The Home Security Vacation Reminder Checklist
The Home Security Vacation Reminder Checklist Some of this will be obvious, but maybe you can use the reminder. Some items on this list may not be applicable for short trips, but any vacation longer than 3 days qualifies. So, here we go! 13 Household Security measures to take before you lock the door and drive away DAYS OR WEEKS IN ADVANCE days or weeks In Advance Arrange for these things a few days or weeks before you leave: 1. Have a trusted friend drop by every few days to take newspapers and flyers away from the door, and to pick up your mail. Nothing screams "vacant" more than these things building up on your doorstep. If you don't have anyone to remove papers and mail, place a temporary hold on them so they're not delivered. 2. If you're expecting packages, arrange for a neighbor to collect them, or have the packages dropped at someone else's house. If you have Ring or similar, you will know when a package is delivered, and you can call the neighbor. 3. If you're leaving pets behind, including fish, reptiles, and mammals, provide for their care well in advance. Many vacations are thrown into chaos because no one planned for the pets until the last minute, and the pet sitter isn't available. 4. Lock away or remove valuables from the home while you're away. Even a long weekend away. As a trusted friend to hold onto them or put them into a safe. 5. Arrange for lawn care in summer or snow removal in winter. 6. Buy a light timer, so that you can make it look like you're home. If you have smart bulbs, you can turn lights on and off from your phone. 7. If you have a monitored security system, let them know you'll be gone. If you don't, consider getting one, or at least getting a Ring or similar property monitoring system. The Day of… Before you drive away, do these things: 1. Remove the spare key from anyplace you've secreted it outside. (Give it personally to anyone who's allowed to go in and out of the house.) Thieves are excellent at finding hidden keys. 2. Before you walk out of the house, go around and make sure all doors and windows are locked. Sometimes we forget the random window at the back of the house. 3. Unplug kitchen appliances, TVs, and computers, not just turn them off. You'll save on electricity, plus avoid potential power surges that could damage equipment. 4. Set the thermostat at a reasonable temperature for an empty house. Not so cold in winter that could freeze pipes. If you're leaving animals, not too hot or cold for them, including fish. 5. If you don’t have a living room full of priceless antiques, consider keeping curtains open in the main living area of the home. It'll look less like you're away. If someone else is looking after your home, ask if they'll open and close the drapes in the morning and evening. 6. Keep a lamp or two on a timer, and if possible, your exterior lights. If you don't have exteriors on a timer, leave them on. If you have smart bulbs or a smart electrical system, you can use your phone to turn lights on and off. As always, if you’re planning a move, let us know how our team can help with the real estate side of things.
How to Compete Against Multiple Offers...AND WIN
How to Compete Against Multiple Offers and Win Getting your offer accepted in a multiple offer situation is a matter of smart negotiation combined with fortunate circumstances! Fortunate circumstances refers to factors that work in your favor, but you don’t have direct control over. For example, if the seller wants as much money as possible and that’s all that matters to him, and if you are able and willing to offer his price, then you win. Conversely, if you can’t offer his price, then no matter how much you want the house, another buyer who can offer his price will win. But, you may not know the seller’s position until you start negotiating, so the first step in winning at competing offers is knowing how to negotiate. These days, buyers and sellers seldom negotiate directly with one another in real estate. Instead, they rely on agents to stand in for them, like champions doing battle for them. The agents are go-betweens. They discuss terms with their own clients, then negotiate those terms with the other agent. A good agent will “spin” the terms to have certain effects on the other party. 8 Negotiation Tactics Used in Real Estate Basically, negotiation means arguing back and forth until you either find a meeting point, or one of you walks away. Agents instinctively know this is happening, but some are better at the game than others. To make sure your agent is negotiating as hard as they can on your behalf, it’s useful to understand a few of the more common negotiation tactics. If you are not involved personally in the negotiation, then at least understanding these points can help you discuss strategy with your agent. 1. Prioritize Ideal Outcomes For each important issue—price, closing date, down payment, repairs, terms, and possession—the seller has an ideal outcome. A buyer’s agent needs to identify the hierarchy of the seller’s ideal outcomes. For example, if possession date is at the top of the seller’s list, a buyer has a chance of improving their position by offering a longer possession date, even if offering the same price as other offers. In most cases, there is a combination of ideal outcomes in play. If price is the most important outcome, but the seller also does not want to do any repairs, then adding a clause that says the buyer won’t ask for repairs may put that buyer’s offer over the top. Common ground is the place where your interests overlap. The more your agent can find the seller’s ideal outcomes, the better you can evaluate if you are comfortable meeting those ideals. You’d hate to lose a deal because you didn’t know the seller wanted something that you were perfectly happy to offer. Unfortunately, the seller’s agent will sometimes stay mum and not offer the information that you need. If the seller or seller’s agent will not share the ideal outcomes, then your agent can’t give you the information—they just don’t have it. Working with an agent who is experienced in negotiation increases your odds of getting the right information to help you find common ground. 2. Don’t Shoot From the Hip In a competitive market, prices can quickly climb beyond what makes sense for the marketplace. The sense of panic grips buyers and they feel a sense of urgency. There is nothing wrong with urgency, as long as they can afford it and are not simply panic buying. If you already know that competing offers are common in your marketplace (ask your agent), then you might want to consider identifying properties that are listed UNDER your top price. For instance, if you are qualified to buy up to $357,000, you might want to cap your search at $350,000 or less, leaving room to bid up by another $7,000. 3. Use Emotions Wisely When making a real estate offer, emotions can either help or hurt your chances of getting your offer accepted. If you are emotionally invested in a property—if you “love” it—you should let the seller know how much you love it. After all, they loved the home, too. They want it to go to someone else who loves it and will fit into “their” neighborhood. The best way to show them your love is to write a short letter to the sellers telling them about your family and why you want the home. If the property is an investment property, then how much you love the house may not make any difference. You can still write a letter. Spin that letter to show the investor how you value the home as an investment in your family and future. It might not make any difference, but on the other hand, it won’t have any negative effect—so you might as well write the letter. Emotions between agents are a factor, too. When confronted with an unhappy or aggressive agent (whether that’s their personality, or a strategy), a more passive agent may start to cave in or encourage their clients to change their offer. When your agent understands that emotions can be used strategically, they can use emotions to their advantage, and they can avoid being manipulated by emotions. 4. Watch Out for Fake "Auctions” Fake auctions are a form of pre-conditioning…getting people to think a certain way before they make an offer. A seller might say to his agent, “Tell everyone that I’m not budging on price.” The seller is trying to condition the buyer to offer more before even making an offer. The most common form of pre-conditioning is the fake auction.That’s when the listing agent tells potential buyers that they have already received offers, or that they have an offer “coming in.” Whether or not there really is another interested buyer, this is a setup to hurry you into a decision or to get you to improve your offer. It’s your agent’s responsibility to get as much information as possible about the situation. But that doesn’t mean they will be able to get any information. The truth is that a seller’s agent is not obligated to tell if they do or don’t have offers. They are not obligated to tell you how much those offers are for. They have no obligation to you or your agent whatsoever, other than to not lie. We assume that means they are telling the truth when they say they have offers. We also assume it’s the truth when they say they might have an offer coming in. After all, “might” is just a possibility—and there’s always a possibility of an offer coming in. A good agent will listen between the lines and try to understand as much about what’s not being said as what’s being said. 5. Watch the Monkey on Your Back Some negotiators have the irritating habit of handing their problems to you so that they become your problems. This is the "monkey on their back" that they want you to carry around for them. For example, the seller might say, "I have to get $480,000 or I can’t move. I’ll have to stay here. The person who offers me that amount is the winner." This is used tactically to force a buyer to raise his offer price. Whether or not the seller can or can’t move is not your problem. He’s trying to make it your problem. Here is what you or your agent can do: Sound concerned and say, “I can see how that could be a problem. Does that mean the seller would rather not see our offer if it’s below that?” The "monkey" has been returned and they have to make a choice. If the objection is genuine and they really can’t sell for less than $480,000, the buyer will either have to find another property or raise their offer. 6. Watch for Nibbling When an agreement between buyer and seller seems likely, a seller might suddenly say, “Oh, I didn’t intend to include the hot tub.” Or “I don’t think we should do the termite treatment.” The buyer is so eager to get the house that they will agree to these little “nibbles.” In fact, the buyer may have to agree to the nibble in order to win the house in a competing offer situation. It’s important for your agent to recognize the nibble and be prepared to let you know it’s just that. Rather than feeling upset about the added requirement, you can see it for what it is—a final play. Accept the final play, and you have the deal. Don’t accept the final play, and you may still have the deal. If you don’t want to accept the nibble, then ask your agent to firmly state that the nibble wasn’t part of the seller’s listing, and that it would be best to just go with the offer as written. That will tell you how important the nibble is to the seller. The critical thing is to not get angry or defensive now. Just deal with the nibble—either accept it, negotiate it away, or walk away from the deal. 7. Watch for Good Cop/Bad Cop As a real estate agent, you have to be very aware of this one. Agents often use their clients the good cop or bad cop. For instance, if the buyer makes a fair offer, the listing agent can say, “Wow, my seller was pretty mad about this. Let’s see if we can bring his energy down. Why don’t you bring me your best offer and I’ll see what I can do.” The best way for your agent to counter this is to put the monkey back on the other agent’s back. “I’m sure he was upset. I suspect the seller wants to continue the negotiation, though, right? Now, I have a serious buyer who wants to pay a fair price for a house. Why don’t you see what the seller is willing to counter them at before we tear up the offer.” 8. Avoid the Vice A common technique used by savvy negotiators when presented with an offer is to say, "You'll have to do better than that to get your offer accepted." The most powerful way of dealing with that kind of comment is for your agent to ask them to be more specific. “Oh, could you be more specific about what you mean?” This will give your agent more information to determine if the comment is true or a play to get a higher offer for the seller. After all, the comment isn’t a lie. It’s not saying there is an offer. If there really is an offer, then the seller is obligated to show that offer to the buyer who makes an offer. Your agent can write that demand into the agreement. Of course, your agent probably wouldn’t want to put it in writing, because it might seem aggressive to the sellers. Instead, your agent will most likely handle it by talking with the seller’s agent before you make your offer. Conclusion None of these strategies is an “ace in the hole.” You and your agent can increase your odds of getting your offer accepted by understanding negotiation strategy. But in the end, the only thing that may matter is meeting as many of the seller’s ideals as possible. If they need a high price, AND they need to stay in the home for a month after selling, AND they need to keep the hot tub, then giving them all that increases the chances of you getting your offer accepted. In this case, your agent simply needs to gather as much information as possible by asking the right questions. If the seller’s agent is reluctant to talk, then you may only have the option of guessing. Want a great negotiator on your side? Call or email today for an appointment to get started on your next move!
DIY or Don't?
COULD YOU DO THESE HOME IMPROVEMENTS YOURSELF? SHOULD YOU? Being able to DIY is one of the best parts about owning a home. But it pays to know your limits. When can you do it yourself vs. when do you need an experienced helper vs. when should you hire someone else? Here are the most common kinds of DIY where you should realistically evaluate your skills before picking up a tool. Some of these are illegal for homeowners to do without a license. But most, when done by an unskilled person, can just end up looking sloppy or not working. We've divided these projects into three categories: projects that you should never do yourself, projects that you could do with an experienced helper, and projects that you could try but you might regret it later. And of course, there's a bunch of DIY projects that you can do yourself with varying degrees of confidence, like painting and replacing hardware, stripping old wallpaper, putting up shelves, etc. Let's start with the projects that you probably shouldn't do yourself, ever. DIY YOU SHOULD NEVER DO YOURSELF Don’t replace an electrical panel yourself. Electric panel installation requires a city inspection. You really have to know what you're doing to avoid harming or possibly killing yourself or causing a fire that could destroy your house. This is one project that should never be DIY. Don’t mess with septic systems. Never pump or siphon a septic system yourself. You could send human waste into a yard or local water supply. Spend a few hundred dollars to hire a professional. Otherwise, it’s a human health violation. Don’t cut down huge trees. In some states, it’s illegal to cut down large trees without certification. Contact officials or an arborist to get the job done properly if you want to cut down huge trees on your property. Find out your state’s tree removal regulations here. Don’t convert your electric stove to a gas stove. One mistake could kill you. You need to install a gas line and cut off electrical circuits to convert your stove. DIY YOU CAN DO, BUT ONLY WITH AN EXPERIENCED HELPER Replace a gas water heater with another gas water heater. This is one of those projects that seems easy but can be a problem if you do it wrong. Carbon monoxide poisoning or a small gas leak that could spark into a fire are both very real issues. It's not a project to take on if you have even the slightest question or doubt about what you're doing. In this case, having an assistant who's done this type of gas line work before would be useful. Plumbing. If you're simply replacing the p-trap under your bathroom sink, then it's likely you can manage that on your own. However, if you have the slightest doubt about what you're doing, or if you need to go into the wall, or if your plumbing is old, then you should probably have a helper who knows what they're doing. It might simply make more sense to hire a plumber to do all this work for you because it's no fun twisting your body around and under things to get at the pipes that you're not entirely sure you know what to do with. Minor electrical work, like replacing a light fixture or replacing a regular switch with a dimmer switch. The most important advice about electrical work is to use the correct fittings and of course turn off the power before you start. It's extremely important that if you do anything complex like the panel mentioned earlier that you work with a licensed electrical contractor who can inspect your work. Building your own deck. Like anything where safety is concerned, don't take this on by yourself. A mistake could threaten the integrity of the deck, including pulling away from the house or collapsing. An experienced helper can show you what you need to know about sheer strengths, connectors, and proper bracing. Removing walls. You can’t just take a sledgehammer or an axe to your walls. Some of them are supporting your roof. If you knock down one of these supportive walls, your roof could sag, break, or collapse, doing causing irreparable damage to your home or danger to people. However, if you know someone who has some engineering or construction knowledge who can tell you if it's a supporting wall or not, then you can certainly do the labor yourself. DIY FINESSE PROJECTS YOU PROBABLY SHOULD DO YOURSELF These are the kinds of projects that require special skills or a specialized tool or a special touch. Drywall finishing, tiling, and floor sanding. it's too easy to make mistakes that require a deft touch and a knowledge of how to use specialized tools. Hanging doors. Doors require precision installation, or you'll have crooked doors that don't shut all the way, or dangle open. If you need a hand with any of your “DIY” projects, let us know. We’ll refer some of my service providers to you.
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