Navy Fellas Realty Group

Real Estate, Residential sales and purchase

4 Home Decor Websites to Inspire You

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4 Home Décor Websites to Inspire YouFrom DIY projects to the aisles of IKEA, there are plenty of ways for those looking to dress up their home to come up with unique and fun decorating options. However, with the instant accessibility of the Internet, there’s no reason you can’t search the world over for other’s people great ideas. If you’re looking for new tips and tricks, here are some websites that may inspire your own miniature renovation.

Limitless Art At Lumas

Finding the perfect portrait for your living room or bedroom wall has long been one of the last struggles of home decorating, but with Lumas.com you don’t have to conduct a search of the very best portraits. Instead of waiting for the ideal piece, just search this website created by two art collectors for items by new artists, signed images and economical options that will provide a wide variety of great wall coverings.

DIY Designs From Pop Sugar

With a lot of great images and ideas for what you can do all over your home, Pop Sugar – formerly known as Casa Sugar – is ideal for getting a smattering of instant ideas on how to change up your favorite living spaces. From things to do for your studio apartment to ways your furniture can compliment your astrological sign, there are few limits to the kind of advice you’ll find.

Vintage Offerings At Rubylane

As one of the largest websites of its kind, Rubylane provides one of the most extensive collections of vintage and antique items available anywhere. With so many web searches that offer up pages and pages of the goods you’re looking for, there’s no reason you can’t locate whatever unique item will kick up your room a few notches on this popular design site.

Small Sized Design With Small Furnish

With so many people looking to deck out their studio apartments and small houses, decor and DIY ideas for smaller spaces are becoming more popular, and no website can capitalize on this need quite like Small Furnish. Featuring everything from items for your laundry room to wall mounted laptop stations, this website will give you great small-scale ideas with an arty design ethos in mind.

It can be hard to know where to begin with decorating your home, but there are plenty of online options that will give you great ideas for how you can upgrade. If you’re currently on the market and are considering options for your next home, you may want to contact one of our real estate professionals for more information.

How Technology Is Creating an Easier Mortgage Approval Process

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How Technology Is Creating an Easier Mortgage Approval ProcessFrom saving up for a down payment to sussing out the ideal lender, there are so many things involved in purchasing a home that can make it seem like a rather complicated undertaking. However, like a lot of things in our lives, technology has streamlined the process in recent years. If you’re currently searching for a home on the market, here are some new technological advancements that may make buying a little easier for you.

The Smart Phone Advantage

The paperwork and requirements associated with a mortgage may not have changed much in recent years, but smart phones have provided us with the instant ability to see all the necessary documents from anywhere. While there was once a time it required a lot of time in front of a computer, smart phones have enabled people to fill in, review and reply to documents on the go, which makes for a much more efficient – and mobile – process.

The Implementation Of The E-Signature

It may seem like something that has been around for a while, but up until recently an approving signature on a document had to be provided in person. With all the mortgage documents that are needed to get the ball rolling, this type of approval took up a lot of extra time. Nowadays, instead of having to rush out to sign a paper, our mobility and legal laws enable anyone applying for a mortgage to be able to provide an e-signature, which means there is no waiting around on the backend.

Consult Your Local App

Almost everything has an app these days, and the mortgage process is no different. While there is still a lot of paper and information required in order to get approved, the growing availability of mortgage apps enables you to instantly determine how much your monthly payments will be and what the real cost of your home is when it’s all added up. Instead of the guesswork, these apps can help you answer the question of whether or not a home is the right price.

The mobility and ubiquitous nature of today’s technology has made a lot of things much easier, and the mortgage process is no exception. From apps that can better manage your mortgage to the use of e-signatures, there’s no reason getting a mortgage loan has to be rife with stress. If you’re looking into buying a home, please contact one of our real estate professionals for more information.

3 Ways to Add Emotional Cues to Make Buyers Feel at Home for a Quicker Sale

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3 Ways to Add Emotional Cues to Make Buyers Feel at Home for a Quicker SaleThere are a lot of ways you can effectively stage your home to snag the attention of potential buyers, but there are often a few extra things you can do to really engage the senses of your guests. If you’re hoping for an instant offer and are pulling out all the stops to sell your home, here are some ways you can emotionally engage with visitors to your home.

Carefully Choose Your Color Scheme

You probably already have a fairly distinct color palette in your home, from the couch you’ve purchased to the tone of your paint, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spice it up with a few carefully chosen pieces. Neutrals like white, brown and grey are a great place to start, but instead of letting the room speak for itself, add a punch of color – like bright pillows or a bold throw – that will add instant appeal and make your home a little more memorable. Just remember that it’s important to use colors and patterns that aren’t too bright, as these can overwhelm your space.

Remove Your Most Personal Items

Many homeowners think it’s a great idea to have a lot of personal items around to draw people into their house, but too many items like this can actually distract your guests and may even make them feel uncomfortable. Before organizing your open house, ensure that you remove excess personal items like fridge photographs and frayed posters. Instead, stick with items like artwork or coffee table books which will still exude personality but won’t make potential buyers feel like they’re intruding.

Consider The Sense Of Smell

The senses are often drastically under-appreciated when it comes to staging your home, but they can actually go a long way in getting a lot more interest. Because smell can provide other positive cues that merely looking cannot, baking some cookies or muffins beforehand can be a powerful means of providing a great first impression and making visitors feels like they’re home. The addition of room spray or music may also mean potential homebuyers won’t mind lingering a little longer.

Successfully staging a home can be a matter of common sense, but engaging a buyer’s emotions can go a long way towards making an even better impression. If you’re preparing to put your home on the market in the near future, contact your local real estate professional for more information.

4 Negotiation Tips for Home Sellers

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4 Negotiation Tips for Home SellersWhen you’ve already placed your home on the market, it can seem like the stress is over once you’ve received the offer, but the buck doesn’t stop there. Instead of being caught off guard when the time comes to negotiate, consider these tips that will assist in making the sale.

Rely On Your Agent

Once you’re at the point where you’ve received an offer and are unsure as to whether you should take it, it’s a good idea to sit down and discuss the options with your agent. Because a real estate professional will have plenty of experience with this part of the process, they’ll be able to guide you through what’s an acceptable offer and what you should pass on.

Sell Until It’s Signed

It’s very exciting to receive an offer on your home, but a verbal offer is not set in stone so don’t forget about other interested parties that are still in the mix. Since a buyer’s purchase of your home won’t be official until they’ve signed a contract and put down a deposit, make sure you to keep in touch with other potential buyers that might have an offer if your best option backs out.

It’s Not Just About Money

It’s great to receive the asking price you’re looking for, but there are many things to consider with the sale of your home. In the event that your home inspection has come up with a few maintenance flaws, you may need to adjust the price for your buyer. As well, it’s possible your buyer may not be ready to move in when you’re ready to move out, so be sure to consider any issue that may impact the final sale.

Don’t Hold On To Your Price

There are no set rules when it comes to price, but if you haven’t received any offers and your house has been on the market for more than 60 days, there’s a good chance it’s time to sit down with your agent. While it’s great to know all of the negotiation rules, if your price is set to high for the market, you’re not going to have the opportunity to get to the table.

There are plenty of negotiation strategies to consider when it comes to selling your home, but staying in the game and trusting your agent can go a long way towards a successful sale. If you’re planning on putting your home on the market, contact your local real estate professional for more information.

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 6, 2016

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What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - June 6, 2016Last week’s housing related news was limited to Construction Spending and Freddie Mac’s mortgage rates survey, but labor reports suggested an economic slowdown may be in the works.

Construction Spending Slips in April, Mortgage Rates Mixed

According to the Commerce Department, overall construction spending slipped in April to -1.80 percent as compared to March’s reading of +1.50 percent and May’s expected reading of +0.70 percent. Residential construction spending was 1.50 percent lower, which doesn’t help ongoing shortages of available single-family homes. Builders have repeatedly cited labor shortages and lack of developed lots as obstacles to building more homes. Year-over-year construction spending was 4.50 percent higher.

Freddie Mac reported higher rates for fixed-rate mortgages while the average rate for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage was one basis point lower at 1.87 percent. Rates for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage averaged two basis points higher at 3.66 percent; rates for a 15-year fixed rate mortgages were three basis points higher at 2.92 percent. Average discount points were unchanged for all loan types at 0.50 percent.

Labor Reports Indicate Slowing Jobs Market And Economy

According to the Non-farm Payrolls report for May, U.S. jobs increased at their lowest rate in five years with 38,000 new private and public sector jobs added. Temporary hiring also hit its lowest reading in seven years, which was seen as a negative as temporary jobs often transition to permanent positions.

Analysts said that May’s extremely low reading for jobs created indicates that a revision is likely. This inconsistency was supported by the national unemployment rate of 4.70 percent, but the lower jobless rate was attributed to workers leaving the labor force.

ADP’s May reading for private sector jobs rose to 173,000 jobs against expectations of 165,000 jobs and April’s reading of 268,000. This reading was further evidence that the Non-farm Payrolls report was likely inaccurate.

Last week’s new jobless claims fell to a five-week low of 267,000 as compared to expectations of 279,000 new claims and the prior week’s reading of 268,000 new claims.

What’s Ahead This Week

Economic news scheduled for this week include a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Monday; this speech could foreshadow the Fed’s decision to raise or not raise the Fed’s target federal funds rate during its FOMC meeting later this month.

Readings on job openings and consumer sentiment will be released along with weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims.

Looking to Renovate?: 4 Renovations That Are Cheaper in the Summertime

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Looking to Renovate?: 4 Renovations That Are Cheaper in the SummertimeIt’s often necessary to make a few small renovations before putting your home on the market, but it can be surprising to learn that summer can be a less expensive time for many common fix-ups. If you’re wondering what you should renovate in the summer months, you may want to consider a few of the following for the sake of economy.

Take On The Lawn

In many cases, often-difficult weather conditions that the winter months can provide make a lot of things difficult, and tackling the state of your lawn is certainly among these. Since curb appeal is very important when it comes to the overall impact of your home, the summer months are the optimal time to deal with any changes you want to make to the lawn, gardens or even your walk-way or front stoop.

Fix Up The Kitchen

A kitchen renovation may be long overdue but this is another one you’ll want to put off until the summer. While the warmer seasons afford the possibility for many outdoor, evening meals, this option may not exist in the cold throes of the winter, depending on your location. Instead of hustling off to restaurants where the costs will quickly add up, summer will provide a more affordable opportunity for upgrading.

Add On Extra Space

Whether your doubling your garage or adding on an extra room, this is the kind of work that can bring an influx of cold air into your house and will take a little longer given the discomfort. Instead of completing renovations that deal with the elements in the cooler months, spring for the summertime when the temperature and timeline will be a little milder.

Paint The Exterior

Few things will have a more positive impact on the overall look of your home than a coat of paint, but taking on this task in the winter can be a recipe for disappointment with the sudden snow and storms that may come along. Instead of chancing it and extending the completion of this task, save it for summer when the weather will be more predictable.

There are countless renovations under the sun, but there are some that may end up being more affordable if they’re completed in the summer months. If you’re fixing up your house because you’re planning on selling in the near future, contact your trusted local real estate professional for more information.