What is a Home Warranty

At the end of your home search, you have the option to buy a home warrranty on your new home.  Do you need a home warranty? What is it? 

"A home warranty is a service contract that covers the repair or replacement of many of the most frequently occurring breakdowns of home system components and appliances. "

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

"Your home is most likely one of your biggest investments. Unexpected repair or replacement costs can easily strain your budget. Plus, finding an approved and insured contractor to solve your problem can be stressful and inconvenient. A home warranty cannot prevent systems or appliances from breaking down, but it can help make covered repairs or replacement easier and less costly."

Staging Your Home

Home staging is a process of going through your home to arrange furtniture in a flattering way, removing any extra items from around the home to make it feel larger and more open, and overall setting your home up to present to potential buyers in the best possible light. 

There are three golden rules when it comes to staging your home to prepare for listing your home for sale. 

1. Declutter - The stack of papers that is on top of your dresser, or the collection of stuffed animals that are sitting in the corner - These are examples that will make your home seem smaler and less inviting to buyers. Simply gathering all of these up and putting them in boxes and storing them while selling your home can make a difference in the impression buyers have of your home. 

2. Depersonalize - The hand drawn arts and crafts from kids and grandkids, greeting cards, and family photos on the refrigerator are wonderful for your personal life, but when a buyer walks through your home you want them to be able to visualize living there.  By removing pictures from around the house, cards, memorabilia, etc you will give the buyer a chance to imagine their own furniture and photos and belongings. 

3. Neutralize - A bright pink room or black room can be a hard first impression to overcome.  A coat of paint is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to give your home a makeover.  

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

Spring Cleaning Nooks and Crannies

Spring officially arrived this Sunday.  Now starts the great joy of spring cleaning. A few common forgot nooks and crannies: 

De-bug the light fixtures

See that bug burial ground within your overhead fixtures? Turn off the lights and carefully remove fixture covers, dump out flies and wash with hot soapy water. While you’re up there, dust bulbs. Dry everything thoroughly before replacing the cover.

Vacuum heat vents and registers

Dirt and dust build up in heat vents and along register blades. Vents also are great receptacles for coins and missing buttons. Unscrew vent covers from walls or pluck them from floors, remove foreign objects, and vacuum inside the vent. Clean grates with a damp cloth and screw back tightly.

Polish hardware

To deep clean brass door hinges, handles, and cabinet knobs, thoroughly wipe with a damp microfiber cloth, then polish with Wright’s or Weiman brass cleaner ($4). Dish soap shines up glass or stainless steel knobs. Use a Q-tip to detail the ornamental filigree on knobs and handles.

Replace grungy switch plates

Any amateur can wipe a few fingerprints off cover plates that hide light switches, electric outlets, phone jacks, and cable outlets. But only deep cleaners happily remove plates to vacuum and swipe the gunk behind. (OK, we’re a little OCD when it comes to dirt!) Make sure cover plates are straight when you replace them. And pitch plates that are beyond the help of even deep cleaning. New ones cost less than $2 each.

Neaten weather stripping

Peeling, drooping weather stripping on doors and windows makes rooms look old. If the strip still has some life, nail or glue it back. If it’s hopeless, cut out and replace sections, or just pull the whole thing off and start new. A 10-ft. roll of foam weather stripping costs $8; 16-ft. vinyl costs about $15.

Replace stove drip pans

Some drip pans are beyond the scrub brush. Replacing them costs about $3 each and instantly freshens your stove.

  

 Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Woodbridge - Sachse, TX

Sachse, TX offers the peaceful life of wide open spaces, calm streets, and room for your kids to play in the backyard all within a short drive of downtown Dallas.  The town of Sachse is in a constant state of growth, with the George Bush Turnpike extending to the East to Interstate 30.

Woodbridge Estates is our community spotlight of the week. Offering homes from 150s to 500s.  There are 7 builders that give you plenty of choices for floorplans and design options.  In addition to existing homes that are for sale.

Providing the options for acre lots, tree filled lots, a full golf course and club, an equestrian center within 5 miles and 2 top rated school districts: Garland Independent School District and Wylie Independent School District.

Woodbridge - Sachse, TX 

 

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

10 Reasons to Buy New

1. Get more house for your money
Your dollar goes further in D/FW whether you choose a home ready for move-in or to build from the ground up.

2. Low interest rates
Todays extremely low interest rates allow you to buy more home than ever before with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage.

3. Location. Location. Location.
No matter where you work or want to live, you’ll find brand new homes in great locations across the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Near lakes, near the airport, near work centers and schools…just minutes from everything you need.

4. Tax benefits.
Homeownership is a solid investment in the D/FW area and provides you with tax advantages through deductions for mortgage interest and taxes.

5. Great selection
Right now, you’ll find the best selection of new completed homes in many years.

6. Strong local economy and good job growth
You can feel confident that the Dallas/Fort Worth area will continue to grow. Its location in the center of the country along with Texas’ pro-business, entrepreneurial attitude will keep Dallas/Fort Worth as the one of the top growth markets in the country.

7. Stable home prices
Home prices in the Dallas/Fort Worth area have maintained slow, steady growth so values should continue to increase.

8. Quality construction and the latest design in NEW homes
Dallas/Fort Worth builders are at the forefront of new home design trends and feature exceptional quality finishes and construction compared to many parts of the country. New homes also offer warranties and require less maintenance than pre-owned homes.

9. Technology, energy and resource efficiency
New homes offers the latest energy efficient construction methods, materials, appliances and heating and cooling systems to provide you better, more comfortable living…and save you money

10. Equity

Your home is your largest investment and in most cases you can build equity faster in a new home than a pre-owned home.

Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773

 

Balloon Payments

 Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Red Cross - Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami

With the continuing devastation in Japan, the Red Cross is accepting donations to help families in Japan, any amount helps go a long ways.  

"Your gift to the American Red Cross will support our disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific. On those rare occasions when donations exceed American Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters."

Red Cross - Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami 

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Going Green with St. Patty's Day!

Happy St. Patty's Day!! Are you wearing green? Thats the question of the day. But what about your house? How green is your home.  The craze now is to have Eco-Appliances, Green Energy, Green paint.  All to make your carbon footprint just a little smaller.

Are you in the St. Patty's Day spirit and going green in your home? A few simple ideas: Shopping at the local Allen Farmer's Market, Turning off the entertainment systems and enjoying the coming spring season at Frisco Parks, or planting a tree to get ready for Arbor Day 2011: April 29, 2011.

 

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

What Does Termite Damage Looks Like?

When you are in your option period on a home you have made an offer on, real estate agents will advise you to get a termite inspection along with an appraisal and home inspection. But do you really know what termite damage is and what it looks like? 

" Because termites feed primarily on wood, they are capable of compromising the strength and safety of an infested structure. Termite damage can render structures unlivable until expensive repairs are conducted."

And--wood structure homes are not the only home that can be affected: plaster, metal siding, cabinets, windows--just to name a few areas termites can be found.  

Pictures speak louder than any description can.  Here are just a few examples of termite damage:

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Collin County Parks

The weather is gorgeous and just getting warmer. As we come into the next few months where Texas wheather is not only bearable, but sunny, warm and breezy--now is a perfect time to get out into the fresh air.  Allen Parks Department has several public parks with running and bike trails, plus playgrounds for the kids and BBQ pits with picnic tables for weekend family outings.

City of Allen Parks and Recreation

City of McKinney Parks and Recreation 

City of Frisco Parks and Recreation 


City of Plano Parks and Recreation




Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Your Janus Real Estate Group

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

2984 Marlow Lane - 4 Bedroom Home in Richardson for Lease Today

Beautiful Jewel in Richardson for Rent. Wide Entry way leads you thru this luxurious corporate quality rental in popular North Richardson.

Oversized Master Bedroom, Open Kitchen, Gameroom Upstairs, Large Lot, and 3 Car Tandem Garage make this house a home!

Very close proximity to George Bush & I-75, you find yourself perfectly surrounded by the Tech Corridor.

**Move in today**

For More information or to tour this home, contact: Heather Anderson: 972-765-3773.


View Larger Map

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Pre-Construction Investing

The idea of pre-construction investments is purchasing the rights or property before the ground is broken.  Investors often have the option of investing for pennies on the expected dollar once the building is complete and can re-sell the property at full market value once the building is complete.

This is a win-win situation for many builders of the property in questions because 'pre-selling' the units allows lending agents to have confidence in the viability of the project. The benefit to investors is that they are able to purchase at a much lower price pre-construction than afterward and can sell afterward at the full market value.

Of course, no real estate venture is ever guaranteed to turn a profit.  The market tends to change on a regular basis.

Develop a close-knit relationship with a realtor that specializes in this particular type of real estate investing. This could prove to be the most beneficial thing you will ever do in order to insure future success.

In the end you have several options to choose from: you can sell the property to another investor, sell the home to an individual, or rent the property out. 

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

First Impressions For Home Sellers

Selling your home can be taxing. Allowing other agents and potential buyers to wander through your home on a moments notice, all while keeping your home in pristine showing condition at all times while trying to maintain your own life. But, these small adjustments can make the difference in hundreds of buyers trudging through for months on end, and a few buyers falling in love with your home as soon as they pull up. 

First impression is a make it or break it topic in home sales. Make sure when a buyer pulls up they are impressed, or even awed. You do not want a buyer pointing at unkept grass or trash on the side of the house.  Planting flowers or sidewalk lights are two quick and easy additions to upgrade your drive up appeal.

Highlight the special features of your home versus hoping potential buyers will notice them.  Lighting is the best way to feature spotlight items.

The garage is the number one go to spot for odds and ends from around the house that have no real spot at the time.  So it is easy for piles to accumulate in your garage.  Keep the garage as tidy as possible. If you must store items in the garage, keep them stacked neatly and in one central spot.

 

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Find Cheap Gas in Allen, TX

As gas prices are on the constant rise, a lot of people begin to alter their actions and decisions to save at the gas pump.  A handy tool for DFW, locates the cheapest gas in your area. 

Cheapest Gas Prices in Your Area

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Home Buyer Credit Tips

Aside from knowing your credit score and correcting any errors that are on your credit there are several things that you can do to make sure you are able to get approved for a home loan when you are ready to buy.

Pay every bill on time

You may be surprised at the damage even a few late payments will have on your credit score. The easiest way to make a big difference in your credit score without altering your spending habits is to diligently pay all your bills on time.

Take care with the length of your credit

If you’ve had a credit card for a long time and managed it responsibly, that works in your favor. However, opening several new credit cards at once can lower the average age of your accounts, which pushes down your score. Likewise, closing credit card accounts lowers your available credit, so keep credit cards open even if you’re not using them.

Don’t use all the credit you’re offered

Credit scores are also based on how much credit you use compared with how much you’re offered. Using $1,000 of available credit will give you a lower score than having $1,000 of available credit and using $100 of it. Occasionally opening new lines of credit can boost your available credit, which also affects your score positively.

 

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773