The front of the house, or at least the garage and driveway side

We all know a picture is worth a thousand words.  I just had an example of the huge differance the picture can make, too.

You’ve seen those pictures of famous actors when they don’t have their make up on, right?  You’ll see this person without their “face on” and it won’t even resemble the actor!

Check this house out, same house photo’s taken with different cameras and at different angles on the the same house. 

What a differance a photo can make!

If you were looking at list of properties, which house would draw you in and look more interesting?  It’s obvious and reminds me that taking your time and thinking about your photo’s on the Internet make all the differance in marketing!

This little device could save a house from freezing up

Honeywell, the thermostat people, has a temperature controlled device that you can put in a vacant house or cabin that will alert your neighbors, or you, if the temperature falls too low inside the house.  Hopefully, this will give you some time to call the plumber before you get a freeze-up!

You simply plug in the devise into a wall outlet. It looks similar to a thermostat but works just he reverse. The other end is plugged into a lamp.  If you commonly leave lights on already, maybe change the bulb color in this fixture so it looks unusual.

The idea is that once plugged in and activated, you can ask your neighbors to call you if they notice this lamp burning inside the house.  If its on, it means the temperature has fallen to the level

Using a colored light will make it obvious you may have a heating problem

you you preset on the “Winter Watchman” and you get a “heads up” to check out the heat in the house – quickly if it’s cold outside!

You can find these at most plumbing stores.  I found mine in Anchorage at Hasco on 6th Avenue. 

For our real estate purposes, we are already going by our vacant houses to confirm there are flyer’s on the sign at the curb and the snow is shoveled.  We can tell from the curb if the heat is on.  If we can have a friendly neighbor keep an eye it, all the better!

Here are the high points of the “right to inspect” as laid out in Alaska’s commonly used “Purchase and Sales Agreement.”

* Seller agrees to maintain the property in it’s current condition, all the way through to closing. This means if the garage door opener fails once you are in contract and you are the seller, you must repair or replace it.

* Buyer has the right to inspect early, usually within 10 days, of making an offer.  The buyer can choose any qualified professional inspector(s), but must notify the seller who has the right to refuse certain inspectors, but not unreasonably.  Seller agrees to make the property available for the inspection.

The older a home is, the more code changes may affect a sale

* Buyers inspection may include, but is not limited to: square footage, school boundaries, zoning, avalanche, sex offenders, pest inspections, structural, plumbing, sewer and water, heating appliances, insulation, electrical, roofing, soils, drainage, foundation, mechanical systems, code compliances, possible environmental hazards such as asbestos, mold, illegal drug or substance manufacturing, urea-formaldehyde, radon gas, waste disposal sites, and underground tanks. (whew, did we miss anything?) 

* The buyer can inspect anything obviously.  The buyer has 72 hours to either terminate the purchase after his inspection or accept the property or request repairs from the seller. 

* If requesting repairs, buyer shall request in writing and attach a copy of his inspection or findings from his due diligence.  A time frame for sellers response is included in the request, usually under a week. 

* The seller, after being requested to make repairs, can agree to make the repair, negotiate on the repairs such as offer a credit, or simply not agree to make some repairs.

* If buyer and seller are in agreement, the work is done prior to closing and may be subject to a reinspect, at the buyers cost.  If buyer and seller ARE NOT in agreement, the transaction is terminated and both parties go their own ways.

* A repair condition or result of an inspection becomes a material amendment to the “State of Alaska Residential Real Property Transfer Disclosure Statement” and be disclosed to subsequent potential purchasers.

As you can see, the “Right to Inspect” has been well thought out and is meant to keep buyers and sellers on equally fair ground.

There is a lot of information on your as built survey

In short, an as built is usually a 8 x 11 page you receive when you buy your home. It looks like an aerial view of your house, lot lines and other improvements.

 You do not have one on a condo, but you do on single family and multifamily properties.  You often find the document at the back of your closing package you received from your lender and title company or with the seller disclosure the seller provided you.

The survey shows where the lot lines of your property are, and how the improvements on your lot are laid out.  For instance you will see how close your property sets to the lot line, where your fence is and how close your deck is to the lot line.

Title companies and lenders look at the as built to confirm the house doesn’t encroach into the lot line or into an easement.  Easements are the sections set aside that belong to you, but there are utilities above or below the land so you cannot build on top of them.  Zoning tells you how close a structure can be built from the lot line.  On older properties, possibly before zoning was enforced, sometimes an owner added on to the property and built too close to the lot line.  This means the building encroaches into utility easement or even onto the lot line.  A lender would most likely require a letter of non-objection from the Municipal office called Zoning Enforcement.  If the addition was made after the lot was zoned, and a permit was not issued, it is very possible the owner my have to bring the property back into code and zoning compliance.

When you put a fence on your lot, the fencing contractor will ask you for a copy of your as built survey.  This is because they do not want to put your fence on the neighbors lot.

An as built survey will show your home, your driveway, a well head if on a private well, the sectic pipes, retaining walls, fences, sheds and greenhouses and decks.  Most of the time there are distances shown from the house corners to the lot lines.

The cost of an as built survey is usually between $250 and $500 in populated area’s.  The reason an as built may be less expensive in a urban area is that the surveyor needs to be able to locate a known marker, called a control, to measure off of.  In rural areas a survey can cost thousands of dollars depending on how far a surveyor must go to find a set control they can measure from.

In short, when you get a survey, it would be wise to make a few copies of it and keep it in a spot you can find it again.  When I come to list your home, I’m going to ask you for a copy of your as built survey.

Here is the basic principal “Given two otherwise identical houses, all other factors being equal, the cleaner, less

This is how most of us live in our house

cluttered house with better curb appeal will sell aster and for more money.”

For most people, it is very difficult to look objectively at your own house.  The way you LIVE every day in your house is different from the way you SELL your house.  You are busy living in it day-to-day and you don’t see it the way a stranger (or prospective buyer) would.  For example, the garbage container next to the garage may be such a fixture that you don’t even notice it when you drive up, but it could be the first thing the prospective buyer sees when he drives up.

As a real estate professionals, my team and I looked at and evaluated thousands of homes, most of which were in the process of being bought and sold.  Our experience has taught us that there are relatively easy, inexpensive things you can do so your home shows better, and you will sell your home sooner and for more money.

Less furniture, no rugs and doilies

Now, let me clarify this a bit; getting your “best foot forward” isn’t necessarily easy, and you may not enjoy the process, but in the end, you’ll be happy you took this advice.  And it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg!

Here’s the deal; Clutter distracts prospective purchasers.  Clutter makes it difficult for them to see and appreciate your house.  It makes it almost impossible for them to visualize their own things (the buyers furnishings),  in your house.  When “Mr. buyer” looks in the closet and see your collection of board games dating back to the 1950′s and a jumble of shoes and boots , he may miss the fact that there is a spot to one side that would be ideal for storing his golf clubs.  When “Mrs. buyer” looks at the dining room, she is so overwhelmed by your “Plates from around the world” collection she completely misses the fact that her hutch would fit perfectly against the far wall.

Don’t get me wrong!  It’s your house and your stuff that you’ve worked hard to collect and pay for, its just those things probably should be stored away while your house is on the market.

This is how we live in our kitchen

Clean houses sell better for several reasons: 

A clean house smells good.  Never underestimate the sense of smell.  When a buyers smell dirty socks, a fish smell or even old cigarette smoke, it can be a turn off to them!

A clean house helps put the prospective buyer at ease so they can focus on the features of the home.  A clean house sends the message “We were expecting you.  We are glad you are looking at our home.  We hope you like it as much as we do.”

A clean house represents work the prospective buyer doesn’t have to worry ab out doing.  When they are looking at your house, they are plagued by the thought, “There sure is a lot of cleaning to do before we can move in!”

Lighting plays an important role in selling your house, too.  The interior of the house should be bright and inviting.  If your house is clean, the bright lighting won’t  illuminate any dust and grime.

clean and sparse!

Look at the *real* photo’s I used to illustrate this blog post.  None of the photo’s are necessarily bad – which do you think look the best if you were to walk into the house?

Of course, when you get down to selling your house we will bring objectivity to the process and make suggestions to you to help neutralize your home for selling.

Asphalt Driveway settling away from concrete slab

One of the things that wears out on many homes in Alaska is the asphalt driveway. 

First, it’s important to know if you are reading this from outside the Anchorage area, very few homes have concrete driveways in central or northern Alaska.  That is because during the freeze – thaw cycle, the ground gets wet, when it freezes, ice expands. 

Concrete doesn’t flex, but asphalt does.  This is why asphalt is the most common of driveways – the concrete will crack and break up over time in most driveways.

Many asphalt driveways hold up for 10 to 15 years, but most of them begin to fail at some point in the life of a home.  You can prolong the life of your driveway by sealing the cracks so water doesn’t penetrate and black topping the surface, but if the ground heaves through the thaw and freeze seasons, ultimately you’ll see large cracks, heaving or asphalt pulling away from the concrete pad inside the garage.

The same driveway after being filled and sealed

When your driveway fails, as the one in the first photo, you don’t have to live with it – you can repair it without breaking the bank.  There are companies that specialize in filling cracks and surfacing, or if even more severe repair is required such as overlaying the driveway or replacing it.  Call or email me for names and numbers of contractors that Iwould recommend.

I listed a home with a stunning kitchen a few days ago.  I mean, the seller here hired a kitchen designer

A very nice mix of glass, granite and steel

and pretty much opened their check book for to do EVERYTHING they could imagine to make a dream kitchen.

Check the photo’s out.  This dream kitchen has it all!  Cherry cabinets, built in-Viking refrigerator with matching cabinet panels, gas 6 burner Viking commercial range and microwave, under cabinet lighting, custom lighting, granite counter tops and much more.

The rest of the house is cool, too, but the kithen would be where the party hung out, no doubt about it!  This kitchen was published in Alaska Home Magazine after the kitchen was completed.

This home is located on a ridge on the east side of Anchorage;  NOT where you might expect to see such

Gas Viking 6 Burner Range

a gem; and, to tell the truth, from the curb you’d never expect such “coolness” inside.  The address of this home is 6208 Staedem which is accessed off Edward Street from east Debarr Road.  There is a nice hill back there, and this home sits on a 1/2 acre lot with a view of the city. 

In fact, when the Blue Angels are tearing it up in the skies over Elmendorf and Ft. Richardson, this home has a front row seat!  Some story with the fireworks displays on the 4th of July and New Years!  You’d want to be friends with these folks so you could sit a cool glass of wine and stay warm- all the while enjoying the show!

Here is a practicle sink!

The kitchen is only one part of the remodel that is nice.  The master suite is great and the bathroom is large and well appointed.  The deck runs nearly the length of the house and faces south for nice hot sunny evenings on the deck.  All the windows have been replaced throughout the house to high quality Pella windows.  The entryway doors are leaded glass built by a local artist.  Go to “our listings” in the website to see many more photo’s of this home.

Well, my wife was out of town for a couple weeks and I hired some workmen to do some work in my kitchen while she was gone.  I worked extra time at work during this time.  I would come home at night to stuff on the floors that would never had been there if Kristi would have been at home.  Because now I needed to whip up some dinner and clean up, do some laundry and other things, I pulled out this strange “Roomba” device and let it vacuum while I did something else.

And you know what!?  I love it!  It’s a joy when I open the little dusk container and find out it picked up a bunch of dust bunnies and stuff I didn’t even know was lerking around the house!    Check out the attached YouTube Video, too.  It’s just plain cool.

Crunch your numbers! Price well if you want to sell!

need objectivity.  A buyer is looking for the best property they can find at the best price.  You need to be able to see your property from the eyes of the property buyer.  Maybe you should ask your realtor to show you a few of the top competing properties.  Yes, look at “short sales” and foreclosures too.  Your buyer will be checking those out too.

You have your work cut out for yourself.  You can drop your price, or improve your homes condition.  If you can’t afford to lower your price, it might mean you need to update your kitchen and/or bathroom;  It might be as easy as removing old wallpaper, painting and replacing carpeting. 

2) Your property won’t sell because it shows poorly.  This could mean just about anything, from the 80 pound Rottweiler barking and drooling, to the smell of old cigarette smoke aging inside the home for years.  Maybe your carpet is showing wear patterns down the hallway or stairs. 

3) Your property won’t sell because your photos aren’t quality.Most buyers start their home search on thee Internet, so you property had better look good on the web.  This day and age, an Internet view is the same as a “virtual showing”.  If your home passes the the web-view, you just might be seeing an appointment to get inside the home to see it in person.  You might consider the “in person” viewing as your SECOND showing!  Today’s online buyers expect good quality photo’s and plenty of them.  You can’t get top quality with a cell phone camera either!

4) Your property can’t sell if it’s unavailable to show!  I know this is personal, but it is “real world.” You have a baby and it needs a nap at 2pm. You told your real estate agent that you won’t

You can't sell the house if you can't show it!

accept any showings between 1:30 and 3:30; and no showings on Sundays either because it is your family day.  After all, you reason, “we live here!”  Guess what, if they don’t see it, they don’t buy it.  Every realtor know that when I buyer wants to look, they are thinking about their own schedule, not yours.  That’s why many Realtors are frustrated when they lose a buyer when they aren’t avable when the buyer wants to look.  If your home isn’t available when the buyers are going looking, they just may move on to the next property on the list. 

5) Your property won’t sell because you are invisible.  Buyers today’s start shopping on the Internet.  You need to listed on multiple sites where buyers are looking; that means Trulia, Zillow, Craigs List, Google Base and Realtor.com, to mention a few.  If your agent isn’t getting your house listed in multiple sites, you are probably missing important exposure.

6) Your property listing is tired and stale on the market.  Here’s an example; you overpriced your home last year.  You said “Our house is better for this reason and we only need to find ONE buyer that can see that.”  You reduced your price a few times when you either weren’t getting regular showings, or the buyers feedback was that you were overpriced.  Unfortunately, you “followed” the market down, as buyers cherry picked the houses that were priced the best. 

Remember those showings you had 6 months ago?  You’ll never get them back when you reduce your price later on.  The reason?  In the buyers mind, they remember there was something about your house they didn’t like and you can’t get them back to look.  You know what it was?  It was the price.  Take your house off the market for a month or two so your home enters the market as a new listing.

7) Your property won’t sell because your house won’t appraise.  You got an offer, but the appraisal came in $15,000 low.  There isn’t a chance you can win contesting that appraisal.  Your buyer is already concerned this might not be a good time to buy.  What are your options?  Figure out a way to make it work.  If you don’t, you may find yourself with no buyer and be back to this place again the next time you find a buyer.

It never ceases to amaze me how many agents enter new listings and don’t put photo’s online right away.  There are

Professionally shot SLR photo's are generally more appealing and inviting

always real estate agents who are watching for property to come on the market so they can show their buyers.  When a new listing comes on the market, agents want to study it online and email the new listing to their potentially interested customers.  Don’t you think this would be a good time to have photo’s online?

The other “cardinal sin” comes from agents who take a shortcut and take photo’s with a cheap camera or even their cell phones.  It’s amazing how often I’ll either see no photo at all, or only marginally better, crummy photo’s. 

Recently, there was an article in Realtor Magazine which suggested listing agents should invest in better quality digital SLR camera for their listing photos.  The article went so far as to mention a study from Boston and New York that claimed professional photographs sold anywhere between $934 to $100,000 more than homes with no photo’s or with poor photo’s. 

Professional photo's lead to more showings and online views

Personally, I doubt the story, but it’s an interesting article.  I do believe that homes with high quality photo’s do create great interest and result in more showings for the property.  My office has recieved offers at least two twice from people who hadn’t yet been in the home.  The offers were “subject to” viewing the property within a short period of time, of course.  If I had either crummy photo’s, or no photo’s, I doubt we’d have seen those offers, at least as quickly as we did.