Eugene Oregon Real Estate Blog

Good Monday Morning! The Real Estate market in the Eugene and Springfield area remains extremely favorable for home buyers.  With low mortgage interest rates hanging around and great home values, the climate is perfect for a home purchase.  The following is an article from Realty Times that gives some good advice to home buyers.

Finding a home is a lot like finding your true love. Love makes your heart skip a beat. Your feet immediately start to spin around the empty living room and imagine yourself entertaining grandly as you waltz through the dining room. And by the time you get to the master bedroom, well….it's love.

But if you've ever been in a bad relationship, you know it can start with that head over heels feeling. You remember that feeling. It's the one that makes you do stupid things that you regret later, like blithely overlooking flaws you wouldn't have put up with if you were in your right mind.

When you go shopping for homes, remember that you're vulnerable. Cupid may strike with his bow when you least expect it, causing you to fall in love - with the wrong house.

Oh, that won't happen to me, you say. But it can. You're a fool for love. If you want to keep your head and get the home that's really right for you and your household, follow these tips:

Shop Within Your Means

The wrong house will be too much trouble and money. Your lender will give you a price limit that you can comfortably afford based on your income and current debts. These are time-tested formulas that are designed to protect you from getting overextended and putting the bank's investment in jeopardy.

Work with a real estate professional

Look online and you'll fall in love with a home out of your league. You're welcome to look at homes online, but try to stay in your price range. If you look at homes that are more expensive than you can afford, you're bound to fall in love with more luxuries and space than you can comfortably afford. Share your wish list with a real estate professional, and let him or her preview homes for you.

Shop for the right-sized home, not the biggest

The wrong home is too big. While conventional wisdom says buy the most home that you can for the money, buying the biggest home you can isn't smart. Think about the operating costs of heating, cooling, cleaning and maintaining more square footage than you really need. Instead, think about how you actually use a home. Have a use for every space.

Shop For Your Lifestyle

The wrong home is perfect - for someone else. If you're single or travel a lot, you don't want to mow 10 acres. Consider a condominium or gated community. If you have kids, you may be more interested in neighborhoods with lots of options for kids to learn and do.

Consider the commute

The wrong home dazzles you with its elegance, but there's a price. Many of the newest homes offer the most amenities, but they're on cheaper land far from city centers. Ask yourself how long you'll spend commuting to your job every day to live in that particular community?

Don't Be Fooled By a Pretty Face

The wrong home isn't just pretty, it has to meet your needs. Where do the kids put their backpacks when they come home from school? Is it easy to let the dog outside and clean muddy paws when he comes back in? Do you have the space you need for your home office or art studio? Are there enough bathrooms for the morning rush?

Don't Overlook A Wallflower

Many homes are affordable because they're older and need work. Many times, cosmetic updates can turn a so-so home into a treasure. No home is perfect, so don't be side-tracked by ugly wallpaper.

Fall in love with the right house

The right house may not be the prettiest, biggest or the newest, but it will be the one that most suits the various needs of your household. When you're comparing homes think about your wish list and which home comes closest to meeting your price, number of bedrooms, condition, space, features and the amenities of the neighborhood.

Once you move in, you'll see that there's no falling in love that feels as good as knowing you made the right choice.

Have An Awesome Week! 

THIS WEEK'S HOT HOME LISTING!

2670 Gay Street

Price: $189,000 Beds: 3 Baths: 1 Half Baths: 1 Sq Ft: 1,924

In highly desirable North Gilham neighborhood! This home offers refinished hardwood floors, fresh interior paint, built-ins & lots of storage. Living rm w/ wood fireplace, family+dining rm w/ slider & propane stove opens to kitchen w/ pantry & eat-bar. Utility rm w/ half bath, additional rm could be office, plus storage/shop. RV parking ...

View this property >>

AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!! 

Good Morning!

In the 26 years that I have been a Real Estate broker in the Eugene and Springfiled market area there is one thing that has not changed a bit.  This is the fact that if a seller over prices their home, it most likley will not sell. Over pricing has been and still is the primary reason that homes fail to sell.  Over pricing not only creates selling problems but it also costs sellers many thousands of dollars.  Homes that start out on the market with their price tag too high will almos t always sell for less money than if they had priced the home correctly in the first place.  The following is an article from "Realty Times" that addresss over pricing.

Why would sellers deliberately sabotage their chances of selling their homes? It doesn't make any sense, yet it happens all the time.

Sellers arrogantly slap the highest price on their homes that they think they can get away with. Then they're surprised when the market slaps them right back with insultingly low offers or none at all.

If you're a seller getting ready to list your home with a real estate professional, and you're even thinking of testing the market with a high price tag, it's time to slap you and get your attention.

Here are four really bad reasons to overprice your home.

You think you're smarter than everyone else.

If you're truly smarter than everyone else, then your agent, the buyer's agent, the buyer's lender, the county appraiser, all the other sellers who have sold or who currently have their homes listed in the market and every buyer on the market is stupid compared to you.

Maybe you'll get lucky and some state lottery winner will write you a check. Oh, yeah, that'll happen.

You want control.

You're the seller who hires a real estate professional, but then doesn't listen to a word she says. Or you politely listen, smile smugly, and then inform your agent that you're in no hurry, you can afford to wait for the right price, you can always decide to drop the price later, blah, blah, blah.

But you're not in control. The market is in control. Buyers don't have to buy homes, and they certainly don't choose to buy overpriced homes.

You're dishonest.

Like keeping an ace up your sleeve, you see nothing wrong with hiding information from your agent or the buyer. Maybe you want to put such a high price on your home because you owe more on your home than it's worth. What if you can't get your price and you have to ask the lender to take less money. That's a big risk. It takes more time, the lender could say no, and your buyer could get righteously angry and walk away.

You're entitled.

You feel you deserve nothing but the best, but you're really the client from hell. You really think it's your hapless agent's job to meet your unrealistic expectations. You expect your agent to hire Josh Whelan to video your home, put a full-page ad in the New York Times, hold an open house every week, stand in your front yard with a bullhorn and get buyers to step right up -- all for a discounted commission.

Overpricing is a risk. Buyers aren't stupid. Agents don't work for free. Lenders don't ignore lending guidelines. So don't be stupid. Don't overprice your home.

THIS WEEK'S HOT HOME LISTING!

649 St Andrews Loop

Price: $529,000 Beds: 4 Baths: 4 Half Baths: 1 Sq Ft: 5,568

Outstanding value at $93 per sq ft - Hardwood flooring, granite counters, travertine tile, hickory cabinets, two walk-in closets, solid core 8ft doors, creek views, next to Emerald Valley Golf Resort. Too many high end amenities to list. Less than 20 minutes to U of O and hospitals...

View this property >>

AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!! 

With the housing marketing beginning to heat up again in the Eugene and Springfield market area, the climate for selling a home has never been better.  If yoiu are considering putting your home on the market, there are a few things controlled by you that can make a huge difference on how long it takes your home to sell and at what price your home sells at. The following is an article from "Realty Times" that goes over some home selling dont's.

When you're selling your home, you need every advantage you can get. And there are few homes that are magically market ready without a little help. If your home needs a touch more than a little help, it's time to get focused. After all, listing your home when it's not in the right condition to sell will probably only end in frustration. And, in this case, frustration means: your home sitting on the market for months with no offers or the errant, offensive, lowball.

If you want to make sure you get your home sold quickly and for the right price, you'll want to avoid listing it with the following.

1. Excessive Damage

Maybe the home you're selling was used as a rental and trashed by frat boy tenants, or maybe you just haven't kept it up as you should. Either way, those holes in the wall that look like the living room was used as a boxing gym, the scratched-up wood floors on which dinosaurs have clearly been racing, and the yard that's barren except for those two-foot-tall patches of weeds are not what buyers are looking for. Unless you're planning to offer your house for a price that will make buyers emphasize the good and ignore the bad and the ugly, it's going to need some attention.

2. Carpet in the bathroom

It's just gross. And everyone who walks into that bathroom is thinking one of two things: 1) There's gotta be mold under there; 2) There's gotta be pee on the floor around that toilet. This is one update you'll want to do before you list. Or, if you're already listed and your home's not selling.

3. Big, nasty stains

A buyer shouldn't know where your dog likes to mark or where your kids spilled the entire bowl of holiday punch. If the stains on your carpet are that bad, potential buyers will stroll in and run right back out. No one wants to buy a pigsty. Invest a few bucks in new carpet. You'll make the money back since you won't have to drop your sales price.

4. Pet smells

Speaking of pets…they smell. You probably don't notice since you live with them everyday, but buyers will, and it might be enough to turn them off. Deep clean the carpets and the upholstery, invest in some air fresheners, and remove cat boxes from the house for showings. The last thing you want is a potential buyer referring to your house as "the stinky one."

5. Loud dogs who bark every time someone approaches the home

One last word on pets. Barking happens, whether it's your dog or one that belongs to a neighbor. But you don't need that on the day of your open house. Offering to pay for doggie day care for a neighbor's pooch can eliminate the issue and help create the serene setting buyers want. 

6. Your dead lawn

Lack of curb appeal won't necessarily kill a deal. In many cases, you won't even get potential buyers to get out of the car. If the front yard is a mess, buyers will naturally think the mess continues inside.

7. A bad agent

Face it. Not all of them are winners. If your agent is: rude, uninformed, lazy, uncommunicative, belligerent, or unwilling to take your opinions into consideration, get a new one. An agent who isn't giving their client the right type of attention probably isn't going to get the job done.

8. Your sloppiness

Those drawers and cabinets you shoved everything into when you cleaned off your kitchen and bathroom cabinets could be a deal breaker for picky buyers. We all know buyers open stuff. They look in drawers, they open cabinets, they examine closets. If these spaces are messy and overstuffed, they may assume there's not enough storage space.

9. Unreasonable sellers

Big problems in your house can be deal killers, but they can also be deal sealers, if you are reasonable. If your inspection uncovers plumbing, electrical, or roofing problems (or all three!) and you're unwilling to negotiate, you can kiss that sale goodbye.

10. Bad Taste

Your poor decorating choices and failure to keep up with trends from this year—or century—may haunt you when it's time to sell. If it's true that many buyers have no vision—and all you have to do is watch House Hunters and observe a buyer getting hung up on a paint color to know that's true—then you are really in for it with your crowded house full of ugly, outdated crap. A few simple updates can help it to look fresh and give buyers something to fall in love with. Not sure where to start? Check out FrontDoor's 15 Updates That Pay Off and HGTV's 10 Best-Kept Secrets For Selling Your Home

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

3097 Summit Sky Blvd

Price: $750,000 Beds: 4 Baths: 4 Half Baths: 1 Sq Ft: 4338

Elegant upper end home on 1.06 acres in SW Hills! Maple hardwood flrs, granite, travertine, 3 suites, 2 fireplaces, 2 balconies, family room, library/office, formal dining, bonus room, media room. Gourmet kitchen with cherry cabs, wine fridge, doubl...

View this property >>

AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Well another year has come and gone. As we near the end of 2014, it is a good idea to reflect on the progress we have made in our own lives over the past year. Hopefully, some of you achieved the goals you set for yourselves at the beginning of 2014. And as we look ahead to the new year, it is time to set new goals for ourselves based on our progress this year.

The 2014 real estate market has seen declines and increases with regard to past years, has continued some trends and is changing with the times. As the internet becomes easier to access with mobile devices, it is safe to say the internet is leading the way in the home buying search process. Read the following article from RealtyTimes to find out the results of the 2014 home buyer and seller survey. 

One of the most useful research projects of the National Association of REALTORS^®(NAR) is the annual survey of homebuyers and sellers. It is particularly useful because it shows sellers and their agents what works and what sources buyers use to find their new homes.

The most recent version (2014 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers) became available in November of this year. The information is based on answers to a 127-question survey mailed to a random sample of 72,206 consumers who purchased a home between July 2013 and June 2014. (Names and addresses were provided by Experian, a company that maintains an extensive database of recent homebuyers that is derived from county records.) After accounting for undeliverable surveys, there was a 9.4 percent response rate.

In 2014, first-time homebuyers constituted 33 percent of the market. This reflects a steady drop since 2010, and in fact is the lowest figure in more than a decade. Even with interest rates at record lows, the first-time buyer market is still quite weak. The tightening of lending standards is no doubt a major factor. Moreover, the widespread prevalence of student loan debt, combined with an economy that still remains uncertain for many in this cohort, has taken a toll.

The most useful information for sellers and their agents is to be found in the section on the home search process. While the survey results are not significantly different from those of recent years, the trends continue. For example, this year 74 percent of buyers said that they used the internet frequently during the search process. In 2003 that number was only 42%. This past year 34% of buyers said that they frequently used a mobile or tablet application. That is a newer and growing phenomenon. 63% of buyers said that they frequently relied on a real estate agent for information.

Forty-three percent of buyers went to the internet as the first step in the home search process. 15% contacted a real estate agent first, and 6% began by driving through neighborhoods looking for homes for sale. 12% first went online to find out about the process.

Buyers use multiple sources of information in the process of looking for a home. Far and away the most used sources are on-line websites (88%) and real estate agents (87%). Mobile or tablet applications (50%) have replaced yard signs as the third most used source of information. Still though, 48% of buyers indicate that yard signs are one of their sources of information. Only 21% of buyers indicate that they used newspaper ads as an information source. A mere 4% garnered information from television.

While there are a lot of intriguing data about the sources of information used by prospective homebuyers, certainly the most relevant has to do with where they actually found the home that they ultimately purchased. This year the information source that was highest in that category (43%) was the internet. Agents are second at 33%. Note that this is not to say that buyers bought their home through the internet. The typical scenario would be that a consumer sees the home on the internet, and then contacts his or her agent. 90% of those who used the internet to search purchased their home through an agent.

The differences in a little more than a decade are fascinating. In 2001, 48 percent of buyers learned about their home through a real estate agent, and only 8 percent found their home on the internet. The times they have changed.

Some things, though, remain persistently the same -- or close to it. In 2001, a yard sign was the third most likely source of information leading to the home that was purchased (15%). And this year? It is still the third leading source at 9%, but this is now the second time in the survey history that it has been lower than double digits. Print media may not be dead, but it has shrunk to insignificance in this arena. In 2001, 7% of homebuyers found the home they ultimately purchased through a newspaper ad; in 2014, it was only 1%. Fewer than 1% found their home through a home book or magazine.

Hope you all have a very Happy New Year!

Article originally posted on RealtyTimes

Some of us have heard that the worst time to sell a home is during winter months, but is it true? Do homes sell in winter? Is it a good idea to list in winter? No, winter is not the worst time to sell your home. The myth is just that: a myth.  In fact, listing your home in winter is a great idea. The following is an article from Inman News that provides data to disprove the myth. 

Conventional wisdom has it that winter is the worst time to sell a home.

But a recent study from Redfin casts doubt on that belief, finding that listings seem to fare better on the market from January to March than they do during the summer or fall — though spring still seems to take the cake as best the season to put your home up for sale.

From 2010 to 2013, the average share of homes that sold above list price during January, February and March ranged from 11 to 13 percent.

That range ticked up to between 12 and 14 percent during April, May and June, and then slumped for the summer and fall.

From July to November, the share of homes that sold above list price stayed steady at 11 percent before increasing to 12 percent in December.

According to the study, homes also tended to sell at the slowest rate during the summer and fall, with September (83) and October (83) registering the highest average number of days on the market between 2010 and 2013.

While the data suggested homes were most likely to sell the fastest and at the highest price during the spring, winter turned out to be the season where a homeowner has the best shot at selling within 90 days.

January (62 percent), February (64 percent) and March (62 percent) led the pack as the best months for selling a home in 90 days or sooner, while October (58 percent) and November (58 percent) came in  last.

Data provided by Redfin

Article originally posted on Inman News

Good Monday Morning!

I find that many clients that I assist are confused about the difference between a CMA (market Analysis) and an appraisal.  There is a difference and the two are used for different purposes.  The following is an article from "Realty Times" that will give you a good idea about what both are and what they are used for.

As part of the homebuying process, your real estate agent may create a comprehensive market analysis or CMA. Later, when you apply for a mortgage, a bank appraisal is conducted by a licensed appraiser. Are CMAs and appraisals the same thing?

While both CMAs and appraisals help determine a home's market value, their purposes are not the same. The CMA is a sales tool to help you find an offer price for the home you want to buy. The homes in the CMA include the home you want to buy plus similar nearby homes. This helps you see how the home you want compares to other homes so you have an idea what to offer.

A real estate professional may prepare a CMA for their sellers to help them choose a listing price. The CMA includes recently sold homes and homes for sale in the seller's neighborhood that are most similar to the seller's home in appearance, features, and general price range.

Although the CMA is used to help determine current market value, the seller's home is typically not even featured in the CMA. The CMA is merely a guide to help the seller learn what's happening in their local market, so they can better understand where their home fits in term of price ranges, based on location, features, size, condition and other factors.

The CMA offers the same advantages to you as a buyer. They help you better understand the local market. You can expand the search and get different results in a CMA simply by changing the zip code or the price range or the number of bedrooms and baths.

Appraisals are all about risk retention for banks and their customers. If the buyer is receiving financing through a bank, the bank will order an appraisal.

Unlike the CMA, a bank appraisal is a professional determination of a home's value. It's performed by a licensed appraiser, using guidelines established by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates federal housing loan guarantors such as FHA, VA and housing loan purchasers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

An appraisal is a comprehensive look at a home's location, condition, age and relativity to the market of like properties. It reflects only the data that comes form historic sales, typically over the past six months and does not consider market conditions and existing competing homes like a CMA does.

Have An Awesome Week!

Have you ever wondered about your home's history?

Most owners of older homes eventually come to terms with the fact that they will never know everything about their property. If the last set of homeowners didn't share much about the origin of your house, who else is there to ask? Details like the year it was built, its initial layout, and the original occupants can always feel just out of reach. Fortunately for the curious homeowner, answers are easier to come by than you may think. Check out these seven sources for the extra insight to help you uncover the story behind your own home.

VISIT THE TAX ASSESSOR

Start with the tax records. Assuming they've been conscientiously maintained, these will list every owner of the land on which your house sits, along with the assessed property value from year to year. Spot a sudden jump in valuation? That suggests the construction of a new home (likely yours) or the completion of a substantial addition or renovation. Copy the date down to review against additional research.

STOP BY YOUR COUNYT CLERK'S OFFICE

Next, you’re interested in three files at the county clerk's office: the Registrar of Deeds, the tract index, and the grantor-grantee index. These offer a comprehensive listing of all transactions that have involved your lot, including names and dates of previous owners, as well as the salient details of any lawsuits or liens filed over the years.

FIND YOUR LOCAL BUILDING INSPECTOR

Also ask your local building inspector to see any building permit applications associated with your street address. Required for most new construction and remodeling, these documents may reward you with information about any major changes that have been made to the structure. Compare these with the other dates you've accrued, and use them to narrow your scope when researching community documents.

CHECK OUT COMMUNITY LIBRARIES

Many libraries devote sections to local history, archiving historical maps, original building plans, and even old photographs. Scour the real estate listings in decades-old newspapers around the time you believe the property was built for stories mentioning your address, and consult the census records for your area.

INVESTIGATE THE MATERIALS USED

Your home's materials speak volumes about when it was constructed—so long as your home has not been completely renovated. For example, asphalt tile flooring exploded into popularity around 1920, but had been virtually forgotten by 1960. One handy trick: If at least one of your bathrooms still has the original fixtures, you can usually find a manufacturing date stamped on the underside of the toilet tank cover!

REVIEW FIRE INSURANCE MAPS

Fire insurance maps are yet another source of trustworthy particulars. These maps, which in many cases date back to the 1870s, can help you determine the framing, flooring, and roofing materials used in the initial construction of your home—knowledge that helped early insurance agents determine the degree of fire hazards of any particular property.

INSPECT YOUR HOME'S STYLE

Finally, know that, like any trend, the popularity of certain architectural style waxes and wanes. Use your knowledge of these to determine when your own home was built. Italianate style was an 1850s favorite; Colonial Revival was all the rage in the 1890s; and by the 1900s, Craftsman-style houses had started cropping up everywhere. Not sure where to begin researching? You can always consult a professional architectural investigator for help.

Article originally posted on www.msn.com

Daylight savings time... that glorious day when early risers get an additional hour of sunlight as they greet the merry morning. That horrifying day when commuters find they are cloaked in darkness on their nightly drive home. However you feel about it, one thing is for certain: daylight savings time is here. We're falling back, so what are we going to do about it?

Well, for starters, we're going to make sure it's light and bright in our homes. After all, our health may depend on it.

"Over time, that increase in darkness can lead to feeling blue and even experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder," said Huffington Post. "According to the NIH, symptoms of SAD typically start in late autumn and winter and include increased appetite, increased daytime sleepiness, decreased energy in the afternoon, loss of interest in work, unhappiness and lethargy."

Even if you're not personally affected by the time change, your house is. It's dark in there! Here are some ways to lighten it up.

1. Lose the solar shades

If you have solar shades on your windows to keep the bright sun out and lower your electric bills in summer, consider removing them until spring. You'll get more light streaming into the house, which could also help with your heating bills.

2. Lose the dark drapes

See No. 1. Plus, sheer fabrics and/or lighter colors could re-energize your décor.

"Some window treatments, such as Roman shades, block sunlight even when they're open. But sheer draperies hung on rings are easy to open fully to let in light," said Reader's Digest. "Venetian blinds are also a good choice: They allow you to control the amount of light that comes in, and you can angle them to direct the light into a particular area.

3. Bump up your task lighting

Scour the living areas for dark corners or areas that need a boost. Placing a desk lamp or floor lamp strategically could make your place feel brighter and more inviting.

4. Increase your wattage to the maximum allowed on your lamps

You may have opted for softer light when you purchased your light bulbs, or you may not even know what you have—or what's allowed. Check the lamps for the max wattage and pump up the light accordingly. You'll see a real difference in the amount of brightness in your room.

5. Cut through your roof

Installing a skylight can bring light into your house year-round. An option like Solatube is easy to install and surprising affordable and effective.

6. Make it fun

Who says lighting has to be traditional? Use this as an opportunity to show your creativity. And that goes for placement too. If you don't have the perfect spot to put a desk or floor lamp, wall mount it.

Don't have an electrical outlet in a place where you want lighting? Go solar.

You can see some more examples of wall lighting on Houzz.

7. Lighten up

"Dark walls absorb light while brighter walls tend to reflect it," said Build Direct. "On this note, painting your walls white is a great way to get more use out of the natural light that filters through your home's windows."

8. Use mirrors

Mirrors reflect light, so you can actually create the illusion of a lighter space. "Hanging or propping a large mirror on a wall opposite a window doubles the light streaming in," said Reader's Digest. "You can use smaller mirrors to line the backs of bookshelves, or arrange several of them on one wall. Another idea is to buy furniture with glass, chrome, or mirrored accents."

The bonus: mirrors can also make a small space look larger.

9. Clean it up

Don't want to get new mirrors? Clean the ones you have.

"It's amazing just how much sunlight is lost through a window pane covered with dirt, grime and soot. Thoroughly clean one or two windows or mirrors in your home," said The Order Expert. "There's no need to go on a cleaning binge if you don't want to; cleaning just one carefully selected window can work lighting wonders. When you're finished, take a step back and enjoy the fresh, bright light!"

Article originally posted on RealtyTimes

Good Monday Morning!

Here are the residential home sales numbers for October of 2014.  October was one of the best sales months in the Eugene and Springfield area in years.  Note that the inventory of homes currently on the market for sale has declined to 3.8 months of active inventory.  This is also the lowest inventory of homes actively for sale that we have seen in many years.

If you are considering the sale of your home, I have one word of advice and that is to get your home on the market," NOW"!  Take advantage of the low inventory and lack of competition.  It won't last!

393 Lenore LOOP Price: $249,000 Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Sq Ft: 1649 Pristine & brand new! This beautiful home offers spacious entry, laminate wood floors, granite counters, vaulted ceiling, gas fireplace & Great Room. Dining area with slider, kitchen with stainless steel appliances, island, eating bar & recessed lig... View this property >>

AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!! 

Now that we are well into Fall and the weather has certainly changed, it is that time of year to make sure that your home is prepared for the weather ahead.  Here is an informative article from Realty Times that gives you some great inofrmation on winterizing your home.

April may bring showers, but winter weather can bring all sorts of other unexpected and expensive damages to your home. Fall's cool temperatures are a reminder that winter days are on their way - take stock of what you may need to do to prepare your home beforehand, and you'll be ready for the onslaught of ice and snow. Here are several simple, cost-effective tasks you can do now to make the transition into the colder months easier.

1. Clean Out Your Gutter

Once the leaves are off the trees it's time to clean out your gutters. Poorly maintained gutters can damage the roof of your home as well the exterior. When snow and ice mix with clogged gutters, it's a recipe for disaster, inside and out. Leaves and debris will prevent moisture from running off the roof, resulting in ice dams and water leaks. Before flurries form make sure to clear out any waste that's accumulated, and also be sure to note any missing or broken pieces and have them repaired. Remove potentially hazardous branches, or structurally unsound trees that could pose problems under the weight of snow or in the midst of a dangerous windstorm.

2. Have Your Heating System Checked

You don't want to be the person waiting in the frigid cold for a repairman to come when your heater stops in the dead of winter. Instead, have an inspector come in and make sure that the system is well ventilated and running smoothly before the first cold snap hits. Inspections generally run between $70-$100. If you live in an area where winter storms consistently knock out both electricity and heat, consider investing in a small generator. Learn more about what you can do to ensure that your system is operating properly, and give yourself time to make any needed repairs before winter comes and the heating companies are overbooked.

3. Have a Snow Preparedness Kit

It's happened to all of us. Waking up to discover a solid two feet of fluffy white snow layering the ground, only to realize that we've just got one old, dull shovel to dig ourselves free. Before stores are bought out of the necessities, make sure you have everything you need in case of a blizzard:  a shovel, flashlights with extra batteries, one or two bags of road salt to coat the driveway, sidewalk, and walkways, and an ice scraper or two. Keep an emergency kit in a designated spot, and when you awake and find yourself trapped in a winter wonderland, you won't be stuck trying to come up with new and inventive ways of unearthing your car tires.

4. Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans aren't only useful in the summer months. If your fan has a reverse switch, you can keep your home extra warm in the winter by reversing the cycle of the blades. Having the blades rotate in the opposite direction will create an updraft. Since heat rises, this pushes the hot air down and re-distributes it throughout your house. It's especially useful for homes that have high ceilings.

5. Caulk Doors and Windows

In the depths of winter the average home can lose nearly one third of its heat through drafty windows and doors. If the gap between your windows and doors is greater than the width of a nickel, it's time to reapply some exterior caulk to prevent this heat from escaping. Silicone caulk is highly recommended due to its non-shrinking quality and impermeability to the harsh elements. Block drafts from coming under doors with "draft dodger" door stoppers. You can easily make your own at home. Taking these extra steps will ensure that when the temperature drops, the cold and unforgiving air will stay outside where it belongs, and save you any money you'd be spending on additional heating.

Have An Wesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

393 Lenore LOOP Price: $249,000 Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Sq Ft: 1649 Pristine & brand new! This beautiful home offers spacious entry, laminate wood floors, granite counters, vaulted ceiling, gas fireplace & Great Room. Dining area with slider, kitchen with stainless steel appliances, island, eating bar & recessed lig... View this property >>

AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!