The Heritage Home Team is pleased to announce that we now offer property management services to our clients.

I discovered that, with the economy the way that it is, many people are choosing not to sell their homes when they relocate – to another area of the city or across the globe – when I was going out to discuss selling possibilities with my clients.

When I couldn’t recommend a company to manage their home while they were away that I felt would provide the same amount of client service and support that The Heritage Home Team does I knew that there was a need for such service.

Property management is more than just collecting rent, phone calls and repairs. Our job is to make sure the property is maintained correctly – to avoid larger, more expensive repairs down the road; that the tenants are happy with their new home – so they will live there for months or years to come (and let you know if service items arise); and keep good accounting records of all income and expenses – for bookkeeping and tax purposes.

If you are considering hiring a property manager for your primary residence or for your investment property please give Crystal at call at 913-908-9801 for pricing and services provided.

Home Designers and builders speaking at the recent International Builders Show in Las Vegas say that buyers are seeking cost-effective features and rejecting things that don't have lasting value.

"It's all about family togetherness - casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces," says Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group of San Antonio

Paul Cardis, CEO of Avid Ratings, which conducts an annual survey of buyer preferences, identified these must-haves in new homes:

1. Large kitchens with islands
2. Energy efficiency, including energy-efficient appliances, super insulation, and high-efficiency windows.
3. Home offices
4. Main-floor master suite
5. Outdoor living space
6. Ceiling fans
7. Soaking tub in master suite and/or an oversize shower with a seating area
8. Stone and brick exteriors rather than stucco or vinyl
9. Community walking paths and playgrounds
10. Two-car garages, but three-car garages are even more desirable

Now is the time for home owners contemplating a spring sale to spruce up their properties in anticipation of what Mike Larson of Weiss Research calls a potentially vibrant home-selling season.

"If you have been beating your head against the wall, this is going to feel a lot better," he says.

Here are 10 cheap ways to make a property more attractive to shoppers:

1. Improve first impressions. Touch up the paint on the front door and other areas that buyers see first.
2. Clean up the landscaping. Trim the hedges and trees and plant some annuals in the flowerbeds.
3. Paint the interior. A coat of light yellow or cream with contrasting white woodwork looks fresh and clean.
4. Refurbish the floors. Buff the hardwoods. Install new carpets - or at least get them professionally cleaned.
5. Take care of the big problems. If the house needs a roof or the front stoop is crumbling, get them fixed.
6. Buy warranties. Putting appliances under warranty gives homebuyers a secure feeling.
7. Improve energy efficiency. New windows or improved insulation tells a potential  buyer the seller is on top of things plus they come with tax benefits.
8. Replace light fixtures. Update fixtures, especially at the entrance way and in the foyer - create a good first impression.
9. Buy a stove. Home owners whose kitchen isn't top of the line can jazz it up for a few hundred dollars by buying a new stove which gives the room a fresh feel.
10. Tidy up the bathrooms. Get rid of mildew, replace caulking, and replace stained sinks.

At my former corporate job, “work/life balance” seemed to be the catch phrase of the month. I worked in a very demanding job (90+ hours a week most weeks demanding), but as long as the façade of work/life balance was there, it was all good.

Fast forward a few years to now; and I’m working for myself. Yes, theTHOUGHT of work/life balance, and the illusion of work life balance is there. Theoretically, I could take off a day to, say, go to the beach – but honestly, how many of us actually take off a Tuesday because we want to spend the day in the park?

Several weeks ago I suffered some life changing and devastating news. Over the course of five days there were two strokes in the family, three close family deaths, and some personal health issues. Probably needless to say, at first, I was in a tailspin and really didn’t know which way was up. Now, I’ve been able to get my head above water and have been working…kind of. I’ve been doing what HAS to be done. I’ll ask myself “What MUST be done today?”– then I’ll do that, and really only that.

I don’t bring up my personal life so that you can feel sorry for me – please don’t, I am very blessed in so many ways. I brought this up to ask for your help: How do you handle yourself when you fall into “personal crisis mode?” What gets you moving again when all you want to do is sleep through the day? How do you pick yourself up off the floor and kick yourself in the butt again?

It seems likely that the US Senate will approve a deal to extend the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, but the devil is in the details.

Florida Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson told reporters traveling to Florida with President Obama Monday that he thought that the extension would be approved, but both senators and representatives are among those who think that there should be some fiscal offset for the extension. Spending any more money on the stimulus effort also could stir up a hornets' nest in some circles.

The proposal in the Senate that appears to have the most likelihood of passage would extend the $8,000 credit through March 31, then its value would drop by $2,000 for each of the subsequent three quarters of 2010. This plan was offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucas, a Montana Democrat.

Source: Associated Press, Andrew Taylor (10/26/2009) and The Wall Street Journal, John D. McKinnon (10/27/2009)

Another great post at Realtor.org's YPN Lounge if I do say so myself :)

Check out the lounge here to see my latest post about how I have opinions and love to share them. I've learned, the hard way, that not everyone wants to know how I see things and I'm learning to censor myself. But don't ask what I think - I WILL tell you :)

I've been at this house hunting thing for about a month. Kyle and I are probably in a little different situation the most home buyers: we have no lease ending, we're not trying to beat the first time home buyer's tax credit deadline, and we're not willing to settle (since I never want to move again :) ). That being said, I should probably apologize to every person I've ever done business with: I'm a pain in the booty! My obsessive, compulsive, anal, perfectionist personally really shines... (That's great for the clients I work with because I make sure to cross all the 'T's' and dot all the 'I's' but it doesn't make it real easy for me to actually be the client.)

In the last month we've looked at about 30 homes (the average home buyer looks at 7), changed out mind about as many times, made 2 offers (that's not all that out of the ordinary), fought like cats and dogs (again, very common when house hunting), and finally determined that we should just play 'chicken' with the homes we like.

As the buyer I want a good deal. I am willing to pay a fair price for a home but I'm not willing to pay more for a house then market value dictates just because it's 'perfect' for my family. The sellers of the two homes my husband and I made offers on have only owned the homes for a few years and bought them before the 'bust' so they really paid too much for them. That means, they have no equity in the properties and are trying pass along that inflated price to someone else (me).

Both homes we made offers on are vacant (and have been on the market for almost a year) so we're hoping that at some point they will choose to 'cut their loses' and coming down in price - or at least consider working with us.

Luckily, the 'slow season' is right around the corner. People really don't want to move around the holiday so new homes are not coming onto the market and buyers aren't buying. I would like to think that I will be able to use that to my advantage.

Until then, we are going to continue watching the market and hoping that a third 'perfect' home appears!

Extending the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, due to expire at the end of November, is high on the Democratic Congressional to-do list, legislative aides said.

After Wednesday’s meeting with President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released a statement that the government should “continue efforts to strengthen the housing market by extending the home buyer tax credit.”

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, who is a consultant to Democrats in the administration and Congress, is advocating extending the credit through August and making it available to all home buyers. He said failure to extend the credit just as more foreclosures enter the market will push housing prices down. 

Also, on Thursday, the House is expected pass legislation to extend the credit through 2010 for people who have been out of the country in the military, intelligence, or foreign services.

Source: The New York Times, Jackie Calmes (10/07/2009)

As some of my followers know (and if you read my first post from the YPN blog) I'm in the market for a new home for my husband and I. I have purchased a home before (my downtown condo in 2004) but my husband wasn't my husband at the time so he has not purchased a home before.

As a REALTOR, sometime I forget about the emotional side of buying or selling a home (come on - it's my job to pull the emotion out of the transaction) but this process should be a nice 'reality check'.

I thought I would write my experiences, thoughts, and emotions here to help others (first time home buyers or not) realize that even us 'old has beens' go through the gambit of emotions when buying or selling their home.

I'll start with our criteria:

• In the Blue Valley, Olathe, or Shawnee Mission school district
• Close to highway access (any highway - K7 and K10 count!)
• 4 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 bathrooms
• Daylight windows in the basement (or a walk out/up)
• Not North facing
• Preferably a 3 car garage

Check me out over on the Realtor.org YPN blog! How cool is that?

I am very excited and extremely honored to be a part of such a great team! I really look forward to working with such a great group of young professionals.