Real Estate

The Holiday/Winter Season typically slows down the market activity but when there is extremely low inventory, the market activity can continue steadily.  We also believe the Winter activity depends on the weather conditions.  When the New Year starts off with mild weather, we generally see the Spring market start early.  Or, when we have frigid temperatures or lots of snow and ice, the market activity usually delays until the weather conditions improve.

Our Team is busy generating new listings for the Spring market. We have Buyers qualified and ready to buy.  Even though the market is still a Seller’s Market, meaning that inventor is low so Sellers can push prices up and negotiate less, it is important to preparing a house to sell properly.  Just because it may get a quick, full price offer doesn’t mean you’re clear to close. Most likely, the Buyers will have a home inspection which flag concerns that need to be addressed. And, the Lender will send an Appraiser to do the Appraisal to make sure the property’s value covers the loan amount. If the Appraiser feels like there are issues, s/he can make note of that in the Appraisal Report and could generate a glitch.

We have a Seller’s Packet of information with tips on how to prepare a house to sell.  Consulting with a Realtor is a very important step prior to listing the property to sell.  A Realtor can guide Sellers on what tasks to complete.  If an improvement costs $100 (such as painting) but can generate a higher sales price and/or a faster sale, it is most likely a good investment to make.  However, there may be no reason to spend $3,000 on something if it is not an improvement that buyers would appreciate or generate more money in return.  If you’d like to talk to a Realtor of Choice Realty, just call 812-331-7353 or send an email to: Info@CallChoiceRealty.com and an agent will be available for you!

Have you ever stopped to think about all the chemicals and toxins in our homes?

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) care a group of chemicals that vaporize easily. VOCs can be found in carpetand other household products.  Pesticides can be found in more than 50% of our food and used in spray for household pests like ants and roaches. Cleaning supplies are full of chemicals. And, heavy metals can be found in food, materials and drinking water.

 

So, how can we work towards having a Healthy Home?  We must purposely make changes, even if small changes over time, in order to make our homes and lives healthier.

When you update your home, consider new products that do not off gas VOCs or allow products to off-gas before bringing into the house.  If you buy new living room furniture, unwrap and leave in the garage for a few days before carrying into the rooms. If you paint rooms, make sure you have proper ventilation and take breaks for fresh air often.

For cleaning supplies, consider buying organic products or making your own cleaning solutions. There are many recipes on the Internet so take a little time to research and find what works best for you.  Using essential oils is a popular method for cleaning and one that we use often.  To reduce the need for constant cleaning, make a new rule of NO SHOES in the house.  Think about all the surfaces we walk on and the germs and gunk that we are tracking home! And, keep the bathrooms clean and house at the right humidity to help reduce the growth of mold and mildew.

Love seafood?  I do!  But, I definitely don’t want to cook a bunch of shrimp or swordfish that may be high in mercury. Be sure to use your range/cooktop ventilation when cooking seafood and reduce consumption of foods that may contain heavy metals.  Using a water filter is always good, too!  We used to buy bottled water but trying to reduce waste, we shifted to filtered water pitchers and keep cold water available for good hydration.

General Home Maintenance is a must!  Changing your furnace filters regularly, making sure bathroom and kitchen vents are properly piped to outdoors, avoiding lawn chemicals and increasing household plants for naturla air filtering are good maintenance tasks, habits, and general routine checklist chores.