Chance Gates' Blog

RISMEDIA, November 22, 2010—Selling a home in any market can be competitive. It’s essential that sellers follow some simple, yet important tips to help make their home more salable.

A quicker home sale can be reached by keeping in mind the needs of the home’s most likely buyer and creating a fresh inspiring look just for them, according to Pulte Homes expert Janice Jones, national vice president of merchandising.

“Everyone understands the value of de-cluttering, cleaning and refreshing a home in today’s competitive market,” Jones said. “The difference between a ‘For Sale’ and a ‘Sold’ sign often boils down to effectively staging a home to appeal to young singles, families or empty nesters—the three largest customer segments that are likely to buy your home. Home sellers should have a good idea of the type of buyer who will make an offer and, since everyone likes an updated home, some simple refreshes can achieve an updated look and feel.”

Jones recommends conducting a technology overhaul prior to staging your home. “Old technology will date your home and you seldom have a second chance to make a positive first impression,” she said. “Flat screen TVs, laptop computers, iPods with docking stations and wireless technology have eliminated the need for large bulky entertainment centers or massive desks designed to hide wiring. Once you’ve rid your home of bulky, dated stereos and TVs, it’s time to hone in on attracting prospects.”

Here are a few, additional ideas:

For singles, Jones recommends emphasizing sleeping spaces and the living room, which are critical to this group. “Singles will spend a lot of time in the living room and the bedroom, which are their sanctuaries from the outside world. As a result, there is no need to set the dining room table with place settings,” Jones said. “Instead, focus on a simple TV stand with clean lines, a flat screen TV and candles in the bedroom and bathroom.”

Young families tend to revolve around children. Items that help this demographic envision themselves living in the space include age-appropriate bedding, linens and towels, a bright rug near play areas, and strategically placed toy chests with open tops. Since kids often play or watch TV on the floor, eliminate the coffee table to create a living room that appears larger and more inviting. Jones notes to remember about the garage when staging for families. “Organize children’s toys and sports equipment to showcase the garage’s storage capacity without compromising functionality,” she said.

Empty nesters tend to seek an upgrade in quality features. Upgrading bath accessories like towel bars and toilet paper holders or decorative hanging lights to a better quality and newer style will make an impact. If the budget allows, upgrading the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher can draw in a buyer.

Lighting is also a key feature for this group. Jones advises ensuring living spaces maximize natural light. If lighting is less than ideal, add lamps or a ceiling fan with light fixtures. It’s important to open heavy blinds or window coverings when showing the home.

An absolute “must” for home stagers regardless of which demographic is being targeted is color. Most sellers are instructed to use neutral colors when repainting. However, adding the right punch of color to accent walls can create depth, enhance kitchen cabinets, or bring a boring bathroom to life.

Homeowners can find color in simple accessories, like throw pillows, coffee table books, and decorative canisters. Neutral colors in flooring materials, upholstery pieces and window dressing work well because they enhance brighter accents.

When choosing colors, Jones cautions homeowners to be aware of their sensory impact:

- Red is stimulating and encourages self confidence
- Orange promotes happiness and celebration
- Yellow is uplifting and light-hearted
- Blue is calming in softer tones and promotes clarity in deeper tones
- Green is the color of nature—it feels fresh and rejuvenating
- Aqua is restful while pink is gentle and sweet—making a great pair
- Purple tones bring out a sense of compassion

“The key is to experiment and put yourself in the shoes of the prospective home buyer,” Jones said. “It may be helpful to ask a friend or relative for a brutally honest opinion before and after you start staging. You may be surprised how little changes—with a little budget—can make a huge difference to a prospective buyer.”

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

An initial draft proposal for reducing the federal deficit that suggests cuts to the mortgage interest deduction is thin on details and will likely change many times before it’s released in any final form, according to NAR.

The New York Times Wednesday published part of a leaked draft by the co-chairs of President Obama’s Deficit Reduction Commission; the commission’s report won’t be released until Dec. 1 at the earliest and will likely look very different from the leaked draft, NAR analysts say. Therefore, early reactions to the plan are pure conjecture, say NAR analysts. In a statement sent to association leaders late Wednesday, NAR said media reports that the commission has recommended reducing the mortgage interest deduction are false.

The White House itself said in a statement released Wednesday that the draft is “only a step in the process toward coming up with a set of recommendations.” The White House quote was included in a Nov. 11 report in the Washington Post.

Obama created the Deficit Reduction Commission earlier this year to recommend how the federal government can balance the budget by 2015, not counting interest on the national debt. The commission consists of 18 members, six members selected by the president and 12 members selected by Congress. The co-chairs, who released their initial thoughts yesterday, are retired Wyoming senator Alan Simpson and former Clinton chief of staff Erskine Bowles.

What the actual report will look like is impossible to know at this point, because 14 of the 18 members at a minimum must agree to the recommendations before the report can be released. Presuming commission members agree or all or parts of a plan, it would still have to work its way through congressional hearings before Congress would take any action. A reform of similar scope, the Tax Reform Act of 1986, was in the works for more than two years before it was signed into law, pointed out Linda Goold, NAR Director of Tax Policy.

One congressional leader who has made clear the initial draft proposal won’t fly if left unchanged is Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who remains House Speaker until early 2011, when the new Congress convenes and the Republican members, now the majority party in the House, name their speaker. Among the proposals Pelosi calls “simply unacceptable” are changes to Social Security benefits.

For the real estate industry, any changes in incentives around home ownership, which have been around for generations, would raise considerable concern because of the core role of home ownership in fostering communities and social stability, and in building household wealth.

As CNN, ABC, and NPR political commentator Donna Brazille has said, “For generations, the government has provided federal incentives to help families fulfill the dream of home ownership. . . The one thing that Americans aren’t cynical about is the promise of the American Dream and of home ownership’s role in that dream. We should do all we can to preserve and protect home ownership and the American Dream for today’s home owners as well as future generations.”

www.realtor.org Source NAR

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

Image via Wikipedia

By Robert Powell

RISMEDIA, November 13, 2010–(MCT)–There are seven keys to a lot of things in life. There are seven steps to heaven and seven types of intelligence and seven habits of effective leaders.

Now we have seven steps to retirement planning courtesy of the Society of Actuaries, which just released a 64-page report with the not-so-consumer-friendly title “Segmenting the Middle Market: Retirement Risks and Solutions Phase II Report.”

“Retirement financial planning requires a methodical approach that identifies and quantifies each important component that affects the asset accumulation, income management and product selection/investment decision processes,” according to the report, which was sponsored by the society’s committee on post-retirement needs and risk and written by Noel Abkemeier of Milliman.

Not surprisingly, Abkemeier says this approach is especially important for middle-income Americans who likely have less than $100,000 set aside for retirement. So what are those steps?

1. Quantify assets and net worth.
The first order of business is taking a tally of all that you own — your financial and non-financial assets, including your home and a self-owned business, and all that you owe. Your home, given that it might be your largest asset, could play an especially important part in your retirement, according to Abkemeier.

And at minimum, you should evaluate the many ways you can create income from your home, such as selling and renting; selling and moving in with family; taking out a home-equity loan; renting out a room or rooms; taking a reverse mortgage; and paying off your mortgage.

Another point that sometimes gets lost in the fray is that assets have to be converted into income and income streams need to be converted into assets. “When we think of assets and income, we need to remember that assets can be converted to a monthly income and that retirement savings are important as a generator of monthly income or spending power,” according to SOA’s report. “Likewise, income streams like pensions have a value comparable to an asset.”

One reason retirement planning is so difficult, according to SOA, is that many people are not able to readily think about assets and income with equivalent values and how to make a translation between the two. Assets often seem like a lot of money, particularly when people forget that they will be using them to meet regular expenses.

Consider, for instance, the notion that $100,000 in retirement savings might translate into just $4,000 per year in retirement income.

2. Quantify risk coverage.
Take stock of all the insurance that you might already have or need — health, disability, life, auto and homeowners. In addition, consider whether you might need long-term-care insurance, especially in light of the cost associated with long-term care and the very real possibility that you might need some assistance at some point in your life.

According to the report, those households with limited assets — say, less than $200,000 in financial assets — may need to spend down their assets and rely on Medicaid, while those with more than $2 million in financial assets can cover long-term-care costs out of pocket. But those households with assets in between $200,000 and $2 million should include long-term care insurance in their plan, according to the SOA. And the best time to buy such insurance is in the late preretirement years.

The SOA also notes in its report the possible need for life insurance, the death benefit of which can be used for bequests or to provide income to a surviving spouse. Life insurance premiums can be expensive if you’re getting on in years. That’s why the SOA report suggests that you continue “existing preretirement coverages during the retirement period.”

Of note, there will soon be many policies that combine long-term-care insurance with life insurance and annuities.

3. Compare expenditure needs against anticipated income.
The thing about retirement is that it’s filled with expenses, which according to the SOA report “can be thought of as the minimum needed to sustain a standard of living, plus extra for nonrecurring needs and amounts to help meet dreams.” What’s more, those expenses are likely to change over time.

So to make your retirement plan work in reality, you first have to make it work on paper. You need to compare whether you’ll have enough guaranteed income to cover your essential living expenses, including food, housing and health-insurance premiums, at the point of retirement and then compare what amount of income you’ll need to cover your discretionary expenses, such as travel and the like (if those are indeed what you might consider discretionary expenses).

Your guaranteed sources of income include Social Security and possibly a pension and annuity. Not so guaranteed: earnings from work and income from assets such as capital gains, dividends, interest and rental property.

No doubt, as you go about the process of matching income to expenses, you might find yourself having to revise your discretionary expenses, especially if there aren’t enough guaranteed sources of income to meet essential expenses.

4. Compare amounts needed in retirement against total assets.
So here’s where your math skills (or your Google search skills) might come into play. Besides calculating your income and expenses at the point of retirement, you need to figure out whether your funds will last throughout retirement. In other words, you need to calculate the net present value of your expenses throughout retirement.

Now, truth be told, finding the present value of your expenses is a bit tricky, especially since there are many factors that can affect how much is really needed, including the date of your retirement, inflation rates, gross and after-tax investment returns, and your life expectancy.

But the bottom line is this: If, after crunching the numbers, the present value of your expenses is greater than the present value of your assets, you’ve got some adjustments to make. And the good news is that there are plenty of adjustments that you can make.

You could, for instance, delay the date of your retirement. You could return to work or work part-time. Those actions might be enough to offset the difference. In addition, you might consider trimming your expenses or consider a more tax-efficient plan to draw down income.

5. Categorize assets.
The SOA also recommends that assets be grouped to fund early, middle and late phases of retirement. Thus, assets for early retirement should be liquid, while mid-retirement assets should include intermediate-term investments such as laddered five- to 10-year Treasury bonds, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, laddered fixed-interest deferred annuities, balanced investment portfolios, income-oriented equities, variable annuities and the like. And late retirement assets include longevity insurance, TIPS, balanced portfolios, growth and income portfolios, laddered income annuities, deferred variable annuities and life insurance.

6. Relate investments to investing capabilities and portfolio size.
This should come as no surprise. The SOA recommends that you invest only in things that are suitable, relative to your risk tolerance, investment knowledge and the capacity of the portfolio to accommodate volatility. “In short, a retiree should not invest beyond his investment skills, including those of his adviser,” the SOA report stated.

7. Keep the plan current.
This too might be a bit obvious, but retirement-income plans must not be built and set on a shelf. The plan is a point-in-time analysis that must be reviewed on a regular basis.

Consider, for instance, just some of the things that could change in one year, according to the SOA. Health status or health-care costs could change; your life expectancy might change; your investment returns and inflation might be quite different than your assumptions; and your employment status and expected retirement date might change.

What’s more, you might suffer the loss of a spouse through death or divorce, or perhaps you might not be able to live independently any longer, or perhaps you might need to sell your house or unexpectedly care for dependents, or change your inheritance plans.

Said Abkemeier: “You want to keep your plan current. You need to tie everything together and go back to the start of the process each year. You want to enjoy retirement, but you don’t want to be at rest.”

(c) 2010, MarketWatch.com Inc.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

RENO, Nev. – The Nevada football team moved up in both national polls and enters this week ranked No. 21 in the nation in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Top 25.

Nevada made its biggest jump in the Associated Press poll as the Pack jumped four spots up to No. 21 after its record-breaking 63-17 win over Idaho in Moscow on Saturday.

In the USA  Today poll, Nevada moved up two spots from the No. 23 ranking it had a week ago. At No. 21, this equals the best ranking Nevada has ever had in the poll as the Pack was also ranked No. 21 in the poll that came out the week of Oct. 10 earlier this season.

The Harris Poll and the Bowl Championship Series rankings will be announced later today.

Nevada, now 8-1 overall and 3-1 in Western Athletic Conference play, will be back in action this week when it travels to Fresno State to battle the Bulldogs. Fresno State is 6-2 overall and 4-1 in WAC play and the Bulldogs are receiving votes in the USA Today poll. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium and the game will be carried on either ESPN or ESPNU. A decision on which network will carry the game is expected by Monday.

www.nevadawolfpack.com

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

Image by Mark Sardella via Flickr

RISMEDIA, November 9, 2010–More than 20 million veterans currently live in the United States. Although their military experiences cross decades and continents, one thing remains constant: Their service deserves our honor, recognition and gratitude.

In an effort to encourage acts of recognition this Veterans Day, philanthropic business Products for Good has compiled 10 simple tips to honor those who have served.

1. Acknowledge active members of the military by sending a thank-you to troops overseas via a tweet! Tweets using the #wearegrateful hashtag are screened and printed onto postcards distributed to troops worldwide.

2. Spend time volunteering at a local VA Medical Center. A small amount of time can make a big difference. Sign up here: http://www.volunteer.va.gov/apps/VolunteerNow/ .

3. Take a five-minute break from your daily routine to personally thank a co-worker, neighbor or loved one who is a veteran. A heartfelt thank you accompanied by a smile may just make their day.

4. Not every veteran is lucky enough to have someone at home to honor and thank them for their service. Products for Good launched the Honor One in a Million Project to change that. When you buy a coin from the Honor One in a Million Project, the coin is hand-delivered to a veteran under VA care. Each coin comes with the opportunity for you to personalize a note to the recipient thanking them for their service. In turn, you will receive a letter confirming the receipt of your gift. Learn more here http://bit.ly/ajJDJi.

5. Take advantage of the Veterans Day holiday to teach kids about our nation’s history and sacrifices of those who have served. For a listing of fun, kid-friendly activities, visit http://www4.va.gov/kids/.

6. Plan a trip to Washington, D.C. to partake in national Veterans Day events or check out your local news and chamber of commerce community calendars to learn about parades and events in your area.

7. Bring patriotic-themed baked good or cards to a local retirement home and help staff distribute to veteran residents.

8. Change your Facebook status to honor a veteran in your life: Today I Honor and Thank (Rank, First Name, Last Name, Branch of Service). Don’t know a veteran? Check out the Veterans History Project to find an individual to honor, http://bit.ly/cVw4OO.

9. There are 1.8 million female veterans in the U.S. Honor the women in your life who serve and the women who face their own battles at home as their loved ones serve.

10. Veterans Day is a great opportunity to give a loved one who has served an unexpected call. Have your kids call and thank a grandparent or cousin who has served, and you’ll feel the appreciation through the phone.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

Image via Wikipedia

By Jane Glenn Haas

RISMEDIA, November 1, 2010–(MCT)–Let’s talk about Kindles and iPads and other new, bright LCD screens: Are the millions of Americans who have bought these devices setting themselves up for headaches, eye strains and other computer vision syndrome symptoms?

Smartphones and similar devices might cause vision concerns, says Dr. Roger Phelps, spokesman for VSP Vision Care.

According to recent research with VSP eye doctors, 33 percent reported that nearly one-third or more of their patients suffer from digital device related vision problems. The most common include eye strain (82 percent), dry or irritated eyes (74 percent), fatigue (70 percent) and headaches (61 percent).

Q. You say not many patients are aware of computer vision syndrome?
A. Two out of three eye doctors say fewer than 20 percent of their patients are aware of this syndrome.

Q. What’s the difference between using a desktop computer and a Kindle or even a smartphone as far as vision strain is concerned?
A. OK. What happened in the past was you had regular eyeglasses for infinity — distance — and reading, about 16 inches.

Now there is a desktop computer screen, about 24 inches, that may require a separate pair of eyeglasses.

In addition, with a smartphone or the like, I can go to the website of, say, CNN, but it is really small. Some of these screens are best read at 12 inches — usually by a teen or someone under 40.

Q. Oh, come on! Only young people can read these small screens?
A. We can prescribe eyeglasses to read these screens, but they still must be held at a 12-inch distance from the eyes.

Q. So you are talking about eyeglasses for distance, 20 or 24 inches for desktop computers, 16 inches to read a book and 12 inches to read a smartphone screen?
A. We can prescribe progressive lenses.

Q. What’s the easiest thing people over 40 can do to avoid these eye problems?
A. To protect your eyes while using your iPads, Kindles and so on, here are a few tips:

— Pay attention to environmental lighting. Reading on digital devices provides its own light but can be difficult to see in a bright light or when outdoors. Adjusting the angle and turning up the screen brightness all the way with the auto-brightness off can help.

— Don’t forget to blink, breathe and break. Many doctors call this the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds and look at something 20 feet away.

— Use computer vision glasses. Even if you have near-perfect vision, these glasses can ease eye strain from prolonged use of a digital device.

— Get your eyes checked. Have an annual exam and talk to your doctor about your digital usage — especially if you are experiencing symptoms that include headaches, backaches, dry eyes and so on.

Q. What about using artificial tears products?
A. A lot of people get dry eyes as they get older. Sometimes they don’t realize it’s dry eye because their eyes are watering a lot. Actually, that can be a symptom as the eye tries to wash stuff away.

Check the brand you are using with your doctor.

Q. Why are these eye problems becoming more common?
A. People are spending about six hours daily working at a computer then doing other computer-screen reading — such as on the Kindle — for pleasure. Computer vision syndrome is up there with carpal tunnel problems and other work-related concerns.

(c) 2010, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

Being a father to my family and a husband is to me much more important than what I did in the business.

Happy Days was about a family… although the show was shot in the 70s, it was about a family in the 50s. I realized that kids were watching their parents grow up and the parents were watching themselves grow up. That was the key to the success of our show.

I want to help people with depression understand that there is hope, so that they can get the help they need to live rich, fulfilling lives.

Just like other illnesses, depression can be treated so that people can live happy, active lives.

My wife says that my tombstone will read, ‘Here lies Mr.C, who used to be Mr.B.’ So I think that’s probably what I’ll be remembered for.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

By Stephanie Andre
RISMEDIA, October 30, 2010—This year has certainly flown by, and now, with the fall in full swing, it’s a great time to start prepping your home before winter strikes. From water leaks to the chimney, it’s better to be ready for the cold season…before it hits.Here, State Farm offers up some fall maintenance tips for your home:Check all window and door locks for proper operation* Windows that can be opened by breaking the glass and unlocking them, are less effective deterrents to criminals. Check with the hardware store for window lock alternatives.* All exterior doors should have deadbolt locks.Make sure there are working nightlights at the top and bottom of all stairs
Other safety ideas for stairs:* Tile and painted wood or concrete stairs can be slippery when wet or when a person’s shoes are wet. Resurface the treads with slip-resistant strips near the stair nosing.* All stairs of at least three risers should have a handrail.* Do not store items on the stairs.Have a heating professional check your heating system every year
Woodburning stove connector pipes and chimneys should be inspected by a certified chimney sweep at least annually.Replace your furnace filter
Furnace filters need to be replaced frequently to allow your heating and cooling systems to operate properly.Run all gas-powered lawn equipment until the fuel tank is empty
By doing this, you are removing flammable liquid storage from your garage. At the same time, make sure you aren’t storing dirty, oily rags in a pile. They can ignite spontaneously.Have a certified chimney sweep inspect and clean the flues and check your fireplace damper
Soot and creosote, which build up inside the chimney, can ignite when a fire is lit in the fireplace.Remove bird nests from chimney flues and outdoor electrical fixtures
Bird nests on top of light fixtures are a fire hazard. Bird nests in chimney flues can prevent a proper venting of combustion gases and can catch fire from sparks. You should exercise great caution when working on your roof or consider hiring a qualified professional to take care of any work that needs to be done.Make sure the caulking around doors and windows is adequate to reduce heat/cooling loss
Check glazing for loose or missing putty or glazing compound. This will also help reduce water damage to the windows and door frames.Make sure that the caulking around your bathroom fixtures is adequate to prevent water from seeping into the sub-flooringCheck for cracked or missing caulk around the base of your toilet, bath tub, and bathroom cabinets. Properly sealing gaps between your bathroom fixtures and flooring material can prevent damage

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.

Image via Wikipedia

By Steve Goldstein

RISMEDIA, October 28, 2010–(MCT)–Sales of new homes climbed 6.6 percent in September, figures released by the federal government on Wednesday showed, representing the second straight month of gains, but still well below the pace when a tax credit existed.

Sales of new single-family homes rose 6.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 307,000, which is stronger than the 300,000 that economists expected in a MarketWatch-compiled poll.

On Monday, a report showed sales of existing homes also were stronger than expected, rising 10 percent, and the two reports lend support to some economists who believe housing demand hit a bottom in late summer.

“After dropping precipitously following the expiration of the first-time homebuyer tax credit, it looks as though new home sales have stabilized,” said Nicholas Tenev, an economist at Barclays Capital. “We expect a gradual recovery over the coming months.”

Still, the pace of new-home sales is 21.5 percent below the same level of last year.

The pace of new-home sales also is considerably below the 414,000 rate in April, when the market was buoyed by a tax credit that has since expired.

There’s also still plenty of supply, with the government estimating supply of 8 months of unsold homes, though that’s down from 8.6 months in August. The stock of unsold houses fell 1 percent from August and dropped 19 percent from Sept. 2009.

“With little new construction going on, inventories of unsold new homes at least aren’t a problem even with sales at such a severely depressed level, with the number of new homes for sale extending a run of record lows,” said David Greenlaw, an economist at Morgan Stanley.

The median sales price rose 1.5 percent from August and 3.3 percent from Sept. 2009 to $223,800 — about 30 percent above the median price of an existing home.

The margin of error for new-home sales is a considerable plus or minus 16.9 percent.

September’s housing market was only partly affected by a foreclosure moratorium of some leading lenders, which gathered pace in October.

New-home sales, by definition, wouldn’t be affected by foreclosure disputes and in fact could benefit by virtue of purchasers getting “clean” title when buying new properties.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney. For a free copy of my blog titled  “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures.