7 Home-Buying Traps

With first-time home-buyers facing an unfamiliar road when purchasing there first home, here is a great guide to guiding them through the potholes. A person is inevitably going to have to go through some challenges but you can keep your regrets to a minimum by avoiding the following seven traps.

1. Blindly using your agent's inspector -
Don't always take your agents advise and use there referred home inspector. He or she might be a well qualified inspector but they might have too close of a relationship to give an honest opinion. Make sure that the inspector belongs to the American Society of Home Inspectors, which requires its members to complete at least 250 inspections.

2. Taking advice about what you can afford -
All parties including your agent, broker and lender don't know what you can truly afford. Only you know what you can truly afford to spend on your mortgage. A good rule of thumb is to limit your housing cost including mortgage, property taxes and homeowners insurance to 25% of your gross income. This will allow you enough money left over to cover other goals, like retirement savings.

3. Getting a 'temporary' loan -
In markets where appreciations have escalated out of control, to where first-time home-buyers can't afford a conventional fixed rate loan in most cases even when there credit scores are good. Many times in these cases home buyers are talked into more risky loan types that cause them to have lower payments but cause low appreciation rates along with higher percentages of foreclosures.

4. Opening or closing credit accounts -
By either opening or closing any credit accounts borrowers endanger there overall credit score which is the driving force in both the interest rate charged for the loan and the amount that a bank will finance. It is smart not to do anything with regards to running your credit while in the home buying process.

5. Failing to investigate the neighborhood -
It is smart for a buyer to look at the property and the neighborhood at various times of the day and the week. This will give the buyer a better idea of changes in the traffic during different times of the day and also give the buyer a better sense of how kids affect the neighborhood while off of school on the weekends.

6. Buying when you're not ready -
Buying a home is a great way for the average person to build wealth over the long run, but it's not for everyone in all circumstances. If your finances are uncertain or your job prospects are up in the air, you might want to wait. Renting is also a better option if you're planning to move in a year or two.

7. Not buying when you are ready -
With all the last 6 tips suggesting you do your homework before buying, you shouldn't let fear or uncertainty keep you on the sidelines if you're otherwise ready to buy a home.

Let the Nolting Real Estate team put you on our most prestigious list of clients and give you the monthly items of value that all our top clients receive.

Nolting Real Estate
14272 Manchester Road
Manchester, Mo 63011

NoltingRealEstate.com and/or
(636) 391-9997

5 Remodeling Projects Under $10,000

I recently have been doing some research on cost friendly options for upgrading your home and I found this very good article this morning. Myself like many other young homeowners, come to that point where that first house that you purchased just isn't what it once was and you find yourself yearning for something new. But you find yourself torn whether to buy new or take on a new remodeling project. With money typically having a say, another option might be less expensive minor makeovers to various areas of the house. Here are 5 minor remodeling projects that cost less than $10,000 each.

1. A basic bathroom makeover -
Unlike adding a bathroom, which between plumbing and all the rest runs $30,000 and up , a basic makeover can be done for a third of the cost and offer more bang for the buck.

2. A deck is a simple way to add space -
With the many types of weather resistant decking products available at lower prices today, decks are the next best thing to whole new room additions. These new products are more expensive than traditional redwood decking but the maintenance and up keep is incomparable.

3. A garden fit for a queen -
Landscaping is the cheapest, most underrated way to improve a home's curb appeal. But instead of simply resodding a weed infested yard, consider planting an English garden of flowers, trees and stone. Another idea for yards in arid climates might be desert plants, which can reduce water consumption by 60%.

4. New windows will brighten your outlook -
It's amazing what new windows can do for your perspective and for your home's curb appeal. In recent years vinyl windows have improved in quality while dropping in price. You can replace windows in stages, instead of doing it all at once. By replacing them 10 at a time, you can save that one big hit to the pocket book but complete the job in a days time.

5. Sprucing up your kitchen -
Often when remodeling a kitchen you can spend as much as you dream of. But when you have a budget you have to be very careful on product quality. A kitchen remodel for under $10,000 is possible if you head to the closest IKEA superstore, where a set of 18 replacement cabinets will run you about $4,000 and up. If you add $3,000 for installation and about $1,500 for new Formica countertops, you have that like-new kitchen. Another cost efficient option might be cabinet refacing.

These are some great cost effective ways to update that house while on a budget.

Let the Nolting Real Estate team add you to there most prestigious list of clients and give you the monthly items of value that all our top clients receive. All you have to do is call or email us with your name and address. Would would love to help you with any Real Estate transaction and would give you the personal service you deserve.

Nolting Real Estate
14272 Manchester Road
Manchester, Mo 63011

NoltingRealEstate.com and/or
(636) 391-9997

How to Attract Wildlife

Wow as a look out the window at the office today I think about how thankful I am that the spring is here. One of the best things that spring brings besides the warmer weather is the sweet sounds of all those different types of birds. But birds are like all other types of wildlife; they only come after the right type of conditions arise. Which means that anyone that enjoys these kind of animals needs to put for the effort to provide the right conditions. Here are some helpful tips on how to attract wildlife to your garden and linger year round.

- Diversity - The more diverse your garden is, the more wildlife you are likely to attract.

- Don't be to tidy - Humans appreciate neat gardens, but animals thrive in messier places.

- Provide cover - Most animals need a protected area like shade trees.

- Garden organically - Chemicals throw off nature's balance and can kill helpful as well as harmful creatures. Many organic practices attract wildlife.

- Go native - Most native plants help feed or host local wildlife.


As for Attracting Birds

- Don't feed breadcrumbs - They are low in fat and actually aren't good for birds.

- Start feeding in the fall - Most over-wintering birds establish their food supply in the fall. So keep the feeders filled, even while on vacation.

- Experiment with birdseed - Try all types of seed to see what birds you attract.

- Make water available - A birdbath is a great way to attract birds, but by adding something special like rocks, you are sure to have a bird haven.

- Put up birdhouses - Buy a birdhouse specifically designed for the birds you want to attract.

Let the Nolting Real Estate Team show you ways to build a wildlife friendly sanctuary. Also let the Nolting Real Estate team put you on our most prestigious list of clients and give you the monthly items of value that all our top clients receive.

Nolting Real Estate
14272 Manchester Road
Manchester, Mo 63011

NoltingRealEstate.com and/or
(636) 391-9997