Category Archives: News

To Paint or Not to Paint? To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade?

According to a RE/MAX agent and interior design specialist, Jeannie Do, a home’s color palette can make a significant impact on prospective buyers.  Here’s why.

Using color throughout a home can be expressive, creative, and hold cultural significance.  But what happens to that level of personalization when it’s time to sell?

According to our design specialist, homeowners preparing a property to sell need to look past their own emotional connection to color and focus on what changes – like a fresh coat of paint – can elevate their home’s overall aesthetic, appeal to buyers, and potentially increase ROI.

Reconsidering bright colors –

Colors used to express yourself can oftentimes be a reflection of your personality, mindset, and values.  For instance, in many Asian households, you may see the color red because it represents good fortune and is very auspicious.  Red is a color of high energy and it can relate to the dynamic of Asian families who cherish their extended family and host lively gatherings altogether.

Red is typically a color we would avoid in home staging because it’s seen as a statement color.

Many home stagers agree that while color is a great way to be expressive while living in a space, it’s often best to eliminate brighter shades when preparing a home to sell in order to appeal to more buyers.

When it’s time to sell, you should aim to remove yourself from the house and make it a blank slate – almost like an art gallery.  Galleries usually have white walls because it allows the art to shine without making an impression on it.  Setting up your house as a neutral gallery for the buyer to see as their next piece of art, says our design specialist.

Aligning with trends –

While neutral paint colors are typically timeless, there can be a place for brighter colors to stay up or be added in when preparing a home to sell.  If the seller’s goal is to match their home with current design trends, like around mid-century modern style, for example, then in-theme colors may be embraced by prospective buyers.

Homes vary in size, have unique layouts and receive different quantities of natural light, thus requiring different shades and undertones of paint even within one color family.  All of this needs to be considered when choosing paint colors.

Consumer preferences also have a longstanding history of mirroring societal trends. While cooler grays were preferred for a period of time, warmer neutrals are rising in popularity.

Because of the change in lifestyle due to COVID-19 in the last couple of years, people are actually starting to favor warmer tones for their mood-boosting and comforting effects.  It’s all about psychology.  Because people are so uncertain about what’s happening in the world, they want to come home to a place that makes them feel safe.

Creating a synchronized space –

Wall color surely sets a backdrop.  But the rest of the elements within a home’s interior have to align to create a space that buyers can envision themselves and their families living in.

Your furniture and décor pieces have to be cohesive with the wall color.  If you have really modern furniture but dated wall colors, the interior can feel disconnected.  It’s harder for buyers to picture how they would personalize, furnish, and decorate the home when it doesn’t feel natural.

Sometimes it’s not in the budget to make big changes to a home before listing it on the market.  In addition to decluttering the space, there are a few other tricks for staging with existing items within the home.

Lighting and window treatments are a relatively easy way to elevate a space.  It can even be as simple as moving your curtains all the way up to the ceiling to visually elongate the walls and make the ceiling seem higher.  Bring in as much natural light as you can. In smaller spaces, consider swapping out heavier curtains for ones that are sheer to really optimize sunlight.

A qualified seller’s agent will have insight onto the local housing market, have seen comparable properties, and can provide further suggestions to help prep a home to sell.

When it’s time to sell, just keep in mind that you’re trying to appeal to other’s tastes, not your own.  Getting rid of personalization and loud wall colors can help the process move along much smoother and attract more buyers along the way.

Article information from Jeannie Do, an agent and member of the International Group with RE/MAX Professional in Lakewood, CO.  She holds a BFA degree in Interior Design.

In Appreciation,

Marie Dinsmore

Experience, Passion, and Excellence

Celebrating 20 Years!!

Today is a day of celebration and reflection for me.  I celebrated 20 years in real estate as I received my real estate license on July 20th 2002.

Many people ask me why I got into real estate.  I got into real estate because a relative of mine told me I should consider real estate and I listened because she was older and wiser, and the bible tells us to listen to our elders and I’m glad I did.  I love real estate because it allows me to use my passion, which is helping people.

A lot has changed over the years, but I navigated the highs and the lows.  The mortgage interest rate in 2002 was 6.54%.  The highs in the last 20 years were the last two years when it was a TRUE Seller’s market.  It was great for my Sellers that could sell and take advantage of the craziness and had a place to go live.  The lows were in the 2007-2008 downturn when I was doing short sales as my clients were losing their homes.  I’m so glad I listened once again and got my CDPE – Certified Distressed Property Expert designation.  It gave me the ability to assist my Sellers by doing a short sale for them vs. them going into foreclosure.

Over the years I have learned how to do what I do better.  I have sought out training and certifications to further help me further my knowledge of the industry so I could help my clients. My certifications are listed in the ‘About‘ section.

What advice would I give someone considering a career in real estate?  The advice I would give to someone thinking about getting into real estate is, that if you are willing to work 24/7, 365 days a year, and you are passionate about helping people with the largest investment they will ever make, then get into real estate and treat your clients and agents like you want to be treated and you’ll be successful.

It’s my passion.  I love it.  Thank you to each and everyone who has given me the opportunity to help you buy or sell.  I am truly grateful.

In appreciation,

Marie Dinsmore

Experience, Passion, and Commitment to Excellence

Home Ownership – The American Dream

History of National Home Ownership Month

June is National Home Ownership Month.  Do you know the history of the American Dream of home ownership?

In the 1800s, most Americans had no way of really owning a home.  Mortgages became common only after the U.S. banking system came into being after the 1860s National Bank Acts.

During the time of the Great Depression, the banks did not have any money to lend and the average borrower didn’t have any cash.  As a result, people couldn’t afford to buy homes, while existing homeowners often failed to pay their debt.  To stabilize the housing market, the U.S. government created the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation in 1933, the Federal Housing Administration in 1934, and the Federal National Mortgage Association (now known as Fannie Mae) in 1938.  All these institutions took homeownership to new heights and helped prevent a crash in the housing market.

What changed the face of the housing industry, along with that of the American economy, was the G.I. Bill of 1944.  This bill provided subsidized mortgages for the veterans of World War II.  Another milestone in the history of American housing came when Congress passed the Fair Housing Act of 1968.  The Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson and banned discrimination in housing based on religion, race, gender, and national origin.  It came into being only a few days after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In its 87 years of existence, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has saved America an almost $4 trillion loss of household wealth.  It has helped more than 44 million citizens to become homeowners.

National Homeownership Week began in 1995, which was a strategy of the administration under President Bill Clinton to increase homeownership across America.  Later, in 2002, President George W. Bush expanded the period of observance from a week to the entire month of June.  National Homeownership Month reinforces the belief that owning a home is one of the steps toward achieving the American dream.

My passion is helping people home ownership and finding their dream home.

Information derived from NationalToday.com

In appreciation,

Marie Dinsmore

Experience, Passion, and Commitment to Excellence!

Circle of Excellence 2021

2021 was another challenging year both personally and for real estate.  With the pandemic still looming and low inventory of homes, etc., we were still able to help many clients with their real estate needs. We feel very grateful and blessed to be honored again and to be among those achieving the Circle of Excellence Award from the 400 North Board of Realtors for 2021.

While it’s an honor and I’m very grateful to receive these awards, it’s not necessarily my goal. My goal is to give my clients the best possible service possible, whether it is to help them sell their home or to find them their perfect new home. My passion is helping people. That is why I strive for a high level of service and as a result, I have many repeat clients as well as referrals of friends and family over my 20-year real estate career. For this, I am truly grateful for my client’s trust and confidence.

One of the other ways I service my clients is my knowledge of the market. I continue to make sure I am well versed in all matters of real estate. As a REALTOR, we are tasked each year to accomplish additional education units. I typically go beyond what is required. I am certified in negotiating, probate, distressed property, luxury home market, iRep Pro, etc. So, please know whatever someone’s real estate needs are, I will always do my very best to deliver the ultimate service experience.

For a list of certifications and awards, please see our ‘About’ page.

In Appreciation,

Marie Dinsmore

RE/MAX Around Atlanta

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com

Experience, Passion, and Commitment to Excellence

Fees to be Aware of When Purchasing a Home

Purchasing a home is arguably one of the biggest financial decisions you will make in your lifetime. As you start your hunt, don’t forget there will be other costs associated with your purchase than the price of the home. This is valuable information, especially for first-time homebuyers. These are all good reasons to hire an experienced Real Estate Agent to help navigate you through the process, plus the fact of multiple offers and homes now selling above listing price.

Here are 5 fees to keep in mind as you begin to budget.

  1. Home inspection. This is a crucial step in the home buying process. The findings that come from the inspection can help you negotiate price and repairs. Generally, you can expect to pay between $300 to $500 depending on the home and the location.
  2. Title services. Title services encompass the transfer of the title from the seller and a thorough search of the property’s records to ensure to no one will pop up with a claim to the property. Additionally, you may need to buy title insurance which will protect the lender or your investment in the home.
  3. Appraisal fee. Before getting a loan, you will likely be required to get an appraisal of the home to determine its estimated value. This will be conducted by a third-party company and the cost can land anywhere between $300 and $1,000, depending on the size of the home.
  4. HOA fees. Many communities have a homeowners’ association that enforces monthly fees. This money is used for general maintenance and updates to areas like pools, parks, and more. Typical HOA fees are around $200 per month.
  5. Taxes. The taxes each buyer pays at the closing table differ, but it is not uncommon for it to be up to two months’ worth of county and city property taxes. Additionally, there may be taxes for the transfer of the home title.

I would be happy to talk with you as you prepare to buy or sell and devise a plan to help you transition as smoothly as possible.

Sincerely,

Marie Dinsmore

The Dinsmore Team

Experience, Passion, and Commitment to Excellence