Kansas City is trying to 'tie' all the bar districts together, solve the dilemma of not being able to find a taxi, and provide a great night out!

Check out the new trolley system for free this weekend that connects:

• Power and Light
• Plaza
• Brookside
• Westport
• 18th and Vine
• Waldo
• Martini Corner

Many people don’t completely understand the energy tax credits that are available to them through the end of 2010. The Kansas City Star published a nice article detailing what qualifies for the energy tax credit. And no, it’s not all furnaces and water heaters – think doors, windows, and even window coverings!

Take a look at the article here  to see if the home improvement projects you completed in 2009 are eligible or before you decide to do any new projects.

Happy Updating!

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.

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)

1. Full Time - Your Realtor needs to be full time; not doing several thing - just in real estate. Real estate is a fickle market and can change on a dime. You need someone on your team that is keeping up with those changes. You need someone who's following the trends, viewing houses, attending seminars and workshops, and generally keeping up to date on the goings on in Kansas City. When someone does not commit fully to real estate it's the ancillary, yet very important, items that tend to be pushed aside.
2. It’s the number of transactions, not years in the business, that’s important – But more is not always better. You want to know how many transactions your Realtor has completed in the last couple of years but if they are a single agent working alone make sure they don’t have too many transactions – you might not get the attention you want and deserve if you’re transaction number six for the month.
3. Website - Check out the Realtor's website and not just the company they work for - See if they have their own website. Technology is such a key part of the real estate business these days. An agent that doesn’t have their own website (and a decent one at that) may not have all the tools they need to market your home to sellers properly.
4. Get the presentation – All agents should come prepared with a listing presentation laying out how they plan to market your home, information about them and their broker, and how the home selling process works. If you don’t automatically receive the presentation from the agent you’re interviewing, ask for it.
5. Have a look around - Did the Realtor look around your home on the inside and outside? Although the area and location of your home does have a large influence in the value of the property so does the home itself (for the good or bad). If you keep your home meticulously maintained – inside and out – it oftentimes has more value then a home that is left in disrepair. Home buyers like to be able to move right in with no work.
6. Were they on time? - Realtors will work on your behalf with lots of contractors and consultants that are just as busy as everyone else. If they don’t show up on time for you (who is interviewing them) do you have confidence that they will be prompted with the inspector, appraiser, and electrician? Late arrival or missed appointments could potentially delay the closing of your home.
7. Solid Stats - Did the Realtor present some solid facts and figures that show why you should use them?
8. Testimonials - Do they have testimonials or referrals that you can follow up on? You will probably have to ask for contact details but all agents should have at least 2 or 3 people that that are more then willing to speak with potential clients about the agent’s services. You should also be able to find testimonials (with no contact info) just about anywhere the agent is present: on their website, the listing presentation information, Facebook, Zillow, Trulia, the list goes on and on – there should be no shortage of praise.
9. Technology – Social media and online is future of the real estate industry. See how much the Realtor understands about new technology; websites, etc. The best way to do this is to do a Google search for the person’s name or company name. You might want to also check the key websites like Twitter, Zillow, Facebook, etc.
10. Commissions – Remember this is a business transaction you are entering into with your Realtor. If you select a Realtor because they were willing to cut their commission what do you think could happen when they are negotiating the sale of your home on your behalf? More often then not, you will get what you pay for.

Everyone in real estate has their mind on one thing: What's going to happen on December 1st?

Realtor.org reported yesterday that bills are pending in both the US House and the Senate to extend the current credit - but don't expect to receive more money or for it to be extended to all home buyers - if the bill is extended at all.

If you're still on the fence about purchase your first home now is the time to jump down! To take advantage of the current tax credit you must have closed on your home buy November 30th - but with the Thanksgiving holiday we suggest closing by the middle of November.

Banks and title companies are busier then ever because of this credit so it's taking more then the average 30 days to close on a home. If you add in the 6-8 weeks it could take to see what is available in the market and have an offer excepted you should really start looking now.

Of course, The Heritage Home Team is here to help you throughout the whole process! 

As a home buyer you want to find the perfect home for you and your family.

Home staging can make a home very inviting to buyers and get them swept up in the thought of living there - it helps to draw the eye to the focal point of every room to draw out the beautiful features of a home. Staging is so important that The Heritage Home Team has a resident home stager that is available to work with every seller on their home.

That being said, buyers still need to be aware of the other issues that are important when house hunting - it's not all sofa placement and pretty paint colors.

Buyers need to remember that there are other major aspects of a home that can make or break a deal, that are not as obvious - structural issues, plumbing, electrical, building codes just to name a few.

Home staging is not meant to ‘trick' the buyers or ‘cover up' any problems. It's like cleaning for a big party; you'd never want guests over with toys all over the living room and laundry hanging. But buyers, especially first time home buyers, can get swept up into the beauty of a home and forget about all the other things.

Why is this important? By being able to pinpoint these issues early it helps in several ways:

• 1. It can keep the buyer from becoming too emotionally attached to a home that isn't of good quality - possibly saving them thousands of dollars in repairs and maintenance (you might not thank us now but you will later).
• 2. The issues can be used in negotiation of the offer price if the issues are correctable.
• 3. It keeps the buyer from having to invest too much of their valuable time later in the home buying process to deal with the issues, inspection of the issues, and repair of the issues.

Our knowledge does not take the place of a licensed home inspection but it does make a world of difference in how quickly and painlessly you can find your next home.

In case you haven't already guessed homes are more affordable then ever. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone is clamoring to purchase right now.

A family earning the national median income of $53,182 is able to purchase about 75% of the homes on the market today.

Want to know more? Click here to view the press release from yesterday.

If you're looking to get a mortgage be ready to spend some time (and maybe headache) in the process. There are lots of options but really three main catagories of lenders: local banks, direct banks, and broker. 

• Local Banks: Think credit union or KC's Cap Fed,  they lend their own money (using their own rates and terms) so there is no 'middleman'. These loans are normally a little more conservative then the 'average' loan but there is the opportunity to receive preferential rates ro discount if you are already a customer of the bank. 
• Direct Banks: Think national bank, these banks often lend in such high quantities that they have low overhead and may be able to offer lower rates. The normally offer a little better information online and you can make payments there. More often then not, they sell your loan to another bank (or Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac).
• Brokers: Work with several different banks to find you the best deal. They don't lend their own money (like the banks do) but find you a bank that will. Brokers work best when you have complicated mortgage financing needs. Since the broker isn't lending their own money they are not making money through the interest you pay, they make their money in the form of a commission - make sure you know how they are getting paid.

With heat indexes topping 100 degrees and very little relief in sight now would be a good time to remind everyone to be careful while out and about.

If you're like me and don't 'get' to sit in a nice airconditioned office all day then here are a few tips and tricks to cool you off.

• Don't forget to use sunscreen when you are outside. A sunscreen with a high SPF is the best. Wearing a hat is also a good idea too and don't forget the lips! You can buy lip balm that has SPF in it. 
• Drink plenty of fluids. Water preferably. Drink before you get thirsty. Thirst is a sign that you are already at least slightly dehydrated. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which dehydrate your body. 
• Stay in air conditioning. Visit a library or mall. Movie theaters usually are frosty on summer days.
• Keep cool! Try to stay cool when you have to be outside. Have a fan or something nearby to keep you cool. They even make handheld fans that spray water. 
• Try to avoid being in the sun at the hottest part of the day which is usually 12:00 p.m. to around 3:00 p.m. If you must be outside try to limit your activity.
• Take breaks. It is important to rest and get cooled off and drink plenty of water when working outside. Another option (in addition to taking breaks) is to buy a cool wrap you wet and wrap around your neck.
• Do things in early morning. Do yard work and other activities in the morning when it's not as hot. Try to avoid doing your outside activities during the hottest part of the day.
• Head to a pool! Even though you're out in the sun, submerge yourself in a pool to cool off. Get out of the pool periodically to sit in the shade.
• Play with squirt guns or set up a sprinkler in the yard. 
• Take a cool bath. Add some peppermint oil to the water to further cool you.
• Take a hot shower. That's right, hot. You'll find that when you step out from under the water, the air feels cooler.
• Enjoy a frosty beverage. Slushies, shakes, smoothies and iced blended coffee drinks that decrease internal body temperature. Just watch out for brain freeze.
• Stick your head in the freezer. It's not energy efficient for beating the heat, but a few seconds with your head in the icebox feels great and refreshes at the same time.
• And, of course, my all time favorite; eat lots of ice cream. I think thechocolate kind with bits of brownie has the most cooling effect as well. If you don't believe me just try some - you'll be cool in no time! (And if you want to invite me over that would be OK too.)