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6 Ways Home Buyers Mess Up Getting a Mortgage

Getting a mortgage is, by general consensus, the most treacherous part of buying a home. In a recent survey, 42% of home buyers said they found the mortgage experience “stressful,” and 32% found it “complicated.” Even lenders agree that it’s often a struggle.

“A lot can go wrong,” says Staci Titsworth, regional manager at PNC Mortgage in Pittsburgh.

If you’re out to buy a home, you have to be vigilant. To clue you into the pitfalls, here are six of the most common ways people mess up getting a mortgage.

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The 9 Hottest Interior Design and Decor Trends You’ll See in 2018

When it comes to home design and decor, we’ll be the first to tell you to stick with what you love, no matter what the pros say. But if you can’t escape that sinking feeling each time you walk through your front door that your decor is looking a little tired, well, don’t despair. We’ve got you covered! From splashy color palettes to bright yellow sofas and mixed metal everything, our stable of designers and tastemakers have given us the ultimate insiders’ scoop on what’ll be hot in 2018.

Read the Realtor.com article…

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Online Resources for Caring for Your Home

The internet offers so many resources, it’s hard to know where to begin: endless images for inspiration and even step-by-step how-to videos to walk you through projects. Here are our favorite places to get started.

For cleaning advice:

Goodhousekeeping.com

The experts here have been helping people clean up their acts in one form or another since 1885, so you can be sure they know their stuff. The site features everything from recipes for DIY household cleaners to answers to age-old questions like: Does microwaving your kitchen sponge kill the germs on it?

Homeadvisor.com

While this site’s main focus is matching homeowners with professional service providers, it offers a handy library of articles about cleaning, including not-so-stainless stainless steel appliances and hard-to-reach windows.

For decorating advice:

Houzz.com

With a highly searchable index of over 11 million photos of professionally designed homes, this site provides inspiration and nuts-and-bolts practical design advice. Want to know how a dark-colored hardwood floor will look with stainless steel appliances? Search and browse tons of examples.

Apartmenttherapy.com

Whether you live in a house or a high rise, you’ll find nifty décor tips and inspiration to make your home more beautiful and livable. If you’re having trouble envisioning how things will look in your space, choose from a variety of free virtual room-planning apps to help you design room layouts, choose appropriate furniture sizes and even see what different paint shades will look like on your walls.

For landscaping advice:

Gardendesign.com

A resource from Garden Design magazine, this site offers instruction on landscape design principles in addition to inspirational pics and solutions, so you can begin developing an understanding of outdoor aesthetics before you start buying and digging.

For maintenance advice:

DIYnetwork.com

Here you’ll find a massive wealth of information about how to fix, renovate and maintain nearly everything home-related along with tons of videos (of course) that show you how it’s done.

Familyhandyman.com

The Family Handyman experts have been helping homeowners DIY since before the Property Brothers were born. Their website offers practical advice and step-by-step instructions and videos to help you do everything from fix a running toilet to install a dimmer switch.

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February 2018 RE/MAX National Housing Report

Speed of January Sales Felt More Like Spring Selling Season

The record speed of January home sales may signal that buyers aren’t waiting around for the typical spring selling season to begin. Despite home sales being down 2.8% year-over-year, the February RE/MAX National Housing Report shows homes sold in a mere 60 days last month, marking the fewest Days on Market of any January in the nine-year history of the report.

Days on Market typically decline each month leading into the heart of the spring and summer buying season in July and start increasing monthly as fall progresses into winter.

The Median Sales Price of $224,000 also set a January record — up 6.7% year-over-year. Out of 53 markets, 51 posted gains, marking January as the 22nd consecutive month of year-over-year price increases dating back to April 2016.

Read the full article in RE/MAX’s newsroom…

Watch the 40 second summary video on YouTube…

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Washington State NWMLS Market Snapshot for January 2018

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25853 176th Pl SE, Covington, WA 98042

$420,000

4 bedrooms; 2.5 bathrooms; 2,060 square feet

Open floor plan with beautiful hardwood floors throughout the main level, vaulted ceiling, new carpet and skylight. You’ll appreciate the fully fenced level lot, fresh landscaping with new sod, shed and private patio ideal for entertaining with an awning. You’ll enjoy the large open kitchen with elegant cabinets and eating area. The 3 car garage includes a utility sink and new water heater. The master bedroom features cathedral ceilings, walk-in closet and 5 piece bath with relaxing soaking tub.

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Virtual Tour

Sold 4/6/18 for $425,000

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4821 64th St E, Tacoma, WA 98443

Several Offers Received within 36 hours
Above List Price

$295,470

3 bedrooms; 1.75 bathrooms; 1,334 square feet

Bright and open floor plan with vaulted ceiling and skylights! You’ll appreciate newer windows, light fixtures, doors, molding & granite counters thru-out. Cozy living room w/pellet stove & beautiful bamboo floor. Kitchen features newer cabinets, apps, double sink & tile floor. Updated bathrooms. Large fully-fenced level lot w/gates, garden beds, sprinklers, shed, lean to, long carport for trailers/boats & extra parking. Enjoy entertaining on the large partially covered patio or relax in the hot tub.

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Virtual Tour

Sold 3/20/18 for $319,025

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3 Design Tips to Enhance a Home’s Good Vibes

A space can have an instant effect on your mood. How can you make sure a home gives off positive energy and style? A recent article at The New York Times shares tips from designers on creating a home that supports a person’s well-being. Some of these tips could also apply to creating a more welcoming vibe in the staging of properties.

Embrace the two-foot rule.

Justina Blakeney, author of The New Bohemians Handbook: Come Home to Good Vibes, abides by a rule that passageways within the home be at least 24 inches between furnishings. “Even in small spaces, if you can leave two feet for these passageways, you tend not to bonk as much and get as cluttered,” she told The New York Times.

Let more light flow in.

“If I had to pick one tool that makes a home feel good, I would pick natural light,” Blakeney says. “Having a big window where there was none is a huge game changer. I would choose that over the sofa of my dreams.” Mirrors can also help add in more light by strategically reflecting whatever natural light the space does have.

Add in more plants.

“Anyone who spends a day hiking in the forest can attest that being in nature is good for the soul,” Blakeney says. “Why not bring that feeling home?” She has 52 houseplants in her 1,100-square-foot home. The plants range from small succulents to large palms in every room. “Living energy in your home is positive energy,” she said. “It’s people, pets, and plants that make a home.”

Source: “Designing a Feel-Good Home,” The New York Times (Jan. 23, 2018)

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The Worldwide Leader in Real Estate: RE/MAX

The global powerhouse moves forward with productive agents and a passion for helping buyers and sellers around the globe.

The skills of more than 115,000 Sales Associates in over 100 countries and territories have made RE/MAX the global leader in residential real estate sales (transaction sides). That’s what happens when you combine the industry’s most productive agents, a universally known brand name, an array of competitive advantages, and a culture that attracts professionals who value customer service and big results!

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4 Feng Shui Staging Tips

The Chinese system of Feng Shui is believed to bring people into harmony with their environment. The practice uses design to manage the way chi, or energy, flows through a building. Could feng shui help you, your guests and potential buyers enjoy your home even more? Here are a few general tips:

  1. Energize your entry

Give your front door a fresh coat of paint, preferably in a color that contrasts with your siding. This helps invite energy (as well as guests and prospective buyers) into your home. Add a potted plant on each side of the front door. The living plants attract energy. Plants with rounded leaves are more welcoming than plants with sharp, spikey leaves, which can give off a more aggressive impression.

  1. Create a “room of first impression”

Draw everyone to the most attractive room in the home by arranging the directional flow of furniture toward it. Or hang a bright piece of art in the room where it can be seen, like a beacon, from other parts of the home.

  1. Produce positive energy

Clear your kitchen counters of clutter and set out a bowl of fresh fruit. Food, especially round produce, symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

  1. Lids down

Martha Stewart would surely tell to you to close the lid on your toilet. Feng shui advocates the same, but for a different reason. The philosophy holds that water, energy and good fortune can swirl right down the drain.

Considering a new home, or know of someone who is? I’ll be happy to help; contact me today!