NorCal Partners Real Estate

Rowland Fellows, Broker, CDPE, ePro, GREEN, CA BRE # 01435867

Easy Home Enhancements

By Leave a Comment

Instant home makeovers

Not every home makeover has to be a major project that lasts days, weeks, or even months. There are a ton of quick touch-ups and fixes that can make a huge difference in the look and feel of your home, even though you can finish the project in less than an hour.

A new mailbox: Chances are you’re still using the same mailbox that came with your home. But giving your mailbox a fresh coat of paint—or even replacing it entirely—is pretty painless, and it instantly upgrades your home’s curb appeal.

Declutter: Less is usually more. Go through your home and consider all the stuff that you haven’t used in years. If it’s no longer serving a purpose, sell it, donate it, or throw it away.

New hardware for your drawers: Painting kitchen and bathroom cabinets can be a big undertaking—drop cloths, tape, washing brushes and rollers, etc. But you can change out your drawer hardware in just a few minutes—all you have to do is pick out the new fixtures.

Keeping Up with Maintenance on Your Home

By Leave a Comment

Five home repairs to budget for

You’re going to have to do some regular repairs and maintenance on your home—it’s just a fact of home ownership. So that you’re not caught unprepared, it’s a good idea to keep a budget and set aside some funds for when the following repairs inevitably come up.

1. Light switches: Beyond your typical light bulb replacements,the wiring can occasionally go bad in a light fixture, causing it to be unresponsive when you turn the light on. An electrician can fix it quickly for around $100.

2. Gutter maintenance: Over time, the weight and weather will be too much for your gutters, causing them break away from the home and require fixing. It’s possible to fix them yourself, but it will typically cost up to $400 to have them fixed professionally.

3. Drywall repairs: It’s easier than you’d think to put a hole in your walls, especially if you bump them when moving furniture. It can cost up to $300 for professional repairs.

4. Running toilet: The moving parts and valves in a toilet can wear out over the years, and you’ll want to get it fixed quickly to save on water bills and keep your bathrooms usable. It’s about a two-hour job to fix for professional plumbers, and they charge up to $150 an hour, depending on your market.

5. Tile repairs: Tile goes through a lot of abuse, and it’s not just impact from heavy objects that can damage individual tiles—years of foot traffic will also cause damage. Repair costs can vary greatly because of the cost of individual tiles, but it’s good to set aside around $200.

Renovating Your Home

By Leave a Comment

Calling In A Professional

Renovating your home can be a stressful and expensive endeavor. How much should you spend? Who should you trust? Who’s the best contractor/architect/designer/etc. in town? If you find yourself asking these questions as you consider a renovation, you may want to consider a renovation coach.

Expert opinions
Renovation coaches are a recent trend in home remodeling. Think of it as a project manager for your home renovation—someone who is great at working with contractors and vendors, and at keeping things running smoothly and moving forward as your renovation progresses.

Worth the investment?
Renovation coaches can handle projects of any size, and can be involved as much or as little as you like. They’re especially useful for managing bigger projects that involve several vendors and contractors, but they can also be helpful in simply recommending the best and most reputable companies for your specific project. If you don’t know who to hire to remodel your kitchen or basement, a renovation coach can be a huge asset.

Finding the right coach
There’s currently no national directory or association for renovation coaches, but it’s a fast-growing profession and chances are there’s a great one in your area. Take to the internet to find some coaches in your area—Houzz and Google are a good start. Vet several candidates and reach out to past clients to find the coach that can help you get the most out of your renovation.

What if Your Teenager Doesn’t Want to Move To Your New Home?

By Leave a Comment

You’ve got a new job offer across the country and you are planning to pack your things, buy a home and make the big move. However, when you tell your 17 year old daughter your plans, she lets out a mournful wail and cries that it is not fair. How can you possibly take her away from all of her friends, her favorite hangout spots and the cute boy she just started seeing?

Moving house is a difficult transition and it is even more traumatic for teenagers. The teenage years are an important stage where young adults establish their individuality and independence and during this time their social circle is extremely important to them. Being removed from that against their will can make any teen feel sad, confused, angry and resentful. Also, fitting into a new social scene in a different location can be a challenge for a teen that might be singled out as the “new kid”.

How can you help your teen during this transition so that the experience will be easier on them?

How to Help Your Teen Move

Here are some tips that will make the experience of moving house a little bit easier on your teenager:

  • Give them as much notice as possible so that they have time to adjust to the idea of moving. They will feel like they have enough time to say goodbye to their friends and close a chapter of their lives.
  • Try to schedule the move around the school calendar, as moving in the summer is much less disruptive to your teen’s life than relocating in the middle of the school year.
  • Make sure that they have ample time to spend with their close friends before they leave and once you arrive, understand that they might go through a grieving process of missing their old pals.
  • When you get to your new home, make sure that your teen has plenty of ways to keep in touch with their old friends, such as an internet connection and a cell phone plan.
  • Encourage your teen to get involved in the community of your new hometown, such as joining sports clubs or attending events. This can help them to make new friends.

Can They Stay Behind?

In some situations, the better option might be to let your teenager stay behind. If they are in their older teens, they will have finished high school, maybe have a job and be independent people of their own. Perhaps they could stay with a family member or parents of a friend for a while until they are old enough to move out on their own. This might make them a lot happier in the long run, rather than taking them along with you if they really don’t want to move.

For more advice on moving to your new home, feel free to contact me at rfellows@norcalpartners.com or phone me at 916-792-2368.

Links:

Angry: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/talk-angry-teen-5913.html

make new friends: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-make-a-bunch-of-new-friends-in-any-new-city.html

have a job: http://voices.yahoo.com/5-reasons-why-teenagers-after-school-331714.html?cat=25

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-make-a-bunch-of-new-friends-in-any-new- city.html

Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector

By Leave a Comment

When you buy a home, you need to know exactly what you’re buying. Imagine how frustrated you’d be to find out that the hot water heater wasn’t working—in the middle of a shower! This is why you should have a home inspection before you buy your home. A home inspection is an important part of buying your home. Before you hire a home inspector, ask candidates a few questions to make sure you hire a trustworthy inspector.

  1. What does your inspection cover? Not all inspections are the same. Ask for copies of previous home inspections so you can see exactly what they will check inside the home. If you are concerned about something specific, like a leaky faucet in the bathroom, mention that to the inspector so they can check it out.
  2. Are you licensed or certified? If you live in a state that licenses home inspectors, ask to see their license. At the very least, choose a home inspector who belongs to American Society of Home Inspectors. This shows a level of professionalism and education that you can trust.
  3. What kind of report will you give me? You should expect a written report detailing what the inspector found. Most inspectors will give you a typed report within a week of the inspection. Make sure the inspector will be available to explain anything on the report that doesn’t make sense to you.
  4. Will I be able to attend the inspection? If the inspector refuses to let you be present during the home inspection, find someone else. This is your chance to know exactly what you are buying and what potential repairs you or the seller will have to make.

As your real estate agent, I will guide you through the home buying process. Let me help you find your new home. Call me today at 916-792-2368 or email me at rfellows@norcalpartners.com.

LINKS:

  1. Home inspection – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_inspection
  2. American Society of Home Inspectors. – http://www.ashi.org/
  3. Easy household repairs. – http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/5-home-repairs-you-should-do-yourself.htm

Tips for Getting a Mortgage

By Leave a Comment

Are you considering buying a property as a second home or investment? Perhaps you are looking for a small cottage or apartment where you can escape for vacation, or maybe you want to have another home closer to family. Maybe you want to rent out your second property and make a steady income from your investment. Whatever the reason, a second piece of real estate can be a fantastic investment. However, sometimes getting a mortgage on your second home can be a challenge.

Generally, a mortgage lender will have tougher standards for second home loans than primary home loans. This is because usually when you are buying a second home your finances will be stretched thinner and you will have less money to spare because you are already paying a mortgage on your primary home. This will mean that your second home mortgage can be harder to get and might have a higher interest rate.

Here are some tips to keep in mind that will help you to get the best mortgage on your second property: Build up a decent amount of savings. Your mortgage lender will want to be able to see that you have a large amount of savings so that you will have enough to pay for the mortgage even if you were to lose your job.

Pay off any credit card debt. Many lenders will be hesitant to approve your second home mortgage if they see that you have a lot of debt on your credit card. They will want to see that you have a low debt to income ratio so that you will be able to pay back the loan.

Use the first mortgage as a good reference. If you have always made your payments on time and you are most of the way through paying off your first house, you could ask someone from your current mortgage company to vouch for you. The lender for your second mortgage will be reassured that you are a reliable person to loan money to.

These are just a few tips to keep in mind in order to make getting a mortgage for your second property as easy as possible. To find out more about investing in property, contact me at rfellows@norcalpartners.com or phone me at 916-792-2368.