Your Summit NJ real estate agent has made no secret of the importance of curb appeal when selling your home.  But in the dead of winter, it’s tough to create attractive landscaping and create that lush look that buyers want to see.  There are some ideas to help you get buyer to warm up to your property, even in colder months.

Overseeding:  There are certain types of grass seed that are tolerant of colder temperatures, but wither in the heat of summer.  They can be spread over your existing turf to give it a greener hue and fill in bare patches.  Check with your local nursery or lawn care company to choose a good seed for your lawn.

Hardscaping:  Winter is the perfect season to maintain and improve your hardscape.  That’s the elements of your yard that are not plants or grass such as sidewalks, retaining walls, patios, decks and lighting.  You won’t have to worry about crushing your summer annuals while moving around the deck to fix the lattice or ruining the spring bulbs while pressure washing the foundation.  Consider adding exterior solar lighting to make your home sparkle during evening showings. 

Cleaning:  While the trees are bare, check them for limbs that overhang the roof and do some careful pruning.  Check with a garden center or do an Internet search first to make sure that this is the proper season to trim a particular tree.  Pick up fallen branches and tidy up the mulch in your beds.

Planting:  You can still garden in the winter.  Consider the humble pansy.  It is a common cold weather annual, but these hardy little gems never fail to add color to a drab winter yard.  Other colorful items may be hiding at your local nursery, too.  Red or yellow twig dogwoods may not have leaves or flowers this time of year, but their bright branches make a winter scene look lively. 

Decorating:  Tasteful holiday decorations can brighten up a home in the winter.  Keep the decorations simple and classic like a red-ribboned evergreen wreath and white lights.  Avoid cartoon-inspired inflatable creations and large displays.  Keep the buyers focused on your home, not its holiday finery.

Planning:  If all else fails and you and your Summit NJ real estate agent decide that your home will show better in the spring, take this season to plan a beautiful display.  Plant spring-blooming bulbs in large drifts of a single color.  Keep the exterior colors of your home in mind and chose your plants accordingly.

Try a few of these ideas to up the curb appeal and your buyers will certainly take notice.

The news has been full of headlines regarding the proposed extension of the $8000 first-time home buyers’ tax credit.  Congress passed the measure that will extend the Dec. 1, 2009 deadline and President Obama has now signed it into effect.  There have been some additions to the credit as well.  Now a binding sales contract for a home to be constructed and “move-up” home purchases may qualify.  What does this new measure mean to you as a potential buyer?

First, the time crunch has been lessened somewhat.  The new deadline is April 30, 2010 for the purchase of a new or existing primary residence.  Buyers need not rush their search to meet the previously looming December 1st deadline.  Spring will come quickly so buyers may want to step up their efforts, even during the holiday season, to ensure finding their future home and closing in time. 

Buyers who have chosen to build a home may also qualify for the same tax credit of up to $8000.  If a binding sales contract is signed by the April 30th deadline and the closing is completed by June 30, 2010, the purchase qualifies for the credit.  This is still a tight schedule for most builders so delaying a construction purchase would be unwise, especially considering the winter season is hardly ideal for building. 

One of the biggest additions to the incentive is a provision for “move up” buyers.  If a home owner has lived at least 5 consecutive years out of the past 8 and purchases a new or existing home as a primary residence by the April deadline, he can qualify for up to $6,500 in tax credit.  This opens the door not just to first-time home buyers, but to all other buyers as well.  It is an excellent motivation to shop the inventory of what is certainly already a buyer’s market.  Your Summit NJ real estate agent can help you navigate your choices to your best advantage.

Another change has been made to the income limits previously imposed on buyers.  It has been adjusted so that the credit doesn’t begin to phase out at quite as low a level as before.  The limit for a single-filer is $125,000 and for joint-filer is it now $225,000.  The former limits were 75,000 and $125,000 so this adjustment means even more buyers will be able to claim the full amount of the credit. 

The bottom line for you, a potential buyer, is that this is a great time to call your Summit NJ real estate agent and take advantage of the excellent inventory, reasonable pricing and government tax incentives and buy your next home.

As a potential first-time home owner, there are a lot of tasks to manage.  You’ve been to the open houses, scoured the on-line listings and found a great Summit NJ real estate agent.  You’ve worked out a budget and a price range, but you are by no means finished researching.  Now that you are considering becoming a home owner, insurance should be of the utmost importance.

Homeowners insurance, abbreviated HOI by industry pros, is a policy designed to protect the property owner financially should the home be damaged or should an accident occur on the premises.  Carrying a homeowner’s policy is required by virtually every lender.  However, you are not required to purchase your policy from the provider that your lender suggests.  You are legally free to choose your insurance company.

HOI policies cover two basic categories of potential expense: property and liability.  Your policy will cover the cost of replacing the actual house and its contents.  It will also protect you from the cost of a lawsuit should there be an injury or accident on the property.  Here is a very basic breakdown of an HOI policy and what it covers.

Property

Dwelling: This is the house itself along with all the things that make it a house like wiring, appliances and plumbing.

Additional structures: Outbuildings, sheds and unattached garages should also be covered in your policy.  It may also include things like sidewalks and retaining walls.

Personal property:  These are the thing you bring into the structure like furnishings, clothing, jewelry and electronics. 

You may want to add more coverage to your policy if you have an extensive investment in one of these areas.  The policy may cover replacement value or actual cost so be sure you examine your policy. It may also cover “loss of use”, that is living expenses should your home become unlivable.

Liability

Personal liability:  This part of the policy protects you against the cost of a lawsuit in the event of an accident of injury on your property.

Medical expenses:  This part of the HOI will pay for medical expenses for a person injured on your property, but not for those living in the home.

As with any type of insurance, HOI policies vary greatly from one to another.  Your Summit NJ real estate agent can give you some direction as to how much insurance you will need and how much it may add to your mortgage payments.  Spend some time deciding how much coverage your new home and its contents will require and shop several different companies for the best price.

The final walk-through you do before closing on a property may seem like a perfunctory step in the process.  It is not.  This is your last chance to make sure all the details have been attended to, every “i” is dotted and every “t” crossed.  Don’t be tempted to skip this step or rush through it.

The final walk-through is a time for a buyer to check out the property he is about to buy and make sure it is in the condition he and the seller have agreed upon.  If any changes or repairs were to have been made, this is when the buyer can check up on the work.  It’s also a time to be sure no damage has been done to the property since the buyer saw it last.  The final walk-through is not a time to negotiate price or set new contingencies upon the sale.  You and your Summit NJ real estate agent will have taken care of those matters long before the last walk-through occurs.  Here are a few tips for doing your final walk-through.

• Don’t be pressed for time.  Clear your schedule and give yourself adequate time to examine the property well.  If you miss something now, you will not have another chance to have it fixed before you become the owner and thus assume all costs for repairs.
• Sweat the little things.  Flip all the switches, check the power outlets, flush all the toilets and try out all the faucets.  Look under the sinks for leaks and open and close every door.
• Check the appliances.  Make sure all the high-dollar appliances actually work before signing off on the walk-through.  A stainless fridge may look great but if doesn’t keep things cold it’s worthless.
• Don’t get distracted.  It may be tough to do but maintain your focus on the task at hand.  Don’t start planning furniture arrangement or landscaping.
• Leave the kids at home but bring your Summit NJ real estate agent.  Children will only serve to distract you with questions and arguments about who get which room.   Your agent, however, has done this before and will be a big help.
• Check for debris in hidden places, not just the closets.  Attics, basements are crawl spaces are favorite places for tucking away junk when a home is being shown.  Make sure all the previous owners’ belongings and refuse have been taken away.

Take this step seriously and you may avoid significant problems later.  The final walk-through is  worth the time it will take if it saves you even one repair after closing.