to note that Birmingham, Alaska, Bloomington, Indiana, Santa Barbara, California, and Colorado Springs, Colorado all were added this month

NAHB Chairman Rick Judson explained the good news, stating,“This is the second consecutive month in which every state is represented by at least one metro on the improving list.”

NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe explained that the improving markets (over 75%) indicated a very “solid” market in many communities, though individual markets may have issues with recovery. To see details and the full report, please click here.

See the complete list of the 274 metropolitan areas currently on the IMI by viewing NAHB Improved Metros Near Your Home or click here to see a collection of recent NAHB reports, lists and charts.

This week’s news released in the Freddie Mac U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook showed Spring as an ideal time to sell your home. Citing the combination of low mortgage rates, heightened consumer confidence and higher home prices, Freddie Mac even created a video (see below) detailing the March 2013 U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook.

2 Key Factors That Bode Well For Your Home Sale

• Anticipation of a 8-10% Increase in 2013 Home Sales.
• Home Affordability at Highest Level in Decades.

This week also marks a trend in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate, with it having remained below 4% for an entire year.  Currently the 30 year fixed rate is 3.54% with .8 point and the 15 year fixed is 2.72 with a .7 point.  The 5 year ARM remained steady at 2.61 % with .6 point and the 1 year ARM was down slightly to 2.63 with a .4 point.

According to Freddie Mac Vice President and Chief Economist, Frank Nothaft, “History shows us not all economic recoveries are created equal and consumer confidence mirrors this fact. With the spring homebuying season upon us, the recent highs in the stock market are a welcome signal of better times ahead. But it will be the gradually declining unemployment rate and steadily improving housing market that will deliver broad-based economic benefits for Americans and, in turn, support the overall recovery.”

Learn more at FreddieMac.com.

Buyers for your home may be interested in more than just the number of bedrooms and baths, reported the National Association of Realtors® in their just released survey results. The 2013 Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences study studied trends in home buying over the two year period ending in 2012 and gave some insight you may want to consider when selling your home.

While location is always a factor in home buying, the study showed that recent home purchases averaged home sizes of 1,860 square feet. Many of the homes were newer too, with the typical home purchased having been built in 1996, and more than half of the homes bought being single story.

Depending on the area of your home, different features are more highly valued. In the South, for instance, central air conditioning is a must-have, while results of the entire survey only revealed it to be of prime importance to 65 percent of home purchasers. In fact buyers still searching for a home actually stated that they would be willing to pay an average of $2,520 more for a home with central air conditioning.

Hardwood floors were another much loved feature, and considered a big value to those living in the Northeast. Garages, however, and other storage was determined to be needed across the nation, with 78 percent of recent home buyers requiring garages and 39 percent of home buyers requiring a walk in closet in the master bedroom.

According to NAR President Gary Thomas, “Deciding where to live comes with a lot of options, but buyers quickly realize that some features are more important than others when it comes to choosing the right house for them.” He further explained that when searching for homes, “Buyers need to have a clear idea of what features are important to them and know where they are willing to compromise; in this respect, Realtors® can bring buyers home. Realtors® visit hundreds of homes with buyers each year, and have a unique understanding of what buyers value in their local markets.”

You can read more of the details outlined in the 2013 Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences by clicking here.

Wondering about the possibility of buying your home in the current housing market?

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) released this week confirmed other recent reports of growth in the real estate market.  Spurred on by historically low interest rates in the final quarter of 2012, home buyers saw more housing affordability and relatively stable home pricing throughout the United States, making it possibly the right time for you to buy your home.

According to the HOI, gains in home affordability rose from 74.1 % to 74.9% in the final quarter of 2012,  making homes affordable to median income earners in the United States.  The current median income is $65,000.

North Carolina Home Builder and NAHB Chairman Rick Judson explained why this was good news for potential home buyers.  “The most recent housing affordability data should be encouraging to many prospective home buyers,” Judson said. “Because it shows that homeownership remains within reach of median-income consumers even as most local markets appear to be on a recovery path.”  Judson also shared results of the recent NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index which noted that 259 out of 361 metro real estate areas qualify as improving.

NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe also remarked on this news, saying, “It is noteworthy that affordability remains historically high thanks to favorable mortgage rates even as national home price indexes show some rise in values.”  Crowe shared that the median price of new and existing homes in that same quarter was still up, at $188,000.

The top housing markets for affordability included Ogden-Clearfield, Utah; Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis-Carmel, Indiana; Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida.; Syracuse, New  York; Fairbanks, Alaska; Cumberland, Maryland; Springfield, Ohio; Monroe, Michigan; and Mansfield, Ohio.  As you consider your home buying options, these areas may be of interest to you.

Here’s what’s happening in these selected zip codes:

Find out more and see housing market updates online at the National Association of Home Builders.

When it comes time to move from your home, do you have a plan?

Does the traditional method of boxing up rooms and stacking furniture to be loaded on a truck appeal to you?  Prefer professional movers to coordinate the move?  Or would consider the more modern style of gathering the contents of your home?

For instance, have you ever thought about using PODS or YOU CRATE™ as a viable option to moving from your home?

The term PODS stands for Portable On-Demand Storage and is a system that has been gaining popularity in the last few years. PODS are large room sized containers where you can store your items as you plan for a move from your home. They come in multiple sizes and you can order one, two, or more, depending on your needs. PODS are delivered to your home to be filled and then removed when full.  At that time the PODS are taken to either a storage facility or your new home.

PODS offer move convenience than the typical truck rental as they can be packed ahead of time, moved on your request and even stored prior to arriving at your final destination. This can be especially handy if you are planning a relocation or are moving into a home that is under construction.

YOU CRATE™ is another type of moving product, similar to PODS, which uses plastic shipping and wooden shipping crates to store your items and transport them for you. YOU CRATE™ includes tracking devices in your crates to ensure your security, as well.

To read more about PODS, click here.
To find out about YOU CRATE™, click here.