Top 6 Tips To Cool Your Lakeland Fl Home For Sale This Summer Even Without AC

Top 6 Tips To Cool Your Lakeland Fl Home For Sale This Summer Even Without AC

Since it is summer, it is very common for electric bills to shoot up. Most homeowners will use their air conditioner longer hours to keep their homes cool. Do you know that there are other ways to keep the temperature in your Lakeland Fl home for sale cool without using your AC? Read on and follow the simple tips below.

1. Monitor the temperature

The best way to maintain the cool air inside your home is monitoring the weather and the temperature both inside and outside. Check the TV or the internet either on your PC or your smart phone in order to know the forecasted temperature for the day. Knowing how hot or cool the air will be can help you prepare. If it will be cool the whole evening, you can go without AC and just let the cool air in by opening the windows. If it will be too hot, prepare your home early by following the other tips below.

2. Close the drapes

The areas of your Lakeland Fl home for sale directly hit by sunlight will heat up fastest. Closing the drapes or blinds will help keep your home cool when it is too hot outside. Some people like using black out window covering to decrease the amount of sunlight that gets in the home, therefore keeping it cooler.

3. Make use of fans

There are days when you can’t get by without some cool air circulating in the home. Instead of using the AC, try investing in electric fans. You may use ceiling fans, whole house fans, or box fans. The good thing about fans is that they are relatively cheap, easy to install, and they don’t take up as much electricity. Different from an AC which can cool a whole room (even unnecessary parts of it), a fan can be positioned just where you want it. At night, some find it useful to put fans in windows to suck hot air out and cool air in.

4. Reduce humidity from the inside

This means preventing the use of some appliances that can make your Lakeland Fl home for sale extra humid and hot during the day. You can lessen or avoid washing and drying your clothes during midday, as well as cooking and baking or using the oven. When you find the need to do any of these, make sure you turn the ventilating fans on.

5. Avoid using heat generating lights

Incandescent lights can contribute in heating up your rooms. Try to avoid using them, unless of course, you really need to.

6. Add more plants

Having plants, especially trees, can help make the air cooler. Since it is summer, it’s the best time to touch up your yard to improve your Lakeland Fl home for sale’s curb appeal. You might as well take it a notch higher and plant some trees or shrubs. They are nice on the eyes and they can help keep your home cool on those hot summer days.

There is no need to endure the scorching heat while waiting for a closed deal on your Lakeland  Fl home for sale. The better news is, you can beat the heat without letting your electric bill shoot up. Just follow the tips above and your home will remain cool even without AC.

Common Mistakes That Can Reduce Your Sandpiper Lakeland FL Home Value

Common Mistakes That Can Reduce Your Sandpiper Lakeland FL Home Value

Sellers want to get the most profit when selling their  Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home.   Unfortunately some commit these common mistakes that can reduce the value of their home.

You may already know the things that can boost the value of your home like staging it, cleaning it, keeping it smelling nice, and keeping your pets and kids away during showings. What about the things you are NOT doing that can cause buyers to pass up your home or offer less than what you listed the home for?

Here are some of the common mistakes sellers do or don’t do that affect the value of their homes for sale in Sandpiper Lakeland Fl:

1. Selling in an area with several foreclosures. If your Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale is in an area where there are several foreclosures, then your home will most likely sell for a lower value. Often, these kinds of neighborhoods with plenty of foreclosures aren’t well-maintained. The foreclosed  homes in this area are neglected and in dire need of maintenance. Perhaps, the reason why you are selling your Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home is because of the high foreclosure rate! Based on a study by the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), homes within 250 feet of a foreclosed property decreased in value by 1% for every foreclosure.

2. Poor curb appeal. Never underestimate the power of curb appeal. If you have poor landscaping, this can decrease your home’s value by 5-11%! On the other hand, a well-kept yard will increase your Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale’s value by as much.

3. Bad paint job. Bad paint jobs both inside and outside the home can decrease the value of your Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale. This can be fixed quite easily with either wallpaper or repainting the home before selling it. Chipped paint and other ugly marks on the wall will give an impression to buyers that your home is badly in need of repairs or is not well-maintained.

4. Broken windows and leaky faucets. These do not cost much to repair, but when leaky faucets are left dripping, it can cost you your potential buyers. Some buyers might give a lower offer to compensate for home repairs.  They might also think there areother hidden problems in your home.

Putting up your Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale is like dating, you always need to put your best foot forward to keep your buyer interested and in love with your home by keeping it well maintained and attractive both inside and outside.

To get the best tips on how you sell a Sandpiper Lakeland FL home for sale, call Petra Norris at (863) 619-6918 today or visit http://lakelandfl-shortsaleagent.com/lakeland-florida-short-sale-specialist/ for more information.

Top 4 Tips for a Successful Lakeland Fl Short Sale

Top 4 Tips for a Successful Lakeland Fl Short Sale

Top 4 tips for a successful Lakeland Fl short sale

Doing a short sale in Lakeland Fl can be an overwhelming and stressful process, especially if it is your first time or if you are doing it alone. Here are some tips to help you complete a successful short sale:

1. Hire an experienced Lakeland Fl short sale agent.

You wouldn’t want to put your life in the hands of a first-time surgeon, right?  The same is true in working with a real estate agent that will help you with your short sale. A short sale is very complicated and time-consuming.   You need  a Lakeland Fl agent with experience in short sales and in your area to stay on top of the game. Beware of agents who claim to be short sales experts. Some of them may only have closed a handful of short sales. Just because they have a certification in short sales does not mean they are an expert. Interview several agents and ask them how many short sales they have closed in the past 2 years. You may also ask them for referrals.

2. Understand the potential consequences of a short sale.

You have to think long term. What happens next after the short sale? Laws for each state may be different so it is important to be aware of your state’s laws regarding short sales. Make sure to confirm whether your lender will agree to waive the deficiency. Make sure you have it in writing from your lender. One way to avoid a deficiency judgment is by doing the

short sale through the HAFA (Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives) Program. Lenders who approve short sales through the HAFA program are required to release the borrower from any future deficiency judgment. Take note, however, that lenders are not required to approve HAFA short sales.   Lenders may choose to approve your short salebased on their own rules and guidelines set by the loan investor. It is up to the lender to decide whether they will pursue a deficiency judgment against the borrower.

3. Ask your agent to help you negotiate your way out of a deficiency.

Most lenders won’t agree to waive their right to pursue the seller for the deficiency, or at least, not for free. You can ask your Lakeland FL short sale agent to negotiate  and have the lender waive their right to a deficiency judgment. Some lenders may ask the borrower to sign a promissory note for a small portion of the balance, or they may ask for a lump sum. What’s important is you get the help of an agent who is good in negotiating with lenders.

4. Keep your HOA payments up to date.

Don’t stop paying your HOA dues just because you are about to do a short sale. Unpaid HOA dues can kill the deal, even if the buyer is willing to pay the delinquent HOA dues at closing. One reason you should keep paying your HOA dues is for the maintenance of your home so it will still be attractive to sell and not look like a foreclosure. The grass needs to be cut, power needs to be on, etc., so make sure to keep paying your HOA dues even during a short sale.

Follow these tips and work with an experienced Lakeland Fl short sale agent so you can avoid the problems and stress of being unprepared for a short sale.

Think Before You Click: Advantages and Disadvantages of Searching for Homes Online

Think Before You Click: Advantages and Disadvantages of Searching for Homes Online

Nowadays, almost everything is possible with the help of technology. Even searching for your ideal Sandpiper Lakeland home for sale is made easier and faster through the Internet.

Before you search for your future home online, consider the pros and cons of searching through the internet versus searching using traditional methods.

The advantages of searching for homes online:

• The internet allows a potential homebuyer to evaluate the 'vital statistics' of a large number of homes. For example, you can find out which homes are within your budget with a simple click of the mouse.

• Many online listings by developers and resale homeowners feature photographs of the home which helps buyers in the visual aspect of a home search.

The disadvantages of searching for homes online:

• Many listings onthe Internet are not really up to date. There are cases when you find out that the home you've found online was already sold months ago.

• What you see online may not be the real thing. The house will be presented in the best possible light and angle. If the house needs major repairs, you can’t see it immediately. It is a big disappointment and waste of time to pay a visit to the home only to find out that everything was just a half truth.

When searching for homes online, it can be quite challenging to look for listings which are accurate, complete, and up to date. The best way to find a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale is still through an experienced REALTOR who can help you in searching for your dream home.

To get the best tips on how you buy a Sandpiper Lakeland FL home for sale, call Petra Norris at (863) 619-6918 today or visit http://lakelandfl-shortsaleagent.com/lakeland-florida-short-sale-specialist/ for more information.

Top 3 Reasons to Get A Home Inspection Before Buying a Sandpiper Lakeland FL Home For Sale

Top 3 Reasons to Get A Home Inspection Before Buying a Sandpiper Lakeland FL Home For Sale

Before buying a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home, it is very important to visit the home personally and inspect it thoroughly to make sure you are making the right choice. Relying on your own two eyes may not be enough since there are some items that you may overlook. To avoid making a decision on buying a home you might regret later on, it is be best to hire a professional home inspector.

Here are the top three reasons why you need to hire a home inspector before buying a Sandpiper Lakeland FL home for sale:

1. The inspector will check for visible problems that could be overlooked by a real estate agent, a buyer, or a seller – and that is why you need to consult them.

Your inspector will check everything, from the foundation, doors, windows, roof, vents, fans, gutters, plumbing, electrical systems, heating and cooling systems, ceilings, walls, floors, insulation, ventilation, exterior, the basement attic. They will look for problems in the property, systems, components, and how much it may cost to maintain the property. When the inspector is done, he will give you a home inspection report.

However, take note that an inspector does not appraise the property, make recommendations on whether you should buy the house or not, make guarantees about the structural viability and building codes, or look for hidden defects.

2. You can use the Home Inspection report as a contingency in your purchase offer. The contingency states that if major defects are uncovered by a home inspection, you can back out of your offer, free of penalty, within a specific period of time.

3. A home inspection report can also give you additional negotiating power if it reveals major defects that need repair, but may not have been visible to the seller. You can ask the seller to lower the price.

Through the help of a home inspector, you can uncover items that you might have overlooked, ask questions, and make a more informed decision before you buy that Lakeland Sandpiper home for sale.

To get the best tips on how you buy a Sandpiper Lakeland FL home for sale, call Petra Norris at (863) 619-6918 today or click here for more information.

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