The holiday seasons are upon us and inevitably, whether selling or buying, you may be asking yourself; “Should I continue to market my home/search for my new home from post-Thanksgiving until post-New Years. Review the pros and cons of both.

SELLING PROS:

• Many other sellers remove their homes from the marketplace during this time which reduces your competition. Lower inventory means that you can stand out to those that are shopping and possibly be rewarded with a higher price.
• The fact is that regardless of the season, there are always buyers in the market to purchase due to job transfers, divorces, end of leases, seasonal closing on their own home that they’ve sold and people who want to take advantage of the current low interest rate before it goes up.
• As long as you don’t go overboard, the sights, sounds and aromas of the season cause buyers to imagine what it will be like to enjoy their own holiday gatherings in front of your roaring fire and beautifully displayed Dining Room table.

SELLING CONS:

• The number of buyers shopping during the holidays is smaller than in the more active spring season.
• If you live in an area that experiences extremes of cold, snow and ice, you have the added task of making sure your exterior areas are clear and safe to travel. You also need to prepare yourself for the frustration of no shows and reschedules in the event of inclement weather.
• If you do a lot of entertaining, you might have to be more diligent with regard to keeping your home “show ready”.
• In many areas affected by the time change, it gets dark a lot earlier making evening appointments more challenging thus you should prepare yourself to be doing more weekend showings.

BUYING PROS:

• The reason someone may have their home on the market during the holidays is because they have a “need to be sold by” deadline ie: starting a new job, moving to help out with a family situation, downsizing due to a job loss or reduction in income, etc. This may provide a great opportunity to purchase your dream home at a reduced price.
• Due to less homes being sold during the holiday season, title companies may have a more open schedule to ensure the closing date you prefer.
• Like the “Greek restaurant dilemma” of a menu that is so large it’s hard to make a decision, by having fewer homes to choose from, your shopping process may be far less stressful and more effective.

BUYING CONS:

• Since many people take their homes off the market at this time, you will have less inventory from with to choose.
• Due to holiday entertaining, viewing appointments may be more difficult to schedule BUT keep in mind if someone is choosing to sell during this season, they will most likely work with you to find a convenient time.
• If you live in an area with inclement weather, getting to and from appointments might be more challenging.
• In many regions, with the time change, it gets dark a lot earlier making evening appointments more difficult (hard to see addresses, hard to see exterior negatives about the home) which means you will most likely want to schedule viewings for the weekend, which can be more difficult. That said, if the seller is motivated, they will understand the local weather impediments and most likely be willing to be accommodating.

Whether you’re selling or buying, you can take advantage of the holiday season to achieve your desired result and toast in your Happiest New Year!!

With mortgage rates at near historic lows, you may want to consider refinancing your loan, but should you? If you plan on staying in your home for at least 5 more years then depending on your current interest rate, going through the refinance process may be just the thing to reduce your monthly payments and relieve some unnecessary stress from your day to day life. And if you don’t need to use the extra few hundred dollars per month that you may save, you can either use that to make extra principal payments and pay off your mortgage sooner or add to your kid’s education fund or even take that family vacation you’ve been wanting to provide for your family.

With the lower rates offered today, you may be able to switch from your 30 year fixed loan to a 15 year and not see a dramatic change in your monthly payment. The end savings however could be phenomenal!

As we move into Autumn and our summer flowers are starting to wither into dormancy or just outright dying, adding the deep oranges, rusts and mustard yellows to your landscape can give your curb appeal the boost it needs.  Mums are a great choice because you can get several different rich colors and types to blend into a dynamic foray of Autumn colors. If you don’t have the time or style of landscape to plant the mums, use potted ones just as effectively, either individually or grouped together.

If you’re selling, try to keep what you’re adding seasonal but not “holiday focused” such as halloween decorations. If you are a die hard Halloween decorator, keep it limited to the day before and only on Halloween. Then pull it down and focus on getting sold!

If you’re lucky enough to have nature screaming autumn around your home and you’re thinking of selling, DO IT NOW!! The most effective and cost effective landscaping you could hope for!

So you did a lot of Christmas decorating and now want to sell your home but haven’t had time to put away all your decorations or like the wintry look if only they didn’t look so much like the holiday. Here are a few ideas to help you transition your home for showing while it’s still winter without dating your listing by having Christmas hanging on.

• Take berries and Christmas ribbons out of your front door wreath and replace with deep winter colored ribbons and winter faux flowers.
• Do the same with Christmas plants so you can still enhance your home with live greenery. Remove the holiday wrapping around a pot and if the pot is great on its own, perfect. If not, replace the holiday wrap with winter toned fabric or paper or for an even quicker change, simply drop that pot into a larger pot that matches your home’s decor.
• Holiday candles can blend beautifully with your home’s winter theme if they are winter hues with evergreen, cinnamon or spruce scents. If the candle’s label (ie: yankee candle or other well known companies) screams Christmas, soak it with sudsy water and simply remove the label. Same with the candle holder. If it looks like a poinsetta, Christmas tree or other holiday decor, take out of that stand and put in one of your own.
• Downgrade your holiday table setting from holiday to winter by simply changing up the placemats, tablecloth, runner or napkin rings. Quick, easy changes that still maintains the beauty of the winter season.
• Replace your holiday blankets thrown over  chair or couch with  rich, soft, winter white, cream or deep toned blanket that blends with your decor.

Since winter and winter holidays share so much in beauty, decor and presentation, take advantage of all it offers while easily and swiftly transitioning your holiday decor to a warm, inviting winter ambiance and show your home confidently as a new addition to the marketplace.

As anyone who’s applied for a credit card, a loan or a lease (not to mention a mortgage) can tell you, your credit rating matters. And while it’s important to remember that you can’t raise your score overnight, there are some steps you can take that will improve it over time. Consider these:

1. Always pay your bills on time. This factor carries a lot of weight in how your credit score is factored so don’t allow yourself to believe that being late once in a while doesn’t really matter because it really does! This essentially is what good credit is all about. When you’ve established yourself as someone who can consistently pay what you owe, you prove you are a responsible credit user. Also, the longer you’ve been paying on time, the better.

2. Pay down your debt. If you haven’t been paying your credit cards on time (thus the problem with your credit in the first place), the best way to repair the damage is also the simplest: pay down the debt! Simplest in getting results but this can seem impossible and overwhelming. Taking the time to do some reading and studying on what will be the best method for you to follow to reduce your debt will definitely pay off with a less stressed lifestyle and the ability to make life decisions such as buying a home with confidence.

3. Don’t apply for multiple cards at one time or within short spans of time. It’s a common misconception that having many cards = better credit. In reality, the key is establishing good credit over time, and that’s why it’s not smart to open lots of cards at once. Doing so may red flag your credit rating that you may be not handling your money well. Better to have only a couple of cards that you consistently pay on time or off monthly which will allow you to see credit increases on those cards which then in turn will show you are a low risk buyer.

4. Know the facts. Did you know paying off a collection account won’t take it off your report? Not for seven years. Did you also know closing unused credit cards can possibly lower your score? This can negatively change your debt to credit % causing your score to drop even though you, in essence are still a good risk. Knowing these things can make a difference in how you approach credit.

5. Check your reports. Want to know what your current credit report reveals? The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires three reporting agencies — Trans Union, Equifax, Trans Union and Experian—to provide you with an annual report, free of charge. For more information, click here. Most credit cards now offer free monthly or quarterly FICO scores that you can review online. This does not include your full report but does give you your score and what is positively or negatively affecting it. It also typically will notify you if there has been a change up or down in your score.

6. Dispute errors. One of the reasons it’s such a good idea to check your credit is that there may be errors affecting your score. When you check your annual reports, be prepared to dispute any incorrect items. If you receive a notification from one of your credit cards that your score has changed check it out immediately so you can get the problem resolved asap. This is especially important in the event your identity has been compromised.

So, yes, your credit score matters a lot if you want to be a homeowner but don’t stress. Instead become actively involved in improving your score and then maintaining it so there is a history of great progress and upkeep. Unlike what you might have heard, you can control your score. You just have to control your mind focus on getting it done!