Archive for Community
Help for Seniors
By · March 21, 2012 · CommentsIn these economic times it is always good to know where you can find help for anything. So, I am listing a few places seniors can find assistance for various things. If you know of other places please let me know and I will include them in a future posting. Be sure to have information such as pension amount, social security number, list of expenses etc. available.
1. BenefitsCheckUp.org. Enter in the proper information and you can find out if any of the federal and state benefits programs apply. There is a wealth of information here and is the best place to start.
2. ncoa.org. This is the National Council on Aging. Put in the requested information and find out if additional state or local programs are available.
3. Visit the local Senior Center and see if they have a volunteer who assists with giving out information on local programs such as Meals on Wheels, etc.
4. Veteran’s Administration – if the senior served in the military there may be additional programs available.
Unfortunately there isn’t one spot where one can check on all programs available but free money and benefits are worth a phone call!
Updating blog
By · March 2, 2012 · CommentsAs times change so will this blog. Currently being redone please check back often for more exciting things to come. It will not only be a real estate blog but a community blog you can share with family, friends and one I hope you will want to bookmark and visit often.
Check back soon!!!
For Better or Worse
By · November 1, 2011 · CommentsMany people currently believe their children won’t do as well as they have done. That is a drastic change from the previous opinion prior to the current recession. The best thing we can do for our children is to live within our means and not try to “keep up with the Joneses”. Now is the time to spend more time with family and friends developing relationships that a recession can’t take away. Instead of purchasing that new Mercedes or Coach purse put the money towards the children’s college. You could even encourage them to save too.
Having a home is still the American dream but in spite of the reduction in prices people still believe it is much harder to purchase a home today than it was 10 years ago.
So, every day be thankful for what you have, set your personal and family goals and move toward them regardless of what the newspapers or daily news on TV says. You can control your own destiny if you choose.
Pros and Cons of reduced property taxes
By · October 25, 2011 · CommentsDon’t be caught unaware of an increased tax bill you weren’t expecting. While it is great to have your property taxes lowered because the value has diminished you need to be aware of what that means. It does mean your taxes will be less than originally expected but it also means your taxes can increase more than the levels as dictated under Proposition 13. In a nutshell it means that as long as the values are below your original purchase price if the assessor determines the value has gone up the taxes can go up to any amount determined to be the current assessed value until such time it reaches the Prop 13 original purchase level.
So, you need to make sure you are aware of this and if you receive a tax bill that is high you will understand why. Of course, you can always make a call to your local county assessor for an explanation.
In a nutshell, if possible it is wise to save the original property tax amount so you won’t be caught short.
Successfully Selling a Home
By · May 16, 2011 · CommentsYou want to sell your home, what do you do?
1. Choose a Realtor and together develop a selling and marketing plan.
2. Prepare your home for sale – declutter the house, freshen up the yard, perhaps complete deferred maintenance.
3. Price the home according to the market, what has sold and the quality of the home itself. Overpricing means you will lessen your chances of an offer at your asking price and ultimately means you will receive less for your home than you would if you priced it correctly in the first place.
4. When you receive an offer remember it is a business transaction and isn’t personal. Remember the buyer is purchasing a house and it doesn’t have any reflection on you as a person.
5. Sweeten the deal a bit making it easier for the buyer to purchase the home if keeping the home will cost you more in the long run.
Happy Selling. Selling a home can be a stressful experience so be sure you have a good Realtor you are working with to help guide you through the process.
