8 Ways to Make Your Home Sell Faster

Simple fixes and staging practices can focus buyers’ attention in the right places and keep them from getting sidetracked by personal items in the home. Here are some staging suggestions from Deborah Ehrlich-Layne of Staging Plus in Tampa, Fla., Handyman Matters, and HGTV’s The Stagers.

• Eliminate countertop clutter. A countertop covered with small appliances and utensils looks crowded, not spacious.
• Pack up the too-personal. Don’t leave toiletries on the counter. Stash family photos.
• Be prepared for snoops. Prospective buyers pull open drawers, look in closets and peek behind the shower curtain.
• Make sure things work. Dripping faucets, burned-out light bulbs, and squeaking hinges detract from the home’s appeal.
• Think “white-glove clean.” Mop, dust, vacuum, clean baseboards, wash windows. Make sure the house looks fresh and smells neutral.
• Make sure the front door is clean and the hardware polished. Power-wash walkways.
• Store furniture that makes rooms feel crowded.
• Show every room for the kind of room it is. Maybe you’ve turned your formal dining room into a home office. Get rid of the desk and computer, and bring back the dining table and chairs.

Source: The Dallas Morning News (09/05/08)

What is PMI? Is it tax deductible?

The federal government’s Private Mortgage Insurance legislation is great news for the Real Estate Industry! Enacted on January 1st, 2007, the bill makes Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) tax deductible for new borrowers whose personal adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less. For millions of home buyers, the bill creates an amazing opportunity to finance a more expensive home or potentially obtain a lower payment for the same-priced home, while reducing annual income taxes by hundreds of dollars. 

What is PMI?
Designed to protect lenders from defaults and foreclosures, Private Mortgage Insurance is required for loans exceeding 80% of the property’s value or sales price. Prior to the new legislation, PMI was generally viewed with contempt by homebuyers because of its perceived high cost and the fact that it was not tax deductible. For many borrowers, PMI was the only means available for financing their mortgage. 

It wasn’t until the 1990s, when lenders began allowing “piggyback” financing, that homeowners and home buyers had an opportunity to finance a home without PMI. Under this scenario, buyers would take out two loans to cover the total amount borrowed. The first mortgage accounted for a minimum of 80% of the purchase price or appraised value of the home; and the second mortgage, or “piggyback”, covered the remaining amount required to fund the transaction. 

For Animal-Lovers

A friend shared this “reunion” video with me.  It features Christian the Lion and I verified this is indeed a true story.  I hope you enjoy it! – Becky

Here is an album of pictures I took on vacation 9/13/2008 at the Wild Animal Park in Escondido, CA.  My husband and I went to a special event called “The Cheetah Run” which was a memorable experience! Enjoy our photos! – Becky

Need to Refi but have no Equity?

Q: What if I need to refinance but have no equity?

Well, this is when you call the mortgage company that gets your monthly check and ask for mercy. Mercy usually looks like one of the following:  a portfolio refinance, a loan modification or a hardship adjustment.  Basically, these are just different ways of improving the terms of your existing loan. 

While each of these has its advantages, the bad part about any of the options is that you usually have to call your lender three or four times before you get someone on the phone who even knows what you’re asking for.  Often customer service representatives won’t know what you want or how to help you.  Don’t be surprised if you get passed around or if you seem to hit a dead end—be diligent and call back. 

Eventually, you will get someone who knows what you are talking about.  Just remember: Don’t sign anything without reading it completely.  Because of pressures from the market and the government, most banks are on the up and up right now, but there’s still a chance that the language could be misleading or that a prepayment penalty has been added. 

If you need help interpreting the paperwork, don’t hesitate to send it to me for review—this is what I am here for.

Carrie Neidorf

Loan Officer

Sun American Mortgage Company

4140 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 206

Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phone:  480.467.1036

Fax:      480.924.6759

Mobile: 602.770.8977

Email:   carrie.neidorf@sunamerican.com

My Interview with “The Celebrity Experience” author Donna Cutting

How would you describe the state of customer service today?

Well, it’s certainly easier for most people to come up with poor customer service stories than it is for them to come up with exceptional ones. The good news is that it doesn’t take much to make an “ordinary” person feel like a star! Just give them your full attention and do what you can to go the extra mile.

What can service providers learn from Hollywood about how to treat their customers?

So many things – but I’d like to share this one here: Be Trustworthy! Celebrities are some of the most insecure people on the planet, because so many people are out to take advantage of their fame. They tend to feel comfortable doing business with people they know they can trust. There’s a great story about this in my book in the chapter called ‘The Booger Principle.’ (You read that right!)

The same is true of non-famous people. When it comes to realtors, auto mechanics, anyone with something to sell, we don’t know who we can trust. It’s tempting in a down market to lead your prospective clients onto paths that are not best for them in the long-run just to make the sale. However, people will only buzz about your service if you did right by them. Let your clients know that you are in their corner – and eventually, what goes around, comes around.

What do customers want from a service provider?

They want friendly service, quality products, efficient systems, and attention to detail. They want someone to listen to their needs, and stay with them until their problem is solved or their question is answered. They want you to respect their time.

Master those basics, and you deliver great service. However, it’s what they don’t know they want that truly WOW’s them! That’s an experience that is unique, personalized, and unforgettable. An experience that makes them stop short, get excited and run out to tell all their friends. It’s when you can master that kind of service that you are giving your customers The Celebrity Experience.

I Heart Google Chrome!

Hi Everyone,

Just a note to say I am LOVING the new web browser by Google called CHOME.  It is genius.  Forget Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla, Safari….If you want it too visit www.google.com/chrome - it came out today!!!

Lover of all things Google,

-Becky

Here is a link to see some screen shots of the new web browser by Google called CHROME - http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/007645.html

Cool parts I like so far (been using it for only an hour!)…

1 – The search bar field is a google search and your url http:// area – it does both!

2 – Easily bookmark frequented sites that are placed so conveniently!

3 – The tabs are swell.

4 – Your homepage can be a collection of your most visited sites (thumbnail images of each site)

5 – You can put shortcut applications of websites on your desktop/start menu.

As an example I have my gmail and google calendar as a desktop application now which can run without being on the Internet!  I also have gmail, googlemaps, amazon.com, azcentral, and the FlexMLS as easy to reach bookmarks near the search bar.  And they look so cute and sleek.  Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below!