Winter’s doldrums got you down? Grab a screwdriver and a hammer and fight back with easy home repairs that’ll raise spirits and get your house ready for spring.
Accomplishments — even little ones — go a long way toward a sunny outlook. Fortunately, there are plenty of easy, quick home repair chores you can do when you’re mired in the thick of winter. For max efficiency, make a to-do list ahead of time and shop for all the tools and supplies in one trip. On your work days, put the basics in a caddy and carry it from room to room, checking off completed tasks as you speed through them.

What to look (and listen) for
In each room, look around and take stock of what needs fixing or improving. Focus on small, quick-hit changes, not major redos. Here are some likely suspects:
1. Sagging towel rack or wobbly toilet tissue holder. Unscrew the fixture and look for the culprit. It’s probably a wimpy, push-in type plastic drywall anchor. Pull that out (or just poke it through the wall) and replace it with something more substantial. Toggle bolts are strongest, and threaded types such as E-Z Ancor are easy to install.
2. Squeaky door hinges. Eliminate squeaks by squirting a puff of powdered graphite ($2.50 for a 3-gram tube) alongside the pin where the hinge turns. If the door sticks, plane off a bit of the wood, then touch up the paint so the surgery isn’t noticeable.
3. Creaky floor boards. They’ll shush if you fasten them down better. Anti-squeak repair kits, such as Squeeeeek No More ($23), feature specially designed screws that are easy to conceal. A low-cost alternative: Dust a little talcum powder into the seam where floorboards meet — the talcum acts as a lubricant to quiet boards that rub against each other.
4. Rusty shutoff valves. Check under sinks and behind toilets for the shutoff valves on your water supply lines. These little-used valves may slowly rust in place over time, and might not work when you need them most. Keep them operating by putting a little machine oil or WD-40 on the handle shafts. Twist the handles back and forth to work the oil into the threads. If they won’t budge, give the oil a couple of hours to penetrate, and try again.
5. Blistered paint on shower ceilings. This area gets a lot of heat and moisture that stresses paint finishes. Scrape off old paint and recoat, using a high-quality exterior-grade paint. Also, be sure everyone uses the bathroom vent when showering to help get rid of excess moisture.
6. Loose handles or hinges on furniture, cabinets, and doors. You can probably fix these with a few quick turns of a screwdriver. But if a screw just spins in place, try making the hole fit the screw better by stuffing in a toothpick coated with glue, or switching to a larger screw.
Safety items
You know those routine safety checks you keep meaning to do but never have the time? Now’s the time.
7. Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. If you don’t like waking up to the annoying chirp of smoke detector batteries as they wear down, do what many fire departments recommend and simply replace all of them at the same time once a year.
8. Ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets. You’re supposed to test them once a month, but who does? Now’s a great time. You’ll find them around potentially wet areas — building codes specify GFCI outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, and for outdoor receptacles. Make sure the device trips and resets correctly. If you find a faulty outlet, replace it or get an electrician to do it for $75 to $100.

Another good project is to replace your GFCIs with the latest generation of protected outlets that test themselves, such as Levitron’s SmartlockPro Self-Test GFCI ($28). You won’t have to manually test ever again!
9. Exhaust filter for the kitchen stove. By washing it to remove grease, you’ll increase the efficiency of your exhaust vent; plus, if a kitchen stovetop fire breaks out, this will help keep the flames from spreading.
10. Clothes dryer vent. Pull the dryer out from the wall, disconnect the vent pipe, and vacuum lint out of the pipe and the place where it connects to the machine. Also, wipe lint off your exterior dryer vent so the flap opens and closes easily. (You’ll need to go outside for that, but it’s quick.) Remember that vents clogged with old dryer lint are a leading cause of house fires.
11. Drain hoses. Inspect your clothes washer, the dishwashers, and the icemaker. If you see any cracks or drips, replace the hose so you don’t come home to a flood one day.
12. Electrical cords. Replace any that are brittle, cracked, or have damaged plugs. If you’re using extension cords, see if you can eliminate them — for example, by replacing that too-short lamp cord with one that’s longer. If you don’t feel up to rewiring the lamp yourself, drop it off at a repair shop as you head out to shop for your repair materials. It might not be ready by the end of the day. But, hey, one half-done repair that you can’t check off is no big deal, right?

Darlene Tucker of Counselor Realty Awarded
Real Estate’s Prestigious 203k Specialist™ Designation

Counselor Realty is proud to announce that Darlene Tucker has completed the real estate industry’s most comprehensive training in the use of the U.S. Government’s FHA 203k Home Purchase and Renovation Loan program. With this designation, Darlene becomes a member of
REbuildUSA, a nationwide organization of real estate, lending and home improvement professionals, working in partnership with Lowe’s, is dedicated to helping more Americans achieve the dream of home ownership, improving our communities and contributing to the health of our economy.

“The FHA 203k Renovation Loan offers tremendous opportunities for many Americans to enjoy great prices on homes today,” explains Tucker, “yet there is very little awareness of this program and the power it offers in our current economy.”

REbuildUSA was established with the mission of creating more awareness of the opportunities offered by the FHA 203k program, while at the same time, simplifying the process for all involved. As REbuildUSA’s home improvement partner, Lowe’s assists in identifying the scope of work and relative costs and then coordinates the actual renovation activities through its nationwide network of licensed installers.

“My 203k Specialist™ designation training positions me to provide professional guidance to those who would like to locate a great home in a great neighborhood to be renovated to meet their needs. These are the homes offered at the most competitive prices. Additionally, as a member of REbuildUSA, I can help my buyers more easily navigate the process of planning, securing loan approval and completing the home improvements.”

203k Specialists are also trained to bring a strong competitive advantage to home sellers by more effectively marketing their homes to a wider audience. The REbuildUSA List Assist program provides visualization tools and cost estimates allowing prospective buyers to better recognize the value of an available property, and the 203k Specialist can then help them put the power of the FHA 203k to work in purchasing and renovating the home.

“I’m excited to have more of our associates earning this designation and supporting the mission of
REbuildUSA,” Knowledge is power, and I believe this program really sets our people apart when it comes to helping home buyers and sellers make the most of the excellent opportunities in today’s market.”

REbuildUSA is based in Newport Beach, California. To learn more, visit www.rebuildusa.com or call 877.USA.203k.

House Logic

Take a look at the most common things that can go wrong when you have guests and learn how to prevent them.

Imagine you’re preparing to host your annual holiday party, and you’re past the point of no return. The veggies and meats have been bought. Guests are already braving busy airports and crowded highways to get to your home—and then your oven won’t turn on. Your home-cooked meal has quickly turned into a microwave dinner.

That’s just one of many hosting nightmares that can end your holiday party before it even begins. Thankfully, some of the most damaging mishaps easily can be avoided. We collected five of the most prevalent issues and give you preventative tips to keep your holiday party on track.

Problem: The oven doesn’t heat

For any holiday occasion, the oven is the most important appliance in your house. If it fails to work, the centerpiece of your meal could go from roasted beef, ham, duck, or Tofurky to Peking Duck from the local Chinese takeout joint.
How to avoid:

• There are any number of reasons a stove can break, but one common cause of disaster is easy to prevent. Don’t self-clean your oven until AFTER the holidays. You risk blowing a fuse or a thermostat, and tracking down an oven technician around the holidays can be tough.

Problem: The kitchen sink clogs

The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest of the year for plumbers. The prime cause of this clog-a-thon is the mistreatment of drains when cooking holiday feasts. We hope your Thanksgiving went well, and that you avoid clog-a-thons for the rest of the holidays.

How to avoid:

• Fats and cooking oils can solidify in your pipes, so never dispose of them in your kitchen sink.

• If you have a garbage disposal, make sure it’s running before anything goes in it, and never feed it any stringy, fibrous, or starchy foods like poultry skins or potato peels.

• To fix, don’t rely on chemical drain-clearing products that can harm your pipes. Use a snake instead, available for $15 at your local hardware store. Best to keep one on hand.

Problem: The heat goes out

As the party’s host, you’re supposed to hang guests’ coats—not apologize to them for having to keep them on. A lack of heat can stop a holiday party dead in its tracks.
How to avoid:

• The key to avoiding freezing your party to a standstill is regular maintenance of your HVAC. Every 90 days, a new one-inch pleated furnace filter should be installed. If you haven’t done it in a while, now’s a good time to replace it.

• Also inspect insulation on refrigerant lines that are leading into your house. Replace them if they’re missing or damaged.

Problem: The toilet stops up

Toilets have a way of clogging up at the worst times, such as during parties and when you have overnight guests. This is especially true if you have a low-flow toilet from the early 1990s.

How to avoid:

• Don’t flush anything other than sewage and toilet paper down the toilet. And there’s nothing wrong with putting up a polite note to remind your guests to do the same.

Problem: The fridge doesn’t cool

Without a properly functioning refrigerator, your meat could get contaminated, your dairy-based treats could go sour, and you may not be able to save your yummy leftovers. To avoid discovering a warm fridge after it’s too late, take these simple precautions.

How to avoid:

• Get a thermometer for your refrigerator to make sure each shelf stays below 40 degrees and you can be aware of any temperature changes.

• Also make sure the condenser coils located on the back of the unit or beneath it are free to breathe. Coils blocked from circulating air by cereal boxes atop the fridge, or dirtied by dust or pet hair can prevent a fridge from keeping cool.

Banks aren’t ditching foreclosures at nearly the rate they were last year, which is helping to keep the housing market stable. But a recovery hinges on how long it takes to dispose of the huge backlog of distressed properties.

By Melinda Fulmer of MSN Real Estate

Distressed properties — those in some stage of foreclosure — edged up to 28% of all U.S. residential sales in the first quarter from 27% the previous quarter, according to RealtyTrac.

The percentage would have been higher, analysts say, but overall housing demand is weak and the banks are not disposing of these assets at nearly the rate they were at the same time last year, when distressed properties made up 29% of all sales.

The numbers tell the story: In the first quarter of this year, 158,434 bank-owned properties (or those in the foreclosure pipeline) were sold, a 36% decline from the first quarter of 2010 and a 16% decrease from the fourth quarter of last year.

Compare that with the nearly 350,000 distressed properties sold in the first quarter of 2009, and you can see why the foreclosure pipeline is so bloated.

"According to our numbers, if you just look at the properties in foreclosure or on the banks’ books, it will take us three years to work through that inventory at the current rate of sales," says Rick Sharga, senior vice president of RealtyTrac.

Of course, this slowdown in foreclosure sales is — at least in the short term — a good thing for the housing market, helping to keep home prices more stable, Sharga says.

"The downside is that this approach ensures that we will be in the doldrums in housing for several more years," he says.

Indeed, with such a large supply of distressed properties and foreclosures, the timing of a recovery hinges in part on how quickly banks and servicers dispose of these holdings.

Foreclosure bargains
The average sale price of properties in some stage of the foreclosure process — from default to bank-owned — was $168,321 in the first quarter, down 1.9% from the fourth quarter of last year and 1.5% from the first quarter of 2010, according to RealtyTrac.

Homes in some stage of foreclosure traded on average at 27% below the average for standard sales — a bigger discount than the 26% discount posted in the first quarter of last year.

Bank-owned properties sold for the largest discount — 35% on average, slightly more than the 33% discount taken by lenders at the same time last year. A total of 107,143 bank-owned homes sold in the quarter, comprising 19% of sales.

Pre-foreclosure properties — those in default or scheduled for auction (often short sales) — sold for an average discount of 9%, an improvement from the 14% average discount taken on them in the first quarter of last year. Sales of 51,292 such properties were recorded in the first quarter, down 45% from the same period last year.

While sales in this category overall were much lower than last year, some reports point to a recent pickup in short sales. That’s what Luis Mendoza, a real-estate agent with Century 21 Award in San Diego is seeing in his area.

"I have seen a huge increase in short sales," Mendoza says, as some loan modifications have fallen apart. These short sales are bargains too, he says, trading at about a 15% to 20% discount to the houses around them.

This decline in prices is making mortgage payments rival rents in many areas. In downtown San Diego, he says, a two-bedroom condo can be rented for $2,500 a month, or bought for the same monthly mortgage payment.

Indeed, affordability has gotten a larger number of investors out in the market, says Christian deRitis, director of consumer credit analytics at Moody’s Economy.com.

"They’re buying up foreclosures, fixing them up and turning around and renting them," he says.

Foreclosure hot spots
Not surprisingly, the most foreclosure sales are being posted in boom-and-bust areas of the West.

Sales of properties with foreclosure filings accounted for 53% of all residential sales in Nevada during the first quarter, the highest of any state, but down from 59% in the first quarter of 2010. Because so many of the sales there are foreclosures, and have been for so long, the discount rate is declining, Sharga says, reaching 18% in the first quarter.

California foreclosures accounted for 45% of all residential sales during the first quarter, up from 43% in the previous quarter, but down from 48% at the same time last year. The average foreclosure property in the Golden State sold for 34% less than the average price of homes not in foreclosure.

Foreclosures made up 45% of all residential sales in the first quarter in Arizona, down from 50% the previous quarter, and 47% in the same period a year earlier. Foreclosures here traded for a 25% discount to the average traditional listing.

Other states where foreclosures accounted for at least one-quarter of all sales were Idaho, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Virginia, Colorado, Illinois, Georgia and Ohio.

The biggest discounts on foreclosure properties were in Ohio and Illinois, where foreclosures traded at an average 41% discount to the average nondistressed listing.

Could foreclosures kill the recovery?
To be sure, the large numbers of distressed properties in the housing market are taking their toll on prices this year.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Home Price Index, which uses home-sale price information from Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-acquired mortgages, was 2.5% lower on a seasonally adjusted basis in the first quarter than in the fourth quarter of 2010, the biggest quarterly decline since the fourth quarter of 2008, the agency said Wednesday. Prices fell 5.5% between the first quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011.

And that picture wasn’t looking any rosier, as the country entered what is traditionally the peak selling season. In April, the U.S. median home price declined 5% to $163,700 from the same time a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Given the large backlog of distressed properties and the sluggish economy, Moody’s predicts a 5% decline in home prices for 2011 overall.

If banks decided to sell off a much larger number of the distressed properties on their books, analysts say, prices could erode further, postponing a recovery.

However that’s not something Sharga and deRitis are predicting.

"Banks are in a much better position now than they were in the past," deRitis says. "They are not as desperate. I see a much more orderly process going on."

2011 first quarter foreclosure sales by state
Foreclosure properties — bank-owned homes and those in some stage of foreclosure — continued to make up a large number of all home sales across the country. And with discounts averaging 27% below the average price of homes not in foreclosure, they weighed heavily on prices. Here are the foreclosure sales by state and the discount these distressed properties commanded.

Posted Under: Home Buying, Home Selling, Financing |

Once upon a time, homebuying was a much less dramatic affair then it is today. The house hunt was fun, if suspenseful, and then there was another exciting whirlwind of inspections, closing and moving in. Today, though, as soon as buyers get the gumption to jump off the rent vs. buy fence, they find themselves on another edge - the edge of their seats, through the entire escrow process waiting to see what obstacle will emerge next, and whether their transaction will survive it.

Deals get killed all the time, and buyers can’t relax until they have keys actually in hand. Here are three of the most common real estate deal-killers, and some steps buyers can take to deactivate them.
1. Appraisal too low. Some buyers incorrectly believe that the best thing that could happen to them is for the property to appraise below the agreed-upon purchase price, expecting that a low appraisal forces the seller to bring the price down. In fact, so many of today’s sellers are barely breaking even, that a low appraisal is probably the most common deal-killer around. If an appraisal comes in just a tad bit lower than the contract price, usually the seller will come down if they can, or the buyer will kick in a few extra bucks. But when it comes in 5, 10 or even 20 percent low, most sellers can’t - and most buyers won’t .
Low appraisals also seem like the most difficult deal-killer to avoid, as this process is entirely out of both buyer’s and seller’s control. But there are two things buyers can do to minimize the risk. First, check the comps - i.e., recent comparable homes that have sold in the area - before making an offer; your agent will help you do this. Then, don’t make an offer bizarrely above the average range of the comparables, even if the property has multiple offers, unless you’re prepared to deal with a low appraisal a couple of weeks out.

Also, consider working with a local mortgage broker who also originates loans through its own bank (vs. walking into a large bank’s branch off the street); these lenders have the ability to choose from a smaller pool of appraisers that they know are qualified and knowledgeable about your area.

2. Property condition dramas. When the market melted down, lenders found themselves with a lot of decrepit homes on their hands. This explains two things: (1) why lenders are more concerned about property condition now than ever, and (2) the raggedy condition of so many of the "distressed’ homes on the market. Homes that have extensive wood rot, dangerous decks or electrical systems, or peeling paint and missing systems (sinks, stoves and the like) are highly unlikely to pass muster when the appraiser walks through, even if they do qualify as being worth the purchase price. And while an individual seller might be willing to do some work, many just can’t afford to; short sale and REO sellers simply refuse to make fixes, 9 times out of 10.

Prevention is the best medicine for curing this transaction ailment. If you are buying a short sale or REO property, be aware that when the selling bank says as-is, it really means as-is. Ask your mortgage broker and agent to brief you on what sort of shape your lender will require your home to be in, at minimum, and keep that standard in mind during your house hunt. Your agent can help manage your expectations about which properties will and won’t likely pass muster.

3. Loan approval takes too long. Every buyer knows they must get preapproved for a mortgage before they start house hunting, but many don’t know that preapproval is just the first in a long list of steps that have to happen before the loan becomes a sure thing. In fact, it’s common now for buyers to get their loan preapproval many months before they end up in contract, and lots can change in the interim - further extending the time it may take for their loan approval to come in.

It’s common for contracts to include a standard loan contingency period of 17 days, give or take a few. But the appraisal might take longer than that to come in, or the underwriter might have lots of questions and seemingly random nitpicks about the appraisal, or about you: they want to see your driver’s license, then your marriage license, then your divorce decree, and after that, a letter from your employer agreeing that you’ll be keeping your job even though you’re moving an hour away. It never seems like they ask for everything at once, thus it can take longer than 17 days to obtain all the requested items, turn them in and get the underwriter to sign off on them.

Until you get that green light, it’s foolhardy to remove your loan contingency, as that step renders your earnest money deposit non-refundable, under most contracts. Many a buyer is forced to either secure an extension from the seller or to let the transaction die, rather than forfeiting their deposit funds. And again, some sellers understand and will play ball, but bank sellers can be particularly resistant to loan contingency extensions, especially if there are backup offers on the table.

Best practice for buyers to minimize the chances of an overtime loan approval process killing the deal? Be ready: be ready for lots of bizarre documentation requests, be ready to provide things you’ve already been asked for, and be ready to do so quick-like - without pushing back. The faster you can turn around the things the underwriter wants, the better.

Also, it can be very helpful to work with a mortgage broker and agent that have worked together before and have close communications, so that your agent can stay abreast of any and all loan process glitches and keep the listing agent apprised of the legitimate reasons you may need an extension throughout the contingency period, rather than assuring them everything’s speeding along then having to ask for a last-minute extension.

Agents: what other deal-killers are you commonly seeing? How do you help buyers correct for them?

By: Jeanne Baron, This Old House online

Housing prices may have dropped in your neighborhood, but there are smart ways to invest in your home right now to help hold its value. Here’s what veteran real estate professionals from around the country have to say about what home improvement projects pay off, whether you are selling now or in the future.

1. Create Space

Knock out a non-structural wall, or even remove that kitchen island. Anything that opens the space and creates a sense of flow in the house is generating a response from buyers who can afford to be choosy. For the price of a few hundred dollars, you’ll transform the feel of the house. "Right now buyers want a wide open floor plan, the living room right off the kitchen. They are into big spaces," says Kristin Wellins, Senior Manager of Program Development for ERA Real Estate.’

Seattle broker Reba Haas says a kitchen island can be an asset, creating needed storage space. But if the kitchen has enough cabinets, it could pay to haul the island away. Haas says homeowners might want to consider a moveable island. "You can adjust them to you needs," she explains.

2. Prune, Limb, and Landscape

Tangled trees and unkempt bushes can obscure views, darken interiors, promote mold, and block a good look at the house.

"People forget about their trees more than almost anything," says Roger Voisinet, a thirty-year veteran of the Charlottesville, Virginia real estate market. Yet, landscaping is one of the top three investments that bring the biggest return. According to a 2007 survey of 2,000 brokers conducted by HomeGain, an online real estate marketing site, an investment of around $400 or $500 dollars in landscaping, can bring a return of four times that. "It could really make a significant difference in the price. Nobody likes to spend money, but landscaping might even be the most important thing, even if owners have kept up the house," says Voisinet.

Reba Haas agrees, "Overgrown landscaping is a problem at all price points." Haas says it hurts with marketing too. "People say, ‘Where’s the house?" If buyers can’t see what they are getting, they just move right on."

And if neglected, mother nature may go wild at considerable cost. Voisinet looked at one house recently where a fallen limb from a poorly cared for tree caused $2,000 in damage.

3. Let in the Light

The number one item on the 2007 HomeGain survey, lighting—everything from a dimmer switch to the increasingly popular sun tubes—noticeably enhances a home’s appeal. California broker Robert Bailey says, "Dimmers allow you to create a mood."

He’s a booster of sun tubes, too. Less expensive than framing in a skylight, sun tubes—also known as light pipes, sunscoops, and tubular skylights—use reflective material to funnel natural light from a globe-capped hole cut in a rooftop down through a ceiling fixture and into a room. Bailey says, with tubular skylights, sunlight is nice, and moonlight is even nicer. "I’m putting six of them in my house. I don’t need a skylight, but I do want the natural light."

A few other ways to light things up: Fix broken panes, make sure windows open, and consider lights that use motion detectors to turn themselves off. Remember high wattage bulbs make small spaces feel larger, and soft lighting brings warmth to empty spaces.

4. Don’t Put Off Care and Maintenance

Before thinking about a fancy upgrade to the kitchen, address the basics. Insulate the attic, repair plumbing leaks, replace rusty rain gutters, inspect the furnace and the septic system, replace or repair leaky windows, install storm doors, weed the flower beds. As broker Robert Bailey says, "What you don’t notice as a weed, I see as a weekend of work."

These kinds of fixes go a long way toward value. Jessica Gopalakrishnan with HomeGain says, "Starting with a couple hundred dollars on a few things could increase the value of your house by a few thousand dollars. People are surprised by that. It’s exciting. People think they have to put in a lot of money to see a big difference and they really don’t."

Investing in maintenance and repairs is not only moneywise; could also be crucial to a sale. Brokers and agents from across the country say the houses that get attention in this buyers market are in tip-top shape. John Veneris, the regional vice president of the National Association of Realtors in Downers Grove, Illinois, says, "What’s important in this market, now more than ever, because there is so much inventory, the houses that sell are in pristine condition and are priced to the market."

5. Go Green

If maintenance and repairs are in hand, Virginia broker Roger Voisinet says put the greenbacks into green efficiency. If your heating or air conditioning systems are old, "new ones are so much better, with savings of up to 30 to 40%." Another example he points to: for $7,000 for the unit and installation, with $2,100 back in green tax credits, a solar-powered water heater could save you as much as 80% on your water-heating bills.

Research published by The Appraisal Journal estimates that energy savings add twenty times the annual savings to the value of your property. Though Roger Voisenet cautions, "a lot of appraisers don’t know that yet," he says buyers appreciate now what appraisers will recognize later: Energy savers make your house more desirable. Says Seattle broker Reba Haas, "Do the update green, because everyone is now, for the first time in five years, asking about the utilities."

6. Home Begins at the Front Door

ERA’s Kristin Willens says, "Don’t underestimate the power of a front door. People make up their minds in the first seven seconds of entering a house."

Surveyed brokers like a working door bell, and Voisinet says don’t forget an overhang, such as an awning or portico, above the front door. "If you don’t have a way out of the rain, or shelter from the sun while you are fumbling for your keys, you are really missing out."

If you’re up for more exterior upgrades, move to the back or sides of the house. John Veneris, the regional vice president of the National Association of Realtors in Downers Grove, Illinois, says, "People get back dollar for dollar for the decks they put in." Even in the snow-laden housing market of Craig, Colorado, Realtor Vicki Burns says the right deck on the right house can be an eye-catcher. "I had a home come onto the market with a small yard. It was about 20 by 30. The owner had encompassed almost the whole area with a deck. The buyers really liked that. It dressed it up and enhanced the area, making it an extension of the living space." Burns notes, "If the deck is done with the right material so that it will stay nice-looking and in good shape, it’ll hold value."

7. What’s Under Your Feet?

Don’t undervalue the materials you’re standing on. Ninety-four percent of real estate pros recommend spending some money on floors. But it doesn’t have to be a lot of money. For an estimated average investment of $600 to $900, brokers report that the return in value comes in at up to $2,000.

And you can spend even less than that. A few well-placed nails can eliminate distracting squeaks. Other small projects with a big impact include repairing broken tile, patching damaged floor boards, and tossing out the wall-to-wall carpeting.

In some cases, however, a new floor is in order. Broker Reba Haas says one would-be seller’s house might’ve sold were it not for a kitchen floor that drew questions from buyers. "The number one problem was the fact that her floor was really personal: blue and green vinyl. It clashed with the other upgrades in the kitchen. Everyone kept saying, ‘That kitchen!’"

If you want a wood floor that holds value, Reba Haas suggests engineered hardwoods. If you like cork, she says floating cork wears better than cork tile which is glued down and can peel.

8. Easy Bath Upgrades

Brokers, one and all, say spiffing up the kitchen and bath is a sure bet for adding value to your home. Surveyed brokers say these kinds of improvements can get expensive. It may not be economical to do a major renovation if you are trying to spend as little as possible before putting a house up for sale. But some upgrades are cheap, easy, and fast…especially in the bathroom.

Replace frosted glass for clear glass, clean the grout, remove rust stains, apply fresh caulk, update doorknobs and cabinet pulls, replace faucets, and install a low-flush toilet. Even buying a new toilet seat can make a difference. Bailey says, "You can spend $500 on a bathroom, and it’s totally tuned up."

9. Neutral Wall Colors

If you’re getting ready to put a house on this circumspect market, don’t allow walls with chipped paint to go unmaintained. If you need to do more than a touch up, choose neutral colors.

Broker Reba Haas says, "Get out of your personal taste." She says buyers want to be able to project their own ideas onto a space, and sellers can help with toned-down wall color.

10. Remove the Question Marks from Your House

Haas calls it the "What’s that?" factor, and whatever it is (1950s wallpaper in a 1930s bungalow, a broken front step or cracked threshold, green-and-blue vinyl flooring), fix it or remove it. She recommends getting the impartial advice of a friend who can tell you what’s drawing attention and raising questions for the wrong reasons. "The more questions, the more people are likely to say, ‘We don’t want that house.’ Sometimes it’s the quick fix that someone put in thinking, ‘I can live with it.”’ Haas says those fixes bite you back later when it’s time to sell because prospective buyers are looking for more than jerrybuilt solutions.

11. Bonus Advice: Be Patient

Even with all the bad news about a soft sellers’ market and declining home values, Illinois Realtor John Veneris says realistic homeowners don’t need to get rattled, especially if they have the help of a trusted professional. "The realtor will keep them informed of changes in the marketplace. So they really need a team approach with the realtor…(M)y gut feeling is that sellers are realistic today, and they know it may just a take a little longer than hoped to find the right buyer for their home. They just have to be patient."
Veneris says patience may be rewarded sooner that you might think. Sure, he says, housing sales around him were down 21.2% in the 3rd quarter of 2008. But he says he’s already starting to hear reports about an uptick in pending closings, and at his own office, more buyers are coming into the market. "We know the market is better than what you read in the paper. We think we might’ve seen the bottom of the market this year. I’ve been through three of these recessions…(I)f my hunch is right, next year will be better."

A home in subpar condition may leave you with little leverage in a buyers market.

By Steve McLinden of Bankrate.com

Q: Is it better to do the repairs and sell at market price or to sell "as is" at below the market price? Our home needs new siding, new windows and some interior improvements. The neighborhood is stable with mostly middle-class homes.

— D. Pattkin

A: You can certainly roll the cost of necessary repairs into your home’s sale price, but you likely must offer buyers an extra discount for the time and trouble needed to address the necessary fix-it work. Otherwise, that same buyer could simply drive down the block and buy another home with newer siding and windows, a better interior, etc., for the same cost as yours and not have to pound a nail.

You are caught in a modern-day real-estate Catch-22 — that dreaded "darned if you do and darned if you don’t" scenario. Tattered homes often will not sell conventionally — at least for a reasonable price — in this predominantly buyers market. Only in rare sellers markets would you have leverage despite your home’s condition.

So you may have to bite the bullet and do the work. Unfortunately, statistics suggest you will recoup less than 75% of your remodeling investment when you sell. According to Remodeling magazine’s "2010-2011 Remodeling Cost vs. Value" report, a full window replacement in a midrange repair project returns 71.6% of investment in a home sale, while a siding replacement returns 72.4%. Both percentages are higher than most remodeling jobs. Other interior remodeling projects merit value returns of 45% to 73%, according to the survey.

While those data seem to suggest that sellers should offer buyers credits and let the buyers perform their own work, the reality is that if a home is too beat up, it may generate little interest from conventional buyers. Your only customers may be contractors or would-be home-flippers, who will likely lowball you because they can already get cheap fixer-uppers in the vast foreclosure arena. Unless would-be owner occupants are especially handy and have loads of spare time on their hands, they typically don’t want to wrestle with significant repairs.

Of course, all real estate is local, so these generalizations may not apply on your block. Consider attending open houses in your area to assess the condition of homes for sale, with an eye on any apparent upgrades and other amenities and their impact on sale prices and buyer interest. A seasoned agent can also tell you about buyer priorities in an area.

You might have to perform at least some repairs if you need to sell your house soon for anything close to optimal price.

by Sara Elliott

Don’t let the anticipation of a well-deserved vacation blind you to the risks of leaving your home unprotected. Go ahead and plan your beach, camping or city shopping holiday, but take precautions before you leave. We subscribe to the "better safe than sorry" philosophy, so review your home safety checklist before you head out. A little extra vigilance will help keep your property and belongings safer while you’re gone — and will keep you from obsessing about security once you’re on the road to fun and adventure.

Consider Hiring a House-or Pet-Sitter

The best way to make sure your house is safe while you’re gone is to have someone you trust still living in it. You may be lucky enough to have a tidy and conscientious relative who’ll move in temporarily and water the plants, feed the pets and pick up the newspapers. If not, there are services you can use for house-sitting and pet-sitting while you’re away. This can be a pricy option, but it’s a solution that touches all the bases.

Hold Your Mail

When you’re leaving for more than a couple of days, call your local post office to stop mail delivery until you get back. They can hold mail from three to 30 days. In many locations, you can even submit a stop mail request online. Just enter your address and stop and start dates. This is a free feature courtesy of your friendly United States Postal Service.

Stop Newspaper Delivery

A pile of yellowing newspapers on the doorstep is a movie cliché for a home that’s unoccupied. Stopping the newspaper when you leave town for a while is an easy detail to forget and one that will make you a sure target. If you’re still reading newsprint, make sure you stop service when you leave on vacation.

Keep Eyes on Your Property

Even if you stop newspaper delivery and mail service, there are still some gotchas that can make it obvious that you’re not around. How about those fliers that peddlers leave on your doorknob, or those periodic yellow page book deliveries? Because you can’t plan for every contingency, have someone in the area check your house periodically. Whether it’s a neighbor or relative, nothing beats having a person check the premises every day or two while you’re gone. Hey, while they’re there, they can water the petunias.

Make Your Home Look Lived In

An occupied home looks lived in. Lights go on and off, and cars come and go. When you’re away, everything stops. To help create the illusion that the residence is still occupied, invest in timers that turn on the interior lights for a few hours every evening. If you can get a neighbor to take out your garbage and put the cans back after the garbage pickup, it’s another way to send the message that everything is proceeding normally at your house.

Keep the Landscape Trimmed

If you’re a diligent homeowner who mows his lawn every week, and things start to look overgrown and neglected, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that you’re not around. If you plan on being away for an extended period of time, hire someone to take care of the landscaping chores in your absence.

Lock Up

This seems so obvious, but hey, it’s easy to forget. If you keep a window unlocked to allow the cat easy access, or never bother to turn the deadbolt on the kitchen door, now’s the time to clean up your act. Locking your home makes it less attractive to opportunistic burglars. If you don’t make it easy, there’s a better chance that when you get home, your house will be in the same condition as when you left it.

Don’t Project Your Moves

Show some caution when you talk about your trip. Your blog isn’t the best place to announce that you’ll be away from home for a month. Being aware of who’s around when you discuss your trip in restaurants and even at work isn’t a bad idea either. Make sure that your children are discreet, too. No one is saying that you should be suspicious of everyone you meet, but even a chance remark has the potential to lead to unintended and unfortunate consequences. The less information you put out there, the less likely it is to reach the wrong ears and eyes.

Pull the Plug on Electronics

Disconnecting the power to some of your electronics, like your desktop computer, coffee pot and television can save you money while you’re gone and eliminate the worry that you’ve accidentally left them on by mistake. Turning off your garage door is also an effective way to keep thieves from opening it with a universal remote. Oh, and don’t leave a portable GPS in your car when you use long-term parking at the airport. It’ll alert thieves that you’re not home and give them a convenient map to your house.

Install Added Security Features

Installing a home security system or even just exterior lights that run on timers is a good way to ramp up security around the old homestead and make your house safer whether you’re around or not. One of the nice things about these features is that they’re working when you’re awake, asleep, on vacation or hosting an outdoor barbecue. They fade into the background as far as you’re concerned, but still make your property less attractive to opportunistic thieves.

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson

To rent or to buy: what used to be a given – that you would buy a home as soon as you could afford to – has become an agonizing conundrum for many a would-be homebuyer, in the face of the housing market’s big bust and super-slow recovery. Low prices seem to create a wide-open window of opportunity, but they also create the concern that prices will keep falling after closing. And that Catch-22 has hundreds of thousands of buyers-to-be stuck on the fence.

Fortunately, there are handful of life, mortgage and local market signals which indicate that the time *might* be right to hop – scratch that – leap off the fence and into homeownership:

Mortgage rates are going up. Home prices have been low for the last several years, and in fact are currently looking like they’re heading back down to the same levels they were at the depths of the real estate recession. During this same time frame, interest rates have also been low – this one-two punch has created record-high affordability for the last four years running, causing buyers to believe that this window of opportunity won’t be closing anytime soon.

While prices don’t look like they’ll be skyrocketing anytime soon, interest rates are another story. Rates have been on a rollercoaster over the past few months, and with inflation and Fed rates set to spike later this year, today’s low interest rates might be as good as they’re going to get for a long time to come. And I mean a very long time – in the next few years, governmental intervention in the mortgage markets is likely to wind down, and that means higher mortgage interest rates are not only inevitable, they’ll probably be here for a long, long time.

Mortgage rates on the rise are one signal that now might be the peak of home affordability, and the peak of the opportunity to buy.

Rents are going up. Rental rates in many areas are also on the rise – in fact, the foreclosure crisis has acted created additional demand on many markets’ rental housing inventory in several different ways. First, former homeowners who lost homes to foreclosure now need to rent; as well, buyers in foreclosure hot spots have been hesitant to buy, many electing to stay renters far beyond when they would have otherwise. On top of all that, super-tight lending guidelines have stopped even some who would like to buy homes from doing so. As a result, rental homes are in high demand – and rents are rising.

Rising rents at a time when the prices of homes for sale are low and, in some places, falling? One more signal that now might just be the time to buy. (Of course, where foreclosures are high, the chances of continued depreciation are, too – to offset this risk, have a long-term plan, to minimize the possibility that you’ll owe more than your home is worth when you need to sell. Read on for more on how to plan for the long term and minimize your homebuying risk.)

Your income and career are stable for the foreseeable future. The smartest homebuyers look to their lives, not just the market, for signals about when the time is right to buy. Homebuying is a long, long-term endeavor these days. The goal is to be able to commit to staying in the same place, geographically-speaking, for 7 to 10 years before you buy (more in a foreclosureriddled market, less in an area that has been more recession-resistant). Most lenders will require that you’ve been at your job – or in the same general field of work – for at least two years before you buy. But that’s the bare minimum – beyond that, you don’t want to be barely beginning a career in which you think you may need to move sooner than that, nor do you want to buy when you’re advanced in your career, but in an industry which is dying or downsizing the workforce in your region (unless you have a strong Plan B).

When you get to the spot in your career where you can realistically project a stable income 7 to 10 years out, life might be giving you a green light to move forward on your homebuying dreams.

You can reasonably predict the home you’ll need in the years to come. Since successful homeownership requires that you be ready to be in the place for a good number of years, best practice is not just to buy a home with the space and number of rooms you need right now – rather, you should aim to buy the home you’ll need 5, 7 or even 10 years down the road (to the best of your ability to predict, of course). You might be a newlywed with no kids now, but you plan to have them in a few years. Or maybe you’re a newly minted empty nester right now, but can project that you’ll want to retire - and might not want to climb two flights of stairs to get to and from your bedroom - 10 years down the road. Before you buy, you should be in a position to buy the home that meets your future needs – not just your current ones; and that requires that you have a reasonable idea of your life vision and plan for the future.

If you’re able to predict – and afford, at today’s prices – a home with the space, amenity and geographic location you’ll need 7 to 10 years from now, you might be in a good phase of life to get off the rent vs. buy fence.

With that said. . .buying a home is a massive decision and includes multiple, long-term financial and lifestyle obligations, so if one or more of these signals are present for you, that doesn’t mean you have the green light to run out and buy a home tomorrow – rather, it’s a good sign you should begin down that path, if you’re so inclined. You’ll still need to do the work to make sure your personal finances and holistic life picture are also in alignment before you buy, as well of the work it takes to ensure that your real estate and mortgage decisions are sustainable and smart, over the long-term.

It’s not overkill to check in with a mortgage pro, a tax pro, a local real estate broker or agent and a financial planner to make sure all your ducks – not just one - are in a row before you make your move.

HGTV.com Rob Howard

Staging sells houses. If you can’t hire a stager, there are several ways you can stay ahead of the curve and catch potential buyers the moment they step in your house. Broker Rob Howard has learned the importance of preparing for showings, and here are his top 10 tips.

1. Nothing Personal But Remove the Photos:
People can be very photogenic, but many clients are distracted by portraits of the sellers, and miss out on key selling points of the home. As an amateur photographer, I love displaying my work, but if I’m selling my house, art will be displayed without people in it. No matter how nice the display, personal photos are just that: too personal.

2. Accentuate the Positive:
My clients usually know what they like best about their home. It’s usually what they saw that made them want to buy, or it’s something that they added to make the home particularly special. Whether it is a staircase, a great view from the kitchen sink, a pergola or a three-car garage, do something to make the buyers linger in that magic space.

3. Smells Like Home:
I’ve heard of many real estate agents bringing in a toaster oven to bake cookies or fresh bread. One colleague joked about keeping an Easy-Bake oven in the trunk of her car. I usually opt for a few plug-in air fresheners. I like using vanilla in the kitchen, fresh scents in the laundry, apple cinnamon in the living room and such. Specific aromas add a theme to the tour, even when it’s not an open house.

4. Ditch the Kitsch and Hide Your Opinions:
My favorite example of unnecessary and unwelcome kitsch is the pink pig sitting on the fridge door asking if you’re eating again. It oinks when your potential buyer opens the refrigerator. This and other comical quips are great fun when you’re living in your home, not when you’re trying to sell it. Especially avoid politically-charged material that expresses strong opinions. You don’t want a potential buyer to dislike you for your beliefs, so remove all questionable material out of sight.

5. Clean Up Your Act:
If you are selling your house, cleaning is a no-brainer. And clutter is a killer. Get a head start on packing, and begin boxing up extras that are taking up space on your mantel, table surfaces, etc. Clutter makes a house look smaller, and if you have a small house, it makes it feel claustrophobic. Not advantageous to a quick or profitable sale.

6. Embrace the Quietude:
When showing a home, music is not necessarily a bad thing. If you don’t know the potential buyer and their taste in music, don’t push yours. If you are going to play music, be sure it doesn’t have vocals. Avoid niche music; not everyone loves hard rock or country and western. If you are set on having music playing in the background for viewings, opt for soft jazz playing at a low level. Unless you have the music-only channels, keep the television turned off. It’s a distraction.

7. Paint the Story:
A coat or two of paint is always a good investment. If you decide to make the effort, consider flat paint in areas for resting and relaxing. You can add some colors, but neutral is always best. Satin paint is great for common areas and places where there is a bit more action taking place. It’s also easier to clean if someone spills some tomato soup on the wall.

8. "Debarkation": Pet-Proof the Pad
If you have pets, especially indoor pets, make sure that during your listing period, you are particularly fastidious in cleaning up after them. Ask a very good friend (or your real estate agent), who will tell you the truth, to come by and give it the sniff test. Also, if you have pets and are trying to sell your home, the purchase of a few air purifiers may also be a great investment. Consider buyers with pet allergies.

9. Show Off the Goods:
Consider placing laser-printed cards on items that remain with the home. Such things could include high-end appliances, dumbwaiters, laundry chutes, built-in sound systems and other goodies. These inexpensive cards are an under-utilized way to bring attention to such selling features. Don’t overdo it though; no more than 5-10 cards in an average-sized home. Be sure to lock up or take jewelry and other valuables with you.

10. Go Away:
No buyers want to discuss your home while you are standing there. On average, my clients spend about 20-30 minutes in a home that has some promise; very few stay more than 5 minutes in a house with the seller in earshot. If nothing else, go outside on the porch or in the yard, and let the home speak for itself.