Karin Robison

EMPIRE TODAY, CARPET TOMORROW…REALLY…

August 17th, 2010 categories: Home Maintenance

My living/dining room carpet had been on it’s last leg for a while now.  This combined room gets used mainly when the entire clan is there for a meal or when my toddler grandkids want to stay under the radar.  By definition, these 2 events do not happen at the same time.  Suffice it to say, though, the room is basically there just to take up space.  It wasn’t until recently that I took a good look at the carpet and decided it was time for a change.  I pay lip service to the whole Feng Shui philosophy Read the rest of this entry »

WHAT’S THAT SMELL? SUMP’INS WRONG HERE!

August 13th, 2010 categories: Buyers, Home Maintenance, Sellers

I came home earlier this week to an odd odor in the house that assaulted my senses as soon as I entered the laundry room from the garage.  I couldn’t quite place it, but assumed it would go away.  Next day, same smell, slightly worse.  No icky wet stuff had been left in the washer (oops…it happens when you’re multi-tasking a bit too much…), but it didn’t quite smell like gas, so I shrugged my shoulders and went about my business.

On the third day, my daughter came over and asked, “what’s that funny smell?” when she walked in.  Since it wasn’t my imagination after all, I figured it had to be the dryer gas line and called the appliance repair guy.  What else could it be?  Well, he didn’t quite make it over before I had to leave for an appointment late in the afternoon, and when I arrived back home, the odor hit me in the face like a wet wash rag.  Now what?  It’s 6:30 pm!  Only one call left to make tonite–the fire department! Read the rest of this entry »

PREPARING TO SELL YOUR HOME-THE INSIDE- Part 3 of 3

August 11th, 2010 categories: Sellers

By this time, you’re all gung-ho to git’r dun, the exterior is so spruced up, neighbors are expecting that for sale sign any day now, but wait!  There’s more—the inside:  all that stuff behind closed doors.  Expect your buyer pool to open cabinets and closets and medicine cabinets!  You can run, but you can’t hide your clutter.  Everything except your underwear drawer and your hard drive is fair game!  And it’s a problem if no one can visualize their stuff in your spaces because they’re suffering from sensory overload. Read the rest of this entry »

PREPARING YOUR HOME TO SELL—THE OUTSIDE- Part 2 of 3

August 10th, 2010 categories: Sellers

Once you’re all psyched up to get your home in shape, what do you do first?  Inside?  Outside?  Doesn’t really matter, it all needs to get done, and here’s a few tips on keeping the exterior picture-perfect!

The front exterior is perhaps the only view potential buyers will ever get of your home on the internet before something else snatches their attention, so that all-important front photo has to intrigue and invite buyers to come inside, virtually.

Keep your grass cut regularly and control those weeds!  Even if you don’t have “barefoot” grass, Read the rest of this entry »

PREPARING TO SELL YOUR HOME- Part 1 of 3

August 9th, 2010 categories: Sellers

We all would like to have a professional come into our homes and do an extreme makeover to sell, right?  And if money were no object, we’d all do that long before we sold so we could enjoy it first, but with a little preparation and some elbow grease, you can do it yourself and present your home in the best light.

You know yourself what appeals to you when going into an unfamiliar home, whether as a realtor’s client or as a visitor, but how do you make your home look as move-in ready as the ones that make you think, “Yes, this is nice!”?

Let’s talk about a simple way to help overcome the angst and schwitzing (you guessed it!  I’m German) about where to begin—make it a game, a challenge, whatever it takes to get you motivated.   Even if you’re not selling right away, Read the rest of this entry »

TEN EASY STEPS TO OWNING A HOME- Part 3 of 3

July 24th, 2010 categories: Buyers

Hopefully, you’ve learned a lot so far about purchasing a home, and if these articles have spawned more questions than answers, please ask away, but first– read on! Read the rest of this entry »

TEN EASY STEPS TO OWNING A HOME- Part 2 of 3

July 23rd, 2010 categories: Buyers

In part one, the subject matter was mortgages (qualifying and payments), plus geography (deciding where to concentrate your search).  Today’s blog is all about finding a realtor you can easily work with, getting what you need from your agent, negotiating an offer, and home inspection issues.  Stay tuned for tomorrow’s topics on your responsibilities as a buyer and what you need to do to get ready for closing day! Read the rest of this entry »

TEN EASY STEPS TO OWNING A HOME- Part 1 or 3

July 22nd, 2010 categories: Buyers

In the market for a new home, but still struggling with how this all works?  It’s really not that bad when you digest the process in smaller bites. Read the rest of this entry »

DECIDING ON A NEW HOME—KNOW IT WHEN YOU SEE IT

July 8th, 2010 categories: Buyers

Everyone has different criteria for their next home purchase—it might be as simple as price and school district when you’re first starting out.  It might be your “forever” home that has to have most of the amenities you want already in place, or it might be a getaway condo with the perfect view.  When you begin perusing the online sites, looking at pictures, prices, locations, it all looks pretty and you may see dozens you’d like to view in person, but that first time out with your realtor is usually a reality check. Read the rest of this entry »

SHORT SALES DEMYSTIFIED

July 7th, 2010 categories: Short Sales

In the market for a home, but don’t know the difference between a short sale and a foreclosure? You really haven’t heard any good stories about short sales, but aren’t sure why they’re so horrible either, right? Let’s dispel the myths: how do short sales and foreclosures differ? Read the rest of this entry »