Asking These Questions Will Save You Money When Buying a New Construction Home

New construction homes are popping up everyone in the Grand Valley. We have seen tremendous growth over the last year! In 2016 there were 480 building permits issued. In 2017 there were 667 building permits issued. That's a 40% increase!

It's only fitting that on today's show Dave and Robert go over some questions to ask if you're purchasing a new construction home. And the best part: asking these questions could save you some money!

Read the short list of questions below and listen to the show for exciting and up-to-date information on new construction neighborhoods right here in the Grand Valley!

Questions to ask when purchasing a new construction home

1. What financial incentives do you offer for using your preferred lender and title company?
2. What are the standard finishes for the home I'd like to purchase? What features are considered upgrades?
3. What are the convents and restrictions in this neighborhood?
4. What are future building plans for this neighborhood?
5. What warranties do you provide?
6. Can you connect me with a past client for refferences?

2017 Grand Junction Real Estate Market Recap + 2018 Predictions

On today's show Robert and Dave recap the 2017 Grand Junction Real Estate Market. Last year was the best year we've had since 2008 in our market! They'll talk about how far we've come since 2010 and what we can expect moving into the new year. Listen to the show for all the details!

Typical New Year's Resolutions & How They Relate to Real Estate

Grand Junction Real Estate Advice

Listen to this week's show to hear how some of the New Year resolutions we typically make can also relate to our real estate goals.

Typical resolution: Loose weight.
How it relates to real estate: Get rid of excess possessions in your home and life. This year, commit to only purchasing the things you need.

Typical resolution: Get organized both fiscally & personally.
How it relates to real estate: Decluttering your home presents the perfect opportunity to also organize your home! Take this time to also organize your finances.

Typical resolution: Make financial investments.
How it relates to real estate: Acquire assets and not liabilities. Consider purchasing investment properties this year.

Typical resolution: Quit smoking.
How it relates to real estate: When you go to sell a home it is an absolute MUST to have a smoke-free home. Smoking inside your home will cost you about 10% of your home's overall value when you sell it.

Typical resolution: Spend more time with friends and family.
How it relates to real estate: You might want to consider moving to be closer to friends or family. Or if your family is growing, you might want to purchase a bigger home so you have more space for family activities.

Bonus Goals to Consider:

• Be kind and nice!
• Be generous!
• Focus on things you can control and leave behind things you can't.
• Make a differnce in something.

5 Tips to Help Your Home Make an Astounding First Impression on Home Buyers

Grand Junction Real Estate Advice

We make up our minds about people within seconds of meeting them. It's no different when you're selling your home. Buyers are making a decision about your home the very first time they see it. On today's show, Robert and Dave have 5 tips to help your home create a great first impression on buyers.

See the short list of tips below and listen to the show for detailed advice.

1. Break up with your home! Cut emotional ties with your home so it's easier to follow staging and remodel advice from your agent.
2. Focus on curb appeal. The front of your home is the first photo people will see online. It's important that they are enticed enough to click and see more!
3. Ask yourself, "If I was buying this home right now, what would I want changed?" Then change those things! 
4. Clean the clutter! Open up the space in your home by clearing it of any clutter.
5. Depersonalize your space. Packing up family photos and momentos will allow others to visualize themselves in your home.

What should you expect from your real estate agent?

Today we’re getting into the details! What exactly is the role of a real estate agent in helping buy or sell your home?

A lot of people really don’t know what a real estate agent should be doing for them. And because they don’t know the role of a real estate agent, they often miss out on some of the benefits of having an agent that does their job well.

Maybe you just hire any agent because you think they all do the same thing, but really you miss out on some bonuses because you simply don’t know that they should be doing certain things for you? It’s hard to ask questions if you don’t know what questions to ask!

The road to homeownership—or getting your home sold—can be bumpy, and it’s often filled with unexpected turns and detours. That’s why it makes sense to have a great real estate to help guide the way for you.

A Great Agent Should:

1. Save you time!
2. Be very knowledgeable of your area.
3. Be an expert guide for your market and for the process itself.
4. Find the right price for your home.
5. Effectively promote and market your home.
6. Have a strong network of professionals and agents around them.
7. Advocate for you as a buyer or seller.
8. Assist you with negotiations.
9. Take care of your paperwork down to the finest detail.

Tips for Finding Your Perfect Neighborhood

Figuring out which neighborhood you want to move to is probably one of the first steps in the home buying process. Today on the show we’re going to help you figure out which neighborhood is right for you!

If you’ve already started the home buying process, and found a house you think you love—we’re also going to give you some tips for figuring out if you’ll get along with the neighbors before you buy that perfect house. See the short list below and listen to the show for more details!

Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Do you have kids or are you planning on having kids anytime soon? You'll want to research schools, parks, open spaces
2. How far do you want to commute to work?
3. Do you want to be in a new neighborhood or an older neighborhood?
4. What do you want in a neighborhood? Close to restaurants, quite community, etc.
5. How much house can you afford?

Is a neighborhood right for you?

1. Remember your first impression of the neighborhood. 
2. Try to visualize your daily life in that neighborhood.
3. Check out the neighborhood at different times of the day and different days of the week.
4. Did the neighbors come out and talk to you during the showing? This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on if you're an introvert or an extrovert.
5. Talk to the neighbors to get the skinny on the neighborhood.
6. Is the neighborhood absolutely immaculate? Maybe not a good fit if keeping your property in perfect condition is not your thing.
7. Are there a bunch of high powered flood lights? Is this a sign of crime around the area.
8. Are there no cars in sight? Probably not the best if you use your garage as a shop or extra storage. Make sure you understand the neighborhood HOA rules.

Common Real Estate Myths BUSTED!

The Grand Junction Real Estate Report

There is a lot of information out there about the real estate process, but often times it's confusing to sort through it all and understand how the process really works. On today's show, Robert and Dave clear up the myths that most people believe about buying or selling a home. See the short list of myths below and listen to the show to hear the myths BUSTED!

COMMON REAL ESTATE MYTHS

1. All agents are created the same.

2. Real estate agents are paid a salary.

3. You must have 20% for a down payment.

4. You have to have perfect credit to buy a home.

5. Agents keep all the commission on the sale of a home.

6. Typical commission is 6% of the home sale.

7. An agents mileage and operating expenses are reimbursed.

8. Marketing expenses are paid for by the brokerage, not the agent.

9. A home will "pass" or "fail" an inspection.

10. Fall and winter are a bad time to sell.

11. Only real buyers shop on the weekends.

Must-Do September Home Improvement & Maintenance Projects

Today on the show Dave and Robert talk about some crucial home improvement and maintenance tasks to get done this fall and save yourself major money down the road! These are easy tasks to check off your list that will ensure you won't have major repairs in the future. As always see the short list below and listen to the show for added tips from Robert and Dave.

Home Maintenance Projects to Complete in September

1. Check your walkways for cracks and concrete damage.
2. Clean and repair the siding on your home.
3. Examine and repair any leaking faucets.
4. Make sure all windows are sealed correctly.
5. Change your air filters and check your furnace.
6. Go out to the shed and service your yard maintenance equiptment

Home improvements that are perfect to do in September

1. Redo your back decking--now is actually the perfect time of year!
2. Install a pool--you might get a great discount this time of year! We recommend giving Chad at Rimrock Pools a call.