Got a Cell Phone You No Longer Use? Here Are 5 Ways to Repurpose It

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Do you have an old phone you no longer use? If so, don’t just throw it out. Besides simply trading it in, there are many other ways you can put old pieces of technology to good use.

Today we’ll be sharing five clever ways you can repurpose an old cell phone:

• Use it as a glorified alarm clock. Even after you remove the SIM card, most cell phones still have the capacity to connect to Wi-Fi. So, using that Wi-Fi connection, there are two alarm clock apps I recommend for those who need a little extra help getting up in the morning. The first is called “CARROT Alarm” and the second is “Pzizz."
• Use it as an E-reader. Old cell phones can easily be used to read e-books or listen to audiobooks through platforms like Audible.
• Use it for home security. There are a number of cool apps that will help you monitor your house while you’re away. Whether you want to keep an eye on your pets, your front door, or your baby’s room, an old cell phone can be an easy and inexpensive security solution. 
• Use it as a backup. Keeping your old cell phone charged and in a convenient place could save you a lot of trouble in case your current phone stops working. Having a backup phone can be very useful in a pinch.
• Donate it. There are a number of charities that refurbish and distribute old cell phones to those in need.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

How Can You Protect Yourself Against Home Repair Fraud?

If you don’t want to fall prey to home repair fraud, there are three common red flags you need to watch out for.

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Whether you’re facing a summer hurricane or a winter storm, we homeowners all have to deal with damage being done to the exterior of our homes at some point in our lives. In today’s episode of “Keeping In Tune With the Market,” I want to share a story about home repair fraud that happened to a client of mine and give you a few tips on how to prevent the same thing from happening to you.

This client was an elderly lady whose roof was damaged in a storm. When a roofer came by and offered to fix the damage for a ridiculously low price, she of course agreed and signed a contract. In return, her insurance company gave her a check that was written out to both her and the roofer. She signed the check over to the roofer, but she never got her roof fixed.

To prevent this kind of home repair fraud from happening to you, there are three red flags you need to watch out for.

First, if a contractor comes into your neighborhood and makes a “now-or-never” offer to make a repair at a reduced price while they’re in the area, don’t fall for it.

Second, if you hire a contractor to make a repair on your home and your insurance company issues a check that’s written out to the both of you, don’t sign the check over to the contractor until the repair has been made and it’s been inspected by another licensed contractor.

Third, if the contractor had materials they needed for your job, make sure they show you a paid receipt for those materials so you don’t get stuck with a lien on your house because they took off and took your money without paying for them.

If you have any questions about this topic or you have any other real estate needs I can help you with, feel free to call or email me anytime. I’d be happy to help you.

As always, remember to keep in tune with the market. Until next time, make it a great day!

Furnished or Unfurnished: Which Is More Effective When Listing?

Is it better to sell your home furnished or unfurnished? Today we will get to the bottom of this key question.

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Today’s question comes from one of our viewers, Kathy O’Shea, who asks: “Should you sell your home furnished or unfurnished?”

Kathy happened to have the option of moving her furniture with her when she transitioned into her new home, but not all of us have this luxury. Therefore, many sellers have no choice but to show their home with their furniture still inside.

But which is the better option, and what are some of the benefits of each?

First of all, leaving your home furnished while it’s on the market can help buyers visualize how they might decorate a room. You can also rearrange your furniture for optimal staging, if removing your furniture is not an option or is something you prefer not to do. 

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Leaving your home furnished while it’s on the market can help buyers visualize how they might decorate a room.

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However, sellers who plan to leave their home furnished while selling must be sure to declutter before letting buyers into their property. Furniture that takes up too much room can make spaces look much smaller. And this brings me to the benefits of selling your home unfurnished.

One of the main benefits of showing your home without any furniture inside is that it gives buyers the chance to see your home’s true space. Rooms will look very large and open, and people with good imaginations will have no trouble imagining them full of furniture.

That said, statistics show that homes staged with furniture do tend to sell more quickly and for a slightly higher price. But don’t worry if you have to sell unfurnished. You can still sell in good time and for a good price without furniture in your home.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or are curious how we can help you buy a new home or sell your current one, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

What Happens When the Market Favors Sellers?

What exactly is a seller’s market? Let’s find out.

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What is a seller’s market? This is a question I’m commonly asked, so I’m going to address it today. Contrary to how the name may make it sound, a seller’s market actually means that there are more buyers than sellers. A seller’s market is one that favors sellers. Let me give you an example. Imagine a town with 10,000 households and 300 houses for sale. Not many people move in this town, but there are a couple of new businesses in town, and these businesses are drawing in new employees. All of these buyers are competing over the same 300 houses.

When the market is in the seller’s favor, they can sell quickly and for top dollar.

According to the laws of supply and demand, this sets sellers up for success. When there is a limited supply of a product, the people who are selling it can take advantage of the increased demand. This applies to real estate as well. When the market is in the seller’s favor, they can sell quickly and for top dollar. However, buyers in a seller’s market are not necessarily at a loss. There are some tips and tricks you can use as a buyer to still get a good deal. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Property Taxes Can Have a Big Impact on Value

One aspect of home value that buyers and sellers tend to ignore is the property tax bill. It can actually cause huge problems when it comes time to move on.

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In this episode of “Keeping in Tune With the Market,” we’re taking a closer look at property taxes and how they affect home value. We decided on this topic after receiving a great question from Gary, which went like this:

“How do property taxes affect Long Island home values when buying or selling?”

To illustrate our point, we’d like to tell you a true story. This occurred recently with two different homeowners who decided to list their properties. We’ll call them Homeowner One and Homeowner Two. Both of these homeowners owned 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom homes with garages and backyards. However, these homes ended up being very different in the eyes of buyers. Why? They had different property taxes, with Homeowner One’s property having an assessed value that was 25% lower.

How did one homeowner’s property taxes get so much higher? There were a number of factors. Homeowner One had a lower tax rate and millage rate than Homeowner Two because they were in different districts. Homeowner One also kept track of any improvements or updates she made to the home. She was also able to protest her assessment because she had the numbers to back up her arguments. She also made sure to register for a homestead exemption, which further lowered her taxes.

Pay attention to your property taxes.

Homeowner Two was located in a different district where property taxes and the millage rate were a little higher and there was nothing she could have done about that. However, she could have monitored the improvements she made and made sure she was being correctly assessed. After taking a closer look, we found that she was being assessed for a fireplace despite the fact she didn’t have one. She didn’t apply for her homestead exemption either.

What happened when these homes were listed? As you can probably guess, Homeowner One had a quick, profitable sale while Homeowner Two had to languish on the market and eventually reduce the price to get the property sold. The bottom line is that property taxes make a huge difference whether you are buying or selling and you want to be as informed about them as possible if you are a homeowner looking to make a move.

Thanks again to Gary for the question. We’ll be sending you a $25 Panera gift card. Remember, if we answer one of your questions on our videos, we’ll send you a gift card as well.

If you have any other real estate comments, questions, or concerns about the Long Island market in the meantime, give us a call or send us an email.

How to Avoid Common Home Inspection Mistakes When Buying & Selling

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I wanted to touch on five common mistakes that I often see buyers and sellers make with home inspections in the Long Island area.

1. Not researching the home inspector. Some people hire purely on price, and we all know what happens. Many certified home inspectors belong to the Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Ask the inspector to provide their credentials before you hire them.
2. Not attending the inspection or getting too involved in the inspection. Yes, you should be there for the inspection if you’re the buyer; they will explain little things that will help you when you own the home, and it’s not as scary as reading a long report. From a seller’s point of view, the inspection is very invasive, and most of the time it’s best to meet the inspector, give them your cell number, and leave.
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   With a pre-inspection,
   you can get ahead of issues.

   
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3. Reviewing the inspection from an emotional standpoint. From a buyer’s standpoint, read the items that need to be fixed and what needs to be done to get them up to standard. As a seller, don’t take offense because you’ve been told things are wrong with your house. Look at them as things that need to be corrected.
4. Not obtaining a pre-listing inspection. This is for sellers only. With a pre-inspection, you can get ahead of issues that can be easily fixed before putting the home on the market.
5. Not preparing for the inspection. As a seller, you need to make sure all areas of the home are accessible. Can the inspector get into the garage and the attic? Are all the utilities turned on? Buyers should check with their agent to make sure the power, water, and all utilities are on, so when the inspector does their job, they can get access to everything they need.

I hope you find these tips helpful. If you’d like to have a detailed report on mistakes that buyers and sellers make with inspections, click here or call me at 1-800-822-1222 and we’ll happily send you one!