What Does Toni Have To Say?

Wow!  Here It Is - the Final Word on the Tax Credit. 

The House and Senate voted and President Obma just signed into law a bill that extends the First Time Home Buyer's TAX CREDIT.  This means if you have never owned a home before OR have not owned a home in the last 3 years, you can get a Tax Credit of 10% of the purchase price of the home you buy.  There is a cap of $8000 for the 1^st Time Home Buyer Tax Credit so if your house costs more than $80,000, then 8K is all you get. But that is a nice little chunk of change. You MUST have a house picked out and Under Contract by April 30^st and you MUST be closed by June 30 to receive the tax credit.

This extension also adds a provision for NON-1^st Time Home Buyers who want to BUY A NEW HOME..  If you have owned a home for the last 5 years and buy a new home (your primary residence - not a vacation home), you can get a TAX CREDIT equal to 10% of the purchase price of your New home (with a cap of $6500). The income limit for the non-1^st time home buyer is 125,000 for a single person and 250,000 for a couple. You also MUST have a house picked out and Under Contract by April 1^st and you MUST be closed by June 30 to receive the tax credit.

If you were waiting for something great to happen THIS IS IT.  Not only can 1^st time buyers get a credit, but also people who would like to move up to a bigger home, or downsize to something more manageable. 

Interest rates are still low - the last time I looked, they were under 5% for most borrowers and in spite of what you may hear, the banks have plenty of money to lend for home purchases.  Also, you get a CREDIT - Not a deduction, so you will pay up to $8000 or $6500 depending on which category you are in, in less tax. If your tax bill is less than the credit amount, you will get CASH BACK!

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to contact a lender and get pre-approved for a loan.  There is nothing you have to apply for to get the credit, just request the credit when you file your 2009 tax return if you close in 2009, or your 2010 return if you close in 2010.

You can shop for houses on line at my website www.ToniBird.com,  At the top left corner, click on Search the MLS. When you are ready, contact me and I'll help you find the home of your dreams.

Burr!!  It is cold outside today.  Looks like the temperature is somewhere in the 40's and it is cloudy and damp.  The maple tree in my front yard has bright red leaves both on its branches and on the ground.

Inside my home it's definitely warmer.  I have the thermostat set at 68 degrees, but with the cold weather upon us, I'll be seeing that power bill climb again.  The Department of Energy estimates that 56% of the energy use in a typical home comes from heating and cooling. If your house is not very energy efficient, it can be much more than that.

How do you know if you have an efficient house? You can get an energy audit and then have your home "weatherized".  Weatherization is a term used to describe various improvements made to homes to optimize energy efficiency.  According to the Department of Energy, on average, weatherization which can include things such as sealing up leaks in ductwork, replacing windows, replacing the HVAC system  and adding insulation (among others), can reduce your heating bills by as much as 32%.  That is about $350 per year at current prices.

I have an article about Weatherizartion in my November On-line newsletter. To see this and other articles click here.

Don't have the money to do home improvement projects? There are government programs to help people with limited income get weatherization done to their homes.  Check out this website to get info on government help.  Also, Alabama Power has low interest loans that can be paid through your power bill.  Info on what is covered on their weatherization program and who to call can be found here.

There are also ways to get tax credits for making energy efficient improvements to your home which means money in your pocket - so don't miss out.  This is a great time to improve the energy efficiency of your home AND not only save on utility bills but also increase the value of your home.

Fall is here and the leaves are showing their red, gold and orange colors. I was showing houses for sale in Hoover Alabama the other day and everywhere the color was amazing.

When the leaves start to fall, it is time to rake - or in many places BLOW.  It always amazes me that people will blow the leaves off their property. Then as soon as the wind starts to blow, the leaves are right back.... Not only do they blow the leaves but also all the DUST.  Dust is EVERYWHERE.  I don't know about YOU, but my allergies are going crazy right now.

We can't do much about what is happening outside, but if you have allergies, installing an indoor air purification system can be a big help.  What is an air purification system?  It is a machine that cleans the air and improves air quality.

There are three classes of air contaminants:

Particles - such as pollen, dust mites, dirt and pet dander

Bioaerosols - such as bacteria, viruses, mold spores and fingi

Odors/Chemical Vapors - such as pets odors, cooking smells, perfumes, paints and solvents.

These contaminants affect your health, the cleanliness of your home and your comfort.  Several years ago, my husband bought me a free standing air purifier for Christmas. It really helped cut down on the dust in the house.   When we moved into our new house last year (it had been empty for a year), we found that the A/C ducts had all kinds of dust and stuff in them. So we had the ducts cleaned.

The Mayo Clinic has found that air cleaners attached to whole-house systems are generally more effective than free standing cleaners.  These air purifiers are installed on your HVAC system typically where the air filter will be placed. 

I sold a house a few years ago and the seller told me her allergies were almost GONE after she installed the whole house air purifier. So, if you are suffering from allergies, take a look at installing an air purification system.

This house in the Jameswood subdivision, off Valleydale Rd. in Birmingham Alabama, has a Lennox Signature Collection PureAir Air Purification System already installed.  That coupled with the fact that it has All hardwood floors on Both levels of the house makes it a great home for people with allergies.  If you'd like to know more about THIS home click here.

Fall is a beautiful time of year.  Improving the air quality in your home will help you enjoy it more.

Home sales in Hoover, Alabama dipped to 77 in October 2009.  This was down from 93 in September, but still a lot higher than the 58 sales we saw in October of 2008.  Prices on home sales closed in October ranged from $84,500 for a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath condo at Four Seasons off Lorna Rd., to $800,000 for a new construction home in the Glascott section of Ross Bridge. One other property sold for under 100K - a 2 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath townhome in Windhover (off Old Rocky Ridge Road) sold for $85,900.  This totally renovated, 4 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath in Eden View with a view of the lake sold for $310,000.  Eight homes sold in Ross Bridge, 7 sold in Riverchase and 5 sold in Trace Crossings.

There is an incredible selection of homes currently available for sale in Hoover, Alabama.  There are several new condo complexes with 133 units for sale and Townhomes are also a great choice for the 1^st time home buyer (there are 70 of those on the market as of today).  You'll find prices from $51,900 up.

Hoover is a great community with a short commute time to downtown Birmingham.

If you would like to see what homes are for sale in Hoover, Alabama, take a look on my site.  Under "location", scroll down to Hoover and you'll see everything Hoover has For Sale.

Home Sales in Pelham, Alabama remained consistent in October 2009, with 35 closed sales.  There were 35 home sales in August 09 and 34 home sales in September 09 - all up from 27 sales a year ago. Prices ranged from $30,000 for a home is Deer Springs to $359,900 for a 4 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath in the Stoneykirk section of Ballantrae.  Seven home sales were from Ballantrae, eleven sales were townhomes and 7 homes were new construction. 

Currently there are 291 Homes for Sale in Pelham Alabama. The median price is $184,000. Fifty Three properties are townhomes ranging in price from $93,000-$140,000. Forty Five properties are new construction. Weatherly is a beautiful neighborhood with large lots (many over an acre) - some with fabulous views and mature trees where you'll find prices from $177,900 to $894,900. You will find 19 homes for sale in Weatherly and this one is a foreclosure on sale for $299,900.

 If you would like to know more about Homes for Sale in Pelham, Alabama, you can search the web at www.ToniBird.com/search.asp?

Right now most days are still warm and the evenings are just a tad on the cool side.  Here in Hoover Alabama we can still wear shorts during the day - or at least all the High School students think so.  Today it looks like it might rain again - a sign that a cool breeze is on the way.  I'm thinking winter is right around the corner.  YEA!!!!!

Winter though brings higher heating bills and higher bills is NOT something we are looking forward to.  The average American household spends $2000 on energy bills - half of which goes to heating and cooling.  With winter coming there are some things we can do.  We can turn the thermostat down and put more clothes on when in the house.  Many people have their thermostat turned up to the mid 70s.  Set your thermostat to below 70 degrees.  It will not be too uncomfortable (just put on some more clothes).

You may want to look into getting an Energy Star programmable thermostat.  There are basically 3 kinds:  The one that sets the temperature the same for all 7 days, the one that has the same temp for 5 days, then a different temp for 2 days, and a third that has 5 days, 1 day and 1 day.  That way the thermostat lowers the temperature in the middle of the night when you are toasty under the covers and then raises it before you get up so you will be comfortable when you get out of bed. You can also set the temp to go back down after you leave for work or school.  I have heard you can save $180 per year by properly using a programmable thermostat.

 If you would like to get information from Energy Star on programmable thermostats click here.

 When buying a home in the Hoover Alabama area, you can shop for a home with a programmable thermostat.  That is one of the features that is published on the realtor's MLS data sheet. Looking for a new home to buy?  You can shop for homes in the Hoover Alabama area on my website at www.tonibird.com. If you would like to know if a house has a programmable thermostat, let me know and I'll find out for you.

I Need A Down Payment To Buy A House and I just can't seem to get there!!!

So you've been hearing about the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit; up to $8000 tax CREDIT if you haven't owned a home in the last 3 years and buy before Dec 1, 2009.  Who wouldn't want 8K in FREE MONEY?

But you need to come up with the 3.5% down payment in order for the deal to work.  You've been saving and you are Close, but not quite there yet. 

 Try these ideas:     

1. Sell Some Stuff - Do you have DVDs, CDs, or Video Games that you don't use anymore? You can sell them back to a 2^nd hand gaming or CD store.
2. Sell More Stuff - Do you have furniture, bicycle, whatever that you can sell on e-bay?  There is an e-bay store in the Wal-Mart shopping center on HWY 150 in Hoover if you don't want to do it yourself. There is always the yard sale - I say that last because I hate yard sales, but I've known people that have made some bucks selling used stuff.
3. Get a second job - We're not talking about forever, just until you get some money saved up and if you work retail at somewhere where you get discounts on stuff for your house, you can furnish your place at a discount.  Have you looked at how much money you can make delivering pizza or babysitting? Also, it is October and the leaves will be falling soon.  You can make some MONEY raking leaves.
4. Cut Off Your Cable (if you are not under a contract that hasn't expired yet) - This is only temporary. When you get the new house, you can get it back, but think of how much money you could save without say 6 months of cable payments?
5. Car pool. Depending on how far you live from work, you could save hundreds each month by sharing a ride - and get to know some friends really well in the mean time.
6. Check You Phone Bill - Do you have the right plan for the type of calling you make?  You may need to cut back if you are paying extra.
7. Stop Eating Out - Most people waste a lot of money eating out.  Eat Breakfast at home, bring your Lunch, Don't buy drinks and snacks out of the machine, and limit your Dinners out to a budgeted amount.  Keep track of the money you spend eating out for two weeks.  Most people are totally shocked at how much they spend of food.

 These are just a few ideas.  For ideas about saving money check out this article. 

How much can you save in a month?  Set a goal and see what happens.  If you can't make the 3.5% by the end of November, then you will have a good chunk saved and can build on it. They keep talking about extending the tax credit for 1^st time home buyers and if THAT happens, you'll be ahead of everyone else. DON'T GIVE UP. Saving money to buy a home is a terrific goal. Once you buy a home, the value will increase and you will build equity which is also a means of saving. 

If you would like help finding the home of your dreams, you can start by looking on line at my website. Let me know at toni@ToniBird.com if I can answer any questions.  Good Lick!

When your realtor prepares to sell your home, that person will look at what homes have been selling for in the area immediately surrounding your home.  What homes are selling for is what sets the Market Value - or what you can expect to get for your home.   Prices have come down in Hoover Alabama, just like they have in the rest of the country, so it is unrealistic to expect to get the same amount of money your neighbor down the street got two years ago.

VERY UNREALISTIC

I like to say, you need three things to sell a house: great condition, great marketing and the right price.  I have given all kinds of helpful "condition" hints in the past, but let's talk about PRICE.

The first three weeks on the market are the most critical when selling a house. So, it is important to resist the temptation to price it higher and then come down later.

Here's the thing, especially in today's current housing market where numerous sellers are competing for fewer buyers (there may be over a hundred properties that meet a buyer's general requirements), your house has to be in the top 10% to get noticed.  No one - well almost no one - wants to look at 100 houses. Buyers look at homes on the internet and pick out their favorites.  If the seller's home is grouped with others that have more "WOW", the buyer will just skip over it. Also, the majority of buyers use buyers' agents to assist them with purchasing a property. Buyers' agents will help the buyers find a home that's right for them. If their buyers are interested in a particular home and it is priced too high (based on comparable properties sold) then the buyers' agents will find their clients similar more reasonably priced homes to view in the same area.

As a seller's property that's over-priced continues to sit on the market the listing loses its newness. There are typically fewer new listings than existing listings. Agents pay a great deal of attention to what's new on the market. Homes that are priced correctly generate attention, activity and a sale; over-priced homes, on the other hand, sit for long periods, are passed over, and ultimately result in a price reduction.

If a seller has an over-priced home on the market and then finally lowers the price it sometimes goes overlooked. Because it's not a new listing it'll need a lot more attention to get agents and buyers to notice that this same home is now being offered for less.

There are things the realtor can do to try to get the home back in front of people - to COME SEE IT NOW  - Emails, Flyers, ads, etc.. Not an impossible battle, but again, the listing is no longer new and may be less appealing even with the price reduction.

When the seller lowers the price, it may come too late and if the market is falling, the seller is still above its competition even though they lowered the price.

Most sellers who start too high, end up getting less in the end than they would have if they priced lower to begin with.  If you'd like to know what houses have sold for in YOUR area, let me know at Toni@ToniBird.com.  Reviewing information on SOLD properties will help see what the selling price of YOUR home should be.

If you'd like information on selling your, home check out the seller's library on my website at www.ToniBird.com.

When looking at Buying A Home, one of the biggest yes or no items in the buyer's mind is the BATHROOM.  You can have a great backyard, super den, and even updated kitchen with the latest bells and whistles, but that bathroom killed the deal!  Could have been wrong color tile, bathroom too small or no separate tub and shower.

Fixing up a Bathroom is NOT that hard.  If the room is too small, many times you can take in a nearby closet space or take out part of another room.  These are fixes that a contractor can do fairly easily and doesn't add square footage (and additional cost) to the house. 

Do you have that outdated colored tile from the 50's (aqua), 60's (pink), or 70's (avocado)?  That outdated colored tile can be replaced (tumbled marble in a neutral color like the one you see here is very popular right now) and adding a seat or a spot to put your soap is a nice touch.  Take a look at this house for sale in Birmingham, Alabama, that has been totally redone, with a gorgeous tub and shower.  Can't you just see yourself relaxing in this beautiful bath?

Don't want that big of a project; paint the tile.  Don't just slather on regular paint, there is a special paint that a professional can use.  I had my mother's BRIGHT PICK bathroom painted white and it had a totally new look - the cost $400. 

Light fixtures can make a huge difference and are not that expensive.  I bought one for over the sink for $29.95.  Some are a lot higher, but check the clearance isle at Mazer's, Home Depot or Lowes and you can find some really nice ones.

Faucets and other fixtures are also a pretty easy fix.  The houses we see from the 80's have a lot of brass fixtures that are considered outdated.  These can all be replaced with brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze.  If you start the job - finish it.  That means the stopper in the bottom of the tub should match the faucet.  And those shower doors CAN be replaced with oil rubbed bronze.  This bathroom to the right is in a house built in the 90's and WAS brass just 3 short months ago.  Look at it now!

If you'd like a few ideas about fixing up YOUR bath, let me know. Be creative, look at magazines and shop around.  We bought several fixtures and faucets at the day after Thanksgiving Sale - and the big boxes are not nearly as crowded as the mall!

 Investing in fixing up the bath will pay really make your house stand out when it comes time to sell!

Ahh, it's raining right now, temp in the 70s, and really muggy outside.  But a huge COLD FRONT is supposed to be on its way.  Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE the cold weather.  My idea of the perfect day is 40 degrees with the sun shining and no wind. It is easy to breathe and it's just exhilarating!

Soon we will be able to stop running the A/C and open the windows for fresh air.  This summer wasn't as hot as it has been in the past, but I for one will be glad to see a little relief from that big summer electric bill.  My electric bill is less than ½ in the spring and fall when I don't run the HVAC.

One thing I've been hearing a lot about is the tax credit for getting energy efficient appliances.  The credit is part of President Obama's Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Environmental Protection Agency has a rating system called Energy Star which means appliances that qualify meet strict energy standards.  You can get a tax credit for up 30% of the cost of a new qualifying HVAC unit (with a cap of $1500).  Now that means if you buy a new HVAC system with the new energy star ratings, you save big bucks on your utility bill (statistics show up to 30% if your HVAC is over 12 years old), AND you can get MONEY BACK when you file your taxes next January.

That sounds lime a WIN, WIN, to me.

 If you want more info on the requirements for getting a tax credit for a new HVAC unit click here.

Want to save money on heating and cooling but don't want to go through the effort of having a new HVAC unit installed?  You could buy this house.  These owners have already purchased a new HVAC unit for this lovely house.  Big rock, wood burning fireplace - very romantic on a cool evening, hardwood floors - the real thing (not laminate), new kitchen counters, fabulous deck and now a NEW HVAC. It doesn't get any better than this!  And if you haven't owned a home in the last 3 years, this one qualifies for an $8000 first time home buyer tax credit. 

Something to think about.  Some people sit around and complain about the "government spending all that money".  Well here is your chance to make it work for you.