Realty Executives Midwest
If you’re a gardener, or at least want to be one, there’s no time as amazing as early spring. This is when your plants are starting to wake from their long winter’s sleep. The white snow and frost flowers are giving way to green grass and emerging vegetation that seems to multiply like magic day after day.
Although a lot of people sit back and wait for their plants to do whatever it is that they do in early spring, others, like you, are eager to help them be all they can be this year.
Many homeowners just let their plants come and go as they please. Usually, they’ve inherited the vegetation from the former owner and have little interest in gardening. It’s ok, it’s not for everyone. But, due to this minimal care for the plants, many varieties will start to die off from neglect. A slow death is still a death.
Obviously, you’re looking to do a bit more to help your plants get off to a good start. Because of this, your landscape will be healthier, live longer and produce more ornamental flowers than those of the neighbor who would have preferred a lot of grass and no plants to tend.
There are varieties of herbaceous perennials like bananas, cannas and elephant ear that can survive the winter in many climates if they’re tucked in under a layer of organic mulch that’s two to four inches deep. While mulch protects them from drying out or freezing to death when it’s cold, once these types of plants start to grow in the spring, that life-saving mulch can become a real enemy.
It’s vital that you pull back the mulch from your plants every few days to check for green growth above ground. Once you see it, hollow a moat out between the plant and the mulch. Make sure no mulch is touching the new growth and that the moat you’ve scooped is about two inches wide to allow for further safe development.
Several opportunistic fungi will take advantage of young, green growth that’s constantly touching something moist, like that mulch. There’s a fine line here, tread carefully.
If you have a garden plot and failed to fertilize it in the fall, now is the time to get to it. As soon as you can work the soil, take several samples and either use a home test kit to determine the condition of the soil or have them analyzed by your local university extension’s lab. The extension tests are generally around $10, but the cost varies by location.
Either way, you’ll have some kind of indication about the condition of your soil, as well as what you can do to fix any problems. For example, you may find that your soil is low in nitrogen, a vital nutrient for plants that grow a lot of leaves very quickly, like your lawn. In this case, you’ll follow the instructions for feeding the type of plant you intend to place in the tested area, using a precise amount of fertilizer, so as not to encourage long, spindly growth in those eager plants.
The same applies to other types of fertilizer, including balanced fertilizers like 10-10-10 and 15-15-15. Most established perennials are fine with fertilizer that’s mixed into the top two to five inches of soil, but always check before you get too wild with it. A few species may have unusual reactions, including but not limited to developing an overall burned or wilted look due to root destruction. Never apply more fertilizer than necessary due to the risk of runoff and pollution of waterways.
Once the nighttime temperatures are consistently above freezing, you’re ready to turn the water back on. Your plants will appreciate the long, deep drink and you’ll be happy to not have to water each one by hand. Remember, when turning irrigation systems back on after being drained, do so slowly. Opening the valve too quickly can result in a high-pressure water surge that can rupture sprinkler heads or burst fittings.
Be prepared to turn the system back off if a surprise freeze creeps on, but waiting as long as possible to get the irrigation started again is also a fairly safe bet.
As your plants start to bud, you’ll be able to tell if they’ve developed any problems during the winter. Generally, these are caused by insect infestations, but in ornamental and fruit trees, a whole range of fungal invasion is also likely.
Small holes in the trunks of trees and shrubs are likely caused by boring insects like clearwing moths, which spend most of their life cycles inside the plant. This makes them very hard to get rid of and often results in the hollowing of the interior of limbs and branches. Those hollow branches pose a major risk to anyone walking below, as they can reach a point where they are no longer structurally sound and suddenly break away from the tree.
You don’t have a landscaper? Well, it’s never too late to meet one, especially when you’re part of the HomeKeepr community! Your real estate agent can recommend their favorite plant experts with just a few clicks and you’ll have access to their complete contact information without ever having to pay for any sort of membership. Recommendations from people you trust, that’s the power of HomeKeepr.
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Realty Executives strives to provide our brokers and agents with the top technology to help keep you connected to your clients and create a seamless experience. In our comprehensive suite, we have several tools that will set you up for success and enhance your productivity. Take a look below for a breakdown of each of our new technology tools.
PrimeAgent
PrimeAgent is our proprietary intranet dashboard created to provide quick access to business tools, marketing collateral, news and resources all in one portal. For brokers and agents, it is less expensive and everything works seamlessly together in one place to meet your business and marketing needs, offering agents personalized and local websites, lead management, contact management, automated email campaigns and broadcast emails, and listing automation materials and videos.
Websites
Realty Executives Agent Websites offer modern, easy-to-navigate, map-based property search features with Realty Executive listings and an agent’s own listings uniquely identified among search results. Multiple lead capture points, our proprietary lead notification system along with blog and integrated social sharing features, easily connect you with site visitors.
On-Demand Mobile
PrimeAgent On-Demand, our in-house mobile marketing solution, is built right in and included with each agent website subscription. With a simple and effective text feature, you reach serious buyers instantly as they tour neighborhoods and drive by listings.
CRM Suite
Our CRM suite consists of three main tools: PrimeAgent Contact Manager, PrimeAgent Broadcast and PrimeAgent Campaign (includes eNewsletter features). These systems integrate and work together to help you manage your contacts, communications and email marketing. You can easily stay in touch with your clients- simply add them to a campaign and the system will take care of the rest.
Listing Automation
We found that Executives were spending hours in front of the computer creating flyers and postcards for listings, taking away time that could be spent with clients. We built a program that simplifies your time spent on marketing and increases your business. Our system automatically takes photos and listings details from the MLS and plugs them into several varieties of templates branded to the agent. Now, a project that used to take 60+ minutes is done automatically and professionally.
Video Automation
We wanted our Executives to have the ability to maximize the exposure of their listings with little cost and effort. Our free video automation program allows agents to creating a listing video, using up to 30 photos. It is published on YouTube, appears on the listing on Realty Executives websites, and can be shared anywhere. It’s an easy way to have a property appear towards the top of Google search results when searching by an address.
All of these tools can be found through our PrimeAgent website or with the help of our responsive concierge team.
Article Source: Realty Executives International
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
The real estate world is full of misconceptions about the home selling process. After all, selling a home can be complicated with lots of details that are easy to get wrong.
In this post, we’ll look at five common home seller misconceptions and we’ll set the record straight on each!
1. Pricing high will leave room for negotiation.
Overpricing your house is always a bad idea.
Buyer’s agents know the market, and they can spot an overpriced listing from a mile away. When buyer’s agents see an overpriced listing, they assume the seller is either 1) unreasonable, or 2) not serious about selling. Either way, agents don’t want to waste their time, or their buyers’ time, touring the house and making an offer they think will be rejected.
So an overpriced house will sit on the market until the price is reduced. And by that time, the excitement over the new listing has worn off. Even worse, buyers might see the reduction and think the price had to be reduced because of a problem with the house.
Always price your house fairly and let the market do its job.
2. The real estate agent that recommends the highest list price is the best agent.
Savvy sellers interview multiple real estate agents before choosing which agent will list their house. And the savviest sellers select the agent they feel can actually get the house sold; not just the agent that recommends the highest list price.
Unscrupulous agents may exaggerate the list price in the hopes of winning your listing. But as we just discussed, overpricing is never a good idea.
Instead of hiring a real estate agent that promises you the moon, hire an agent with the integrity to be honest with you.
3. You should get an offer from the open house.
Here’s an open industry secret: open houses aren’t as effective as most people think.
Agents hold open houses because sellers expect them to. And because it’s an opportunity for the agent to meet more people and pass out business cards.
But open houses mostly bring out curious neighbors and bored lookers. Serious buyers make appointments to see houses.
So don’t be discouraged if the open house doesn’t produce an offer. Your agent is actively marketing the house in other ways so serious buyers can schedule a time to tour it.
4. Buyers will look past the clutter.
Buyers should be looking for good bones, right? Why would they be concerned about your furniture, your knick-knacks, or your paint colors?
While that’s a logical point of view, buyers use just as much emotion as logic in their home buying decision. They are more drawn to homes that feel good.
Clutter and too much furniture can make the house feel small and cramped. And unexpected paint colors distract from the good bones.
Make the buyer’s decision easier by decluttering, deep cleaning, and painting if necessary so the house feels fresh and inviting.
5. You can save money by cutting out the real estate agent.
It may be tempting to cut out the real estate agent to avoid paying the commission, but study after study has shown this to be a big mistake.
First, if your buyers have an agent, you’ll still need to pay the real estate agent fees for that agent (and why wouldn’t they want an agent when it costs them nothing?). So you only stand to save 2-3 percent by cutting out the listing agent and what will skipping out on the listing agent cost you?
Sure, you can list the house for sale online yourself. But that’s only reaching a small percentage of serious buyers. Real estate agents list your home in multiple locations, actively promote your house via industry channels, and market your house to buyer’s agents, who get excited to show their clients the listing.
And how much is your time worth? Do you want to spend countless hours marketing your home, arranging showings, reading up on real estate law, navigating the mountain of paperwork, and dealing with the escrow officers and title reps?
But more than any of that, studies have proven that homes listed by professional real estate agents sell for more money that those listed by owner. You might save on the agent’s commission, but you’ll lose when your house sells for less.
Don’t give in to these common home seller misconceptions. Hire a real estate agent to guide you smoothly through the home selling process.
Article Source: Realty Executives International, Written by: Michelle Clardie
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
So you've decided to put your home on the market. Congratulations! Hopefully, you've brought a rockin' REALTOR® on board to help you list your spot, and together you've done your due diligence on what to ask for. As you start checking things off your to-do list, it's also important to pay mind of what not to do. Below are a handful of things to get you started.
Don't over-improve.
As you ready your home for sale, you may realize you will get a great return on your investment if you make a couple of changes. Updating the appliances or replacing that cracked cabinet in the bathroom are all great ideas. However, it's important not to over-improve, or make improvements that are hyper-specific to your tastes. For example, not everyone wants a pimped out finished basement equipped with a wet bar and lifted stage for their rock and roll buds to jam out on. (Okay, everyone should want that.) What if your buyers are family oriented and want a basement space for their kids to play in? That rock-and-roll room may look to them like a huge project to un-do. Make any needed fixes to your space, but don't go above and beyond—you may lose money doing so.
Don't over-decorate.
Over-decorating is just as bad as over-improving. You may love the look of lace and lavender, but your potential buyer may enter your home and cringe. When prepping for sale, neutralize your decorating scheme so it's more universally palatable.
Don't hang around.
Your agent calls to let you know they will be bringing buyers by this afternoon. Great! You rally your whole family, Fluffy the dog included, to be waiting at the door with fresh baked cookies and big smiles. Right? Wrong. Buyers want to imagine themselves in your space, not be confronted by you in your space. Trust, it's awkward for them to go about judging your home while you stand in the corner smiling like a maniac. Get out of the house, take the kids with you, and if you can't leave for whatever reason, at least go sit in the backyard. (On the other hand, if you're buying a home and not selling, then making it personal is the way to go, especially when writing your offer letter. Pull those heart strings!)
Don't take things personally.
Real estate is a business, but buying and selling homes is very, very emotional. However, when selling your homes, try your very best not to take things personally. When a buyer lowballs you or says they will need to replace your prized 1970s vintage shag carpet with something “more modern,” try not to raise your hackles.
Article Source: RISMedia
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Tax season is upon us once again, and to make it even more interesting this year, the tax code has changed — along with the rules about tax deductions for homeowners. The biggest change? Many homeowners who used to write off their property taxes and the interest they pay their mortgage will no longer be able to.
Stay calm. This doesn’t automatically mean your taxes are going up. Here’s a roundup of the rules that will affect homeowners — and how big of a change to expect.
Standard Deduction: Big Change
The standard deduction, that amount everyone gets, whether they have actual deductions or not, nearly doubled under the new law. It’s now $24,000 for married, joint-filing couples (up from $13,000). It’s $18,000 for heads of household (up from $9,550). And $12,000 for singles (up from $6,500).
Many more people will now get a better deal taking the standard than they would with their itemizable write-offs.
For perspective, the number of homeowners who will be able to deduct their mortgage interest under the new rules will fall from around 32 million to about 14 million, the federal government says. That’s about a 56% drop.
“This doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll pay more taxes,” says Evan Liddiard, a CPA and director of federal tax policy for the National Association of REALTORS® in Washington, D.C. “It just means that they’ll no longer get a tax incentive for buying or owning a home.”
So will you be able to itemize, or will you be in standard deduction land? This calculatorcan give you an estimate.
If the answer is standard deduction, you’ll be pleased to know that tax forms are easier when you don’t itemize, says Liddiard. Find instructions for IRS Form 1040 here.
Personal Exemption Repealed
One caveat to the increase in the standard deduction for homeowners and non-homeowners is that the personal exemption was repealed. No longer can you exempt from your income $4,150 for each member of your household. And that might temper the benefit of a higher standard deduction, depending on your particular situation.
For example, a single person might still come out ahead. Her $5,500 increase in the standard deduction is more than the $4,150 lost by the personal exemption repeal.
But consider a family of four with two kids over 16 in the 22% tax bracket. They no longer have personal exemptions totaling $16,600. Although the increase in the standard deduction is worth $2,420 (11,000 x 22%), the loss of the exemptions would cost them an extra $3,652 (16,600 x 22%). So they lose $1,232 (3,652 – 2,420).
But say their two kids are under 16, giving them a child credit worth $2,000. That offsets the loss resulting in a $758 tax cut.
The takeaway: Your household composition will probably affect your tax status.
Mortgage Interest Deduction: Incremental Change
The new law caps the mortgage interest you can write off at loan amounts of no more than $750,000. However, if your loan was in place by Dec. 14, 2017, the loan is grandfathered, and the old $1 million maximum amount still applies. Since most people don’t have a mortgage larger than $750,000, they won’t be affected by the cap.
But if you live in a pricey place (like San Francisco, where the median housing price is well over a million bucks), or you just have a seriously expensive house, the new federal tax laws mean you’re not going to be able to write off interest paid on debt over the $750,000 cap.
State & Local Tax Deduction: Degree of Change Varies By Location
The state and local taxes you pay — like income, sales, and property taxes — are still itemizable write-offs. That’s called the SALT deduction in CPA lingo. But. The tax changes for 2019 (that’s tax year 2018) mean you can’t deduct more than $10,000 for all your state and local taxes combined, whether you’re single or married. (It’s $5,000 per person if you’re married but filing separately.)
The SALT cap is bad news for people in areas with high taxes. The majority of homeowners in around 20 states have been writing off more than $10,000 in SALT each year, so they’ll lose some of this deduction. “This is going to hurt people in high-tax areas like New York and California,” says Lisa Greene-Lewis, CPA and expert for TurboTax in California. New Yorkers, for example, were taking SALT deductions around $22,000 a household.
Rental Property Deduction: No Change
The news is happier if you’re a landlord. There continue to be no limits on the amount of mortgage debt interest or state and local taxes you can write off on rental property. And you can keep writing off operating expenses like depreciation, insurance, lawn care, and utilities on Schedule E.
Home Equity Loans: Big Change
You can continue to write off the interest on a home equity or second mortgage loan (if you itemize), but only if you used the proceeds to substantially better your home and only if the total, combined with your first mortgage, doesn’t go over the $750,000 cap ($1 million for loans in existence on Dec. 15, 2017). If you used the equity loan to pay medical expenses, take a cruise, or anything other than home improvements, that interest is no longer tax deductible.
Here’s a big FYI: The new rules don’t grandfather in old home equity loans if the proceeds were used for something other than substantial home improvement. If you took one out five years ago to, say, pay your child’s college tuition, you have to stop writing off that interest.
4 Tips For Navigating the New Tax Laws
1. Single people may get more tax benefits from buying a house, Liddiard says. “They can often reach [and potentially exceed] the standard deduction more quickly.” You can check how much you’re likely to owe or get back under the new law on this tax calculator.
2. Student loan debt is deductible, up to $2,500 if you’re repaying, whether you itemize or not.
3. Charitable deductions and some medical expenses remain itemizable. If you’re generous or have had a big year for medical bills, these, added to your mortgage interest, may be enough to bump you over the standard deduction hump and into the write-off zone.
4. If your mortgage is over the $750,000 cap, pay it down faster so you don’t eat the interest. You can add a little to the principal each month, or make a 13th payment each year.
Article Source: House Logic
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Realty Executives agents are real estate experts. They have the education and expertise you need to navigate through the process of buying or selling a home. From listing at the right price to making the best offer, our Executives have witnessed the best - and most regrettable - decisions homeowners and homebuyers can make. Every day, they are immersed in every aspect of real estate that includes comparable home price analysis, property surveys, credit reports, open houses, HOA agreements, lenders, title companies, homeowners’ insurance, walk-throughs, terms of sale or purchase, repairs, concessions and closing documents. Let our accomplished Executives help navigate you through the process of buying or selling a home.
