Waiting Until Spring?

Many people have been thinking about relocating over the long Winter, whether it’s buying a new home in Idaho or selling their current home, it seems like Spring is the time when things really “start to happen”…buy why wait? Why not get the jump on things NOW? Well, there’s a lot going on during Spring! You’re barely caught up from the new year, taxes, and then Spring Break! Next thing you know it’s mid-July and you’re wondering if you’re ever going to move. If you’re on the fence about things we’ve put together some good reasons why you might not want to wait for the grass to start growing to make your move.

No Better Time Than NOW
That’s the case with a lot of things, and really even if you’re not ready to even start looking for a new home, or selling your current one, there’s still plenty you can do right NOW to work towards things. If you’re buying start checking out the area you plan to move to; if you’re selling start cutting back the clutter before time to pack.

The Market is Moving
Real estate doesn’t care about the weather. Sure, if you live in a remote region the snow will likely keep prospective buyers away but hopefully your Idaho real estate professional has created an evergreen marketing campaign so it stays at the forefront of people’s minds over the cold months. Don’t rest on your laurels in the “slow season”, if anything crank up your efforts to either find your own new place or to get yours sold – because the market is still moving even if you’re not ready to yet!

The Early Bird?
They say the early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese. Sometimes it’s about lasting power, about just being there, and staying there. If you’re buying, you simply can not start early enough looking and planning to find your Idahome. If you’re selling time is also of the essence because it will move faster than you think!

Either way, the best thing to do is establish a connection with an experienced and knowledgeable Idaho real estate professional, like me! So let’s get acquainted – contact me about your home needs, ideas, and dreams so we can start making them a reality today!

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Things to Consider Before You Consider Moving

Relocating is one of the biggest decisions you can face, whether it be across just moving across town or across the country, it can be a daunting task to even think about. Packing. Shutting off services. Work. Finding things in a new place…Before you overwhelm yourself with worry you should know the good news is that you have experienced home professionals close at hand to help you along the way. We’ve put together a few tips that will help you prepare for relocating before you even start considering making a move!

Think About a Yard Sale
Maybe several of them! Having less stuff means having less stuff to move, so even if relocating might be something not on the books until next year you can start making that process easier by getting rid of things you might not need this season.

Think About Visiting Your New Town
If you already have some idea where you will be moving to it never hurts to start touring the area. You’ll likely get somewhat familiar just in your home search, but make sure that you add some intentional destinations to your list as well – important things like hospitals, city offices, and coffee! If you’ll be relocating across country you could even take a mini-vacation there in advanced to scope out potential new favorite places to get excited about.

Think About Starting a List
It can seem like the most nerdy thing you’ll ever do, but start making a list. This should be a list not only of tasks to complete before you move but also items to include in the move itself. Consider getting a dedicated planner so that you have plenty of room to take notes and keep track of important progress, especially once the real estate transactions begin. Having a clear, drawn out idea of what you need to do can be an invaluable tool in getting things done.

Most of all know that you don’t have to go it alone! We’re here to help you at every step of the way, from finding your new place, or selling your current one, and even just helping you get to know town.

Making Your Home Office Work

In recent months, with the rise of the corona virus here in America working from home has become an immediate reality for a lot of people; many more are considering it as an option the longer things go on. It can be hard to find the headspace to work at home without an actual physical space to do so, but it can be done! We’ve put together some ideas for carving out a workspace in your home office to help.

Backyard Boutique
Most people forget about outside of their home when they’re thinking about available space. With bluetooth and wifi readily available these days there’s no reason you can’t set up outside on your patio for the perfect outside office. Some say working outdoors in the sunshine can even improve creativity. There are even ready-built modular room systems so you can plug and play your own She Shed with ease!

Double Duty
The ole reliable guest bedroom! If you have a spare bedroom it is the ideal, go-to option for a home office solution. Plenty of available room with good privacy, the trick is to make sure it stays able to be used when company does drop in.

Closet Hideaway
An extra hallway closet or linen cubby can often easily be converted into a great space to get work done. Depending on your tasks you may not need a ton of room, so a simple fold down table or corner may be perfect.

The important thing is to look at the space you have and re-imagine its potential. The corner of a room can become a platform for your corporate success, it just takes a little work. Maybe it’s time to look for a bigger home? We can help with that too!

Home Buyers! Location Isn’t All There Is!

If you’ve even thought about real estate at some point you’ve likely heard the old tried and true: “Location! Location! Location!”…well, it’s a great saying and location is definitely a big factor, but it’s no longer the be all end all factor that it once was.

What is? These days it should go more like Location, Condition, and PRICE. Confused? What changed? Don’t worry, we’ll lay it all out for you here below…

Location of course is still the first and foremost thing people consider, no one wants to have the perfect place that’s 2 hours from town, uphill both ways, on bad roads with no street lights. But fact is, you can’t change the location of listings any more than the real estate agent can – so it might be one of the items to have a little wiggle room on.

Condition! This is the keystone thing. The home can be in the perfect spot, corner lot and close to everything…but if it’s a total dump do you want it? Sure, there’s “good bones” but do you want – and are you really prepared – to move and then have months of updates and construction to deal with? Likely not. Just the same, there’s wiggle room here too as you can always work with a basic home and really get a lot of return.

Price. Yes! This is the one everyone is concerned about. If it’s in the perfect spot, and in good condition, but is way out of your budget it’s no good after all. While there’s no getting blood from a stone you can find ways to negotiate, especially if you’re working with an experience REALTOR®.

Location may have been all it was about in the old days, but there are so many more available properties being built, with more every day, and that means more options for buyers. As you can imagine, it’s really best when these three factors all come together in equal amounts – the right home in the right place in good condition at a fair price. If you’re struggling to find home, or just don’t know where to start get in touch today to see what can do done to get you on the right road home!

Keep Your Home Cool This Summer!

No doubt about it, for most of the country Summer time is definitely here!

This is certainly true for those of us in the Northwest; while everyone knows some of the usual ways to cool down there’s a few things you can do to keep your house cool this Summer without cranking up the air and that will help keep the power bill down too.

Take a look at these helpful hint to keep you down to a slow sizzle this Summer!

Close Doors
If you have rooms in your home that are largely unoccupied for long periods during the day close the doors. By closing off sections of your house you can help keep cool air inside of the individual rooms easier, especially during the hottest parts of the day.

Change Your Fan Direction
Which way is your fan spinning? Believe it or not it makes a huge difference! In Winter it’s good to use your ceiling fans to pull warm air up, but in Summer turn off the fan and flip the little switch to reverse direction so it runs counter-clockwise – this forces air downwards providing a direct skin cooling effect.

Cool Yourself
It’s a lot more cost effective to cool yourself off than to try to cool down the entire house! Consider dressing lighter, and drinking cool drinks (including plain old water!) to stay hydrated. This will help you feel cooler even if the house is warm.

Close the Curtains
Close up the curtains, especially if you have a sunny facing window or French doors as heat will penetrate your home and cause it to run hotter. Better yet, if possible get thicker black out curtains. Windows and glass surfaces are one of the biggest places where heat will enter your home.

There are plenty of ways to keep your cool! Hopefully these ideas will get you started. Long term things you may also consider include planting shade trees, or adding patio mist systems. Your home should be a place you love living in, get in touch today to find out how we can help make that happen!

Home Buyers: What You Should Really Look For!

There are a million and one details that go into choosing the right home, and even if this is your first home you likely have some idea about the features you want – but how well do those match with what your actual needs are? Just the process of buying can be overwhelming, so it can be easy to overlook important details, especially if you see “the one” house you absolutely love.

We’ve put together some helpful tips you may want to consider before deciding the first home you find is the one for you.

More Than The Look
The outside of your home makes up a big part of it’s value and also the longevity of your house. While shutters, and paint, and all of those things are important it’s also important to consider what direction the house faces (especially if you live in cold climates), as well as other exterior factors like: any visible cracks in the foundation or drive, what is around your home, available parking, and homeowners association restrictions.

Location!
It’s more than a real estate adage. Location matters! It would be terrible to find the perfect house online only to realize on visiting it that you’re in front of the sewage treatment plant, or in a high crime area. Other important factors include proximity to shopping, work, and school.

What’s Inside Matters
What’s inside does count! Look beyond your basic wants from the home however and be sure to keep an eye out for things like available power plugs, available storage, and room size to make sure that you’ll have plenty of space to grow your dreams in.

A lot more than just the number of beds and baths goes into picking the right place! Trust your real estate agent to help you find the home that suits your wants as well as your needs and you can’t go wrong.

You Might Want To Consider A Fixer-Upper

Location location location is the old tried and true mantra for real estate and it does have a lot to do with where you buy, but a lot more goes into the number of reasons with what you buy. While everyone wants that perfect place, that ideal dream home, the real world often has other plans. Buying brand new is always nice and allows for you to build in many of the features you want, but sometimes it’s just not feasible – especially depending on that location location location!

Here are some things you might want to consider regarding fixer-uppers when looking to buy a home:

It Costs Less Upfront
No denying it, an older home will likely costs less – sometimes even if it is larger or has more amenities. This is good and bad of course, and you’ve got to consider a lower upfront cost may mean more expenses down the road.

You Can Build Value
The thing about something old? You can make it better! Buying a home that needs a little love and then making improvements is a great way to add value to the home should you decide to resell.

You Can Make It Your Own
It’s yours. The new is already wore off and you don’t have to worry about adding your own dings and touches.  When you buy a home that you are going to work on improving it gives you that chance to add your own style and even make more modern improvements to just the areas that need them.

So don’t get discouraged if you’re not finding what you want in the design showroom or out there on the market under new construction! Fixer Upper homes have great potential!

Before You Move Consider This!

Making a move can be one of the most stressful things you can do, and that goes double if you’re selling and buying a home as part of that process.

A new town can be disorienting, and not having your usual network of support to rely on can leave you feeling really boggled. There are countless details to remember and take care of, but before all of that there are a few crucial things to ask yourself before you even start thinking about a move.

We’ve put together a list to help you tackle these tasks with ease!

What Is The Market Doing?
Buying a home in a market on the rise is a good idea, whereas buying in a down trend may not be so wise. While no one short of a psychic can tell you what the market will do for sure, a qualified REALTOR® can show you trends so that you can make a decision from an informed standpoint.

Who Do You Know?
Speaking of a support network! A small group of people you can call on in times of need is more valuable than can be expressed. Whether it’s asking about where to find a good place to eat, or needing someone to puppy-sit, it really helps to have some local people you can count on.

Where to Work?
You may be relocating for your job so this might not be a big concern, but if you’re moving for any other reason you’ll almost definitely need income. Research the area online and put out some resumes before you’re even in the area, it never hurts to plan ahead.

How is the Weather?
Unless you’re snowbirding it you will be spending a lot of time in the climate you’re moving to, so it’s important to be prepared for the weather. If you get cold when it dips below 70 Alaska may not be the place for you! Study up on trends, weather hazards like tornadoes, and other elements that may impact your enjoyment of your new home.

These are all good ideas for things to think about when searching for a new place to live. In some cases you may not have much choice if you’re having to relocate for work or family, but with a little planning the move will be much easier. Be sure to talk with a qualified real estate professional too, as they will know the area and can help you get oriented quickly!

Tips to Beat Home Buying Stress

No doubt about it buying a home is a pretty big deal, one of the biggest deals most of us will make during our lifetimes in fact, but there’s no reason it has to overwhelm you with stress.

You will get through it, and with the help of your loved ones and a qualified professional or two, you’ll find there are a lot fewer things to stress about than you’re likely worried over. To help you keep the stress down during buying we’ve put together these tips!

Know What You Want
Easier said than done but having some idea of the type of home, general area you want to live in, or even just the “must-have” items for your new place is key to finding it. Communicate these desires to your agent and go from there.

Listen To Your Agent
Hey, you hired them for a reason! And while they are definitely there to help facilitate your needs one of the reasons you are working with them is because they know real estate on a whole other level. A good agent will know about the area, about potential pitfalls, and can help you find the place where your dreams meet availability.

Talk It Out
The best way to deal with stress sometimes is just to talk it out. Talk to your friends, talk to your family, and especially talk to your agent. They are in your corner and by communicating effectively when you have thoughts or especially concerns you make everyone’s job easier.

Start Early
The best way to avoid stress is not to rush into things. In some cases you may have to move for work or family reasons and the timing may not be your own. Otherwise however, buying a home is definitely something to take at pace. Start saving before you even start looking if you can, go ahead and get familiar with the area, and start looking for the right real estate agent for you.

Getting a home inspection, being patient, accepting compromise…these are all other things that will be part of the process. Just take it one step at a time. The best place to start is to find an agent who understands your needs, knows the market, and who is also a good fit for you personally. Get in touch if you have any other questions!

Important Questions For Relocating Seniors

For many seniors the thought of finding a new home seems daunting to say the least.

In fact, it can be down right frightening depending on one’s situation. But it doesn’t need to be.

The thought of moving by itself can be troublesome, much less finding the right place with the right amenities, and the right price – thankfully your chosen real estate professional will be by your side to help you navigate the ever changing real estate market.

But before you start searching for a new place we’ve put together some things you may want to talk to your REALTOR® about before your move.

What is the demographic of the area?
It’s always good to know your neighbors and the community you will be calling home. As such make sure your area not only has the resources you require but also caters to your personal preferences as well, you may not want to be in a loud neighborhood that has a lot of traffic or that is near a playground.

What are the taxes and on-going costs?
The price of your new place may only part of the cost. Be sure to be aware of any homeowners association fees, utility costs, or community costs that may be part of the area you live in.

How safe is the area?
Your agent should be very familiar with where you will be moving. There is nothing more important than feeling safe where you live. Be sure to do a little homework on crime rates, or just ask outright what they know about the location.

How much home do I need?
Downsizing is common with seniors and so it’s a natural thing to consider how much house you really want. Better yet, how much home do you really need? You may not want or need a ton of space that will need extra upkeep. Talk to your agent about your goals and what your ideal space looks like to you.

The most important thing is to choose the right agent and communicate openly with them. Remember, they are there to help guide you through their experience towards the realization of your vision and that requires all the information you can provide.