Tri-Cities WA Homes Selling

April 21st, 2011

If you’re trying to sell your home and you have a “neighbor problem”, it can really impede the home selling process. Although they may be great people, messy neighbors can cost you money. Real estate experts say a nearby property with peeling paint, an overgrown yard and clutter could easily knock off 5% to 10% of the sale price on your home. Of course, we all want to be diplomatic when dealing with this potential situation so here are 4 strategies for getting the mess cleaned up.

1 . Start with a conversation: If your neighbor is a drug dealer, owns dangerous dogs or is otherwise belligerent, you won’t want to risk knocking on the door. Otherwise, approaching your neighbor in a friendly, low-key manner can be a good start.

The script could go something like this, “We’re going to be putting our house on the market soon, and we really want it to show well. But we’re afraid that people who don’t know what nice neighbors you are might be a little put off by the condition of your yard right now. It’s so hard to keep up with everything, isn’t it? We’d be more than happy to help you tidy up a bit if you’d like.”

If your neighbor is elderly or disabled and simply not able to maintain her property, for example, you may be able to help her find free or low-cost services that can help. Habitat for Humanity’s often has a program that offers exterior painting, landscaping, weatherstripping and minor repairs to low-income homeowners who can’t care for their homes because of age, disability or family circumstances. Many local governments offer similar programs as well.

2 . Find the owner. If your sloppy neighbors are tenants and the direct approach doesn’t work, or if the home is vacant, you’ll want to track down the owner. A real-estate agent can help you, or you can visit your county property-tax assessor’s office.

Then send a letter to the landlord or lender, complete with photos of the problem, and request action in getting the property cleaned up. If you get no response, consider giving the contact information to other fed-up neighbors and ask that they send letters as well.

If a property has been foreclosed on, you can complain — loudly — to the lender to take care of the property.

3. Enlist help. If you have a homeowners association, make a formal request that it take action.

Your city or county public-health department may also be able to step in, particularly if trash or other unsanitary conditions are attracting vermin. The city or county building department should be notified of other obvious hazards, such as holes in a roof or a collapsing porch.

If you can’t get local agencies to help, appeal to your elected representatives at the city or county level. Sometimes these folks can kick the bureaucracy into gear.

4. Practice mitigation. If your best efforts don’t work, a privacy fence or tall hedge, if allowed, could help screen the problem. Otherwise, do what you can to make your own property shine and divert attention from the neighbor’s mess. Stage, paint, and fix up any problems to make your house look like a model home and a very nice place to live.

March 17th, 2011

Since curb appeal plays a huge factor in how a prospective buyer views your home and has a lasting impression, this time of year it is very important to get a great head start on that maintenance! Though the types of tools you use to prune do make a difference and can make a gardener’s life easier, the timing of pruning is just as important in creating a vibrant and colorful garden. Click here for a comprehensive article created by Good Housekeeping which should be helpful!

January 27th, 2011

Sensory research shows that the smell of a home can affect a person’s mood according to Terry Molnar, executive director of The Sense of Smell Institute, a New York based organization that focuses on the importance of smell to human psychology, behavior, and quality of life.

A light floral fragrance can put people in a more pleasant mood, while citrus scents, such as lemon and grapefruit, tend to have an energizing effect, he says. “Vanilla is one scent that’s universal around the globe, “ Molnar says. “People find it comforting and relaxing.” 

But be careful: When you add smells to a home, it can be viewed as an attempt to cover up a bad odor. And if that’s the intent, it can make the problem worse. So what if you do need to get rid of a bad smell? Here are some ideas from home staging professionals: 

• Take the trash out. It’s simple, but it can make a big difference. When the home is being shown, sellers should empty the garbage often.
• Snuff out the smoke. Sellers are encouraged to eliminate all smoking inside and even outside, particularly when all the doors and windows are open. An ionizer can help remove smoke smells.
• Watch the cooking. The smell of lamb, broccoli, garlic, fish and eggs can stick around long after the food has been eaten.
• Wash Fido. Pets can be a big source of smells. Limit the pet odor to an outdoor area or a certain room in the house that can be regularly cleaned. Also, clean the pet’s bedding regularly. 

Remember, your Real Estate Agent is there to help you succeed, so ask them if they have any recommendations or suggestions if you have a particularly “smelly situation”!

*This blog was comprised by using excerpts from a Home & Design article in REALTOR magazine.

November 16th, 2010

Well, the holidays are fast approaching and if you are like me, when December 1st rolls around you wonder, “Where did the year go?!”  So, I’ve decided to enjoy the holiday season to the fullest and start decorating!  I’ve noticed that I’m not alone.  Not only have businesses started putting lights and decorations up, so have other residences.

Now, if you are trying to sell your home in the Tri-Cities right now, you might be thinking decorating for Christmas/Holidays is a bad idea!  But actually, well, you’re wrong!  Now understand if potential buyers walk into your home and they think they’ve stepped into Santa’s workshop, (that would be our house ) then yes, you might want to scale back this year!  However, lights up outside, a wreath on the front door, greenery around the windows, snowmen and other figurines placed on shelves, table decorations, etc. you get the idea…  These are all excellent ideas and in fact can make your home feel warmer and more welcoming.

So, I challenge you all to start decorating early!  This will allow you to enjoy the holiday atmosphere for more than the blink of an eye and possibly slow down the craziness that can be associated with this Season.  And if you are thinking of selling your home, or have your home listed and aren’t quite sure how far to decorate, please feel free to contact our office at (509) 735-1025.  We would love to help – with questions that is, you’re on your own for hanging up the lights.

August 9th, 2010

I (Lance Kenmore) recently became an EPA Certified Renovator.  It was definitely some overkill but it is necessary that I not only know the rules with lead based paint and what our disclosures are, but also some understanding of what the process is for people working with and dealing with Lead based paint. 

Beginning April 22nd of this year anyone who renovates, repairs, or paints in homes that were built prior to 1978 that have lead based paint must be a certified renovator or supervised by one.  I can tell you from experience and seeing things that really happen in the field that this is either not the case, or many people are ignoring the procedures they are supposed to follow.

Homeowners – please especially if you have kids and live in a house built prior to 1978 – hire a certified renovator for your paint and remodel projects if you are still living in the home.  This needs to be contained. Airborne Lead based paint particles pose serious risks to children and adults.  On a most basic level – never dry sand a wall with paint that may have lead based paint in it. 

Even more so for our contractors that are not certified – if you plan on working in pre 1978 – get certified because this is serious and could cost you and your business some serious money and liability.  I was very happy to see many apartment owners and local contractors taking the course – in fact two classes were sold out. 

The class was put on by Benton-Franklin Rental Owners Association (BROA), they offer a lot of great information to people who have rentals or have considered owning rentals. 

It is highly doubtful you will find me doing this work myself, but now I can identify what has to be done and when work is being done incorrectly.  We always believe that more education makes us better agents.  If you have any questions about lead based paint or housing in general – feel free to contact us at 509-727-8977 or by email at sold@kenmoreteam.com

August 9th, 2010

We want to take the guesswork out of determining the value of your home. We frequently take calls from someone wanting to know what their house is worth, what improvements they might or might not make and how that will impact value. This is the Kenmore Team approach of going about determining the value of your home…            

Let’s first get the guilt questions out of the way that we get from the public – Are we wasting your time? How much does this cost? 

The answer to both of those questions are – No you are not wasting our time as long as we are looking at a team approach to selling your house, and for the second part, this is part of our service to help you make good decisions, our initial consultation is free.  This is what we do. 

So then, What is the Process? 

Step 1.  We need to schedule a time to come inspect the property and talk with you as the owners.  What this does is allow us to look at the house and collect data.  Most of this process is just the specifics.

1.  How many beds, baths
2.  Square footage
3.  Improvements you have made to the house
4.  Stuff we cannot see – extra insulation, upgraded heating and cooling, special orientation

Now there are a number of factors that we also look at while we are at your house that are not so scientific. 

1.  What do the neighbors houses look like
2.  Which direction does the patio face
3.  How is your condition – paint, carpets, animals
4.  Kids rooms – super bright colors 

Step 2.  Once we leave the home we have our notes and we have actually been through your house.  Now we can start the pricing process.

1.  What has sold that is similar? When we say sold we mean sold.  Not asking, not active, not maybe but what has closed.  There is a big difference and this category normally gets the most amount of weight when determining price, the Solds. 

a.  We like to keep square footage close to the same.  Now for instance if you are 1500 sq ft, we don’t want to compare your house to a 2000 sq. ft. house,

b.  Style of house is also a big factor – two stories are generally cheaper to build than say a rambler, split entries are less desireable. Now some things can cross – say a split with a mid entry or a rambler with a bonus. 

c. Once we find the closest sold match we can drive by that and then we can figure out how much stuff matches up.  This is where we really start to narrow our pricing down. 

2.  Next up on the agenda is what has sold in the last 30-45 days but not yet closed, the Under Contracts.

a.  This is like a real-time snapshot of the market.  If the market is trending up or down, this is where you find out how much.  You can call agents and ask questions about the deals.  In many cases you can even tour these houses.

3.  We now look at your competition, so houses currently for sale, the Actives.

a.  Who has the same bedrooms, bathrooms, and similar square footage, within 2 miles of your house that is currently for sale.

b.  Review how Buyers shop for homes, think how you would shop for a home, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.

i.  Meet with an agent for initial consultation of what they are looking for.

ii.  Search the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) that meet their criteria and search online on their own

iii.  Buyer’s want to see the best 6 homes, preferably the ones that seem to offer the same amenities for the best price.

c.  Knowing this is how Buyers shop, we like to put your house in this top 6, preferably putting you in the number 1 spot.

Taking all this into account, we can then come up with a marketable price for your home.  If you have any more questions about this process or would like some more informaiton feel free to contact The Kenmore Team at 509-727-8977 or sold@kenmoreteam.com.

December 1st, 2009

If you own a manufactured home and have ever thought about adding a carport, breezeway, or covered patio – save yourself a headache later on and make sure you not only have a building permit but after you make the alterations that you have L&I inspect it. This will save you a lot of trouble when you go to resell. There are very specific guidelines about what you can and cannot do in regards to connecting and attaching structures to an existing manufactured home.  If you go to resell and do not have an L&I inspection this can cause you costly delays and headaches. Please make sure to always consult the experts and use licensed contractors. If you need referrals to any of the above mentioned professionals please feel free to contact me, Lance Kenmore at (509) 727-8977 or visit our website at http://www.kenmoreteam.com.