Tag Archives: Dawsonville Homes

Exterior Renovations for Increased Curb Appeal

When it comes to marketing your home, one of the biggest things all real estate professionals agree on is the importance of curb appeal.  While things such as updated kitchen appliances and hardwood floors may provide you with a great return on your investment, it’s important to remember that not all renovations need to be done indoors.

garage door

In all actuality, homeowners can recoup a great deal of money by focusing some of their remodeling efforts on outer focal points.

While putting a lot of effort into increasing curb appeal might not always occur to every seller, here is a list of the top five ways to get the biggest exterior bang-for-your-buck (Return on Investment percentages are according to a 2014 Cost v. Value report – www.costvsvalue.com):

1.  INSTALL A STEEL ENTRYWAY DOOR—It’s true that classic wood doors may look appealing; however, they tend to absorb moisture which can bow, warp, or twist the wood and cause the paint bubble and peel.  To combat this, steel doors are not only low maintenance, but are also energy efficient and handle adverse weather conditions with ease.  141.8% ROI

2.  GARAGE DOOR REPLACEMENT—Garage doors aren’t often something many of us place whole lot of thought into, but there’s truth to the idea that they can really help secure a buyer for your house.  In essence, they not only greatly improve your home’s appearance, but they tend to boost property values due to increased longevity and function.  94% ROI

3.  INSTALL FIBER CEMENT SIDING—When looking to revitalize your home’s outward appearance, it only seems logical for siding replacement to make a difference; however, instead of simply opting for updated vinyl, homeowners can actually see a great return with the installation of fiber cement siding.  In short, this type of siding is not only versatile, but long-lasting and economical as well.  90.7% ROI

4.  FIBERGLASS ENTRY DOOR REPLACEMENT—Although steel doors help homeowners recoup a lot of money, fiberglass entry doors run a close second.  While similar in durability and energy efficiency, fiberglass won’t dent the way a steel door will and it actually has five-times the insulation value of wood.  99% ROI

5.  WOOD WINDOW REPLACEMENT—When it comes to energy efficiency, functioning windows are obviously important, but if we also take curb appeal into account, wood windows represent a fantastic opportunity to choose from an array of styles, colors, and finishes.  Additionally, while it may be tempting to opt for comparable PVC-U windows, wood is not only more attractive, but beats out vinyl for return on investment by 12%.  84.4% ROI

The Dinsmore Team has the experience, tools and real-time market knowledge to assist you.  I look forward to serving you and your family.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team  |  www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com | 770-712-7789

In the market to buy or sell a home, but want to KNOW the market first?

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-sold-home-sale-sign-house-image7181162Almost any realtor worth their salt can provide you with a CMA (current market analysis) of your home, but how many realtors will take the time to provide you, on a monthly basis, with an analysis of market conditions for the city in which you’re interested.    With this report, both sellers and buyers will have a realistic view of market conditions such as:

  • Average selling price based on the number of bedrooms
  •  How many active homes are on the market
  •  Average Sold Price compared to the Original List Price
  • Days on the Market
  • The Number of New Listings, closed sales and Pending sales for the previous month
  • Average Days to Contract

With Local Market Insight information, and with a skilled Realtor to help navigate you through the negotiation process, you will be able to make better informed decisions when buying or selling your home.

If you would like to sign up to receive free Local Market Insight monthly reports (no obligation and we do not ask for your telephone number), please click here.   The Dinsmore Team focuses on cities along with GA400 corridor (Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, Johns Creek, Cumming, Dawsonville) as well as Canton.

If you would like to receive up-to-the minute email updates on homes listed in a particular subdivision, we can do that too.  Please click here to sign up for these updates.   Please note that we can only provide listing information for properties located in an actual subdivision in Georgia.

The Dinsmore Team has the experience, tools and real-time market knowledge to assist you.  I look forward to serving you and your family.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team  |  www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com | 770-712-7789

10 Tips for a Home That’s Safe and Sound

burglar4There is little that is more important than feeling secure in your own home. While we can only control a small bit of the world around us, here’s some basic information to keep a home safe.

The goal of securing your home is two-fold: protecting your possessions, but also protecting the people who live there. Security professionals advise “deter, detect and delay” tactics. These 10 tips cover a lot of ground, so keep them in mind and you will be well on the road to greater peace of mind.

1. Check your doors, windows and all locks: Deadbolts and secure, steel outer doors are important, as are secure windows that lock. A huge majority of burglaries are no-force entries, where culprits gain access to your home through an unlocked window or door, so check them frequently. Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed to prevent access to windows and decks on upper floors. If a door or window is in an out-of-the-way place that is easily accessible, consider securing it with bars or an outer security door. Simply placing a piece of wood in sliding glass doors or windows can prevent entry. Automatic garage door openers ensure that access to your garage is controlled. Studies show that the more difficult it is to enter the home, the greater the chances are that the burglar will move on.

2. Have adequate lighting: On the outside of your home, lighted entryways and flood lights with motion sensors ensure that everyone, including you and your neighbors can see who is entering your abode. However, care must be taken to replace burned out or disabled bulbs, and to place such that there is minimal annoyance to neighbors. Inside your home, ensure that there is adequate lighting so intruders are easily visible.

3. Create limited entries with a perimeter and gate: Gates and fences can provide a feeling of stable security or of paranoia, depending on how they are used. Tasteful fencing can create a feeling of “place” that provides a positive look and feel to your home, while also adding a deterrent and a delay to criminals. Limiting vehicular traffic to your property and creating barriers to individual entry make your valuables more difficult to remove, and cameras at these points of entry can more effectively capture any activity.

4. Be a friendly and observant neighbor: Neighborhoods with a “community watch” where each person is looking out for the next provide a sense of security. Generally people know each other and who lives where. This activity makes it easier to talk about crime and helps homeowners to solve problems. Let neighbors know that you are crime conscious, and encourage them to be so, too. Provide your neighbor with contact information if you are leaving on vacation so that they can be in touch should there be unusual or unexpected activity around your home.

5. Be discreet: While you do want neighbors to be informed to some degree, advertising more widely that you will be away from your home is less desirable. When seeking to find a house sitter or pet sitter, avoid advertising the dates of your travel. With an increase in social media and local email lists, people who are outside of your immediate circles could gain access to your plans and make use of that information.

6. Put on a good show: When you are going to be away from home for any period of time, one deterrent might be to make it look like someone is home. Often people who break in are simply looking to steal valuable items and prefer not to encounter people at all. Keep shades as they would normally be open or closed, and use timers to control lights and even music. Increasingly, “smart home” technology can enable homeowners to control the environment from a distance. Consider stopping deliveries or better yet, have someone stop by daily or stay in the home to pick up mail and newspapers, and to check on the house while you are gone.

7. Get a dog: In addition to companionship, a dog could be an excellent deterrent to a burglar. Barking serves as an alarm, helping to detect an intruder as well, but often seasoned criminals know how to deal with dogs by feeding them treats (sometimes laced with poison) or locking them in a room. Still, this added unknown might keep a less determined stranger away.

8. Get a security system: There are many types of systems with and without monitoring available. Some produce loud alarms that are designed to alert neighbors, others are silent and contact police. With the advent of inexpensive cameras, homeowners can set up video surveillance as well. While it is good to have a system in place and to post that a system is in use, beware of giving away too much information so that criminals don’t know which system they are dealing with. Typically these systems monitor entries, but many also include motion sensors. Using these systems requires some understanding on the part of the homeowners so that false alarms are not triggered. Also note, these systems require power to run, so during power outages unless there is a backup power source they will not be functional and other preventative steps will be required.

9. Get a safe: Using a home safe to secure valuables, guns and ammunition is an excellent idea. Consider using it to store important paperwork, like deeds, wills, other legal documents, social security cards, passports, as well as computer backups and photos. While safes are often quite heavy, ensure that they are bolted down so they might not be easily stolen in their entirety. Safes can also provide critical “delay time” – enabling police to arrive before the contents are looted.

10. Don’t leave your keys around: If a burglar sees a car in a garage or driveway and the keys are present, the temptation might be too much. In fact, you might be providing a vehicle to take more items than the burglar was intending to originally take! Keys to additional homes or properties are invitations, as well. Have a place for keys that is not well known or easily seen.

Having an eye for security can be like a game. The winning move is to create a home that provides you with a real feeling of security because you have addressed the issues. It isn’t paranoid to “think like a criminal” and imagine that your home is full of valuables. Take the time to follow these tips, and you can deter, detect, and delay crime in your home.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team  |  www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com | 770-712-7789

Can Living Near A Walmart Increase Your Home Value?

The answer is surprisingly, “yes”!   There was an interesting article on the National Association of Realtors‘ site that I thought I would share.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team  |  www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com | 770-712-7789

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9 Surprising Things That Add Value to Your House

By: Dona DeZube

A home’s value is dependent on many things. Here are nine factors you might not have thought about.

1. Surf Breaks: Being within a mile of a surf break (a spot where surf-able waves happen) adds about $106,000 to a home’s value, according to surfonomics experts at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Reality check: Mother Nature makes surf breaks, so it’s not like you could build your own DIY break to boost your home’s value.

2. Parks and Open Spaces:  A desirable public park or other recreational open space boosts the property value of nearby homes by 8%-20%.  One study looked at 16,400 home sales within 1,500 feet of 193 public parks in Portland, Ore., and found these boosts to home values:

  • Natural areas: $10,648
  • Golf courses: $8,849
  • Specialty parks: $5,657
  • Urban parks: $1,214

Reality check: A park that’s not maintained and overcrowded can drag down nearby home values.

3. Living Near a Walmart: Along with making it easier to run out for a gallon of milk at midnight, researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that living within a mile of a Walmart store could raise your home’s value by 1%-2%, and living within half a mile could boost your property value by an additional 1%.  For an average-size home, that’s an uptick of $4,000-$7,000.

Realty check: What you gain in home value, you may end up spending at Walmart.

4. Solar Photovoltaic Systems: California homes with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems sell for a $17,000 premium over homes without solar systems, according to research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Reality check: Although costs for residential solar power systems are falling, they’re still rather pricey at $15,000-$40,000, depending on the size of your house.

5. Walkability: Being able to stroll to schools, parks, stores, and restaurants will raise your property value anywhere from $4,000-$34,000, says a 2009 study from CEOs for Cities.

Reality check: The biggest boost in walkability values occurred in large, dense cities.

6. Accessory Dwelling Units:  Whether it’s a granny flat, an in-law apartment, or a carriage house, having a separate unit can increase your home’s value by 25%-34%, according to a study of 14 properties with accessory dwelling units in Portland, Ore. You can also get a steady stream of income from a second unit.

Reality check: Local governments often ban accessory dwelling units, so check zoning laws, building codes, and homeowners association rules before you add a unit.

7. Professional Sports Arenas:  A new pro sports stadium can raise property values in a 2.5-mile radius by an average of $2,214. The closer you are to the new facility, the larger the increase in home value. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Alberta examined house sales in Columbus, Ohio, before and after the city added two sports stadiums.

Reality check: If a stadium is proposed, home values can decline a bit until the project is complete. And if you live really close to a stadium, you may encounter traffic and parking issues.

8. Community Gardens:  Planting a community garden raises the value of homes within a 1,000-foot radius by 9.4% within five years, according to research by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and New York University School of Law.  The impact increases over time, and high-quality community gardens have the greatest positive influence. Poor neighborhoods saw the biggest gains in home values.

Reality check: Gardens on privately owned land and in higher-income neighborhoods don’t have the same beneficial influence.

9. Trees:  No real surprise here — whether trees are in your yard or just on your street, they’re a valuable asset you should be aware of. Here’s a gauge of how much trees are worth to your home value according to a University of Washington research survey:

  • Mature trees anywhere in your yard: 2%.
  • Mature trees on your street: 3%.
  • Trees in your front yard: 3%-5%.
  • Mature trees in high income neighborhoods: 10%-15%.

Reality check: Trees usually mean work — raking leaves, trimming branches, and keeping roots out of sewer lines.

Why Realtor Certification Matters: CDPE

I’ve been a Realtor along the GA400 corridor (covering Milton, Alpharetta, Cumming, Johns Creek, Suwanee and Dawsonville) since 2002, and have helped more than 300 families buy or sell a home in the area. My experience and knowledge of this market is extensive. With over 12 years’ experience in the Real Estate Industry, I realize the importance of being able to assist my clients with not only their buying and selling needs, but also to be able to help those in need during difficult financial times avoid foreclosure.

Through years of experience, I have developed what I believe is the most effective short sale listing system available: understanding what works; how banks think; and how to get banks to forgive outstanding debt associated with short sales.

In a previous blog, I explained the importance of having the CLHMS (Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist) certification.    This time, I would like to explain the CDPE certification.

CDPEA Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) has a thorough understanding of complex issues in today’s turbulent real estate industry and knowledge of foreclosure avoidance options available to homeowners. CDPEs can provide solutions, specifically short sales, for homeowners facing market hardships.

Homeowners regularly proceed without guidance of any kind through the often financially and emotionally devastating prospect of foreclosure. Speaking with a well-informed, licensed real estate professional is the best course of action for a homeowner in distress. Through comprehensive training and experience, CDPEs have the tools to help homeowners find the best solutions for their unique situations and to avoid foreclosure through the efficient execution of a short sale.

So what is a short sale?

A short sale can be an excellent solution for homeowners who need to sell, and who owe more on their homes than they are worth. In the past, it was rare for a bank or lender to accept a short sale. Today, however, due to overwhelming market changes, banks and lenders have become much more negotiable when it comes to these transactions. Recent changes in corporate policy and the Obama administration have also improved the chances of getting a short sale approved.

But to be technical, here’s a more official definition:

  • A homeowner is “short” when the amount owed on his/her property is higher than current market value.
  • A short sale occurs when a negotiation is entered into with the homeowner’s mortgage company (or companies) to accept less than the full balance of the loan at closing. A buyer closes on the property, and the property is then ‘sold short’ of the total value of the mortgage.

For homeowners to qualify for a short sale, they must fall into all of the following circumstances:

  • Financial Hardship – There is a situation causing you to have trouble affording your mortgage.
  • Monthly Income Shortfall – A lender will want to see that you cannot afford, or soon will not be able to afford your mortgage.
  • Insolvency – The lender will want to see that you do not have significant liquid assets that would allow you to pay down your mortgage.

This seems simple enough, but it is a complicated process that takes the expertise of an experienced professional. CDPEs don’t merely assist in selling properties, they serve and help save their clients in need.

While the market has shown definite improvement in the North Atlanta area, you or someone you know may still need advice on how best to avoid foreclosure during difficult financial times.   Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the short sale process.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team  |  www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com | 770-712-7789770-712-7789