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Allyn, WA

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Reminders for the interior of home when selling your Home & you want the most for your MONEY!

12-06-11
Daryl Datus
Daryl Datus: Real Estate Agent in Belfair, WA
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  • Office: (360) 275-2868 x104
  • Mobile: (360) 801-6373
  • Secondary: (360) 277-5104

From experience, We all know know that a "well-polished" house appeals to more buyers and will sell faster and for a higher price. Additionally, buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a well-cared for home because if what they can see is maintained, what they can't see has probably also been maintained. In readying your house for sale, consider:

How much should you spend
In preparing your home for the market, spend as little money as possible. Buyers will be impressed by a brand new roof, but they aren't likely to give you enough extra money to pay for it. There is a big difference between making minor and inexpensive "polishes" and "touch-ups" to your house, such as putting new knobs on cabinets and a fresh coat of neutral paint in the living room, and doing extensive and costly renovations, like installing a new kitchen. Daryl who is familiar with buyers' expectations in your neighborhood, can advise you specifically on what improvements need to be made. Don't hesitate to ask for advice.

Maximizing interior appeal
Enhance your home’s interior by:

  • Giving every room in the house a thorough cleaning, as well as removing all clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger and brighter. Some homeowners with crowded rooms have actually rented storage garages and moved half their furniture out, creating a sleeker, more spacious look.
  • Hiring a professional cleaning service, once every few weeks while the house is on the market. This may be a good investment for owners who are busy elsewhere.
  • Removing the less frequently used, even daily used items from kitchen counters, closets, and attics, making these areas much more inviting. Since you're anticipating a move anyhow, holding a garage sale at this point is a great idea.
  • If necessary, repainting dingy, soiled or strongly colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as off-white or beige. The same neutral scheme can be applied to carpets and linoleum.
  • Checking for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and basement.
  • Repairing cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
  • Replacing broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork. Inspecting and repairing the plumbing, heating , cooling, and alarm systems.
  • Repairing dripping faucets and showerheads. Buying showy new towels for the bathroom, to be brought out only when prospective buyers are on the way.
  • Sprucing up a kitchen in need of more major remodeling by investing in new cabinet knobs, new curtains, or a coat of neutral paint.
  • see more @ www.daryldatus.com
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Over-Reaching 1099 Bill For Landlords Repealed

12-02-11
Nathan M
Nathan M: Property Manager in Grants Pass, OR
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  • Office: (541) 690-8667

As you may or may not recall, depending on how close-knit you are within CPA circles, there was a significant new tax consequence and reporting requirement introduced for landlords within the Small Business Jobs Act and the healthcare reform bill passed in 2010.

This new reporting requirement was introduced to help the IRS better monitor landlord property expenses by requiring a 1099 to be filed for all independent landlords for payments during the year to any vendor or individual exceeding $600. Examples of 1099 recipients would include: gardeners, landscapers, contractors, property managers and repair services.

Earlier this year with support from Realtors, landlords, and landlord associations such as the NARPM all contacting their representatives to object to this over-reaching reporting requirement; both Congress and President Obama got the message and decided the filing burden was too great for smaller landlords. The requirement for rental property owners to file 1099's was repealed in May of 2011. The senate voted 87-12 to approve the repeal and it was signed shortly thereafter by Obama.

This is good news for independant landlords, your 2011 taxes just got a lot easier as you do not now have to collect tax information from your vendors, nor report it on the 1099-MISC form as proposed in the Small Business Jobs Act.

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Nathan is a member of Rentec Direct who provides property management software, tenant ach payment processing, and tenant screening for property managers and landlords nationwide.

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Holiday Happenings in Allyn, WA~Santa Claus is coming to town & More !

11-22-11
Valerie Spaulding~Allyn~Belfair~Hood Canal & Puget Sound~WA~Real Estate~
Valerie Spaulding~Allyn~Belfair~Hood Canal & Puget Sound~WA~Real Estate~: Real Estate Agent in Belfair, WA
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  • Office: (360) 275-5002 x300
  • Mobile: (360) 710-5622

Holiday Happenings in Allyn, WA~Santa Claus is coming to town & More!

Unbelievable how quickly the holidays have happened upon us! My granddaughter and grandson were just telling me about the wish lists they have made for Santa and now they need to get their list to Santa!! What better way to do it than go to the man himself!! Save the dates! There is a lot happening around the town of Allyn!

November 26th – Saturday – Santa Claus is coming to the Port of Allyn waterfront park on Saturday, November 26th!! He will be arriving at 4:00PM via fire engine courtesy of Local fire District 5 and their elves! Get their early to enjoy ALL the festive activities starting and easy way to get your lists into Santa! There will be music, drinks, home backed cookies and craft activities starting at 3PM!

December 19th – Monday - Join the Allyn Christmas sing a long at the gazebo in the Allyn Waterfront park from 7-8PM! Hot cider, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and hot chocolate!!

Good company, good song, good fun!!

and don’t forget – Black friday – SHOP LOCAL!!!

Have a GREEEAT Thanksgiving! and I will see you around town!

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Wordless Wednesday in Allyn

09-29-11
Dinah Lee Griffey
Dinah Lee Griffey: Real Estate Agent in Allyn, WA
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  • Office: (360) 275-8oo5
  • Mobile: (360) 551-8888
  • Secondary: (360) 204-9636

Little LakeLand DeerThe Northwest is full of treasures. From the dew drops sliding off the limb of an ancient cedar tree to the morning mist revealing a lake born to reflect Rainier.

The newborn deer stumble up from the soft earth to breath in a new day. The blossoms emerging from their nights slumber beckon them to breakfast.

Time changes everything as it drifts from season to season and century to century calling all to try again.

Life is full of moments that are made for each one of us. If we pause long enough we may be able to catch one and enjoy its depth.

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Where is Home...

09-27-11
Dinah Lee Griffey
Dinah Lee Griffey: Real Estate Agent in Allyn, WA
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  • Office: (360) 275-8oo5
  • Mobile: (360) 551-8888
  • Secondary: (360) 204-9636

My Grandma's house was home to us all the entire time I was growing up. It was the one thing in my life I could count on. Grandma would be at the dining room table reading a book and enjoying a steaming cup of coffee with cream and sugar of course, at any given moment. A fresh baked batch of cookies could disappear before your eyes and a beautiful display of flowers from her garden could always be found delighting the table's center.

Why does this memory matter? Because it is a gift. A gift that was given without strings attached. A place I could count on when the rest of the day stormed around me. It was her house that was home to me. The place where cousins gathered dressed up for tGrandma's Househe occasion and forbidden to get dirty, aunts and uncles debated the politics of the day and the place I tear up when I drive by.

Home ownership is not just a monetary investment. It is =piece of mind and security in the storm. A place where priceless memories are made and Christmas shows up in pictures.

When I bought my home, I thought of Grandma's. The cat laying in the sunny window and the sidewalk I skated around and skinned my knees. I thought to myself home is where life is made and dinner is waiting. It is where we connect and understand each other.

I purchased my first home when I was 19. I was thrilled to be able to share our home with our children and build that tradition with them.

I know now that it meant something to my kids, as they tell me what they want in a home of their own. What memories they hope to pass on and where their adult lives will begin.

Owning your own home is not about a price tag or a market. Owning your own home is about the life you lived and the place where memories live on forever.

Sarah's Birthday!!!

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