Anna's Blog

At a time when nearly every newscast and newspaper has a comment about rising energy costs, it's always helpful to learn about useful information that can help us save money and energy. The power company in the Madison area, Madison Gas & Electric (MG&E) has a terrific web site that everyone in their service area (homeowners, renters, or business owners) should know of and review. I recently started receiving their newsletter that offers loads of energy saving tips. You can sign up for the free newsletter by clicking here.

This site is also helpful for reviewing past energy use at your address, paying your bill online, starting and stopping service, and much more. Be sure to take a peek!

For those in the surrounding area serviced by Alliant Energy, they too offer a useful web site. To check it out, click here!

Here in the midwest, we get a little break from curb appeal duties since our yards are covered in snow for about 3 months of the year! But alas it's spring, and time for homeowners to renew their awareness in curb appeal.

Many buyers that I work with drive by many of the homes for sale that meet their general criteria (price, size, location...) before actually touring homes. Many times, curb appeal is a sellers only chance to make an impression on a buyer. Here are a few easy tips:

Keep things neat and tidy: The same way you clean up the house every time a showing is scheduled, keep the exterior of the house in a constant state of tidy. Keep the weeds pulled and make sure all of the vegetation in the yard is healthy. A flock of dandelions in a front yard rarely leaves a good impression...on buyers or your neighbors!

Garbage cans have their place: And aside from the several hours they need to be at your curb for weekly pick up, keep them in the garage, on the side of the house, or behind the house.

Declutter the front porch: Aside from perhaps a pretty potted plant or a chair or two (space permitting), keep your porch clear of clutter. It saves a potential trip hazard when people unfamiliar with your property arrive, and the simplicity is a clean look.

Take a break from excessive lawn ornaments: Use your judgement, but know that less is more in the lawn ornament department!

Keep it straight: Make sure your for sale sign is straight and secure in your yard. A leaning sign makes for unbalance, and every little consideration counts.

Don't stress! The tips I have mentioned are affordable (many free) and easy to do. If you want more tips on curb appeal, let me know. Do everything you can to move your home from for sale to sold as promptly as possible!

If you are decluttering for any reason - spring cleaning, getting ready to move, unpacking from a recent move, just because - you will be interested to know that the local chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is sponsoring a Shred-A-Thon on May 3. Event details may be found by clicking here. Notice there are also articles on becoming paperless and records retention.

The event is free and you can watch as your documents are shredded safely and professionally right before your eyes. What a great opportunity!

I did some spring cleaning over the weekend...and it felt great! Here in the midwest, the change in seasons brings the need to tweak some things around the house. Here are some tips:

Make a list - I love lists in general, but I find that spring cleaning is a very efficient process when you jot a list of what needs to be done in each room of the house. This also gets you thinking about anything you may need to pick up at the store...a new mop, a new bottle of vinegar (so great for cleaning!), a new essential oil scent...

Start general - Start with a few things that impact your entire house...vacuum, sweep, dust all of the window sills in one swoop. Little changes start to make everything look and smell good...and gets you really motivated to press on!

Go green - There are some terrific ideas for natural cleaning on the web. One of my favorites is to slice a lemon in half, microwave it for a bit, and then wipe up the juice and condensation left behind...cuts through the grime like a champ. Then put the used lemon in the garbage disposal and when it grinds up it gives the entire kitchen a great scent.

Donate! - Inevitably, we all wind up with a pile of clothes that don't fit in our closet anymore, or a tall pile of great books and magazines that we're done reading. Look up the hours that your favorite cause or thrift store accepts donations and plan a trip. You will clear out space at home and feel really great finding another home for your goodies.

Spring is here so be sure to schedule some time soon for your spring cleaning. Once it's done you can spend the rest of the spring enjoying the great outdoors...ahhh!

Have fun!

I was reviewing the rate sheet at the credit union this morning and reminded that there are so many saving options beyond traditional checking and savings accounts. My credit union, for example, has a home buying savings account. The minimum balance is $250, the interest rate is similar to that of a short term cd (which is about double the interest paid on a traditional savings account), and you can withdraw any time without penalty if the withdrawal is for a home purchase (and you obtain your financing through the credit union).  

Whether it's money in the bank or the stock market, every bit of saving counts. If you are thinking of buying a house this year, look into alternative saving options at your bank or credit union! If you need any suggestions for local banks or credit unions, let me know as I'm always happy to share!

I recently received a really good reminder from a loan officer that I work with at a very reputable bank.  Lately we read and hear on the news that it has become very difficult for home buyers to obtain 100% mortgage financing. While this is true to the extent that many 100% programs are no longer available, there are still some tremendous programs and options to consider. 

In Wisconsin there is a program called WHEDA that offers 100% financing to qualified borrowers. If you are a veteran, the Federal VA program is also 100% financing. Another option is to inquire about a 100% financing program specific to your bank.

Additionally, it's important to remember that many communities offer downpayment assistance. With downpayment assistance you are not restricted to 100% financing options.

If you have questions, or may be interested in any of the great 100% financing options that remain available to buyers, call or email me and I will offer some suggestions of banks to contact to inquire further! 

With the arrival of yet another snowfall this weekend, I had to post some positive weather/community info! First, spring officially arrived on March 20! And, March 15 brought the end of alternate side parking in the city of Madison for another year.

See, there are some exciting things going on in spite of 100" of snow!

I am frequently explaining what a Home Warranty is because I offer it as an option to sellers and buyers. A Home Warranty can be extremely valuable to a seller as well as a buyer, and here are a few reasons why:

A Home Warranty can provide peace of mind for both buyers and sellers. A Home Warranty can potentially cover the cost (subject to deductible) of some big ticket household items during the coverage period.

A Home Warranty is a great marketing tool for sellers. Buyers feel relief when they know there is some coverage on the home after closing.

A Home Warranty is a great motivator for buyers. Often buyers are even more excited about a particular property when they realize there is a perk such as a Home Warranty available.  

The Home Warranty commonly used in this area is from Universal Home Protection. The web site for UHP Warranty is very informative and includes all of the policy terms and conditions. If you are interested, take a peek at the site, and be sure to let me know if you have any questions!