Brian Ripp ~ Your Bay Area & Fremont Real Estate & Financial Agent » fix ups

Quick Fix-Up

Brian Ripp — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:34:49 +0000

Here are five improvements you can make that might help your home sell faster in a cooling market:

1. Create a welcoming entrance. Make sure your front door is clean, polish the hardware (or replace it if necessary) and repaint the door if it is in poor shape. Finally, add a new doormat, update your mailbox, and place attractive greenery or flowers on either side of the door.

2. Remove clutter and put it in storage. Box up anything you won’t use in the next few months (including holiday decorations, seasonal closthing or sports equipment, old toys, etc.) and send it to a storage faclility.

3. Replace outdated window treatments with simple white miniblinds or wood blinds cut-to-measure at a home center. This is a fairly simple fix that can refresh your rooms in just one weekend.

4. Update your storage space with closet systems so the closet looks organized, not cluttered.

5. Have wood floors professionally cleaned and polished. If you have worn, dirty or badly colered carpeting with wood underneath, tear out and expose the wood.

Homeowner Remodeling Upturn Expected in 2010

Brian Ripp — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:00:29 +0000

Home improvement spending is projected to reach a cyclical bottom in the first quarter of this year and steadily increase throughout the year, according to the latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Home improvement spending is projected to ease from the current rate of 12.0 percent to 3.1 percent in the third quarter.

Kermit Baker, director at the Joint Center for Housing Studies says several remodeling industry fundamentals are beginning to turn positive. “Sales of existing homes are on the rise and home price declines are moderating in most markets across the country,” Baker says. “Financing costs are also favorable, although credit availability remains tight for many households.”

from: CRS Member Connect e-mail update

Financing Home Fix-Ups

Brian Ripp — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:48:14 +0000

Thinking of making improvements that will add to your home’s value but don’t know how to pay for them? Many small projects can be done with little expense, so funding them may not be a problem. If you have the experience and tools to do the work yourself, it can be even more affordable.

When a professional is required, however, you may need to borrow money to pay for the improvements. One financing option is cash-out refinancing.

Interest rates and the amount of your current mortgage balance will determine whether you can refinance with enough cash to cover a remodeling project and still retain affordable monthly payments.

As with any large project, you need to keep your goals in mind. If your main goal is to increase the value of your home with a renovation, you should first determine how much value each project will actually add. That way, you can decide how your money would be best spent to gain the most value.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker - your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.