Get rid of those items that have been sitting around for years without being used or even handled. This is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Buyers and real estate agents should see your house in its best condition from the very first day it’s on the market.

Here are a few approaches to take to unclutter your home and get it ready to sell. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is this room used for?”

Another way to unclutter your home and get it ready to sell is to make those minor repairs and best of all, make the house sparkle! Only do one room, or even one small area, at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Your best friend is the trash bag; when in doubt, throw it out. Many find it easier to use boxes to sort items, so you don’t have to find a home for everything as you unclutter. Most important, be quick and decisive when sorting. Tell yourself:
• If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
• Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
• Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

If you are getting your house ready to sell in the Niceville, Eglin Airforce Base, Destin Florida areas, then take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas where you can unclutter your home and let myself, Sandy DiTirro, your agent help you to get your house ready to sell.
]]> http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/unclutter-your-home-and-get-it-ready-to-sell/feed/ 0 http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/unclutter-your-home-and-get-it-ready-to-sell/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NicevilleHomesForSale/~3/zHesqQviHDM/ http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/new-year-brings-optimism-for-the-2010-real-estate-market/#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:19:17 +0000 Sandy DiTirro http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/new-year-brings-optimism-for-the-2010-real-estate-market/ What better way to start the New Year, then to bring confidence to our 2010 Real Estate Market. Ringing in the New Year being hopeful and optimistic will allow us to decide what we can do to improve our way of thinking about what is currently going on in the market. The New Year begins with us having a positive outlook and is a promising time for those of us looking to buy a home in the Niceville, Eglin Airforce Base, Destin Florida areas.

Here are a few reasons to make a real estate investment in 2010:

Lower Home Prices: Housing prices have fallen to more affordable levels, in some markets moving back to 2003 prices. Lower home prices expand the number of people able to afford to buy and own home, creating a greater demand in the 2010 Real Estate Market.

Historically low interest rates: 30 year fixed mortgage rates are nearing 5 percent and are expected to move to 4.5 percent or lower in the 2010 Real Estate Market. Compared to 6.25 percent rates seen earlier in 2008, a rate of 4.5 percent would mean a monthly savings of $218 on a $200,000 mortgage. Lower monthly costs will keep people in their homes, reduce the number of homes on the market and lead to a stabile housing market.

The New Year brings optimism for the 2010 Real Estate Market. It is already evident that the housing inventories and prices are beginning to stabilize. The combination of lower prices and historically low interest rates will lead to a very good housing recovery.

No one can predict a market bottom, however it appears the worst of the market turmoil is behind us. The drive to stabilize and improve the housing market should lead to an improved 2010 Real Estate Market.

Let us all take a good peek into our own personal outlook on the 2010 Real Estate Market. With the interest rates low and many homes available, there is no better time than the present especially if you are looking for a home in the Niceville, Eglin Airforce Base, Destin Florida areas.

But credit scores can get dinged after a home loan modification, making it more costly or tougher to get a loan or credit card.

Hundreds of thousands of homeowners find themselves in a financial squeeze, thanks to the recession and the meltdown in the housing market. Lenders have offered trial loan modifications to more than 700,000 eligible borrowers. As of late November, about 31,000 trial loans have been made permanent, which requires at least three on-time payments under the trial program and proof of income.

What these troubled homeowners don’t realize is that these attempts to avoid foreclosure may result in their credit scores taking a hit.

A potentially damaged credit score is one of those hidden costs of home loan modification – and it varies significantly depending on your lender, as well as when you received your loan modification, your credit history and how your loan was altered.

“They need to tell people up front that this could happen,” said James Sperr, 46, of Belleville, Mich.

Sperr and his wife, Carol, received a trial modification through Bank of America that cut their house payment, including taxes and insurance, to $957 a month from $1,140 a month.

But it came with a hit to the credit score.

“Our credit rating has gone from the 800s to 750,” Carol Sperr said.

“It’s punitive to a consumer who is already scared, frustrated, mad,” said John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for Credit.com.

The Sperrs said they had never been late or missed a mortgage payment, but their bank had reported them as being behind on payments.

Their credit score took a hit, falling from the 800s to 750.

“They tell us that once the paperwork ‘catches up’ and the new loan is finalized, they will correct the credit reporting agencies,” Carol Sperr said.

No one saw this coming.

“I didn’t find out about our credit until they did a check on this van we bought,” James Sperr said.

He said his wife was able to provide more documentation that their mortgage was in compliance so they did not have to pay a higher rate or get shut out of a loan.

Others aren’t so lucky.

Loan modifications remain a good thing, but they often come with that consequence.

Homeowners who face hardships but cannot traditionally refinance their mortgages can try to get a loan modification. A modification temporarily reduces the monthly payment, which can be helpful if someone’s dealing with a pay cut. Typically, the principal amount owed on the loan is not reduced or changed and the amount of debt owed is not forgiven.

The federal government has programs, and banks and credit unions have proprietary programs as well.

Yet many homeowners feel blindsided when they discover that their credit score has dropped by 50 to 100 points or even more after they entered a trial modification.

“What’s the point of the additional credit damage? What have they just accomplished by doing that to the borrower?” asked John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for Credit.com.

Good question.

In the first few months after receiving a trial modification, Ulzheimer said, it is possible that the initial payments would show up as a “partial payment plan” on a credit report, which turns into a negative hit to a credit score. This can be a problem even for homeowners who never have missed a mortgage payment.

“It really depends on how the mortgage company decides to report this to a credit agency,” said Julie Bos, group manager and certified credit counselor for GreenPath Inc. in Grand Rapids, Mich.

A homeowner who is behind on payments will see credit score damage, and that won’t change from a modification.

“If you’re already delinquent, your credit is already impacted,” said John Snyder, manager of foreclosure programs for NeighborWorks America.

But consumers who are making their mortgage payments are getting modifications, too, perhaps because wages were cut or jobs were lost. They may be struggling to stay current, but their credit may not be bad when they start a modification.

At Bank of America, consumers who are current on mortgage payments could show up as being delinquent in the bank’s system after a trial modification period begins because they’re paying less than the actual mortgage payment during that trial period.

At the end of the trial period, the bank said it brings its system up to date when the loan is converted to a permanent modification.

Some might argue that it’s not a wise move to take on more debt, such as a car loan, if a person saw a cut in pay and needed a home loan modification. But many consumers often cannot control when their car breaks down.

On top of that, lenders benefit from home loan modifications because potential foreclosures can be avoided.

Unknowingly though, many consumers discover themselves boxed in later when they try to get approved for credit.

“They’re concerned about the damage to their credit. They’re not happy about it,” said Bos.

“If you go out and try to purchase a car in two months, you could be denied,” she said.

Or you might have to get a co-signer or put down a bigger downpayment or accept a higher interest rate to get a loan.

What’s stranger is that not all home loan modifications will hit consumers in the same way on their credit reports.

Consumers who modify their mortgages under federal programs, such as the Making Home Affordable and the Home Affordable Modification Program, now can do so without hurting their credit scores since those modifications are listed as a “loan modified under a federal plan” as of Nov. 1.

Here’s the sticking point: If you are able to modify your loan through an individual bank or credit union’s program and not a government plan, it’s likely your credit score will be hurt.

To complicate matters further, eventually a “loan modified under a federal plan” on your credit report could hurt your score, too.

Ulzheimer noted that the only reason the new reporting guidelines do not damage your credit scores is because FICO, the company that created the FICO credit score, hasn’t had a chance to study the long-term predictive value of loan modifications to credit risk.

Still, homeowners who are in trouble must realize that a foreclosure or a short sale would be listed as a charge-off or settlement on a credit report and last seven years, Ulzheimer said, while a modification would typically last a few years.

If you do receive a loan modification, ask questions and be more careful about how you handle your credit elsewhere to try to combat any potential damage.

Before making any moves, talk to a nonprofit housing counselor. See www.findaforeclosurecounselor.org.

How to keep up your credit score

These days, a good score is around 720 points or higher. Here are some tips to help you maintain or improve your credit score:

• Do not apply for several credit cards. Applying for a store credit card could cut 10 points off the credit score of some consumers with good credit.

• Pay all bills on time – utilities, mortgage, credit cards, etc. Lenders customarily don’t report you as late to the credit bureaus until you have missed the original due date by at least 30 days. Being a month late with all payments, for example, might lower a credit score by from 60 to 110 points.

• Missing a payment on one account that wasn’t already late could slice 40 to 75 points from some credit scores.

• Keep your credit card balances low on all cards, much lower than half of the available limit on your credit cards. Maxing out can cut credit scores by 45 to 100 points.

• Negotiating a debt settlement with creditors can lower some credit scores by 45 to 125 points. A short sale on a home would be reported as a debt settlement.

• A loan modification to get a lower mortgage payment and stay in your home could impact your credit score. In some cases, consumers could see credit scores drop by 100 to 150 points.

• Having your home foreclosed on could knock 45 to 100 points off your credit score, depending on where your score started.

• Filing for bankruptcy will hurt some credit scores by 195 to 255 points.

© 2010 Detroit Free Press, Susan Tompor. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune News Service.

Faux said her staff is accepting applications for homestead, portability, widow, widower, disability, veterans, senior, religious and charitable exemptions as well as applications for agricultural classification, also known as greenbelting.

Applicants filing for homestead exemption for the first time must apply in person and bring their recorded deed and proof of residency, which includes Florida driver license, Florida vehicle registration, Florida voter registration or resident alien card.

Persons filing for any exemption are required to present their Social Security cards.

A husband and wife must both have Florida driver licenses, if both drive.

Homestead exemptions are allowed on mobile homes if the landowner also is the owner of the mobile home. The mobile home registration must be provided at the time of filing.

A widow or widower must provide a copy of their late spouse’s death certificate.

Applicants for the disability exemption must provide a letter from a certified Florida physician verifying a total and permanent disability.

Veterans exemption applicants must provide documentation of percentage of service-connected disability from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

12.8% more homes sold in 2009 than in 2008, and there are 20.5% fewer homes for sale today than at the end of 2008. 

The average sales price increased 1.5%. However, the average price per square foot declined 9.2%.

Buyers are more serious during the holidays. Anyone shopping for a home during the holidays probably has to buy before a certain deadline. Therefore some buyers may be looking to relocate before the new year. Investors may also want to close before the end of the year for tax reasons. If you live near a university, students and staff may be looking for homes between academic sessions, and if you live near a military base, servicemen and women may be moving to the area. Work with me, Sandy DiTirro, your agent to target these motivated buyers. Buyers have more time to house-hunt. Buyers who are looking at this time during the holidays are serious about making a purchase. Some buyers purposely wait until their families are together for holiday vacations to start looking for a home. Homes show better in the winter. Decked out in lights and garland, homes often look their best during the holiday months. Take advantage of the Holidays and spruce up your homes to make them more festive. Deck the halls, but don’t go overboard, just enough to make your prospects feel at home and your home still looking spacious.

Home sellers can’t always take a holiday from keeping their house on the market. Instead, they should consider ways to turn the holidays to their advantage. By holding a holiday-themed open house – maybe instead of the traditional Sunday afternoon open house; your home could be open in the evening to take advantage of a festive holiday light display. Keep in mind to not block or cover up important selling features such as fireplace mantels, stairs, stained-glass windows. Tone down the size of tree. In place of a 10-foot tree, try decorating a table-top, four-foot version. Set a plate of cookies on the counter, next to festive paper napkins for guests. Giving house hunters a place to escape from the cold is another excellent way to get them inside your home.

The holidays are stressful enough without having to think about staging and open houses, so if you’re not truly motivated to sell, it’s probably best to wait a few months. But if you absolutely have to sell, don’t be discouraged. A good agent like myself can take the burden off of your shoulders, giving you more time to enjoy the season.

With these tips in mind, it is possible to enjoy the holidays and still successfully feature a home for sale on the real estate market. Now is still a good time as ever in the Niceville, Eglin Airforce Base, Destin Florida areas.

Homeownership is typically given a lot of importance and homeowners are generally allowed to do whatever they wish in their homes. Homeowners have the right to make choices and decisions regarding changes to their homes that renters may not be able to make.

Homeownership is a financial goal most families share. There are significant community benefits to homeownership as well. Owning a home gives residents a stake in the community and a sense of “rootedness” in their neighborhoods. Enjoying the privacy that a home brings, making long lasting friendships with neighbors and best of all taking pride in your home. The pride you’ll feel in owning and improving your home is an emotional value that cannot be expressed in dollars and cents. The value of homeownership has been thought to pro-mote thrift, stability, and neighborliness.

Homeownership is thought to be an important element in achieving personal fulfillment. When asked to define the good life, polls have shown that many Americans value owning a home over such factors as an automobile, a happy marriage, an interesting or high-paying job, and good health. The value of homeownership is credited with increasing self-esteem, life satisfaction, and an overall feeling of worth. Owning a home embodies the promise of individual independence but there are also many responsibilities that come with owning a home. The value of homeownership has been thought to pro-mote thrift, stability, and neighborliness.

If you are looking to buy your own home in Niceville, Eglin Airforce Base, Destin Florida areas, these are some points to consider when seeing the value of homeownership. Allow me, your Real Estate agent, Sandy DiTirro to help you see the value of homeownership.
]]> http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/the-value-of-homeownership/feed/ 0 http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/the-value-of-homeownership/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NicevilleHomesForSale/~3/fxeRPLY7JzY/ http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/going-green-in-florida/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:54:57 +0000 Sandy DiTirro http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/?p=20 Have you heard the news! Green real estate is getting lots of buzz. More and more homebuyers are looking for ways to increase their green footprint. They are looking for that perfect home and yard that will give them eco-luxury. Going Green in Niceville, Eglin Airforce Base, Destin Florida is happening as we know it.

Not only are we worried about our cleaning supplies being green, but now we want our homes to be green also. Homes with amenities like Gammpar floors, LEED-certified building materials, double-paned windows and even docking stations for electric cars! Also, homes that boast features like rainwater harvesting, passive air ventilation, reclaimed fixtures and recycled content tile and flooring.

This may all seem very over-whelming, but there are a lot of sites on the web that will help you fully understand just what finding a “green” home entails. It will be worth the research and will make your life more comfortable in the long run. Just “Google” the words “green real estate”, for starters. Enjoy the search and learn what makes a “green” home; a home that you want to be a part of. We all want to do our part and so let’s enjoy all of the eco-luxury that we can.

Just a side note – there’s no denying that the mortgage meltdown has meant tragedy for many home owners. But take a look around. You’ll see there’s very positive activity in many vibrant markets throughout the US especially in Niceville, Eglin Airforce Base, Destin Florida areas. By focusing on the good news and passing the message around, we can help speed up the market recovery. Don’t panic, let’s all do our part!
]]> http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/going-green-in-florida/feed/ 0 http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/going-green-in-florida/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NicevilleHomesForSale/~3/2fkqOZoRtK8/ http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/new-bluewater-bay-homes-for-sale/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:27:41 +0000 SandyDiTirro http://www.nicevillehomesforsale.com/new-bluewater-bay-homes-for-sale/ Check out the web site www.TheSeaShores.com for updated real estate in Bluewater Bay, Niceville and Destin.

In the $300,000 to $399,999 the average sales price was $341,260 with an average price per square foot of $141.05. The average days on the market was 217 days.

During the last four months there were 7 homes sold in Bluewater Bay in the $400,000-$499,999 price range. The average sale was $446,129 with average price per square foot of $140.39. The average days on the market was 176.