Recommended South Portland real estate tricks today from Chelsea Crawford: Lighthouses are not only a literal landmark for boats, they have become an iconic symbol of Maine and are local landmarks for most coastal towns. Portland is no exception, home to several lighthouses that date back as far as 1871. One of the most visited is Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth thanks to its excellent museum and stunning views of Casco Bay and Portland Harbor, as well as four additional area lighthouses. The museum, housed in the former Keeper’s Quarters, has a variety of exhibits about the history of lighthouses and lighthouse keeping, including a look at the ways in which technology has changed their operation. Items on display include Fresnel lenses, historic photos, documents, and other artifacts. The museum also has exhibits and artifacts related to Fort Williams, which shares the promontory. Tourists can explore the historic fort buildings and enjoy recreational facilities at Fort Williams Park. See more info at https://www.datanyze.com/people/Chelsea-Crawford/5788927232.
Here are some real estate market opportunities: You probably don’t have the same skill set as Joanna and Chip Gaines, but you might still wind up with a fixer-upper thanks to those inventory constraints. And that’s totally okay. What I’ve learned from buying real estate is that you’ll typically never be content with the upgrades previous owners or developers make, even if they were super expensive and high quality. So why pay extra for it? There’s a good chance you’ll want to make the home yours, with special touches and changes that distance yourself from the previous owner. Don’t be afraid to go down that road, but also know the difference between superficial blemishes and design challenges, and even worse, major problems. Especially this year, watch out for money pits that sellers can finally unload because real estate is just so very hot. Those properties that could never sell may finally find a buyer, and you might not want that buyer to be you.
One way to kill a sale immediately is to have a potential buyer walk into your home only to be welcomed by the smell of a strong pet odor or your pet itself. No matter how adorable your pet is, do not assume that everyone is a pet lover and some people may even be allergic to them. You should also be extra vigilant about any pet odors by having your rugs steam cleaned in addition to vacuuming and washing surfaces. There should be no evidence of any pets in the home. Make sure to remove any bowls full of dog food, kitty litter boxes, doggy bones, or pet toys. Before scheduling a tour, you may want to take your pet to a friend’s house or rent out a pet hotel for the day.
Chelsea Crawford South Portland Maine best realtor guides 2024: There will be times when you have the opportunity to create more space through proper organization and utilizing it efficiently. There are also some homes that just won’t allow you to store much stuff because there is no attic or basement, and the storage closet outside is relatively small. Millennial attraction to homeownership has grown significantly in recent decades. Mostly because there are now options where a 20% down payment is not the requirement. This gives a much larger pool of buyers the ability to buy a home. Especially, first time home buyers who receive a lot of help!
Develop A Mortgage Shopping Cart. One of the biggest decisions to make before putting a contract on a home is how to finance the purchase. Lenders aggressively compete for your mortgage business in a variety of ways. Today, you can apply for a loan over the Internet or even use a mortgage broker to shop for your loan with hundreds of lenders. When choosing a lender, compare fixed rates to fixed rates, not fixed rates to ARM’s, etc. Create a chart that lists different types of loans, fees, and at least five mortgage providers (including a mortgage broker).
Next up: home price trends. In November 2020, existing home prices grew by a whopping 15% compared to last year—rising to a national median of well over $300,000! This marks more than 100 straight months of year-over-year price gains.4 Sellers, this should put a big smile on your face! And hang tight, buyers—we have some advice for you too. If you’re going to buy a home in this expensive market, you absolutely must find out how much house you can really afford. Commit to staying within that budget amount no matter how much pressure you feel watching competitors pluck good homes off the market.
I highly recommend sketching and planning every inch of your project before you begin. Every time you change your mind it will cost you time and ultimately money. We only have one significant change throughout our entire home renovation process and while I knew it was the best decision, it still cost us. Make up your mind and don’t change it. While I didn’t want to deal with sourcing materials on my own, I do understand why so many people pay contractors for labor only and take care of materials themselves. Contractors often have a premium that they add on top of certain items when they purchase them and you can end up paying upwards of 30% more for certain materials. It’s best to hire for labor only.
Hot South Portland realtor opportunities right now by Chelsea Crawford : You might hear the word “budget” and cringe a little, but you shouldn’t. Budgeting is not hard, and it doesn’t mean you have to stop doing things you enjoy. Budgeting is simply creating a plan for your money so you have a better idea of where it’s going every month. A popular and effective way to budget is with the 50/30/20 rule. How it works is 50% of your income goes towards the necessities (bills, food, housing, etc.), 20% of your income goes towards savings and the remaining 30% you can use for whatever you please. This is a nice and easy way to break down your paycheck, but you might need to adjust it a bit to fit your lifestyle. Mortgage: This one’s a tricky one, but mortgages are generally considered good debt. They are usually long-term loans with low interest rates, so you’ll still have money freed up for investments and such. The interest from mortgages is also tax deductible, so that’s a bonus. In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether purchasing a home is the right move, as the value of a house will not always rise as some people think. You’ll also have to add in the expenses of property tax, utilities, and home insurance.
Renovating improves the house value says Chelsea Crawford : Many renovators also have a tendency to underestimate the level of work required to upgrade existing services such as electrics and heating systems to make them fit for purpose. A lot of unnecessary work can be prevented in period properties (1930s and older) by adopting a ‘repair not replace’ approach. Overhauling original doors and windows and retaining period features is often cheaper than replacement, adding value in the process by enhancing period character. In many cases, the original door and window timbers and joinery were of far better quality than today’s equivalents. Fitting secondary glazing to original windows is often a good ‘best of both worlds’ solution. If modern double-glazed units have misted, you can save a lot of work by replacing just the glazing panels, rather than the whole window. With roofs, localised repair may be all that’s needed in most cases. Surveyors can sometimes pass premature death sentences when there may be another 10 or 20 years’ lifespan left.