Short Sales and Help for Military Families
I have had the good fortune of working with many military families in the Hampton Roads area for the last seven years. I have found them to be organized, thoughtful, knowledgeable of the home buying process and most always have impeccable credit.
My opinion, as a Realtor, is ALL such Americans deserve to enjoy home ownership and the ‘American Dream’….probably the military more than most due to the fact that they are working hard to protect ALL Americans and our way of life.
This long preample leads me to my point: Who said the military should be punished for the drop in market(that THEY didn’t cause!) when they receive orders to be re-stationed and they are upside down in their mortgage loan?
These families are struggling with ‘WHAT TO DO’. Do I try to sell? I can’t get foreclosed or file bankruptcy…it will ruin my security clearance and thereby ruin my military career. Who do I call? What does HAP, HAPA and HAMP mean to me? I can Google my brains out about possible solutions, but what does it all mean to ME!!!! Why is this happening?….I paid my mortgage on time every month and I have a job. I have good credit!
My statement to them is: There are choices to make and help to be found by a good realtor who specializes in short sales. Please don’t call the person on the postcard you received in the mail who claims he can help you. Don’t try to go it alone…you and the mortgage company. It is worse then trying to sell your home by yourself.
Call a short sale specialist who can run the gauntlet of red tape with your lender, negotiate on your behalf and get your home sold. You want to move on to your next station ‘free and clear’ with only a minor ‘ding’ to your credit score.
Call me and let’s talk. There is a way out and I can help you navigate the road!
Killing Fire Ant Colonies: Great New Information!
Many of you were laughing at my mole problem until I finally found the remedy. I know my parents use to have a horrible fire ant problem living in south Georgia.
This is a new twist to killing fire ant colonies. For those not familiar with Walter Reeves, he is from the University of Georgia agriculture department, specializing in home gardening. His television show, ‘Gardening in Georgia ‘, is on each Saturday.
Evidently, fire ants are picky eaters and any type poison that is effective takes seven feeding steps before the queen receives it. Plus, if the bait is stored in close proximity to any petroleum or fertilizer products they won’t touch it. Contact poisons that are on the market just cause the colony to move away. A well developed colony can be as deep as 30 feet and spread out some 20 to 50 feet from the mound center. This was documented by studies done in the early 60′s when they were first sited in South Alabama .
An environmentally friendly cure for fire ants has been announced by Walter Reeves on his Georgia Gardener radio program. Testimonials that it REALLY WORKS are coming in.
Simply pour two cups of CLUB SODA (carbonated water) directly in the center of a fire ant mound. The carbon dioxide in the water is heavier than air and displaces the oxygen which suffocates the queen and the other ants. The whole colony will be dead within about two days.
Besides eliminating the ants, club soda leaves no poisonous residue, does not contaminate the ground water, and does not indiscriminately kill other insects. It is not harmful to your pets, soaks into the ground. Each mound must be treated individually and a one liter bottle of club soda will kill 2 to 3 mounds.
Spread the word.
This is a new twist to killing fire ant colonies. For those not familiar with Walter Reeves, he is from the University of Georgia agriculture department, specializing in home gardening. His television show, ‘Gardening in Georgia ‘, is on each Saturday.
Evidently, fire ants are picky eaters and any type poison that is effective takes seven feeding steps before the queen receives it. Plus, if the bait is stored in close proximity to any petroleum or fertilizer products they won’t touch it. Contact poisons that are on the market just cause the colony to move away. A well developed colony can be as deep as 30 feet and spread out some 20 to 50 feet from the mound center. This was documented by studies done in the early 60′s when they were first sited in South Alabama .
An environmentally friendly cure for fire ants has been announced by Walter Reeves on his Georgia Gardener radio program. Testimonials that it REALLY WORKS are coming in.
Simply pour two cups of CLUB SODA (carbonated water) directly in the center of a fire ant mound. The carbon dioxide in the water is heavier than air and displaces the oxygen which suffocates the queen and the other ants. The whole colony will be dead within about two days.
Besides eliminating the ants, club soda leaves no poisonous residue, does not contaminate the ground water, and does not indiscriminately kill other insects. It is not harmful to your pets, soaks into the ground. Each mound must be treated individually and a one liter bottle of club soda will kill 2 to 3 mounds.
Spread the word.
EIGHT WAYS TO HELP YOUR HOME PUT ITS BEST FACE FORWARD
Adding architectural numbers to the outside of your house gives it a distinct style. Image: CustomHouseNumbers.com
Homes with high curb appeal command higher prices and take less time to sell. We’re not talking about replacing vinyl siding with redwood siding; we’re talking about maintenance and beautifying tasks you’d like to live with anyway.
The way your house looks from the street-attractively landscaped and well-maintained-can add thousands to its value and cut the time it takes to sell. But which projects pump up curb appeal most? Some spit and polish goes a long way, and so does a dose of color.
Tip #1: Wash your house’s face
Before you scrape any paint or plant more azaleas, wash the dirt, mildew, and general grunge off the outside of your house. REALTORS® say washing a house can add $10,000 to $15,000 to the sale prices of some houses.
A bucket of soapy water and a long-handled, soft-bristled brush can remove the dust and dirt that have splashed onto your wood, vinyl, metal, stucco, brick, and fiber cement siding. Power washers (rental: $75 per day) can reveal the true color of your flagstone walkways.
Wash your windows inside and out, swipe cobwebs from eaves, and hose down downspouts. Don’t forget your garage door, which was once bright white. If you can’t spray off the dirt, scrub it off with a solution of 1/2 cup trisodium phosphate-TSP, available at grocery stores, hardware stores, and home improvement centers-dissolved in 1 gallon of water.
You and a friend can make your house sparkle in a few weekends. A professional cleaning crew will cost hundreds-depending on the size of the house and number of windows-but will finish in a couple of days.
Tip #2: Freshen the paint job
The most commonly offered curb appeal advice from real estate pros and appraisers is to give the exterior of your home a good paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it, and appraisers will value it.? ?Of course, painting is an expensive and time-consuming facelift. To paint a 3,000-square-foot home, figure on spending $375 to $600 on paint; $1,500 to $3,000 on labor.
Your best bet is to match the paint you already have: Scrape off a little and ask your local paint store to match it. Resist the urge to make a statement with color. An appraiser will mark down the value of a house that’s painted a wildly different color from its competition
Tip #3: Regard the roof
The condition of your roof is one of the first things buyers notice and appraisers assess. Missing, curled, or faded shingles add nothing to the look or value of your house. If your neighbors have maintained or replaced their roofs, yours will look especially shabby.
You can pay for roof repairs now, or pay for them later in a lower appraisal; appraisers will mark down the value by the cost of the repair. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2010-2011 Cost vs. Value Report, the average cost of a new asphalt shingle roof is about $21,500.
Some tired roofs look a lot better after you remove 25 years of dirt, moss, lichens, and algae. Don’t try cleaning your roof yourself: call a professional with the right tools and technique to clean it without damaging it. A 2,000 sq. ft. roof will take a day and $400 to $600 to clean professionally.
Tip #4: Neaten the yard
A well-manicured lawn, fresh mulch, and pruned shrubs boost the curb appeal of any home.
Replace overgrown bushes with leafy plants and colorful annuals. Surround bushes and trees with dark or reddish-brown bark mulch, which gives a rich feel to the yard. Put a crisp edge on garden beds, pull weeds and invasive vines, and plant a few geraniums in pots.
Green up your grass with lawn food and water. Cover bare spots with seeds and sod, get rid of crab grass, and mow regularly.
Tip #5: Add a color splash
Even a little color attracts and pleases the eye of would-be buyers.
Plant a tulip border in the fall that will bloom in the spring. Dig a flowerbed by the mailbox and plant some pansies. Place a brightly colored bench or Adirondack chair on the front porch. Get a little daring, and paint the front door red or blue.
These colorful touches won’t add to the value of our house: appraisers don’t give you extra points for a blue bench. But beautiful colors enhance curb appeal and help your house to sell faster.
Tip #6: Glam your mailbox
An upscale mailbox, architectural house numbers, or address plaques can make your house stand out.
High-style die cast aluminum mailboxes range from $100 to $350. You can pick up a handsome, hand-painted mailbox for about $50. If you don’t buy new, at lease give your old mailbox a facelift with paint and new house numbers.
These days, your local home improvement center or hardware stores has an impressive selection of decorative numbers. Architectural address plaques, which you tack to the house or plant in the yard, typically range from $80 to $200. Brass house numbers range from $3 to $11 each, depending on size and style.
Tip #7: Fence yourself in
A picket fence with a garden gate to frame the yard is an asset. Not only does it add visual punch to your property, appraisers will give extra value to a fence in good condition, although it has more impact in a family-oriented neighborhood than an upscale retirement community.
Expect to pay $2,000 to $3,500 for a professionally installed gated picket fence 3 feet high and 100 feet long.
If you already have a fence, make sure it’s clean and in good condition. Replace broken gates and tighten loose latches.
Tip #8: Maintenance is a must
Nothing looks worse from the curb-and sets off subconscious alarms-like hanging gutters, missing bricks from the front steps, or peeling paint. Not only can these deferred maintenance items damage your home, but they can decrease the value of your house by 10%.
Here are some maintenance chores that will dramatically help the look of your house.
Refasten sagging gutters.
Repoint bricks that have lost their mortar.
Reseal cracked asphalt.
Straighten shutters.
Replace cracked windows.
Reprinting with the permission of HouseLogic.
