What not to do when you have your house on the market.


OK, last week I was showing houses to some buyers of mine and we went into the first house of the night and there was a barking dog in one of the rooms. He couldn't get out because there was one of those plastic blocker things but he was super annoying. He was barking so loud and my buyers couldn't even take a good look around. NOT smart of the sellers to leave their dog inside.

Also, at one of the other houses (it was vacant) the heat was turned down to about 59 degrees and it was freezing cold inside. Plus when we got there I had to put my SUV in 4-wheel drive to get into the driveway because it wasn't plowed. Do these people want to sell their house??

Another bad thing.... one house had just cooked chinese or something and as soon as you walked in it had a strong cooking odor.

Most of these things can be looked past but not in a buyer's market. Buyers will just go on to the next house if something turns them off. Don't make any of the above mistakes.

Investment
Waterfront Property

Last year at about this time my husband and I were considering purchasing a "cabin" or another home that we could use at our leisure and potentially rent out for investment purposes. We started looking in Brainerd and realized our dollars there would basically get us a tiny lot on a lake a little bigger than a pond. Our price range was up to $350,000, which you would think could get you a decent place up north. Think again!

After we realized that the Brainerd area was more than out of our reach I expanded the search to the Wisconsin area because my friend Jodi has a nice cabin in Wisconsin and I knew the prices were a lot better.

I was cruising around on eBay one day under the real estate section and I came across this super cool cabin in Somerset, Wisconsin.

It looked really crazy cool with pink countertops and a red booth in the kitchen.

I called the number in the eBay ad and the seller said he already had another offer from someone in Vegas, but it wasn't officially sold yet because he had not accepted the offer. Normally I wouldn't bother going to look if there was another offer but this house looked so unique that I had to go check it out.

As soon as I walked in I knew that I wanted it! To make a long story short, my husband and I signed the deal that night and promised to close within 3 weeks.

It has taken nearly a year to get it furnished, painted, and decorated to the point where we can start renting it out. I already have the last weekend in February booked plus the 2 weekends after that, along with 2 weeks in July!

The house was on the market for over 1 year because it was "to unique." I took this as a good sign for me to buy it. I usually go the opposite way of the crowd and this is not an exception.

If you make a place unique people will want to stay there to get away from their "normal" life. I charge $275/night with a 2 night minimum, which is the normal rate for a cabin type home that sleeps 8.

My next venture will be creating a similar style home in Duluth on Lake Superior, with a 1970s vibe instead of a 1950s vibe like this one.

If I can do it, you can do it! If I have it booked for 8 months out of the year it will pay for the rest of the year for me to use it for free. This benefit along with tax benefits and appreciation, it is a win win! If you want to know more about investment properties or need to know what forms to use if you rent your house, email me at : holli@homesbyholli.com

My website is: www.RetroOnTheRiver.com

Check it out!

• GREEN
  
  I am always looking for ways to be easier on the environment but what can we do with our houses to be more environmentally-friendly? Eco-friendly house designs are gaining momentum. We are even starting to see houses advertised as being built using green building methods.
  
  Some of the watchwords are the same as used elsewhere when you're thinking green...
  Reduce
  Reuse
  Recycle (& material selection)
  
  Reduce
  Reduce your fuel consumption and save money by installing energy efficient windows and doors and by looking for the Energy Star symbol on appliances. Install a programmable thermostat. By dialing your heat down at night or when no one is home, you can cut your heating costs by $150 per year. You can also augment your energy usage through solar, wind or geo-thermal power further saving on your energy bills.
  
  Reuse
  When replacing items, check to see if they can be donated for re-use. Your old avocado appliances although not exactly what you want in your remodeled home, may be just the ticket for someone else’s cabin.
  
  Recycle
  With foresight and planning, many of the materials you use can be recycled. Scrap lumber can be used for other projects or someone may want it to heat their home. Much of the metal such as copper, steel and aluminum can be recycled.
  Similarly, proper material selection can have a HUGE impact on the environment.
  - use of locally grown or produced materials reduces the emissions required to transport these materials
  - choose materials free of petroleum products or chemicals (such as formaldehyde) reduces pollution associated with the manufacturing of the materials
  - domestically produced renewable products such as wood for flooring, trim or cabinets will keep a stable supply for generations to come
  

Parting Thoughts
Not only can you save money in the long run using some of these techniques but you’ll also feel better knowing you did something smart for the environment.

Resources:
http://www.greenbuilthome.com/
http://www.houseofdreams.com/