Posts in category: Home Care

North Las Vegas has gotten a not so lovely reputation over the years but those times are starting to change! North Las Vegas officials are taking the plunge to make the neighborhoods and overall section of the valley a safer place to live. With efforts to reduce criminal activity, squatters and fires, the city has begun demolition to many homes.

“The initiative started out with a list of 10 properties that had together prompted 142 calls for service to police. Each had at least one fire on the property, and some had as many as three, mostly started by squatters who had altered electrical wiring or started campfires in the homes.”

Neighbors have agreed that it is much nicer seeing an empty lot over an old beat up home. Read more about this great effort on the Las Vegas Sun website: North Las Vegas bulldozing blighted homes that are crime magnets 

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home, please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

Before you start fixing all of the expensive problems in your home that made you want to sell it in the first place, think about what needs to be done. Don’t try to upgrade or get the most expensive replacements. Just because you spent money to make your home look nice, does not mean the buyer will consider that in the price of the home. To make your home more valuable there are a few tips and tricks that you may want to consider.

The kitchen is known as the “heart of the house” and to most buyers, if the kitchen is small, cramped or outdated it is a no brainer on the home. Appeal to the emotions of a buyer. You want them to feel like they have to have that kitchen. Match your appliances, decorate with warmth, clear the counters for more space and do a little research to “open up a room” or refer back to New Home Resource’s Design Ideas for Small Spaces blog article.

Homebuyers appreciate beautiful landscaping and curb appeal but they will also appreciate an easily managed exterior. If cleaning up the outside of their house is quick, easy and minimal, buyers will be more inclined to stick with your house. In Las Vegas especially, if you have rock in your yards and minimal grass and plants to water, your home is more appealing than home sites with grass needing to be maintained. Outdoor living has become very popular among buyers so try to also embrace any patio areas and outside entertaining options. Spruce up the exterior with furniture, decorations, etc.

Flooring can be a big deal to buyers. It is not suggested that you boast about your wall-to-wall carpet. Carpet is expensive and hard to keep clean (especially with children). If you do have carpet that is not appealing to the eye, think about adding a rug or ripping up the carpet and doing a little DIY project. Here are a few ways to make your floors more appealing.

It’s hard to think about spending money and time on fixing a house you are trying to sell, but it will be worth it. The value of your home can significantly change when minor fixes and decoration changes are a big factor in your buyer’s eyes. There is no way to tell which efforts will attract the most buyers, but some research or advice form your qualified real estate agent could really get you going in the right direction!

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home, please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

1. One of the most common “sayings” that continues to pop up is Shop Around. Get multiple quotes for homeowners insurance before deciding. You want to make sure that you are getting the best savings. We suggest getting at least 2 different quotes before committing to one.

2. Your house and its contents are all that is covered in a burglary, fire or (natural) disaster, not the land. Insure only the value of your home if you are looking to safe money and still stay safe.

3. Contact your associations or places that you have memberships. Many groups are affiliated with insurance companies offering discounts on your premium. It never hurts to ask!

4. House fires occur more often when smokers are residents. If you stop smoking, be sure to contact your insurance provider about a lower rate! Things like smoke detectors, security gates and alarm systems also reduce insurance costs, make sure your agent knows!

5. Any items that could cause injury can also increase the amount of your homeowners insurance. If you have a trampoline or a swimming pool, contact your provider for safety features that will reduce the risk of an accident.

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home, please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

Every year home designs change in size, style and price. Listed here are a few “hot” trends that have become more common in the buyer’s eye… 

1. Automated Controls: With automation becoming the way weorganize things why not include it in the home? Buyers are now more and more interested in automating their home. With just one system, from a phone, computer, etc., they want to be able to control the lights, fans, air conditioning, alarm system and more.

2. Outdoor Living Area: This trend has been around for a while but still makes the list. Having an outdoor living space is just as comfortable as indoor with furnishings, curtains, televisions and the addition of fire pits.

3. Energy and Water Efficiency: Appliances, lighting and furnaces that are energy efficient are very important to some buyers. Sometimes the amount of energy a home can conserve could make or break the buy.

4. Going Green: Interests in sustainable products and materials is always attracting attention. Now companies offer at least one item or line that fits the “going green” movement.

5. Kitchen and Bathroom Styles: Usually buyers have a kitchen and bathroom style in mind before they actually look at homes to buy. Trending now are the more “transitional’ looks – middle ground between traditional and contemporary styles.

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home,  please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

How much do you expect to pay monthly for your house? How much will the closing costs actually be? How much is the down payment? Can you qualify for a loan? These are all crucial questions you should be asking a lender before you even start searching for a house!

What is your actual budget?

There is a difference between the maximum payment a buyer can qualify for and the amount a buyer is comfortable paying. Tax deductions, property taxes and many other things can help offset a mortgage payment that is higher than previous rent. Talking with a lender can help you lay out a plan where you are not drowning in payments.

What is a closing cost?

Closing costs are fees charged by lenders and third parties for paperwork, credit reports, etc. that vary based on where you live and the property you buy. Typically homebuyers pay closing costs between 2 and 5 percent of the price of their home. Closing cost fees are explained in more depth in this article. 

What will the down payment be?

Your own money (in addition to your loan) that you provide up front when buying a home is considered a down payment. Usually homebuyers are required to contribute 3-20% of the selling price of the home. The importance of the down payment amount varies but can majorly affect how much you need to borrow. A good rule to remember is the bigger the down payment (money up front); the less you have to borrow making your monthly payments lower. If you aren’t able to save for a minimal down payment (3-5%), you might want to reconsider whether you are financially ready to own a home.

The first step to getting these questions answered is finding a lender that you trust. New Home Resource recommends Premier Mortgage Lending using Cheryll Acevedo as the “go-to person” to talk to. It is important to know your options because there are many qualifications you need to meet and processes to go through when you are buying a house, especially for the first time!

Be a smarter energy user and save yourself some money while you’re at it! Below are different things around your house that you could adjust to essentially save on energy and your monthly bills.

Water Heater:

• Set your water heater to a lower temperature that still provides you with sufficient hot water. During the summer in Las Vegas this should be relatively easy since it is so hot outside.

Cooking:

• Grill outside more often than using the oven, weather permitting. This will help to keep your kitchen cooler.
• Don’t pre-heat your oven unless it is necessary. Baking is usually necessary but broiled items or casseroles usually don’t need it.

Drying Clothes:

• Clean the lint filter more often to create more air-flow and less energy usage.
• Many clothes should be hung up to dry instead of in dryer. Read labels and don’t use the dryer if you don’t have to.
• When you do use the dryer, make sure the loads are even and full but not oversized. Having loads that are too small or too big can cause an unnecessary amount energy to be used.

For more energy saving tips at no cost or low cost, click here 

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When the sun rises earlier, the weather starts to get warmer and the birds start chirping, you know that spring has begun! The first day of spring has passed and it is officially time to start acting like it! We haven’t had much of a winter here in Las Vegas, but that’s no reason to stop from celebrating the new season!

Even with its setbacks of allergies and high winds, the overall positivity from spring puts the majority of people at ease and in a great mood! The season of spring starts around March 21^st every year and lasts until approximately June 20^th.

Here are some fun Spring Facts:

• Spring symbols rebirth
• Spring colors are light green, light blue, yellow, pink, coral, orange and lavender
• Spring holidays include: Easter, Passover, April Fools Day, Earth Day, Arbor Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Cinco de Mayo!

You’ve probably noticed the home and retail store sales this past weekend and in weekends coming up, time to think about redecorating! To be completely prepared, and to have a little fun, we have created another board on Pinterest for spring decorating ideas!

PLEASE Click Here to VOTE FOR ME as 2014 BEST OF SILVER STATE AWARDS/BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT!

Spring is in the air, so before the summer heat hits Las Vegas, it’s time to host a garage sale! We want you to have the most successful garage sale possible so even though most people know the basics, here are just a few tips to kick off the season and maybe some new tricks you’ve never tried before! Happy Selling!

1. Be Prepared: organize, label and have your cash ready the night before. Most effective garage sales happen before 10am which doesn’t give you much time to prepare these things the day of your sale.

2. Make sure people know about your sale: put your address in the newspaper, put a notice on craigslist and be sure to have a sign (or multiple signs) around your neighborhood. Click Here to see some great examples.

3. Never leave your money out. Always keep your money on you or inside your house away from your garage sale. Also, it is a good idea to have at least twenty $1 bills and plenty of $5 bills in case people need change!

4. Create an inviting display: every driveway looks the same during garage sales so be sure to make yours stands out! Put the big items in view of people passing by and have items easily accessible. Lemonade and water are always nice additions as well!

5. Bargaining: be very flexible to bargaining, after all you are selling these items because you don’t use them anymore. Be sure to start your price at what you think it’s worth and have a minimum price you will be willing to accept.

6. Keep track of your sales: When you make a sale, write down the item and how much it sold for so you can keep track of the money you’re making and the items you are selling.

Most importantly, have fun! It can be stressful setting up your garage sale but once it is in motion, the more fun you are having, the more fun your customers will have. If items don’t end up selling, think about donating them to a charity or local church before you throw them out. Good Luck!

PLEASE Click Here to VOTE FOR ME as 2014 BEST OF SILVER STATE AWARDS/BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT!

No one wants to live next to the dirtiest house on the block, and no one wants to be the one to complain, but we don’t always have a choice at who our neighbors are and first impressions are subject to change! So the million-dollar question is “How can we prevent living next to bad neighbors?” and “How do we live peacefully when we have bad neighbors?”

Gathered below is a list of how to try and prevent bad neighbors and if you are already in the situation, some suggestions on how to handle it…

How to Prevent “Bad Neighbors”:

• Drive around your potential neighborhood at different times of the day. What is the noise level? How many people are on the sidewalk? Are there dogs barking?
• Look on “Google Street View” for a good idea of the surrounding homes, parks, schools, etc.
• Visit the nearest grocery store or coffee shop and ask an employee what they think of the neighborhood you are thinking about moving into. Sometimes they have the best insight or they might even live there themselves.
• It is best to avoid buying the house right next to the basketball court or skate park. The noise level will probably never be controlled. If you have children those attractions are nice to have close by, just not next door.

Already Have “Bad Neighbors”? How to handle the situation:

• Try to avoid problems, before they are problems. If you notice something that bothers you, address it with your neighbor in a friendly way.
• Make sure you are being reasonable. If there is something you could change in order to avoid a problem with a neighbor, try that first.
• If issues start building up, document what and when the un-neighborly activity was taking place.
• Take advantage of being outside at the same time as your neighbor. This gives you an opening to politely confront the issue without thinking too much about it beforehand.
• Check with other neighbors, are they having the same issues you are?
• If the problem is not being resolved call and set up a time to talk or get together. They may not be aware that what they are doing is bothersome.
• Contact the non-emergent line for noise or call the HOA for trash or overgrown yard problems. If someone of authority acknowledges the problem it is more of an incentive to fix the problem.
• If things don’t get resolved and the “bad neighbors” aren’t working to make things better you can always file a complaint in court. This should be your last resort because no one really wants to go to court!

Always remember you can never be too prepared and speaking out of anger is better left unsaid. If you’ve had it up to your ears in filth, call a professional New Home Resource agent today – Broker Joanna Piette and Realtors Jessica, Kathy and Beng are ready to help 702-365-1000!

Spring Cleaning is easier said than done but feels so good when it’s finished! One of the easiest ways to get started is to pick a room, turn on the music and simply start! Lets use the kitchen as an example!

Put away dishes on the counter, pile loose items (objects, paper, bills) onto one counter and get rid of everything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen (even if you have to move it to the next room, you’ll eventually conquer that too)!

The next step is to go through the pile on the counter. You can’t get real Spring Cleaning done until piles are out of your life! Once all the counters are cleared it is time for the refrigerator

and freezer. You know you won’t need the 4-month-old condiments or the freezer-burnt fish sticks your kids won’t eat. Just let it go!

Finally, it is time for the deep scrubbing. Wash the counters, sweep and mop the floors, de-grease the stove and scrub the sink. Now take a step back: sparkling, right?

If you enjoyed our “quick-tip” cleaning blog, the New Home Resource Pinterest page has several more clever and fun ways to improve your Spring Cleaning routines.

Happy Spring Cleaning!!