Protect Your Home In Winter

Extreme weather has a way of showing weaknesses in the infrastructure of your home. Oppressive heat tests your air conditioning unit, heavy rains can stress your drainage and brutal cold puts your furnace through the paces. As a homeowner, you have to be ready for the litany of events that Mother Nature can throw your way. If you’re enduring your first Minnesota winter as a homeowner, it’s important to understand a few basic precautions that will help you and your family make homeownership a joy, rather than a series of unpredictable home improvement projects.  Here are some simple home maintenance tips for the winter:

Pay attention to common house problems

• Frozen pipes.  Most homes in the Midwest are built with proper insulation around pipes, but when temps get really low, it’s always possible for pipes to freeze and burst.  Your best defense is identifying the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. In the case of a pipe bursting – turn off the main water immediately and call a professional.
• Ice dams.  If you’re a first time homeowner and are unfamiliar with ice dams, beware! It snows, the winter brings freezing temperatures, then a mild day and sunshine melts the snow, followed by more icy temps.  This can lead to ice dams.  Ice collects in areas on your roof, then water runoff from the roof gets trapped by the dam and eventually backs up the roof, travels under the shingles, and can leak into the house. While a permanent fix for ice dams usually requires increasing the insulation, sealing, and ventilation in the attic, there are ways to temporarily fix the issue.  There are roof rakes and de-icing products on the market that some believe will melt away the ice for a quick fix.  But, depending on the compound used, some damage can occur to your roofing materials.  Steam is considered the best way to remove an ice dam, which requires hiring an ice dam removal company.  Bottom line, is you want to take care of ice dams sooner rather than later.

Be prepared for outdoor hazards.

Many people spend time outdoors in the winter working, traveling, or enjoying winter sports. Outdoor activities can expose you to several safety hazards, but you can take these steps to prepare for them:

• Avoid accidental slipping on your driveway and walkways by sprinkling cat litter or sand on icy patches.
• Driveways that are not shoveled or plowed soon after snowfall can create an icy build-up on the surface, especially as cars travel over the surface. Try to clear snow from your driveway as soon as possible to prevent the slippery, hard, icy pack.

Take care of your furnace

Contrary to what many homeowners believe, long and sustained runs of your furnace are actually good for the HVAC system. Of course, if you like to sleep in a cooler house, turn the thermostat down at night. Most of all, be sure to clean the filters of your furnace once a month through the winter. When your furnace is working hard, you’ll help preserve the equipment by keeping the filters clean. Keep in mind, it breathes easier when the filter is clean and this will create less stress on this important part of your home.
Winter brings opportunities for outdoor adventures and cozy family time around a fire.  But it also can present some challenges for you and your home, so take the time to double-check you’re prepared for whatever the chill of winter brings.
Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

3 Reasons Why You Should List Your Home During the Holidays

1. Real Estate is all about supply and demand. Everyone takes their home off the market for the holidays so YOU should list your house and the few showings that you get will be ultra serious buyers who have a VERY limited number of homes to pick from.
2. Buyers search on logic (a specific search criteria), but they BUY based on emotion. Give the buyers an emotional connection to your home by decorating it for the holidays (avoid super religious). Have your home be warm and cozy when its cold outside. Clear your driveway of snow and ice. Add festive holiday lights to welcome guests into your home. Stage your home with holiday mugs on the table next to a plate of holiday cookies. Buyers should feel at home in your home. Very few people fully market their home the right way during the holiday season so this extra attention to detail will go a long way with buyers!
3. Buyers who are relocating for work, often begin work in January. These buyers need to buy a house ASAP, they use a realtor, that realtor searches for homes on the MLS, and then they write an offer on the best house they can find in the next 48 hours. They are often in town for a limited amount of time and they need to close on the house (which takes 30-45 days) by January. Don't miss out on these buyers!

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

Career Seminar

Come learn about a career in real estate and ask any questions you may have. If you plan on attending and would like someone to go with please let me know and I will go with you! Lindsay and Ted are awesome agents in my office and Matt Brady is one of the most incredible people I have ever met. Its a blessing to work with these agents and I love sharing my passion for real estate!
Come ask questions or just listen! This is a small, casual career seminar.

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

Check Out The Newest Luxury Bathrooms in the Twin Cities!

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

Thinking About A Kitchen Remodel?

Check out the newest kitchen styles in the twin cities!

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

Are You Thinking About A Career Change?

Real estate is a fun career option for people who loves sales, customer service, and freedom! You must have a positive attitude, a desire for constant learning, and be a problem solver.
You must have a plan before getting your license. Save enough money so that you can live for a few months without an income. Research the industry and write down the pros and cons of getting into the business. Understand the risks and rewards of real estate before you get your license. Talk to a real estate agent who is open to sharing their experiences (feel free to e-mail me at allisondeal@kw.com with any questions).
Once you get your real estate license you will need to meet with different brokerages and find the one that is the best fit for you. Each one has a different feel and culture. The brokerage that
you pick to hold your license will have a big impact on your success so pick the one that will give you the best education and then take advantage of every learning opportunity that is available to you.
Real estate is a fun and interesting business. Once you get into the real estate industry, a whole new world of opportunity presents itself. There is hourly jobs, salary jobs, and commission jobs. You can do more than just buy/sell homes. You can get into administrative work, marketing, investing, flipping, renting, and more!
Contact me for more information at allisondeal@kw.com or call me at 763-257-3436. Allison Deal

Maple Grove's Story

Once a city comprised largely of farm fields and a gravel pit, thousands of homes, condos and townhomes have been built.  While a few condos have been built, most multifamily dwelling construction has been in the townhome market with one story, two story and three story options available with prices for current townhomes for sale from the $100k’s to $400k+.

Single family homes for sale also start in the $100,000′s for some of the older, smaller homes and go over $1,000.000 for the newest and biggest.  While much of Maple Grove is now built out, there are several large plats of land that have yet to be developed as well as some “in-fill” housing that could be built as well so expect to see new construction options for many years to come.
One of the fastest-growing cities in Minnesota, the population in Maple Grove is up 3 percent since 2008 and 32 percent since 2000. Between 1990 and 2005, the population grew from less than 40,000 to more than 55,000.
The city is also growing financially. According to city-data.com,. the median household income grew from $76,000 to more than $92,000 between 2000 and 2009. That 2009 figure was nearly 70 percent higher than the state average.
Located in the northwest corner of the Twin Cities, Maple Grove offers easy access to Minneapolis and St. Paul via I-94 and to the southwest suburbs via I-494. It’s 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis and 30 minutes from downtown St. Paul.
Based on data from 2010, Maple Grove test scores were 31.2 percent higher than the state average in reading and 32.4 percent higher than the state average in math. The city is served by 17 elementary schools, four junior high schools and three high schools.
The city offers nearly 1,000 acres of parkland and 35 miles of trails, as well as the 15-acre Maple Grove Arboretum.
If you are interested in viewing the available homes in Maple Grove, please contact me for free showings allisondeal@kw.com OR call me @763-257-3436 (Allison Deal Keller Williams)

8 Steps to Flipping a House

1. Figure out your financing. Are you going to use cash to buy and fix up the house? Are you going to use cash from an investor? How much cash do you have available?
2. Determine the type of house you want to flip based off of the amount of money you have to both purchase and flip. If you have less money to flip focus on an affordable condo or townhouse. If you have more money to flip a single family home could be the better option.
3. Are you just going to flip the house and sell it? Are you going to flip the house and rent it out? Know what you are going to do before purchasing and fixing up the house. If you are just flipping it you will want to do affordable fixes and if you are going to rent it out you want to do fixes that will stand the test of time.
4. Time is of the essence! Have helpers for your flip before you purchase the house. You want to get started working on the home the day of closing. Have a plan and order for what items need to be fixed and in what order.
5. Know your hourly rate! After you do a few flips you will know what your hourly rate is and don't do any work that is under your pay grade. Always hire out for affordable and time consuming projects so you can get the work done as quickly as possible.
6. Always network to find the best people to help with your flip projects so that you are never left desperate for helpers.
7. Work with a realtor who knows the market and can quickly find you an awesome deal on a house. Realtors know how to write an offer that will get accepted and can tell you what types of upgrades to do to the home to maximize your return on investment. They can also estimate what the home will sell for in todays market which is very helpful information to any investor.
8. After you close on the house, get to work quickly and stick to your plan. Two weeks before the home is completed have a realtor do a walk through and make suggestions. They should do another market analysis, do the listing paperwork, determine a listing price to sell it quickly and for the most amount of money, and give staging advice. A realtor can pre-list the home and network with other agents to possibly get it sold before it even hits the MLS. The other benefit to pre-listing is the agent can gauge the market and if there is nobody that is interested or everyone says its over-priced then you can adjust the price before officially listing it.

Please contact me at allisondeal@kw.com if you have any questions or are interested in flipping a home in the twin cities area.
Allison Deal
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
763-257-3436

Top 10 Things a Real Estate Agent Does During The Day

1. Lead Generate- We are always looking for buyers and sellers. Without clients- we are unemployed!
2. View Homes- We view homes in all price ranges. We look at homes that are similar to homes we will be listing to check out the competition. We attend broker opens to network with other agents in the area. We check out homes  that might be a good fit for our buyers in order to save our buyer's time by excluding homes that are not a right fit or highlighting homes that they need to see ASAP.
3. Find/Schedule Showings- We search the MLS for listings that may be a good fit for our buyers. We send those listing to our buyers and answer any questions the buyers may have. We coordinate schedules between the buyers and sellers and schedule a showing.
4. Market Analysis- We help out sellers determine what their home will sell for by researching the market. This comprises of looking at similar homes in the same location and condition to determine what our seller's home will sell for. This is a complicated and time consuming process because every home is unique, every lot is different, and every home varies in condition and upgrades.
5. Make offers- We write offers and make sure our clients understand what they are agreeing to in the contract. Offers are complicated and each line of the contract has an impact on both the buyer and the seller.
6. Negotiate- We negotiate to get out client the best deal. If we represent the seller we negotiate to get the highest possible price without the buyer walking away. If we represent the buyer we negotiate to get the lowest possible price without losing out on the deal.
7. Close the Gap- Sellers want more for their home and buyers don't want to overpay. Real estate agents need to close the gap so that the seller can sell and the buyer can buy. The price the home actually sells for is the market value.
8. Mediate- We not only mediate between buyer and seller, but we also mediate between husbands and wives or a first-time home buyer and their parent. Buying/selling a home is a big decision and everyone involved has an opinion. Emotions often run high during a real estate transaction and the real estate agent must be level headed and listen/interpret the deeper level concerns.
9. Problem Solve- Almost all transactions will fall apart without a knowledgeable advocate to save the transaction. Usually the problems occur on the buyer side (buyer changes job, takes out a new loan, quits job, gets laid off, doesn't get their documents to the loan officer in time). Sometimes problems occur on the seller side (problems with a vacant house ie: the furnace goes out or carbon monoxide leaks into the home, flooding, fire, storm damage). Real estate agents must address these issues quickly in order to keep the deal moving forward.
10. Follow-up- We follow-up with past clients and build relationships so we can get referrals from clients who know and respect us.

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

What is dotloop and why should buyers care?

Dotloop is an awesome tool that I use and its incredibly valuable to my clients! Dotloop is the technology that I use to get electronic signatures from my clients. Its good for the environment because I don't need to use paper (but if my clients are old school and like to use paper I can always print paper for those specific clients).
In addition to helping the environment, it also saves my clients time and money! After I write an offer, I can get the offer to my clients to sign via e-mail and over to the listing agent in a matter of seconds! When I show a property that is under market value (AKA an amazing deal) I want my client's offer in ASAP. Dotloop helps me get my offer in before other agents which means this awesome technology helped me get an accepted offer before other agents even had time to submit their offer. Multiple offers drives the price of the home up so avoiding multiple offers means I saved my buyers thousands of dollars and several days worth of negotiations! Whew! Agents that don't use the latest and greatest technology are missing out for their clients.
Thank you Dotloop!
Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
allisondeal@kw.com

3 Ways To Increase Your Homes Value

1. Keep up with home maintenance projects. Buyers want a move-in ready home and will pay more money for it! Take care of problems as they come up and do it the right way. I know home maintenance projects can be a pain, but leaving them on your to do list for too long could create even more costly problems before you know it.
2. Replace a beat-up garage door and/or front door. These two replacements are affordable and are proven to have over 100% return on investment! They increase your home's curb appeal and gives the home a fresh new look. Buyers value curb appeal and may not even realize it. I show A LOT of homes and I have had several buyers decide to not even enter a home because of poor curb appeal.
3. Invest in your kitchen and bathrooms! Buyers want a nice looking kitchen and bathrooms relative to the price of the home. If you have ever done a kitchen or bathroom remodel you know that these two types of rooms are the most expensive to change.
Many real estate agents, including myself, offer a FREE service to homeowners. I often visit home owners BEFORE they start a major kitchen/bathroom remodel. I research other homes in the area and look at what homes sold for in the neighborhood. I look at the homes with updated kitchens/bathrooms and see what kind up updating the sellers did to the home. I analyze everything and send a report to the home owner and visit the home to talk about my research and help the home owner decide what kind of updating to do.
Home owners appreciate this free service and feel more confident going into the home improvement project. I build relationships and offer valuable free services to homeowners because I know when they decide to sell in the coming years they will consider using a strong real estate agent that has offered years of good advice. I love creating win-win situations.

Home Improvement and Design Expo

October 17-18, 2015

Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55403 – Hall D

10ampm until 5pm Saturday | 10am until 5pm Sunday

Attention all home improvement enthusiasts! The Home Improvement and Design Expo returns to the Minneapolis Convention Center on October 17th and 18th for the premier fall home show in Minneapolis!
See up to 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services to help you turn your dream home into a REALITY!
Bring your ideas and blueprints. This show features everything home improvement related, including: remodelers, landscapers, architects, interior designers, contractors, decks, kitchens, bathrooms, entertainment rooms, roofing, window, siding, financing, realtors and much more!
PLUS: Don’t miss the speaker stage! Local realtor, Allison Deal, will be speaking about smart home improvements that add real value to you home (11AM Sunday only!) Sellers and buyers can check out her booth and spin to win for an opportunity to win hundreds of dollars towards closing costs for FREE!
Admission is $6 at the door or FREE if you contact Allison Deal today with your name and address at allisondeal@kw.com.

Why You Should Get A Radon Test

In the simplest terms, radon is an odorless gas that lives in pockets in the ground. It enters the home through cracks in the basement and gets trapped in the home. As the gas builds up in the home it becomes more dangerous. Over time high levels of radon can cause lung cancer.
Testing for radon is an inexpensive way to ensure your safety. If your home has low levels (below a 4) you don't need to do anything. If your home has levels above 4 you will want to mitigate. A mitigation system is a few thousand dollars. This may sound high for many home owners. Think of it this way, at best the mitigation system may save your life by preventing lung cancer. At the worst, it costs you your vacation money for the year; however, when you sell your house in the future you will have gotten the benefits of living in a home with low levels of radon and you won't have to install a system when you sell.
Why would you install a radon mitigation system when you sell? Buyers today are learning about radon from their Realtors. They pay to have a radon test performed and the buyers will not buy the home unless the sellers install a radon mitigation system.
Either way home owners usually have to pay for a mitigation system- why not enjoy the benefits of the system while you still live in your home?
If you need a referral for a radon tester, feel free to contact me.

Why Buyers and Sellers Should Use a Full-time Realtor

Part-time VS Full-time

 

- Part-time agents may work a full-time job. They need to put their main focus on their real job. When an urgent matter comes up involving your transaction a part-time agent will have to wait until they get out of work to deal with the urgent matter. Real estate does not wait and you may lose out on a great house because your realtor was at work.

 

-Part-time agents don't have the time to attend the weekly education classes that full-time agents can attend. More education, dedication, and focus is better for buyers and sellers.

 

-Full-time agents can participate fully in the office on a daily basis. This is important if you know anything about synergy. When a full-time agent is trying to work through a problem its easier to turn to a bunch of other agents in the office with many years of experience and get a great answer than it is to sit at home after a long day of work and then try and figure out a complicated issue alone with limited experience.

 

-Full-time agents must sell your home because this in their ONLY income source.

 

When its time to choose an agent to help you buy or sell a home please do yourself a favor and always ask if the agent is full-time or part-time. A strong, dedicated, focused agent will save you thousands of dollars!



Tips To Improve Your Credit!

We all know that a high credit score can help streamline life events like buying a house or landing a new job. But do you know how to boost your score? Try these four moves to give it a quick lift.

Fix Credit Errors -- Don't wait for a lender to check your credit before reviewing it yourself. Request a credit report from each of the three major bureaus every year, reviewing the accuracy of your ... View more personal info, credit limits and the open or closed status of each account. Dispute any errors immediately.

Ask for Forgiveness -- If you have blemishes on your credit, try clearing them up. Negotiate paying an old debt if the creditor will mark your account "paid as agreed." For a late payment on a long-held account, write the creditor, acknowledge your otherwise good history and ask for a goodwill adjustment that will wipe it from your credit report.

Make Strategic Repayments -- You may not be able to pay off your credit cards quickly, but you can strategically pay them down. Start by dividing each card balance by its limit. Demonstrate restraint to lenders by keeping each card balance below 30 percent. If your card debts are higher, make a plan to pay balances down to reach a more desirable ratio.

Increase Your Credit -- Another way to reduce your debt-to-income ratio is to ask for an increased limit. It's a bit of a numbers game, but if you keep future spending in check, you can end up with a lower ratio. (Experts say this ratio accounts for up to one-third of your credit score.)    

1. Pick the right agent for you! You need someone who will educate you on the process and be willing to answer your questions. In addition, you need an agent who will tell you the truth about the market and listen to your thoughts and opinions. Remember, YOU are the EXPERT on your house and your agent is the EXPERT on the MARKET.
2. Pack up anything in your house that you won't need in the next couple of months. This will make your rooms seem bigger. Remove any tired furniture or add accessories like new pillows to put new life into older furniture.
3. If you want top dollar for you home then go through and fix, clean, and replace anything that needs attention. Buyers look at items that need to be fixed and assume it will cost twice as much to fix or they might assume you didn't take care of your house.
4. Make sure your agent has professional level photos of your home that showcase the best angles. Remember, your first showing is always on-line and one bad picture could scare away your perfect buyer.
5. When your agent puts your home on the MLS for all the world to see their is a special private section for agent remarks. This is the most under-utilized marketing tool! Make sure your agent shares something special about the house in this section. For example, home comes with a 1 year home warranty OR Home has extra carpet and paint in the closet that matches the brand new carpet/paint in the home. Don't let buyers miss ANY detail of your home that adds value!
6. Work with a low-ball offer. Sometimes buyers submit low offers to see how desperate the seller is to sell. Don't get upset. Counter with a more acceptable offer- they might accept it! Its ok to go back and forth with low ball offers because you might get a real offer in during that time and then you will be in multiple offers!
7. Listen to your real estate agent! You can talk to friends and family, but your agent does this everyday. You can always question your agent on anything, but just make sure at the end of the day you are on the same page.
8. Start looking for homes once your house is on the market. You need a plan of action so you don't end up homeless!
Good luck on the sale of your property! If you have had a positive experience or a negative experience (now or in the past) I would love to hear about it! I offer free advice to anyone who has questions. I love real estate and helping people!

Contact me with questions and get free advice or local help- allisondeal@kw.com

7 First-time Home Buyer Mistakes to Avoid before closing

1. Don't change your employment status
2. Don't make any major purchases (Ex: car, furniture, vacation)
3. Don't increase your credit card debt or miss any payments
4. Don't change bank accounts or make large undisclosed deposits
5. Don't apply for a credit card, co-sign a loan, or make a credit inquiry
6. Don't spend money you have set aside for closing
7. Don't delay in providing all paperwork asked for by the mortgage company

Avoid these 7 first-time home buyer mistakes and enjoy your new home!

www.MNfamilyhomes.com

Contact me for further information on securing financing or buying your first home.
Allison Deal
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com