Sherry Lee Cox, REALTOR(R)/ Broker/ Certified Foreclosure Specialist/ePRO

1. Dirt

Nothing turns off a prospective buyer quicker than a dirty house. You must get your home in the absolute best condition it has ever been in. Scrub and then scrub some more.

Old carpets should be replaced with new. If the carpets are relatively new, then at least have them commercially shampooed.

Your home must be clean and free of all debris, including outdoors.

2. Odors

Make sure your home smells fresh. Remove all evidence of pets, including pet beds, cat litter boxes, water and food bowls. Make sure pets aren't home during showings if you can. Just seeing pet bowls can sometimes make a potential home buyer imagine they are smelling pet odors. Remember, not everyone owns pets or allows them into their home.

Kitchen odors can also be really bad. It is best not to cook fried food or fish in the house while it is on the market. Also, keep the kitchen and bath trash cans empty and clean.

If you smoke, repaint walls, remove all ashtrays and clean all drapes/curtains and upholstery. Smoke outdoors while your home is on the market. Nonsmokers are "very" sensitive to smoke odors.

3. Wallpaper

Wallpaper used to be very popular in homes -- I had it in almost every room 10 years ago - but it has fallen out of favor. Remember how long it took you to look through those wallpaper books and choose a pattern? What are the odds that a buyer is going to like what you chose? Next to none! Plus, removing wallpaper is quite a chore and just adds one more item to the buyer's to-do list. Long to-do lists usually equal no sale...

4. Poor Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is going to be the first thing a prospective buyer sees. I have taken buyers out to see a home where they took one look and said they didn't even want to go in. Your home could be gorgeous and clean inside, exactly what the buyer is looking for, but if it doesn't have good curb appeal, sometimes you just can't get by that.

Make sure your lawn is trimmed and mowed at least once weekly in the spring and summer. Mulch the flower beds and trim the trees and bushes.

Power wash the exterior of all wasps and bird's nests. Careful about the wasps, though. There is a right way and a wrong way to deal with them. If the home hasn't been repainted in a long time, consider putting on a fresh coat.

5. Clutter

Remove all clutter inside and outside.

As a rule, there should be no more than three countertop appliances in the kitchen. Bookshelves should be divided into thirds: one-third books, one-third vases and pictures, and one-third empty.

As for closets, they should be half-full with nothing on the floor. This makes the closets look spacious and inviting.

6. Too Many Personal Items

Sellers should try to eliminate most personal items, including family photos and personal effects. Buyers get distracted by these and tend to get caught up in whether they went to school with you, what your children look like, etc. You want the prospective buyers concentrating on all of the positive attributes of your home and envisioning themselves living in it.

7. Old Fixtures

New cabinet hardware and doorknobs probably won't cost more than $400 or $500, but they make huge difference. The same goes for replacing dated ceiling fans, kitchen appliances and light fixtures.

Not replacing these items before going on the market may cost you a lot more in the long run with you not receiving the highest price possible in the sale of your home.

8. Those Popcorn Acoustic Ceilings

This is a major turnoff to buyers. If you can't stand the idea of paying the cost and suffering the mess to have them removed, be prepared to credit the buyer for the inconvenience. My best advice is to get rid of them yourselves as they are a major turnoff to buyers and really date your home.

9. Snoopy Sellers

It is best to vacate the premises for showings. Realtors(R) and buyers in general get very irritated when a seller remains in the home for a showing. Potential buyers are not able to converse openly with their Realtor(R) about positives and negatives of the home for fear of insulting the seller, and the Realtor(R) is also not able to do their job when the seller is present. Be sure to give them their space so they can candidly discuss whether your home best suits their needs and price range.

10. Misrepresenting Your Home

Misrepresenting your home online or on the MLS is a major turnoff to buyers as they will feel that you wasted their time having to drive out there only to find out there is a steel cemetary in view, or a supermarket or train tracks.

Now, the Realtor(R) should be familiar with any areas where they are showing homes to their buyers, but that isn't true 100% of the time. It is best to just be upfront and disclose any major issues with your home, property lines, etc. when the property is listed for sale. It saves you, the buyers and Realtors(R) from the frustration and inconvenience of making the appointment, showing the home and you having to vacate your home while they are there.

Remember, all known defects, noises, critters and anything that impacts the desirability of your home is going to have to be disclosed before close of escrow anyway. Better to just it upfront.

If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County, visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.

It starts with a dream...

What goes best with wineries, tasting rooms and gourmet meals? Why art, of course!

Paso City Park Fountain

Studios on the Park, a nonprofit open studio art center in the heart of Historic Downtown Paso Robles, opened with much fanfare in May of this year. The goal of Studios on the Park is to educate all ages about art and artists. Here you can witness in person the artists' work in progress, enroll in a class, view beautiful artwork for sale or volunteer your time to help make the studio a success.

Lynn Kishiyama in Studio

Mediums of the current artists include acrylics, watercolors, jewelry, photography, oil paintings, collage and sculpture. Many of the artists also teach workshops and classes at Studios on the Park and other locations.

Artists include Lynn Kishiyama, Frank Armitage, Nancy Becker, Anne Laddon, Harold Spencer, Sally Tippman, Michael Miller, Pat Cairns, Judy Lyon, Heidi Franscioni, Carol Timson Ball, Hendry A.J. Ramos, Matt Canaday, John Barnard, Laure Carlisle, Tom Peck, Eric Peterson, Elizabeth Tolley, Peggy Vrana, Penny Lentz, Jeanette Wolff and Lisa Stromsoe.

In June, Studios on the Park and the Paso Robles Art Association held the first annual Paso Robles Festival of the Arts, which not only showcased the new studio but also 63 additional artist exhibits in the Downtown City Park. Titled “Follow the River, Paint the Dream,” the festival tied in city plans to add shopping and recreation along the Salinas River. The pieces in the show were all tied to the river.

Sculpture in the Studio

There was a Plein Air Quick Draw and Auction, followed by a fine art exhibition, art demonstrations, a public mural project, hands-on children’s art classrooms, live music performances and an afternoon concert. Food and drink were available from the vendors, the restaurants adjacent to the park, and a good time was had by all.

Be sure to visit the studio next time you are in Paso. They are located at 1130 Pine Street (between 11th & 12th), Paso Robles, Ca 93446. Currently, the showroom hours are Thursday 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Friday and Saturday 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Hours do change on occasion, so please call them at (805) 238-9800 to confirm their current schedule before your visit.

If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County,

Sculpture in the Park

visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.

It starts with a dream...

Recently, federal officials reversed a decision to allow first-time home buyers to use the $8,000 tax credit to borrow and use as a down payment on their first home.

US Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan had told the National Association of Home Builders that HUD would let banks and local governments offer short-term "bridge Loans" to provide down payments for first-time home buyers who are eligible for the tax credit. This would have only been available to those borrowers who applied for federally insured mortgages such as Federal Housing Administration loans.

Real estate agents, home builders and lenders were very excited about the proposal thinking it would be very favorable to first-time home buyers; however, not everyone thought using the tax credit as collateral on the down payment was a grand idea.

"That tax credit should be savings; not debt," said Patricia Garcia-Duarte, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services in Phoenix.

Garcia-Duarte said the proposal too closely resembled a now illegal practice known as seller-funded down-payment assistance, which allowed a home's seller to "gift" the down payment to a specific buyer through a non-profit organization.

Also, according to IRS officials who shot down the HUD plan, these loans could also create income-tax issues.

So, for now, there is still a tax credit of $8,000 for first-time home buyers and an additional $10,000 tax credit if they purchase a new home that has never been lived in.

If you are a first-time home buyer and wish to take advantage of these tax credits, be sure to consult with your tax adviser or tax attorney to ascertain how the tax credit will benefit you before entering into a contract to purchase your first home.

If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County, visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.

It starts with a dream...

Ginny Mees, a member of the Harper-Mees Team at the Danville, California Keller Williams Realty recently founded the website www.WomanHomeOwner.com to put together local female professionals needed to help present and future women homeowners with their unique issues. These individual support networks include REALTORS(R), mortgage professionals, CPA's, financial planners, attorneys and insurance agents. Woman Homeowner is rapidly spreading across the nation and Canada with chapters searchable by zip code on the website.

A study by the Harvard Business School in 2004 found that one of every five home buyers in the country was a single woman. 22% of home buyers out there are single women compared to 9% single men. Women like security, and therefore, are nesters by nature.

Central Coast Woman Homeowner, the local Woman Homeowner Chapter for San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Templeton and Atascadero secured by Sherry Lee Cox & Wendy Henzler, REALTORS(R) affiliated with Keller Williams Realty North County, has already identified several professional women for our chapter and is in the process of interviewing four more to contribute to our network.

The present members are:

Sherry Lee Cox & Wendy Henzler, REALTORS(R), Keller Williams Realty North County (805) 235-0234/(805) 286-1536

Nicolette Harley & Gretchen Tenanty, Mortgage Professionals, MetroCities Mortgage (805) 471-1362/(805) 233-2559

Linda Shotwell, Landscape Designer, Landsystems & Associates (805) 543-2473

Jennifer Langstaff, Financial Adviser, LPL Central Coast (805) 226-0445

Once our core group is complete, we will be holding monthly or bi-monthly seminars to help address women's concerns with regard to home ownership, home purchasing, legal issues and many other topics. In addition to the wealth of information available from our core group of professional women, each member has an extensive list of other professionals and service providers in the area for your convenience.

Feel free to contact any of our members listed above for professional services, service providers and recommendations of topics that you would most like to discuss at our future seminars.

If you would like to search the MLS for listings in San Luis Obispo County, visit my website. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo County, please contact me via email or call me at (805) 235-0234 for more information.

It starts with a dream...

There are many reasons why a renter should seriously consider becoming a first-time home buyer in 2009.

1. Home prices are the lowest they have been in many, many years.
2. Interest rates are at an all-time low; around 5%. Home mortgage interest rates peaked at 18.45% in October of 1982.
3. First-time home buyers who purchase a home between January 1 and November 30, 2009 will receive a tax credit of up to 10% of the purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000 as a result of the Stimulus Bill. This means, if you have paid income taxes this year of $8,000 or more, you will receive a refund of $8,000 from the IRS in 2010. (Consult with your tax professional)
4. Additionally, should you purchase a brand new home that has never been lived in, you may be eligible for an additional $10,000 tax credit.

As an example, let's consider a mortgage amount of $300,000. The principal, interest, taxes and insurance per month are going to be approximately $2,000.00. Assuming you close escrow in June of 2009, the interest you pay on your mortgage for the next 6 months is going to amount to approximately $7,500.

That $7,500 will be a tax deduction on your 2009 income taxes, which reduces your tax liability. Also, the 6 months of property taxes paid, approximately $1,875, will be another tax deduction. Add to that the one-time tax credit of $8,000, which makes 2009 the optimal time to become a home owner.

It's time for you and your family to realize The American Dream of home ownership and enjoy all of the tax benefits associated with it...

The FHA program only requires a 3.5% down payment, and there are still a couple of loan programs available that require smaller down payments for low-income families.

The first step for you is to be prequalified by a mortgage professional. The next step is to find a Realtor(R) you feel comfortable with to help you identify the homes in your area that fit your budget.

Find your next home in San Luis Obispo North County at the click of a mouse at Sherry's Website. If I can be of any help to you in your search for a home or a recommendation of a mortgage professional, you can either email me or call me at (805) 235-0234.