WeSellNebraska

It was February 2009 that a massive wave of first time home buyers began entering the real estate market based on the availability of an $8,000 federal income tax credit incentive.  With a requirement that one live in the house for three years in order to avoid recapture of the credit we fully expect to see a corresponding wave of move up buyers beginning this spring.  We are already seeing listings that stipulate an earliest possible close date tied to the three year timetable.  With interest rates even lower than they were three years ago the potential impact on the mid range, $125,000 – $275,000, market is not to be ignored.  If you own a property in that price range, and have had thoughts of selling, 2012 just might be the right time to be talking to the Vaccaros.  Remember whether buying or selling, moving up or downsizing, Lincoln or Omaha, the Vaccaros stand ready to assist you, your family, friends and co-workers.  Give us a phone call or drop us an email message today.

70 degrees yesterday in Lincoln and Omaha, wow! The temperature is not the only thing that is hot however;  we are seeing amazing activity in the local real estate markets. Three listings under contract in the past three weeks and I can not tell you how many phone calls to set up showings on our other properties.  If you are sitting on the sidelines waiting for spring to list your house you are missing out on the busiest winter real estate market we have seen in a long time.  Remember whether buying or selling, moving up or downsizing, Lincoln or Omaha, the Vaccaros stand ready to assist you, your family, friends and co-workers.  Give us a phone call or drop us an email message today.

It may not feel like it outside with daily high temperatures in the 50′s but winter began last week.  Unusually warm weather during the winter months always seems to bring out the buyers so we have been busier than we expected to be the past three weeks which is just fine with us.  That said I fully expect winter to be upon us with all of its fury before we know it.  Does cold weather mean that we stop selling houses, not at all, but it does create special challenges for sellers.  Here are a  few tips to help make your house a hot property even when it’s cold outside;

Keep it warm.  You may normally turn down the temperature while you are away at work or on vacation in Florida but trying to save a a few dollars on your heat bill can be especially short sighted when you are trying to sell your house.  When we get a potential buyer into your house we want them to feel that they don’t want to leave not that they want to get back to the car where its warm just as soon as possible.  Do the math, save $50 or $75 a month on your heating bill versus adding two or three extra months of mortgage payments waiting for spring.

Keep it clear.  Most folks realize that they need to keep the driveway clear of snow so that buyers can get to the house without trudging through snow drifts but what you may not think of is that a clear driveway and sidewalk actually adds to the winter curb appeal of your property. Just like a green manicured lawn in summer speaks volumes about a house so does a spotlessly clear driveway in winter. The buyer may have left behind a half shoveled ice covered mess at home but they arrive at your house and step out of their car onto clear concrete they will already feel good about the thought of living there.  If you hire someone to take care of  the snow removal chore make certain they know that you want driveways and sidewalks cleared to full width along with the rear patio / deck and any sidewalk that leads around the house.

Keep it bright.  This time of year it is dark by 5:00 pm, just about the time that many people have a chance to come and look at  your house.  If you are occupying the house and are leaving to accomodate a showing make certain to turn on lights before you go.  Don’t forget the exterior lights both front and back.  If the house is vacant and you have rooms with out ceiling light fixtures leave behind floor lamps plugged into switched wall outlets.  If buyers have to stumble around in the dark in search of a light switch that room just might get passed by and maybe your house as well.

Keep it tasteful.  Holiday decorations can add a lovely warm touch to your home in the middle of a cold winter but too much of anything can be a turn off for buyers.  Remember that even though your furnishings and decorations will of course be removed when you sell your house they have a significant impact on the way that a buyer looks at your property.  Maybe this is the year that you leave the front yard lighted plastic reindeer in the attic.

Houses sell in Omaha and Lincoln every week of the year and there is no reason why you can’t sell yours in January or February.  Remember whether buying or selling, moving up or downsizing, Lincoln or Omaha, we stand ready to assist you, your family, friends and co-workers.  Give us a phone call or drop us an email message today.

It’s cold outside and empty inside so maybe you should consider shutting off the water.  One of our biggest nightmares as real estate agents in dealing with Sellers and their vacant properties is the thought that we will be the ones to discover that their furnace has failed and the pipes have frozen and burst.  Most of us don’t worry about such things while we are living in a house but imagine if  during that coldest week of January the power goes out for four or five days as a result of an ice storm. No power means no heat, no heat potentially means frozen water pipes, and frozen water pipes more than likely means leaks and even split water pipes.  Now imagine the temperature warming while you are still away and the water starts to flow through those leaks and splits in the pipes.  Are you starting to get the picture?  We have seen cases where water is literally running out of the front door of the house and down the sidewalk. Ruined walls and ceilings, ruined cabinets, ruined floors and carpets, the damage can be beyond imagination.  So much for our nightmare let’s talk about minimizing the associated risk.

I work with a major bank in the management of their foreclosed property inventory and their policy is very simple; as of October 1st a vacant property must be fully winterized. Winterizing meaning that the water is shut off at the street side of the water meter, the meter is removed from the system, all water lines are blown out with compressed air and an antifreeze solution is added to all traps.  In addition the bank instructs that the water heater be drained and shut off, that all fireplace dampers and vents be closed  and that the operation of any sump pumps be confirmed.  When the property is sold the process is reversed either at the time of inspections if applicable or at closing .  There is an expense of $150 to $200 plus every time the system is winterized or dewinterized and typically it is responsibility of the Seller, in such cases the bank.

Ideally this same procedure would be implemented by a home owner who is leaving behind a vacant property for an extended period of time in the winter however a simpler and  a less expense, but also decidedly less protective, solution is to simply turn the water off at the water meter.  By doing do and by opening all of  the faucets and allowing them to drain eliminates much but certainly not all water from the system.  Toilet tanks can be easily  bailed out but it is nearly impossible to empty drain traps without opening up the system.  A house freezing situation as described previously still could result in a cracked trap or horizontal water line that contained water but one would likely avoid catastrophic damage caused as a result of continually running water.  Another simple technique to reduce but not eliminate the potential for frozen pipes when the water is left on is to leave under sink cabinet doors open especially when the temperature in the house is turned down to levels below where it would be were the house occupied.  Under sink cabinet areas that are adjacent to outside walls are especially prone to freezing even when there is still heat in the house if they are cut off from that heat by cabinet doors. One possible consequence of shutting off the water and draining the system is that often times toilet and faucet seals, without contact with water, tend to dry out and may  in fact develop minor leaks when the water is turned back on.  Such nuisance leaks, however, are far far less costly to deal with than the damage that can potentially result if nothing at all is done.

Before Susan and I were adopted by the world’s most spoiled cat who stays in the house while we are away I always shut the water off at the meter when leaving the house for more than a couple of days, even in the summer.  Now we have a cat sitter who visits the house every day when we are away so at least we would likely be notified if the power had failed and the house was getting cold.  In any case we highly advise any Seller of property that will be left vacant during the winter months to consult with a qualified handyman or plumber on how to best protect their property.  Remember whether buying or selling, moving up or downsizing, Lincoln or Omaha, we stand ready to assist you, your family, friends and co-workers.  Give us a phone call or drop us an email message today!