CURB APPEAL IMPORTANT IN WINTER ALSO

If you are getting ready to put your home on the market, or listing your home for sale with winter coming on, remember that having good curb appeal is important and isn’t just applicable for summertime. 

The lawn may be sparse and brown in spots, the flowers all gone and some trees may have lost most or all of their leaves, but that doesn’t mean that the first impression of your home has to be negative.  There are some important things that you can do to make your front area look neat and clean and inviting.

Keep papers and clutter picked up. Be sure the front porch is clean and free of many clutter or leaves and branches. Keep sidewalks and driveways free of debris and any clutter. The lawn area can be kept raked and clean and trimmed with what ever grass may be left, trimmed and mowed. Clear away any dead flower plants and trim any evergreen plants to keep the flower beds neat and clean. The doors and window trim should be freshly painted and gutters clean and open. Be sure the garage door is painted along with any other garage trim. Hoses should be out of the way and rolled up neatly. Any maintenance tools should be out of the way and out of site. Clean the area along the curb and along any fences. Make sure the fences in the front yard are painted and repaired if needed. Clean any trash along fences and the needles and leaves around and under the trees so the yard is neat and clean and inviting.

Potential buyers want to see the yards’ potential when spring and summer comes next year.

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DEDUCTING MOVING COSTS

Most people are not aware of the laws regarding the deduction of moving costs on their tax returns. The IRS rules are fairly clear on this. So if you are relocating to a Vancouver neighborhood such as Edgewood Park, take heed.

Not every moving expense is deductible. You can deduct the cost of packing and shipping your possessions and up to 30 days of storage. Travel time and lodging are also deductible, but not meals. You cannot deduct costs associated with items such as house-hunting expenses and losses resulting from breaking a lease or making a new down payment.

Deducting moving expenses is permitted only when an employee must relocate for job-related reasons.The IRS defines job-related as changing a job, moving to a new business location or starting a new job or business in a different area. If the move is job-related, the taxpayer must still meet both a distance test and a time test.

There are other details important to using moving costs as a deduction so see a tax accountant for all rules regarding moving and moving costs as tax deductions.

Taxpayers must determine the amount of the deduction by completing Form 3903 and reporting the deduction on Form 1040.

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When Seniors Relocate – Their Special Needs

When seniors move or relocate it is usually due to a sudden illness or disability, or if they are healthy, they seek to be with people of the same age,  a better climate, etc., and these types of seniors usually have the necessary resources to be able to move to the area and to a new home of their choice. The one very noticeable difference when seniors move is that most will usually downsize.

When healthy seniors move they will have certain needs in the way of conveniences and services, medical and other needs depending on their particular circumstances. Seniors will survey neighborhoods such as  Ellsworth Springs in Vancouver and look for walking paths, or trails, rest areas, dog parks,etc.  When they are searching for their new home. They will seek out a more peaceful and quiet areas of a community, not necessarily close to schools or loud recreation facilities, or highways. They will look to be sure that there are medical facilities and pharmacies, automobile service facilities for their particular make of car. They have formed certain habits over the years and gotten used to having certain conveniences where they lived.  Of course, seniors will seek out their religious communities, churches, activity centers, etc.

Reputable auto dealers, service stations, post offices, top brand grocery stores, known and trusted retail outlets and stores, banks and financial institutions, doctors, dentists, eye doctors and other medical specialists that they make need.They usually will seek an all American neighborhood, with lots of trees, flowers and landscaping.  Seniors will also check out the city amenities to make sure that those conveniences are at least as good as what they were used to. Many older Americans search out the retirement living communities and gated communities just for the safety offered to them.

Seniors have lived in their homes for a lifetime, where most have raised there families and are used to being surrounded by special memories, precious heirlooms,family history, and special close friends and even relatives. Suddenly the home they once loved, and worked so hard to maintain, is now overwhelming to them presenting responsibilities and difficulties in their everyday lives.

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What is a Homeowners Association(HOA)

Many people who are looking to buy a new home see that there is a Homeowners Association, or HOA, possible associated with a piece of real estate they are interested in, and have no idea of what it is or what it is for. Of course, your Vancouver Realtor will explain more in detail if this subject comes up during your search for a new home or any real estate. This is one reason it is heavily advised to work with a local Realtor when looking for a new home or other real estate.

Homeowners Associations are usually involved with large condo or town home projects, or private communities where the combined total of residents are all members of the HOA.

A homeowners’ association is incorporated by the developer, prior to the initial sale of homes, and the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) are recorded when the property is subdivided. Like a city, associations provide services, regulate activities, levy assessments, and impose fines. HOAs are considered private corporations and are not subject to all of the Constitutional constraints that public government must abide by. Some of the tasks which HOAs carry out would otherwise be performed by local governments. A homeowners’ association can enforce its actions through private legal action under civil law. Many homeowners associations include recreational amenities, that they maintain for exclusive use of its members. This can allow an individual homeowner access to a pool, clubhouse, gym, tennis courts or walking trails that they may not be able to otherwise afford. Each member of a homeowners association pays assessments that are used to pay the expenses of the community, like landscaping maintenance, and other ongoing maintenance costs.

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Selling your Vancouver Home – Some Tips to Speed up the Sale

There are some important things that a home seller should do when preparing for an open house or when their Realtor is bringing over people to look at the house. Much of the prep work is a pain, but necessary for a good showing.

Let the  Realtor show your home by themselves by getting out of the Vancouver  home and taking the pets and kids to the park or somewhere until the showing is completed, and if you must remain during the showing, don’t volunteer anything, or answer any questions, and try to keep the children and pets in the backyard or away from the potential buyers so not to distract them.

Make sure the home is clean and neat. Empty trash containers. Make sure beds are made and clutter picked up.  Don’t over kill with room deodorants or sprays. Be sure fireplace and any wood burning stove is cleaned out. Be sure that the kitchen stove is clean as well as the other appliances. Check the bathrooms. Tubs, sinks and toilets must sparkle. Do the dishes and don’t just stack them where they are unseen like in the dishwasher. Turn on lighting in the home so it looks cozy, warm and comfortable. Make sure that any papers or trash is picked up from the yards and along the curb. Try to make sure that the furniture is dusted and carpets vacuumed daily during the showing period, and the tile, vinyl or linoleum is clean.

The more the seller can help the Realtor in these ways during an open house or whenever a potential buyer is coming to inspect the home, the faster the home will sell.

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