Selling Your Home

Some Inside Tips on Selling Your Home

Selling your home quickly and at the best possible price takes enlisting the help of a Realtor.

But your Realtor will need your help to show off all your home's best qualities. First impressions are always important to a prospective buyer! It is worth the extra time and effort you spend to get your home looking its best.

Curb Appeal

Give your home an advantage over your competition. It's important to keep your grass well manicured. Trim borders and eliminate any weeds. Remove dead limbs from trees. Clean gutters of twigs and leaves and clear any unsightly refuse from your front and back yard.

Cleaning windows and screens brighten your home. Take the time to polish front doorknobs and knockers or change out locks and knobs. Tighten any loose doorknobs.

Fresh Paint

A fresh coat of paint can actually make the difference in the sale of your home. Removing old wallpaper also greatly add to the interior charm. Repair any cracks in plaster or water stains.

Clean All the Corners

Bathrooms and Kitchens are always scrutinized carefully by prospective buyers. New faucets or polished fixtures, replace the caulking in the tubs and showers and repair any leaks. A little lubricant, candlewax or rub wax paper to squeaky doors and stuck windows.

Freshen the Air

Now is not the time to cook favorite dishes with strong smells. Freshen draps, carpets and cloth surfaces with fabric refreshers. Discrete almost unnoticable scents make your home feel and smell clean and welcoming.

Toss, Donate or Pack

Time to get a start on the move. Throwing away unwanted items in your cluttered attic or closets, donate to your favorite charity or pack things you do not need until your in your new home. It will show off the maximum utility space of these areas as well as make your task of moving a little easier.

Show Off

Curtains, bedspreads, pillows and lampshades should have a fresh clean look. Shine mirrors, picture glass and dust bookshelves. Remove all portable fans, and extra keepsakes.

It's always nice to have the fire place mantle and tables decorated, allow light to come in through the windows, turn on all lights for planned showing and leave accent lights on for the unexpected showings. Loaf of bread or a tray of cookies in the oven and fresh cut flowers add a nice touch.

Showings

It is best to give the buyers space to feel at home in their prospective new home. Don't invite friends or neighbors over when showing are known. Take your pets with you when showings are planned. Nothing frightens a prospective buyer away more than a loose cat or a barking dog.

Smallest home improvements can leave a prospective buyer with a great first impression and more importantly you with a SOLD home!

New Forbearance Program

Unemployed FHA Borrowers Granted 12 Months Forbearance

The Obama administration recently announced that loan servicers who are collecting payments on FHA loans will be required to allow qualified borrowers who lose their jobs to miss up to 12 months of mortgage payments before initiating foreclosure proceedings against them. See the press release here.

The new forbearance program allows unemployed borrowers to stay in their homes while seeking new employment.

Currently, the FHA’s policy is four months of required unemployment forbearance. Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan claimed the current time period is “inadequate for the majority of unemployed borrowers.”

Donovan also stated, "Today, 60 percent of the unemployed have been out of work for more than three months and 45 percent have been out of work for more than six. Providing the option for a year of forbearance will give struggling homeowners a substantially greater chance of finding employment before they lose their home."

Not all borrowers will qualify for the new forbearance program, but the Obama administration said it is removing the “upfront hurdles” for qualification. Servicers are required to provide any borrowers who are denied forbearance with the reason for denial and allow the borrower at least seven days to submit additional information that may impact the evaluation.

All FHA-approved servicers must participate in the new forbearance program.

The administration said it hopes that the changes will "set a standard for the mortgage industry to provide more robust assistance to unemployed homeowners in the economic downturn."

Google+

Excitment today! I was invited to join Google's newest social media, Google+.

Fall of 2007 I started using google mail and have been a fan of the style and ease of use. Christmas of 2009, I gave myself a gift of the Droid smartphone and have loved the Android phone with all it's applications. Tonight, I have been setting up my circles of friends for the Google+ social networking. I can not wait for everyone to join my circles!

Mortgage 101

As a Preferred Agent with Trulia, I am often asked and answer specific real estate questions. Today the question of should you shop around to find a Mortgage, was asked. Several Agents and myself quickly answered with almost the exact answer. YES, YES, YES.

Your Real Estate agent is generally your best resource for names. They see on a daily bases how having the right Mortgage Company and Agent makes the difference between a successful close and a bad experience. Take the time to call all three mortgage agents, check rates and see who calls you back quickly and answers your questions. Then go with the agent you like working with.

For a list of Mortgage names that my clients have liked working with, contact me at Gloria@gloriavargo.com or 214-789-1076.

LINK to Trulia Question:
http://www.trulia.com/voices/Financing/Should_we_shop_for_a_mortgage_In_the_very_distan-287892-p_1-recent?answerId=1062525&thisanswer=1#left_content

Fort Worth Great Surprise - Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Where to take out of town guests this year turned into a nice surprise. Their Airline gave them a list of places to see in the Dallas - Fort Worth Area and The Fort Worth Botanic Garden was on the list. For the past 10 years we have always gone to the Dallas Arboretum and so we decided to try something different. We all were happy that we did.

I highly recommend that anyone in the area take the time. The price is FREE!