5 Ways Buyers Can Make the Most Out of Open Houses

Open houses are a great entrée into the home-buying process. They help you figure out what features are important to you in a home. Finding out what you don't like is just as important. Here's how to make the most of your time spent visiting open houses.

We have three open houses this Sunday.
Make sure they are on your route!
Here's info on the first one
at 3934 Eaglescliffe.

1. Figure out your price range. If you are visiting open houses with an eye toward buying eventually, it really helps to figure out how much home you can afford. Of course, it is always fun to visit homes you hope to have one day. But you want your expectations to be in line with your budget. Check out this blog post for tips on finding how much home you can afford.
2. Plan your route. Consider focusing on a neighborhood or section of town that interests you each Sunday. You can go to this website to get an overview of popular subdivisions in the Springfield area. Open houses are posted here at 4 p.m. on Thursday for the upcoming Sunday. Zillow also compiles open houses each week. Murney's mobile app will give you the location of homes for sell based on your geographical location. Very handy!
3. Talk to the real estate agent hosting the open house. Use the agent as a resource. Ask any questions you may have and see what he or she thinks are the strengths of the home. It's also a great way to "interview" agents if you are looking for an agent to represent you. 
4. Weigh the home against your needs. No home is going to meet all of your needs. But you do want it to meet your most important needs. Think about whether this home does that, whether those needs involve the floor plan, a big backyard for kids to play in, a large kitchen or a hobby space. 
5. Experience the neighborhood. Find out as much as you can about what it is like to live there. The people create the neighborhood's personality. Are people out in their yards? Are they approachable? Do you like that? Would you prefer a more anonymous feel in your neighborhood? Do people take care of their homes? Look at the community amenities within the neighborhood and nearby. Again, evaluate the amenities according to what you think is important or would like to have nearby. Other neighborhood considerations include traffic amount and patterns, smells and home owners associations' involvement.

5229 S. Stonehaven in Highland Springs

310 N. Marie St. in Nixa

What Determines Your Credit Score?

We all know that a good credit score is important, especially if you’re looking to buy a house. But how is your credit score determined? How do you improve your credit score, and what matters the most when it comes to maintaining a good credit score?

Your credit score is made up of five different factors. Generally, a good credit score is in the mid-700s and higher. Here are the factors that determine your credit score in the order of their weight and importance (these are approximations):

35% Payment history. Payments more than 30 days late can negatively affect your score.

30% Amount owed. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t borrow. But if you’re in a lot of debt, it shows you’re overextended financially. To prevent this category from being a negative factor in your score, make sure you don’t charge over half the limit on all of your credit cards.

15% Length of credit history. A long payment history is important for showing lenders you have paid your bills on time. Don’t cancel old credit cards because that deletes all of your credit history with that card.

10% New credit. Opening numerous accounts in a short amount of time can be seen as risky, particularly if you have a short credit history. Each application for a credit card is an inquiry on your credit report and too many in a short amount of time can negatively affect your overall score.

10% Types of credit in use. Make sure your debt is spread out between different types of loans. For example, it’s better to have some debt in credit cards and the rest in a mortgage, car loan and student loans, than it is to have all of your debt in credit cards.

First, find out what your score is. You are entitled to a free credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) once every 12 months. See where you stand. Then decide which of these factors you can change to raise your score.



Source: Murney Associates, Realtors

'What’s that smell?' Dealing with odors when selling a home

Man's best friend can be a home seller's enemy.

The last thing you want buyers to think when they walk into your home is “What’s that smell?” Odors contribute to first-impressions and usually in a negative way. We’ve had buyers walk away from homes they otherwise love because of smells. You don’t want buyers to think about smells at all when they walk in the door. No odor is the goal. Here’s how to get there.

The first step is to borrow someone’s nose. Ask someone who doesn’t live in your home—and someone who will tell you the truth—to assess its smell. We all get used to our own smells, making us incapable of noticing them. Remember how your grandmother’s house smelled? We all need an unbiased nose. In addition, a good real estate agent will let you know in her own way that odor is an issue during the listing appointment.

Common culprits

The major odorous causes are no big mysteries. Here are some solutions you may want to try.

Smoke: Sadly, the only real remedy for homes where smokers have lived for a long time is new paint and new carpet. We have not found many other ways to get rid of the smoke smell. Some people recommend squeezing fresh lemons into small amounts of baking soda and placing them on plates around the house for a few days. Other people recommend doing the same thing with vinegar instead of baking soda and lemons. We have not had any clients try these approaches, but they are worth a try.

Pets: Cats can be the biggest problem when it comes to pet odors. We encourage our clients to empty litter boxes morning and night. We also recommend cleaning and deodorizing carpets. In some cases, you may need to ask a friend to keep your cats until your home goes under contract. With other pets, make sure you clean cages frequently.

Teenage boys: Any experienced real estate agent knows if teenage boys reside in a home as soon as she walks in the front door. You can’t do much about the hormones they exude, but you can address their clothes, sports equipment, and shoes. We recommend bagging the odorous equipment and shoes and storing them in the garage or even the trunk of a car. To take care of the smelly clothes, you may have to do laundry every night. We also suggest you do a deep cleaning of teenagers’ rooms. You never know what you may find under the bed!

Food: As you know, some food odors can linger, especially if you cook similar dishes with similar spices several times a week. Steaming cauliflower and broccoli is a great way to clear everyone from the kitchen! This is one area when an unbiased nose can help, too. You may not notice the odors of your favorite cuisine. Try lighting a few candles well before buyers preview your home.

Candles and potpourri: This is an instance in which you can have too much of a good thing. You can light a candle or two to try to rid your home of some odors, but don’t overdo it. You don’t want your home overpowering people with bad—or good—smells. Even overpowering good smells can make buyers wonder what you are trying to hide. If you do choose to light a candle, use more neutral scents like fresh linen and steer clear of flavors like strawberry.

If these measures don’t help, you might consider hiring a professional company that specializes in odor removal. We would love to hear if you have had success with odor-removal companies or with any other home remedies. Please let us know what has worked for you.

3 Simple Ways to Get Your Home Ready to Sell

We've got three super-easy ways you can make your home ready for buyers to view. They are simple and don't cost you a cent.

 

1.     Organize your closets. Sort, stack, and store. Pack away your seasonal clothes. Get rid of shoes and belts you never wear. Make what you have look neat and tidy. You’ll make your closets look bigger and just better.

2.     Organize your garage and driveway. Again, pack away what you don’t need. Store what you can in your parents’ garage or get rid of what you don’t need. Keep your driveway clear of cars, both working and nonworking vehicles. A well-organized garage gives buyers the impression that you take pride in your home. They are likely to think that if you take time to care about the little things like your garage, you are likely to take care of the bigger things related to the home as well.

3.     Take note of how your house smells. You’ll need a non-resident to give you an objective assessment of your home’s scent. You are used to your smells; buyers will not be. So you need to know if your pets or teenage boys or your gourmet cooking is making an aromatic impression. The goal is for no one to notice a smell when they walk into your home.

 

Decluttering is the biggest way you can spruce up your home. If you can’t part with things, pack them up and store them away until you arrive in your new home. Spending a little time doing these three things will help your home make a great first impression.

3 Biggest Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers Make

All home owners were first-time buyers at one point. And you can learn from their mistakes. These are the most common mistakes we see first-time buyers make:

• Buying more home than they can afford.  
• Not getting pre-approved for a loan.
• Not using a real estate professional.

We have several homes listed that would be great for
 first-time buyers, like this one at 844 S. Kickapoo near MSU
and the one below at 310 N. Marie in Nixa.

The first two mistakes go hand-in-hand. Actually, all of these go together. When you are ready to buy a home, a good real estate agent will help you figure out how much home you can afford and encourage you to get pre-approved for a loan. Avoiding all three of these mistakes will save you time, money, and mental anguish.

Several factors determine how much home you can afford, mainly the down payment, closing costs, and monthly mortgage payments. See our previous blog for more about determining how much is realistic and manageable for you. 

Getting pre-approved for a loan forces you to go through the process of how much home you can afford if you haven’t already done that. Most lenders require that your home mortgage payment fall between 28% and 34% of your gross monthly income. The mortgage payment and all your other monthly debt payments should range between 36% and 50% of your gross monthly income. The lender will take into account your income, your assets, and your credit report when determining whether and how much you qualify for. (A good real estate agent can steer you to reputable lenders.)

Going through the pre-approval process helps you start looking in the correct price range. You don’t want to look at 30 houses and then find out all are out of your reach. When you have been looking at $200,000 homes, it’s hard for homes in the $150,000-range not to be disappointing.

Of course, as realtors, we think real estate professionals can help buyers. But if you talk to your friends and neighbors who have bought homes, they are likely to agree. Like getting a loan pre-approval, a good agent can also save you time and money and mental anguish.

You are likely to look at lots of homes on the Internet before you even contact an agent. But an agent can put that home into context for you. You benefit from the agent’s knowledge of the area and neighborhoods.  She can turn you onto areas you may not have considered—or even get authorization to show you homes you love but are not even on the market.

A good real estate agent can also take you to look at many houses at one time—much more efficient than waiting on open houses or making arrangements on your own. She will quickly know your likes and dislikes, helping to filter out the homes that would be a waste of your time for you to visit.

One more reason to use a real estate agent: A realtor is free representation for the buyer. She is your advocate in the process and serves as your personal expert in one of the major purchases of your life.

As always, we would be happy to walk you through the home-buying process. We want to help you avoid the pitfalls many first-timers make.

First Impressions Part 2: Tips to Improve Your Home’s Appeal Inside

At the seller's request, Holly rearranged a few pieces of furniture
at 932 S. Caliburn in Nixa to make sure buyers experienced
 the home's great light and floor plan
.

In the previous post, we talked about making a good first impression as soon as buyers see your home. The goal is to create such an appealing picture, buyers want to see the inside. We want them to stop and come in.

Tidiness reigns supreme inside as well as outside. Here is what we tell our sellers:

Declutter…everywhere. Pick up shoes, hide stacks of paper and mail, put away coffee table detritus, clean off bathroom counters, and hide nightstand clutter. Take a critical assessment of your home and address those places things tend to gather.

Go easy on aromatherapy. We usually tell people not to burn lots of scented candles. That often makes buyers wonder what smell the seller is trying to hide. A subtle, fresh scent is fine, just don’t overpower the buyer.   

Clean. Devote some time to a thorough and deep cleaning of your house. Clean baseboards, dust ceiling fans and blinds, and wash walls and doorways—all of the tasks that don’t make your weekly to-do list.

If you need help seeing your home objectively, ask your agent to help. Our sellers often turn to Holly to stage their homes. She has a great eye and can help you present your home in the best light possible. We consider this just a part of our service to sell your home successfully. 

First Impressions Part 1: Tips to Improve Your Home’s Appeal Outside

When it comes to blind dates and homes, first impressions matter. Before you list your home, you want to step back and take a look at how your home will come across to a buyer.

 

Even a seemingly simple thing can make a lasting bad impression (think bad breath). Take a minute to reduce the factors that might cause buyers to drive on by:

 

The yard: Keep the grass short. Trim bushes and weeds. Bag leaves. Clean up after your dogs. A well-tended lawn sends a message that the owner takes pride in keeping the home tidy. Remove any items from the yard, even things you consider ornamental. Less is more when it comes to the front yard.

 

The driveway: If possible, keep your driveway clear of cars, boats, and any other equipment. Park in the garage or down the street. Temporarily relocate any broken vehicles. Make your home seem approachable. Put trash cans and other equipment in the garage or out of sight…or move those items offsite until your home sells. You don’t want a junky first impression.

 

The porch: Create a tidy, welcoming stoop. Sweep the porch, brush away cobwebs, wash light fixtures and the front door, and remove trinkets that crowd the space. A potted flower is a nice touch. But if you choose to have potted plants, tend to them. A dead plant detracts from the pleasant appearance you’re trying to create. 

Here's a photo of the front of one of our current listings at 4008 E. Wilshire. Doesn’t it make you want to step in and see the rest of the home?

 

And this garage area of 5331 S. Virginia is clean and elegant. The landscaping makes it feel part of the whole house, adding to the homes overall appeal.

Just a little effort and attention to the outside of your home can create a good impression—one we hope buyers take with them when they see the inside.