Tag Archives: Real Estate

Face it! We are up to our eyeballs in the digital age.

Face it! We are up to our eyeballs in the digital age, and your house needs to be become part of the adventure. Everyone is looking for “Hey Google” this, “Alexa” that “Cortana” help, or “Siri” that. This trend is one that will not go away. It is here to stay.

google nest mini 2
google nest mini 2

Many older homes are not fully wired for internet or any other digital gadget that the world of communication is throwing our way. Sure, some of them come with the alarm system, wired smoke alarm, or internet accessibility in every room, but for today’s buyer that may no longer be enough.

 

Rewiring the home properly for internet could be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking and the price will vary depending on how large your home is, such as a two story and the type of foundation. That is why many of the internet providers just string your internet/TV service wire on the outside of the house and not through the walls, ceiling, or crawlspace/basement. It would be better to have someone do it properly for you prior to scheduling your cable and/or internet service.

We chose to have our house rewired properly. If the cable provider wants to make any cable upgrades, they must come down the wall like all the others. We only have one main entry point from the outside of the house and on the inside the wiring will remain the same. That means if the interior wiring also needs upgraded, the installers will have to make a trip into the attic.

Smart OutletAlso, changing out some of your electrical outlets for outlets with USB charging connectors is a low-cost way to add to your device charging stations.

 

Another reasonably priced gadget to install is the keyless entry door locks. These upgrades are convenient and will also prevent you from being locked out of you home. The lower priced units do not have wify access, but the more expensive one do. When you would like to open your house remotely you would have to get the internet enabled keyless entry units and the price will vary depending on the brand and features you are looking for.

keyless entry lock
keyless entry lock

In this day and age you have all kinds of toys you can add to your home that are Wi-Fi enabled and fun to play with. Lights, heating/cooling, ceiling fans, vacuum cleaners, appliances, faucets. They sky is the limit.

 

The bottom line is you might have to be prepared that today’s buyer is at least looking for some smart-home tech that is included in the deal: smart thermostats, smart smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, smart home security cameras, and smart locks.

Settles Report for 9/1/2014 to 9/8/2014

Last week we did not publish the Settles Report. We questioned some of the reported numbers that where subsequently corrected, but too late for us to publish the report during that week.

Continue reading Settles Report for 9/1/2014 to 9/8/2014

New rules that go into effect January 21st 2015 that will affect FHA loans

lawSince the housing crash we have witnessed more and more rule and regulation changes that affect the way loans are written. Making changes and adjustments to current rules, and writing new rules, has not slowed and I don’t see them slowing down anytime soon. The new changes that will go into effect in 2015 will not affect your current FHA loan unless you refinance. Continue reading New rules that go into effect January 21st 2015 that will affect FHA loans

Settles Report for the week of 08/11/2014 – 08/18/2014

Every week we pull information for the Central Indiana real estate market and look at the last week’s market condition for central Indiana. To simplify the process we are pulling the information for three counties that are part of the Central Indiana real estate market.

Continue reading Settles Report for the week of 08/11/2014 – 08/18/2014

Getting out of debt starts with a simple budget

will it be enough?Many times when I speak with individuals it is because they want or need to sell their home or they would like to buy a home. During my conversation with them sometimes I find out that some of them are in debt and cannot afford to keep or purchase a home. Continue reading Getting out of debt starts with a simple budget

Can I afford buying a home or do I need to make some changes

Before you even start looking to buy a home you should first find out if you can afford a home. Yes, for many, homeownership is still the ultimate dream but it is not for everybody. Sometimes you have to put your dream on hold until you are able to fulfill this dream.

To find out if you can afford purchasing a home go through the following steps first

Continue reading Can I afford buying a home or do I need to make some changes