real estate | Kristin Graziano Group

Renovating To Add To Your Home’s Resale Value

June 2, 2019 By admin

When you renovate your home, you want to get the most bang for your buck. Not only do you want to make your home a better place for you and your family to live, but you also want your renovations to add to your home’s resale value.

But what, exactly, are the features that will help your home sell faster?

According to recent data from Realtor.com (which analyzed more than 1 million single-family listings), the top three renovations that will help you sell your home quickly and at a prime price point? A chef’s or gourmet kitchen, a theater room, and a home gym. These renovation projects were named the “most profitable home features for sellers banking on quick sales.”

Those three features were deemed the most profitable. But they weren’t the only renovations that helped homes fly off the market. Also included on the list of features that will help your home sell faster include a three-car garage (#4), solar panels (#5), a home office (#9), and an in-ground pool (#10).

The Takeaway

If you’re thinking about renovating and adding features to your home, you’re going to want to think about your return on investment and choose a renovation that’s going to help your home sell quickly and profitably. Call us and we can do an initial walk through with you and talk through the areas you are considering.

5 Expert Tips For Protecting Your Home While Away on Summer Vacation

May 31, 2019 By admin

Summer is one of the most popular times of the year for vacations (thanks to the kids extended time off from school). But unfortunately, that also means it’s a prime time of year for home invasions and burglaries.

A big part of the uptick in crime during the summer might have to do with the increase in empty homes thanks to summer vacations. But as long as you take the steps to protect your home, you can avoid coming home to an unfortunate situation.

Here are five ways to protect your home while you’re off enjoying your summer vacation:

1. Install An Alarm System

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Obviously, the best way to protect your home from potential burglars is by installing an alarm system. Just the threat of an alarm system (like a sign in your yard or a sticker on a window) can be enough to deter potential burglars.

When you install an alarm system, the company equips all potential entry ways with alarms. If someone tries to enter the home while the alarm is enabled, the alarm will ring until someone disables it with a code. If the alarm isn’t disabled, the alarm company will immediately notify both you and the authorities and send police to investigate the break-in. Some alarm companies also install cameras at the entrances which you can connect to your phone, giving you the ability to check in on your property while you’re away on vacation. Check in with local alarm companies and get estimates; companies will often offer incentives like discounted rates or free installation in order to get your business.

2. Pay Someone To Mow The Lawn

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If you’re going to be traveling for an extended period of time, make sure you hire someone to mow the lawn. An overgrown lawn is a visible indicator that no one’s in the home and can attract unwanted attention.

Have someone mow the lawn on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. And as an added bonus, since someone is taking care of maintenance, you don’t have to worry about coming home to a nightmare of lawn to deal with after your vacation! If you hire someone you know and trust, you might also ask the person taking care of your lawn to do a quick walk-through of the home and make sure everything is in working order. If you have a maintenance issue inside the home while you’re gone, the person can bring it to your attention before it gets out of hand.

3. Don’t Forget About The Mail

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Before you leave for your vacation, put a hold on your mail with the USPS. An overflowing mailbox isn’t ideal for a number of reasons; first off, it’s a sure sign that your family is away. And on top of that, an overflowing mailbox increases the chance that something might fall out and get lost in the shuffle.

Protect your home (and your mail!) and put a hold on delivery until you return from your vacation.

4. Set Timers

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Nothing says “empty house” like a home that stays dark for 12 days straight. Setting timers on your electronics, including lights and televisions, can give the illusion that people are occupying the home even when you’re miles away enjoying your vacation.

You can pick up timers at any hardware store (or on Amazon), plug them into your electronics, and program them to turn on and off at specified times.

5. Be Cautious on Social Media

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When you’re on vacation, you want to share all your fun photos and status updates of the fun time you and your family are enjoying. But it’s important to be cautious on social media.

Publicly posting you’re on vacation on social media can let the wrong person know that you’re not currently occupying your home.

Make sure that your social media accounts are set to “private” before sharing any of your vacation updates; that way, the only people who see your updates are people you know and trust and you avoid broadcasting to the world your home is unoccupied.

You deserve a vacation. Just make sure you follow these tips to protect your home while you’re off enjoying your time off.

HomeBuyers Finding Homes Faster This Year

May 18, 2019 By admin

The path to homeownership can be a long one—particularly in 2018 when low inventory and high competition made it increasingly difficult for potential home buyers to successfully find and purchase homes. But according to recent data, it looks like 2019 is shaping up to be a little easier.

According to recent data from Redfin, in early 2019 the time it took the average homebuyer to move from their first home tour to closing on their new property was 73 days—three full days shorter than the same time in 2018 when it took 76 days (and down from a peak of 84 days in winter 2016). Homeowners are also having to tour fewer properties to find their home—an average of 10 in 2019 compared to 11 in 2018.

:: The Takeaway :: It looks like in 2019 it’s easier and faster to purchase property. So if you’ve been thinking about buying a new home, now is a great time to make a move. Give us a call.

Now’s the Time to Buy

April 23, 2019 By admin

The past few years in the US, real estate markets have been marked by historically low inventory, increasing prices, and fierce competition for property—which has made it extremely challenging for potential buyers to successfully find and purchase homes.

But it looks like that’s starting to change. This spring, the housing market in the US is projected to be much more buyer-friendly than it has been in recent years.

In a recent article for Forbes, Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of REALTORS™, said that the spring season will mark improving conditions for buyers. Yun cites numerous factors for his optimistic spring market projections including improved consumer sentiment about the economy (which is at a near all-time high), falling mortgage rates, and increasing incomes across the country, which will help with housing affordability (according to the article, the recent wage gain of 3.4% is the highest the US has seen in ten years).

Ready to go house hunting? We love it and are ready to take you on the hunt—call us today!

Getting the Mortgage Monkey Off Your Back

April 9, 2019 By admin

Only 34% of Americans own their homes free and clear. All other homeowners have a mortgage they’re chipping away at. If you have a mortgage you may want to consider paying it off early.

Before you begin, you should know…

Some states allow lenders to implement prepayment penalties, which means it could actually cost you more to pay off your mortgage early. Regulations vary per situation, so before you proceed, find out from your lender if you’d face a prepayment penalty on your mortgage.

If there is a penalty…

Decide if it’s worth it to you. Fines are typically a percentage of the mortgage itself. Carefully evaluate risk versus reward before committing.

If there is no penalty…

Start chipping away at your principal as soon as you can. The first five years is the best time to make additional payments toward your principal.

11 House Fails That Could Ruin A Sale

February 26, 2019 By admin

When you’re looking for a home, you probably have a couple of lists in your head: the must-haves, the nice-to-haves, and the absolute deal-breakers. Unfortunately, most of the places on this list fall into that third category, unless, of course, you’re handy or have a big budget for repairs. Check out these strange but hilarious home fails that would definitely have you looking elsewhere.

See a few more here and then comment and share some of your encounters with home hunting fails below!

Renovating To Add To Your Home’s Resale Value

The Takeaway