Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

The lawn and landscape speak volumns.  Keep the lawn green with regular watering and the occasional fertilizing treatment.  Also, mow as needed and include edging.  Be sure to trim the shrubs and hedges, and weed the plant beds.  Colorful seasonal flowers is always a nice addition.  And don’t let stray trash collect along the fenceline.

For assistance selling your home, visit any of the professionals at Distinctive Properties, Inc.  Or visit us online at www.distinctiveprop.com

Stay tuned for more tips.

Most buyers are influenced by first impressions, which of course is your home’s exterior.  Repair or replace those items that can use an update:  shutters, shingles, screens.  Paint is always a good way to freshen up the exterior.  Pressure washing vinyl siding takes off years.  Stay tuned for more tips.  In the meantime, take a look at Distinctive Properties’ latest weekly statistics by clicking on this link.

 http://bit.ly/acO6ev

We,  the Realtor Association put our Money where our Mouth is. Watch the video for good information about what is being done for you.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?play=1&video=1535032423

In this day and age when money it tight and people are watching their expenses , Radio Host Dave Ramsey has become a ‘guru’ expousing logical reasons to payoff debt, using a budget, and continually gives on investments and the best deal for your money. His Financial Peace University classes are a must for anyone struggling with debt, just starting out or simply trying to make their money stretch.  So here is a reprint of the question asked above – Is it better to find a real estate agent - or go it alone? 

 http://www.distinctiveprop.com/files/files/DaveRamsey.pdf

The Tri-Cities has been so fortunate to have escaped the housing bust throughout the nation, however, the large price jump for lumber is something we can’t avoid. The rising lumber costs equates to rising costs for builders and thus, rising housing costs.  Lumber prices have doubled and then quadrupled over the last year which has been a shock for builders and contractors. With the lowering of production comes laying off of employers and eventually the closing of mills. As the housing market returns production is having a tough time keeping up.

All of this means higher home prices for buyers, at least for awhile. The local Home Builders Association believes that mid-summer the lumber prices will drop again which in turn should drop the home prices. There is, however, a gamble in waiting for the right home because if you wait for the lumber costs to go down, you might face higher interest rates as they slowly climb upward.

The Tri-Cities housing market has been fortunate compared to other parts of the nation as far as the number of foreclosures that have occurred here, but some folks have had to sell their homes in a short sale situation. It’s taken more than a year, but the federal government’s short-sale rules took effect April 5. Lenders must now use standardized forms and time lines, and if they already participate in the government’s program for modifying loans of troubled borrowers, they’re limited in the restrictions they can impose when they process short sales. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are set to release their own versions of the rules, though they haven’t said when. When they do, most loans will apply (FHA-backed loans are the exception). For more, watch this video “Understanding Federal Short Sales Rules” at www.REALTOR.org/shortsales.