Quincy, Il "Really Real REALTOR®" Use your tax money to buy a home!

Tax refunds help so many become homeowners! Why aren't you taking advantage of this opportunity?

A down payment is one of the biggest obstacles that first time home buyers struggle with.
But, during tax return time, most tax payers have more funds than any other time of the year.  There is no better time to qualify for a a new home!   Your tax return may cover your entire down payment for a home loan.  There are also several programs that do not even require a down payment. Even if a down payment isn't required, assets (your tax money) help the strength of a borrower for a loan.  Tax refunds may be used as assets or a down payment right away.

IF YOU USE A NO MONEY DOWN HOME LOAN TO PURCHASE A HOME, CAN YOU SPEND YOUR TAX RETURN MONEY?   LET'S COVER THIS ...

-You can use the money for furniture, curtains, or an emergency fund  (Yes, emergencies come up as a homeowner)

- Pay off debts to help qualify for a loan.   (Talk with a lender before paying off a debt or collection. Lenders can give you the best advice on what will improve your chances to get a home loan.)

- Keep the refund in the bank.  More money in the bank equals a better chance for loan approval.

-Pay down credit card balances to raise credit scores!

-  Use the tax money to pay closing costs    (Your lender can give you an estimated closing costs for your price range of home)

There is this big fear out there in buyers regarding banks.  You don't need to be ashamed if you have credit issues, you need to be educated so you can ultimately reach your goals of owning a home.  I have spoke with so many buyers who instantly say " I don't think I can qualify for a loan".
   Let's turn that around. Example: If you were thinking about putting a pool in your yard, you would look into how you set a pool up, what is the monthly cost for maintenance and how will you budget the new pool?  You look for a way to make something you want happen. Why wouldn't you do that with a home loan?
 It costs nothing to be educated by a lender on where you stand to purchase a home and what you need to do if you don't qualify now. In fact, it literally takes a couple of hours for a lender to run your information and explain to you where you stand.   This is a completely confidential process.  Just like you would educate and prepare yourself for anything else, you can do this for a home loan.

Home ownership is something to be proud of. All of your hard work shows when you buy a home. You aren't throwing away your money anymore on rent. You are investing in your future.  The number one financial investment you can make is buying real estate. What are you waiting for? Call a lender today and get yourself educated. If you don't know where to start, call your REALTOR®.  REALTORS® do this every day. We are trained and EDUCATED on the home buying process.  The best part is a buyers agent is completely free! You don't pay a REALTOR® a dime to work with them if you are a buyer.   Did I have you at FREE? Good.... I should, it makes sense.

A few mortgage products available to First Time Buyer offering low or no down payment:

USDA- No down payment required 

VA- Usually no down payment required. Depends on the entitlement amount and purchase price. 

FHA- Low down payment

Conventional- 3% or more down payment 

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS can even get up to an additional $2,000 tax credit each year!!! 

IF YOU ARE SICK OF RENTING AND READY TO USE THAT TAX MONEY TO BUY A HOME OR YOU ARE READY TO BE EDUCATED, LETS TALK! 

  

Follow me on Facebook for current home listings and market updates:

https://www.facebook.com/century21broughtonteammistydowling/

Quincy, Il REALTOR® "Really Real REALTOR®" Why do you need inspections? Let me break it down for you...

Why do you need inspections and what inspections are most common in a residential real estate transaction?



As you write your contract on your dream home you have a few big decisions that you have to make!  What inspections do you need to have?    The main inspections for residential real estate are 

Radon: 


Home Inspection:







Termite Inspection:





If you are looking at an older home you may also consider lead and or mold inspections. 


Let me explain why it makes sense to have all three of the above inspections (FYI AT BUYERS COST)


So you have saved every penny for your down payment on your dream home and you have found the perfect house.   It's now time to decide if you want these inspections your REALTOR® is telling you that you should have.   Let's start with Radon.

The Radon test costs you estimated $150. You have the test and find out that you have a high Radon test.  Your REALTOR® can now negotiate with the seller to have the seller pay the estimated $1,000 for the Radon Mitigation system to be installed. You see where I am going? You spent $150 and saved yourself $1,000!!!  If the Radon would have came back as acceptable, you would only be out the estimated $150 for the test. It's worth it!


Home Inspections: Would you buy a car without having someone look at it? Umm, no!  You can look at a home by walking through it but you are not trained to see what a Home Inspector can see in a home.  Home Inspections can save you thousands. I would not recommend buying a home without an inspection.  Home Inspections are estimated around $400. I would spend $400 on the possibility of saving thousands. You are not familiar with this new home. You want someone to tell you not only if there is an issue but also what future maintenance you can expect. Yes, Home Inspectors do that!  I have learned so much about homes from home inspections.  Please have a home inspection so you don't have future surprises.


Termite......
Again you spend estimated $70 for a termite inspection and there are termites. Treatment is recommended, your REALTOR® can now negotiate the termite treatment estimated around $900 to be paid by the seller.  You saved money again!


This is why REALTORS® are a value to you. We can explain why you should have an inspection and how it will save you money.  REALTORS® have experience in negotiations and I can promise you they have experience in odd ball issues that do and will come up in a real estate transaction.  I could go into great detail on each of these inspections or you could just hire me to be your REALTOR® and I will take care of it all.

Quincy Il Realtor "The Really Real Realtor" Staging your house for a quick sale

Happy Tuesday!

The local market:  Staging is really taking off in our market.
Three reasons: 1) Sellers want their house to sell quickly and for top dollar. It's worth the cost to stage!
2) I think most of us can admit our home is not magazine photo shoot ready!  We want our home to look it's best for showings so we can achieve number 1.
3) When a home is sitting empty it is hard for a buyer to picture it as their home. When a buyer walks in and instantly feels like they could stay here and make this home, it makes a buyer want to buy your home.

 

So let's talk about cost of home staging.   Let's say you just listed your house with a realtor. Your realtor didn't bring up home staging at this point. You have moved on to your new beautiful home and your house you are selling is now empty. You took the love you put in that home with you. The decorations, the rugs, the "heart" of your home.   Your  empty home has multiple showings. Feedback from agents and buyers is, it's a nice home, priced just right.  Wait, what?  Yes, they are all saying it's a great home, priced right and aren't buying it!!   Why!?  When I take a buyer into a home if the walls are bright pink, I have to give them a vision to see themselves in that home with different color walls. This is the same idea in Home Staging.  A buyer walks into your home with a realtor, they see the over sized rugs, couches with the perfect little pillows and throws. They instantly feel at home. They remember a house where they feel at home. They ask to see that house again because it sticks in their memory. They make an offer to buy on a house that feels  like HOME! So if you list your empty home and it sits on the market after multiple showings and you decide you will just reduce the price for a quick sale now that it's been two months.   Waaaaaait..... drop the price? You mean you will take a few thousand less?   Well wait a minute, if you would have just staged your home which costs on average 1% of your list price and includes professional photos and sells your home in days/weeks and saves you  months of mortgage payments before you put your home on the market you would most likely not be taking less. Your home is not worth less~   

Make the investment to stage, it will pay for itself. 

Always hire a professional for staging. I sell real estate, I am not a professional home stager. You wouldn't hire a plumber to do electrical work! I know what I am good at and what needs a professional. If you make the investment, do it right and it will pay for itself. 

https://www.facebook.com/Stage-One-156215054875920/?fref=ts

The local Staging company I recommend to my clients is StageOne home staging. Amy Schmeideskamp does an exceptional job at staging homes. I once had a realtor friend who came to me and told me this beautiful, newer home with all white walls would not sell. She wanted to know if I had any ideas on why. I told her it is very white, white walls, no curtains. It may be new, but it didn't stand out to me.  I told her about Amy and her amazing interior decorating. We called Amy and asked her to take a look at this house and give us a few ideas. As soon as Amy set foot in the door she knew where everything should be and what was missing. The seller was so impressed with Amy and her ideas, he hired her to  Stage. That home which sat on the market for a few months, went under contract within a week after staging. The seller was so impressed they hired Amy to decorate their new home also.  This gal is top of her field. She brings in her sewing machine and sews the curtains to fit, strips wallpaper boarders {Yes, people borders need to go}   I have provided the link to StageOne above. Check out a few of her before and afters below. These aren't magazine photos. These are local Quincy homes after staging.  Stunning!  

 

 

 Check out my 2nd blog of the week HOME INSPECTIONS later this week. :)

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, call me!

Quincy, Il "The Really Real REALTOR®" Who pays for what in a real estate transaction?

Blog: Who pays for what in a real estate transaction? Who is that person?



When you decide to quit throwing your money away on rent and buy your own home you are introduced to an entire new world with lots of terms. The real estate world. Who's who and why do you need them to buy a home?  Let me explain. I love pictures. So I am going to make this a picture with explanation. :)

Let me make this clear....

There is NO NO NO NO NO charge to a buyer to use a realtor to look for a home. If a realtor is charging you to show you homes, I would be asking them why when all of the other realtors don't charge. 

Did you get that there is no charge to a buyer?

I highly recommend interviewing multiple agents before you list your home. Just because your 90 year old Uncle Chuck liked his agent who doesn't advertise or use social media doesn't mean that agent is fitting for you.  A good agent will understand that you are interviewing agents. Again, this is one of the biggest financial decisions you will make.  You would educate yourself on anything else you spend allot of money on, interview multiple agents!!!  See who  stands out from the other agents and who you feel comfortable with.

How is everyone getting paid?

Again, not being paid by the buyer.  If a realtor is charging you money to see homes that is a red flag.

In conclusion:

Are you in the market to buy a home? Finding the right home at the right price can be difficult, especially if you don’t have the necessary experience or knowledge to negotiate a good deal. If you have the right Realtor that knows how the process works from beginning to end, it can help make your home buying experience far more enjoyable.    

You could just call me and not worry about anything but moving when you decide to buy or sell!

Come back to the blog next week to learn more about HOT Topics like Staging your home and details on Inspections and why you should have them!

Quincy, Il REALTOR® "Really Real REALTOR®" Blog 2 Holy Ice Dam!

 


Welcome back to the Quincy Il, Really Real Realtor blog.   After a long weekend of waiting for a "big" ice storm to hit we can now all move on from a threat of an ice storm. (I've seen more ice in my tea then I did in this "big" storm)      Today I am touching on an issue that I have experienced personally and that came up in a home inspection with one of my clients recently. Until this happens to your home most people have no idea what it is or that they could have prevented it. Let me enlighten you!    

 BLOG 2

Holy Ice Dam

In a recent home inspection with a client Ice damming came up in the home inspection due to a discolored spot on the ceiling with no signs of water leakage from the roof which had recently been re-done..  The home inspector explained what the Ice Dam does and how to resolve the issue.  Very interesting stuff.   I have dealt with this personally with my own home. We had our ceilings re-done and it looked beautiful. Winter with ice and heavy snow came and we started to notice a drip of water over our patio doors,ICE DAM.  So what is it? Follow the link below for more information. 


Everything you need to know about Ice Dams and how to prevent or fix the issue. 
http://www.icedamcompany.com/about-ice-dams/

Scroll down past the pics for this weeks helpful tip!

Real Estate tip for the week for sellers: Beat the Spring rush. Listing your home in January/February your home won't have as much competition as the Spring market. Don't wait!!  Less competition in homes available to buyers means higher prices for sellers.  Enjoy and call me when your ready to list and get your home sold. :) After all I will be "Really Real" with you. 217.440.2339

If you want to see current homes for sale click on over to my Facebook Page and let's be friends! https://www.facebook.com/century21broughtonteammistydowling/

I also have to share with you this too cute not to mention PIG that was so quiet I didn't hear him at a recent showing of a home. Toooo cute!  Oink Oink

 

1525 Curtis Creek Road Quincy, IL 62301

Property Site: http://tour.circlepix.com/home/A539VF/1525-Curtis-Creek-Road-Quincy-IL-194527

Pride of ownership is evident through out this sprawling 3 bedroom 2.5 bath ranch home located on a corner lot in the pristine Curtis Creek subdivision. Ask for a copy of the detailed list of maintenance on this home that the seller has provided for the new owner. Enjoy the outdoors on the screened porch addition right off of the cozy living room with a wood burning fireplace. The extras have been completed in this home. Total renovation on the master bath and main bath 2002, walkway & patio replaced 2005, all new windows 2012, new garage doors 2010, must see screen addition 2004. New engineered wood flooring in the kitchen, hall, living,dining areas in 2014. The lower level has extra storage, 2nd kitchen area, bathroom, wood burning fireplace and lots of room to entertain family and friends.

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 3

Square feet: 1,491

Price: $170,000

For more information about this property, please contact Misty Dowling at 2172244600 or misty.dowling@century21.com. You can also text 4056754 to 67299.

See more listings at: http://homesforsale.century21.com/agent/misty.dowling@century21.com

MLS ID: 194527

722 W Brennan Drive Quincy, IL 62301

Property Site: http://tour.circlepix.com/home/CXCPDT/722-W-Brennan-Drive-Quincy-IL-194455

Living is easy in this generously spacious residence within walking distance to local restaurants and Quincys beautiful Moorman Park. With 1,185 of living space upstairs and 1,185 of finished living space downstairs the possibilities for this home are endless. New central air installed 7/2016, new home surge protector 2016, new roof in 2010. Home is situated on a corner lot. Great open floor plan and beautiful hardwood floors in the kitchen and living area. Very nice kitchen appliances refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher to convey with home. Radon mitigation system was installed in 2015.

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2

Square feet: 1,185

Price: $124,000

For more information about this property, please contact Misty Dowling at 2172244600 or misty.dowling@century21.com. You can also text 4025485 to 67299.

See more listings at: http://homesforsale.century21.com/agent/misty.dowling@century21.com

MLS ID: 194455

403 N Chestnut Mendon, IL 62351

Property Site: http://tour.circlepix.com/home/A5EJMS/403-N-Chestnut-Mendon-IL-194249

All brick ranch home on a beautifully landscaped corner lot. 2 bedroom, 2 bath with a full basement. If you are looking for a low maintenance home, this is the one! 16x24 1 car attached garage, RV carport, 2 outbuildings. New roof in the last 3 years. Seller is giving $500 to buyer towards new carpet in the living room. The entire upstairs living space besides the living room is all hardwood, vinyl and laminate flooring. Seller is installing a new garbage disposal & kitchen faucet.

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2

Square feet: 1,232

Price: $100,000

For more information about this property, please contact Misty Dowling at 2172244600 or misty.dowling@century21.com. You can also text 3922773 to 67299.

See more listings at: http://homesforsale.century21.com/agent/misty.dowling@century21.com

MLS ID: 194249

1820 Luxury Lane Quincy, IL 62305

Property Site: http://tour.circlepix.com/home/9EUB9V/1820-Luxury-Lane-Quincy-IL-194045

Beautifully remodeled 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home with finished basement. Move right in, the upgrades are complete. Updates include new carpet throughout, new kitchen backsplash 2015,fresh paint throughout the home, newer roof, newer driveway and walkway, new light fixtures and ceiling fans throughout the home, garage overhead door, kitchen faucet, garbage disposal and more. Full finished basement complete with fireplace. Main-floor laundry as well as a large lower level laundry room. There is even a workshop and full bathroom in the finished lower level. Over-sized 2 car garage walks out to an expansive covered patio overlooking the large partially-fenced backyard.

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2

Square feet: 1,024

Price: $134,895

For more information about this property, please contact Misty Dowling at 2172244600 or misty.dowling@century21.com. You can also text 3830988 to 67299.

See more listings at: http://homesforsale.century21.com/agent/misty.dowling@century21.com

MLS ID: 194045

Welcome to my blog

I've created this blog so you can get the real details on the local market from a REALTOR® who is actively listing and showing homes in your area.    You don't need things to be sugar coated, you need things to be real. After all it is called REAL Estate.    Each week I will provide interesting facts, pictures, funny stuff happening in the local real estate world.  I am open to answering questions from fellow readers and friends regarding real estate.   If you find my posts interesting click on over to my Facebook page and let's be Facebook FRIENDS!
https://www.facebook.com/century21broughtonteammistydowling/

I am a what the business world calls a Millenial, so you will see me share lot's of links in my blogs so you can see pretty pictures and have things texted, emailed, shared, youtubed to you.   

Wow, I love our generation. 😏   So let's get this started. 

BLOG 1    ---Paint colors

So the first question buyers and sellers are asking once they have decided to sell or buy seems to be, What color should we paint?  Not just the walls but kitchen cabinets, yes that's a thing thanks to Pinterest.  ( I'm still trying to convince my husband we need to jump on the bandwagon and paint our cabinets gray. I will keep you updated on that.)   I found a great article on this trend of gray. Check it out below. Also I recently had The Redeemed Life Reclaimed Craftsman Jacy Shelton give me a quote on re-doing my kitchen cabinets. I was surprised at how affordable and knowledgeable Jacy is.  I have added a link to his Facebook page also.  With a title like Reclaimed Craftsman you know he's a cool guy with amazing ideas. Check him out, he's a local small business, which makes it all the better.

Quincy Market: In the Quincy market we are seeing this trend of gray is the new white taking off. I would say it's safe to say 1 out of 10 homes will have some kind of re-purposed wood item that has been painted.     

Helpful Hint When Listing Your Home:  If you have enjoyed your crazy red kitchen that's wonderful for you but most buyers can't envision themselves in your red kitchen. This means they will not want to buy your home. Spend the $30 and paint the walls a neutral color.

Why Gray is the new white article:

http://texashomeandgarden.com/idea-center/kitchen/why-gray-is-the-new-white/ 

The Redeemed Life Reclaimed Craftsman links:

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/trlfurnishings/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf&qsefr=1

Website: http://www.trlfurnishings.com/

My favorite Pinterest posts on gray cabinets  (If you have been under a rock for the last 3 year and missing out on Pinterest check it out also---Heres the link)  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/236579786655046855/