Changing Market

It's been quite a while since my last post, and the real estate market has undergone some changes over the past few months.  In the Evansville area, the real estate market has been picking up! Our inventory, like much of the rest of the country, has continued to stay very low which has helped to drive demand up.  In many areas across the country, some properties have begun to receive an extremely high amount of multiple offers.  While we haven't seen multiple offer situations to the degree that other markets have seen, it is becoming more common to receive multiple offers on properties in recent weeks.

This growing demand seems to be good news! The demand created from low inventory has resulted in increased home sales in our area, even though our inventory remains low.  With increased home purchases, we have even seen home mortgage rates start to creep back up, although they still remain extremely low historically.  Now is a great time to buy or sell a home! If you, or anyone you know, has been thinking of making a move, I'd be happy to help in any way I can!

Getting ready to sell

Recently, I've written several posts about now being a great time to sell if you're thinking about making a move.  One question that people often ask before getting their home on the market is, "What do I need to do to get my house ready to sell?"  This is generally a pretty broad question, and each house presents it's own, unique ideas; however, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders!

There has been a long standing trend in many homes to utilize neutral colors to make the home appealing to the broadest market segment possible.  In some homes, though, a splash of color may be a way to make your house stand out among the rest!  Choosing the right colors is one of the most important choices to make when getting ready to paint, and HouseBeautiful.com has a lot of useful information to help!

Be sure to share this information with your friends and family, and let me know what color combinations you like best in the comments below!  Be sure to follow my blog, friend me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter to keep up with all my posts!

Listings Needed

If we're friends on Facebook, or you follow me on Twitter, you saw my post during the Super Bowl about needing more listings.  The Spring real estate season is starting, and there are plenty of Buyers in the market who are ready to make a purchase.  The only downside is, there aren't enough homes on the market to sell!

Mortgage rates are remaining low in the foreseeable future, and most reports are indicating that 2013 will be a better year for real estate, so NOW is the time to get in the game!  If you or anyone you know has been thinking of Selling your home, give me a call!

Do it yourself and save!

In my last post, I mentioned that 2013 will see larger returns on investment for many remodeling projects around the house.  Some jobs offer larger returns than others, but one of the best ways to maximize them is to reduce your costs!  There are several remodeling projects that can completely change the look of a room that can easily be done without hiring professional help, which will help you save!

In this technological age, online articles, DIY websites, and even YouTube videos offering step by step instructions on nearly every project imaginable exist!  A quick Google search is all you need to find a plethora of information on almost any home project! One website that I often visit for all sorts of information, including DIY projects, is MSN Real Estate.  They just posted a great article by Joe Provey of BobVila.com that offers easy to follow instructions.  Ceramic-tile installation: 7 steps explains how you can get the best results out of a project that many find tricky.

If you or anyone you know has been thinking of doing some tile work, check out the article for some great information on getting the best results, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  Follow my blog, friend me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter to keep up with all of my post!

Remodeling offering greater returns!

Have you ever thought about doing a remodeling project in your home, but you're just not sure the return will be worth your investment?  This is a very typical question that everyone asks themselves before undertaking any significant remodeling work around the house.  Typically the kitchen and bathrooms offer the highest return on your investment when it comes to major remodeling projects; however, over the past few years, even these returns have not been as high as in the past.  According to MSN Real Estate, it appears 2013 may offer slightly higher returns than the pas few years.

While not all remodeling projects offer the same return on investment, there are plenty of projects that can be done to maximize your return. Remodeling: A slightly better value in 2013, is a great article that offers a great projection for what 2013 remodeling projects will offer for returns, as well as providing ideas for remodeling projects that offer the biggest rewards.  One point that is made in the article that bears repeating is the non-monetary benefit of remodeling projects in the home.  According to the article, "Money spent on improvements may reward home sellers with a shorter time on the market, Alfano said in an interview. Remodeling jobs often pay back with deep enjoyment even when they don't contribute to a family's bottom line.", which is often more desirable than the return on investment.

Check out the article for more information on how to maximize returns on your remodeling projects, and share this information with anyone you know who is thinking of doing some work around the house.  Let me know your favorite tips and tricks to remodeling in the comments below, and follow my blog to keep up with my posts.  Friend me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter to keep up with everything I ever post!

Going off the grid!

When I was in class to get my real estate license, the first thing that was taught was that the most important things were location, location, and location.  In my experience, this has certainly held true!  Many times, I have found homes that would be perfect for my Buyers in every way possible...if it were in a different location!  Some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world would make a wonderful place to call home, but our dependence on infrastructure for power and water is generally a major drawback.

Rising prices of oil, and other fossil fuels, are the direct result of too much consumption of a limited resource. Scientists have been working on other means for electricity production that are both efficient and safe, but most of us live in homes dependent on these resources.  Gizmodo.com posted a great gallery of  21 Amazing Off-the-Grid Houses that  harness the power of nature to generate power.  Utilizing the power of nature would allow people to live in places that would otherwise be impossible to live without the immense costs of installing the proper infrastructure.

Let me know which house design you like best, or where you would want to live if your home was completely self sufficient in the comments below.  As always, feel free to share this information with your family and friends, and follow my blog to keep up with all my posts.  Friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter to keep up with everything I ever post!

Are you keeping your New Years resolutions?

We're already 3 weeks into 2013 and I find it interesting to see if others are keeping their New Years resolutions.  So far, I've been able to keep up with most of the goals I've set myself which, unfortunately, is not the norm.  Many people set goals for themselves that should be easily attainable, but they are ill equipped to make their goals stick.  CNN.com posted a great article by Maia Szalavitz, of time.com, entitled How to make New Year's resolutions stick, that offers some great tips on setting and keeping goals in the upcoming year!

Even if you've already fallen short of some of your New Year's resolutions, it's never too late to set goals for yourself to work toward.  A lot of goals that people set are things that they want to achieve in the next year, but sometimes giving up a bad habit can be a great goal as well.  The Huffington Post posted Unhealthy Habits: 8 Vices to Extinguish Now, an article with some great tips on how and why you should give up some of these habits in the year to come.

Check out all of these articles if you're struggling with keeping your resolutions, or if you're looking for some additional goals in the coming year.  Share this info with your friends, family, and anyone else you know who is looking for help on keeping their goals.  Let me know your New Year's resolutions in the comments below and follow my blog to keep up with all my posts. Friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter to see everything I ever post!