FSBO vs Realtor Listing
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Early spring is historically a popular time to buy and sell real estate.   Add to this U.S. mortgage rates falling to a 10-month low this past week, and if selling in 2019 is in your plans, now is the best time to actively plan and prepare to sell your home.

For Sale by Owner listings, also known as FSBO’s, are an option to traditional listing with licensed real estate firms.  But some of the hard facts about listing your own property versus listing with a licensed realtor may give pause to reconsider.

Commissions.  Some home owners only look at this one item.  However, the truth of the matter is the average selling price of properties listed with realtors is a whopping 15% more than the average selling price of a For Sale by Owner.  It isn’t hard to compute you will gross more money by listing with a professional, even when considering paying a commission.

Finding a buyer.  A realtor has many contacts, leads, and multiple sources of advertising listings.  A FSBO will have to generate interest in the property by a sign in the yard and maybe newspaper or online listings.  Statistically only 10% of buyers find the house they buy, by seeing a sign in the yard.

Showings.  It is hard enough to have your home in tip-top shape and ready for buyers to view. If you now must be available to show the home to prospective buyers, the time commitment is extreme.  In addition to the time commitment some buyers find it very uncomfortable to deal directly with a homeowner.

Mounds of paper work.   Disclosures, inspections, legal filings.  Completing and filing all required documents is intense and demands intimate knowledge of state and local real estate laws.

FSBO vs Realtor listing, the most important stage of a new listing is the initial few weeks it enters the market.  Getting it exactly right the first time, is the precursor to a successful sale.  Hiring a professional makes the most sense, but we may be a bit biased.

Snow Skiing in Southern Idaho
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Add to the list of great amenities of living in Magic Valley, Idaho, that of family-friendly, easy access and affordable snow skiing.

Close to Twin Falls and an easy day trip are two ski areas that provide skiing and snowboarding along with equipment rental and lessons.   Magic Mountain, Kimberly, Idaho and Soldier Mountain, Fairfield, Idaho (previously owned by Bruce Willis) are smaller than larger resorts located in Sun Valley, Idaho or Deer Valley, Utah, but with ticket prices to reflect.  Soldier Mountain lift tickets are less than half of bigger resorts in Idaho, Utah and Colorado, while lift tickets for Magic Mountain are less than one third.

Magic Mountain offers snow tubing on weekends.  A fun family activity in addition to Snow Skiing in Southern Idaho.

If you are an expert skier and crave backcountry challenges, Soldier Mountain offers a unique experience in their Cat Scratch.  Transported by snow cat and supplied with individual safety equipment, the cat skiing area is a large easterly facing bowl that collects snow and holds it between storms.  Allowing each skier to choose their own ski lines and to explore the dedicated area, it promises to be a memorable experience.

Prepare to List
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In a matter of weeks, the typically prime buying and selling months for real estate will arrive.  If selling your home is in your plan for this year, now is the time to buckle down and organize your home.
Preparing to sell your home isn’t just about researching Realtors® and signing a listing agreement.  You need to have your property in tip top shape.  Even well-maintained, fresh and tidy homes may need some extra attention before opening doors to scrutinizing buyers.

Clean, clean, clean.  Walking into a home that looks clean and smells clean is a powerful and lasting first impression. It immediately emanates pride of ownership.  A perfectly clean and orderly home will be off the list of a buyer if a funky odor is what they remember.  Don’t perfume or mask an existing odor.  Find the source and fix it.

Light.  Use every option to create a well-lit and sunny home.  Drapes and blinds open to let natural light in through clean windows.  Taking off the screens while showing creates an even clearer light source.  If showing in the evening be sure all lamps and light fixtures are on before buyers walk in.  Not only is a lit home welcoming from the inside but is very welcoming from the outside.

Tidy rooms and closets.  Clutter makes rooms look smaller and distracts from any features your home may have.  Box up and store excess clutter or sell, donate or trash it now.  When your home sells the packing is that much easier.

Make repairs.  Be a detective and find every dripping faucet and every squeaky door.  You get used to the small deferred-maintenance issues in your home, but they will be loud and clear to a buyer.

When you prepare to list your home, it’s big project.  Start now and be fully ready for listing.  It will take a lot of the stress out of selling process.

Home Colors of 2019
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Every year the major paint manufacturers present their custom colors predicting how home owners and fashionistas will be using color in the coming year.  It may not always be the fad that takes off, but it is interesting and a place to look if freshening up your home with paint is on the agenda.  Offering a wide range this year are the following “Home Colors of 2019” choices with the manufacturer’s description.

Benjamin Moore: Metropolitan (AF-690)  a cool gray emanates nuance, harmony and extravagant ease. Always adaptable, it softens to matte or shimmers with sheen. It’s neutral. It’s understated. It just is. This is color, “off-duty.”

Sherwin Williams: Cavern Clay (SW 7701) warm terracotta color with ancient, elemental roots. Cavern Clay is a nod to midcentury modern style, but with the soul of the American Southwest, which together creates a desert modern aesthetic.

Pantone: Living Coral (Pantone 16-1546) is an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.

Behr: Blueprint (S 470-5)  an honest, approachable color that conjures up the blueprints builders rely on to bring architectural designs to life.  Blueprint creates a space where you can build your own reimagined life, where awareness of what we want to build for ourselves can transform into action.