You’ve taken care of all the preliminaries. You’ve listed your needs, wants, likes and dislikes. You’ve found your Realtor, you’ve even gotten pre-qualified on your mortgage loan. The time has come for you to start the search for the best home to meet your needs. What factors do you keep in mind before heading out the door to look at properties? 

Many home buyers make the mistake of focusing solely on price when searching for a home. Though price is worth considering, it shouldn’t be your central focus when looking for your home. The location and quality of your home should bear equal weight in your final home choice.

Location, Location and Location

Location is very important when choosing your home, though choosing where to live is often difficult for home buyers. Where to live is such an important decision; plus there are so many options! A good location to one, can be horrible to another. But a bad location, is usually a bad location to all. Experts suggest that you sacrifice something inside the home rather than sacrifice the location.

Here are some factors to consider when thinking about the location of your new home:

• Your Job: How far away from your job are you willing to be? Are you interested in commuting for over an hour per day? Are there convenient routes to and from your work? Will you be changing jobs in the next few years? Is there a chance for you to work at home? The location of your job is what most people consider first when choosing where they will live.

• Lifestyle: Would you prefer a busy area with the convenience of shops and entertainment venues? Or, would you be more content in a rural area, farther away from local amenities? If you decide you want to be close to much activity, are you willing to fight the traffic such busy-ness brings? If you choose the quieter route, are you prepared to drive farther for shopping and local services? Again, a good location to one family may be bad to another.

• Schools: Do you have school-age children in public school? Then, to you, the quality of the schools in the area is important. How are the schools rated with the state? Are the schools well kept? If the schools in your chosen location are not adequate, are there good private schools within your price range nearby? How will your children get to school? Check out our school page on the navigation buttons to the left to learn more about the schools in our area.

• Neighborhood: What type of neighborhood do you want? Do you prefer new construction, or a more established neighborhood with mature trees? If you have children, you would likely want a more family-oriented neighborhood so you kids can play outside. Would you rather live close to the main thoroughfares, or are you bothered by noisy traffic? There are so many decisions to make!

• Resell: Is the location of the home good for more than just you? Is it conveniently located to major companies and other places of employment? If there are some negative issues with the current location, and you get a discounted price, you will likely end up having to pass those savings along to the buyers of the home when you eventually sell.

Home Quality

Now that you’ve decided on the general location of your new home, it’s time to go on a some tours of available homes in that area. Make your time in the homes count by bringing with you a notepad, pen and tape measurer. If you are viewing the home, chances are you already have a sales sheet with a floorplan and general information about the house. Even though you’ll want to get a professional inspection on any home before buying it, there are things you can check for now in deciding if the home is right for you:

Exterior

• Is the exterior finish of the home in good shape?
• Is there any rotted siding or fencing?
• Are the roof and gutters in good condition?
• Does the air conditioner seem to be in working condition upon first glance?
• Is the lot attractive for your purposes?

Interior

• Are the appliances up-to-date?
• Is the flooring adequate for your needs?
• Are there obvious cracks and fault lines in the ceilings?
• Does the interior need painting?
• Does the home seem well kept?

Looking for a home is exciting, just make sure you don’t get overwhelmed by all the choices out there. If you want to find a home, give me a call, I can help! 

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The 4th of July is said to be the Birthday of the United States. It is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 which declares our independence from Great Britain. This special day is often filled with fireworks, parades, bar-b-cues, fairs and picnics, not to mention concerts, baseball games and political ceremonies.

4th of July Ideas

• Decorate a Flag Cake
• 4th of July Parade Wear for the Kids
• Fourth of July (government site)

Patriotic Hymn

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Perfect strangers peaking into every cranny of your home. Sounds blissful… NOT! As unpleasant as showing your home may be, it’s a necessary part of the selling process. If you’re serious about selling your home, better hunker down and get ready for the showings.

-Make sure your home, inside and out is beyond reproach.  Clear away debris, clean your house from top to bottom. Nothing is more important than curb appeal and first impressions.

- Declutter your decor. You want the potential buyers to think of your home as theirs, not yours. Often personal momentos and cloud the view. You don’t want someone to not choose to buy your home because of Aunt Sylvia’s photo.

-Gather materials about your home for viewing. Locate owners manuals for appliances and floorplans or drawings from your home’s purchase and place them in a convenient location for those viewing your home.

-Bake cookies or another good smelling food in the oven to give your home an inviting aroma. Cinnamon sticks placed in boiling water offers a faster way to get that homey-smell.

-Try not to be home. It is best for you to be gone when your home is being shown. Potential buyers may not feel as comfortable with you there.

-If you must be home, refrain from giving the “guided tour.” Retreating to another room after a polite hello is the best way to give the home shoppers their privacy.

-Play soft music in the background. Some sources recommend playing soft music in the background while others say “silence is golden.” You and your Realtor can be the judge.

-Open your windows wide. Let the sun shine through the windows giving the appearance of openness and friendliness. Light pouring into a room will enlarge the space and brighten the home overall.

-Remove pets from home. If possible, remove your pets from the home while it’s being shown. Pets are a nuisance to potential buyers as they are determining if they feel at home in your house. If you can’t remove them, cart them. At the least, keep them outside.

This blog post was created by http://www.dotjenna.com/

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It is not always easy to tell if you have hail damage from the ground. It takes a trained roofing professional to determine the extent of your damage. Hail damage seems harmless and may look harmless, however, do not be fooled. Over time, it can wreak havoc on your roof, causing it to deteriorate and leaks to start coming through your walls. If you suspect hail damage, you may want to have your roof inspected by a certified roofer. If you need a referral for a roofer, please contact us directly.

How to tell if your roof has hail damage warranting full-replacement by Insurance Company

Insurance will cover the cost to replace your roof if your roof has hail damage, and the hail damage is extensive enough to warrant full replacement. Here are 8 ways to tell if your roof has enough hail damage to warrant full replacement by the insurance company.

1. If other homes in your area have hail damage, chances are good that your house has been damaged too.

2. If you notice shingles in your yard, it is more obvious. Time to have your roof inspected by a reputible roofer in your area.

3. Whenever there is a hailstorm that comes through your area, there is a really good chance that your roof got pelted by hail.

4. Your next door neighbor getting a new roof should be cause for you to get a roof inspection. The longer you wait after a hail storm, the less likely you are to be able to collect on a claim.

5. When on your roof, if you notice bruise spots on your shingles, that is a definite sign of hail damage.

6. A leak coming through any part of your ceiling also indicates potential damage that you may have overlooked in the past. 

7. If other parts of your home are damaged from a storm, such as your fence, or your gutters, your roof may have been damaged too. Better have an experienced roofer check it out before water seeps through.

8. If your vents have visible dents, your roof does too. Just because you can’t see the damage from the ground, doesn’t mean you don’t have hail damage. Don’t take your chances, call us and we’ll refer you to a reputible roofer.

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Memorial Day weekend is fast approaching, an extended weekend for family, friends, bar-b-cue, parades and sporting events. How will you share this holiday time? When you’re out on the lake fishing, boating and enjoying your freedom, take special time to reflect on the reason for the holiday, to honor those who gave their lives in military services. 

Memorial Day Facts

• Memorial Day is always held on the last Monday of May.
• A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3pm local time.
• A Memorial Day tradition is to fly flags at half-staff from dawn until noon.
• Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemetaries.
• Memorial Day originally was held on May 30th of every year, but was changed to the last Monday.
• Memorial Day was originally known as “Decorations Day.”

Ideas for Memorial Day Activities

If you haven’t made your Memorial Day plans, here’s a few ideas that are affordable for the whole family.

• Throw an impromptu bar-b-cue in the backyard or by the pool.
• Make a special desert with strawberries and blueberries resembling the American Flag. 
• Take pics of the kids with their American Flags for keepsake, Facebook and scrapbooks. 
• Visit grandparents and “pick their brains” about the past. 
• Take flowers and candy to elderly relatives who are in retirement centers.
• Put a flag up in your front lawn. 
• Play out in the sprinklers with the kids. 
• Vow not to work at all this weekend. 
• Attend Memorial Day services. 
• Visit a local National Cemetery. 

Whatever you do this Memorial Day, take pause for those who died in military service who are so deserving of the honor. 

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!! 

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It’s Springtime. Time to start clearing away the old things from your life–mind, body and soul. Get rid of any debris standing in the way of you and a life of pure enjoyment (or at least ease and satisfaction). Junk, clutter and piles of things you don’t use around your home creates a chaotic environment that’s not conducive to peace and relaxation. Take a moment to reflect on the ways you can make your home more peaceful, inviting and clutter-free this spring. Here’s 10 tips to get you motivated.

1. Organize your closets.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, get rid of  any items of clothing that you haven’t worn in a year or more. what are you keeping those old size 00 jeans for, a rainy day? (Kidding) It’s better to have a clear, fresh closet today so you can find the things you need. 

2. Replace your A/C Filter.

A dirty A/C filter will cause the air in your home to be stuffy and allergenic. Replace your A/C filter with a fresh one from Wal-Mart or the grocery store.

3. Call a charity to haul away unwanted items.

Help less fortunate families by donating items to charity that you and your family are no longer using. Not only will you be helping needy families, but you can also get a tax deduction. If possible, you may also want to deliver donations to a donation truck near your home. 

4. Hold a garage sale.

If you’re short on funds, you can hold a garage sale and make a few extra bucks off your old junk! 

5. Move big pieces of furniture and clean underneath.

How long has it been since you looked under your bed? Take the opportunity this spring to take a gander and get rid of pen lids, missing shoes, earrings and other accessories that one always finds when we move our beds or heavy furniture to see underneath.

6. Clean windows.

How long has it been since the windows of your home have been cleansed? It’s probably about time to give them a good clean. There are services that will do this for you, or you can break out a ladder and windex to get the job done yourself. 

7. Get paperwork in order.

Do you have stacks of unopened mail and family business filing to do? Stop! It’s springtime. Time for renewal. Time to get rid of the tasks hanging over your head and making you miserable. Tackle that paperwork once and for all. It shouldn’t take you too long, and just think of how great you’ll feel once it’s done! 

8. Fix broken items in your home.

If there are items that need to be fixed in your home or apartment, spring is the time to do it. Hear the birds chirping, see the sweet sunshine beaming down… perfect timing for tackling that broken hinge, or replacing broken door stoppers.

9. Clear out junk drawers and junk piles. 

Do you have piles of junk that needs to be dealt with? Take this gorgeous spring season to officially deal with the piles of junk in your midst. Organize, arrange, discard–free yourself to focus your mind on other things. Stop allowing junk piles to dominate your living quarters, and dominate your life.

10. Clean your garage.

What better time than spring to clean out your garage? Who knows, you may even be able to fit another car in there. Seriously, even if you’re impeccably clean, garages have a way of collecting items we don’t have time for. Take time this spring to clear away anything in your garage you never use. Your home will feel like new.

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