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Unique Ways to Decorate Your Home for Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner. Have you thought about decorating your home this year?

It might seem like all of the options for Halloween decorations are the same year after year: carve a pumpkin, light the luminaries, and set out a bowl of candy for trick-or-treaters. But with just a little paint and creativity in the right places, you can really make your Halloween decorations stand out.

3 Easy Twists on Traditional Halloween Decorations

Looking to modify your Halloween decorations this year? Here are a few simple twists on your traditional choices.

Carve Patterns Into Your Pumpkins

Who said pumpkins always had to have faces? Light up the night with swirls and stars from your illuminated pumpkins, and let your friends and neighbors admire your unique creation.

You can carve your pumpkin with as simple or intricate designs as you want. It’s all up to you.

Make Mason Jar Monsters

Turn your ordinary glass jars into simple yet spooky decorations with just a little bit of paint and cloth. You can paint a Mason jar orange with black eyes and a mouth to look like a jack-o’-lantern, or wrap a jar with gauze and stick on two eyes to look like a mummy.

And let your creations glow in the dark. Light a tea candle or put a battery-operated tea light into your Mason jar monsters and set it on a table or window sill to give your room a spooky effect.

Welcome Trick-Or-Treaters with Goody Bags

Turn the typical treat stop at your front door into a fun experience for both you and the trick-or-treaters — you’ll have fun decorating individual goody bags, and they’ll have fun choosing among delicious treats.

Fill a small Ziploc bag with orange jelly beans and draw on eyes and a mouth to make pumpkin treat bags, or draw a hairline and eyes on a bag filled with green jelly beans to create Frankenstein’s monster.

Or, if you want a spookier effect, you can make hand-shaped goody bags. Just fill transparent plastic gloves with candy or popcorn.

And if you’re selling your home this month, you don’t have to save these sweet tips for Halloween night; leave small goody bags for home buyers during a showing. It’s a great way to treat them.

Selling Your Home This October?

Let Halloween be the only spooky time that you encounter this month. We’re your real estate experts and are happy to help you stage your home, answer your questions, and determine a competitive listing price for your property, giving you peace of mind while selling.

Give us a call today and we can talk about your home selling timeline.

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“Know Before You Owe”: How New Rules Could Impact Closings

If you’re a home buyer, changes to the closing process are coming in just a few days.

New regulations go into effect on Saturday, October 3rd, providing new loan disclosure forms that are designed to help you better understand the terms of your home mortgage before you close on your new home. That means if you applied for a loan on or after that date, you will receive the easier-to-understand forms.

What You Need to Know About the New Closing Disclosures

To summarize, these new rules combine mortgage loan disclosures from both the Truth-In-Lending Act (which informs consumers about loan terms) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (which deals with closings) into one simplified set of disclosure forms for home buyers who are getting a mortgage.

The official title to these regulations is a mouthful — Truth-In-Lending Act / Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act Integrated Disclosure Rule— so the regulations are just referred to as TRID. (The enforcement agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, also calls it “Know Before You Owe.”)

“Know Before You Owe” is designed to help borrowers clearly understand the costs and terms of their home mortgages. Here are the changes that you can expect from these new regulations, from the number of forms you’ll need to fill out to the time requirements that can alter your closing date.

You’ll Have Two Forms Instead of Four

If you’re getting a mortgage, you’ll receive two forms under “Know Before You Owe.” The first, a loan estimate, based on your financial information. You’ll receive the loan estimate 3 business days after applying for your mortgage. The second, a closing disclosure, which outlines all of the costs you will need to pay. You’ll receive that form 3 business days before closing.

These two new forms are more user-friendly, and are replacing four separate forms that home buyers received before — two Truth-In-Lending statements, the loan estimate, and a list of itemized fees.

With these new regulations, you will have time to review the terms of your mortgage well before closing, so you can understand exactly what fees there will be. You can read the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s full guide to the loan estimate and closing disclosure forms here.

There is a 3-Day Review Period Before Closing

Under the new “Know Before You Owe” rules, mortgage lenders must send you easier-to-understand information about your loan — the Closing Disclosure form — 3 business days before closing on your home, giving you time to review the terms of your mortgage.

However, some changes to the mortgage terms — like changes to your interest rate or the loan product itself — will mean that you will need another 3-business-day review period, possibly delaying your closing date. If you would like an overview of the details, the CFPB highlights the instances where the 3-day review period would be affected.

We Can Answer Your Questions About “Know Before You Owe”

If you are buying a home and have questions about these new regulations, and what it might mean for closing on your home in the future, contact our real estate experts today and we will be happy to answer your questions in detail.

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Where to Find the True Value for Your Home

Ever wondered what your home is worth?

Want to know where to start looking?

Whether you’re just curious or are eager to find a competitive listing price, using the best resources to find your property’s value is crucial.

Today, we’re going to be talking about two types of home evaluation tools: neighborhood sold reports and comparative market analyses.

Comparing Your Home with Your Neighbor’s

A neighborhood sold report is a detailed list of homes that have recently sold in your area. They include information about the square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, address, neighborhood, and, of course, the sold price.

Since sales prices are determined in part by your home’s location, as well as a neighborhood’s housing supply and demand, honing in on your own neighborhood real estate market is the best way to determine what the housing market is doing and how it can affect your listing price.

How much did your neighbor receive for his 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom house down the street? Is your listing price thousands of dollars more?

If your home is priced too high, you’ll know immediately by looking at the comparisons in the neighborhood sold report. It’s better to learn sooner rather than later, when your home is on the market and you’re feeling frustrated by the lack of home buyer interest. The same goes with pricing your home too low.

Your Home’s Value in Today’s Market

A comparative market analysis, often called a CMA, is a fantastic tool to help you determine your home’s value. This report can include anything relevant about the current real estate market in your area, such as:

  • recent neighborhood home sales
  • withdrawn home listing prices
  • unique property features

The important distinction between neighborhood sold reports and comparative market analyses is that the CMAs are more detailed, and can take into account any home improvements or unique property features that buyers would be more interested in (and therefore, would pay more for).

The bottom line: CMAs help you find that sweet, sweet selling price that’s fair to you but still attracts potential home buyers.

Don’t Settle for Estimates

If you’re serious about selling your home, the market value of your property is what you’re after. Don’t settle for estimates based solely on your address or outdated information.

You’ll want to do considerable research on the current state of your local real estate market to help you determine the best listing price for your home. If you need help along the way, our real estate experts are always happy to offer assistance.

Sell Your Property with Our Real Estate Experts

We offer both a neighborhood sold report and a comparative market analysis, and we can work with you to determine the best price for your property. And if you’re eager to get the results you’re looking for in your home sale, list your property with our dedicated real estate team.

Contact us today to get started!

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Top 3 Reasons to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Before you start your home search, you want to know how much you can afford, right?

There are two ways to do this: with a mortgage pre-qualification and a mortgage pre-approval. As a home buyer, the pre-approval is more valuable to you during your home search.

How Pre-Approval Helps You as a Home Buyer

One of the main differences between mortgage pre-qualification and mortgage pre-approval is how the lender gives you the mortgage amount.

For pre-qualification, you give the mortgage lender your general financial history (including debts and income), and the lender gives you a mortgage estimate. For pre-approval, the lender digs deep into your credit report and gives you the exact loan amount.

If you’re choosing between getting pre-qualified for a home mortgage and getting pre-approved, choose to get pre-approved. Here are the top three reasons why:

3. You Learn Exactly What You Can Afford

There’s no estimates in a pre-approval. The lender has looked into your credit history and you’ve given the required documentation to go through with the pre-approval process.

A mortgage pre-approval is not a commitment to the loan, but it paves the way to transition into applying for a specific property — your dream home in your price range.

2.  You Can Narrow Your Home Search

Searching through online listings can be a tedious process, especially if there are hundreds of homes for sale in the area. How do you narrow down your home search?

When you’re pre-approved, you’ll know exactly what you can afford, and tailor your home search around the mortgage amount. Now you can easily search through the listings with confidence and renewed energy.

1. The Home Seller Takes Your Offer Seriously

Home sellers like to see that you’re pre-approved — it tells them that you’re serious about buying their home.

So when you’re competing with other home buyers to make the best offer on your dream home, being pre-approved will give you the competitive edge over buyers who are not. Then you can focus on moving into your new home!

We’re Your Real Estate Experts

If you want more information about the mortgage pre-approval process or about finding the perfect home that fits your lifestyle, contact us today and we can get started. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have about the mortgage pre-approval process.

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6 Simple Home Decorating Ideas for Fall

September is quickly approaching! That means it’s time to bring out the jackets, long-sleeve shirts, and denim jeans.

But what are you doing to bring your home into fall?

Here are a few easy decorating ideas you can do to welcome the cooler temperatures and beautiful colors into your home.

DIY Home Decorating Tips for Fall

You don’t have to paint your walls or buy new furniture to get your home ready for fall.

Instead, you can use some simple seasonal tricks to welcome autumn leaves and pumpkin spices into your home, and impress your visitors in the process.

1. Bring Out the Cinnamon- and Pumpkin-Scented Candles

The smell of those warm spices gently wafting throughout your home is enough to energize you for the season.

Light a few candles in your kitchen or living room, as well as other rooms that receive the most traffic in your home. Your home will be looking — and smelling — festive in no time.

2. Stick a Seasonal Flag Outside

Personalize your front yard by placing a welcoming fall flag by the mailbox, in your front garden, or hanging from your front porch. Let people know that you’re ready for autumn!

3. Swap Out Your Dining Table Centerpiece

Put the colorful summer tones away for next year and bring out your festive fall accents.

Make a seasonal statement with the centerpiece on your dining room or kitchen table. Some simple autumn centerpiece ideas include:

  • red, orange, and yellow pillar candles
  • roses or colorful leaves in a vase
  • small pumpkins
  • old-fashioned lanterns
  • a bowl of apples

4. Hang a Festive Wreath on Your Front Door

Add some fall foliage, colorful ribbon, or burlap accents to an autumn wreath and catch the eye of your friends and neighbors.

People tend to notice your home’s decorations when they first spy your house, which is why front door accents are often included in tips for increasing curb appeal. Display your fall home readiness with a red, gold, and brown wreath on your door!

5. Decorate Your Shelves with Pine Cones and Oak Leaves

If you have a mantle above your fireplace or an empty space on a bookshelf, fill it with simple arrangements of fall foliage — pine cones, oak leaves, acorns, and pumpkins.

To truly make a statement with your decor, pair vibrantly colored leaves with a white or neutral color base, and enjoy the display capture the attention of passersby.

6. Put a Pumpkin on Your Front Porch

Nothing says fall as much as a round pumpkin sitting on your porch steps.

When pumpkins come in season, you can purchase one for Halloween fun or simply as a seasonal accent.

Staging Your Home for Sale This Fall?

These DIY home decorating tips work well to increase your curb appeal if you’re selling your property this season.

If you have any questions about home staging tips or about selling your home, contact us at any time. We would be happy to provide you with the answers you need.

The post 6 Simple Home Decorating Ideas for Fall appeared first on Dakno Blog.

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3 Best Practices for Real Estate Investment

Investing In Real Estate: Achieve Your Real Estate Goals

RS926_iStock_000010136948SmallWith mortgage rates so low, many investors choose to invest in real estate, as opposed to the stock market. In addition, real estate is a prime investment for novice investors, as it is more tangible and understandable than stocks and the index. According to Bankrate’s annual investment research, 27% of Americans with money to invest would choose to invest in real estate over any other investment. Because real estate is becoming a popular commodity, especially among investors, here are three tips for investing in real estate:

3 Essential Elements to Real Estate Investment

1. Quantity over Quality = A Fair Cash-on-Cash Return

When investing, you are probably going to be using money from CD accounts, stocks, or bonds, which means that you are no longer going to be getting the 4 – 6 percent return. The goal in real estate investment is getting a higher return than what you would have received, had you left the money as liquid financial assets.

Many investors, especially those newer to the game, come into the market looking for prize homes. This can be an extremely risky investment, as finding a renter may be difficult and you need to be prepared for an unforeseen market turn. With that in mind, investing in the average homes that are cash-flow positive, which may not be as fancy as those prized properties, are ideal. View Zillows’ “A Tale of Two Townhomes” for more information.

2. Do Your Due Diligence

It’s common knowledge that investment comes with an involved risk. Yet, real estate developments, parcel/land, Tenant in Common, and fixer uppers have a much higher risk than the previously mentioned cash-flow positive property. With TV shows like “Flipping Boston” or “Flip This House” on A&E, many people want to purchase a foreclosure fixer upper, with a low cost, flip it, and sell it later for a large profit. While this can be a lucrative investment, it takes practice and due diligence (and possibly luck). Even for those looking to purchase the cash-flow investment properties, as mentioned above, doing your homework (viewing reports, analyzing, crunching numbers, etc) is required to make the best real estate investment decisions.

3. Time is Money

When purchasing investment property, you also need to consider the amount of time you have to put into managing the property. Rental properties in vacation destinations and college rentals constantly have tenants coming and going. If you do not have the time to put into the property, you need to make sure that you are investing in the right type of real estate. Find a calm neighborhood or area, further away from colleges, to attract families or individuals that will rent and stay for as long as possible. While there will be issues, having a long term relationship with your tenants will help in the long run, as they usually require less time and management.

Let Us Help You Achieve Your Real Estate Goals

Real estate can be a risky investment, especially for individuals new to the real estate market and industry. As real estate professionals, we are area experts that are privy to real estate trends, as well as market and industry news. Contact us today to learn more about the services we can provide.

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What Every First Time Home Buyer Should Know About Home Loans

First-time home buyers who work with us often have the same question: Should we or shouldn’t we get a first-time home buyer loan?

In fact, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages attached to this type of loan.

So today, we thought we would take a few moments to share with you what you can expect from getting this type of loan as a first-time home buyer. That way, when it comes time for your to decide how you’re going to finance your first home, you’ll have all of the information you need right at your fingertips.

First-Time Home Buyer Loans 101

A first time home buyer loan offers financial assistance to qualified buyers by utilizing a variety of methods:

  • Very low down payments or none at all
  • Subsidezed interest costs
  • Grants
  • Forgive loans
  • Defer payments

Generally speaking, the best candidates for this type of loan are home buyers who have never owned a home, although those who have not owned a home in more than three years may also qualify.

With these types of loans, certain restrictions may apply in order to qualify. Thus, it’s important to research beforehand whether you meet those restrictions.

First-time home buyers should also be aware of the specific restrictions attached to using the loan. These may or may not include:

  • Being prohibited from buying homes in higher price ranges
  • Being required to make the newly purchased home your primary residence
  • Being prohibited from renting the home to others

These types of loans are certainly great for those buyers who otherwise might not be able to purchase the home. But there are some disadvantages to this type of loan.

Some of those drawbacks include:

  • Buyers are limited to the type of home they want by price range
  • Buyers may not be eligible for certain program benefits if they sell their home before a predetermined time limit.
  • Buyers may have a limited number of loan types to choose from.
  • Buyers may have to pay for recapture taxes in exchange for benefits they receive through the program

For these reasons and more, some first-time home buyers may find it just as beneficial to get a traditional loan, although this should be considered on a case by case basis.

We’ll Help You Through Your First Home Buying Experience

Contact us today to learn even more valuable information that is sure to help you as a first-time home buyer. We are glad to offer you our expert assistance, which includes straight-forward advice and user-friendly resources.

Until next time!

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Buying a Home? 4 Things You Should Know About Home Appraisals

As you might already know, summertime is a very busy time for real estate agents. That’s why so many home buyers decide to enter the market during this time of year.

If you too are a prospective home buyer planning to enter the market soon, then you’ve visited the right real estate blog!

Today, we’re going to share four things that every home buyer should know about appraisals.

What Are Appraisals and Why Are They Important?

An appraisal is the valuation of a property by the estimate of an authorized person.

These are particularly important for those who will be taking out a loan on their next home.

And unless you’re independently wealthy (or have been successful in building a sizeable savings account), you will more than likely end up requesting a loan.

When you ask for that loan, banks reference your home’s appraisal as a way of deciding how much to give you. That’s why appraisals are so important.

Consider this example: Let’s say you make a purchase offer on a home for $120,000. You need a loan for exactly that amount.

However, when the appraisal comes back, it says the home is worth only $100,000 – and the bank isn’t willing to give you a penny more.

This means that you’re faced with a $20,000 budget gap. And that’s enough to kill many a real estate deal.

But Don’t Worry – We Can Help!

Here is some valuable information on appraisals that may help you avoid unfortunate situations like the one above:

Appraisers must meet certain criteria first. According to the Appraisal Institute, a qualified appraiser should be licensed or certified and also should be familiar with the local area. What’s more, federal regulations stipulate that the appraiser must be impartial and have no direct or indirect interest in the transaction. Fannie Mae even requires that appraisers certify that they have experience appraising similar properties in the same area.

Appraisal values are influenced by a number of factors. For instance, appraisers will consider recent sales of similar properties as well as current market trends. They’ll also factor in such things as the home’s amenities, number of bedrooms, floor plan functionality and more.

Appraisers are required to do a complete visual inspection of the interior and exterior of the home. During this time, they’re also required to note any conditions that may adversely impact the property’s value. This may include needed repairs.

Generally speaking, appraisers use Fannie Mae’s Uniform Residential Appraisal Report for single-family homes. This report asks the appraiser a number of questions, including what the home’s interior and exterior look like, what neighborhood it’s located in and what nearby comparable sales there are. Other parts of the report include: a street map showing the appraised property, an exterior building sketch, an explanation of how the square footage was calculated, and photos of the home. After providing all of this information, the appraiser offers an analysis and conclusions about the property’s value based on this information.

We’ll Help You At Every Stage of the Home Buying Process

We hope you found the above information insightful as a prospective home buyer.

Hopefully, if all goes well, the appraisal on your next home will go smoothly and you’ll be that much closer to owning your own home.

For EVERY stage of the home buying process, we want you to know that we’ll be there to assist you in order to make the experience as seamless as possible. Contact us today to learn more about the services we provide and the valuable advice and insight we can offer.

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It’s a Great Time to Invest in Tulsa Real Estate!

What a great month is has been for buyers here on the Tulsa, OK real estate market!

After all, the average listing price has gone down as has the average price per square foot. What’s more, the total number of home sales has decreased.

This indicates that it’s a great time to get a good price for a home here in Tulsa – and then turn a nice profit down the road.

If you’ve been on the fence about whether to purchase a home here, continue reading to learn more about the current state of the market.

An Overview of Real Estate Activity in Tulsa

Here’s what every home buyer should know about the current state of the market here in Tulsa:

  • Currently there are 2,057 homes for sale on the market, including hundred that are some stage of the foreclosure process.
  • Between March and June, the average price per square foot for Tulsa homes was $84, down 3.4 percent from the same period a year ago.
  • Also during that time period, the median sales price for homes here was $136,500, based on 363 home sales.
  • When compared to a year ago, the median home sales price increased 1.1 percent, or $1,500.
  • And the number of home sales decreased 67 percent.
  • During the week ending on June 3, the average listing price for Tulsa homes was $254,059, down 0.3 percent from the week before.
  • During that previous week, the average listing price was $255,000.
  • Popular neighborhoods in Tulsa, including Lynn Lane and Maple Ridge, meanwhile, had average listing prices of $225,169 and $511,012, respectively.

We’ll Help With Your Next Tulsa Home Purchase

As you can see, it really is a great time to be a home buyer on the local housing market here in Tulsa.

Thus, if you’re ready to take that next step toward finding your dream home here, please make sure to connect with us at Accent Realtors.

We would love to assist you by answering any questions you might have as well as providing you with some valuable home buying resources. We’ll also tell you all about the available listings right now on the market.

Until next time,

Paul

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Report: US Housing Market Experienced Fantastic Gains This Spring

We just love having the opportunity to share with you good news about the US housing market and this is one of those weeks!

Evidently, according to a recent article we were reading, sales of newly built homes as well as home prices in general saw some great increases during the month of April, further demonstrating that the housing market continues to improve.

If you’re considering buying or selling real estate anytime soon, we encourage you to continue reading to learn more about this exciting development.

What You Should Know About the National Housing Market

Here is some of the most pertinent information you’ll need about the current state of the housing market:

  • New home sales increased 6.8 percent from March to April, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 517,000.
  • The median price of a new home sold in April was $297,300, up 8.3 percent from the year before.
  • Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index increased 4.1 percent in the 12 months that ended in March.
  • Supplies of existing homes remain tight and home builders are still slow to start construction on new project.
  • So far in 2015, builders have constructed just more than 1 million housing units, which is not too much different from 2014.
  • The construction pace increased some in April and actually hit the best level it’s seen since November 2007.
  • Also so far in 2015, monthly sales of new homes have average 515,000.
  • Meanwhile, new home purchases have been up 26.1 percent over the last year.
  • The housing market in April had 4.8 months of supply of new homes, although this is still short of the six months inventory that experts consider a balanced market.
  • New home sales represent about a tenth of all home purchases.
  • Historically, new home sales peaked in July 2005, when they hit an annual pace of almost 1.4 million.
  • Sales bottomed out in February 2011 at 270,0000 units.

Experts attribute steady job growth, historically low interest rates and rising rental costs and key catalysts for the recent improvements on the national housing market.

They have also noted that they believe that the US needs construction of at least 1.5 million new homes a year in order to keep up with the growing population as well as the average loss of existing stock each year because of age.

We’re Your Dedicated Real Estate Experts!

We hope you found the above data as encouraging as we did. The market definitely continues to improve month after month and the memory of the housing market crash continues to fade overtime. This is great news for everyone!

Check back here next time for more valuable information on the current state of the housing market and how it may impact your efforts as a buyer or seller.