Single level well-maintained duplex in SE Bend near Ponderosa Park and public transportation. Each unit features a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom floor plan with a large living room, updated flooring in kitchen and dining area and oversized single car garage. Units could easily be converted into one unit for generational or extended living through the shared kitchen wall. Low maintenance xeriscape landscaping with large fenced backyards with raised garden beds and patios.
A new year is like a blank sheet of paper… anything is possible. While you may have already resolved to eat less and work out more, or to spend less and save more this year if you’re also looking to buy or sell a home in 2020, or simply to keep the house you have in tip-top condition, consider adding these to your list of New Year’s resolutions.
1. MAKE AN EXTRA MORTGAGE PAYMENT
If you want to own your home faster and save money to boot, make just one extra mortgage payment a year and you’ll shave years off the term of your loan and thousands in interest.
2. REFINANCE YOUR MORTGAGE
Even though the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, mortgage rates are still historically low. If you have an adjustable-rate loan or just want to lower your existing monthly payment, consider refinancing.
3. DRAFT A HOME MAINTENANCE PLAN
You love your home but it’s awfully needy, requiring constant care, feeding and upkeep. To ensure your house gets the love it deserves, draw up a list of the annual maintenance chores that need doing then tackle one or two each month.
4. MAKE YOUR HOME SAFE
You take pains to create a beautiful home, like a page out of a magazine, so why not ensure its safety for you and your family? Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and test their batteries regularly. Similarly, check your house for radon, a colorless and odorless gas linked to lung cancer deaths. Make sure your house can freely breathe; proper venting to the outside will help prevent mold growth and other health hazards.
5. CLEAR THE CLUTTER
Are you still overwhelmed by all the stuff in your home before Christmas added even more? You don’t have to go all Marie Kondo on your house, but getting organized and losing what you don’t use will go a long way to make you and your home happier in 2020.
1. GET A HOME INSPECTION
Most home buyers (The National Association of Realtors say 77%) who make an offer will get a home inspection to determine the condition of your house, and then use that knowledge to negotiate pre-close repairs or a lower price. Be proactive and get your own inspection so you can remove or address issues that may be obstacles to selling your house.
2. APPEAL TO MOBILE AND ONLINE BUYERS
Most home searches today begin online, with mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) fast becoming the norm. Hire the Dempsey Phelps team, internet-savvy brokers, to make sure your listing is optimized for web viewing and mobile apps. We include a good description, accurate data and high-resolution photos to show your home to its best advantage and attract the most buyers.
3. MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
Prep your house for a quick sale. Fix things that don’t work, touch up paint, update your landscaping, de-clutter and de-personalize, and deep-clean everywhere (that includes the cobwebs near the ceiling, the baked-on oven mess, the grungy bathroom tile, etc.). Consider hiring a stager to give your home professional panache. According to NAR, 46% of buyers say they are more likely to tour in person a staged home they saw online.
4. BE REALISTIC
Educate yourself about your local real estate market; have the Dempsey Phelps team run comps to learn which properties are selling and which are languishing. Then work with the Dempsey Phelps team to reasonably – and competitively – price your home. Don’t assume a hot market guarantees multiple offers or a quick sale. Realistically set your expectations.
5. TREAT YOUR HOME LIKE AN INVESTMENT
No question, selling a house is an emotional process. For most of us, our homes are where precious memories are made and we’re sentimentally attached. But the minute you list your house it becomes a product, one that will be poked, prodded and picked over by a fickle buying public. Be sure you’re truly ready to cut the cord so your emotions don’t get in the way of selling your home.
1. GET YOUR FINANCES IN ORDER
Want a great mortgage? You’ll need good credit. Know your FICO score (740+ gets the best loan rate) and take steps to repair or boost a low score (below 620) by paying your bills on time and paying off your credit cards. Plus, buying a home takes cash – you’ll need money for a down payment, closing costs and loan fees. If you haven’t started already, now’s the time to save, save, save. Then save some more.
2. GATHER YOUR PAPERWORK
Get and keep handy documents you’ll need to apply for a home loan; they include your W-2s, copies of your tax returns, credit reports, pay stubs, bank account statements, divorce or child support payments, etc.
3. RESEARCH MORTGAGE OPTIONS
Shop around for the best loan with the best terms. Talk to multiple lenders because government programs (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA), banks and credit unions all have different terms. Find out too if you’re eligible for any state or local home buyer programs, many of which offer down payment help or mortgages with 3% down.
4. GET PRE-APPROVED
Not only does having a pre-approval letter from your lender indicating how much mortgage money you qualify for, making it easier to house-sho in your price range, being pre-approved also strengthens your position as the buyer, improving the odds of your offer being accepted.
5. WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS
Rely on the Dempsey Phelps team, qualified & experienced brokers, to help you find the home of your dreams. Trust us, your real estate professional, to help you navigate negotiating and closing your transaction, as the new TRID rules have significantly changed the home-buying process.
You’re moving! How exciting. And sometimes stressful. Believe it or not, it can also be stressful for your furry friend. They often don’t know what’s going on and they have ties to the house you’re leaving as well. They may feel nervous about why things are being packed up in boxes, or if they’re being left behind. Here are a few tips to make the transition a little easier on your pooch.
1. Schedule Showings During Walk Time
If you’re still in the process of selling your home, talk to your real estate agent about the best time to show the house: when you and your fur-baby are on a walk together. This will give them less anxiety by not having to experience new people continuously coming into their space and confusing them as to what’s going on.
2. Pull Suitcases and Boxes Out in Advance So They’re Not Caught Off Guard
As you’re preparing for your move, start getting boxes out slowly so they don’t associate your packing up with you leaving. Instead of doing it all at once, getting them used to it over time will cause less anxiety and gradually adjust them to what’s about to happen.
3. Familiarize Them with the New Neighborhood
If you’re not moving too far away, take them for a few walks in the new neighborhood. Let them sniff around and see where they’ll be spending their time. They can also get used to the new noises they might be experiencing once the move actually takes place.
4. Pet-Proof Your New Home
Once you’ve gotten all your things to your new place and you’re getting ready to settle in, make sure your pup is safe. If your dog has previously never been a runner (takes off when you’re not looking), you may want to take extra precaution because they may get a little nervous and try to find their way back to their old home.
5. Make it Fun for Them
If you can, give them their own space in the new house to show them that they’re apart of this new experience. Buy them a new toy and give it to them when you get there to associate the new spot with joy and reward so they don’t feel like they’re somehow being punished by leaving where they’ve been for X amount of time.
6. Board Them
When making the move and unpacking, it could be fun for your pup to go to a kennel where they can run and play with other dogs and not have to worry about all the bustle of the moving process. Another great option is having them stay with a friend or family member. Imagine having your whole life moved into vans in front of you and having no idea what’s going on. This is a great opportunity to get them to a place where they can feel calm and at ease. Here are a few great boarding kennels in Bend:
