My sister in law who lives in New Hampshire wrote earlier that they have snow.  Snow.  Already?  Of course, places in Colorado had snow earlier this week as well.  I’m ready for it to no longer be 100 degrees outside, but pretty sure I could do without freezing temperatures for at least another month or two!

Like it or not, though, the cooler weather is coming and you need to get your home ready for it.  Life Inc. offers some tips on getting your home ready for the days and nights of BRRRRRRRRR….

Cold air can seep in through those little gaps between your door and the door frame, quickly reversing any effort you take to heat your home. Weatherstripping covers the sides and top of the door and a sweep fills the space between the threshold and door bottom. Hardware stores and home centers sell numerous products in metal, foam, rubber and plastic for this purpose and many can be installed in an afternoon.

Just think – fireplaces, furnaces, pipes.  Taking care of all of these (and more) will help keep your house toasty and safe during the winter months.

Photo by Ben Babcock.

Likened to Versailles Palace, a home in Alabama is now available for just $17.9 million.  It features landscaping in the shape of a guitar, as well as fine details within the walls of the 55,000 square foot home.  According to MSNBC.com,

With 15 bedrooms, 22 bathrooms, a 13-car temperature-controlled garage, a  25-seat home theater, a full-sized commercial elevator, and a  2,000-bottle wine cellar, Ausley says the home has gotten a little too big for House.

“Their kids are grown, and they’re just ready to do something different,” she said. “He knows it’s not the best time to sell; he’s just ready.”

If you can afford a $75,000 p/month mortgage payment, this house could be yours!

Decorating + Me = DISASTER

Except for the curtains I picked up for the living room and one chair, I have stepped aside when it comes to making decorating decisions at my house.  I am not talented.  Just not.  However, some projects may work even for simpletons like me!  From Apartment Therapy,

Katie had a vision that many of us might not have been so inspired to see and we’re so glad she’s shared this project with us! With a drill and a hand saw, this old table went from ho hum to holy smokes! It had detail added to the sides and a fresh coat of paint and we’re pretty sure we’ve never been so inspired by a $69 table before.

Click through to see the whole transformation!

Photo by matsutake.

There are now 15.4 million people living in poverty, an increase of 11.5 percent since last year, and up 53 percent since 2000. While poverty is still high in urban areas, it is now spreading into suburban communities as well.  According to first tuesday,

Due to the expectations formed by an image of affluence, suburban areas are not equipped with the infrastructure needed to service the growing number of now poorer residents, especially the ballooning number of requests for food and housing. While many suburban families in poverty have nowhere to turn for assistance, other middle-class suburban residents are only beginning to recognize that poverty has hit home.

A friend who works part time at my office lives in poverty. She is the primary breadwinner for two children (one is a special needs teenager and the other is a teen mom). She is a hard-working, decent, kind-hearted woman who everyone loves.  Another friend at work has informally adopted her family and makes anonymous donations to her.  It’s through efforts like this – when you have spare a spare $20 to donate – that will make a huge difference for so many people suffering in this “Lesser Depression.”

This shall pass.

Photo from Florida Keys Public Library.

Photo by Joelk75.

Oh how we all love getting offers on our listings!  After sometimes months of marketing, open houses, mailings, and advertising, getting a phone call from the buyer’s agent saying, “I have an offer I’d like to send over.” brings joy!

But then you look at the offer and you heart sinks.  You realize that the likelihood of it going to closing is not great.  What are the warning signs that the purchase offer could be headed for trouble?  Ohio agents Liz and Bill Spear tell us,

The buyer’s agent keeps saying “You know it’s a buyer’s market” when sending over an offer WELL below current market value AND asking for everything that’s not nailed down.  Especially true when we’ve established that your neighborhood is heading up quickly.  If the agent doesn’t recognize the market, chances are neither will the buyers.  They’ll all be swearing you’re grossly overpriced….and then see a few weeks later you got your price.

When an agent feels it is necessary to point out that it’s a buyers market, you know the offer is going to be embarrassingly low.  And there are other warning signs you may not make it to closing.  Read the full article to see more!

According to Realtor.com, there has been a 20 percent drop in the number of homes for sale.  With a little more than 2.19 million houses available in the 12 months up to the end of September, it is the lowest number of homes for sale since 2007. From the Tennessee Association of Realtors,

While this might normally be a good sign (indicating that increased sales are finally shrinking the bloated inventory), real estate agents attribute the decrease to owners who do not want to sell at a discount and instead are removing their homes from the market.

Demand is still low, so it is anticipated that prices will remain stalled.

I fear we may need a new roof.  And that is definitely a home repair you do not want to scrimp on.  When we get one, we’ll have recommended professionals here to do it.  Emily Guy Birken of CashMoneyLife agrees that roof repairs are the number one on the list for which to hire professionals.  She offers several other suggestions, including:

Without your foundation, your entire house would crumble. Problems in your foundation can lead to water seepage, mold and possibly even cracks or shifts in the structure of the house. Clearly, taking good care of your foundation is in your best interest. However, you do have the luxury of time when it comes to foundation problems, because unlike roofing issues, it can take years for a minor foundation problem to develop into a major one.

Add plumbing and electrical problems to the list of when not to scrimp on home repairs!

As a Realtor, we receive teasers every now and then that HGTV is looking to film for one of its reality shows. The requests are pretty vague as in “let us know if you’re interested and we’ll get back with you.”  I never submitted my name personally, but always wondered what it would be like.

And now we know thanks to some inside scoop from an interview with a featured agent,

The very first thing Lee was asked to do is send in videos of herself working with prospective homebuyers. “They want to see how camera friendly you are,” says Lee. “They’re looking for someone who has an engaging personality because at the end of the day, it’s all about entertainment.” Lee says approval is multilevel. “Once the network says it’s a go, I choose the buyers based on what they’re asking for and the buyers do a video interview as well,” she says.

Read the rest of Christine’s experience here.

I was reading on another website about how an agent from Ramona, California was stabbed in the back by a mortgage lender.  I would link to the article, but the agent has it “locked” from outside readers.  I can summarize, though, by saying the lender promised buyers a 25 percent commission rebate if they used the real estate agent recommended by the lender.  O.o

In the end, the buyers chose the author but only because she also offered a $500 contribution at the close of escrow (something we could NEVER do in Tennessee because at no time are we to give cash to clients).

It reminded me of the time a lender named Mig threw me under the bus. I had a buyer who was also selling (two sides there, folks) and she informed them they could not afford to sell their house at my commission rate (she didn’t know what that was).  The only way they could afford it was if they used her recommended agent – an agent who happened to be her son-in-law.

I was furious.  But it hearkens back to my recommendation yesterday to get referrals – even for lenders! Nothing burns my behind more than a crooked business person.