http://Signaturepropertiesvt.com/blog/archive_202305/sort_entrydatetime-desc/ Our area is currently experiencing a seller’s market – there are less homes for sale, than interested buyers. This can make it difficult for buyers to break into the housing market; difficult, but not impossible. We have some tips to help you secure a home within your budget – even during a seller’s market.How seller’s markets come to exist:The main metric used when evaluating housing markets is home price appreciation. There are several factors which can influence the price of homes in any given area, including:Population growth. Generally, when there’s an increase in the number of people moving to a town, demand for housing begins to exceed supply. The basic law of Supply and Demand will tell you that too few homes will lead to an increased sales price.Job growth. An influx of new companies and jobs can in turn fuel population growth that turns areas into seller’s markets. This is a great indicator of economic progress! Unfortunately, it can also present challenges to buyers seeking to relocate to the area. Housing starts. The term “housing starts” refers to the number of new homes on which builders have started construction in any particular month. Because new construction directly affects supply, a decrease in housing starts can result in a sellers market.We are currently experiencing a seller’s market. Here’s how to tell:Average days on market (DOM). This measurement will tell us the average number of days a home stays on the market before changing hands. In our area, this number has been steadily dropping. In January 2021 48% of listed properties were under deposit within 30 days. In April 2021 that number has risen to 80%.Asking vs. final home price. In seller’s markets, bidding wars can often erupt among buyers, which means sellers may enjoy a final sales price that’s equal to their asking price, or more. So, if a home is listed at $450,000 and sells for $450,000, $460,000, or higher, that’s a seller’s market. In a strong seller’s market, the final sales price is typically at least 10% higher than the asking price.Buying a house in a seller’s marketTo compete against other buyers in a seller’s market, you need to be prepared. First off, you should meet with a mortgage lender to discuss your finances, and find out what you can afford. You’ll need a pre-approval letter before you start looking at homes; when competition is fierce, sellers want to know that the offers they’re receiving are backed by actual buying power.Once you have a pre-approval, you’ll want to hire a Realtor. It is crucial that you are represented during your purchase, especially in a seller’s market. The Realtor who has the home listed is contractually bound to represent the seller’s best interests not yours. You’ll want to find a Realtor that you trust to advocate for you, and get you into the areas you’re interested in. Often times Realtors will have knowledge of homes that haven’t even hit the market yet – take advantage of that knowledge!You’ll want to discuss with your Realtor your wants, needs, and desired location. When housing supply is low, try to keep an open mind and consider exploring areas slightly outside of your target. Once you’ve found a home, you and your Realtor will work quickly to submit an offer. Consider adding an Escalation Clause to your contract, which basically states “if sellers receive an offer higher than this one, I am willing to increase my offer to X.” You may also want to add a personal letter to the sellers with your contract, sometimes small details like that can really set your offer apart.Written by Jarah Romasco on February 1, 2021. Posted in Buyer tips Tags: home buying, real estate, sellers market http://Signaturepropertiesvt.com/blog/9/how-to-buy-a-home-in-a-sellers-market/ Tue, 30 May 2023 05:03:16 -0500 Your tap water is probably not as clean as you think.We all know that water is essential for survival and maintaining health, but if you’re drinking straight out of the tap, there are some things you should be aware of. When you drink tap water, especially municipal water, there are loads of additives, including beneficial minerals (like magnesium), and harmful contaminants like lead, mercury, pesticides and trace amounts of prescription medications. It can be a witches’ cauldron of potentially harmful unknowns. One common misconception is that boiling tap water will remove all trace substances; it will kill off any living organisms, but it won’t actually remove any contaminants in the process. However, there are some options to mitigate your exposure.You may be wondering how the water from your tap could possibly be so dirty. Well, simply put, it has most likely traveled several miles, through pipes which can pass along lead, chlorine, ammonia etc. before finally arriving to your home. The problem is, we may not know exactly which contaminants are present in our water. The Environmental Working Group investigated the nation’s drinking water supply over the course of 3 years and found that 85% of the population’s water contained more than 300 contaminants, more than half of which are not regulated by the EPA.Now, you may be thinking bottled water is the holy grail at this point. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily the case. In fact, bottled water is also not regulated by the EPA and there are no studies proving that it’s any safer than the water from your tap! Not to mention the resources that are used to produce and transport the water, and the contaminants leached from the plastic bottle itself into the water.Some of the most common water chemicals & contaminants…1. FluorideAdding fluoride to drinking water is a process that began back in the 1940’s to help reduce tooth decay. It sounds like a noble cause but fluoride is a neurotoxin and an endocrine disruptor. It can harm the thyroid gland and calcify the pineal gland. Fluoride is toxic, and several countries have banned the practice of adding it to water.2. ChlorineChlorine is known to be a sanitizing agent, and has been added to drinking water as a purification technique, despite not being completely safe. Chlorine bonds with water, including the water in your gut, to produce poisonous hydrochloric acid. Long term effects include memory loss and impaired balance.3. Lead Corroded pipes can release up to ten times the allowable amount of lead into the water. Lead is extremely toxic, especially to children and can cause developmental issues, stunted growth and even brain damage.4. MercuryMercury is a naturally occurring element, which does not mean that it’s safe. It can find its way into our water supply as a byproduct of mining practices. Unfortunately, it is an extremely efficient traveler and transfers easily from wind to water. Mercury exposure can cause brain damage, blindness, nerve damage, muscle loss and a host of other conditions.5. Prescription Medications If you're drinking public water, you are ingesting trace amounts of hormones, antibiotics and other prescription medications. When wastewater is treated, most contaminants are cleared, but the process cannot remove all excreted substances. Although levels are low, the risk of ingesting trace prescriptions over the course of a lifetime are unknown.Now that we’ve gone over the gloom and doom, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you don’t already have a home water filtration system, you may want to look into one. There are several options depending on your budget and your level of concern. You can go as far as to install a whole-house filtration system, or you can go the more minimally invasive route and invest in an individual drinking water and shower filter unit.For drinking water, you have a few options:-You can choose an undercounter unit that will be tucked away and do a great job at filtering out contaminants. There is some installation required, and the initial cost may be slightly off putting, but there are other options.-You could opt for a countertop filter which uses water pressure to force the filtration process and results in healthier, better tasting water. These require minimal installation, little space and are cost effective.-Lastly, you could opt for a water pitcher filter which is great if you’re low on counter space, and working within a budget. These fit easily in your refrigerator and are very simple to use.When it comes to showering, there are a few things to consider:Your skin is incredibly absorbent, which means any of those nasty water chemicals can enter your bloodstream. Now, you could install a shower water filter which will help mitigate exposure. These are cost effective and simple to put into place. If that isn’t an option, try to reduce the time spent in the shower and reduce the temperature of the water so that pores don’t absorb as much.Your morning shower should not include daily exposure to chlorine, carcinogens and vaporized chemical contaminants being absorbed into your skin and breathed into your lungs. Without a shower filter, it does.We hope this information is useful to you! Investing in a water filtration system of some sort is a good idea whether you live in an area with town water, or if you use well water.Written by Jarah Romasco on February 1, 2021. Posted in Homeowner Tips Tags: drinking water, tips, water filtration, water safety http://Signaturepropertiesvt.com/blog/8/how-safe-is-your-drinking-water?-steps-to-improve-it!/ Fri, 26 May 2023 05:43:27 -0500 Is there anything better than relaxing outside during the warm, sunny summer months? We’ve put together 5 tips to make your outdoor space the perfect place to unwind and entertain. You may even increase your home’s value in the process!  A few well placed pops of color can really tie a room together and make it look expensive. You don’t have to spend a fortune, or overhaul your existing furniture to achieve a more cohesive look. Pick up a few outdoor throw pillows , a fun rug and a coordinating umbrella  and your patio will be instantly refreshed! Think of your potted plants as accessories and display them around the area for added interest. No need to head inside once the sun sets! Add some festive lighting to your patio and we’re sure you’ll find yourself hanging out there long into the evening. You can find tons of fun string lights, lanterns and even outdoor lamps at any hardware store these days. You can even add in a few citronella candles and torches to keep the bugs at bay. Add a stylish outdoor rug to your patio to make the area feel more cozy and pulled together. It’s amazing how an area rug can make the space feel like an extension of your home! There are tons of inexpensive options available online. Turn your patio into a real retreat by adding a privacy fence and some tall landscaping around the perimeter. These plants are great for creating natural screens for your yard. Add a fire pit, hammock, outdoor bar or lawn games to your patio for added entertainment and fun! You may find yourself spending more time outside than inside this summer!Written by Jarah Romasco on February 1, 2021. Posted in Homeowner TipsTags: entertaining, gardening, home decor, outdoor decor, patio http://Signaturepropertiesvt.com/blog/7/5-tips-to-take-your-patio-to-the-next-level/ Fri, 26 May 2023 05:38:48 -0500 Not every home is equipped with a spacious kitchen, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style or function! We have some great tips to help maximize any small kitchen.The ceiling is the limit.The extent to which you’ll be able to expand your storage upward will depend upon the amount of cabinetry your kitchen has. That being said, nearly every kitchen can use some amount of wall space. If you have an older home with less cabinets, installing rows of shelves is an excellent way to get utensils, appliances, cutting boards cookbooks up off of the counters. If you don’t have room for extra shelving, you will have to make the most of the space between the counter tops and the bottoms of the cabinets. This can be a great area to install a spice rack, or hang magnetic strips for knives. You can even set up metal rods to hang utensils from! Sometimes it just takes a little extra creativity to figure out what will work best. Under the sink storage.If you’re like most of us, the area under your kitchen sink has become a black hole filled with miscellaneous cleaning supplies. If that sounds like you, it’s time to invest in some under the sink storage  to make the most of this space. You’ll be shocked at how much room you have once you get everything up and organized! You might even find a lost “treasure” or two in the process. Upgrade your lighting.You know what makes a small kitchen feel even smaller? Bad lighting. Upgrading your fixtures is a relatively simple and inexpensive project that’ll not only make your space feel more open, but also give you a chance to show off your style! We’re especially fond of pendant lights in a small kitchen. You can find some great ones here. Pops of color.Last but not least, don’t be afraid to add a few pops of color! Like we said earlier, having a small space doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice style. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how far a well placed piece of art, a colorful dish towel or a vase of flowers will go toward adding interest.Written by Jarah Romasco on February 1, 2021. Posted in Homeowner TipsTags: decor, kitchen, small spaces, tips http://Signaturepropertiesvt.com/blog/6/tips-to-make-the-most-of-a-small-kitchen/ Fri, 26 May 2023 05:32:12 -0500 According to the National Association of Realtors, for every $100 invested in staging, the potential return is $400! Staged homes not only bring in higher offers, but they normally sell much quicker than their non-staged counterparts. If you’re thinking of listing your home, we would highly recommend at least some level of www. Read on for our top tips to get your home prepped for sale.Keep Decor Neutral.Neutral doesn’t have to mean boring. What we mean is avoid bold, bright colors (this includes stark white!) all throughout the home. The goal here is to appeal to the masses, and while your favorite color may be fuchsia, it won’t necessarily translate well to potential buyers. That being said, we’re providing tips to give you the best return on your investment, so if re-painting is out of the question, it’ll just require some extra attention and thoughtful accessorizing to convince buyers that fuchsia might be their new favorite color.De-ClutterWhen buyers walk into your home, they want to be able to picture themselves, and their belongings there. Think of this step as a head-start on packing, and really minimize any extra possessions. A vase of flowers and a nice painting here and there will be great, but it’s time to pack up personal pictures, diplomas, framed certificates, refrigerator art, etc. It’s not that buyers wouldn’t like your taste, it’s that their goal is to make the space their own. It’s easier to do that if personal possessions are kept to a minimum. While we’re on the topic, this is also a good time to consider removing anything that could be considered divisive (think political memorabilia and the like).Strike a balance.Yes, you’re right, we just told you to minimize your personal possessions. But, what you don’t want to do is go too far and remove every stitch of personality from the home. Selling a vacant home can be just as challenging as selling an overcrowded one. Remember how we said buyers are trying to picture themselves living in your home? That’ll be a lot easier to do when rooms remain furnished. Surprisingly, furnished rooms actually appear bigger than empty ones! They also show less flaws and make it appear as though you’re not in a huge rush to sell. Sometimes a vacant home can give that impression and therefore bring in lower offers.Remodel with caution.Not only is remodeling generally a very pricey and time consuming process, but it can be a big gamble. Furthermore, if you need to take out a loan in order to fund your remodel, it could be harmful to your credit score and run you the risk of not recouping your investment. Even sellers with the best of intentions can’t predict what buyers will be looking for in terms of decor. This is one of those situations where you’d be wise to consult with your realtor and get their opinion before taking on an extensive remodel. That being said, cosmetic fixes and repairs are always good things to get taken care of before listing your home.Be Timeless.Interior design trends, just like fashion trends, come and go and there is a fine line between retro-funk and just plain out dated decor. When preparing your home for sale, it’s best to air on the side of caution and avoid anything too trendy. A pop of color here and there (think pillows, curtains, bedding) can be very tasteful, but avoid anything that could read as out dated (shag carpeting, ruffled tapestry etc.).Did you know that we offer home staging advice? If you’re considering listing your home, we will happily offer personalized guidance to steer you in the right direction! Send us an email for more information.Written by Jarah Romasco on February 1, 2021. Posted in Homeowner Tips, Seller Tips Tags: fsbo, home selling, home staging, tips http://Signaturepropertiesvt.com/blog/5/home-staging-tips-to-sell-your-home-faster-and-for-more-money!/ Fri, 26 May 2023 05:24:45 -0500