Real Estate Information Archive

Blog

Displaying blog entries 271-274 of 274

Tips For a Green Home Office

by The Hat Team

When we consider becoming more “green” at home, we often think about kitchens and bathrooms, spaces which use a lot of energy and water and can pollute the environment of your Montgomery AL home.  While these are certainly high-impact areas that could easily be made more efficient, there’s also much potential for going green in your home office. Check out these simple suggestions:

  • greenPaper:  Look for paper made with the highest amount of recycled post-consumer content. When you can, print on both sides of the paper. If you need to shred documents, keep that shredded paper to use when sending packages or even for storing items such as fragile holiday decorations or china. To recycle paper on a regular basis, have a small recycling box under the desk in your Montgomery AL home office.
  • Printer cartridges:  Every year hundreds of millions of cartridges are used in this country--and 70 percent of those end up in landfills. However, cartridges are actually easily refilled/recycled, and you can also get paid to turn in used ones. There are a number of online sources that will supply a pre-paid shipping label to mail accepted cartridges in exchange for cash. Or you can turn in your used cartridges for recycling at some office supply stores and earn a credit for them.
  • Power strips:  Get a single power terminal that connects to all the ancillary gadgets that run with the computer in your Montgomery AL home office. This way the moment you are not using the computer, they can be turned off, too. Keeping the computer and its accessories on through the night consumes more than 30% of the total power consumption when in use.
  • Computer hardware:  In addition to being convenient, laptops are said to consume less than 1/8th the power of a regular desktop. With laptops now more affordable, it is advisable to switch to a laptop in your next purchase.  Likewise, LCD and LED monitors use about half the energy compared to a traditional CRT monitor.
  • Used manuals and electronics:   Recycle unneeded computer manuals and “how-to” guides by donating them to local workforce development groups and charity organizations.  This also applies to old laptops, printers, and other office equipment. And don’t forget used batteries, cartridges, PDAs, and obsolete cell phones. What you may consider trash, another person may consider a life-changing gift!

Search all Montgomery AL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Should You Pay-off Your Mortgage Early?

by The Hat Team

With interest rates so low and economic uncertainty so high, it is no wonder that many owners of Montgomery AL homes are considering paying off, or at least paying down, their mortgages earlier than expected. The topic is a homecontroversial one, however, with real estate and financial experts vociferously arguing about both the advantages and disadvantages of such a move.

Proponents of early pay-offs cite benefits such as a strong sense of financial stability, added housing security, and financial flexibility, whereas opponents point out the loss of liquidity and investment opportunities.  Both sides agree, however, that you should pay off high interest loans first, establish a comfortable emergency fund, and utilize a mortgage calculator to analyze financial gain or loss incurred in the early pay-off of the mortgage on your Montgomery AL home.

In the event that you decide that you do wish to own your Montgomery AL home free and clear now—or in the near future-- there are steps you need to follow.   First, the process is the same whether you obtained your loan from a bank, a credit union, or a mortgage broker/banker. You signed a promissory note and a deed of trust (or mortgage) which was recorded among the land records in the jurisdiction where your property is located.

Before you send in a check, contact your lender and get a written payoff statement, which will include a per-diem interest. Remember that interest accrues daily, and you have to pay the lender up to the date it actually receives your check.( Many title attorneys actually send the lender a few more days' interest just to be on the safe side. Legitimate lenders will refund any overage.)

After you have paid the lien off, some documentation (release or satisfaction) must be recorded among those same land records reflecting that the loan has been paid in full. Talk to your lender as to its procedure. Most will take care of recording the release for a nominal fee; some will send you the promissory note and deed of trust marked "paid and canceled" and ask you to handle the recording.  Be sure you get the original documents back from the lender.

You should also (1) advise your insurance carrier in writing that you no longer have a mortgage; (2) request the real estate taxing authorities in your jurisdiction send you the original tax bills; and (3) stop any automatic payments with your bank.

Search all Montgomery AL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

 

Does Your Neighbor Effect Your Home's Value

by The Hat Team

Generally speaking, real estate articles dealing with the buying, selling, or appraisal of a Montgomery AL home render advice dealing with the condition and appeal of the property.  Would-be sellers are reminded to pay particular houseattention to curb appeal, cosmetic repairs, de-cluttering, and maintenance matters, while potential buyers are urged to focus on location, amenities, and structural stability. There are other, less publicized factors that impact a Montgomery AL home’s value, however, and they, too, should be included in a buyer’s or seller’s check list.

The Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers cautions homeowners and potential home buyers that bad neighbors can significantly reduce nearby property values.

Bad neighbors can include homeowners with annoying pets, unkempt yards, unpleasant odors, loud music, dangerous trees and limbs, or poorly maintained exteriors. A homeowner or prospective home buyer should visit a street on several days at various times to learn more about what is happening in the neighborhood. A home’s proximity to a bad neighbor also can impact the rate of potential decline in value.  “I’ve seen many situations where external factors, such as living near a bad neighbor, can lower home values by more than 5 to 10 percent,” said Appraisal Institute President Richard L. Borges II, MAI, SRA.

If your Montgomery AL home’s value is jeopardized by such a situation, you should consider the following actions:

  • Join with other neighbors and approach the bad neighbor together.
  •  Check subdivision restrictions with the municipality and/or HOA for any violations.  If some are found, report the bad neighbor and request an investigation. A call to the local health department also may be warranted.
  • Hire an attorney. If all else fails, the cost of an attorney will likely be less than the home’s potential loss in value.

Another type of a “bad” neighbor can be a business or government enterprise whose very existence drives down the value of your property.  Potential buyers of a Montgomery AL home would be well-advised to

be on the lookout for landfills, power plants, cell towers, commercial warehouses, funeral homes, a closed school or other public facility, and a number of foreclosed homes in a neighborhood, as these also can negatively affect a home’s value.

Search all Montgomery AL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Going Green In The Office Of Your Montgomery AL Home

by The Hat Team

When we consider becoming more “green” at home, we often think about kitchens and bathrooms, spaces which use a lot of energy and water and can pollute the environment of your Montgomery AL home.  While green earththese are certainly high-impact areas that could easily be made more efficient, there’s also much potential for going green in your home office. Check out these simple suggestions:

  • Paper:  Look for paper made with the highest amount of recycled post-consumer content. When you can, print on both sides of the paper. If you need to shred documents, keep that shredded paper to use when sending packages or even for storing items such as fragile holiday decorations or china. To recycle paper on a regular basis, have a small recycling box under the desk in your Montgomery AL home office.
     
  • Printer cartridges:  Every year hundreds of millions of cartridges are used in this country--and 70 percent of those end up in landfills. However, cartridges are actually easily refilled/recycled, and you can also get paid to turn in used ones. There are a number of online sources that will supply a pre-paid shipping label to mail accepted cartridges in exchange for cash. Or you can turn in your used cartridges for recycling at some office supply stores and earn a credit for them.
     
  • Power strips:  Get a single power terminal that connects to all the ancillary gadgets that run with the computer in your Montgomery AL home office. This way the moment you are not using the computer, they can be turned off, too. Keeping the computer and its accessories on through the night consumes more than 30% of the total power consumption when in use.
     
  • Computer hardware:  In addition to being convenient, laptops are said to consume less than 1/8th the power of a regular desktop. With laptops now more affordable, it is advisable to switch to a laptop in your next purchase.  Likewise, LCD and LED monitors use about half the energy compared to a traditional CRT monitor.
     
  • Used manuals and electronics:   Recycle unneeded computer manuals and “how-to” guides by donating them to local workforce development groups and charity organizations.  This also applies to old laptops, printers, and other office equipment. And don’t forget used batteries, cartridges, PDAs, and obsolete cell phones. What you may consider trash, another person may consider a life-changing gift!

Search all Montgomery AL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Displaying blog entries 271-274 of 274

Syndication

Categories

Archives

   cdpe    crsHat Lady on Zillow