Trendy Kitchens?

Dear Dave,
We’re in the market for buying a home. We have seen a lot of different houses and my wife and I are a bit divided when it comes to what we like in a kitchen.

She really wants to buy a home with a more modern kitchen- you know granite counters, fancy glass backsplashes, etc.  I on the other hand, want something that doesn’t seem so trendy. What do you think of these new modern looking kitchens? Are they a good investment in a home or do you think it is a trend that will not be popular in a few years?We would like to hear your take on this.

Thank you-
Luke and Jen - Fruita, CO

 

Luke and Jen,
Luke, don’t fight trendy!  Give Jen what she wants and don’t look back!  My bet is you will grow to love it and it will make your life better on many fronts!  All kidding aside, trendy can be a problem when looking for a new home and proceeding with some caution is warranted. You ultimately want something that is somewhat timeless, if you can get it but don’t let the concern over the unknown future over ride what you love now!


Granite counter tops and glass backsplashes don’t necessarily constitute “trendy” or “modern”, however I think I know where you are going with this.   A more “contemporary” look and feel is probably what is giving you some level of concern.  There is no doubt the harder lines and colors that are typical of today’s contemporary kitchens are now what buyers are wanting.  I believe you have to find some common or middle ground between the modern and timeless looks you each like so it will make it easier for a transition down the road.  If you look closely, you can generally make about any kitchen or room less or more contemporary by changing paint colors, cabinet hardware, lighting and plumbing fixtures.   Just as you can create a complete makeover on yourself, by changing your hairstyle and adding a stylish new jacket, you can do the same by making some of these small changes.

Some concern is warranted, however I would not be overly cautious, unless modern feel and style is over the top.  When the time comes you can make the changes needed to lessen the contemporary feel, if needed.  Who knows, maybe this trend will be around for a long time and be more of a new normal, not a trend.  One of the things to remember is that contemporary works well in small spaces, as it feels less “heavy” and cluttered.   If the size of homes continue to shrink, the contemporary style and function may stick around longer than anticipated.

One thing is for sure, regardless of what style you buy now, it will change over time. Purchase the home and style you love, or Jen loves, and don’t worry about what is will be!  My bet is your concern will not be worth the energy spent on it.  As my wife often reminds me of the quote by Mark Twain, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my live, most of which never happened.”  I wish I had said that, as my natural disposition is to worry about things I can’t control.  I am working on this constantly and it is soooo hard!   Hope this helps.  Have a happy and Safe New Year.

Dave Kimbrough
The Kimbrough Team

Seller Checklist - Getting Your Home Ready

Dear Dave,
We are considering selling our home in the spring. Do you have a seller’s checklist or something that you give to people to help them figure out what will add the most value when they sell a house?

We’re just trying to decide if there is anything we can do this winter to help get more money for our house when we do sell.

Thanks for the help!
Don and Linda - Grand Junction, CO

 

Don and Linda,

YES!  No specific checklist, but you can make a huge difference over the winter!  After football season is over, maybe after college football is over, stop watching television and start taking advantage of the cold winter months… INSIDE!   There are countless things you can do and not break your bank while doing them.

Interior & Floor Coverings

The first two things I always recommend is to evaluate your interior paint and floor coverings.  Nothing says “come buy me” like new paint and carpet.  Who doesn’t love the smell of new paint and carpet?  It is almost as good as the smell of my Moms homemade Pound Cake!  Mom, I’m just kidding.  Anyways, new paint and new flooring are BIG bang for the buck items and if you have a steady hand you can paint most everything yourself. The next big “bang for your buck” improvement is lighting and plumbing fixtures.
 

Lighting and Plumbing

Lighting and plumbing can make a huge difference and not break the bank.  The beauty of Lowes and Home Depot, and other DIY stores is that it has made cosmetic home renovation easy and inexpensive.  Try this on for size, while you are replacing the light fixtures, jump outside the box and get crazy by getting rid of all the old brass door knobs and door hinges.  If that is not enough, paint all those old dark brown doors white and just watch your hallways expand before your very eyes. These easy corrections are all inexpensive and offer a great return on investment.   The last inexpensive fix is to get rid of any and all “vintage style” wall paper.  I am not talking about the new styles that are in vogue, but the old Brady Bunch stuff.  You know what I am talking about and who you are.  As Donald Trump would say, “it’s a disaster, get rid of it”.   You will not have even a minute of fun doing it, but you will be so glad you did when it is over.  If you are looking for a more significant and costly project, you have options there as well.

Bathrooms and kitchens

Bathrooms and kitchens top the list for “whole room” remodels.  A renovation of these two rooms will have the most significant impact on both the look and feel of your home, but also your wallet.  You can make big changes with new counter tops, backsplashes, tile, sinks, etc.   If you can stay away from having to completely replace the cabinets you might just have some money left over for retirement.  The goal here is to make an impact, but spend your money wisely.  You want to make high impact changes for low impact cost.  Follow these guidelines and I will almost guarantee you will be thrilled with your return on investment.


Dave Kimbrough

Open Houses Over the Holidays?

Dear Dave,
Our home is currently for sale and we are considering having an open house to showcase our home and offer some holiday treats to the neighbors.

What do you think of this idea?  We are getting frustrated and really need to get our home sold.  We need to do anything we can to make that happen.

Thank you,
Bonnie and Roger – Grand Junction, CO


Bonnie and Roger,

Oh, I know how you feel.  This is a common seller response when the showings get further and further apart and old man winter is bearing down on us.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?   Not so fast…..  Remember, this can be a hard time of year for home sales. Statistically speaking the two month period from the middle of December to the middle of February are the two slowest months of the year.  This is not to say that homes don’t sell during this time - they do, but in far fewer numbers than other months of the year.  Showing traffic can be slow and contracts can be hard to generate and frustrations can run high. 


In the real estate business we are competing for people’s time and attention year round, but this time of year it is especially difficult.  Right now everyone’s time and attention is consumed by so many things - seasonal parties, school performances, family get-togethers and Christmas shopping make it near impossible to find time to shop for a new home.  The silver lining is that buyers who are home shopping are generally serious and are not just kicking the tires, so every showing counts!


 I, personally, am not a big believer in open houses as a tool to actually sell homes.  Open houses are a very useful tool for meeting new customers and introducing them to your services and company, however, they rarely result in a buyer for the home being held open!  They do provide the seller some visual evidence that something is being done to sell their home and sometimes that is important enough to warrant an open house.  Especially during this time of year, I would suggest you trust that your agent has a marketing plan in place that is reaching the buyers who are shopping for a new home.  Lean on their marketing plan and expertise, not on an open house as a desperate effort to sell your home.   


I know the sale of your home is important, very important, but sometimes, patience is what is needed and this time of year patience is key.  For your own sanity, this is not the season to get desperate and wrapped around the axle.  I suggest taking a deep breath and enjoying the blessings of the next thirty days.  Focus on friends and family and enjoy the Christmas season.  If your home sells, chalk it up to your agent’s good marketing plan and finding the right buyer. If your home does not sell, I suggest meeting with your agent the middle of January and adjusting your game plan to get the job done as the market pulls out of the Holiday hangover.  Hang in there.  You will get it done, however right now may not be the time to pull out all the stops.

Dave Kimbrough
The Kimbrough Team

To De-Ice, or Not to De-Ice

Dear Dave,

I occasionally use salt on my driveway to melt snow. It is north facing and I have a heck of a time getting it to melt without using a melting agent.

I have had a few neighbors who have had a lot of trouble with their concrete because they use salt to melt the ice and now the concrete is falling apart in places.

I am sure you have run across this before, what would be your recommendation on this? I really don’t want to have chipped up concrete if I can avoid it, but I certainly don’t want to be the cause of it! I would appreciate your input - thanks!

George - Fruita, CO

George,

This is a common problem and one we talk about a lot this time of year, especially after we have received some snow and the temperatures have remained close or below freezing for an extended period of time.  While investigating your options I decided to consult a friend of mine who is a concrete expert, Lawrence Balerio at High Grade Concrete here in Grand Junction.  Lawrence knows all things concrete.

“There are several solutions to managing Icy concrete during the winter months, but your first line of defense is to make sure to shovel all snow off your concrete before you walk or drive over it.  Also make sure to divert all water off your concrete surfaces.”  The removal of snow from your concrete will greatly reduce your need to use ice melt products.  “The de-icing products typically don’t attack the concrete, but by lowering the freezing temperature this may increase the number of freeze and thaw cycles of the moisture on an in the surface of the concrete.  When moisture in the surface layer of the concrete freezes it will expand which results in small areas of the concrete popping off or spalling.”

Remember that the deicing products are meant to be removed with the snow and ice and when they are not removed and just left to sit and dissolve on the concrete surface, this is when the real trouble occurs.  Lawrence also says there are several other methods that can be useful for Ice and snow.  “Kitty litter and sand are also helpful to have.  They will not melt the ice or snow, but will allow some added traction and reduce the likelihood of slipping and having a nasty fall.  You can also take a hammer and tap on the ice and many times that will break it up enough to be removed, without having to use any foreign material and can be done without damaging your concrete”

Last but not least, there is preventative maintenance that can be done.  Balerio says, “Prevention is your best defense.  By having your concrete sealed every year or at least every other year, you will give it a protective layer that will prevent damage from the freeze/thaw cycles.”

As you can see, there are no easy answers, but at a minimum you can prevent a lot of problems by proactively shoveling your sidewalks and drive ways.  Avoid the buildup of ice and snow on your concrete and consider having your concrete sealed as a preventative measure next spring or summer.  I have heard it my whole life and in this case it is true, all things in moderation!  If you have to use ice melt products, use them in moderation and make sure you remove the residue as soon as the ice and snow have melted.  Have a wonderful winter and go pick up a new snow shovel and get a little exercise the next time it snows!

 Dave Kimbrough

The Kimbrough Team

Homeowners Insurance Questions

Dear Dave,

We recently bought a house and have been looking at what exactly our homeowner’s insurance covers.  We are quickly learning that there is a lot more to it than we initially thought and it is actually more complicated that we imagined it would be.  What do you think are the most important things to consider when evaluating your homeowner’s insurance?

Linda – Grand Junction, CO

Linda,

I will admit, your question is going to teach me a thing or two about homeowner’s insurance, as I must admit it is not something I have spent any significant time looking over.  I have spent the past 15 years trusting my insurance agent, Mike Daniels at American Family Insurance, to make sure we have the right insurance coverage.  So where better to turn for a little help in giving you a credible answer?  I asked Mike to give us some insight into what you need to look for when reviewing your homeowner’s policy.

“Keep in mind that every homeowners needs are different and very personal, finding a local company and a local representative is a leading factor to ensure you are getting proper guidance and counsel.  There are a lot of great people in the business.  There are

2 homeowner’s policies that are very popular, HO3 and HO5.  Both of these will cover all named perils, however the form 5 will throw in some supplementary coverages that some will find important and some will not.

Everyone should pay close attention to look over the named perils of how the home is covered.  These primarily include fire, smoke, theft, windstorm, hail, explosion, vandalism, and frozen and broken plumbing.  Every company or agent should provide you with a brochure of all the named perils and supplementary coverages included with your policy.  When the policy comes in the mail, take the time to review the coverages and then also spend time reviewing the exclusion section of your policy.  It is important that if you have questions to call your agent to answer your questions or correct anything that may need to be fine-tuned.

As a home owner you need to consider the dwelling amount, how much will it be to re-build your home?  Make sure the insurance policy will cover that amount in full.  It is also important to know how much the deductible amount is on your policy.  Make sure to ask yourself how much you can afford if you have a loss?   The higher the deductible the lower your premium costs will be.  Generally speaking, if you maintain your property, you should be able to go with a higher deductible.  Lastly you also need to consider personal property loss.

When we are looking at personal property coverage, the questions to ask are how much? And how is that covered?  Also consider any specialty items you want covered such as jewelry, coin or gun collections or just any collection or specialty items you want to make sure are covered.  Lastly, look for discounts including Alarm systems, age and type of roofs, age of home, complete renovations.  It is also possible to save by combining other insurance needs including automobile and umbrella policies.  MOST IMPORTANTLY, review your homeowner’s policy at least every two years!” 

Well, that about covers it and as you can see, there is a lot to it and being a bit overwhelmed is completely understandable.  I always recommend, find an agent you can trust and build a relationship with.  I know, for our family, when we need our insurance to kick in, we can trust Mike has us properly covered.  Consistently review your policy with your agent to ensure you are both staying on top of your policies and things that may have changed so you are properly covered if you ever have to make that call.   

Dave Kimbrough

The Kimbrough Team

What Makes a Good Realtor?

Dave,

My parents have sold several homes over the years, but generally leave the experience with only a luke warm feeling towards their agent.   It seems like they generally are disappointed about the process and the outcome.  They are going to sell their home in Arizona this spring and we would love some suggestions as to what questions they should ask when they interview agents this time around.  I am not sure it help, but I figured I would at least try.  I am confident you have some questions that will help them find a quality agent.  Thanks for the insight.

Andrea, Grand Junction    

Andrea,

This is a funny question, as it is still surprising to me that more sellers don’t ask more questions than they generally ask.  I guess they just generally assume I know what I am doing, however this could be a very costly assumption depending on who they are interviewing.  Real Estate is such a relationship based business model that often times the relationship outweighs the expertise and if you take this stance it can cost you thousands of dollars.  I also think most people are not very good at asking questions or don’t want to seem pushy.  I must admit that I am not a great question asker, as it is a real art and gift.  Asking the right questions is “THE” key to finding a good real estate agent.   Here are a few:

On average, how many homes have you sold each year for the past 3 years?

• You are looking for an answer that is somewhere north of 25 homes.  Any less than 2 per month and it would be hard to call it your profession.

Is Real Estate your full time Job?

• You want to hear “YES”.  If not, end the interview.

What will be your marketing strategy for my home?

• You want to see a comprehensive strategy with several marketing avenues in place with an emphasis on consistency and frequency of message.

What separates you from you competition?

• This should tell you a lot.  They should know their competition and better yet, know their marketing plan, office processes and how those are superior.

How will you communicate with me?

• This one may be the most important… if you get an answer that feels like there is no plan that means there is no plan.  Again, end the interview if the answer is not specific on when and how you can expect communication.

What negatives do you see with my home?

• If they are unsure of what negatives exist or what the barriers to sale may be, then they either they are not willing to confront the issues or they don’t have the skill set to identify them.  Again, unless they provide you with some insight, end the interview.  Even the most perfect house, has flaws.  

Will you provide references?

• Ask for them and call them.  You are “interviewing”, do your homework or don’t blame the agent if it does not work out!

Notice, the question about how much the house is worth is not on the list.  Make your decision based on the answers to questions similar to the ones listed above, not what value the agent tells you your home should sell for.  Trust me, if the answers to the above questions all fit, then you and the agent will be able to find you a real market value for your home and have a great relationship through to closing.  I hope this helps your folks and that the process is enjoyable.   Part of making the ride enjoyable is doing your homework up front so you are comfortable with the driver.  Then you can sit back and relax knowing you are in good hands.  

Dave Kimbrough

The Kimbrough Team

Do Budgets Work?

Dear Dave,

It seems like everywhere I turn these days there is someone talking about Dave Ramsey and his budget plans.  It has really got me thinking about budgeting and has prompted me to look into some different apps and plans to do this effectively.

This past year we purchased a home and I really want to make sound decisions as I move into my 30’s and budget and invest wisely.Do you have any great advice for me in terms of budgeting and home ownership? I value your opinion and look forward to reading your advice every week!

Thanks,

Alex - Grand Junction, CO

Alex,

Great question and it is awesome that you are looking to be fiscally responsible as you move into what are your prime income earning years - your 30’s and 40’s.  Dave Ramsey, in my mind, without question is on the forefront of fiscal responsibility with his programs, talk show and web site.  You can find an incredible amount of financial advice at daveramsey.com and there you will find his 7 baby steps to taking control of your money!  Let me add, purchasing a home is a wonderful way to start creating wealth.

Several of the “Baby Steps” listed on the Dave Ramsey website make a ton of sense, regardless of your age.  First, is to save $1000 for an emergency fund.  You never know what curveball’s life is going to throw, but there is little doubt there will be some coming your way.  Having an emergency fund, for a bump in the road, is a wonderful idea and you will be prepared for that broken arm, car repair or trip to visit a sick family member.   As any experienced home owner will tell you, there are many things that can pop up at the most unexpected times - like a hot water heater, furnace, swamp cooler, roof repairs, fallen tree and much more.   This emergency fund can also relieve quite a bit of stress, just knowing that you have something to fall back on, if necessary.   After you have saved your emergency fund, it is a great idea to save and have at least 3-6 months of expenses in savings.  This will allow you to weather the more significant problems that come up in life….. the birth of a child, loss of a job or a  major health related issue.  Having 3-6 months built up can offer you the mental freedom of knowing you have taken steps to protect you, your family and your future from a potential disaster.

It is a great idea to pay off all debt, except your home.  Your home is generally financed at a low interest rate and the interest each year is tax deductible. Non-mortgage debt is generally high interest debt and paying it down is critical to gaining financial freedom.  Getting rid of credit card debt is key.  According to nerdwallet.com, the average American house hold (of households who have credit card debt) currently carry over $16,000 in credit card debt and the high interest rates on that debt makes it very hard to pay off.  Remember, before you purchase something with your credit card, ask yourself “how bad do I really need this and can I pay it off in the next 30 days?”  When I got my first credit card, my parents advised me to ask these questions and it has been very beneficial to me. Even today,   I still ask myself those questions before pulling the trigger on the newest video game or tennis shoes.  The answers to those two questions will probably lead to less spending and also the accumulation of less stuff.  If you are spending less, you should now be able to begin saving more for retirement.

Your home is now a big part of your wealth building and financial portfolio.  Make sure to treat it as such.  Keep up with maintenance and updating to help protect your investment.   Remember to celebrate your successes and let them build on one another until you become a saving machine!  I have no doubt you have a very bright future.

Dave Kimbrough

The Kimbrough Team

Do Open Houses Work?

Dear Dave,

Our house has been for sale for about 2 months now.  It is in a higher price bracket and we aren’t having many showings at all.  What is your opinion on open houses this time of year?  Are they worth the work and the hassle for us and our Realtor?  

We would appreciate your opinion.

Thanks,

Bob  - Montrose, CO

Bob,

I believe this to be our first question from Montrose, thus I can’t resist a quick answer.  Open houses are not a significant part of our marketing efforts, not because we don’t want to sell houses, but because they are not statistically effective at selling houses.  Open houses are a very good place for real estate agents to meet new home buyers and sellers and add them to their client list, however they are low on the impact meter for directly impacting home sales.

My opinion is that open houses are overall fairly benign as a marketing tool.  If you and your agent want to have one then you should have one.  I would advise you to not hold your breath while you are away from home that Sunday afternoon, as it is statistically not probable to produce a sale, but it may help get you more traffic through you home if traffic is what you are looking to achieve.  Realize the open house is another tool to potentially sell and advertise your home, however like most marketing methods it will not be the silver bullet you are likely wanting it to be.  Hope this helps and I am happy as a clam to answer a question for Montrose!

Dave Kimbrough

The Kimbrough Team