Archive for May, 2011

Small Buildings – Big Returns!

The idea that if you build a playhouse in the garden for your kids it may improve the value of your property might sound outrageous but at the very least it will increase the saleability of your home. Small buildings in the garden can be the added ‘plus’ that swings a deal!

It is not just appeal to young families with children either even grandmas like to have a play area for the visiting grandchildren.

Many kinds of extras in a property can often clinch the deal for an undecided buyer. If two homes have the same appeal but one has a small garden shed with a nice big window overlooking a workbench guess which one will sway the deal!

There are always jobs wanting to be done on moving in and a ready made workshop area will appeal to both Mum and Dad.

Mum will think ‘How great that he won’t mess up the counter tops because he has his own place for repairs’! Dad will probably think slightly differently: ‘How great that I have a place to escape to and work in peace.”

To add to the aesthetic appeal of the natural wood look of the shed you can group a matching bench table and a few trees nearby to make a pleasant feature in your yard. If you are a carpenter and can make your own shed it is probably worth the cost of the extra wood to build an extra one foot in length for a wall of storage shelving. This way it will also appeal to non DIY buyers! The better your shed the harder it will be to turn down.

Likewise the playhouse.

You can make one wall of blackboard so that can draw all they want on the walls and another of cork board to pin up artwork. They can also make as much noise as they want and the cork will deaden it slightly. All the mess and the spilt drinks and cake crumbs can stay in the playhouse. Some clever carpenters even build a little home that is identical to their own big home.

The playhouse will give them a lot of creative freedom which is one way of fostering their own resourcefulness. Many a mother has slung a blanket over the clothes line and made a ‘house’ which has kept the children happy all day.

There is still a demand for this type of traditional playhouse but also on the market in both plans and kit form are forts castles and log cabins. A tree house is also another possibility. These can have ropes and rope ladders hanging down and will keep a kid amused for hours on end! Definitely a realty plus!

Whatever you chose to build make the structure an asset to your garden it should look good with shutters and its own deck and have trees planted around the entrance. Such a building really can help to sell your home it is very difficult to ignore the repeated pleadings of “Oh can’t we have it please mum?”

About the writer:  This article was written for Jerry Clifford. Jerry has lived in the Minneapolis MN real estate area for most of his life and has received the prestigious 100 club award for his success in the area. If you need help in your search for Eden Prairie real estate call Jerry now.

Situations Where A Rent Back May Be Useful

There are many situations where a sell and rent back may be very useful. It can be used if you are having problems meeting your mortgage if you are going through a divorce or if you want to get at the equity in your home. The beauty of being able to sell your home this way for a cash sum is that you would not have to leave the home. You could choose to rent it back and if you wanted buy it back in the future for a sum of money fixed at the tine of selling.

Rentback can be taken if you are finding it hard to manage the repayments and fear another interest rate rise would push you beyond your limit. It can also be taken if you are already in arrears and the mortgage lender is threatening repossession. It could even be used if you have been given a date for eviction. However the sooner you get in touch with a company offering a rent back solution the easier and less painful the whole process would be. Once you have signed to sell this way you would be able to stop repossession or the eviction from happening as time would be given for the sale to go through. You could then payoff the mortgage with the lender and pay affordable rent each month with the option of being able to buy back if your finances alter in the future.

You could need a large cash sum and the only way to raise it would be using the equity in your home. However usually when selling to release the equity you would have to leave the home. When you sell to a company offering a rent back solution you can remain in the property by paying affordable rent each month using the cash sum for whatever you wish and then buy back in the future. This could be an ideal solution when needing cash in just a few weeks.

Divorce can be very painful and stressful and you may need to sell to be able to split the proceeds of the sale. At the same time one partner might want to remain in the property. This can often be when there are children involved. Rather than uproot them and have to find a new place and possibly a new school for them the partner can rent back with the option of being able to buy back the property.

You might also benefit from renting back after selling when you are emigrating. If you are not ready to leave at the moment but want peace of mind that you would sell quick then a rent back solution can be ideal. You can pay rent until the departure date have the cash in hand from the sale and then when ready leave knowing that there are no loose ends for you to have come back for and tie up. You must consider both the good and the bad points when taking up a sell and rent back offer.

About the writer:  Seattle real estate truly offers something for everyone. This incredible city in the American Northwest is rapidly growing year after year. One of the defining features of Seattle real estate is the profusion of worldclass health care facilities. Seattle is home to many major hospitals some of which anchor the citys most popular neighborhoods.

Single Woman Home Buyers – Lethbridge Real Estate

Fierce and sassy well equipped with confidence and a pay check to back it single woman home buyers are taking the real estate world by storm. According to the most recent 2007 stats from the National Association of REALTORS single women accounted for 22 of all home purchases with single men trailing behind at just 9. One in five single women are taking the bull by the horns and plunging into home ownership!

So what are the driving forces behind this growing trend? Here are my thoughts:

1. Women are more organized. Face it guys we have you beat here and with all that organization comes the discipline needed to scrape together a down payment. It’s also that organization that helps us keep our bills paid on time protecting that much needed credit score that’s so very important at mortgage time!

2. Women are making more money and are feeling the independence that comes with a bigger pay check. No more waiting for Price Charming or Mr. Right to make our real estate dreams come true. Our focus instead has shifted to The Mortgage Guy the REALTOR and perhaps the cute guy at Home Depot!

3. Women are generally more likely to “do their homework” before embarking on a big purchase. In the home purchase process that can mean anything from getting preapproved for a mortgage to interviewing REALTORS to checking into the cost of renovations before viewing that “fixerupper”. Knowledge is power and familiarity with things such as the steps to buying a home or how much home you can afford makes the transaction smoother and less stressful for everyone!

I bought my first home with the help of my parents as a single 23 year old girl. It’s where I lived when I met my future husband now my current beloved! and we said our wedding vows in that very back yard. We’ve since moved on together to our second home but I got to take with me some wonderful memories not to mention a few extra greenbacks from that sweet little starter that I had the courage to go it alone on!

For more information on how to get the ball rolling have a look at a great little book by Brenda Bouw called “Home Girl The Single Woman’s Guide to Buying Real Estate in Canada“.

About the writer:  Lethbridge Real Estate is my specialty. Whether it be first time buyers real estate investments or relocation to Lethbridge I will work hard to make sure all your needs are met!