Real Estate Information

A Few Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Condo

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

by The Hat Team

If owning your own home isn’t on your agenda and you would rather purchase a condo or townhome to make things a bit easier on yourself, you are not alone. There are several things however that you should consider and think about before purchasing a condo and a few of those things are listed below.

One thing to consider when purchasing a condo is who the manager is. If you have a manager that is easy to deal with then you shouldn’t have any issues, but if you have a manager that doesn’t see eye to eye with you on things you may find yourself wishing you never would have purchased a condo.
There are fees associated with owning a condo. You should definitely check into the fees associated with your particular condo before purchasing it. These fees can range anywhere from $200 to $400 per month or year depending on how upscale the condo is you want to purchase.
Looking at the condo financial statements is a great way to see if you really want to purchase a condo or not. For example if the condos financial statements do not include paying for repairs on a broken street light, you may end up seeing the repair costs tagged on to your bill. Taking these types of things into consideration could sway your decision one way or the other regarding purchasing. If you find that repairs on such things are not included in a particular condos financial statements you may want to search for a condo that does cover them.
Knowing the rules of condo living can make or break your decision of purchasing as well. Some condos don’t allow holiday decorations while others just tell you where to park. It’s up to you to decide what is most important to you and what rules simply do not matter that much, however knowing the rules is imperative.
Checking out the condos liability insurance to make sure there are no pending lawsuits against it is also a good idea.

These things to consider before purchasing a condo are just the tip of the ice berg. Do your due diligence, ask questions and find out all there is to know about condo living before sinking your money into a one you are not happy with. If you do all of this and you are satisfied, you will likely enjoy condo living and all it has to offer.

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.

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Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale: 3117 Cloverdale Road, Montgomery AL 36106

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

by The Hat Team

Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale:

3117 Cloverdale Road, Montgomery AL 36106
MLS# 409910

3 bedrooms | 2.5 baths | 2,116 square feet | Cloverdale

Total renovation, across from concert park in Cloverdale/ Idlewild!!! Want a new house in an old skin? Want to walk to the movies, restaurants, playhouse? Hurry and see this beauty with huge main bedroom, two additional bedrooms, 2nd hall bath and 1/2 bath with unique wood walls and ceiling. Refinished hardwoods throughout, transoms, built in arched bookcases and glass door knobs. Kitchen features marble counter-tops, subway tile back splash, stainless appliances, island with seating area and custom open shelving. Separate laundry, covered parking and deck on rear off main sweet for coffee or cookouts. New plumbing, electrical and spray foam insulation. New roof, paint and flooring. Covered parking and a great old brick patio in back yard. Almost forgot to mention best room in house, front porch with a commanding view of the park!! See all the other custom features this home has to offer in an incredible location in Midtown Montgomery you will love! Call us or your favorite realtor to see this unique property today!

Marketed by Montgomery Al Realtor Frank Powell, Sandra Nickel Hat Team

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Montgomery Real Estate For Sale: 1708 Norman Bridge Road, Montgomery AL 36104

Friday, December 9, 2016

by The Hat Team

1708 Norman Bridge Road, Montgomery AL 36104
MLS# 405705

2,485 square feet

Perfect setup for business needing water in multiple spaces: hair or nail salon, doctor or dentist office. 1708 and 1710 sides are totally metered separately so you could occupy one side, rent out the other and keep your expenses to the bare bones minimum! 11 total rooms plus 2 work areas, 2 potential kitchens, 2 half baths--even washer-dryer connections! Half block to the action at A&P Lofts, Pine Bar, Filet & Vine, etc.

Marketed by Montgomery AL Realtor Sandra Nickel, Sandra Nickel Hat Team

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Tips To Get Ready For a Professional Organizer

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

by The Hat Team

If you have let your house go and you find yourself in need of a professional organizer, there are a few things you need to do in order to get ready for one to come and help you get your life together. Below is a list of things that you need to do BEFORE hiring a professional organizer so that you both end up with the results you were hoping for.

One thing you need to do before the professional organizer arrives on the scene is to de-clutter your own home and have an end game in mind. Make a mental note of how you want your family to benefit from the coming organization and plan your strategy around that. If you have certain rooms that you use daily to make life work, start in those areas once your organizer arrives. He or she will be glad that you have somewhat of a plan already in mind rather than having to start blindly with no goal to work towards.
Another thing you need to do in order to get ready for a professional organizer to come into your home is to realize that even though you hire someone to help you get your life in order, your home will likely still not look like a picture out of magazine. The truth of the matter is, folks live in their homes and where there is life there is mess. If you go in with this mindset you will likely be pleasantly surprised of all that can be accomplished.
Be ready to let things go when your organizer comes into your home. You need to let your hording tendencies go and be willing to throw things out that you haven’t recently used.
Another tip for getting ready to hire a professional organizer is to realize that they are not there to build shelves and the like. If you have something that you want installed, get someone else to do it or do it yourself before your organizer arrives. The professional organizer is there to help get things organized not to build shelving contrary to popular belief.
Professional organizers are not there to clean your home either so be sure to go ahead and have the house clean before they arrive. Clean isn’t the same thing as neat.

Hopefully this list will get you started in the right direction for getting ready for your professional organizer to arrive. If you follow these simple tips you will likely be excited and happy with the final results.

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.

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Nursery Decorating Ideas to Welcome Your Little One

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

by The Hat Team

Decorating your home can be fun but no other room is more fun than decorating the nursery for the arrival of a new little one. Nothing brings more happiness than welcoming a new baby into the world and what better way to welcome your new bundle of joy into your home than by fixing the nursery up for them. Below are a few nursery decorating ideas to welcome your new little one.

A little baby is nothing more than a miracle from above so why not decorate your new baby’s room like the royalty that they are. Decorating the nursery in a royal theme is a perfect idea whether you are welcoming a tiny prince or a princess. You can keep the décor unisex by adding some rich colors to the wall or adding a chandelier to the ceiling. Adding a few decorative pillows maybe in the shape of a crown might be a good idea as well.
Another cool idea for decorating your nursery is to make it extremely colorful with balloon décor. This type of room can be unisex as well if you stick to the primary colors of yellow, blue, green and red. If you want to get really creative you could paint a balloon mural on the wall and perhaps an outdoor scene to go along with it.
If you like country décor you could use painted pallets to add a touch of southern sass to the room. This type of country décor can be unisex if you want or you can make it more of a cowboy feel or a cowgirl feel depending on which you have been blessed with.
Yet another great decorating idea to welcome your new little one into their new room is a Hollywood glitz and glam room. Sheer curtains hung throughout the room with walls painted pink is a great way to get this particular look and feel. Yet again, a chandelier may be appropriate for this type of room.
If you want another gender neutral idea for your baby's room you can use colors such as grey and yellow. These colors are not only unisex they are timeless as well.

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.

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Montgomery AL Real Estate For Sale: 4530 Shamrock Court Montgomery AL 36106

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

by The Hat Team

Montgomery AL Real Estate For Sale:

4530 Shamrock Court Montgomery AL 36106

MLS#409639

Pristine home situated on a quiet cul-de-sac in Green Acres. Move in ready with new carpet and fresh paint. Lots of living space with living room, family room/den and a huge bonus room addition. Bedrooms are spacious and bathrooms have new vinyl tile floors. Lovely covered patio perfect for relaxing and good size back yard with two storage sheds. Home has been very well cared for, check it out today!

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Many Blessings to You and Your Family!

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

by The Hat Team

“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.”
Henry Van Dyke

Did you know?:

- The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621 and included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians and lasted three days. Many historians believe that only five women were present at that first Thanksgiving, as many women settlers didn't survive that difficult first year in the U.S.

- Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday until over 200 years later! Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who actually wrote the classic song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Lincoln in 1863 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, after writing letters for 17 years campaigning for this to happen.

- No turkey on the menu at the first Thanksgiving: Historians say that no turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving! What was on the menu? Deer or venison, ducks, geese, oysters, lobster, eel and fish. They probably ate pumpkins, but no pumpkin pies. They also didn't eat mashed potatoes or cranberry relish, but they probably ate cranberries. And no, Turduckens (a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken) were nowhere to be found during that first Thanksgiving.

- Thanksgiving was almost a fast — not a feast! The early settlers gave thanks by praying and abstaining from food, which is what they planned on doing to celebrate their first harvest, that is, until the Wampanoag Indians joined them and (lucky for us!) turned their fast into a three-day feast!

As you gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, take time to remember all that you have to be grateful for.

Wishing you and yours a day filled with joy.

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.

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Montgomery AL Home For Sale: 3425 Idlewild Court, Montgomery AL 36106

Sunday, November 20, 2016

by The Hat Team

Midtown Montgomery Home For Sale:

3425 Idlewild Court, Montgomery AL 36106

MLS#409541

2 Bedrooms | 1 Bathroom | 1052 Square Feet | Cloverdale

Charming Cloverdale Idlewild cottage tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac. This home is move-in ready with fresh paint, pretty hard wood floors, a lovely updated kitchen with stainless appliances and super cute updated bathroom. The nice sized bedrooms have ample closet space. Relax on the awesome front porch or screened porch that overlooks the huge back yard. Conveniently located within walking distance to restaurants and entertainment. Check it out this Midtown Montgomery home today!

Marketed by Montgomery Al Realtor Lauren Layfield, Sandra Nickel Hat Team

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. You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form or give her a call anytime 334-834-1500.

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Things to Hide When Selling Your Home

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

by The Hat Team

If you are currently trying to sell your home, you need to make sure you are doing all that you can do to make the sale a priority. There are many things that people tend to leave out during a home showing that should definitely not ever be seen by a prospective buyer. Below is a list of a few things you should totally hide when in the process of selling your home.

Taxidermy is awesome to avid hunters and their wives but when someone is coming to view your home, you don’t want to leave it out. Dead animals hanging on the walls of your home are not what folks typically have in mind when coming to look at a potential home. You don’t have to get rid of your taxidermy obviously but perhaps take it off of your walls and gently place them in the closet until after the showing.
Another thing that you should likely hide when folks come over to your home to take a tour of it in the hopes of buying it from you is your shotguns and other weapons that you may use. This type of thing being displayed throughout the house is likely to scare any potential buyers away in a hurry. Do your part by placing these items out of sight during a showing.
If you collect dolls or anything that can be seen as creepy in any way, put them away until after the showing. Better yet, put them away until after your house sells. Collections may not only be creepy to others but they tend to collect dust as well and don’t look nice during a showing.
If you have political signs in your yard, especially right now and you want to sell your house, by all means take them down! This election was a big one and folks have very big opinions about who should be elected. Seeing a sign in your yard for the opposite candidate that your potential buyer wants may actually lose you an offer even before the folks make in inside of your house to look around.
If you have a ton of family photos around your house, you may want to hide them during a showing as well if selling your house is your top priority. Folks want to picture themselves in your house and having your family pictures all over the place can make that task more difficult.