Low Cost/Big Impact Home Improvement Ideas These days everyone is looking to save a $$$. Many home owners are opting to stay put and spruce up their homes rather than sell them.  Home owners opting to sell are often stretched financially already and feel improvements to promote the sale of their home will be too costly. Whatever the circumstance, home improvement doesn't have to be costly to have a BIG IMPACT.  Try some of these affordable home improvement ideas. 1.   INVITE PEOPLE IN -Spruce up the exterior front entry!  Consider a new front door and/or window.  Clean the glass around the entry, polish the doorbell, paint the door a fresh color, sweep the step, remove cobwebs, add a plant to the step and make sure the porch light is functioning, clean and attractive.  Buyers wait on yo... 02/03/2010

There are few things that can frustrate an agent more quickly than a short-sale transaction. Many of these dealings have been taking 3+ months to close; if they close at all. The agents involved seem to have minimal control over how quickly the lender processes the short-sale request, accepts an offer and closes a transaction. It often is a situation where one has so negligible power and can be so easily manipulated by others. We are subjected to a transaction moving at the lender’s pace and therefore, mercy. One thing we agents can control is the consistency with which we approach short-sales. Our organization and professionalism can dramatically affect the lender’s responsiveness. If we have an effective plan, we can make it a consistent plan, therefore substantially increasing our ab... 12/22/2009

You may have always wanted a big project like renovating an old house. Or you may have fallen in love with a slightly rundown but charming place. However romantic it might seem in your mind to merrily work away on updating bathrooms, tearing out old kitchens or rewiring electrical systems, you may be getting in over your head. Tips from a USA Weekend article will help you decide whether your labor of love is worth it. According to master carpenter Norm Abram, “the first consideration when thinking about renovating is the underlying structure of the home.” If the foundation or framing is seriously damaged, usually as a result of water damage, it can be extremely expensive to repair. However, if the house you have in mind has structural problems, it isn’t necessarily the end of the deal. ... 12/11/2009

Home Buying Advice from Rochester MN REALTORs David and Lois Marris Whether you are buying your first home or you've bought a home before, ask yourselves these questions as you consider your options. 1. Does buying a home fit in with my overall financial goals? Home Ownership is just one of many financial goals.  Ask yourself these questions as you prioritize all of your goals: How long will I live in this home?  We suggest 3 years minimum, preferably 5 years. Will I still have enough money for unexpected expenses and emergencies? Would buying a home financially stretch me beyond my comfort zone? 2.What can I comfortably afford? Focus on what you can afford rather than "What Can I Borrow?" Consider: Down payment Interest rate Property Taxes Monthly heating/cooling costs Lawn care costs ... 05/07/2009

Rochester Mn Real Estate Agents David and Lois Marris on Mortgage Applications    There are three main areas lenders review when you apply for a home loan: Income and Expenses Credit Score Down Payment and Closing Costs Income and Expenses Lenders will help you itemize your income and all of your expenses.  They then calculate a debt to earnings ratio or "Housing Ratio". The Housing Ratio consists of the monthly housing payment to total gross monthly income ratio. This ratio is used by lenders to determine the maximum monthly payment a lender is likely to allow you to carry based on your income alone.  To calculate your own Housing Ratio visit our web page Pre-Qual Calculator tool. Credit Score Your credit score is a number generated by the credit reporting agencies and represents your ... 05/07/2009

Automate your home search with Rochester MN REALTORs David and Lois Marris Finding the right home can be fun and exciting. The internet gives you instant and constant access to homes anywhere around the world.  You can even look inside homes with videos, virtual tours and lots of photos and never have to step inside the home itself! But have you searched and searched and still haven't found what you are looking for?  If you want a hassle-free, no obligation, automated home search, we can help! Just provide your home search critieria and we'll send you a list of all the homes that match your wish list.   When a new match comes available for sale, you'll be one of the first to know via an automated email update. And since our real estate home search is more powerful than those available t... 04/19/2009

Rochester MN Real Estate Agents David and Lois Marris explain why NOW is a great time to buy a home.     Believe it or not, now IS a great time to buy a home.  I'm not just saying that because I'm a real estate agent.  Rather, because I'm a real estate agent I recognize and understand the signs of great opportunity for those who can safely afford to buy a home. - 1.  Interest rates are low Take this to heart home buyers. You will not likely see interest rates like this again for years to come.  If you purchase a $200,000 home at 4.625% your principle and interest rate payment will be 1,028.28.  If that rate goes up to 5.625%, AND IT WILL, your payment will be $1,151.31.  Your total interest paid at the lower rate over 30 years will be $170,180 compared to $214,472. Just one point higher... 04/19/2009

Have you ever liked a home but not the address?  I've had this situation come up with several clients in the past.  Sometimes people have superstitions about certain numbers and the numbers in their street address can actually prevent a client from buying a home.  Some people avoid the number 13 or gravitate toward any multiple of seven.  I never thought there was much I could do about the address issue until today. A quick call to our county Planning and Zoning Department was all it took.  I found that you can indeed, within certain guidelines, change the numerical address of your home.  All it takes is an application and a $135 application fee.  A quick review by department personnel will let you know what alternative house numbers are available. Now that's a new twist to the phrase, ... 04/02/2009

Rochester Minnesota Public Schools, Minnesota District 535 You can find information regarding school test scores, school board meetings, school closings, lunch menus, curriculum and more at www.Rochester.k12.mn.us. 2009/2010 School Calendar: www.rochester.k12.mn.us/school85/calendars 2009/2010 School Boundary Map School Board Board meetings are aired the next day on Rochester cable channel 22.  Board meetings are aired again at 8:00AM and 8:00PM on Wednesdays and Sundays and at midnight on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact the board at schoolboard@rochester.k12.mn.us Compare Rochester Schools School Digger Get Free School Reports www.davidandloismarris.com/school-report   Relocating?  Contact David and Lois Marris for information on all Rochester public and private schools.  We h... 04/02/2009

April is Environmental Awareness month in Rochester Minnesota.  There are many events scheduled throughout the month to focus Rochester on the environment.  Get involved and get green! RNeighbors Events: April 11th: RNeighbor's Think Green Conference, 8:30 AM to 12:00 N, Heintz Center at 1925 College View Drive SE April 18th: RNeighbors Citizen Forester Training, 8:00 AM to 12:00 N, Quarry Hill April 25th: Put that Citizen Forester Training to work!  RNeighbors community tree planting, 9:30 AM at the United Way building, 903 W. Center St. Rochester Public Utilities will hold an Arbor Day celebration at Central Park on April 24th, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  Includes a tree giveaway! Quarry Hill Nature Center celebrates Earth Day, April 25th, 9:00 AM to 12:00 N.  Includes a native plant s... 04/02/2009

The time is right to buy luxury! If you are a luxury home buyer with a good credit score and the right down payment, now is the time to buy. The market has never been more favorable for the luxury home buyer. Interest rates are at historic lows, even jumbo loan rates.  We have larger than normal inventory of luxury homes, giving the buyer more choices than ever before.  Luxury homes are being offered for sale at fantastic list prices, lower than I've ever seen.  There are few competing buyers right now allowing for healthy negotiations. Many banks are again offering jumbo loan programs. It is also a great time to be a "move-up" buyer, selling your mid-range home and moving into your upper tier dream home.  The opportunities for the luxury home buyer are better than I've ever seen them. ... 04/01/2009

Interest rates are unbelievably low right now and that is great news for home buyers. Last week the federal government took actions meant to lower consumer interest rates on bank loans.  So far, it looks as if the steps taken are working and working well as bank lending rates fluctuate between 4.375% and 4.75% for a 30 year fixed loan. These low interest rates, combined with low housing prices, are creating fantastic opportunities for home buyers right now.  For example, just last fall (2008) when interest rates were at 6.5%, a Rochester home was offered on the market at $234,900.  The same home came on the market this spring with interest rates at 4.75% with a home price of $219,900.  Your mortgage comparison would look roughly like this: List Price 10% Down Payment Loan Amount Payment... 03/26/2009

Finally, a stimulus plan the average home owner can use!  Recent actions taken by the Federal Reserve to raise the supply of credit and push down the home mortgage lending rates appear to be working.  Last week home mortgage interest rates at Rochester area banks fluctuated between 4.375 and 4.75%.  The drop in interest rates drove new buyers into the market and existing home owners to their loan officers. One mortgage consultant I spoke with indicated she had locked interest rates for 22 people in 3 days.  Homeowners with good credit are finally able to refinance at these lower interest rates even if they do not have 20% equity in their home.  A homeowner I spoke with recently had just refinanced though they had just purchased their home 6 months ago.  The refinance will save them abou... 03/24/2009

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New Years reSolutions are, at best, a yearly exercise in futility and frustration. Requiring discipline, willpower and determination, these reSolutions are implications that you need to improve, fix or repair something that's broke or not complete. These requirements are not exactly energizing words and enthusiasm soon goes away to continue these reSolutions. You need to set New Years ReVolutions...actions that lead to results. Goal setting as you've never done it before. Just like your business, you need goals and you need a plan to get these. You need to take ownership of these ReVolutions. They will be personal and more focused. They will inspire you to continue them instead of dragging you down and making you feel like you need to consistently be disciplined to get them done. ReVolu... 12/29/2008

Ya' know...  one of the tougher parts of this job has been insuring that every Client gets the opportunity to read and fill out an inspection agreement (http://pwcinspsvc.googlepages.com/InspectionAgreementHighlited.pdf).  I try to insure that each client knows to go to my web site, read one over, fill it in, sign it and fax it back.  I'm surprised at how many clients don't send one back and don't show up at the inspection with one.  Or, they return it un-signed.  Then they are surprised to find out that without it... there will be no inspection.  We (I) get a lot of flack about the language used (probably because I go over it with them "word-for-word").  There is a lot of misunderstanding about the reason for it.As a small business owner I would be nuts to operate a service business an... 06/15/2007

 Money Magazine wrote,"One thing to remember about Rochester is that it has the sophistication of a larger metro area, but not the congestion or the complications." Rochester was named "Best Small City" in America because it has a cosmopolitan atmosphere with Midwestern hospitality giving visitors and residents a most memorable experience. City... Simplified. I have lived In Rochester for 9 years and consider it my home.  It is a place where you can raise children in a smalltown atmosphere and still be able to put on your dancing shoes and enjoy a night out on the town.  Here you can have the best of both worlds.   11/05/2006