About Belmont County, OH

Many times we're told what to do to build our credit, but what NOT to do is just as important.

• Do not close accounts with zero balances.

• Do not leave your bills unopened on the table longer than 2 weeks.

• Do not just make the minimum monthly payments.

• Do not juggle your bills, skipping one to pay another.

• Do not apply for new credit if you're struggling to pay current bills.

• Do not make a habit of paying late or over-the-limit fees.

• Do not take out cash advances to pay other bills.

If you can get into the habit of following these credit no-no's, you'll be on your way to good credit in no time. If you're in need of real estate advise in the Ohio Valley, especially Belmont County, give me a call. I'd be happy to help!

Melissa Sall

Real Estate Professional

Sulek & Dutton Real Estate

(740) 338-9303

melissasall.com

sall.melissa@gmail.com

The Village of Morristown received a generous real estate donation a few years back. The Lynn-Hunkler family helped the community expand by giving Morristown a 60 acre parcel of land on the east end of town. This ground was preserved to become a park and playground for children in the area. A committee was formed and many hundreds of hours were spent planning and creating a fun and enjoyable place for kids, youth ball teams and adults alike to spend their days.

The field of dreams became the Lynn-Hunkler Memorial Park. As you stroll the park today, you will see 5 baseball diamonds, pavilions for gatherings with restrooms, a playground and a basketball court. Donations and grants have provided a great beginning for the Morristown Park in Belmont County, Ohio.

There's still a lot of work to do and maintenance to keep up on. Volunteers are being asked to join in on the Park Clean-Up Day Saturday October 8, 2011. The gates will open at 8:00am and all are welcome and encouraged to join anytime throughout the day. Your help is needed!

As a mother of a 20 month old, I understand first hand how parks are important places for all communities. One of my sons favorite things at this point in his life are "slides", so we spend many days at local parks. I personally am looking forward to watching the Morristown Park expand and prosper. As a service to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighbors, I encourage you to stop by anytime Saturday to lend a helping hand. The park will be admired and enjoyed for years to come and what a great honor it would be to be involved in that joy!

For additional information, please contact Vicky Burghy at 740-782-1115.

Melissa Sall
Morristown Resident
Sulek & Dutton Real Estate
(740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com

The articles on the Internet involving real estate always intrigue me. I google many topics on a regular basis to see what I can learn or what I can pass on to my clients. Recently I had a client ask me if I had a list of steps involved in selling her home. While I have this list in my head and in long articles, I didn’t have a simple checklist, so off to the search engine I went. I was surprised to find many articles on "For Sale by Owner" topics but very few articles on a simple checklist for "Selling with a Real Estate Agent." I figured that would be a great topic for my next blog, so here goes:

　

1. Prepare your home for the market. Curb appeal, maintenance, fix anything that’s broke, fresh paint, pet odors. After visiting your home, I could also give you a list of to-dos that you may miss.
2. If you have a mortgage, check with your financial institution to determine your payoff amount. If you intend to sell this home and purchase another, you also want to speak with them about your financial situation to be sure you qualify to move forward.
3. Meet with your Real Estate Agent and determine a fair market value for your property. Pricing is crucial! Your agent should prepare a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) for you, pricing your home in line with the realistic market. If you and your agent are not in agreement over the price, the best solution is to hire an appraiser to give you a price.
4. Sign listing contract and additional forms, such as property disclosures, utility information, etc.
5. Home goes on the market, signs go up, advertising begins.
6. Be ready for showings at all times. While you will typically receive a 24 hours notice for showings, it’s easier to pick up some clothes off the floor and wash the dishes rather than having to dust, scrub floors, clean kids rooms and the rest of the house with little time to spare. You will be stressed and your house will show it.
7. Receive an offer. Negotiate. Hopefully come to agreement. Sign contract. Not all offers result in a contract and not all contracts result in a closing. Be prepared for that ~ Emotions can run high!
8. Buyers will have inspections, appraisal and title search done. As of now, typical time from offer signed to closing in Belmont County is about 45 days.
9. Prepare to move.
10. Closing.

These are the basic 10 steps to selling a home. Of coarse there are many additional details with that and dozens of scenarios that could occur. Working with a real estate agent, you’ll always have somewhere there who can guide you through each curveball. For a more detailed guide to selling your home, email

sall.melissa@gmail.com for a free copy of the "Home Seller’s Guide – Learn to sell smart."

Melissa Sall, Realtorâ

Sulek & Dutton Real Estate

St.Clairsville, Ohio

(740) 338-9303

sall.melissa@gmail.com

www.MelissaSall.com

　

Formulating your energy-saving plan. In additional to the tips you learned in http://activerain.com/blogsview/2526750/save-money-by-saving-energy-part-1- of this series, digging a little deeper, will really pay-off.

Once you've identified where your home is losing energy through the energy audit process in part 2 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2527909/energy-saving-audit-part-2-of-series- , ask yourself these questions and assign priorities.

1. How much money do you spend on energy?

2. Where are your greatest energy losses?

3. How long will it take for an investment in energy efficiency to pay for itself in energy cost savings?

4. Do the energy-saving measures provide additional benefits that are important to you (for example, the appearance of new double-panes windows)?

5. How long do you plan to own your current home?

6. Can you do the job yourself or will you need to hire a contractor?

7. What is your budget and how much time do you have to spend on maintenance and repairs?

Once you determine your energy-savings needs, you can form a whole house efficiency plan. This plan will provide you with a strategy for making smart purchases and home improvements that will maximize energy efficiency and save you money.

Another option is to get the advice of a professional. Many utility companies conduct energy audits for free or a small charge. For a fee, you can also consult a professional contractor to analyze how well your home's energy systems work together.

Melissa Sall, Realtor
Sulk & Dutton Real Estate
Direct: (740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com

Now that you've read http://activerain.com/blogsview/2526750/save-money-by-saving-energy-part-1- and made some minor changes in your home to begin saving energy, its time to dig a little deeper. A home energy audit will pinpoint the areas in your house that are using the most energy and suggest the most effective measures for cutting energy costs. You can do this by yourself or contact a professional for more comprehensive information.

Heating accounts for the biggest chunk of our utility bills.
Source 2007 Buildings Energy Data Book

Energy auditing tips:

1. Check the insulation levels in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors and crawl spaces. Check www.energysavers.gov for instructions on checking your insulation levels.

2. Check for holes or cracks around ceilings, windows, walls, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home.

3. Check for open fireplace dampers.

4. Check your owners manuals to be sure your appliance and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained.

5. Study your families lighting needs and use patterns. Pay special attention to high-use areas such as kitchen, living room and outside lighting. Consider lighting controls such as occupancy sensors, dimmers or timers. Replace bulbs with standard fluorescent lamps.

Stay tuned to learn how to formulate a plan after you've identified where your home is losing energy.

Melissa Sall, Realtor
Sulek & Dutton Real Estate
Direct (740)338-9303
Sall.Melissa@gmail.com
MelissaSall.com