Silver City, NM

November 20, 2009

There is a lot of information out there on how to prepare your home for sale. Here is a general list of what a seller should do to sell, sell, sell. I hope it helps you!

• The #1 item on the list is DECLUTTER! I cannot emphasize this enough. Recognize that you are going to be inconvenienced during the selling process. Buyers want to see the walls, ceiling and floor. Clutter will distract them from seeing this. You are going to have to pack up your things anyway, do it now and get ahead of the curve. To give you an idea, you should have one item on a table or cabinet. Perhaps a vase. Everything else should be removed. No papers around, nothing on the kitchen counters (Nothing!). Consider having a garage sale and sell some your old things. Or donate them to a second-hand store.

• Remove as much from your closets as you possibly can. Pack now. Take your off-season clothing and pack it up.

• The entire house should be sparkling clean. Top to bottom, inside and out. This is all about perception. The buyer perceives that if you don't clean the tub, you also don't take care of the roof, electric, plumbing, etc. Think insanely clean. Recaulk around the tub and shower to give it a fresh look. Wash your windows inside and out. Get rid of cobwebs. If you have light fixtures with plastic covers - -they tend to yellow - replace them. Clean your light switch plates. Heck, have a cleaning party; invite your friends and family. Have pizza afterwards.

• If you have lots of personal photographs around, they should be removed. Let the buyers imagine themselves in your house. Seeing photographs makes a buyer feel like they are ‘invading' your space.

• Get rid of smells. The most common smell is cat odor, and cigarette smoke. While the house is for sale, clean the litter box daily. Have a "No Smoking Inside" rule. Clean carpets and drapes/curtains. Some people have very sensitive noses and will leave a house before seeing the whole thing due to odors. Ask a friend to be honest and tell you if they smell anything.

• Let's talk about lighting. Replace every bulb in the house to high wattage bulbs. Open curtains, shades and drapes. Wash windows. When you know the house is being shown, EVERY light in the house should be turned on. Repeat: EVERY light in the house should be turned on. If a room only has one light, get a lamp or two. Turn them on.

• Fix the little things around the house. Loose cabinet doors, Kitchen drawers that don't close right, tight doors, missing electric plates, torn screens, dripping faucets, broken windows.

• Freshen up the exterior. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Clean the gutters. Remove all debris from the yard. If you have a storage shed, make sure the door opens easily. Make sure the shed is clean and looks nice. Patch or reseal your driveway. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

• Plan on a way to contain your pets during showings. You should have 2-3 different options. 1. Take your pet for a walk / ride while there is a showing. 2. Ask a neighbor to coral your pet. 3. Take your pet to work day.

• There are quite a few television shows about how to sell your home. Watch a few of them to get ideas on what you can do.

Linda Ferrara - Associate Broker

Coldwell Banker Enchantment Realty

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Cell: 575-519-9249

Novbember 17, 2009

Buying a house, moving. It's traumatic. I remember telling a young couple that it was normal to be nervous, to lose some sleep. Still, it's one of the best investments most of us ever make. Consider the following when buying a house:

• If you're not comfortable with your Realtor, find one that you are comfortable with. It's important to find someone you respect, you understand, and that you're confident they respect and understand you and your needs. Be sure their communication style fits with yours.

• Educate yourself on the process. Even if you've bought properties in the past, a lot has changed. Just type in "Home Buying" into your favorite web browser. There are tons of great websites with great information.

• Get pre-approved for a loan first. Find out what you can afford before looking at properties. It will be a more efficient use of your time. It will make for a stronger offer. It shows all parties that you are serious.

• Don't expect everything to be perfect when buying a house. Don't wait until everything is perfect to buy a house. In home buying, you may not get the perfect house, and the best interest rate and the lowest price. Do your best to find what you need. I sometimes suggest to people that they write down the 3-5 things that are most important to them in a house. This helps them focus on what is most important.

• If you want to confuse yourself, ask for everyone's opinion. I do suggest being informed, but if you ask many people, you're going to get many conflicting opinions. Choose a few people who have been through the buying process - the same few people whose opinion you respect.

• Occasionally I get a Buyer who wants to ‘win' the negotiation. It is possible for a transaction to be win-win. The Seller wants to sell; the Buyer wants to buy. It doesn't have to be win-lose. When you're buying, concentrate on getting those items that are most important. I would hate to think that someone would walk away from a home they love because the washer is not included.

In closing, take it step-by-step, accept that this will be a stressful time, and move forward. Most Realtors want to help you and inform you. Let them.

Today’s Saying: No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

November 16, 2009

If you're ready to move to Silver City (and I hope that you are!), there are some things to consider. I hope this list will help you determine your needs and wants:

• How close / far to town?
• How many acres?
• Home Requirements
  • # of Bedrooms
  • # of Baths
  • Age of Home
  • Other Requirements (Workshop, Office, Guest House, Horses, Close to Forest, Off-the-grid, etc.)
• What kinds of things would you love to have? (fireplace, views, southwest-style home, views, green building, etc.)
• What is your price range?
• Do you require a fenced in yard for children or pets?
• How much repairs / renovations are you willing to perform?
• Is a well (for water) acceptable?

Today's Saying: Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

November 13, 2009

Since my last post talked about gathering information to help you decide where to move, I thought that I'd give you as much Silver City detail as I can come up with. I hope it helps.

Location: Southwestern New Mexico

Grant County seat: Silver City (population 13,335)

Closest Metropolitan areas: Las Cruces, NM 112 miles - El Paso TX, 154 miles - Tucson, AZ 199 miles - Albuquerque, NM 235 miles - Phoenix, AZ 266 miles.

Elevation: 5,920 ft.

Temperature:

Average Annual Precipitation: 15.8" - High 3.2" August - Low .2" April

Average Relative Humidity: 31%

Census Bureau Quick facts on Grant County: 2000

Population, New Mexico: 1,819,046
Population, Silver City: 14,066
Population, Grant County: 31,002

Cost of Living Index: 93 100 = National Average 110 = 10% more expensive

University: Western New Mexico University www.wnmu.edu

Medical Services: Gila Regional Medical Center www.grmc.org

Things to do nearby:

• Gila National Forest: 3.3 million acres of rugged beauty
• City of Rocks: Geological Monument
• Gila Cliff Dwellings: Indian Cliff Dwellings dating from 1280-1300.
• Lake Roberts: Fishing, boating, hiking, birding
• The Catwalk National Recreation Trail: hiking, picnicking
• Mimbres Regional Arts Council: brings in a wide variety of cultural events www.mimbresarts.org
• Palomas, Mexico: shopping
• Rock Hound State Park: Collect Semi-precious stones
• Historic Downtown Silver City: Shops, restaurants, walking trails, museum, Victorian buildings, micro-brewery
• Penny Park: skate park, imaginative climbing structures, slides, swings, bridges, balance beams, castle structures and picnic grounds, shaded by mature cottonwood and elm trees

Today's Saying: Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

November 9, 2009

Nice people live in Silver City, NM

I feel compelled to write about the people in Silver City. They're nice. I come from New Jersey and I wasn't used to it. But you know what? You get used to it - -fast. I remember when I first moved here I was on line at the grocery store. I was third in line. The clerk at the check-out was talking to the first customer. I was irritated that I was waiting and they were chatting. Then I began to listen. The clerk was asking about the health of the customer's mother. Hoping she was okay and feeling better. I felt like a heel for being impatient. This is the reason we moved here! The people are nice. I took a deep breath and enjoyed the fact.

My husband and I laugh when we have strangers in cars waive to us in our car. We laugh because they use their whole hand.... Not just one finger like in NJ. Lol. Now we waive to people and wonder if they're laughing.

During Christmas time, we received a lot of UPS deliveries to the house. So Frank wrote up a card and put some money in it to thank the delivery man. One day he gave the card to the UPS man but suddenly realized he gave to a man that wasn't our normal delivery guy. Darn, he wanted the regular guy to get it since he worked so hard. Don't you know that a week later, our normal delivery guy comes to the house and thanks us for the card and gift. The man who had received it, gave it to the regular guy! That would not have happened back in NJ!

I remember a while back, my Broker telling us about a restaurant in town having trouble making ends meet. She asked us to patronize the restaurant to help them out. And we did. And she's still in business.

That's what living in a small town is about - - nice.

Today's Saying: Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.