Crystal Saves The Deal

New Year’s Resolutions That Will Help You Buy A Home in 2020 If 2020 is the year for you to buy a home, consider making these 5 New Year’s resolutions to help you be as prepared as possible to become a homeowner. 1. Cut down on monthly subscriptions. With each month, there is a new subscription service out there. What starts as convenience turns into an endless list of subscriptions that we often don’t use enough to justify the costs. Sit down and go through your monthly/yearly subscriptions and cancel whatever you don’t use. Set aside that extra money with the rest of your savings so your down payment can continue to grow. 2. Build a better credit history. Paying bills on time and paying off debts will help create a solid credit history. Make sure you have some utilities or rent in your name so that you can pay them on time and continue to build a solid credit history.  3. Avoid changing careers. Alongside income, your employment history will be a m...

Sellers Guide The Nest Seekers Edge With over 1000 professionals in prime neighborhood locations Nest Seekers provides full service brokerage for sellers, including corporate relocations, commercial, financial, and investment consultants. Our service is beyond brokerage; we are a financial consultant, educator, and partner to the end user. For the seller, Nest Seekers adds value to property through innovative, powerful marketing. Provide you with a survey commonly known as comparative market analysis, which consists of intimate knowledge and an intense study of property value considering appreciation, supply and demand, presentation, price-per-square foot comparison, and image. We will customize a marketing plan for your property, which consists of advertising print media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Observer, New York Magazine, Gotham Magazine, and our own quarterly Nest catalogue. Print material includes post cards and mailing campaigns a...

Home Ownership : The Benefits and Advantages Guide HOME OWNERSHIP: THE BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES Freedom and Flexibility  – One of the greatest advantages to owning your own home is the sense of freedom it gives you, as well as the flexibility you have to make alterations or improvements. You may exercise your own design and décor tastes to the fullest extent, and the best part is, the additions and alterations you make have the potential to add to your investment’s value. Predictability and Stability  – Your home is your rock. Rent rates change from year to year. Mortgage payments, on the other hand, should remain stable from year to year. In time, you may discover new ways to reduce housing costs even further. Be mindful, however, that your property tax and insurance costs may change, possibly frequently. In addition to the financial benefits to your family, owning a home in a singular location provides a great number of social and community benefits. Your childre...

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and depending on where you live, there is a good chance fall weather is coming right along with it. Before the season is in full swing, get a head start on your seasonal maintenance. By preparing for fall weather, you can address any issues that may get worse with colder temperatures or just keep your home in the best condition to make sure your property is in top shape no matter the season. Here is a great reference checklist to make sure you’re doing the basics to get your home ready for fall! 1. Rake it up. Everyone loves the changing leaves, except your grass. Leaving fallen leaves in your yard can kill you grass and prevent growth in the spring. Make sure you keep those leaves raked up! 2. Check your gutters. Those same leaves that can kill your grass can also clog your gutters. Clogged gutters can lead to plenty of other issues, so be sure to periodically check your gutters to prevent buildup. 3. Don’t forget your roof. You...

Smart sellers know that crunching the numbers is always the better route to an accurate home price. Here's how they do it. #1 They Avoid Overpricing Homeowners often think that it's OK to overprice at first, because — who knows? — maybe you'll just get what you're asking for. Although you can certainly lower an inflated price later, you'll sacrifice a lot in the process. Just ask Candace Talmadge. She originally listed her Lancaster, Texas, home for $129,000, but "eventually had to accept the market reality" and chop $4,000 off the price. The home's location proved challenging: Buyers were either turned off by the area — a lower-income neighborhood south of Dallas — or unable to afford the home.  "Sellers have to keep in mind the location," says Talmadge. "Who are going to be the likely buyers?" The most obvious pitfall: A house that remains on the market for months can prevent you from moving into your...

3 Signs the Housing Market Is on the Rebound The residential real estate market has been plodding along for most of the year. However, three recent reports show the market may be on the verge of a rebound: 1. Existing Home Sales  (closed sales) are up, marking two consecutive months of growth. 2. Pending Home Sales  (contracts signed) are up with each of the four major regions reporting both month-over-month growth and year-over-year gains in contract activity. Here is the month-over-month growth: ·          The Northeast rose 0.7% ·          The Midwest increased 0.6% ·          The South increased 1.4% ·          The West grew 3.1% 3. Buyer Traffic  (the number of people shopping for a home) is up compared to the same time last year, and  for the first time in 13 months . ·  ...

With millennials making up nearly 40% of the home buyers on the market today, up-to-date style is a huge consideration in the buying process. When nearly half of your potential buyers have likely scrolled through Pinterest or watched HGTV more times than they can count, it is important to keep in mind that they are going to be style-conscious. While you don't need to do a full home renovation, getting rid of some outdated trends will help your home appeal to a larger buyer pool. Here are some trends to toss (and avoid altogether during staging) if you want your house to be marketable in 2019! Curly Ironwork One of the biggest trends today is sleek and modern design. Curly ironwork and other chaotic decor can be distracting. Avoid having large metal pieces of decor or art in your home during open houses. Faux Props Some faux plants add the perfect touch to a home, but in many cases, faux is not the way to go. Faux fruit and some faux plants look unnatural and dated. Rep...

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CHILD & PET-PROOFING YOUR HOME You've just finished spring cleaning, and summer is approaching quickly. Summer means longer days and later nights, and usually more traffic in your home. With play dates, game nights, and bonfires, there are likely to be more guests in and out of your home than usual. While fun is the priority, safety should be as well. To keep the little ones, children and pets included, safe in your home, follow these steps so you can enjoy a safe summer (as well as all the other seasons):  1. Protect your belongings This has two benefits. If you have items that are important to you and could easily break, it is best to store them away so they don't get damaged and no one gets hurt from the broken item in the process.  2. Make off-limit areas If you want to prevent children and pets from going places you don't want them, consider installing safety gates. Placing gates in front of staircases and rooms with more breakable...