Increasing The Value of Your Home "On The Cheap" -- Before Selling

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If it has been a while since the last time you bought or sold a home, let me remind you what kind of things are important to buyers--that is to say, what makes an impression on buyers that may help you sell your home faster. While every buyer has different needs for schools, budgets, distance to work, size of lot, 1 story/2 story, community pools and many, many other feature needs that are different for each buyer, there are certain things and certain parts of the house that many, if not most, buyers are interested in seeing. First impressions of these key areas of the house are very important. Like staging, there may be inexpensive things that you can do in your home to "dress up" parts of your house that will help potential buyers see the value. 


Kitchens are important in this day and age to most buyers. Running a close second to kitchens are bath rooms and the master bedroom. One thing that you can do to your kitchen for less than $50-100 is to add nice door knobs and draw pulls to the cabinets. Many cabinets, expensive and in-expensive cabinets alike, do not have hardware knobs and pulls. This leaves the cabinets looking a little bit unfinished. You can fix this problem with a quick trip to the neighborhood home store, where you can buy some simple, nice and matching door pulls. You may even be able to install them yourself if you are handy with patterns and the drill. But if you do it yourself, plan it out carefully, get your spouse's opinion first and proceed carefully and slowly. It is not rocket-science, but you can't do it in your sleep the first time either. So pay attention or hire a handy-man to do it for you.

On the surface, you may think that this kind of practice is deceptive, but that is just not the case at all. Buyers sometimes need help in seeing the value. It can be difficult to picture something with mere words or ideas. This is an idea that is easy to put into play so that your potential buyer does not have to imagine what pulls and knobs would look like--they can see them. 

There are lots of little things you can do to help buyers see the value of your home and to help you sell your home faster and get the most money for your listing. A great Home Stagger (like my home stagger) can help you with getting your home ready to sell.

When you get ready to sell, if you have not found a great Realtor to work with, I would love to talk to you about helping you sell your home. 

Happy 2013 New Year!

my best, 

Tt 

Why Ratios Matter- From a Parent's Point of View

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I remember people telling me that kids don't come with instructions.  Still, I read book after book to find something, some answer as to how I was going to handle being a father.  I learned how to tend my daughter's needs when she was hungry, gassy, sleepy, or just needed a diaper change--pretty straight-forward stuff I thought, no problem, I've got this! I even became quite adept at packing her diaper bag!  As time passed by, we settled into a routine, and knew how to handle the day to day part of raising a child.  We came to love her more and more each day as our lives began to take shape around hers.  Well, those days became years very quickly and now it was time to trust her care to someone else.We looked around feverishly to find the right preschool program for her; the due diligence must be done!  I could pull into the parking lot of some of these places and just know that it wasn't right. I scrutinized every last detail of the school from the first second I walked in, to the second I walked out.  How clean was it?  How long has this teacher been doing this?  Is that what you call a playground?!? What will my child be learning? What do they serve for lunch? Can we get a hair sample from everyone employed at this school?  We exhausted our fair share of teachers before we finally figured out what we really wanted to know.  Will our child be safe?  Were these teachers equipped physically, emotionally, and with all the support that they needed to ensure my child's safety?

Overwhelmingly, it came down to this--how many kids will one teacher be responsible for?  Look, I've hosted a few children's birthday parties, and I've seen my home in the aftermath after just a couple of hours of just trying to keep the damage to a minimum!  That was with the help of my wife, and the few brave parents that didn't bolt out of the door as soon as kid party drop off etiquette allowed it!  I couldn't fathom how any one person could handle that, and I wanted to know exactly how they intended to do it.That's when I learned about the teacher to child ratio.  That became just about the first thing I wanted to know.  As important as it is that my child begin to build a strong foundation in mathematics, literacy, and science, knowing that her teacher had some back up was every bit as critical.  Having as many eyes on my child as possible put me at ease.  I knew full well how she got into everything, I mean, let's face it, my kid was unruly at my house---I'm a man, we have a high threshold when it comes to letting our kids run amok before we actually do something about it!  So, how many teachers would be there to look after my one child wrecking crew now that she has joined forces with a whole battalion of kids with the same appetite for destruction?!?That's exactly why the ratio was a major point of concern, and ultimately, the school that we chose had one that was quite favorable.  After three children, I am now a decorated veteran-parent and I've seen things that would have made a first time parent want to ball up in a corner and cry---and maybe someday we'll get back to those--but for now, let's just hold the fort and make sure our teachers have plenty of reinforcements!

Chris Derrick is a father, an author,
and a blogger. You can find his
musings on life, parenting and living
in the South at:
http://myunregrettablelife.blogspot.com/

Adam and Maxine's Famous Latkes

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Celebrate Hanukkah with some delicious traditional dishes! Latkes can be served with sour cream or applesauce and are a great way to usher in the holidays!

Adam and Maxine's Famous Latkes

3 pounds large russet potatoes (4-6)
1 pound medium Vidalia, yellow, or brown onions (about 2)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fine plain dried breadcrumbs
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (or more) schmaltz (chicken fat; optional)
2-4 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
Applesauce
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Peel potatoes. Using the large holes of a box grater or the grater disk on a food processor, grate potatoes and onions. Transfer to a large kitchen towel. Gather ends of towel; twist over sink and squeeze firmly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Open towel; toss mixture to loosen. Gather towel; wring out once more.

Whisk eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, baking powder, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Add potato mixture. Using your fingers, mix until well coated. (Latke mixture should be wet and thick, not soupy.)

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with several layers of paper towels. Set a wire rack inside another large rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons schmaltz, if using, and 2 tablespoons oil (or 4 tablespoons oil if not using schmaltz; fat should measure about 1/8") in a 12" nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat. Drop a small amount of latke mixture into pan. If the fat sizzles around the edges, it's ready. (Do not let fat smoke.)

Working in batches and adding more schmaltz and oil to skillet as needed to maintain 1/8" fat, drop large spoonfuls of mixture into pan, pressing gently with the back of a spoon or spatula to flatten slightly. (If mixture becomes watery between batches, mix to incorporate; do not drain.)

Cook latkes, occasionally rotating pan for even browning, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 1/2-3 minutes per side. (If small pieces of potato floating in the oil start to burn, carefully strain out.)

Transfer latkes to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to prepared wire rack. Place sheet with latkes in oven to keep warm and crisp while cooking remaining latkes.

Serve warm latkes with applesauce and sour cream.

Thanks to Adam Rapoport for this amazing recipe!

Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar

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Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar

Keep your picnic treats away from the ants! This cute jar recipe travels well and looks adorable...can also be made gluten free with gluten free cake mix.
Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar

• 1 boxed Yellow Cake Mix, baked according to package directions
• 1 can vanilla frosting
• 1 (8 ounce) whipped topping
• 1 quart fresh strawberries mixed with 1/4 cup sugar

Crumble the yellow cake mix into large chunks. Press a small amount of the crumbled cake mix into the bottom of four small canning jars.  In a small bowl, mix together the frosting and whipped topping. Spoon a small amount on top of the cake layer. Spoon a few strawberries on top of the frosting layer, add another layer of cake, frosting, and strawberries.Top each jar with a lid and ring. Store in the fridge up to 12 hours before serving.

Homemade Bubble Bath

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Bubble Bath Recipes

Children's bubble bath can be expensive and sometimes have ingredients that we are unsure of or just plain don't want on our baby's skin. Here are some recipes for natural bubble baths that are not too expensive to make. Check the list of ingredients used for allergies first!




Cherry Berry Bubble Bath
By Pioneer Thinking
Ingredients:

1/2 cup unscented shampoo
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt (regular table salt is fine)
15 drops cherry fragrance oil
Directions: Pour shampoo into a bowl and add water.
Stir gently until well mixed. Add salt, and stir until mixture thickens.
Add cherry fragrance and place in decorative bottle.

Lilac Bubble Bath
By Valerie Gladstone

Ingredients:

1 quart (4 cups) distilled water
1 cup unscented shampoo
4 ounces liquid glycerin (skin moisturizer)
5 drops lilac fragrant oil
2 ounces coconut oil
Directions: Mix together and store in a container.
Pour a tablespoon or more in running water for your bath.

Raspberry/Vanilla Bubble Bath
By timethief

Ingredients:

8 oz. unscented liquid soap
2 oz. distilled water
8 drops vanilla fragrance oil
6 drops raspberry fragrance oil
Directions: Mix all and pour into a container.
Pour a tablespoon or more in running water for your bath.

Love Potion Bubble Bath
By Abigail Beal
This bubble bath will put you in a romantic mood.
All of the ingredients are considered aphrodisiacs
– so look out! ;)

Ingredients:

6 drops jasmine oil
3 drops rose oil
3 drops vanilla oil
6 drops ylang ylang oil
1 quart of distilled water
1 bar of castille soap (4 oz. bar melted in microwave)
4 ounces liquid glycerin
Directions: Mix the water, soap and glycerin together and stir. Now add your essential oils to the mixture.



Ingredients

• Castille soap is used to soften and moisturize the skin, its made from 100% Olive Oil.  Liquid glycerin, a by-product of soap making, is another skin moisturizer. Also note that if you can’t find unscented shampoo, you can use a mild baby shampoo in its place.
• Coconut oil has a nutty and floral fragrance and almond oil is virtually unscented. Adding a half cup of either one to your bubble bath will soften your skin.
• Essential oils are stored in special cells, ducts, or glandular hairs that are distributed among the roots, leaves, bark, stems, and flowers of the plant. Some sort of an essential fragrance oil is one of the main ingredients in a homemade bubble bath.
• Some essential oils are relaxing and soothing. They include lavender, sandalwood, marjoram, frankincense, myrrh, rosewood and chamomile. They will help relaxing you and help you drop off to sleep. Other essential oils uplift and energize. They include peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus and lemon oil. Some essential oils have therapeutic effects. For example, eucalyptus oil will break up congestion if you have a cold.

Filing your 2012 - 2013 Texas Homestead Exemption

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If you purchased a home in Texas in 2012 and you were living in the house on January 1, 2013 as your primary residence, you should be eligible to apply for your Texas Homestead Exemption. As a Texas homestead owner, you have certain rights and privileges associated with your primary residence.There are a few things you should know about the new Texas Homestead law. The latest Texas state laws require that applicants provide the following proof of ownership:

• Application for residential homestead exemption
• Proof of Texas Driver’s License or Texas Identification Card with matching property address to the homestead you are claiming (Side note: if you live anywhere near Pflugerville, go check out the new Super DPS office there. It is HUGE and they have tons of nice people working there. It is not so close to my home, but I drove out there while I was on I-35 in north Austin and I was in and out with my new license in less than 15 minutes!
• Proof of Vehicle Registration Receipt. The address on your vehicle registration must match the property address for your new Texas homestead also, so make sure you update your vehicle registration with your new home address.
  

A few other things to remember about Homestead Exemptions: 

• You must be living in the home on January 1st to qualify for the coming year.
• Do not send in your Homestead application early. You can not file until after Jan. 1st.
• Application for Homestead in Texas is free. You do not have to pay someone to file your homestead exemption. It is free to apply and should only take you a few minutes.
• Only your principal Texas residence qualifies.

For a complete list of qualifications, rules and exceptions--see your County Tax Assessor's office. Find your forms here:

Travis CountyWilliamson County

2012 Austin Real Estate Market: End of Year Wrap Up and Market Update

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2012 turned in a banner year in Austin! A 24% increase in homes sold in Greater Austin over last year! Looking at what happened throughout all of 2012 and knowing what is continuing to happen in Austin in the coming year--you don't have to have to have your MBA from UT to figure out that that 2013 is going to be another great year in Austin area Real Estate for home owners, buyers and investors.

Buyers and Sellers alike came out ahead in the fast moving market of 2012. Yes, it was tough on buyers, with so many multiple-offers playing out. Many buyers did not get the homes that they had hoped to purchase, either because they did not want to bid full market value for the home or maybe someone else just wanted it more and was willing to pay full list price (or more) for that same home. We saw this every day in 2012. But our Seller's Market has been gentle, compared to many Seller's Markets--taking it easy on most of our buyers. We have not seen a great deal of price ballooning and when we have seen sellers listing above market value, buyers have not supported the price increase until the sellers bring their homes in line with the market. I would consider it a pretty gracious market over all--but not without its challenges and learning curves for both buyers and sellers. 

Here are the numbers:

• 5,842 homes for sale: Single Family, Condos, Townhouses--Inventory is very low
• 2,489 homes under contract: Look at the % spread of these two numbers
• 25,061 homes have closed -- ALMOST 5,000 more than sold in last year!
• 20,256 sold YTD in 2011
• 19,040 sold YTD in 2010
• 19,935 sold YTD in 2009 
• 21,491 sold YTD in 2008
• 2007 was the last year that had sales volume higher than 2012, just after the peak of the building boom
• We are having a banner year in Austin Real Estate  

Median Sold Home Stats for Single Family Homes:

• Median price across Greater Austin: $207,500
• 90% of homes sold in Greater Austin were Single Family homes
• More than 1/2 of the homes were sold in Travis County
• Almost 1/3 of the homes were sold in Williamson County
• Median price as a percentage of asking price: 98%
• Median days on market was very low: 34 days
• Most expensive home sold on the MLS: $7.75M
• Median SOLD in Travis County: $245,000
• Median SOLD in Williamson County: $183,000

Q: So how fast are houses selling in Greater Austin area?A: As of today, with more than 2,231 SFR homes with pending contracts, here are the rates at which homes are selling during the first 34 days on the market:

• The first day on market: ~3% of these home
• First 3 days on market: ~8% of these homes
• First 7 days on market: ~16% of these homes
• First 14 days on market: ~26% of these homes 
• First 40 days on market: half of the available homes are sold

Whether you are Buying or Selling your home--give me a call and we can discuss what is happening in your community or the area where you are looking. I am Tim Thornton, your Austin Area Realtor.