Spring heralds the arrival of blooming flowers, chirping birds and warmer weather. It is also a perfect time to do some after-winter indoor maintenance. Here are eight indoor maintenance tips to help keep your Apollo Beach home in perfect operating condition:
Change air conditioning unit air filters monthly: Clean air filters help your unit run more efficiently, saving money on your energy bills.
Install environmentally-friendly window treatments: Save on utility bills by adding blinds to windows that face south and west. Open windows when the sun sets and close them at sunrise.
Examine your sump pump: Make sure the sump pump is operating correctly, and install a battery backup pump. The backup, another pump that floats above the original pump, will kick on when the electricity goes out. If your sump pump fails, an alarm goes off, letting you know the backup is working. A few hundred dollars will save you thousands in water damage.
Clean your condenser coils: Your refrigerator needs only a minimal amount of maintenance to run effectively. This maintenance consists of a simple cleaning of the condenser coil a minimum of once every 12 months – cleaning them once every 6 months is even better. This is very important to keep your refrigerator running more efficiently.
Inspect all doors and windows for leaks and drafts: Look for peeling and chipped paint, which can indicate that water seeped in. Caulk areas between the frame and the wall to keep water and drafts out of your Apollo Beach home. Examine putty and caulk lines around exterior windows and doors, and ensure that weather stripping creates a good seal.
Check for gaps where mice and insects might be able to enter: Seal around under-sink faucet pipes, gaps where cabinets meet the drywall, etc.
Replace caulking around sink faucets: If the caulking is discolored or worn away, this allows water to drip down inside the cabinets.
Pay attention to worn grout in kitchens and bathrooms: If grout is missing or cracked, re-grout and re-seal as soon as possible. In bathrooms, get in the habit of wiping down tiled shower walls after each use.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Seven Signs Apollo Beach Real Estate and Real Estate Nationwide are Improving
Seven Signs Apollo Beach Real Estate and Real Estate Nationwide are Improving
Recently released figures indicate real estate nationwide and Apollo Beach real estate are continuing to steadily improve. Here are seven signs that demonstrate the upturn:
Housing affordability has risen dramatically. This is due to a combination of reduced real estate prices and record-low mortgage rates.
Housing starts are increasing, driven mostly by multifamily starts.
Existing home sales increased in January. That means we’ve now had three months of gains out of the past four months.
Total housing inventory fell to a 6.1 month supply at the end of January. This means that on average it now takes just over 6 months to sell a home, which is an improvement. According to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, "The broad inventory condition can be described as moving into a rough balance, not favoring buyers or sellers."
There are plenty of home buyers and investors competing for foreclosure sales in almost all markets.
Purchases of homes are on the rise by all types of buyers, from seasoned investors to first-time home buyers.
Most economists agree that the market is improving. Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist says, "Our outlook anticipates gradual, but steady, improvement in the economy and the housing market, supported by low interest rates and brightening job market prospects."
This is excellent news for the spring and summer Apollo Beach real estate season that’s just around the corner. If you’ve been considering buying or selling a home, now’s the time to start that process so you’re ready for the hottest season we’ve seen in years.
Recently released figures indicate real estate nationwide and Apollo Beach real estate are continuing to steadily improve. Here are seven signs that demonstrate the upturn:
Housing starts are increasing, driven mostly by multifamily starts.
Existing home sales increased in January. That means we’ve now had three months of gains out of the past four months.
Total housing inventory fell to a 6.1 month supply at the end of January. This means that on average it now takes just over 6 months to sell a home, which is an improvement. According to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, "The broad inventory condition can be described as moving into a rough balance, not favoring buyers or sellers."
There are plenty of home buyers and investors competing for foreclosure sales in almost all markets.
Purchases of homes are on the rise by all types of buyers, from seasoned investors to first-time home buyers.
Most economists agree that the market is improving. Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist says, "Our outlook anticipates gradual, but steady, improvement in the economy and the housing market, supported by low interest rates and brightening job market prospects."
This is excellent news for the spring and summer Apollo Beach real estate season that’s just around the corner. If you’ve been considering buying or selling a home, now’s the time to start that process so you’re ready for the hottest season we’ve seen in years.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Successful Short Sales in Apollo Beach: Acronyms You Need to Know
Knowledge is power. That’s true whether you’re running a Fortune 500 Company or investing in short sales in Apollo Beach.
To increase your level of knowledge and success when investing in short sales in Apollo Beach, here are the definitions and important information for four acronyms:
BPO: This stands for Broker Price Opinion
A BPO is, essentially, the same thing as an appraisal. In a short sale transaction, the lender hires a broker to appraise a home. The broker assesses the house both inside and out to determine its current market value.
If a BPO has not been ordered by the lender or if you cannot find out what the value of that BPO is, you may be at a big disadvantage when trying to submit a short sale package.
The closer your short sale offer is to the BPO, the better chance you have of the short sale transaction going through.
NOD: This stands for Notice of Default
This is the first official stage in the foreclosure process. The lender has a right to file the Notice of Default after the very first late payment, but the NOD is not usually filed until 60 to 90 days after a late or missed mortgage payment.
In some states, the Notice of Default is also attached to the home, generally on the front window, like a big scarlet letter. It states that the borrower is in default, behind in the mortgage payments, and if the payments are not paid up, the lender will seize the home.
This is a crucial step in purchasing a short sale, because if the lender has not issued an NOD, they won't consider your short sale offer.
NOT: This stands for Notice of Trustee’s sale
The NOT is a recorded notice that a trustee’s sale has been scheduled. That means the clock has really started ticking! If all late payments, fees, and penalties aren’t paid up, the property will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The minimum amount is usually whatever the lender needs to pay off the first loan and other fees.
The buyer who wins the auction gets the property as-is. This includes all liens, whether or not the lien has been recorded. Title insurance is generally not available for up to two years. This can be a significant risk for a buyer.
Many properties don’t sell at auction so they go to the lender and become REOs or Bank Owned Properties…
REO: This stands for Real Estate Owned by the lender
An REO, also known as a Bank Owned Property, is a property that goes back to the lender after an unsuccessful foreclosure auction. So when you hear the term REO, it means that the lender now owns the home.
Usually, the lender asks a real estate agent to list the property for sale. The initial listing price is often high. Hire a real estate agent who is knowledgeable about short sales to negotiate the price for you and help you navigate the complicated short sale process through to a successful closing.
To increase your level of knowledge and success when investing in short sales in Apollo Beach, here are the definitions and important information for four acronyms:
BPO: This stands for Broker Price Opinion
A BPO is, essentially, the same thing as an appraisal. In a short sale transaction, the lender hires a broker to appraise a home. The broker assesses the house both inside and out to determine its current market value.
If a BPO has not been ordered by the lender or if you cannot find out what the value of that BPO is, you may be at a big disadvantage when trying to submit a short sale package.
The closer your short sale offer is to the BPO, the better chance you have of the short sale transaction going through.
NOD: This stands for Notice of Default
This is the first official stage in the foreclosure process. The lender has a right to file the Notice of Default after the very first late payment, but the NOD is not usually filed until 60 to 90 days after a late or missed mortgage payment.
In some states, the Notice of Default is also attached to the home, generally on the front window, like a big scarlet letter. It states that the borrower is in default, behind in the mortgage payments, and if the payments are not paid up, the lender will seize the home.
This is a crucial step in purchasing a short sale, because if the lender has not issued an NOD, they won't consider your short sale offer.
NOT: This stands for Notice of Trustee’s sale
The NOT is a recorded notice that a trustee’s sale has been scheduled. That means the clock has really started ticking! If all late payments, fees, and penalties aren’t paid up, the property will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The minimum amount is usually whatever the lender needs to pay off the first loan and other fees.
The buyer who wins the auction gets the property as-is. This includes all liens, whether or not the lien has been recorded. Title insurance is generally not available for up to two years. This can be a significant risk for a buyer.
Many properties don’t sell at auction so they go to the lender and become REOs or Bank Owned Properties…
REO: This stands for Real Estate Owned by the lender
An REO, also known as a Bank Owned Property, is a property that goes back to the lender after an unsuccessful foreclosure auction. So when you hear the term REO, it means that the lender now owns the home.
Usually, the lender asks a real estate agent to list the property for sale. The initial listing price is often high. Hire a real estate agent who is knowledgeable about short sales to negotiate the price for you and help you navigate the complicated short sale process through to a successful closing.
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