Roxann and Your Home Team News


Home Repairs for Resale of Your Home

June 20th, 2011

When you think real estate, you think homes for sale.  When you consider putting your home on the market, there are home repairs you should not ignore.  You might be tempted to put off fixing your home until the economy rebounds, but some problems if left unchecked can lead into thousand of dollars in repairs and might even compromise your family’s health — such as mold contamination.

The trouble signs are easy to spot, provided you know what to look for.  What’s more, contractors aren’t as busy now, so they’re likely to be more flexible on price.  Here are some of the biggest red flags of home maintenance.

1) Roofs and Siding – roofs are the most vulnerable to water infiltration, given their exposure to the elements and the laws of gravity.  Keep a look out for cracks, curled or missing shingles which are signs that a roof may be near the end of its life.  Also be sure to check flashing around the chimney, skylights and roof valleys as well as rubber boots around vents for cracks.

Siding is also susceptible to leaks, especially where it meets windows and doors.  A $5 tube of caulk might save you thousands of dollars in structural repair.

2) Pest Infestations — Termites and carpenter ants gravitate to moist soil and rotting wood.  Be sure to keep your gutters in good shape and soil around your foundation graded properly away from the house.  Be sure to keep mulch, firewood and dense shrubbery away from your foundation.  Once termite infiltrate a home, they can bore through the structure in a few short years.  Be sure to have a yearly inspection.

Also be sue to remove debris and disorder from the property such as leaf piles.  Plug holes in the siding and foundation walls with expandable foam.  Don’t forget to look up for signs of birds, bees or squirrels in soffits and attic vents.

3) Mold and Mildew — Hot outdoor temperatures can drive even small amounts of water trapped in the structure to condense on colder interior surfaces, leading to mold.   Musty odors, dank air and family members with chronic runny noses are warning signs.  Check under carpets and around windows for visible mold or mildew.

Some mold in small amounts can be treated yourself by scrubbing with a mixture of detergent (bleach) and water and then drying completely.  Professional remediation is required for larger outbreaks.

4) Foundation Cracks — Some cracks are harmless but others can mean trouble!  Hairline cracks are probably the result of concrete curing or minor settling.  Also be on the lookout for horizontal cracks or bulging or buckling. Along with expanding cracks, those conditions require attention of a structural engineer.

More red flags are cracks at upper corners of windows and doors, mushrooms or fungus growing out of siding, soft boards or loose rails on outdoor decks, soggy ground and lush vegetation around septic tanks, missing or torn insulation in attic and scratches or algae on siding.

The longer you wait to correct problems, the more costly it will probably be!  Be sure to perform monthly maintenance checks for your property to ensure these and other repairs don’t become a resale issue!

For more information or additional real estate needs, be sure to contact me — Roxann — at 618-624-1985!

Spring Gardening Tips to Help Sell Your Real Estate

March 31st, 2011

It is still wishful thinking across much of the country, but the lure of budding trees and blooming flowers has many green-thumbers pressing their noses against the window panes.  However, this past weekend was a big surprise in O’Fallon with a couple of inches of snow???  Who would have guessed the last week of March!  But I guess in the St. Louis Metro East area this happens!

The good news?  It’s never too early to start planning your garden.  In fact, I hear Seipp Lawncare of O’Fallon, IL outside my window this morning giving us our lawn its first haircut for the Spring!

When planning to plant, you first want to establish what “zone” you live in.  Knowing your zone will tell you when to plant what.  You can find out your zone by visiting garden.org.  If the risk of freezing is over in your zone, you might be able to start getting your hands dirty!

Draw out plans and pick out colors.  Many flower buffs prefer to group like colors together.  I have found over the years, some beautiful gardens in our surrounds towns such as Belleville, Fairview Heights, Shiloh, Swansea and O’Fallon, IL.   They will have a pink annual garden one year and a yellow the next!

Other gardeners focus attention on larger projects, such as decks, pathways, and patios.  If this is your intent this year, start your research now.  Garden books and magazines are full of inspiration and how-to books can even lead you down the do-it-yourself path.  You can also get pricing estimates from local home improvement stores and lumber yards.

Spring is also a time to prepare your soil.  This means checking the pH to see if it needs balancing, as well as prepping the soil with compost to ensure it is full of nutrients.  Compost works especially well when you add it prior to planting, and it’s a natural organic way to make your garden just that much better.

You can also take this time to prune bushes and hedges, clean dirty bird feeders, and service your lawn equipment.  If you hire a landscaping company to handle the heavy work for you each year, then now would be a great time to interview potential companies and decide upon a service plan.  We have some great companies and garden shops in the O’Fallon, Swansea, Shiloh, Fairview Heights, Belleville and surrounding Scott AFB towns.

Above all else, be sure to enjoy the process of planning and caring for your garden.  It really is a rewarding hobby that keeps on giving for years to come!  And if you are considering resale of your home, it is also great for curb appeal!

Enjoy — Spring is just around the corner!

Avoid a Prepay Penalty in Real Estate Refi

February 3rd, 2011

Are you thinking of refinancing your mortgage?  Today’s low interest rates make it very enticing and refinancing continues to be a hot topic. Many homeowners who are planning to stay in their homes for the long term are trying to find ways to lock in record-low interest rates.

Some borrowers are running into qualification issues for the first time in their lives. They are discovering they do not have enough income to refinance the home they have occupied for the past several years — even though the new loan comes with a lower interest rate than their current loan.

Loan representatives are reporting that their biggest challenge in the past 15 months has been explaining to existing customers that they “can’t even qualify for a mortgage under 5 percent.”

Others are upset because they are facing prepayment penalties on existing mortgages even though they have a flawless payment history and a terrific credit score.

A different wrinkle surfaced recently when a reader brought up an issue that we have not explored for years. She had purchased a home with the proceeds from her previous home plus a small balance that was financed by the owner.

She had planned to pay the small balance off within three years and save some interest money but was shocked to discover the loan structure — “the rule of 78s” — did not allow any savings.

6 Ways to Warm Your Home

December 30th, 2010

With the time change and days getting shorter, unfortunately, the natural light in our homes diminishes!  So keeping your home bright and cheery is a challenge but below are some easy and relatively inexpensive steps to lighten up your home and lift the mood for the holidays!

  1. Hang mirrors on Walls Opposite Windows — the larger the mirro, the more light you’ll let in!
  2. Frame Familiar Faces — reframe some of your old photos and/or add new photos of family and friends
  3. Use Candle Sconces — this is an inexpensive but dramatic way to add warmth and elegance.  And if safety is a concern for you, there are some very attractive battery-operated “candles” now available
  4. Embrace White — A fresh coat of white paint on trim and moldings, a beautiful vase of white flowers or a white bowl filled with shiny green apples can make a room feel brighter and fresher!
  5. Install Brighter Bulbs — Consider switching your light bulbs to halogen bulbs which emit a pure, white light that mimics natural daylight.
  6. Toss in Some Pillows and Throws — Combat the cold and dreary weather by adding pillows and throws to your living, family and bedrooms with bright colors and patterns

The above suggestions are a great way to get through the rest of the winter months after all of the festivities of the holidays!  Make your home a terrific place year round.

Be sure to come back and visit for additional real estate tips !

Preparing Your Home for the Market

December 16th, 2010

As you prepare for the New Year and all of those resolutions, selling your home may be on the Top 10 list!  We often set goals in December to prepare us for the upcoming year and with today’s rates, it may be a good time to sell your home and buy the home of your dreams.

When preparing your home for the market, below are some tips to help you stage your property:

  1. Define the Space — Confusion in a room confuses the buyer, so make the purpose of each room clear.  Get rid of toys in the den.  Roll the exercise bike out of the kitchen.
  2. Unblock the Sight Lines — Buyers need a clear path to maneuver.  Make it easy to walk from the door to a window in the master suite or from the hallway to a living-room sofa.
  3. Highlight the Focal Points — Reds and yellows are “advancing” colors; blues and greens are “receding” ones.  Remember that and you will be able to control the buyer’s gaze.  Elegant granite countertop? Place a bowl of red peppers on top.  Beautiful fireplace?  Hang a yellow painting above it.  Dreary corner?  Put a plant there.
  4. Light to Flatter — Soft, southern light makes rooms look warmer and cheerier.  Harsh, northern light makes people think dreary and cold.  so replace stark daylight bulbs with warmer ones, especially near mirrors.
  5. Quiet the Set — Don’t distract your buyers with creaky doors or floors.  A noisy room makes people question the integrity of what they are seeing.

So if the New Year is the time for you, be sure to contact me for all of your real estate needs.  I serve all of the surrounding Scott AFB area, including O’Fallon, Shiloh, Swansea, Fairview Heights, Mascoutah, Belleville and Troy.  Happy New Year!

Home Repairs Not to Ignore

December 9th, 2010

You might be tempted to put off fixing your home until the economy rebounds.  But some problems, if left unchecked, can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs and might even compromise your family’s health.

Here is just one item you don’t want to ignore!  If there are 10 things that can go wrong with a house, 15 of them have to do with water!  Gutters, downspouts, and leader pipes collect rainwater and channel it away from the house.

  • Leaders should extend at least 5 feet from the house.
  • Check the entire gutter system seasonally for proper pitch and for clogs, corrosion, broken fasteners, and separation between connections and where gutters meet the fascia board.
  • When inspecting gutters, extend straight ladders 3 feet beyond the roof at a 75-degree angle to the ground.
  • The soil around the foundation should slope away from the house at least 1 inch per foot for 6 feet or more.
  • If you have planting beds along the foundation, make sure the grading of the bed, its edging, or the edge of the lawn isn’t keeping water from draining away from the house.
  • With all of those Fall leaves, be sure to clean out those gutters before water from melting winter snow and ice hit create a problem.

Be sure to stay tuned for additional repairs you definitely do not want to ignore.   Visit our website often for tips and advice on real estate — buying and selling!

In A Tough Market, Staging Can Make the Difference

December 2nd, 2010

When it comes time to selling your home, the investment of preparing your home for the market may seem wasteful.  However, the additional cost of staging your home may be the difference between sitting or selling!  Consider these tried-and-true strategies to make your home Center Stage.

  1. Take’s a Buyer’s Point of View — stand at the doorway of each room and using that as a frame to what you want a buyer to see.  Take steps to make sure each room looks clean, neat and spacious as possible.  Remove excess furniture and keep floors free of any stacks or clutter
  2. DeClutter — Every surface, including countertops in kitchens and bathrooms, should be as clear as possible.  Stow toiletries under the sink and pack up personal photographs so that buyers are not distracted.
  3. Get Rid of Ugly — If you have outdated furniture, fixtures and appliance colors, or window treatments, remove them or replace them with low-cost temporary fixes.
  4. Empty the Garage — If your garage is filled with boxes, tools and other items, it can make it look smaller.  Purge the junk and move the rest to a borrowed or rented storage space.
  5. Clean — Make your home Q-tip clean! Make sure all the nooks and crannies are clear of dust and grim.  Surface cleaning alone can leave a home looking dingy.  Deep cleaning carpets, upholstery and window treatments is important to both improve appearance and remove lingering odors.
  6. Look for Curb Appeal — The outside of the home is just as important as the inside.  Trim hedges and weed flower beds. Remove dead plants and repair cracks in cement or asphalt. Power wash driveways, sidewalks and siding. Edge your yard and be sure that the grass is trimmed or snow removed.

Most of the items take more effort than money and often make the difference between selling or sitting.  If you are looking to market your home in the New Year, please be sure to contact me for additional staging tips.  I serve the Scott AFB, IL surrounding area, including O’Fallon, Fairview Heights, Mascoutah, Shiloh, Swansea, Belleville and Troy.

Activities in Surrounding Scott AFB Area

November 25th, 2010

His Rest Best and Breakfast in Freeburg IL is hosting another wonderful dinner to get you in the mood for Christmas!  “Christmas Memories by Candlelight” dinner is being served on December 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Only $30/person for a excellent evening of entertainment.  Be sure to make your reservation!

Activities in Surrounding Scott AFB Area

November 18th, 2010

There are so many wonderful activities that we can take advantage of in the Scott AFB surrounding area.  In the Freeburg area from November 18 through November 27 “Foods of our Forefathers” will be served in period clothing at His Rest Bed & Breakfast.  This entertaining dinner is to be served at 6:30.  Reservations are required and cost is $35/person.  Sounds like a lot of fun!

Pet Odor Can Chase Away Buyers & Roofing: Repair or Replace?

October 26th, 2010

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