Selling Tips: Don't Fall Behind

It's that time of year when it becomes more challenging to keep your curb appealing, as such.  Blooms are dying off, grasses are dying back, and your yard lacks color.  Yes, that beautiful Sugar Maple is boasting some lovely shades of pink and yellow, however, those leaves are 20 feet above your front door so that might not be enough. 

The leaves to be concerned with are those that are brown, dry, and covering your front  lawn.   Leaving your leaves sit on your lawn does it no favors.  You are hindering photosynthesis so you are weakening the grass, and it may start to yellow.  Rake your leaves regularly;  a healthy lawn is an important selling feature.  And make sure to keep your lawn clear of fallen leaves into the Winter to prevent it from developing snow mold.

Letting dead leaves collect at your front porch is another mistake.  Regularly sweep your porch or front steps, and remove the inevitable cobwebs that catch bugs and make your home less inviting.  Think about arranging a potted mum and some pumpkins and gourds at your entrance.   The pop of color is needed on these gray days. 

Many homeowners forget that those leaves that don't make it to your lawn have collected in your gutters.   Make sure to keep gutters clear of debris;  leaves sticking out of gutters can make a buyer think you are not maintaining the home and can contribute to ice damming when the temperatures drop. 

One final note about things to keep out of your yard at this time of year.... political signs!  It would seem to be good old common sense, but I regularly drive past houses with a "For Sale" sign right along side a "Vote for" sign.  You are working with a finite number of possible buyers and you never want to knowingly reduce your possibilities.  We all know there is much emotion surrounding the political process, as there is in the homebuying process.  

Remember, political signs are designed to be noticed, so they will be.  The only vote you are trying to earn right now is that of your buyer.   Tell your councilman you will be happy to support him at the polls only this year.  

"Hedging" My Bets for Good Reason

I regularly tell my buyers, "Don't worry, it's a PERENNIAL landscape... it takes care of itself. "  But I don't leave it at that, I always continue, "It will come up every year and how long it blooms depends on how much time you want to invest." 

Our garden is still blooming and that is because we put time into it.  I love standing at the kitchen window, or sitting at the dining room table, and watching people slowly meander by, at times pointing, regularly smiling.  Flowers are so much more engaging than a lawn, thus our grassy paths serve the purpose of leading you from one bed to the next.

In an earlier post I told you about my obsession with deadheading our butterfly bushes.  There are six and they regularly stand 6-7 feet tall and 4 feet wide.  They are covered with flowers in late June and, without pruning, will produce blooms diminishing in size until late July.  I love butterflies, in particular Monarchs, and I continue deadheading for as long as I see flowers.  This year has been a banner year.

Quick story:  when my Dad passed away, Oct. 1, 2002, I took some relatives to see a birch tree we

Butterfly Release, Oct. 10, 2009

had planted at a nearby garden in his honor while he battled Pancreatic Cancer.   A Monarch butterfly followed us on our garden tour.  I remarked how unusual it was to see one so late in the season.  Two days later we drove to the property on which we were going to build a new home and planted a birch tree:  I took note of the Monarch butterfly flitting around all the while.  On Oct. 4th, during the interment at the cemetery my heart began to smile as I noticed, yet again, a single Monarch circling all through the service. 

 
When I remarried 4 years ago I mused how nice it would be to see a Monarch at our October 10th  ceremony, and finally decided to "hedge my bets" by having two dozen of the winged delights shipped in for our special day.  How beautiful it was and how very special to include my Dad, in some small way.  Yes, some will say I cheated by making sure one showed up at the ceremony, but I feel I did what I was able to do to accomplish my dream. 
 
So, this year, when we stopped seeing Monarchs in the middle of September, it was a little tougher to find the motivation to keep pruning those bushes.  But, on the 1st of this month, while deadheading the waning blooms on the butterfly bushes and silently lamenting the fact that only the bumblebees were enjoying my handiwork, imagine my joy as a Monarch came to visit, and stayed for over an hour, allowing me to take photos of him feasting on the flowers before that long flight to Mexico.  THAT is the payoff I have worked toward all season. 

Fix It Until It's Broken!

When I read about the Mortgagee Letter that was taking away the possibility of Dual Agency in a Short Sale transaction, I immediately knew I had a blog topic.  Just a few short weeks ago I actually blogged about how the government finally did something right, that being short sales.  The HUD Pre-Foreclosure Sale program was written in stone long ago and sometimes that is a good thing.  From the beginning you know what they will accept.  It's terrific to submit an offer and know it will be approved. 

However, before the ink on that blog was dry, the government being the government, decided to mess with something that wasn't broken.  Are they just uncomfortable with the notion of a successful program? 

The NAR, thankfully, stepped in and convinced HUD to delay that condition, based on the fact that in some areas of the country, there is only one brokerage serving an area.  The very broad definition of banned dual agency included agents from the same firm.  HUDs reasoning it seems, if we can call it that, has to do with pocket listings.  A pocket listing is a home an agent doesn't advertise for sale on the MLS, and she can obtain a buyer before giving it exposure which might bring a higher price.

Now, the way I see it, this banning of pocket listings makes sense for bank-owned properties where they may be priced far below market value and can certainly bring higher than listing price.  However, on a HUD short sale, an FHA appraisal is performed prior to marketing.  They then issue a form to the seller which instructs the agent, not just at what price to list the property, but also at what net they will allow the sale to go forward.

If HUD is giving the agent a form ahead of time noting this is exactly the dollar amount we will take in the first 30 days, why is it now believed they can reasonably expect multiple offers, one higher than the next?   I, for one, do not see FHA appraisals coming in so far below the market value that those

properties are closing well above market prices.  Further, in a short sale, versus a bank-owned sale, the highest and best offer is submitted to the bank and considered on an individual basis.  In a HUD short sale we know going into it that offer will be accepted. 

In closing, the other difference between a short sale and a bank-owned property, comes in the intention to minimize the damage done to the homeowner's credit rating.   The longer the process takes, the more opportunity for  negative reporting to credit agencies.  If HUD agrees to a minimum acceptable number based on their own appraisal, why should they muddy up the waters by building in delays.  And as a REALTOR, I, for one, am getting sick of having the fickle finger of fate pointed at us as to blame for all the fraud that led to the current state of affairs.  I actually believe there is a case to be made for the fact that once REALTORS got out of the practice of preapproving buyers things went downhill.   But... that's another blog. 

October is the Month of the Rosary

Although I was raised Catholic, and attended Catholic grade school and high school, I don't believe I ever truly appreciated the beauty of the Holy Rosary.  I remember that, on Good Friday, we would gather together and say the Rosary.  Other than that, I remember receiving a beautiful rosary with Aurora Borealis crystals for my First Holy Communion.

As an adult, as I became responsible for my children's Catholicism, I grew to appreciate the meditative quality of the Holy Rosary.   In fact, I joined the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, along with my two youngest, whom I homeschooled.  We said the Rosary daily before we started classes, and when 9-11 happened, they knew to turn to the Rosary for comfort in their hour of need.  As we all struggled with a world that was forever changed, there was solace in reciting those prayers and settling into the soothing rhythm. 

When faced with losing the most important person in the world to me, my Father, I led my family in reciting the Rosary at his bedside for hours.  We were waiting for the arrival of my brother and his family and I held my Dad's hand for many hours, my arm cramped and numb, but I felt as though he was only being held here with that bond and I couldn't afford to break it.  As we prayed one set of mysteries after the other I remember the looks from others in the room as they would hear me announce each mystery, or say a prayer with which they weren't familiar.  It was as though I'd been practicing for this moment for years, and I didn't fall to pieces.  I reminded myself of how blessed I was to be given this opportunity to be there and to pray his soul into Christ's arms.

That was eleven years ago Oct. 1, 2002, and I cannot think of that night without remembering the power of the Rosary.  My brother was gifted with the time to say his "goodbyes" and his passing was peaceful.  I continue my devotion to the Blessed Mother on the 1st of October by putting a vase of 53 blooms on her altar, one for each of the Hail Marys prayed in the Rosary.

October is the month of the Holy Rosary and each year it begins for me by remembering how it was an invaluable blessing in helping me say "goodbye" to my Father.