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Ginny Reed

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Simple ways to increase home value

11-17-11
Ginny Reed

Usually the first thing a buyer looks at when buying a house is the kitchen. Updating the kitchen to improve your home’s value can be done in just a few simple improvements.

  1. Make sure that the appliances are in good working order and match, upgrading if necessary.
  2. Repaint. A new coat of paint gives the room a fresh feel.
  3. Make sure the walls around the stove, dishwasher, sink and refrigerator are always clean.
  4. Replace cupboard and cabinet hardware with new and updated hardware. This can be found at most hardware strores.

The bathroom is another important area for most buyers.

  1. Replace towel racks with modern racks found at mose hardware stores
  2. Regrouting bathroom tiles can bring a bright new look
  3. Install a new showerhead

Freshening up your yard.

  1. Cut back bushes & shrubs
  2. Plant trees if there are some that need to be replaced. Some can usually be found on sale in home improvement stores.

Organization & Storage

  1. Home improvement stores have a lot of bedroom, closet, pantry, etc storage & organizational solutions.










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Do you need a McMansion or a Happy House?

11-11-11
Ginny Reed

Even though large homes have become more affordable, should you be buying one? Do you really want to live in a home that's 2,500 + square feet? The average size of new homes has been dropping in recent years. In the 1950's the average square footage of a home was 950, while in 2004, it was 2300. That's a huge difference in just a few decades. If you search recently sold homes in your own area, you will find that most of them are smaller square footage homes.

Living in smaller homes have a lot of benefits:

  1. Think about what it costs to heat and cool a larger home compared to a smaller home. Homebuyers often forget about this cost when looking at McMansions (bargain priced larger homes).
  2. Home-improvement projects, ie: repainting the exterior, replacing the roof, etc, cost more because of the size of the home.
  3. Furniture & Decorations. More home equals more house to furnish & decorate.

Because of their size, smaller homes reduce expenses. They have smaller rooms to heat and cool, less square footage to paint and a smaller roof to maintain. Monthly utility bills cost less & you'll spend less on home maintenance. You also save money on property taxes, (since you have less square footage).

  1. Small homes save time. It takes a lot of time to clean a big house and maintain the yard, unless you pay to hire a cleaning crew and a landscaping company to come in every week, which is an additional expense.
  2. Smaller homes make it easier to live simply. When you have a smaller home, you have less space to store belongings.
  3. Smaller homes mean quality splurges. It costs a small fortune to upgrade countertops or replace cabinets and appliances in a large kitchen. There is so much to buy that you may have to make sacrifices in terms of quality. Living in a small house means you can splurge on upgrades because you have less to buy.

When you live in a small house, you can use the extra time to play with your kids, cook & enjoy your hobbies.

Small homes may be easier to sell. As energy costs continue to rise, energy-efficient homes, especially small energy-efficient homes, will be in high demand. The empty mansions sitting on the market seem to indicate that the value of oversized homes are depreciating over time. When you need to move, your small home will be much easier to sell than a mega-house.

There is no doubt that small homes are seeing a comeback as people are realizing how cozy, comfortable & inexpensive they really are. Smaller houses just feel good & living in one makes it easier to be close with your family. In addition, the savings of smaller homes can really add up over the long term. A smaller home can be a Happy House!

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25% of Servicemembers are Homeowners?

11-08-11
Ginny Reed

25% of servicemembers are homeowners, therefore, foreclosure of rented homes can potentially affect most of the military. Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009, ensures that military renters aren't forced out of their homes if foreclosure occurs (and a new landlord takes over).

This legislation gives renters the right to stay in their rental throughout their lease unless the new owner is moving into the home or if the renter is renting under a month-to-month lease. This law also gives renters at least 90 days before they can be evicted. Before the law went into effect, only individual state protection was available (or none at all). There is now consistancy from state to state, whereas before, there was none at all. The law provides protection for all renters, no matter where they live (in the US)

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Discover Fayetteville Real Estate (Ginny Reed-Keller Williams Realty, Fayetteville, NC)

11-06-11
Ginny Reed

You've probably seen that there's a tremendous variety of real estate available in Fayetteville. To find the right home for you, it's important to have a clear idea of what you're looking for. Think about the location, features & price range when preparing to search for your new home.

It is important to know how much you can afford. It is important to stay within your budget. Also, consider costs, for example: interest & closing costs. It is important to bear all financial factors when it comes to finding your peferct home. These important guidelines will help keep your new home search within your budget.

The neighborhood your future home is located will help determine it's price. Make a list of the qualities that you would like your future neighborhood to have. Would you like your ideal neighborhood to have a lot of trees or do you prefer something more urban? Do you need schools nearby? How long of a commute to work are you willing to travel? Decide which of these (plus many others) qualities are most important to you and be prepared to compromise on others if necessary.

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Fayetteville Heroes Homecoming November 4-13

11-05-11
Ginny Reed

Fayetteville is hosting a special 10-day homecoming for Vietnam veterans to show the community’s appreciation for their service.

Heroes Homecoming began 11/04/2011 (Friday morning) with a ceremony at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in front of a standing-room only crowd.

"Heroes Homecoming will provide each of us an opportunity to put ourselves in the shoes of that young man or woman from Nebraska who got on a bus, rode halfway across this country and arrived at Fort Bragg on a hot July day," Mayor Tony Chavonne said.

Chavonne said he hopes "that there will never be another American who doesn't appreciate the heroes of that era" or "forgets their sacrifice."

Air Force Brig. Gen. Norman Ham Jr. used the ceremony to thank his father, Vietnam pilot Norman Ham Sr.

"You are appreciated very much. I want to say thank you. Thanks, Dad. I love you," he said.

Vietnam veteran Cleon Gibbs attended the ceremony and said it was a "dream come true."

"They are finally giving us something that we deserve," Gibbs said.

Gibbs, of Raleigh, went to Vietnam in 1968.

Harvey Stewart went to Vietnam in 1971 as a first sergeant. A year later, he returned, only to be spit on at a California airport.

"I didn't mind serving my country. I left a wife and four children back here when I went to Vietnam, and then, to come home and get the sort of treatment after defending the U.S., it was demoralizing," Stewart said.

Get a complete list of Heroes Homecoming events

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